Striking Distance
                                                                                                   
Director: Rowdy Herrington
Year: 1993
Rating: 6.0
The 1990s was for me the Goldilocks period of action films. Some of the best action stars, plenty of great car chases and stunts, almost in the realm of the possible but before the overuse of CGI and excessive violence. This isn't one of the best, but it is pretty solid with a few intense action scenes. Very good cast as well but with one remarkably bad choice for the role. That almost sinks the film for me. But it is Bruce Willis when he was a super star for good reason, Hudson Hawk notwithstanding (I should revisit that some day when I need to be horse whipped).



A lot going on here. Willis plays Hardy, a Pittsburgh homicide detective who has testified against his partner Jimmy (Robert Pastorelli) for violently beating up a suspect. But not only his partner, but family as well. In fact, it feels like the entire police force is related to each other including Jimmy's father (Dennis Farina), brother (Tom Sizemore), Hardy's father (John Mahoney) and cousin (Tom Atkins). Great cast right there. There is a serial killer strangling women and dumping them in the river. In one of those insane 90's car chases, the killer gets away, but Hardy is hurt and he tells the press that he thinks the killer is a  cop. This gets him booted out of the force.



Two years later he is part of the River Police Patrol partnered initially with Timothy Busfield, but then with Harper portrayed by Sarah Jessica Parker. Nothing against her, but she is so wrong for this role. A medium wind could blow her away and there is zero chemistry with Wills. Of course, they still have to hop into bed together. Ugh. The film comes to a screeching halt. Her character is so unnecessary. But it picks up when dead female bodies begin showing up in the river again and Hardy obsessively wants to catch the killer. Nothing new here - seen it all before with a mysterious serial killer who is nearly indestructible,  a cop that every other cop hates and the woman who tries to tame him. But nice to see a film shot in Pittsburgh.