Snake Eyes

Starring: Nicholas Cage, Gary Sinise, John Heard, Luis Guzman, Kevin Dunn, Carla Gugino, Stan Shaw
Directed by: Brian De Palma
Rating: R
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: During a high stakes championship boxing match, the Secretary of Defense (who is attending the event) is assassinated. The place is shut down and a crooked cop (Nicholas Cage) leads the investigation to find the murderer, along with his old friend (Gary Sinise). As the two investigate, a conspiracy begins to unravel, involving those least expected.

Review:

Tim: Snake Eyes is a pretty decent mystery thriller. Brian De Palma tries very hard to direct a stylish, intelligent film. It is not quite as exciting or intense as it needs to be in order to be effective. Pay attention to the opening scene which runs unbroken for quite a while. It is impressive, even if the film is not.

Nicholas Cage is playing a very flamboyant character, but he is a little too over-the-top in the movie. He is decent, but not too likeable or enjoyable. As he is the main character and not a very good person, we are left with no one to root for.

Gary Sinise is a little too rigid and stoic and makes for a sharp clash with Cage's character. They don't work together, which is surprising since they are both great actors.

The mystery itself is pretty decent and as it unravels, we are kept thoroughly interested in discovering the truth. The suspense can be quite intense at various times.

The conclusion of Snake Eyes is pretty anticlimactic and unoriginal. The whole film seems to be adding up to some huge climax but instead fizzles out at the end. On the whole, Snake Eyes is a forgettable movie that throws a lot at us, but none of it sticks.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: 8mm, Impostor, The Forgotten, Face/Off, Con Air, National Treasure, Blowout, Raising Cain