Director: Roger Donaldson
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Michael Madsen, Jennifer Tilly, James Woods, Richard Farnsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Running Time: 116 minutes
Synopsis: Master thief "Doc" McCoy (Alec Baldwin) and his wife Carol (Kim Basinger) join fellow criminal Rudy (Michael Madsen) to free a drug cartel member, but after the job Rudy abandons Doc, who spends time in a Mexican jail. Carol trades sexual favours with crime lord Benyon (James Woods) in exchange for Doc's freedom, and Benyon again partners Doc with Rudy to hold up an Arizona dog racing track. The theft turns violent, Rudy attempts a double-cross, but Doc and Carol end up with the heist money and on the run to El Paso, hotly pursued by Rudy and Benyon's men.
What Works Well: This faithful remake of the 1972 Sam Peckinpah original offers sun-scorched southwest locations, well-staged action scenes, and an enjoyable collection of bad and worse criminals doggedly plotting against each other. Kim Basinger is a significant upgrade on Ali MacGraw, and the heat between real-life couple Baldwin and Basinger is intensified by Doc's understandable annoyance at his wife's sexual liaison with Benyon.
What Does Not Work As Well: While the production is slick and competent, it's also hard to justify. Alec Baldwin tries to exude a sense of cool but is no match for Steve McQueen, and many of the weaknesses carry over from the original. These include Rudy's cartoonish ability to escape death, and his prolonged side-quest romance with a veterinarian's lusty wife (Jennifer Tilly). Doc's pursuit of an unworthy low-level train station thief only serves to prolong the running time.
Key Quote:
Rudy Travis: It's been my experience that having friends is overrated.
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