The Suicide Kings (1997) / Thriller-Mystery

MPAA Rated: R for strong violence and language, and for some nudity and drug use
Running Time: 106 min.

Cast: Christopher Walken, Denis Leary, Henry Thomas, Sean Patrick Flanery
Director: Peter O'Fallon
Screenplay: Josh McKinney, Gina Goldman, Wayne Rice (Based on the short story, "The Hostage", by Don Stanford)
Reviw published April 20, 1998

Five college students kidnap a former mob boss in order to exchange him for the sister of one of the rich students who was also kidnapped. They vow to perform an eye for an eye should anything bad happen to the girl, and start off by cutting off the pinky of the mobster. Soon the boys start fighting amongst themselves and the mobster tries to get the upper hand seeing weakness among the ranks.

It is an interesting idea, but amateurishly executed here, in this unfortunate misfire. Christopher Walken (Pulp Fiction, Wayne's World 2) gives one of his best performances and is basically the sole reason the film is somewhat watchable. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is not quite as good, and some plot twists the writer and director may have thought were clever were ham-handedly very obvious.

Denis Leary (Demolition Man, The Sandlot) lends some comic relief, but you may be disappointed that Jay Mohr (Jerry Maguire) does not perform the brilliant Christopher Walken impression he was known for on "Saturday Night Live." It isn't horrible by any means, but Peter O'Fallon (A Rumor of Angels) seems to have turned in a rough draft rather than the finished product.

Qwipster's rating:

©1998 Vince Leo