When I woke up this morning a mental list began to develop in my mind. An itinerary of the things that need to be accomplished today. Beginning with putting on the coffee, of course, and then on to the laundry. Before the morning was over, I also was planning to view Mel Gibsons' derriere. Although it would be quite pleasant to view it live and in color, standing right there in my kitchen, I did have to settle for viewing it on my television screen, darnit. This time it would be in the 1990 film Bird On A Wire, with his leading lady, Goldie Hawn.
Directed by John Badham(Saturday Night Fever, Short Circuit), Bird On a Wire probably should have been named something like Lethal Weapon II and 2/3rds. It was released between the second and third installments of that famous series. And quite frankly, Mr. Gibson plays basically the same character with just another name. A fellow that likes to run, jump, shoot guns, crack jokes and kiss the girls. And, oh yes, one that tends to have an exhibitionist streak. Which I have had to simply force myself to endure when I'm watching one of his films. *cough*
~~~~~~
The story here begins as Eugene Sorenson (David Carradine) is being released from prison after 15 years. Arriving there to pick him up is his co-hort in crime, Albert Diggs (Bill Duke). Before they even leave the prison grounds they begin to plan how they are going to exact revenge on the man responsible for putting Sorenson there, Rick Harman (Mel Gibson). The problem is that they are not sure how to find him.
Rick Harman went into hiding in the Witness Protection Program after his testimony convicted Sorenson. He has had to change his location and his identity several times and is presently pretending to be a Good Ol' Tennessee boy that is working at a gas station in Detroit.
Detroit, which happens to be the destination of his former fiance, a successful attorney in New York, Marianne Graves (Goldie Hawn). She believed that Rick had been killed in an airplane crash 15 years ago. When she stops at the gas station to fill up the tank of her rental car she recognizes Rick and confronts him. He won't confess his true identity, though. Instead, when she leaves, he immediately calls in and requests to be relocated and given yet again another new name.
Unfortunately for good ol' Rick, the fellow that answers the call happens to be in cahoots with Sorenson and Diggs, Joe Weyburn (Stephen Tobolowsky). Needless to say, the bad guys show up at the gas station just hours later. Coincidentally, at the same time Marianne is parked across the street, spying on Rick. When the shooting begins, Marianne rescues Rick, but not before he takes a bullet in the rump.
What follows is a mad-cap adventure as the two of them join forces to reach the one man that can help Rick. This will find them everywhere from climbing across the beams of a high-rise building, to a duel in the sky with a helicopter and a final confrontation in the enclosed Jungle Exhibit at a Zoo.
~~~~~~
While Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn are both performers that I normally enjoy watching, here in Bird On a Wire there was something lacking. There seemed to be little chemistry between the two of them and it was felt through the entire story. It could also be the reason that this was their only joint venture. They both seemed to be re-creating the same characters that they had played before. Funny, lovable characters, no doubt, but not ones that blended well here.
David Carradine does little more here than hold a gun and look quite dastardly. Actually, Stephen Tobolowsky is more impressive and memorable. Not quite as memorable, though as the character, Ned Ryerson, that he played in Groundhog Day.
The action scenes are exciting and the scenery quite pretty. The majority of it was filmed in Canada. It runs for 110 minutes and is rated PG-13. The language is mild and the nudity limited. Hey, maybe that's why I didn't care for it. Hmmmm. Anyway, you will catch a glimpse at Mels cute little hiney and also Goldie wearing a thong as her skirt conveniently flies up.
I'm going straight up the middle here with 3 stars. There is nothing here that should make you want to run to your local video store and rent it. But if you happen to run across it airing on television, go ahead and pop up some popcorn and enjoy. It's a good way to pass a Sunday afternoon.
Superstars Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn team up in this non-stop action-comedy directed by John Badham Hiding under the FBI Witness Protection Program, ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.