Steve Rankin Movies
- 2003
As Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) and Ramon (Joaquim de Almeida) escape in the helicopter, Ryan Chappelle (Paul Schulze) returns to CTU, and contemplates shooting them down. He has to make a decision before the helicopter flies over a populated section of Los Angeles, and Chase (James Badge Dale) reminds him that he'd better clear it with Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) before killing the man who saved the president's life. Wayne (D.B. Woodside) gets word to Palmer during the debate, which Palmer decides to interrupt in order to deal with the crisis. He gives the order to shoot down the chopper, but it's too late. Once on the ground, Jack is able to contact Ramon's personal pilot, and make plans to get out of the country. Since Jack's work appears to be done, Ramon decides to kill him. Back at CTU, Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) realizes that Gael (Jesse Borrego) has been thwarting the team's efforts to contact Jack. Meanwhile, Kyle (Riley Smith) is brought in and examined by CTU's medical team, which makes a surprising discovery. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
John Terlesky's psychological thriller Written in Blood concerns a police detective named Matt Ransom who attempts to clear the name of his partner after the partner is convicted of killing his wife. The investigator uncovers a web of people who might have been responsible for the crime, but he begins to mistrust his now incarcerated partner, who might be trying to manipulate Matt. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael T. Weiss, Peter Coyote, (more)
Former X-Files writer James Wong makes his sophomore feature as a director at the helm of this science fiction thriller that's reminiscent of Timecop (1994). In the near future, a technology called "quantum tunneling" allows human beings to travel between parallel universes. The abuse of this ability by criminal elements has led to the formation of the Multi-Verse Authorities or "MVA," an agency of quantum traveling cops who apprehend violators of inter-dimensional laws. The MVA faces its greatest crisis when a former agent named Gabriel Yulaw (Jet Li) goes renegade, traveling between one universe and the next, murdering his own parallel selves and gaining enormous power with each slaying. It is believed that when Yulaw has become "the one," the only version of himself to exist, he will be omnipotent, but the final Gabriel Yulaw exists in our plane of existence (the "magna universe") and is also becoming stronger, though he doesn't understand why. Hot on the evil Yulaw's trail are his former partner Harry Roedecker (Delroy Lindo) and Harry's new colleague Evan Funsch (Jason Statham). Created with Wong's longtime writing and producing partner Glen Morgan, The One (2001) co-stars Carla Gugino. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jet Li, Carla Gugino, (more)
- 2000
As Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) strengthens her resolve to protect supernaturally incarnated sister Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) from malevolent über-demon Glory (Clare Kramer), Tara (Amber Benson) fears that her friends will discover her own otherworldly origin. The crisis begins when Tara's father, brother, and cousin arrive to escort her back home before her 20th birthday, at which time, they remind her, her demon heritage will manifest itself and make her a danger to those around her. Reluctant to let girlfriend Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and the others find out she's less than human, Tara casts a spell to prevent them from sensing any demons at all. Unfortunately, the enchantment prevents the gang from being able to see the minions Glory has dispatched to attack them. Only the reluctant intervention of smitten vampire Spike (James Marsters) -- acting on his newfound love for nemesis Buffy -- prevents a total massacre. Tara cancels her spell, her friends learn that she's part-demon, and then (again with help from Spike) everyone learns she's actually human after all. Overjoyed to find out that the demon legend was just a way to keep the women in her family subservient, Tara joyfully rejects her blood family and accepts her role as a member of the Scooby Gang. Originally broadcast November 7, 2000, on the WB network, "Family" marked episode 84 of the cult-favorite series. This episode also reveals that Ben (Charlie Weber), the handsome doctor Buffy keeps running into, somehow involuntarily shares his body with the fearsome Glory. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 1999
The recently demoted Dornan (Richard Gant) returns to the 15th in search of a stash of illegal weapons. This leads to a racial-political crisis, culminating in interdepartmental ill will and a gunshot wound for Lt. Fancy (James McDaniel). On another front, a mother positively identifies the body of her daughter, found in a ditch -- but this turns out to be part of an elaborate scam when the "dead" girl shows up very much alive. And, in her continuing efforts to console herself to Bobby Simone's death, Diane (Kim Delaney) pays a visit to Henry (Willie Garson), unofficial caretaker of Bobby's pigeons. Former recurring actor Bill Brochtrup becomes a regular in the role of gay Anti-Crime Unit assistant John Irvin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Recovering alcoholic Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) takes a personal interest in the case of hard-drinking Detective Mike Walsh (Larry Brandenberg), who is mixed up in a shooting at a bar. Walsh also becomes the center of a turf battle between Lt. Fancy (James McDaniel) and the skipper of the 27th precinct. And while assisting in an investigation, Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) exhibits more symptoms of an illness more serious than a mere respiratory ailment. Visiting the doctor, Bobby is hit with a bombshell when he is diagnosed with an enlarged heart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Christina Griffin (Natalie Radord), the mother of a half-human, half-Kromagg child, escapes with her baby from a Kromagg breeder camp and links up with Quinn (Jerry O'Connell) and his fellow Sliders. Claiming to be a friend of their missing colleague Wade Wells, who'd likewise been captured for breeding purposes, Christina offers to help them track Wade down. Instead, the Sliders are sidetracked by Christina's own litany of woes, including an unforgiving family, a relentless assassin, and a deadly virus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
For his fifth effort as a feature-film director, one-time cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld brought his cartoonish visual style and darkly humorous sensibilities to this adaptation of, appropriately enough, a tongue-in-cheek sci-fi comic book. Will Smith stars as James Darrel Edwards, a New York City cop with an athletic physique and a flippant, anti-authoritarian attitude toward law enforcement. After chasing down a mysterious perpetrator one night who turns out to be an alien, James is recruited by "K" (Tommy Lee Jones), a veteran of a clandestine government agency secretly policing the comings and goings of aliens on planet Earth. Nicknamed the "men in black" for their nondescript uniform of black suit, shoes, tie, and sunglasses, the agents are assigned to recover a bauble that's been stolen by an intergalactic terrorist (Vincent D'Onofrio). It seems the item is none other than the galaxy itself, and its theft has plunged humanity into the center of what's shaping up to become an interstellar war, unless K and his new wisecracking partner, now renamed "J," can stop the bad guy. On their side but somewhat in the dark is a pretty, unflappable city medical examiner (Linda Fiorentino) who has been zapped one too many times by K's ingenious memory-sapping device. Men in Black was a box office smash, inspiring an animated children's television series and a hit soundtrack album that featured a performance by star (and rapper) Smith. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, (more)
- 1992
It is no coincidence when a woman disappears shortly before the slaying of two ad-agency employees: All three had been witnesses to a mob execution. Assistant D.A. Stone (Michael Moriarty) attempts to prove that the kidnapping and murders had been ordered from within prison walls. But to do this, Stone will have to tilt with his longtime adversary, brilliant defense attorney Arthur Gold (George Grizzard). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Hunter (Fred Dryer) comes back into the life of his high school sweetheart Laurie (Cristina Raines Crowe) when she witnesses a murder. Naturally, it is Hunter's intention to keep Laurie under wraps so that she can testify in court, and just as naturally she cooperates with his efforts. Unfortunately, the woman's no-good husband Eddie (Granville Van Dusen) has other ideas--and before long he is threatening to reveal what his wife has witnessed in order to blackmail the corporate "fat cats" who ordered the killing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
For most of the United States, February is the month of Presidents' birthdays and Valentine's Day; at the headquarters of "FYI", February means "Sweeps Month." Hoping to score a huge ratings coup, Murphy (Candice Bergen) and Corky (Faith Ford) team up to write a shocking expose of a crooked oil company. Unfortunately, their investigation requires the ladies to pose as members of the World's Oldest Profession--fish-net stockings and all! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
