Riding high from the success of surprise hit Passenger 57 (1992) which established Wesley Snipes as the next big action star, you would expect that from the posters, video covers and trailers that Boiling Point would be a non-stop action packed crime thriller. Halfway through the movie I was questioning as to whether I had missed the point of the movie as why on earth was this so called action movie moving at a slow pace. And with a decent cast featuring the likes of Dennis Hopper (Speed), Lolita Davidovich (Leap of Faith), Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of The Rings trilogy), Dan Hedaya (Commando), Seymour Cassel (Indecent Proposal), Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad), James Tolkan (Back to the Future), and Paul Gleason (Die Hard) this was a movie that certainly couldn't go wrong. But it did. Boiling Point turned out to be a weak and lukewarm movie lacking any excitement let alone any interest.Treasury Agent Jimmy Mercer (Wesley Snipes) and his partner Brady (Dan Hedaya) are involved in an undercover operation gone awry when Mercer's fellow agent is shot and killed by a young psychopathic thug named Ronnie (Viggo Mortensen) who is partnered with scam artist Red Diamond (Dennis Hopper) who organises fake money sales to rob and kill the buyers. Mercer vows revenge on the killer and swears to take down Red and Ronnie within 1 week before Mercer is transferred out of Los Angeles.On paper the movie looks like a good popcorn action flick right? Wrong. It's more of a character driven movie that moves slower than a snail moving from Point A to Point B. I could not fault the cast whatsoever, they can't be blamed for this. Written and directed by James B. Harris (Cop) based on the novel by Gerald Petievich (To Live and Die in L.A. which is by far an underrated movie which at least had you engaged from start to finish), he has brought out a very weak movie that is a cop out for everyone expecting another Wesley Snipes actioner. Fans and audiences have every right to feel cheated.Boiling Point was an action/crime movie that had potential with Wesley Sniper and Dennis Hopper in the lead roles, but the movie can be described as a situation where somebody forgot to turn the kettle on to boil the water.It's a shame Boiling Point turned out to be nothing more than lukewarm.4/10.

Here's another movie that fails to satisfy. When judging by it's bold cover, you'd think this was a sure guarantee for action. You've been mislead again folks. This is basically just a revenge story, with cop, Snipes after an aging scam artist, Hopper, perfect here, who's into money laundering, making his own cash. For those who didn't know, this is sort of a prequel to that 86 hit To Live And Die In L.A. which makes this film look duller than an empty casket. Even a slimy character from that movie is resurrected here. Hopper has good support, not from from Snipes though who's on a revenge driven journey to kill Hopper, who shot down in his partner in an undercover operation. Hopper's protégé, Viggo Morttessen fits the bill of character here. It's great to see him play vulnerable where he hooks up with old ex who assists in his criminal exploits. Watch for Tobin Bell a.k.a Jigsaw as a ex con Snipes questions. He gets information from Bell in return for letting him gets some vitamin C outside in the prison grounds. You don't realize how many films Bell has done before his trademark role in the Saw movies. Boiling Point falls under that "Why bother making this movie category" There's hardly any action. Hopper is funny though in this, a player sort of character, doubling his sexcapades with Lolita Davidich and Valeerie Perrine, a real veteran of film. He kind of partly makes up for the loss of action and suspense that's minute. The gas explosion with the junkie was a surprise though. Filmed in 93, this was Snipes's year as this was one of four four films that came out of his. Never has music at the start, fitted the title so imperfectly, as in that Jennifer Lopez film, Enough. My long lost friend was late returning this flick where he owed 75 dollars. With this movie, the video store clerk should of just let him off. Don't be duped by this one. May'be just copy the video cover and blow it up, as a poster.

The film begins with Red Diamond, an ex-con(Dennis Hooper),recently freed from jail . He along with Ronnie(Viggo Mortensen), his pal from prison, undergo a new business, an operation about money forgery. But the issue go wrong and Ronnie murders an undercover agent. His partner a two-fisted named Jimmy Mercer(Wesley Snipes) together with another policemen(Dan Hedaya) swear discover the killer. Meanwhile, Red Diamond deals with mobster(Tony Lo Bianco) whom he owes some money. The story continues the trail some people after another attempting to get close over tracks of Red and Ronnie and there relationships with girlfriends(Valerie Perrine, Christine Elise) and lovers(Lolita Davidovich).The picture contains action, suspense, several shootouts, bloody killings and lots of violence. It's exciting and tense, at time no too much interesting cop thriller. The story is plenty of firepower, intrigue, action packed and good performances. Wesley Snipes is fine as tough cop and excellent Dennis Hooper as likable delinquent and Viggo Mortensen as cold killer.Magnificent secondary cast with a plethora of known actors, such as Seymour Cassel, Tony Lo Bianco,James Tolkan, Jonathan Banks, Paul Gleason, among others. Atmospheric musical score made by means of synthesizer and fitting to action by John DÁndrea and Cory Lerios. The motion picture is written and directed by James B Harris. He's a notorious producer, he produced Stanley Kubrick's three awesome films(The killing, Paths of glory and Lolita)and occasionally director of thrillers(Cop, Fast walking)and another genres(Bedford incident). Rating : Acceptable and passable. The movie will like to Wesley Snipes fans and thriller buffs.

I thought it was a very good movie that was based on a good story with only a few improbable points to it, such as both main characters having a week deadline to find each other.I also thought that the gangster who was owed money would be more likely to give a guy fresh out of prison more time and hence more likelihood of a successful con to get him money. The viciousness of the deadline did not seem to serve the greed that should have been the main motivation of the gangster who was owed 50 thousand. If he had the money and wasn't paying up then the viciousness would have served a purpose.Other than that small plot point I thought Dennis Hopper was brilliant and the relationship between him and the murdering thief kept me on the edge of my seat as I thought that at any moment the hit-man would find out he was being used or conned. But Dennis Hopper laid down a sweet story each time.Leslie Snipes did a fine job as a Cop. And I liked the Duo he had with his partner of ex Cheers Fame.