This is one cool thriller that takes place in the course of one night, Roy Scheider & Adam Baldwin are two hit-man who are to bring back a kid who may have witnessed something he shouldn't have, it is clear from the start that the two men don't like each other & the kid plays on this to his advantage in the hopes of escaping, Baldwin is the younger of the two & is a hothead with a short temper, Scheider is a veteran who is all business & knows that being careful is better than being over the top. Adam Baldwin gives a vicious performance as the hot-headed Tate, though a lot of his dialogue is badly dubbed over for content (despite the movie's R rating). Roy Scheider is ice-cold as Cohen, conceivable as a veteran killer suffering from hearing loss.The story is very interesting and makes you listen as to what is going on. Some twist and turns with the hit men making a run after they shoot the witness and the guards not having a chance. Taking a hostage who causes more pain than they expected. The movie as a whole isn't the greatest, but it's not so much the plot that drives this movie. The characters of Cohen and Tate, their conflicting natures and constitutions is what makes this movie worth your time. As the tension mounts, you can sense the characters' hatred for one another. When the movie reaches it's climax, you don't really care who gets killed but you really want someone to get it. Now it's not boring as it has a bit off a pace but not too fast as to spoil a fantastic show.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

"Cohen and Tate" is a reasonably entertaining road movie of the dramatic kind: mismatched mafia hit men Cohen (Roy Scheider) and Tate (Adam Baldwin) carry out an assignment to kidnap young Travis (Harley Cross of "The Believers"), gunning down his parents and the FBI agents watching over them. Travis had witnessed a mob rubout and now the employers of Cohen and Tate want to know everything that the kid knows before taking *him* out. The problem is, nothing goes smooth because of the two opposing personalities in play here. Cohen is the Older and Wiser type, very weary at having to put up with a hothead punk such as Tate, the kind of guy who enjoys violence way too much. Travis soon notices this and realizes that his best chances for survival lie in attempting to pit them against one another.Eric Red, screenwriter of "The Hitcher" and "Near Dark", made his feature length directing debut with this moderately interesting, very well paced little film, his version of the O. Henry story "The Ransom at Red Chief". Most of the film takes place inside a car, so he proves up to the challenge of shooting in a claustrophobic environment and keeping the audience involved in what is happening. As Cohen and Tate spend more and more time with each other, things just get more and more grim and uneasy. Tate has shown his capacity for savagery, and his quick temper, and the increasingly more frustrated Cohen finds it harder and harder to maintain his self control. What is often truly disturbing is seeing guns repeatedly leveled at young Cross' head. You really fear for this kids' life.Right from the start, Red is ratcheting up the suspense, diving head first into the action. In an odd touch, he gets his back story out of the way *very* quickly with a brief expository text. Then things soon get ugly. Red does an excellent job of keeping his tone grim throughout. Much of the effectiveness, however, can be attributed to the acting. Baldwin is a live wire in his part, and young Cross delivers a sympathetic, mature performance, holding his own opposite his more experienced co-stars. Scheider is of course superb; he's as commanding as ever as the professional killer saddled with a loose cannon partner. Cooper Huckabee ("The Funhouse") is good in his brief screen time as Travis' father. Talents behind the camera include composer Bill Conti and cinematographer Victor J. Kemper."Cohen and Tate" is good stuff and is worth seeking out or rediscovering for the cult movie aficionado.Seven out of 10.

This film turned out to be a wonderful surprise! Since most of the action occurs in the tight space of a car, it might seem limited to those who haven't seen it but it actually appears limitless. The trio (or perhaps the duo) play off each other naturally yet unpredictablly and there's little to second guess in the plot. The little hostage is less a participant than a true antagonist who manages to pit Scheider and Baldwin against each other rather masterfully although we know from the beginning that the two characters are miles apart. There have been great plays in the past with only one scene. This is the film counterpart but with plenty of action, a very effective musical score and a tight and efficient script. Despite the ever-present suspense, some of the scenes are actually rather funny - on purpose. Bravo everyone!Curtis Stotlar

Just seen it tonight on TV and wanted to highly recommend it to any fan of gritty, tense road-movies and Thrillers. I won't say anything about the plot, you've already read it, I guess. The director, Eric Red (writer of "Hitcher" and "Near Dark", comes up with a really dark and nihilistic atmosphere and tone that fits perfect to the minimalistic approach. There are very few characters in this one, but they are awesomely written. The dialog is short and kept to a minimum but totally fits to the mood and the characters. The movie isn't stylishly cut or edited, there are a lot of closeups to the characters but so you can really approach the great acting of Baldwin and Scheider. There is not that much action in this one but when something happens, it's gritty, violent and culminates in very tense moments. So, it's not you're everyday, loud and fast Blockbuster but if you like the early works of John Carpenter or Walter Hill, you will surely love this one.