Michael Cimino's Desperate Hours, despite only really being a serviceable home invasion/hostage thriller, still has a lot of fun with it's two leads, brash sociopath Mickey Rourke and even brasher estranged family man Anthony Hopkins. Based on a creaky old Humphrey Bogart film, Cimino obviously vamps up the violence and eroticism that simmers beneath it quite a bit, and when you have Rourke as your antagonist you know it's not going to be anywhere near a relaxed affair. He plays Michael Bosworth, a dangerous felon on the run with two other goons, his volatile brother (Elias Koteas) and another creepy lowlife (David Morse). He crashes into the home life of Tim Cornell (Anthony Hopkins) a boorish father visiting his wife (Mimi Rogers) and children. The film mainly takes place inside the house, as the creep factor rises along with the threat of blaring violence which we know will come, made all the more likely by the growing police presence outdoors, and the tensions of everyone involved, threatening to snap at any moment. Rourke walks a tightrope between amiable and unstable, a man sure of himself, who always gets his way, and is capable of bad, bad things if he feels he won't. Hopkins plays Cornell as a man used to being in control, but his inability to hold his family together is made worse by the gang's arrival, rubbing salt in an already festering wound. Cimino has a brawny style to his violence, a trademark that's seemingly born of both De Palma and Peckinpah, rich bloody gun battles and accentuated slow motion death scenes. Most of the film is held back, but the flood gates do eventually open and action hounds will get what they came for. Watch for Lindsay Crouse, Kelly Lynch, Shawnee Smith, James Rebhorn and Dean Norris as well. Not groundbreaking in the least as far as thrillers are concerned, but still an entertaining little piece made memorable by Rourke and Cimino's ever interesting pairing.

I liked this movie since it came out. The cast is really good, and their performances are strong all around. Cimino is good director, and I don't think that he made a bad movie. He was given a bad reputation by the industry since "Heaven's Gate" incident, simply because he wouldn't readily adhere to production guidelines, and wanted too much to be an "auteur", in a European cinema sense of the word. He was mostly not allowed to present his movies, as he wanted them to be, and the flickers of his talent just sparkle through the studio assembled films he made, visible to those who look for them, understanding visual poetry preserved in exterior scenery, his director's trademark.I haven't seen the original, but "Desperate Hours" of 1990 is no worse than any far better rated crime or thriller movies that were hailed as a "box office hit". The plot is not weaker, and there aren't any goofs to report on this film, which means that it was done professionally or simply done well. It's aim to entertain, and involve it's audience in the plight of the family whose home is invaded by assortment of thugs, the main one being a truly disturbed individual, is fully served, helped by fantastic performances of Anthony Hopkins, whose gentlemanly grace in a desperate effort to protect his family is essential, along with Ann Archer, who is simultaneously strong and beautiful, as the mother caught in between the failing marriage and threat to her family. To understand Lindsay Crouse's performance, often labeled as overacting, it is essential to know what kind of a female would join police forces and be prepared to shoot, and be shot at. Not a femininely damsel for sure. So she is what she's supposed to be, hard talking, and behaving awkwardly in a sense that she is a military man's spirit, inhabiting female body, all to serve the story in each and every aspect that it has. It is hard to understand today, that Mickey Rourke was a unique kind of character actor back in the 80's, but we have filmed proof, one of which is Cimino's very own "Year of the dragon".This is a good solid film that didn't age at all, but preserved it's qualities, beautiful cinematography, fierce acting performances, intensity and atmosphere, 26 years on, looking and feeling as good today, as when I first saw it. Not many more films of the genre, with far better rating, reputation of their director, and income, could say that about themselves now. Worth revisiting. Recommended.

Lawyer Nancy Breyers (Kelly Lynch) is defending robber and murderer Michael Bosworth (Mickey Rourke) for killing a guard in prison. She helps him escape but she falls behind. Albert (David Morse) and his brother Wally Bosworth (Elias Koteas) drive the getaway. Brenda Chandler (Lindsay Crouse) releases Nancy to track down Bosworth. Tim (Anthony Hopkins) and Nora Cornell (Mimi Rogers) are splitting up their family with their children (Shawnee Smith, Danny Gerard). He's broken up with his girlfriend and looking to reunite but she insists on selling the house. Michael and his men take over the house and keep the Cornells hostage. He makes contact with Nancy as he waits for her to join them.Director Michael Cimino remakes the 1955 film. He's trying way too hard to be stylish. Some of the acting is too over-the-top. If he could dial some of it back, the movie could be an intense crime thriller. Micky Rourke can be an intense bad guy without any help but Cimino insists on pushing it. Everybody is overacting. The worst is probably Lindsay Crouse. Cimino is using every camera move and dramatic music. It's a little ridiculous to release Nancy but the call to her apartment is a little more ridiculous. The cops could easily be listening on the other end. It's not as if the message is in code. The movie could have been great but Cimino's relentlessness squanders the work of some great actors.

This 1990 flick is not only unbelievable it is NUTS from start to finish.Lets see in acting- Very poor and I hated every characterPlot was so stupid it should have been burned as a screen Play before it got started.Dumb and misplaced scenes that are exaggerated and just none sense. For example the playing of the Red River valley and so sort of ploy to make the audience feel sorry for the creep the the cops shot in the river.By the way, the best cinema was not the movie, rather the Nature scenes with the wild horses.Everything about this sad flick tells me its director and the actors have finished their careers.Just terrible, so if you want awful, get this as a 2.00 DVD and laugh at it, that's all its good for.