Sometimes it really all comes down to casting. And "F/X" is certainly no exception. The movie doesn't get going until Brian Dennehy shows up, and it's completely fair to say he's the movie's linchpin. Prior to that, it's all about the genial nature of its star special effects guru (Bryan Brown). But eventually it turns into a pretty good cat-n-mouse thriller, so long as you're taking it for what it is. I like this movie, in part for its inherent absurdity. The misdirection is silly, and I think that's why it's fun. Even the ending feels appropriate to the overall tone.And I can't be the only one who really enjoyed Roscoe Brown as the fed-up police captain. He's a long way from Sesame Street.7/10

I had this movie on my Instant Queue for a long time and never watched it for some reason. Anyway I just got done watching it and loved it! It was way better than I expected. I saw it had a 6.5 before I watched it so I thought it would be good, but it was really good to my surprise. The idea was original and exciting. If you haven't seen it the story is a Special Effects guy is asked by the government to help fake a former Mob members death so the Mob stops going after him. It turns out that wasn't the whole story and Roland(The main character) is in for a wild ride. It keeps you thinking and it actually has a good bit of action.If you have not seen it go watch it, I promise you will like it.

Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehey star in this tale of an FX man hired to fake the death of a mob boss. But when the 'hit' is carried out was it really a fake? Our hero is left to find out using his FX skills to investigate.I hadn't seen this movie for a number of years but caught it on TV a few nights ago and the first thing that struck me was how dark and serious this movie is in places. I won't spoil it but there are some surprisingly violent scenes and there are a couple of fatalities you just don't expect. Its a gripping movie and the suspense keeps up through out Bryan Brown makes an engaging and down to earth hero the FX tricks are pretty cool if a little silly at times. Brian Denehhey is as ever reliable in the supporting role whats surprising is that I didn't realise how little time Brown and Denehhey appear together on screen in this film.The main cast returned for a sequel which was entertaining but not as good as the first.Definitely worth a watch 7.5/10

Given the glowing reviews for this movie, I am surprised at how much I disliked it. The movie has more than its share of glaring plot holes— some reviewers warn against examining all plot elements too closely. This is an indulgence I will (reluctantly) respect since the movie, in my opinion, has a much more serious and grating problem.What I found off-putting about the movie is that, except for Diane Venora's brief role as Bryan Brown's girlfriend, there is not a sympathetic character to be found anywhere. Brown's character—the heart of the story after all-- starts off a likable "everyman." but becomes increasingly less so as the story proceeds until he devolves into a cold-blooded killer, indifferent to the carnage he is creating around him—- not every federal agent has to die-- and corrupt, too. In the van chase scene, he is oblivious to the public menace he is causing in using his f/x tricks. (This could have been mitigated with a single line of dialog or a look of concern; but, never mind.) I wanted to like Martha Gehman's character as Brown's assistant, but she lost me with her gleeful "I wish I could have seen the look on his face" when she tricked the pursuing detective into thinking he had run over a woman. Finally, the transformation of Brian Dennehy's character into just another corrupt cop left me with a distinct sour taste at the end of the movie. After everything is said and done, for Brown and Dennehy it's all about the money. Even Schwarzenegger was never this cynical in his movies. The last thing that bothered me is that I always presumed movie special effects were to keep the actors safe. Since here they are used to kill, it seems like a betrayal of their purpose.On the positive side, I had no problems with the casting or acting. Maybe things improved in f/x 2. I can only hope.