Great and recommended for a variety of reasons.A "bumble bee" movie, on paper it seems crazy, hi-concept, and unlikely to work. In reality with a killer script, killer direction and great acting, one of the most memorable and entertaining films of the era.Holds up well on a second or third viewing.Is a comedy or an action film with elements of satire? That is the genius. It is hard to tell.A demarcation point for Cusack -- likely the last film in which he was able to recreate the "charm" of his "brat pack" days, and he milks it for what it is worth. Shortly thereafter he became (according to his agent) "the hardest working actor in Hollywood" and went for clearly adult roles.Great film.

I miss movies like Grosse Pointe Blank. I don't think that this could get made today by a major studio. Or maybe it could be, but I wonder if it would need even more star power than what's here (John Cusack and Dan Aykroyd were names, but Minnie Driver wasn't, and this and Good Will Hunting were her breakthrough roles), and if it would be a lower-budgeted film or independently released. This is the sort of project that could be easily pitched in the 90's - a hit-man with some existential issues and at a crossroads in his late 20's, goes to do a job in his hometown at the same time that he goes to his high school reunion and meets up with his girlfriend he left behind - and it would be eaten up and ready to go. I miss those days, and in a way seeing it today brings on that nostalgia with its soundtrack pumped full of 90's and 80's songs (since it's the Class of 1986 it has very much a 80's soundtrack).It's also just a consistently entertaining movie, with Cusack giving us a character who can nonchalantly tell people when he gets back home he's a professional killer and, by the way he says it and his tone, no one takes him seriously (the way he brings it up in conversation, the 'what do you do now' thing, who would?) There's also great supporting work from Aykroyd, who gets into it in a few scenes with Cusack as if it's a screwball comedy, with that very quick pace and the wording very specific and stylized (and Aykroyd, surprisingly for me, is believable as hell as a psychotic hit-man), and also Alan Arkin as Cusack's therapist. It's an interesting thing to see his part in the story since it isn't exactly realistic - any therapist would've called the cops on Mr. Blank as soon as they hear about him using a fork on the president of Paraguay - but because he sticks around he's a guy who listens barely and when Cusack calls him up he doesn't pick up the answering machine. Smart, clever character bits are abundant here.And Minnie Driver makes for a great romantic interest, especially when she first meets up with Blank again; he comes by the radio station where she works and she puts him on mic for people to call in and ask him questions. They have just solid chemistry, and it especially helps when things turn a little darker (but not too much) in the third act of the story. There's ingenious little things throughout the movie, like the use of a Guns N Roses cover of "Live & Let Die" from original version into Muzak cover in a convenience store, but always the movie is grounded in some level of reality. It reminded me in a way of what was wrong with a movie like American Ultra from 2015, where it's also got hyper-kinetic action but the characters outside of it don't get quite enough build up amid the surprises. Here, I always believed Blank as a real guy, even when he has to get out his gun for a shoot-out or hand-to-hand combat.Is it the best ever? No, but you can sit back and watch it maybe on cable (or if you got it old school VHS) and the effect is surprisingly fun.

GROSSE POINT BLANK is a unique black comedy that concerns an unlikely career hit-man who attends his ten-year high school reunion in his former town only to bring along some decidedly dangerous baggage. The film is in essence a 'fish out of water' type situational comedy in which a ruthless assassin attempts to counter his way of life with an ordinary situation which is completely alien to him.First off, I'm not a huge fan of John Cusack and his central performance here left me typically cold. The same can be said for Minnie Driver, stuck in a stereotyped 'romantic interest' type role which has little going for it. On the other hand, GROSSE POINT BLANK does have an ace up its sleeve in the presence of an on-fire Dan Aykroyd, playing a rival hit-man. Aykroyd grabs all of the film's best lines and his scenes with Cusack are the best of the movie.Elsewhere, we have usual rom-com situations enlivened by some sudden bursts of violence. The action scenes are typically Hollywood, in that they're over-stylised and don't really ring true to real life, but then the film does have a second ace: the presence of Benny 'The Jet' Urquidez as an assassin. I never thought I'd see this top guy (who so memorably fought Jackie Chan in WHEELS ON MEALS and DRAGONS FOREVER) in a mainstream movie so kudos to the casting director for getting him on board. In addition, the film boasts a top '80s soundtrack, so it ends up being relatively entertaining for what it is.

Professional assassin John Cusack (as Martin "Marty" Blank) carries out a killing while he receives an invitation to attend his ten-year high school reunion, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Since he kills people for a living, Mr. Cusack's first instinct is to skip the reunion. He changes his mind when offered the chance to assassinate someone in nearby Detroit. Back home, Cusack is shocked to discover his family home has been turned into a convenience store. He tells classmates he's become a hit-man, which they take as a joke. Most importantly, Cusack reconnects with old girlfriend Minnie Driver (as Debi Newberry). She's a disc jockey, and still single...Don't worry, it's not exclusively a love story. Cusack is joined in Grosse Pointe by a trio of angry assassins, led by rotund rival Dan Aykroyd (as Grocer). It's nicely directed by George Armitage. He makes the actors in his action scenes look fun and comic, which keeps the film on track. Even ex-1960s "Dark Shadows" vampire hunter Mitchell Ryan becomes a softy; in the movies, he's usually a hardened criminal. And veteran Alan Arkin (as Oatman) is an excellent therapist. The writers capture the 1990s and the music evokes the 1980s. The decades are effectively recalled and, here, they seems to relate to each other and the "Class of 1986" very well.******** Grosse Pointe Blank (1997-04-11) George Armitage ~ John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd, Alan Arkin