Movie Review: "The Saint" (1997)Developed as an high concept event movie at "Paramount Pictures" with an all-Hollywood-connected Robert Evans producing and actor Val Kilmer at the peak of his career at age 37, based on a utmost successfull television series running between 1962-1969 with Roger Moore (1927-2017) in the title role of an anonymous agent with no family, no home and no real identity "Simon Templar", here put into high end "Hollywood" succession accompanied by sublime acting supports Elizabeth Shue and Rade Serbedzija, when director Phillip Noyce, known for still-great all-running thrillers "Dead Calm" (1988) starring Nicole Kidman and "Patriot Games" (1992) starring Harrison Ford, fails to create a new-age classic,which connects with the young adult international audiences in spring of 1997, nevertheless even in a remaining mediocre at times sloppy 110-Minute-Cut by editor Terry Rawlings to be somehow reconsidered 21 years after of being not as bad motion picture entertainment after all.Copyright 2018 Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC

The Saint (1997): Dir: Phillip Noyce / Cast: Val Kilmer, Elisabeth Shue, Rade Serbedzija, Henry Goodman: What kind of saint is this? Val Kilmer plays a disguise expert in a heating oil shortage in Russia where he is hired to steal Elisabeth Shue's work formula. They fall in love, which contract problems when he cannot steal from her. Kilmer does what he can with a role of virtually no feeling or emotion. Basically he is as concealed as his character is when donning a mask. The romance between Kilmer and Shue is an unnecessary distraction. Shue is basically there for a scene where she heats him up when he is freezing cold. Then they are off and running in subsequent chase scenes. Director Phillip Noyce is backed by fine production but no story. He previously directed Dead Calm, and had to be after directing this high budget geek show. Rade Serbedzija plays a typical villain with nothing to do other than to cause plot contrivances. There are too many endings and not one none of them good except perhaps the closing credits. Rather than be about identity, it is hyped up with special effects and a lot of mayhem and loud noise. Hopefully some of that noise will be the garbage truck should be the final resting place for this foolishness. Score: 2 / 10

The Saint is a pleasantly surprising film. A lot different from the Roger Moore TV series, it sort of follows the Brosnan Bonds in being a stylish actioner with a slightly absurd plot. Yet it's a very entertaining film with many great things about it. The plot involves Simon Templar who is a master a thief, being able to outsmart the law with unique disguises and accents. He is hired by the Russian Mafia to steal a formula for cold fusion energy from scientist Emma Russell. But Russell intelligence and beauty makes Templar begin to develop feelings for her that he can't walk away from. He decides to help her and must work out the formula before the Russians do. Though the plot is a bit silly, it is actually pretty smart in many places and it never becomes boring. As said it works like one of the more far-fetched Bond films in that it is rather suspect but it doesn't really matter because it is so entertaining, whilst the romantic side keeps things nicely grounded.The cast is impressive. Val Kilmer is terrific as Templar managing to play the smart spy who finds his softer side and he has the charisma to carry it off. Kilmer does a brilliant job at doing different accents and changing appearance too. Elisabeth Shue is excellent as Emma Russell, making her likable and tough but with complexity and issues. Rade Serbedzija makes an effect villain as the slimy and power hungry Tretiak. Valeriy Nikolaev was a little dull as his son, but still believable and did well in the action set pieces. The British veteran Michael Byrne was fantastic as always as Tretiak's adviser. Both Alun Armstrong and Charlotte Cornwell did solid jobs as inspectors on Templar's trail. Though the plot is iffy, nearly everything else is done quite competently. The visual tone that the film goes for is very stylish, the scenes of Russia and Britain look fantastic. The action scenes are also done in a great way, though it doesn't happen too often when it does it is nicely effective. The music is simply superb, the score by Graeme Revell has a cool action tone to it but is also very beautiful, the main theme and 'Love Theme' are both superb. The use of more contemporary music at times was also a smart decision. The most effective thing about the film is the relationship between Templar and Russell. Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue have amazing chemistry as a lot of the time you can easily forget they are acting it's so natural. This side of the story helps make it far more interesting that your average action film because you actually care about what these people go through. It's also nice that there's not an overload of action, as the film does a good job of letting the drama tell the story. Overall The Saint offers a refreshing balance of drama, action and character development.

This movie was horrendous. The plot was pathetic and non-original and the acting was painful to watch. As a matter of fact, I did not realize this was even Val Kilmer, that is how horrible it was.After we finished watching this atrocity, I looked it up on IMDb because I wanted to know who the actress was; she was just so unbearable and unable to perform her lines in a believable manner, I was convinced she was some 'unknown' that they got for cheap to go along with this low budget, below B movie. I was shocked to find out it was Elizabeth Shue...who, in my opinion, still cannot act her way out of a cracker jack box This movie was horrible. Painfully, banefully horrible! It should be burned from all archives and never spoken of again.I'd have given it a -10 (negative) if it would have been allowable...wouldn't even let me rate it a 0. It doesn't even deserve a 1. It was just that pathetic. If you value your eyes, ears and stomach...don't watch this thing