Bird on a Wire

Name: Bird on a Wire
Genre: Action, Comedy
Released: May 18, 1990
Duration: 110 min
Rating: 36
Cast: Alex Bruhanski, Bill Duke, David Carradine, Goldie Hawn, Harry Caesar

1990

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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Mixed or average reviews based on 20 Ratings

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Bird On A Wire

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: May 18, 1990 | PG-13

Starring: Alex Bruhanski, Bill Duke, David Carradine, Goldie Hawn, Harry Caesar, Jeff Corey, Joan Severance, John Pyper-Ferguson, Mel Gibson, Stephen Tobolowsky

Summary: An old flame discovers her ex-boyfriend from the past is a relocated FBI informant out to stop the bad guys.

Director: John Badham

Genre(s): Action, Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 110 min

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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert

In Bird on a Wire, director John Badham doesn't pay the dues before he brings in the exotic locations. We don't believe the characters, and so the elaborate chases and escapes and stunts and special effects are all affectations. Read full review

Empire William Thomas

Despite the extended running time jam packed with action scene after after scene it still feels a little short on content. Read full review

Juan Carlos Coto

Badham, a consummate craftsman, certainly knows how to stage his action sequences competently, but they lack spontaneity and thrills. The movie careens from one concocted obstacle to the next and ends with the most ridiculous and overlong sequence of all. [18 May 1990, p.G5]

Peter Rainer

Both frenetic and witless--a bad combination. It's the sort of action-comedy vehicle that stands a chance of succeeding only if the star chemistry is strong enough to compensate for all the uninspired calisthenic derring-do. Read full review

John Hartl

Cynical, over-hyped and enthusiastically brainless, Bird on a Wire demonstrates the programmed, soul-less bankruptcy of the Hollywood hit-making system in the early 1990s. [18 May 1990, p.28]

Jay Boyar

Nominally a romantic action-comedy, this Goldie Hawn-Mel Gibson picture is actually a mind-numbingly raucous exploitation flick with occasional bad jokes and mild sex scenes. [18 May 1990, p.21]

Mike Clark

Except for some climactic gunplay in a zoo that looks suspiciously like a set, every plot thread is a retread - 500 layers deep. [18 May 1990, p.4D]

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User Reviews

timone

Nov 19, 2020

And now my No. 1 action comedy is Bird on the wire! It IS one of the awesomest films of all time. I've seen it a million times and I'll probably seen it a million times again.

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DawdlingPoet

Nov 28, 2021

This is an action/comedy film featuring lots of ludicrous, quite comic situations. It dates from 1990, when Mel Gibson was presumably more popular and was playing the typical rebellious type. The story is fairly unoriginal but I found it quite entertaining regardles. There is certainly anThis is an action/comedy film featuring lots of ludicrous, quite comic situations. It dates from 1990, when Mel Gibson was presumably more popular and was playing the typical rebellious type. The story is fairly unoriginal but I found it quite entertaining regardles. There is certainly an element of sexism present, with the lead female character being very girly, for want of a better term. This is certainly not a film to take seriously! much like the various 'Lethal Weapon' films.

Themes covered include revenge and recrimination.I felt there was a definite element of exaggeration present, with the various plot twists happening in a melodramatic way. It didn't seem especially believable to me but it was certainly an easy watch. Some scenes have a more serious undertone than others, with the musical score adding a tense edge (think banging drums and the like), while others are more frivolous. The soundtrack is a bit dated but then thats perhaps to be expected given the film is over 20 years old. Examples of tracks played include Ramblin' Man performed by The Allman Brothers Band, Fantan Fandango by Luis Jardim, Blowin' In The Wind by Bob Dylan and Bird On A Wire performed by The Neville Brothers.

There are numerous explosions and thus special effects present, which seemed to be of a pretty good quality. There are also chase scenes featuring cars, motorbikes and aircraft. The camerawork is quite jerky at times and as such adds to the sense of panic and tenseness present in the relevant scenes. There is one particularly ludicrous seeming scene involving Rick getting medical treatment from a lady who runs a stables and is ordered to pull his jeans down and lie on a nearby table so she can examine his bullet wounds.

Cast wise, Mel Gibson plays Rick Jarmin. He gives his usual sort of performance, being fairly macho yet pig headed. I wouldn't say there's anything especially noteable about his portrayal - if you've seen him in one action film then you have a good idea what to expect. The other main character, Marianne Graves, is played by Goldie Hawn, who portrays her as a ditzy, blonde bombshell coming across as strong willed, fairly outspoken extrovert. David Carradine plays Eugene Sorenson and Stephen Tobolowsky plays Joe Weyburn.

The plot is pretty silly and its all distinctly rather daft but I can't completely slate it, as, like I say, I found it to be an easy watch - something to watch when you maybe want to switch your brain off for a while. Its by no means original or anything but its by no means awful or unwatchable either. If you like cheesy action films then this may be for you.

Content wise, there is some moderate violence, including a lot of gunfire, hence the violence is quite bloody in parts. There are also numerous sex references and some brief mild nudity shown. Drugs are mentioned in passing in one scene and strong language is also present. The film carries a 12 rating to reflect this.

I'm not sure if I'd especially recommend this film. Its amusing in parts and entertaining enough to pass the time but its hardly one of the better instances of this type of film. The plot is unoriginal and there is some sexism, plus it generally felt rather dated but then it is just over 25 years old. If this were to be shown on TV and your keen on the main cast then I'd say you'd probably get a laugh or two from it and it may be worth seeing but otherwise, I wouldn't bother paying to see it. Its generally ok but thats about it, so I wouldn't esp. recommend it.… Expand

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FilipeNeto

Jul 4, 2020

I think the Eighties were very important for the growth of many actors who, for us now, are practically veterans. Mel Gibson was one of those actors, whose career progressed rapidly over the course of that decade, starting with smaller or less notable films that opened doors for the greatI think the Eighties were very important for the growth of many actors who, for us now, are practically veterans. Mel Gibson was one of those actors, whose career progressed rapidly over the course of that decade, starting with smaller or less notable films that opened doors for the great works of maturity. This film, an action comedy dating back to 1990, is totally forgotten now but was certainly useful for this actor's growth.

The script is simple: Marianne Graves, a lawyer, accidentally discovers her former fiancé, Rick Jarmin, who abandoned her at the altar and she thought he was dead. In fact, he had become involved with drug cartels and lived under the witness protection program, going through several jobs and identities, in order to collaborate with the FBI against Eugene Sorenson, a corrupt agent who was the pivot of the trafficking business. Pursued by traffickers who kill his last boss, Jarmin will also run from police, who thinks he is the murder.

It is a film full of problems at various levels, starting with improbability and a lack of logic or credibility. It is virtually impossible for something similar to the script to happen to anyone, but although we can accept the general story, there are a lot of concrete situations without any hint of verisimilitude. Another problem is the bad characters, especially the stereotype of the homosexual hairdresser, which sounds almost insulting. The excessive use of nudity or semi-nudity (in particular the main actress' ass) also seemed to be unreasonable, adding nothing good to the film. The ending takes place in the strangest of sets: a zoo where animals will help the couple to get rid of their enemies.

The film stars Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn. Both carry the film on their backs and acted very well, and it is quite evident that the two actors knew well how to work and collaborate together. Still, it's an imperfect work: while Gibson used an unnecessary and poorly made Southern accent, Hawn is very histrionic and spoiled to the point of being annoying.

Technically, it is a regular but very dated film, as it is within the standards of the time it was made. It contains several special effects usual in action films and cinematography is somewhat monotonous for our eyes, used to the brightness and sharpness of the digital era. On the other hand, the main song, which is used as a leitmotiv and in the final credits, is quite interesting and is in the ear.… Expand

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