| Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: January 17, 1997 | CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION | ||
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Positive:
6
Mixed:
13
Negative:
8
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Critic Reviews
An adept turn from Murphy as San Francisco hostage negotiator Scott Roper knits together a functional assembly of stock cop-movie elements. This is probably the closest to a genuine dramatic part Murphy's ever played, and his snappy patter is persuasively integrated into Roper's daily routine.
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This is one of those rare cop/action movies driven by character, not spectacle. Murphy helps the cause with the most focused, persuasive acting of his career. As a young phenom, he got by on charisma, which he promptly commodified and cheapened with Hollywood’s enthusiastic collusion. Now there’s a calm, unfakeable assurance behind his eyes that only comes with life experience. It’s something he can and should build on.
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Ultimately, however, owing to too many derivative elements and an erratic story that runs out of steam about halfway through, Metro is only partially-satisfying. I suppose any viewer's reaction will depend on whether they choose to see this particular glass as half-full or half-empty. Murphy fans and action junkies will probably find enough here to keep them involved and upbeat. Everyone else will likely see this material as disappointingly over-familiar. In the wasteland of early-1997 releases, you could do worse than Metro, but, by year's end, few people are likely to remember the title, let alone the premise.
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Although it always moves and rarely labours, the film truly comes alive only in those fleeting moments when it departs from the safe formula -- that is, only when Murphy draws on his personal talents to kick this baby into something resembling a higher gear. The rest of the time, well, here's the key to your Metro -- a renter with some mileage on it.
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