| Universal Pictures | Release Date: June 2, 1989 | CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION | ||
|
Positive:
3
Mixed:
10
Negative:
3
|
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Critic Reviews
Renegades steams along very nicely, with more than enough momentum to compensate for the callowness of its stars. [05 Jun 1989, p.3C]
Renegades is not just another silly action flick; it's a well-made silly action flick, a superior brand of cotton candy. If you have a taste for the stuff, this should go down just fine. [02 Jun 1989]
There's talent on view in Renegades, even if it's mostly subordinated to formula and marketing imperatives. [02 Jun 1989, p.33]
Renegades is a dumb idea - undercover Philadelphia cop teams up with Lakota Indian named Hank - but it's smartly executed, and this gives it some interest. The movie evolves from urban thriller to ersatz-suburban Western, climaxing with a big shootout at a punk's deluxe ranch. [02 Jun 1989, p.6D]
The best thing about Renegades is a beautifully choreographed car chase early in the movie. After that, the movie creeps along for 20 minutes or so while the two principals grope toward buddyhood. Then, with bonding accomplished, the action picks up somewhat, but never really catches fire. [07 Jun 1989, p.3E]
Sholder's robust staging of the car chases, punch-ups and shootouts recalls the kinetic energy of his earlier The Hidden. His handling of the quieter familial and buddy-buddy relationships, on the other hand, is hopelessly leaden, serving only to stop the action-packed narrative in its tracks.
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Director Jack Sholder is a whiz at coordinating the traffic in the many catch-me-if-you-can-or-explode sequences, which provide a visceral thrill to appeal to the six year old in everyone, but which must be balanced against the lame story, offensive ethnic stereotypes, and perfunctory acting.
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Things are kept fast, loose and very violent. Renegades makes a grand effort not to be boring, but at the expense of believability and logic. [03 Jun 1989, p.1D]
The film is cold, and despite the principals' considerable thrashings, utterly uninvolving. The overarching theme, gunplay notwithstanding, is tedium. [02 Jun 1989, p.5]
Though this non-stop onslaught of nonsense and mayhem is not really worth watching, it is mildly impressive for Sutherland and Phillips. They act their hearts out, as if they thought they were in another movie that deserved a real effort. [05 Jun 1989, p.C05]
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