Metro (1997)

I love all of Eddie Murphy's action movies, from his feature film debut as the cool, wisecracking convict Reggie Hammond in 1982’s 48 HRS to best role as Detroit Police Detective Axel Foley the BEVERLY HILLS COP trilogy. And his 1997 action-comedy METRO is my favorite film of his. This movie came out when I was in third grade at age eight and I never saw it till it was on TV many years later and I liked it. I thought Eddie's performance as the wisecracking San Francisco Police negotiator Scott Roper, who seeks revenge against a dangerous jewel thief who killed his best friend, was very good. Almost as good as Axel Foley, only he was more serious than what we usually see him in the B.H.C. films. However, he did bring some laughter to the role. What’s interesting about this movie is that when he was working on this film in the summer of 1996, he was getting huge reviews for his previous performance in the hit comedy THE NUTTY PROFESSOR. I also loved Michael Wincott’s performance as the psychotic Michael Korda. This movie along with THE CROW and THE THREE MUSKETEERS are my favorite performances of his. All the other actors: Michael Rappaport (Higher Learning) as Roper’s sharpshooting new partner Kevin McCall, Carmen Ejogo (What’s the Worse That Could Happen?) as Roper’s girlfriend Ronnie Tate, Art Evans (Die Hard 2) as S.F.P.D. Lt. Sam Baffert, and Denis Arndt (Basic Instinct) as S.F.P.D. Captain Frank Solis were good. However, I thought Paul Ben-Victor’s performance as Korda’s mentally retarded cousin Clarence Teal was disappointing for me. Thomas Carter, who brought us SAVING THE LAST DANCE and COACH CARTER, directed a very gritty, action-packed popcorn movie that I really enjoyed and is one of my favorite action movies.