Boiling Point (I) (1993) User Reviews

Standard cop thriller with tension, thrills, and violence

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 9 June 2008]

The film begins with Red Diamond, an ex-con(Dennis Hooper),recently freed from jail . He along with Ronnie(Viggo Mortensen), his pal from prison, undergo a new business, an operation about money forgery. But the issue go wrong and Ronnie murders an undercover agent. His partner a two-fisted named Jimmy Mercer(Wesley Snipes) together with another policemen(Dan Hedaya) swear discover the killer. Meanwhile, Red Diamond deals with mobster(Tony Lo Bianco) whom he owes some money. The story continues the trail some people after another attempting to get close over tracks of Red and Ronnie and there relationships with girlfriends(Valerie Perrine, Christine Elise) and lovers(Lolita Davidovich).

The picture contains action, suspense, several shootouts, bloody killings and lots of violence. It's exciting and tense, at time no too much interesting cop thriller. The story is plenty of firepower, intrigue, action packed and good performances. Wesley Snipes is fine as tough cop and excellent Dennis Hooper as likable delinquent and Viggo Mortensen as cold killer.Magnificent secondary cast with a plethora of known actors, such as Seymour Cassel, Tony Lo Bianco,James Tolkan, Jonathan Banks, Paul Gleason, among others. Atmospheric musical score made by means of synthesizer and fitting to action by John DÁndrea and Cory Lerios. The motion picture is written and directed by James B Harris. He's a notorious producer, he produced Stanley Kubrick's three awesome films(The killing, Paths of glory and Lolita)and occasionally director of thrillers(Cop, Fast walking)and another genres(Bedford incident). Rating : Acceptable and passable. The movie will like to Wesley Snipes fans and thriller buffs.

It's Not That Bad

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 4 January 2005]

I'm slightly puzzled as to some of the harsher comments featuring BOILING POINT . I will confess that it's not a thriller classic but I will defend it against the accusation that it's a terrible movie Red ( Dennis Hopper ) is released from prison and owes some mafia types money and so is given a seven day ultimatum . Jimmy ( Wesley Snipes - And no early 90s urban thriller is complete without Wesley Snipes )loses a friend in the course of duty and the audience instantly know that these two unconnected characters will tie in with the plot somehow - And they do in a script that while not being the most tightly plotted screenplay you will ever see since there's a few too many characters involved is at least undemanding and easy to follow .

On the style front it's not exactly in the same league as HEAT but probably contains more substance than an episode of MAIMI VICE while we also get to see an early supporting role from Viggo Mortenson . I rate BOILING POINT six out of ten

snipes and hopper do battle

[goya-4 · 4/10 · 3 September 2000]

Wesley snipes as a detective out to find his partners murderer and Dennis hopper as a man on the run from the mob.. the two stories interweaving until they both cross paths and one meets a violent end.. an ok suspense action flick with good acting by snipes and hopper in an understated role Davidovich plays her part well as an ill fated lover but there is just not enough for all the talent to work with ...overall a disappointment.. on a scale of one to ten ..a 4

average cop film

[siektwo · 5/10 · 22 March 2005]

Everything about the movie screams "average". i believe that the only reason the film manages to stay average and doesn't dip into "sub-par" is because of the cast.

Snipes isn't intense enough, and you never really feel his emotions that he REALLY wants to get "the bad guys". Hopper doesn't seem evil enough to be a bad guy. Hopper's sidekick in the film is the most "evil", and even he isn't really THAT much of a bad guy, but is more or less duped into doing Hopper's work for him.

The film is a typical revenger flick. Snipe's partner in the force is killed and Snipes of course trys to bring whoever did it down. There's no intensity though, as the film moves slowly and there really isn't much action.

The plot twists aren't here...as there aren't any. this is a typical bare bones cop movie, but without any gun play or raw emotions to make it any more exciting than the usual fair. The big name cast saves this flick...saves it from being horrible, and makes it only average and watchable, but nothing more.

RATING: 4.5/10

I Just Had to Chime In....

[Mhenegan26 · 2 September 2013]

With everyone battling each other over this movie, I just had to put my own say in it as well.

Boiling Point is a movie that I got for free on a giveaway shelf. There's a reason it was on that shelf.

Boiling Point has less action than any other Wesley Snipes movie I've ever seen. A documentary about real boiling points would've had more thrills than this wannabe actioner.

Almost nothing about this movie made me want more. Wesley Snipes put on an okay performance, but nothing more than marginal. Dennis Hopper acted weird the whole movie with over-exaggerated hand movements that made his character very off-putting. Except for a few killings, there was literally no action in this movie. The story could've been interesting, but instead it moves slow and lags at many places. The cinematography was nothing interesting, no better than any other average movie. And the script was dull and didn't move the story at all.

Overall, this movie was well beyond average, not Snipes best at all. Even The Art of War (and we all want to forget he was in that) wasn't as bad as this movie. This movie has already found its way to giveaway shelves and $.99 bins all over the country. Take that as a warning.

HandHStudios Rating: 2.5/10

Out of Steam

[vertigo_14 · 5/10 · 23 May 2004]

Boiling Point was too pithy to be a successful thriller; too low profile to be a successful action movie. If the plot had thrown more twists, offered more insight on the characters psyche, or had a much more involving story, the movie could have sufficed even as a decent thriller. Had there been explosives, chase scenes, and other good action ploys, this movie could've made a decent action film. However, it is not much of either category, thus suffering from mediocrity.

Police detective, Jimmy Mercer (Wesley Snipes) and his partner, Brady (Dan Hedaya), are investigating the shooting death of an undercover U.S. Treasury agent who investigating a counterfeit ring. The two guys who he was dealing with, gunned him down and fled the scene, before Mercer and Brady could intervene and save their partner. Mercer and Brady don't know who the two men were, but spend the remainder of the movie looking for him.

Actually, they are fast-talking Red Diamond (Dennis Hopper), so named because of his red hair. He owes fifty grand to another gangster within seven days. He and his partner, Ronnie (Viggo Mortensen), an eerie kind of guy who is never sure if Red is just handing him a line of garbage with all the schemes he involves him in. Although, for Ronnie, he would have no problem shooting Red. Why Ronnie remains faithful to him at all given Red's consistent failures is beyond me. These two guys need a get rich quick counterfeit scheme.

Meanwhile Mercer and Brady are going from one informant to another, trying to get them to give up information about Red and Ronnie, a description, their location, anything. Sometimes they're successful and sometimes not. The movie goes on and on like as the two trail one person after another trying to get close on the trail of Red and Ronnie. It is wholly uninteresting, offering no real suspense and even less action to fill the time. The movie fails to deliver any real substance in between, which is sad when you consider the possibility of your characters, and especially, the potential of the actors.

OK action movie

[monkey-man · 5/10 · 18 July 2005]

This movie was OK way better then i thought it would be but the movie still has some flaws and the movies about 2 men who just got released from jail and kill an undercover cop and his partner has a week to find them before he is transferred.The film has an all star cast full of actors and actress like The great Dennis Hopper from the great movie Rivers Edge,Wesley Snipes from the movie Blade,Lolita Davidovich,Viggo Mortensen,Seymour Cassel and Christine Elise.This film is worth the rental prise but save your money and do not buy this film unless u are a fan of Dennis Hopper or Wesley Snipes and over all this film was entertaining with some boring scenes and my rating is 5 out of ten.

Plays out just like "To Live and Die in L.A." but with less thrills

[Rodrigo_Amaro · 7/10 · 21 October 2012]

I skimmed through the other reviews about this film and it's unbelievable that none of them made mention to "To Live and Die in L.A.". First of all, both films were based on novels written by former Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich, and if you look closer the plots are very similar: there's a whole police investigation on a dangerous counterfeiter, then there's the death of an undercover agent and his partner will revenge his death doing whatever it takes to get the bad guy. And once again, it's all criminals doing fake money and spreading all over...Los Angeles!

But the thing "Boiling Point" doesn't imitate from Friedkin's movie is the quality, the surprises, the plot twists. And there's so much life in that movie that it's really difficult to make something so close to it. Not to mention that Warner changed the game and edited down the film in order to generate a bigger hit after their success with another movie with Wesley Snipes, who plays the hero in this one. Maybe this could be a different kind of film with an unusual approach on the villains played by Dennis Hopper (in one of his best efforts I must say) and the then unknown Viggo Mortensen (who plays one of the most deadly and mean guys I've ever seen) as the original project conceived by director/writer James B. Harris was.

Most people don't like comparisons but it's hard not to. One must compare to have a full idea of what's going on. The main difference between "To Live and Die in L.A." and this in terms of plot is that the bad guy is quite sympathetic despite his frightening looks and his strange yet confident walk. We kind of trust this guy because there's worse guys than him, people of whom he owns a lot of money. We look at him, thinking he might kill someone just to get what he wants but no, he refuses to do so, even when we're sure he's about to do it. Willem Dafoe in "To Live..." was a real artist who used of his kraft to be a criminal but he was also a unmerciful stone cold killer. What connects both films is one character named Max Waxman (here played by Jonathan Banks), a corrupt lawyer who meets his fate in the other movie.

"Boiling Point" is a fine movie, although a little bit dated, more dramatic than what's not supposed to be. The few action scenes, the engrossing tension built in all the business transactions scenes worth the view just as seeing the good cast giving solid performances. Dan Hedaya, Paul Gleason, Lolita Davidovich, Seymour Cassel, Tobin Bell, James Tolkan made the show very enjoyable.

Entertaining but only just another average picture. 7/10

Bland, Run of the Mill Cops and Robbers Flick

[gavin6942 · 5/10 · 7 September 2010]

I am going to make this review short for now, with the intention to expand it upon a second viewing if one ever occurs.

My understanding of this film is that it was a complete failure during production. They redesigned the film to give Wesley Snipes more screen time, as he was a rising action star. And they changed the name from "Money Men" to "Boiling Point"to imply that it's an action film. Well, quite simply, it's not. There's some twists in the plot, but no real action.

Wesley Snipes is a good lead, but more interesting is Dennis Hopper as Red Diamond, a prostitute lover and crook. Hopper has said he considers this his best role, which may be true, but it's embedded in a bad film. And most interesting? Viggo Mortensen in an early role as Hopper's crook friend. Had the film's creators had the foresight, they would have cut down on Snipes and expanding Mortensen. And, you know, with no fan following, we'll never see a director's cut.

Not a must-see.

"All good things come to people who wait."

[lost-in-limbo · 7/10 · 28 March 2013]

Those looking for an action hit look elsewhere, because this Wesley Snipes and Dennis Hopper starring vehicle is a lyrically moody and underplayed crime drama driven by characters and circumstances. And Snipes rarely boils over. This does not make it any less, but it's the complexities and performances that really nail this one down. Watching these characters interact or pass each other by without really knowing just how connected they are, explored some interesting directions (like the personal relationships in these character's lives and the baggage that came from it) and this is where the tension arose from. Not the action, although it did probably lack the thrills. But those moments when they occur did hit hard and that possibly can be attributed to the taut, multi-facet script exploring the protagonists. But you could say it relied heavily on these ironic encounters and the plot's knotty arrangement when these character's worlds collide. But it sure does make them open up their eyes to what's going on around them.

Undercover cop Jimmy Mercer goes after the killer of his detective partner and is given a week to track down those who were responsible. Red Diamond is a conman who has just been released from prison along with his former cell-mate Ronnie Royce who planned the hit on the undercover detective. Diamond did it to pay off a $50,000 debt, but that was only part of it and he has got one week to come up with the rest of it.

"Boiling Point" was a nicely atypical surprise by writer / director James B. Harris. It's a slick-looking production with some silky camera-work and a jazzy soundtrack. There's a real humid atmosphere and the Los Angeles' locations are brought to life. The performances are all quite varied with Snipes in dogged mode, Hooper smooth talking his way around and Viggo Mortensen quietly going about his business with brutal intent. Then the extra support sees the likes of Dan Hedaya, Seymour Cassel, Jonathan Banks, Tony Lo Bianco, Lolita Davidovich and Valerie Perrine adding to the fascinating rapport. Showing up in minor parts are James Tolkan, Paul Gleason and Tobin Bell.

"Who am I to tell you how to run your business. "

Sub zero...

[fmarkland32 · 2/10 · 15 June 2006]

Jimmy Mercer(Wesley Snipes) is a police officer who is given one week to catch the men (Dennis Hopper and Viggo Mortensen) responsible for the murder of his partner, after a week he will be transferred and the race is on. This is a very weak thriller which was unwisely promoted as an action flick, for one it has hardly any action and it's a would be character driven drama. Problem is though is that the material is so right at home at a police style movie that this becomes extremely tedious. Hopper and Mortensen are disappointing villains and Snipes isn't given much to do. Boiling Point doesn't even get above freezing temperature.

* out of 4-(Bad)

This is an Excellent Movie!

[Tiger_Mark · 10/10 · 15 January 2002]

I have seen this movie about ten times. Every time I start to watch it, I finish it. I cannot believe all of the negative reviews. It was intelligent and well acted. Dennis Hopper plays one of his best "sleazes" ever. Viggo Mortenson is great as Hopper's mindless attack dog. The story deals with a Secret Service sting gone bad. One agent is killed and Wesley Snipes (Agent) goes about finding out who did it. What I liked about this movie was that it was smart. The author did some great research and that was reflected in the movie. You see it in the dialog and you see it in the story. Moreover, the acting was first rate, with many talented performers acting at the top of their trade. Ignore the bogus reviews. What I think happened, is that the movie did poorly at the theaters. There is this misconception that failure at the box office is an indication of a bad movie, wrong! Plenty of good movies bomb and plenty of terrible movies do well, some even win the Academy. Good story, good performances and good movie!

Slightly simmered and pretty entertaining

[mdewey · 7/10 · 5 February 2011]

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I found this to be a nicely paced semi-action, semi-fantasy nostalgia movie that proved to be quite entertaining. If you're looking for a mind-blowing thriller or a rowdy shoot-'em-up, you'll be disappointed. However if you're looking for some lower key but interesting character development juxtaposed with a cops vs. hoods scenario with a fairly linear plot line, then you may like this.

The character development is done in a somewhat parallel fashion where each of the principals is shown in the light of his dysfunctional relationship with his significant other. It is in this light that we see the cops and the hoods looking not at all dissimilar with respect to their personal lives. This adjunct to the melodrama in the story, although not entirely original, embellishes the overall plot and entertains as well, as some good lines flow freely in these scenes.

All the actors render justice to their roles, especially the swaggering, high-stepping, red-headed Dennis Hopper, whose nostalgia-laced alter ego to his criminal self finds solace and peace on the "Palace Ballroom" dance floor. Also, I found Wesley Snipes to be in good form here, as he displays a nicely rounded range of emotions and the acting maturity to give credence to his character. He is mellower, yet still very cunning and direct, in this role than in many of his prior melodramatic offerings.

Lastly, I would be remiss not to include the Danny May Orchestra and singers for the lush harmonies and melodies and the overall mood that act as a fitting counterpoint to the criminal goings-on, perfectly set up in the opening sequences, where the tune "Dream" was played behind the night-time L.A. skyline. After all, we all need a little dreaming to help us escape from time to time!

Interesting cop thriller.

[lastliberal · 5/10 · 1 September 2007]

Not one for the awards shows, but still an interesting thriller as Wesley Snipes is a good guy this time and he is after the one who killed an undercover cop.

Need a sleaseball? Just whistle and here comes Dennis Hopper. Hopper as a con man is the most believable character he can play. For a partner, he has the young Viggo Mortensen.

There was a lot of support from some beautiful women like Lolita Davidovich and Valerie Perrine and Christine Elise. Just a little eye candy when the film dragged a bit.

Fair Snipes vehicle.

Fine cast in dull cop movie

[lor_ · 25 August 2023]

My review was written in April 1993 after a screening in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.

Promoted as a hard-action film for Wesley Snipes fans, "Boiling Point" turns out to be an old-fashioned police procedural. Low-key and bland in the extreme, it's strictly for film buffs, though Snipes should ensure a strong first-week sampling among action enthusiasts.

Disappointingly, writer-director James B. Harris ("Cop"), in his zeal to re-create the mood and character acting of 1940s film noir, seems to have forgotten about excitement and visual flair.

Snipes toplines as a U. S. Treasury agent partnered with Dan Hedaya. The third T-man on their stakeout is killed by ruthless thug Viggo Mortensen, who gets away with his partner Dennis Hopper before the feds can close in.

Because of the fatal snafu, Snipes is reassigned from Los Angeles to Newark. He holds out for one week's time to catch the killers; coincidentally Hopper is given a week to find the $50,000 he owes gangster Tony LoBianco.

Loaded with false irony, Harris' mechanical script emphasizes the parallel lives of the two main characters to an almost laughable extent. Throughout the picture, Snipes keeps running into Hopper, neither knowing one is methodically hunting for the other.

Because of terrific acting down to the smallest role, one's interest is maintained despite the minimalist direction and lack of story twists. Particularly through Mortensen's careful underplaying, the film builds suspense and a sense of dread, but it never pays off.

Hopper's Red Diamond is a memorable small-time rogue who's a romantic at heart. Snipes is stuck in a one-dimensional role. Valerie Perrine is touching as the woman Hopper once put out on the street to pay his debts. Lolita Davidovich, as Snipes' ex-flame turned hooker, has little to work with in a patently unbelievable part. Seymour Cassel and Jonathan Banks are on the money as criminal types.

Pic looks nondescript. The soundtrack makes repeated use of Johnny Mercer's lovely standard "Dream".

Fair potential, sadly rendered mostly inert

[I_Ailurophile · 5/10 · 1 August 2022]

There are a lot of very recognizable names and faces in the cast, and they all do their part to bring the story to life. Even as the picture begins with a flash of violence, however, the ensemble is the most notable part of the movie to really catch one's eye until another big bang, just over halfway through the runtime - at which point we return to very, very gradual escalation. What we get more than not is a lot of conversation with voices hushed or raised, constituting piecemeal investigation or efforts to pull together a job. 'Boiling point' is well made from a technical standpoint, but when it comes to writing, this is a very low, slow boil.

The narrative is solid enough, but the scene writing could hardly be more subdued, and James B. Harris' direction echoes that aspect of his screenplay. It feels like we're getting a thriller without any thrills, a drama without any weight; what action we see is minimal. Sadly, a preponderance of the length passes by without making much of an impression at all. It's a shame, because there are many fantastic actors here, and some really swell ideas from which a more engrossing feature could have been formed. As it stands, 'Boiling point' emphatically struggles to meet its potential.

Whether a film aspires to horror, emotional impact, or profundity, the one thing all worthwhile works of cinema should have in common is earning a distinct reaction from the audience in one way or another. For a picture to fail to do so is worse, in my mind, than for a it to inspire abject criticism. For a movie to be unremarkable because it closely resembles other titles is one matter; for a movie to be unremarkable because it's instantly forgettable is certainly another. Despite everything this has going for it, 'Boiling point' elicits no reaction, and begins to fade from memory before it has even ended. None of this is to say it's bad, but with so many other titles one could watch instead, why bother with this one at all?

It earns a soft recommendation if you're an especial fan of someone in the cast, and it's decent enough for a lazy day. I think you should actively keep your expectations in check, though.

Nothing to See Here

[view_and_review · 5/10 · 18 April 2020]

Sometimes movie titles baffle me. Most of them are straight forward and are based upon the main theme. Some of them come from a statement imbedded within the movie. And then every once in a while you get a title that leaves you scratching your head.

Boiling Point? Really?

The movie begins with Agent Jimmy Mercer's good friend Russo being shot and killed. How do we know he was Jimmy's good friend? Well, because in their 30 seconds of communication Russo mentioned that he was the godfather to Jimmy's son. That was Hollywood's way of saying, "You should care about this guy because the main character does."

After Russo was killed it became a personal vendetta for Jimmy (Wesley Snipes)--an emotionless and impassionate vendetta--to catch Russo's killer. The killer, Ronnie (Viggo Mortenson), was nothing more than a follower. He followed every order of conman sleaze bag named Red Diamond (Dennis Hopper). Red needed 50 grand to pay back the local mob boss and he wasn't the type to get his hands dirty with robbing. He was a scam artist.

This was one of the more boring cop "action" films you could watch. Not that I prefer mind-numbing action, but if you're not going to be action packed you better be offering excellent performances or a clever plot. We got neither. So, what was the "Boiling Point"? The audiences' ability to stay awake.

Dennis Hopper's biggest disgrace

[jallport1990 · 3/10 · 18 April 2007]

Chalk this one up with some of Hopper's other "GREATEST FILMS EVER MADE" like Super Marios Brothers and Waterworld. Wow! is all I can say about this movie, which rivals the excitement of an episode of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. I have no idea how this movie made it's way into my home but if we should ever have a rolling blackout in America ever again, I have kindling for a fire. I would have rather this movie been about actual boiling points, like a pot of water boiling, then roll credits than have to go through this travesty of bad acting, where lines and movement are isolated. A line is read, then the character makes a movement, stops, reads another line, just awful.

As pointed out, it only simmers

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 15 March 2014]

Yes, it only simmers, not boils, but that's actually what I like about the film. I think too many of our reviewers want suspense films that are totally unrealistic. For the most part, I can imagine the events of this film happening. In fact, if you look at Snipes' career, over the long-haul, the more outlandish his films became, the more his career ebbed.

I always liked Wesley Snipes, and thought he could have been one of the most popular of the African-American actors that were coming into their own in the 1990s. I see his performance here as being solid. I can't say the same for Dennis Hopper's performance. The term "adequate" comes to mind. But not a very imaginative performance. He did his job, but does not inspire. Viggo Mortensen was more interesting. I enjoyed seeing Tony LoBionco, although I wondered if he got tired playing mob bosses.

The film had some nice touches. Different settings than typical in this type of film (e.g., a ballroom dance floor). And, the sub-story of the woman whose life never quite takes off, and she muddles through being a waitress at a "hash house", always waiting for the one man who pays attention to her to become what he says he can be; a rather tragic characterization.

My one big criticism of this film is the beginning. Dialog cycling through the different characters, attempting to show...well, what? Clever idea, but not fulfilled. It was at this point that I almost turned the flick off. But, it got better...but not great. But then again, I don't find the vast majority of "cops and robbers" stories to be great or inspiring.

It's a good film. Not a great film. Once was good. Probably won't watch it again.

What a potboiler

[PeterMitchell-506-564364 · 4/10 · 18 December 2012]

Here's another movie that fails to satisfy. When judging by it's bold cover, you'd think this was a sure guarantee for action. You've been mislead again folks. This is basically just a revenge story, with cop, Snipes after an aging scam artist, Hopper, perfect here, who's into money laundering, making his own cash. For those who didn't know, this is sort of a prequel to that 86 hit To Live And Die In L.A. which makes this film look duller than an empty casket. Even a slimy character from that movie is resurrected here. Hopper has good support, not from from Snipes though who's on a revenge driven journey to kill Hopper, who shot down in his partner in an undercover operation. Hopper's protégé, Viggo Morttessen fits the bill of character here. It's great to see him play vulnerable where he hooks up with old ex who assists in his criminal exploits. Watch for Tobin Bell a.k.a Jigsaw as a ex con Snipes questions. He gets information from Bell in return for letting him gets some vitamin C outside in the prison grounds. You don't realize how many films Bell has done before his trademark role in the Saw movies. Boiling Point falls under that "Why bother making this movie category" There's hardly any action. Hopper is funny though in this, a player sort of character, doubling his sexcapades with Lolita Davidich and Valeerie Perrine, a real veteran of film. He kind of partly makes up for the loss of action and suspense that's minute. The gas explosion with the junkie was a surprise though. Filmed in 93, this was Snipes's year as this was one of four four films that came out of his. Never has music at the start, fitted the title so imperfectly, as in that Jennifer Lopez film, Enough. My long lost friend was late returning this flick where he owed 75 dollars. With this movie, the video store clerk should of just let him off. Don't be duped by this one. May'be just copy the video cover and blow it up, as a poster.

enjoyable

[shakey_jake53 · 7/10 · 9 April 2003]

When I first saw the cover of this movie in video stores I thought it would be just a regular action movie, but then I read a few reviews and of it and they all talked about how it focuses more on talking than action, and that was a good thing to do. Don't go in to this movie thinking its a regular shoot 'em up action film, even the cover shows it as one. But even so it's an enjoyable crime thriller and it was never boring, and the few action scene's there were were good. 3.5/5.

Boiling Point turned out to be nothing more than a lukewarm action/crime movie.

[Cinemaniac1984 · 4/10 · 6 May 2016]

Riding high from the success of surprise hit Passenger 57 (1992) which established Wesley Snipes as the next big action star, you would expect that from the posters, video covers and trailers that Boiling Point would be a non-stop action packed crime thriller. Halfway through the movie I was questioning as to whether I had missed the point of the movie as why on earth was this so called action movie moving at a slow pace. And with a decent cast featuring the likes of Dennis Hopper (Speed), Lolita Davidovich (Leap of Faith), Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of The Rings trilogy), Dan Hedaya (Commando), Seymour Cassel (Indecent Proposal), Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad), James Tolkan (Back to the Future), and Paul Gleason (Die Hard) this was a movie that certainly couldn't go wrong. But it did. Boiling Point turned out to be a weak and lukewarm movie lacking any excitement let alone any interest.

Treasury Agent Jimmy Mercer (Wesley Snipes) and his partner Brady (Dan Hedaya) are involved in an undercover operation gone awry when Mercer's fellow agent is shot and killed by a young psychopathic thug named Ronnie (Viggo Mortensen) who is partnered with scam artist Red Diamond (Dennis Hopper) who organises fake money sales to rob and kill the buyers. Mercer vows revenge on the killer and swears to take down Red and Ronnie within 1 week before Mercer is transferred out of Los Angeles.

On paper the movie looks like a good popcorn action flick right? Wrong. It's more of a character driven movie that moves slower than a snail moving from Point A to Point B. I could not fault the cast whatsoever, they can't be blamed for this. Written and directed by James B. Harris (Cop) based on the novel by Gerald Petievich (To Live and Die in L.A. which is by far an underrated movie which at least had you engaged from start to finish), he has brought out a very weak movie that is a cop out for everyone expecting another Wesley Snipes actioner. Fans and audiences have every right to feel cheated.

Boiling Point was an action/crime movie that had potential with Wesley Snipes and Dennis Hopper in the lead roles, but the movie can be described as a situation where somebody forgot to turn the kettle on to boil the water.

It's a shame Boiling Point turned out to be nothing more than lukewarm.

4/10.

very good film, wisely directed and very well interpreted

[fcoalvarezdiaz · 9/10 · 6 August 2005]

The good and evil are presented as the two faces of the same coin, just notice the bad guys and the policeman crossing their paths from the very beginning. The sense of justice and comradeship is carried out by the policemen up to the last consecuencies. All the characters are draw with a few but deep brushstrokes. One can't but feel pitiful for the destiny, in same cases dull, that each of the protagonists carve out for themselves. Life in this film is presented in a crude way but also considering the profoundest and better feelings of each of the figures. Of course there is more that is worth to be seen and all of it enveloped by a much appropriate and wonderful song as well as filmed with agility.

A slow, touching action movie.

[cashimor · 7/10 · 19 February 1999]

This movie might be considered rather slow, but that is also something that makes it special. Some of the scenes are well mixed, and the characters are quite believable, except for some of the cops, perhaps, that are too lenient. Because of the believable characters, this movie is also quite touching, since it is impossible that it will have a happy end for everyone.

typical crime drama with nothing memorable

[disdressed12 · 5/10 · 29 July 2007]

this movie is a so so crime drama.i mean it's not really awful,but it is awfully slow and not really memorable.this movie has been done before,it just had a different title with(maybe)different actors,and the same characters but with different names.Wesley Snipes is Jimmy Mercer, an undercover treasury agent who's good friend/work colleague has been killed during an undercover operation.naturally Mercer vows to catch the bad guys.Dan Hedaya is Brady,Mercer's partner.also in the movie are Dennis Hopper,(you can probably guess what role he plays),Viggo Mortensen,Tobin Bell,Paul Gleason,Christine Elise,Johnathon Banks,Lolita Davidovich and Valerie Perrine and Tony Lo Bianco.the people who really impressed me were Valerie Perrine and Dan Hedaya and Paul Gleason.the rest of the cast is all okay,but doesn't really stand out.the movie is just only 92 minutes,but it feels way longer.i just thought it took too long for things to get rolling.and like i mentioned,the movie is not original.the only thing i really like about was is the music,especially the big band stuff.otherwise,it's your stand crime drama,better than some,not as good as others.for me,"Boiling point" is a 5/10