Dead Bang (1989) Warner Bros./Action-Drama RT: 102 minutes Rated R (strong graphic violence, language, some sexual content, alcohol abuse) Director: John Frankenheimer Screenplay: Robert Foster Music: Gary Chang Cinematography: Gerry Fisher Release date: March 24, 1989 (US) Cast: Don Johnson, Penelope Ann Miller, William Forsythe, Bob Balaban, Tim Reid, Frank Military, Tate Donovan, Antoni Stutz, Mickey Jones, Ron Campbell, William Traylor, Hy Anzell, Michael Jeter, James B. Douglas, Brad Sullivan, Phyllis Guerrini, Michael Higgins, Tiger Haynes. Box Office: $8.1M (US)
Rating: ** ½
The Don Johnson actioner Dead Bang is a mixed bag. From a technical standpoint, it’s well made with the director’s simple yet hard-edged approach to the material. Unfortunately, it falls short when it comes to narrative. While the main storyline is fairly straightforward, Dead Bang too often gets distracted by unnecessary subplots and characters. It’s a disappointing effort from John Frankenheimer, a gifted filmmaker whose output includes The Manchurian Candidate, Black Sunday, 52 Pick-Up and Ronin (we won’t talk about The Island of Dr. Moreau). Any film buff worth their weight in popcorn knows he can do better.
Johnson, at the tail end of the five-season run of the popular cop show Miami Vice, plays yet another cop in a sunny environment, L.A. to be exact. Jerry Beck (based on a real-life character) is the antithesis of Sonny Crockett. He’s disheveled, ill-tempered, alcoholic and prone to threats of violence. He has what some refer to as an “attitude problem”. He rubs so many people the wrong way it’s a wonder he’s still on the force. At the moment, he’s going through a contentious divorce with an ex-wife who’s just slapped him with a restraining order preventing him from visiting his kids. He lives in a shabby motel where he drinks and stews over his less-than-idyllic circumstances.
Beck is assigned the case of a cop shot dead by an armed robber on Christmas Eve. Based on a description by the injured shop owner, he sets his sights on Bobby Burns (Military, Last Exit to Brooklyn), a recent parolee who did time for armed robbery. The dogged cop forces Burns’ PO (Balaban, 2010) to accompany him to the suspect’s home (on Christmas morning) so he can arrest him without a warrant. He’s too late, Burns is already gone. He left with a few other men. In his pursuit of Burns, Beck learns he’s involved with a murderous white supremacist group. His investigation, in which he’s joined by fussy FBI agent Kressler (Forsythe, Extreme Prejudice), uncovers a larger conspiracy headed by Aryan minister Gebhardt (Higgins, Angel Heart). Of course, his superiors don’t believe him.
I admire what Frankenheimer tries to do with Dead Bang. He tries to recapture the spirit of 70s character-driven movies and combine it with explosive action scenes popular with 80s audiences. It’s an uneasy mix that doesn’t always work. When it does work, it’s pretty good. The best and most telling scene is a foot chase that ends with a hung over Beck throwing up on a suspect. That’s something you don’t see every day. Here’s something else you don’t see every day. Beck is forced to undergo a psychiatric evaluation with a doctor (Jeter, Tango & Cash) who becomes upset when Beck laughs in his face and tells him he looks like Woody Allen. To be fair, he does. After their session, Jerry threatens him with violence if he fails him. Of course, he’s given the okay to return to duty.
Unfortunately, Dead Bang is beset with problems. Besides being uneven, it also introduces unnecessary plot threads and characters that come and go too quickly. Early on, Jerry sleeps with a woman (Miller, Kindergarten Cop) he meets at a Christmas party. She hurriedly leaves the next morning. Moments later, we find out she’s the widow of the murdered police officer. She explains to Beck that she just wants justice for her husband. Okay, let’s take a closer look at this situation. Less than 24 hours after her husband is killed in cold blood, the woman screws the investigating detective to ensure he catches the killer. Talk about ignoble motives. That’s the last we see of her. She’s never even mentioned again. What’s even the point of her character?
In the lead, Johnson does a decent job. I’m just not sure he’s the right actor for the part. As I watched, I kept envisioning Nick Nolte in the role. He’d be a much better fit than an actor better known for his looks than acting ability. It’s not a terrible performance by any means. He tries hard and succeeds more than he fails. Still, I think a gruff actor like Nolte would fit better with the hard material and gritty tone. Forsythe is pretty good even if his character is something of an a**hole. He’s the proverbial thorn in Beck’s side. In one scene, he chastises a bemused Beck about his excessive use of profanity. Dude, this isn’t Mr. Rogers. Balaban goes seriously underused as the PO understandably pissed about being taken from his family on Christmas morning to help Beck take care of business.
There are some good action scenes in Dead Bang; there are just too few of them. The movie hits its stride late in the game when Tim Reid (WKRP in Cincinnati) shows up as a Colorado sheriff who provides Beck with helpful and reliable assistance in a raid on an Aryan training camp. It’s a good sequence capped by a plot twist that isn’t all that surprising if you understand how movies like Dead Bang work.
It may not be an action classic, but it’s not a complete failure either. It’s not exactly a career high for Frankenheimer, but it’s far from his worst film. That would be The Island of Dr. Moreau which we agreed we wouldn’t talk about. Dead Bang works best if you set your expectations on low and keep them there.
