Metro

Fast, violent and vulgar. Metro hurls the viewer down a tension riveted sewage pipe of fear and foul language. While the action is entertaining, the filthy language and violence repeatedly assult the Christian viewer’s sense of morality. This one does add a new twist, though. The script was crafted to draw out the viewer’s agony just a bit further than the “normal” 90’s police thriller by the inspired use of body parts as negotiating tools by a crazed killer on the loose.

Eddie Murphy plays the lead as Scott Roper, hostage negotiator for the San Francisco Police Department. As you would expect from any Murphy-movie, Roper does his job with his own unique style, not always by the book. By his side is his new partner and trainee, a rookie from SWAT, Kevin McCall (played by Michael Rapaport).

Roper’s job is business as usual until Michael Korda (Michael Wincott) attempts a heist and gets cornered so that he has to use hostages to escape. Korda is a killer who doesn’t seem to be playing with a full deck. The main conflict is between Roper and Korda and this standoff fills the bulk of the movie.

In terms of moviemaking expertise, “Metro” could’ve been better. The McCall character is poorly developed and Murphy’s character overemphasizes the “me first” thread in society. I would suspect that the hostage negotiating profession (Is there such a thing?) will not likely gain any recruits as the result of this movie.

My bottom line recommendation: save your money. Don’t even rent this one. There is nothing to be gained in another Hollywood portrayal of “good” versus evil struggle.