THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 15, 1995 TAG: 9510140045
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
``ASSASSINS'' ASKS us to be sympathetic toward the character played by Sylvester Stallone, a professional killer who makes millions by brutally gunning down his victims.
The only hint that Robert Rath, the killer, might have a heart is that he allows one of his marks to shoot himself, after making him snivel and grovel.
Rath, the country's top hired gun, actually is weary of his job. He'd like to quit. If only he had better health benefits.
If there were better employee-employer relationships, perhaps we wouldn't have this silly movie in which No. 1 killer, Rath, is challenged by No. 2 killer, Miguel Bain, played with an over-the-top leer by Antonio Banderas. They stalk each other in Portland, Seattle and Puerto Rico as this formula actioner stretches to two hours and 12 minutes.
In an interview a few months ago, Stallone said his new film would be an ``intellectual'' thriller. The only hint of increased smarts is the fact that he wears eyeglasses in several scenes, seldom speaks, and plays chess in his off hours. Other than that, it's business as usual - grimace, frown, grunt and shoot.
Banderas is the male star of the year, but he needs a director to reign in his histrionics. He almost foams at the mouth as he gives his impersonation of a firecracker on the verge of going off. It is embarrassing for him to try to knock off one-line witticisms.
But when both characters are professional killers, where is the hero? Whom should we pull for in this movie?
To add to the negative quotient, the third character is a thief, played by the gifted Julianne Moore. She plays Electra, an information-superhighway thief who's delivering a disc of stolen info to Dutch buyers.
Even though there is no chemistry between her and Stallone, the poor audience is asked to believe that they take one look at each other and run away to San Juan. Moore proves here that in ordinary roles, she can be only ordinary. Nonetheless, she bears watching.
The writers stole the formula from Gregory Peck's classic Western ``The Gunfighter,'' in which the fastest gun is always the most vulnerable - a plot that has been repeated often since. Seldom, though, has it seemed quite so tame or repetitive as here.
Among two killers and a thief, there is, however, one being to pull for in the movie - a cat named Pearl. If only there had been more of Pearl, it might have been worthwhile. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
MOVIE REVIEW
``Assasins''
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas, Julianne Moore
Director: Richard Donner
Screenplay: Andy and Larry Wachowski, Brian Heigeland
Music: Mark Mancina
MPAA rating: R (language, violence)
Mal's rating: Two stars
Locations: Chesapeake Square, Greenbrier 13 in Chesapeake;
Circle 4, Main Gate in Norfolk; Columbus, Kemps River, Lynnhaven
Mall, Surf-N-Sand in Virginia Beach
by CNB