| Mad City | | Cast : | John Travolta, Dustin Hoffman, Alan Alda | | Director : | Costa-Gavras | | Studio : | Warner Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | November 07, 1997 | | DVD Released Date : | June 01, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | March 23, 2005 | | Summary | Another one of Travolta's flops | Content
 | Ever since winning a Best Actor Oscar for his role in 1994's PULP FICTION,John Travolta was relentlessly,to this day,making films. This one,was his first post-PF flop. His previous flops include PERFECT,TWO OF A KIND,SHOUT and THE EXPERTS. This film was theatrically released on November 7,1997 and released on video on February 24,1998. In this film,Travolta is a former security guard who takes museum patrons hostage,very similar to what Tim Robbins did in 1990's CADILLAC MAN. Max Brackett(Dustin Hoffman) is a news reporter who covers the situation. Great support from Alan Alda. Travolta's follow-up film PRIMARY COLORS was much more successful than this. Despite the critical and box office disappointment,some of Travolta's fans loved this one. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 22, 2004 | | Summary | NOT MAD ENOUGH TO BE ENGAGING | Content
| Apart from the parallels one could draw with Dog Day Afternoon or Network, there is really very little to say about this media clunker. Which is sad because the script had a lot of potential and the production quality is top notch.
The theme is not altogether incredible in our times -- an embittered employee going berserk and threatening violence. Problem is that Travolta is saddled with the challenge to potray this unwitting hostage-taker, part antagonist and part victim. I'd contend that he failed to bring out this delicate dichotomy.
Even Hoffman's full-blooded newsman with a childish, self-centered ambition and some very sardonic light moments in the earlier half, cannot save the film from its maudlin second half, by which time it's already too late for us to care.
An ok rental perhaps, especially if you're interested in an insider peep into the lives of news networks. But not something I'd watch more than once despite its uncanny ending. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 23, 2004 | | Summary | It's a mad, mad, mad world | Content
| This satirical movie starts innocently enough, with Dustin Hoffman (Max Brackett) doing a "controversial" story on a local criminal. Brackett has been relegated to small-town duty after embarassing the network star, Kevin Hollander (played brilliantly by Alan Alda). Sam Baily (Travolta) has been fired after working as a guard at a museum. He lives paycheck to paycheck and has a family to support. To get his boss to listen to him, he makes the decision to take a gun with him to capture her attention...a gun and a bag full of dynamite. The movie is wonderful, not for the twists and turns, but for the performances and nuances. A number of times, Brackett could take a risk and end the situation, a situation he basically created himself out of his own greed. In the end, this movie has great commentary on how the media goes overboard in its coverage. This movie may be more relevant today than when it was made. |
| Rating | | | Date | September 13, 2002 | | Summary | Excellent farce of a hold up | Content
| It epitomizes the media circus following the armed hold up of a museum with children. Certainly a comical look at terror attacks is a much needed relief in this day and age of color coded alerts. Costa Gavras of "Missing" fame sugar coats the ordeal with satirical portrayal of liberal and conservative neonazis fishing in troubled waters; while extracting a remarkable performance from Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta. |
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