THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 1, 1995 TAG: 9502010038
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: CRAIG SHAPIRO
LENGTH: Long : 130 lines
ACTION FANS won't be disappointed with ``Clear and Present Danger'' (Paramount, 1994), but this first-class adaptation of Tom Clancy's political thriller has a lot more going for it:
A literate script.
A topical storyline.
Harrison Ford.
The latter is like a guarantee: Ford belongs to that small class of actors who automatically make a movie better. His second go-round as CIA agent Jack Ryan is no exception.
When his mentor, Adm. James Greer (James Earl Jones) becomes ill, Ryan is bumped up the ladder, and is soon investigating the murder of one of the president's friends - a trail that leads to ties with Colombia's drug cartels. He risks more than his career to stop covert military operations.
``Clear and Present Danger'' (PG-13 for violence, language) works because Jack Ryan is the kind of character who has defined Ford's career, the decent Everyman who, faced with great odds, rises to the occasion because it's the right thing to do. ``Witness,'' ``Frantic,'' ``The Fugitive'' - even ``Star Wars'' - they all fit.
Even though he's starred in six of the top-grossing movies ever (the ``Star Wars'' and ``Indiana Jones'' trilogies), Ford is no Hollywood player. Nor has he been reluctant to step outside the comfort zone, taking the kind of risks that are part of every great actor's resume.
He made a significant break from form in ``The Mosquito Coast'' (1986), Peter Weir's underrated drama based on the novel by Paul Theroux. Ford brings a large degree of humanity to the role of an asocial inventor who moves his family to the rain forest, where he can realize his utopian dream, then goes mad when it sours.
In ``Blade Runner'' (1982), Ford walked the thin line between good and evil as a burned-out cop tracking down a group of renegade ``replicants.'' His brooding performance is sometimes lost amid the spectacular sets and gorgeous cinematography, all orchestrated by Ridley Scott. (Word of advice: If you rent this one, make sure it's the director's cut.)
Finally, Ford showed his flair for romantic comedy - which bodes well for the pending remake of ``Sabrina'' - in ``Working Girl'' (1988). Actually, he takes a back seat to Melanie Griffith in Mike Nichols' Cinderella story.
That willingness is further proof that Ford is truly one of the finest talents around.
OL' BLIGHTY: MPI Home Video has released the PBS documentary, ``The Windsors: A Royal Family.'' The four-tape set traces England's House of Windsor from 1917 to 1992, a tabloid-banner year, and lists for a princely $79.98.
BIG STUFF: The redundant title aside, ``Shaquille O'Neal Larger Than Life'' (CBS/Fox) promises a personal look at the Magic man, plus NBA footage of him in action. Yours for $19.98.
SUCH A DEAL: Who set the blue light on strobe? Grab a pencil.
FoxVideo: ``The Chase,'' ``Hot Shots! Part Deux,'' ``Robin Hood: Men in Tights,'' ``The Beverly Hillbillies'' ($19.98)
Columbia TriStar: ``The Age of Innocence,'' ``Much Ado About Nothing,'' ``Olivier, Olivier,'' ``The Story of Qiu Ju,'' ``The Long Day Closes,'' ``The Music of Chance'' ($19.95)
New Line: ``Blink,'' ``Relentless 3,'' ``The Hidden II'' ($19.95)
Orion: ``Angel Unchained,'' ``Hell's Belles,'' ``Chrome & Hot Leather,'' ``The Wild Angels,'' ``The Hard Ride'' ($14.98)
MGM/UA: ``Body of Evidence,'' ``Diner,'' ``Father of the Bride,'' ``The Goodbye Girl,'' ``The Long, Long Trailer,'' ``The Man in the Moon,'' ``My Favorite Year,'' ``Some Like It Hot,'' ``Untamed Heart,'' ``Victor/Victoria'' ($14.95)
Paramount: ``Pet Sematary II,'' ``Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth,'' ``Addams Family Values'' ($19.95), ``No Way to Treat a Lady,'' ``Knights,'' ``True Colors,'' ``Falling in Love,'' ``Heartburn,'' ``Time Bandits'' ($14.95) THE COUCH REPORT
``It Could Happen to You'' (Columbia TriStar, 1994). Nicolas Cage completes the transformation from A-1 kook to romantic leading man. He plays a kindly New York cop who, caught short for a tip, promises to split any lotto winnings with a kindly waitress (Bridget Fonda) - then sticks to it. What follows is an immensely likable romance that leaves you feeling good long after the credits. Sharp comic performances all around, but especially from Rosie Perez as Cage's Material Girl wife.
(CAST: Nicolas Cage, Bridget Fonda, Rosie Perez. RATED: PG for mild language)
``Voyage en Douce'' (New Yorker, 1981). ``Thelma & Louise'' minus the bells and whistles. On a holiday in the south of France, Dominique Sanda and Geraldine Chaplin, friends since childhood, rediscover themselves and each other. The lush setting and leisurely pace support what is a thoughtful, insightful study of friendship and womanhood. (French with English subtitles)
(CAST: Dominique Sanda, Geraldine Chaplin. UNRATED, nudity, themes)
``Without Anesthesia'' (New Yorker, 1982). Director Andrzej Wajda grimly follows the Kafkaesque plight of a Polish journalist whose life unravels after his wife leaves him and his career falls apart. Jerzy can find no explanation for either, and it haunts him to the end. Draw your own parallels to time and place; there are plenty. (Polish with English subtitles)
(CAST: Zbigniew Zapasiewicz, Ewa Dalkowska, Andrzej Seweryn. UNRATED, brief nudity, themes)
``Naked in New York'' (Columbia TriStar, 1994). The box says ``it's about life, love and other bare essentials.'' Actually, it's Eric Stoltz doing an OK Woody Allen impression as a struggling playwright trying to hold his life and love together. Often witty, but ``Annie Hall'' covered this ground in 1977. Tony Curtis and Kathleen Turner, in supporting roles, give it some heft.
(CAST: Eric Stoltz, Mary-Louise Parker. RATED: R for nudity, language, situations)
``Killing Zoe'' (Live, 1994). Roger Avary, a Quentin Tarantino collaborator, was going for ``Les Chiens du Reservoir'' with his directorial debut, about a Bastille Day bank heist that goes wrong. He falls short. It doesn't hurt for violence; what's missing is any hint of crackling dialogue or memorable characters. Worse, it hinges on an improbable premise. (Some French with English subtitles)
(CAST: Eric Stoltz, Jean-Hughes Anglade, Julie Delpy. RATED: R for violence, language, nudity)
``Opera Imaginaire'' (Miramar, 1994). Now here's a concept that works: Take arias from throughout the opera repertoire - from ``The Marriage of Figaro'' and ``Madame Butterfly'' to ``The Pearl Fishers'' and ``Lakme'' - and turn them over to a dozen or so animators for interpretation. What you get is a celebration of sight and sound that even a novice will enjoy.
(UNRATED, but suitable for the family)
Also: ``Sensation,'' a thriller with Eric Roberts and Ron Perlman (R), and ``The Razor's Edge,'' the 1946 drama starring Tyrone Power, Gene Tierney and Anne Baxter.
Tuesday: ``The Color of Night,'' ``Corrina, Corrina,'' ``Rapa Nui,'' ``Little Giants,'' ``The Slingshot,'' ``Blankman,'' ``Dennis Miller Live,'' ``The Force,'' ``Final Appeal''
Next Wednesday: ``The Enemy Within'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
PARAMOUNT
Harrison Ford, left, and Willem Dafoe star in the political thriller
``Clear and Present Danger.''
by CNB