Wonderful character development!

Admirable film.

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Made in 1989, it was ahead of it's time though slightly cliché. Filmed with a mixture of varied cast, this was a very good reflection of a real life story, where Hollywood was not trying to create a sterile environment and the characters were normal every day people with real issues that were bouncing off of each other. Some of the story line was predictable with Don Johnson sticking to his Miami Vice sense of humour but with an on-going turbulent divorce and a career dependent on a successful case, the other actors did not make it easy for Jerry Beck when his alcoholism started effecting his professionalism. Throughout the film the villains are always one step ahead, with White supremacy and anti-social behavioural traits quite accurate to life situations and personal beliefs,including religious denominations of cult Christianity, creating a network of deceit. Set in a big city leading across small towns across USA, brings out the sinister nature of true organised crime and involves the police, FBI and local sheriff's departments working with Don Johnson's Homocide department in an inhibitory way, until a crack unit enforces his efforts. Conflicts throughout were personal and not exaggerated, and understandably psychological and contextualised accurately.

I write this commentary because I'm surprised of the low rate that people gave to this movie. I repeat: I give this film a 9! Allow me to say that is a John Frankenheimer's film. I mean, all his movies are great! This one is funny, but a serious film, with an excellent plot, good dialogs, all the actors -his performances- are very credible, an intrigue that keeps you interested about what is going to happen next, suspense, action scenes very well filmed, even at least two moments of fine humor. All these elements provides a 9/10 points and elevate this film to another category. It's not a B realization. Even more, the story about a sect of fanatic racist people which exists in real life (not this one in particular, but there are hundreds of them in the United States), so it gives to the film a particular point of view about this sad reality. It almost can be watched as a documentary. Very good film, it's been edited in DVD. Don't loose the opportunity to watch it! And also with all the others movies of John Frankenheimer, take a look of his list as director. All excellent

Don Johnson is pretty decent in this (and I'm a fan), though you could see the whole idea was to take the Crockett character from Miami Vice and make him a down-and-outer, to take away all the expensive trappings he had on Miami Vice.The biggest plot hole is that the bad guy kills a cop at the beginning of the movie, pretty much on Christmas Eve. Yet there is no big mobilization of the LA police force to catch the killer, just Beck going after him alone. In every other movie I've ever seen, and pretty much in real life, if a cop is killed in cold blood like this character was, every cop is going to be after the killer.Then, when the rural OK sheriff's cars are shot up with automatic weapons, and the downtown is blown up in a huge shootout with the bad guys, again, no-one really seems to interested. Not the LA police force, not the FBI that much. Usually these kind of egregious acts of violence get pretty big play in the media and with law enforcement types. So that whole premise was rather hard to swallow, although it says it's based on a true story.Interesting cameo by the porno star Ron Jeremy as one of the bikers. Several of the cast were on Miami Vice at one time or another.

Excellent direction as usual from John Frankenheimer. This movie gives you more than enough action and bang for your buck. Don Johnson is a homicide cop that stretches the rules; drinks too much; sleeps too little; is crude; foul mouthed and absolutely great. On Xmas morning, Johnson starts his trek to find a cop killer that is associated with a White Supremacy group. This hard headed cop follows his suspect to Oklahoma and Colorado before all hell breaks loose. On the trail of Johnson is a pansy, but arrogant FBI agent played by William Forsythe. Johnson gets help when he needs it from Tim Reid and his police department. Very entertaining and sometimes comical fact-based story from Jerry Beck.Penelope Ann Miller provides the all too short sexual content. Wow, what a charmer. And Michael Jeter plays a shrink that resembles Woody Allen.Have never really been a Don Johnson fan; but this role is a hell of a lot better than his TV Miami Vice persona. This is a non-stop attention grabber.