It is 1985, and a small, tranquil Florida town is being rocked by a wave of vicious serial murders and bank robberies. Particularly sickening to the authorities is the gratuitous use of violence by two “Rambo” like killers who dress themselves in military garb. Based on actual events taken from FBI files, the movie depicts the Bureau’s efforts to track down these renegades.
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Reviews
Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.
Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.
The true 1985/86 Dade County, Florida account of two ex-Army buddies, William Russell Matix and Michael Lee Platt and their twisted "my way or the highway" attitudes against the local FBI Bureau (Miami Division). Matix and Platt discover there is more than one way to 'play Army' and become the most aggressive bank / armored car robbers that ever packed heat since Bonnie Parker psychologically nailed Clyde Barrow's manhood to a Thompson drum magazine! The Bureau, after an exhaustive investigation, finally I-D the pair and make plans to apprehend them 'by the book'. Unfortunately the 'book' hasn't been updated since J. Edgar Hoover got fitted for his burial culottes!What transpires is the most intense TV movie crime drama ever put to film. Some claim this is the "greatest TV movie ever made". The steady, 100% believable build-up to the final 'shock and awe' shootout will have you transfixed in the knowledge that this actually went down and there wasn't a darn thing that could have stopped it, at the time. The FBI suffered the most devastating losses in the bureaus' history with only two dead scum-bags to show for it. The case has been a textbook study guide within the bureau ever since.Michael (Family Ties) Gross and David (Starky & Hutch) Soul as the suburban-psycho-punks go totally against type casting to deliver mesmerizing Emmy winning caliber roles (they didn't). If you consider the helicopter scene in Goodfellas brilliant this film's climax is simply a must see.
This true story of a armed team of robber/murders hunted by law enforcement which resulted in the most deadly shootout in FBI history and the most studied armed incident after the Kennedy assassination was well told and intense .Michael Lee Platt and William Matix seemed to have split personalities that the chemistry of the two of them together ignited into explosions of violence and murder .Both ex-military , high combat proficency and they practiced their marksmanship regularly , making for a particularly dangerous duo .Platt in particular was amazing I wouldn't want to go up against him , he seemed to be a born assassin . Add to that their kamikaze attitude and their attempted capture was ripe for disaster .The FBI only adds to this with bad decisions on site , before and during , however their motives were as lofty as they come .They were trying to protect the public . One wishes they were able to make better choices because they were good men (Grogan and Dove )but the film is intense and worth seeing , all the more so because most of it is true .
An explosive and completely true account of the most horrific shootout between criminals and federal law enforcement in U.S. history. It is the story of Bill Mattix and Mike Platt, two former Army Rangers and ordinary blue collar guys who have families, raise kids, and pay their taxes. They also rob armored cars and shoot people for a living. And they are damn good at it. They kill people about as routinely as mowing their lawns with absolutely no remorse or second thought as to the consequences of their actions. Their exploits attract the attention of the Miami F.B.I. field office who become more and more interested in finding out who they are. The agents quickly become obsessed with stopping them before they rob and kill again. It sets the scene for the eventual showdown and the carnage that ensues when they try to corner the robbers. This one is hard to find but it is a great insight into the minds of two bank robbers and the FBI agents who hunted them.
This is the best, or one of the best made for TV movies I've seen. Along with enjoying the movie, I was really moved by some of it's somber moments. It's total suspense, excellent action, and some incredible shoot out scenes. Everyone who enjoys cops and robber movies will really be engrossed in this high suspense thriller.