TrueJoshNight
Truly Dreadful Film
Stoutor
It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.
Matrixiole
Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.
AutCuddly
Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,
Lee Eisenberg
It's generally safe to assume that most movies starring Clint Eastwood will feature him getting tough on bad guys. Wolfgang Petersen's Academy Award-nominated "In the Line of Fire" doesn't have that to quite the same extent, but you should have a sense of what Clint does. The movie really belongs to John Malkovich as the villain. His character is one nasty but clever son of a b****. Rene Russo didn't get enough screen time, but there is one scene that lets her go all out; nonetheless, I'd like to see her get a lead role.Basically, it's nothing special, but it doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not. Watch for appearances by Fred Thompson (later a senator and presidential candidate), John Heard (the dad in "Home Alone") and the recently deceased John Mahoney, as well as early appearances of Dylan McDermott (of "The Practice" and "American Horror Story"), Tobin Bell (Jigsaw in the Saw franchise) and Joshua Malina (Pres. Siebert on "The Big Bang Theory").
Matt Greene
We don't often get protagonist from the secret service, especially one who worked during the Kennedy assassination. It's a great concept for a story, but the real hero here is actually the villainous Malkovich. Gotta be among the best antagonists in film; menacing and smart, he's not the kind of villain you empathize with, but are definitely compelled by. Unfortunately, the central romance is obnoxious, the ending is a bit anti-climactic, and the film is a little too long.
Miles-10
"In the Line of Fire" is a taut thriller, featuring performances by two different types of great actors.Clint Eastwood is the seasoned star of action vehicles, working his screen image in a way that makes it seem impossible that anyone else could have played crusty Secret Service Agent Frank Horrigan. (Yet several other actors were considered for the part before him, including Robert Redford.) Eastwood, who is now in his late 80s, was a virile 63 when this picture was released, and still believable as the love interest of younger co-star Rene Russo.The biggest plot hole – if one can call it that – is that everybody wants Frank off the case because he is, as his boss says, "too old for this sh*t". Even his girlfriend seems only to want to keep him around because she feels sorry for him. Nobody except for the wiretapping technicians seems to recognize the fact that since the self- proclaimed assassin keeps calling Frank, his presence somewhere in the vicinity is indispensable to protecting the president.In one of his more accessible and memorable screen performances, veteran actor John Malkovich plays Mitch, a villain whose intensity makes you believe he is capable of anything. Although he has been in over sixty movies and TV productions, most moviegoers have probably seen Malkovich rarely, usually in supporting or even cameo roles. He is almost anonymous despite having appeared in such popular movies as "Con Air" (1997) and the eponymous cult film "Being John Malkovich" (1999).There is a scene in which Mitch meets two hunters who see too much, and right before he kills them Mitch confesses that he plans to assassinate the president. "Why would you want to do that?" asks one of the hunters in stunned horror. It does not matter what these men think of the president, who is portrayed as a vapid chameleon. This movie belongs to a quaint time when the idea of assassinating any president of the United States struck the overwhelming majority of Americans as plain wrong even if you thought the occupant of the White House was an execrable son of a bitch.
LeonLouisRicci
If you can stand the Hollywood Conceit of Romance with Sloppy kissing and groping between a Geezer and a Thirty-Something Hottie you might give this one a Pass because it is an Above Average Thriller with a Venomous Villain. If you can believe Clint Eastwood as a Jazz Pianist you might give this a Pass because it has much more going for it.There are a number of Suspenseful Set-Pieces and John Malkovich without doubt steals the Film from the One-Note Eastwood who really struggles delivering Lines at times and is unwatchable as He exchanges Loving Stares with Rene Russo. Overall, this is kept from sinking to Cringe inducing Territory by a Multi-Faced Malkovich that is as Creepy as they come. It moves along at a brisk pace and it needs too as it moves quickly from badly Written exchanges and exposition Scenes among Good Ol Boy Ballbusting and a predictable Sub-Plot with a Partner that is never fleshed out and comes across as totally Contrived.A Watchable Film that tries just a little too hard to be Heady, and the best of it outweighs those excruciating Filler bits and delivers an Entertaining, but Puffed-Up Piece of Product.