Rating: 
Summary: Punchy stinging black comedy of the workplace
Review: Here's where Michael Caine shines, as a corporate exec who gets passed over for the promotion he's so feverishly expecting he'll get in favor of a young Turk--well played by Peter Reigert--who lords it over Caine's character in subtle (and not so subtle) ways. Caine's wife, also well played by Swoosie Kurtz, one of the great unknown American stage and film actresses, is a serious [problem] to him. So he has two people in his life who are supremely annoying.What does he do? Well, let's just say that his solution to these two problems ends in the population of the world changing, shall we? The dialogue in this very smart blackly comic thriller is sharp as a razor; it's a lot of fun to watch Mr. Caine give us his best as a put upon exec who's more than capable of flying into a rage at the drop of a hat and of executing his very sneaky and well thought out plans for revenge. Also on hand is Elizabeth Perkins, an equally intelligent office colleague who attracts Caine in more ways than one, but does not suspect him of any wrongdoing at all. That is, until... One of the best office comedies around, A Shock to the System is a stinging portrait of greed and selfishness in America--for my money, far better than the somewhat overblown Wall Street. This is a movie that gives you a great evening's entertainment and part of the reason for that may be to secretly exact vengeance upon those corporate bigwigs who've prevented you from getting a job for so long, given this miserable economy. Great job. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as I remembered
Review: I saw this on cable a few years back and I really enjoyed it. I like Michael Caine in about anything. I couldn't wait for it to be released on DVD and I was a bit disappointed on second viewing. I think there is something to be said about expectations. It wasn't bad on second viewing, but I loved it the first time.
Rating:
Summary: manical suspense that only CAINE can provide!
Review: in this low budget thriller starring michael caine as an ad exec who's worked worked all his life to please everyone around him finally sees his chance to better himself in a job promotion only to be passed over by a younger more ambiotus rookie. confused and distraught on the subway ride a penhadler bothers caine for money and pushes caine to his breaking point and in act of rage caine pushes the man in the way of subway. Now knowing this rage he uses well planed accidents to his fellow collegues and his nagging wife, and try to maitain his way back up the corparate ladder. Michael caine is back in the saddle of his villious persona, great film unitentally funny it really is quite a "shock"
Rating:
Summary: Play Naughty; Win Big
Review: Michael Caine is marvelous when playing a happy villain. He was impossibly beautiful as a young man, but middle aged Michael with serious bags under his eyes and a slight weight problem has an air of wounded vanity, as if he can't quite understand how things went wrong. Caine, as Graham Marshall, is a fairly successful marketing director with an expensive home, an expensive and slightly boring wife, and is desperately anticipating a promotion for his many years of diligence. He is stunned when he is passed over for a young, brash associate. Graham has an epiphany when a particularly smarmy panhandler enrages him, and Graham impulsively shoves him off the subway platform in the path of an oncoming train. No one has seen him and Graham muses on his "magical" powers. He quickly and cleverly dispatches the wife and the business rival, gets rid of his white elephant of a house in the suburbs, boards the pets and gets a tasteful apartment in Manhattan. Though homicide Lt. Laker (Will Patton with a splendid Long Island accent) is suspicious, nothing can be proved. Graham not only gets the promotion, he has his eye on taking over the company, dispatching his rivals on his upward climb. What keeps the tension intact is the victims are not cartoon-like villains. The wife is irritating, but not evil. The youngster who beat him out for the promotion is vulgar, but it is clear he is clever and competent. We just cannot help but cheer Graham on his nefarious way. Michael Caine's glee and satisfaction are catching. There is more than a whiff of Alec Guinness's "Kind Hearts and Coronets" in Caine's performance, but Michael Caine has a knack for villainy all his own. "Shock to the System" may be a trifle of a movie, but it is a highly enjoyable trifle. ....
Rating:
Summary: Play Naughty; Win Big
Review: Michael Caine is marvelous when playing a happy villain. He was impossibly beautiful as a young man, but middle aged Michael with serious bags under his eyes and a slight weight problem has an air of wounded vanity, as if he can't quite understand how things went wrong. Caine, as Graham Marshall, is a fairly successful marketing director with an expensive home, an expensive and slightly boring wife, and is desperately anticipating a promotion for his many years of diligence. He is stunned when he is passed over for a young, brash associate. Graham has an epiphany when a particularly smarmy panhandler enrages him, and Graham impulsively shoves him off the subway platform in the path of an oncoming train. No one has seen him and Graham muses on his "magical" powers. He quickly and cleverly dispatches the wife and the business rival, gets rid of his white elephant of a house in the suburbs, boards the pets and gets a tasteful apartment in Manhattan. Though homicide Lt. Laker (Will Patton with a splendid Long Island accent) is suspicious, nothing can be proved. Graham not only gets the promotion, he has his eye on taking over the company, dispatching his rivals on his upward climb. What keeps the tension intact is the victims are not cartoon-like villains. The wife is irritating, but not evil. The youngster who beat him out for the promotion is vulgar, but it is clear he is clever and competent. We just cannot help but cheer Graham on his nefarious way. Michael Caine's glee and satisfaction are catching. There is more than a whiff of Alec Guinness's "Kind Hearts and Coronets" in Caine's performance, but Michael Caine has a knack for villainy all his own. "Shock to the System" may be a trifle of a movie, but it is a highly enjoyable trifle. ....
Rating:
Summary: Murder mayhem in corporate America.
Review: Michael Caine stars in this winsome black comedy about his stagnating career and marriage, and how he uses murder to make them both more interesting (and profitable). Caine plays the anti-hero in this movie with just the right mix of cynicism and mirth to curry the favor of the audience as he plots his final moves to get "the corner office."
Rating: 
Summary: That breeze ain't an open window
Review: Not that I know everything about crime - especially getting away with it - but A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM made it look too easy. Performances by Michael Caine as a done-wrong-now-doin'-wrong angry executive and Will Patton as the police detective who is wise to him make the film worth a look on television. But A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM needed to close a few holes in its story to make it worthy of your movie theater/home video payment.
Rating: 
Summary: Defines black humor
Review: This is a witty, morbidly funny movie. It's weak in spots, andthe occult "magician" comments in Michael Caine's voice-over narration is perhaps a little misplaced. But it is an original movie, and entertaining, and as Michael Caine said when making it, "The thing is, this guy is murdering people, BUT YOU ARE ON HIS SIDE." After seeing this movie, you might find yourself looking at conniving rats in your life and thinking back to this movie! Even though Michael Caine plays an Englishman, it takes place in New York, and is a VERY American piece, in that it shows the absolute subtext of all American life is that you MUST be a success. I've seen this movie a number of times. The humor is twisted. But good...
Rating:
Summary: Defines black humor
Review: This is a witty, morbidly funny movie. It's weak in spots, andthe occult "magician" comments in Michael Caine's voice-over narration is perhaps a little misplaced. But it is an original movie, and entertaining, and as Michael Caine said when making it, "The thing is, this guy is murdering people, BUT YOU ARE ON HIS SIDE." After seeing this movie, you might find yourself looking at conniving rats in your life and thinking back to this movie! Even though Michael Caine plays an Englishman, it takes place in New York, and is a VERY American piece, in that it shows the absolute subtext of all American life is that you MUST be a success. I've seen this movie a number of times. The humor is twisted. But good...
Rating:
Summary: Pure fiction, unless you work in a Company too!
Review: What a great piece of film. Superb performance, as always, from Caine and we have all been in the same situation to some extent. Climbing the corporate ladder only to find it was against the wrong wall. No more Mr Nice Guy, he decides to take the law into his own hands and kill anyone who gets in his way and anyone hanging on to his shirtails. Unusual for a film to end with the 'hero' getting away with the crime (he gets caught in the book)but would we want it any other way? Buy it, rent it but enjoy it.
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