Mad City

Rating:
Summary: "Mad" about John Travolta and Dustin Hoffman!
Review: "Mad City" focuses on John Travolta as Sam Baily, a museum security guard who loses his job due to budget cuts. Sam pretty much has a normal life, has a wife and kids, etc. Sam decides to talk to his boss Mrs. Banks (Blythe Danner) about getting his job back, but Mrs. Banks told Sam time and time again that there was nothing she could do about it. So, in one fell swoop, Sam pulls out a shotgun as a result in getting his job back. Sam not only holds Mrs. Banks hostage, but a group of schoolchildren as well. The film also focuses on Dustin Hoffman as Max Brackett, a local TV news reporter who just so happens to be inside the men's room at the museum and listening in on what is happening in the lobby between Sam and Mrs. Banks. Brackett listens to Sam's story about Sam not meaning for any of this to happen and such. And Brackett decides to give Sam's story a heroic spin as the days go by...and the film goes on from there. I own the DVD of "Mad City" and its features were all right. This is sort of a sad film for John Travolta's character because of his position in the film. "Mad City". A film that is nothing short of intense. A great film with two great powerhouse actors.

Rating:
Summary: A very good film!
Review: "MAD CITY" BLENDED DRAMA, COMEDY, AND ACTION! Costa-Gravas has made a winner! HOFFMAN and TRAVOLTA rule the screen! ALAN ALDA is a great enemy anchorman! A MUST-SEE for all fans of Hoffma and/or Travolta!

Rating:
Summary: "Mad" about John Travolta and Dustin Hoffman!
Review: "Mad City" focuses on John Travolta as Sam Baily, a museum security guard who loses his job due to budget cuts. Sam pretty much has a normal life, has a wife and kids, etc. Sam decides to talk to his boss Mrs. Banks (Blythe Danner) about getting his job back, but Mrs. Banks told Sam time and time again that there was nothing she could do about it. So, in one fell swoop, Sam pulls out a shotgun as a result in getting his job back. Sam not only holds Mrs. Banks hostage, but a group of schoolchildren as well. The film also focuses on Dustin Hoffman as Max Brackett, a local TV news reporter who just so happens to be inside the men's room at the museum and listening in on what is happening in the lobby between Sam and Mrs. Banks. Brackett listens to Sam's story about Sam not meaning for any of this to happen and such. And Brackett decides to give Sam's story a heroic spin as the days go by...and the film goes on from there. I own the DVD of "Mad City" and its features were all right. This is sort of a sad film for John Travolta's character because of his position in the film. "Mad City". A film that is nothing short of intense. A great film with two great powerhouse actors.

Rating:
Summary: A gritty look at reality
Review: ... I thought that everyone in this movie did a great jobcarrying such a controversial script as this.

Rating:
Summary: Saw it three times...
Review: ...because the first two times I watched it, I fell asleep. (I rarely do this during movies.) Travolta is way out of his league with his role as a naïve security guard. He gives off such a "Look at me! I'm ACTING!" vibe, it's impossible to maintain suspension of disbelief. The movie progresses at a snail's pace. Alan Alda as usual convincingly plays a jerk. If you want to see an out-of-control media really fouling things up, check out "Tomorrow Never Dies."

Rating:
Summary: NOT MAD ENOUGH TO BE ENGAGING
Review: Apart from the parallels one could draw with Dog Day Afternoon or Network, there is really very little to say about this media clunker. Which is sad because the script had a lot of potential and the production quality is top notch.

The theme is not altogether incredible in our times -- an embittered employee going berserk and threatening violence. Problem is that Travolta is saddled with the challenge to potray this unwitting hostage-taker, part antagonist and part victim. I'd contend that he failed to bring out this delicate dichotomy.

Even Hoffman's full-blooded newsman with a childish, self-centered ambition and some very sardonic light moments in the earlier half, cannot save the film from its maudlin second half, by which time it's already too late for us to care.

An ok rental perhaps, especially if you're interested in an insider peep into the lives of news networks. But not something I'd watch more than once despite its uncanny ending.

Rating:
Summary: oh god...
Review: Are you kidding me? This movie is pathetic. I wish i could give it less than one star, but amazon is being generous. I've tried to watch this movie 3 times, never getting through the movie, always turning it off in disgust.

Rating:
Summary: Heartfelt Drama with a Shakespeare Ending
Review: As an audience we can not help but feel compassion for Sam Bailey (John Travolta) as he unexpectedly brings himself from one terrible situation to a worse one. Holding a museum tour hostage, he makes one thoughtless mistake after another, all the while being observed by News-Anchorman, Max Brackett (Dustin Hoffman). Through this overnight ordeal, Brackett befriends the criminal as we learn a lot about what life dumps on us and how we deal with it. A superb performance by John Travolta in which I believe to be the best of his career.

Rating:
Summary: Gypped!
Review: I feel gypped! I bought this CD for the final prisoner song which played during the credits. Surprise -- no such song. What happened? When I pay for an original motion picture soundtrack, that's what I expect to get; not an abbreviated version of the score. Please gimme my money back.

Rating:
Summary: Great drama movie!
Review: I myself really loved this movie.It was sad and funny both.If you like drama movies and sad movies or funny movies you like this movie alot.Hoffman and Travolta did a great job in this film.