Most Wanted . The Boston Phoenix . 10-20-97

Most Wanted

DIRECTED BY: David Hogan

REVIEWED: 10-20-97

In Living Color's Keenen Ivory Wayans stars, writes, and produces in this thunderous action thriller. The good news is that Wayans infuses the potentially dry formulaic plot with his comedic wit. The bad news is that Most Wanted is a by-the-numbers production that perpetuates its momentum with a convoluted conspiracy thread.

Like Nick Cage's convict in Con Air, Wayans plays a serviceman who is given a stiff sentence for a self-defense killing. He's plucked from death row by a profiteering general (Jon Voight adding to his current resume of campy, over-the-top villains) running a covert assassin squad. For reasons darker and more surreptitious than those behind Whitewater, Wayans's first assignment goes afoul and he winds up getting framed for sniping off the First Lady. Jill Hennessy tags along in her wonder bra as Wayans's reluctant accomplice in his quest to prove his innocence; Eric Roberts and Paul Sorvino are purely garnish as CIA heavies. Besides Voight, the other real pleasure comes from the pedestrian chase along the LA freeway -- it's a delightfully bizarre mix of signature elements from Invasion of the Body Snatchers and To Live and Die in L.A.

--Tom Meek

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