No Way Out (1987)

A naval officer becomes a hero after rescuing his ship crew from a whirlpool in Atlantic. By means of his international intelligence service experience -which is hidden in story until the ending- he's hired by a job in Pentagon to work as an assistant of National Defense minister. Through KGB connections the defence ministry gives him a top secret mission to exterminate a CIA funding operation called The Phantom Submarine, but to let the media know what's going on, his heroic rescue is being shown to cloak the facts with KGB.

Though it's a remake of Yves Montand's Police Python and John Farrow's The Big Clock, this film offers couple surprises and endless suspense. Compare it with the best movies of 1987, Timothy Dalton's James Bond flick "The Living Daylights" or Charlie Sheen's "Wall Street" is not offering you anything as a surprising and twisted story. No Way Out possesses a sense of film noir from the post-modern world war-II era. For me in every aspect No Way Out comes before its comparisons if the consideration is onto plot, story, thriller, suspense.

Those were the factors what makes No Way Out favoured and likable. But for professional audiences and concerns, first of all No Way Out has everything in common with the Film Noir age movies; a hero and his squeeze, he's growing suspect if she's on cheating him, suddenly she dies creating a twist in the story, hero runs after to solve the mystery of her death, as simple as that. It doesn't have an effective drama plot or no good sub-plots. The only purpose is to sell more tickets. It has all the necessities for a populist production, but doesn't reflect any messages, it doesn't tell nothing to the viewer. Things happen and we watch it with excitement, wondering what's gonna happen next, that's all. The filming and directing dexterity as a whole production is what the main problem is. No wonder why no awards for this movie.

Considering Redford & Dunaway's "Three Days of The Condor(1975)", I expected to see better intelligence bureau movies in 1980s and 1990s. But not until 21st century you come across another good governmental crime. After the death of the leading actress in the film, the romance segment ends off, then we're stuck in the Pentagon, watching things happening between CIA, NSA and KGB all trying to give an end to a scandal before it rises. If you're looking to find a good crime film, you're in the wrong place.

I will finish up with what I liked most in No Way Out. It's a great popcorn movie, a perfect choice for having fun with family or with spouse/girlfriend. Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman together enhances the viewing quality. One of the best movies of Kevin Costner, and includes some memorable moments of him with his female cast-mate. Just for its moments of romance its better than Top Gun. Remember Top Gun was half-a-romance movie, this was even one-third in length. 1980s was the generation when all the women in the world dreamt and fantasized of MEN IN UNIFORM.