• Director: Mikael Salomon
• Staring: Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, Randy Quaid, Minnie Driver
• Released: 1998
• Genre: Action
• Score: 90%
• IMDB Link: Hard Rain (1998)

I’ve seen this film numerous times and I absolutely love it. If you are looking for good fast paced action with a twist of humour then this is the film for you. The film is set in the middle of a flood with a damn that is at the point of bursting and centers around the heist of a money truck carrying $3 million (IIRC). A cat and mouse game of capture the money ensues with plenty of high quality chase scenes and shoot outs.

Stop reading now if you haven’t seen the film ;o)

Unlike a lot of films in this genre it isn’t painfully obvious at the start what is going to happen. Having the sherif turn into a bad guy was a stroke of genius and superbly well done. It really made me question what I would have done in the same situation. I think I would have grabbed the money as well.

The shoot out in the cemetery, just after the sherif turns, was also exceptionally well done. I really felt for Tom and Jim and wanted them to get away. Bringing together of the good guy and bad guy such that they had to fight on the same side for a while made for a clever twist. The fact that such and unlikely character paring felt natural is a testiment to the quality of the acting from both Freemand and Slater.

Many people felt that Karen was surlus to requirements in the film and I have to agree to some extent. The part she played wasn’t large but it did add a comedy factor to the movie that kept it light and entertaining and without it I think the film would have become to dark and serious. She also provided a motivating factor for the young police man (I forget his name I think it was Ricky). She might have been the token female in the film but what a great choice

If ever I produce a film or computer game I am going to sample the sound of the guns firing in the church shoot out. I would love to know where they got that sound from. It should be written in to law that the volume must be turned up to the max for that sequence.

I’ll certainly be watching this film again at some point down the road. I know practically every line now but that doesn’t stop it from being a great film to kick back with a beer to.