FLED: NOT THE DEFIANT ONES

So many people will automatically connect this movie with the classic film THE DEFIANT ONES that starred Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis. Their only reason for making the connection is that the film begins early on with a prison break from a chain gang in the south featuring a black and a white man handcuffed together. But the movie is more than that and doesn’t make it the focal point of the film.

The two prisoners in question are an unlikely team but due to circumstances beyond their control they soon partner up. Yes, that initially begins with the prison break/cross country trek while handcuffed together. But as they’re on the run there begins to develop a different situation between these two men. Call it the buddy cop style formula from the time period but since they’re both criminals that’s not quite it either.

Dodge (Stephen Baldwin) is a computer hacker who tapped into the funds of a Cuban mafia boss who wants his money back. Piper (Laurence Fishburne) is a standard by the book criminal who unfortunately gets handcuffed to Dodge. When a prison break goes down the pair head for the hills and on to home to get help.

While this is going on a combination of FBI agents and US Marshalls get involved in the act. This might seem par for the course but beneath it all there is some dirty laundry needing cleaned here as not all are who they seem. Crosses and double crosses filter through the various characters of the film with the eventual reveal before the film ends.

Between the mob boss and his men as well as the various resources in law enforcement on their tails the duo have little chance of success. But it seems that a plan always materializes in action films of this sort. That doesn’t make it a bad thing though. It means that this film is made for that genre, action, and isn’t looking to change the way of the world. Instead it’s meant to entertain and does so completely from the start.

The movie didn’t make a huge impact on release back in the 90s but it has developed enough of a following that when it pops up on late night cable it was always worth checking out. Now that Olive has released it on blu-ray fans can make a point of adding it to their collection. For myself I’ve always been a fan of Fishburne and getting the chance to add anything with him to my collection makes it worthwhile. It’s an amazing thing to watch someone grow from a teenager (APOCALYPSE NOW) to fill grown adult (TV’s HANNIBAL) and everything in between. Even more so when his performance elevates anything he’s in. That’s what happens here.

So if you’re looking for some action and enjoy a good buddy flick, however those buddies come together, then by all means make a point of checking this one out.

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