Review of The Negotiator

I didn't think this was a very good movie. As Roger Ebert pointed out, it is very formulaic, though I can get past that. What I can't get past are the illogical plot elements. Case in point: Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) gives Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey) 20 minutes to talk to him or he's going to kill a hostage. The cops call Chris, he gets in his car, high-tails to the scene of the crime in downtown Chicago, and contacts Danny on his cell phone as he's getting out of the car. This plot element has two illogical aspects. First, it was established that Sabian is not on the local force, at least not from the local precinct. If you have ever driven in and around Chicago, you would understand that you can't get from anywhere to anywhere in 20 minutes, even on a good day. He could have given him five minutes and it would have made as much sense. Even so, I can deal with this, impossible as it can be. But here's the thing: why didn't Sabian get on his cell phone while he was still stuck in traffic? Why did he have to wait until he was practically standing in front of the building? Why risk a hostage's life? We're not supposed to think about that sort of thing. We're supposed to accept at face value that they couldn't communicate until Sabian arrived at the scene. Dumb!

Something else we're not supposed to think about: no matter how great the motive, it's AGAINST THE LAW to take hostages, especially if you do so at gunpoint and threaten to kill them. We are led to believe that, because Roman was vindicated of his alleged crimes against police, that all was forgiven and life goes on happily ever after. Don't think so.

A thriller is supposed to take us to the edge by weaving in strange twists (there were none), or by weaving in the almost impossible (NOT the impossible). But don't insult our intelligence. Get real.