Clint Eastwood is getting (getting?) old and when I first saw the trailer to this picture I wondered if he still "had it".  I am pleased to say he does.  Now, this is no Dirty Harry but it is an innovative story that uses Clint's age and the frailty that sometimes comes with being a senior citizen.  That theme is carried from start to finish in this story as it shows his vulnerability and weakness as a heart transplant recipient. 

Eastwood is Terry McCaleb, an FBI profiler who is on the trail of a nameless, faceless serial killer.  As the story opens, he is chasing the suspect, literally, down an alley when he has a heart attack.  The next scene we see is two years later and our hero has a new heart and is getting instructions from his doctor Angelica Huston) to "take it easy".  That is his plan as he has retired from the FBI and is living on a boat in the marina.  Well, all is going well UNTIL he is visited by a young lady that needs his help.  Her sister was murdered, and guess what?  Her sister's heart NOW beats in HIS chest!  Hmmmm?   How does he turn
her down, even though a murder investigation could cost him his newly acquired health?  He can't and the chase is on, against the advice of his doctor.  All of his old instincts and skills come back and he begins to
feel like his old self, except, he's NOT his old self!  And what about his old foe that he was tracking when he had his heart failure?

This story is masterfully woven and keeps the suspense at a very high level.  Jeff Daniels is great as his next door (boat) neighbor that teams up with him to find the culprit, though the outcome is NOT what Clint is expecting.  There is a huge twist, WITH A TWIST that only the most avid movie goers will get (I got it....no brag, just fact).  Another bright spot in the casting was Wanda De Jesus who plays the sister of the
murdered heart donor.  She was excellent and extremely easy to look at, though I found it hard to believe she would become romantically involved with Eastwood's OLD character (lucky bastard!), but she did.  The other flaw was Paul Rodriguez.  Good Lord!  This guy is absolutely HORRIBLE!  His lines were forced, unfunny and stupid.  He seems to have gone to the Chris Rock school of acting.  BAD!  I am hard pressed to think of a performance that was worse.  Maybe because there aren't any. 

That aside, I loved this picture!  It was great to see the words "Malpaso Production" on the screen once again as it let us know that Clint is alive and well and STILL "has it".  Producer, director AND actor!  What
more can we ask?

RECOMMENDATION:  WELL worth the money!  Go see it and you will rekindle your respect for this fine film maker.  Fan for LIFE! 

TWO TRANSPLANTED THUMBS UP!!! 

Movie Review © 2002 by Terry Anderson