bkoganbing
I guess Don Johnson after Miami Vice wad destined to be cast as irreverent police detectives who get results which is why they are tolerated. After easy living Sonny Crockett on a houseboat in Miami Vice he does Dead Bang in which his character is working off a perpetual hangover. Soon enough he would be in Nash Bridges where he once again had a sunny disposition.On Christmas Eve Johnson catches a homicide of a patrol officer shot at point blank range. Like millions of the rest of us Johnson had plans to spend time with his family. But he figures if he's working Christmas investigating the shooting of a fellow officer no one else should be enjoying themselves. And he makes sure they don't.A convenience store manager who was shot and survived gave out a description of someone who the deceased spotted before he was killed. Following this suspect out of southern California in a tour around red state America leads Johnson on a merry chase through a variety of white supremacist groups. The object of his search is Frank Military identified by the convenience store manager who as it were is black.Johnson really steps on a lot of toes, two prime examples are Bob Balaban a parole officer whom he kidnaps Christmas Day so that he can pursue without a warrant a lead. That whole sequence including what Johnson does while interrogating his lead is hilarious.He also handles department shrink in a most unusual manner. Michael Jeter plays the psychiatrist who never encountered issues like Johnson has. I also can't forget the uptight, anal retentive FBI guy that Johnson is forced to work with, William Forsythe. Those two are one impossible team.Though it has a lot a lot humor Dead Bang also is a most serious look at a proliferation of white supremacist groups which makes the film maybe even more relevant for today.
Maziun
Nothing new here . Another cop with family problems , dead cop , revenge ,investigation ,white racists
It's all been done before and with better results. There is one thing I learned from this movie – don't chase a guy when you have a hangover. Don Johnson tries very hard to bring life in an uninteresting character and he deserves some praise for that. There is nice shootout at the end. There is simplistic anti-racist message . There are some funny moments here and there (telephone scene). Some investigation and action. Some unintentionally funny ideas (FBI agent who doesn't like swearing and looks like straight from "Police academy" , psychiatrist who looks like Woody Allen)It's not a terrible movie , but it is a waste of time. This movie is like a love story in it – appears for a while , then quickly disappears and doesn't stay with you. As for John Frankheimer
All I can say it's that we all need to pay taxes.I give it 1/10.
Bjorn (ODDBear)
Don Johnson plays real life police detective Jerry Beck who's hot a the trail of a white supremacist group that's leaving behind them a bloody trail.This a fast paced, gritty and exciting police thriller that's criminally underrated. It may be a bit clichéd at times, but Frankenheimer keeps things moving along nicely.Don Johnson is excellent as Beck, also a very underrated actor in my opinion. His tough guy attitude is never taken to extreme and his confrontations with straight arrow FBI agent Forsyth are well played out. Supporting cast does well also. It's well written, with some genuine laughs along the way (the Woody Allen bit is hilarious and the vomit scene also) and has enough action sequences to keep it from ever slowing down too much.Fans of action-suspense thrillers should definitely check this one out.
bronsonskull72
Don Johnson stars as Jerry Beck a renegade cop who takes on a group of white supremists who are responsible for knocking off a black store owner and hispanic restaurant owners in this standard cop actioner which does have it's moments of entertainment such as the scene where Johnson throws up on one of his suspects or the showdown Johnson has with a shrink. Overall Dead Bang may not be a classic but it does live up to it's title.
AD
