DVD Review: Saint, The (D+)

The Saint (1997)
Directed by Phillip Noyce
Starring Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue
MPAA: PG-13
Grade: D+

Review by Bobby Nashville

I have a pretty low tolerance for crappy Hollywood thrillers. While The Saint is certainly not horrible, it also isn't very good. I actually like Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue so I hung in there hoping that this film might turn it around. My mistake.

The Saint is a loose adaptation of the popular TV show of the same name starring Roger Moore. Val Kilmer plays Simon Templar, a secret agent that bids out his services to the highest bidder. As he approaches 50 million in the bank he decides to pull off one last job before retiring.

Enter the lovely Elisabeth Shue. The Saint's job is to steal scientist Elisabeth Shue (?!) 's formula for cold fusion. He dons tons of silly disguises and uses fake accents to deceive everyone. Obviously, nobody would fall for these stupid costumes or accents. Director Phillip Noyce does seem to hint that he knows there is camp value here and there is a nice little comic book feel to the story. But beyond that, The Saint is a pretty shallow, albeit harmless movie.

Val Kilmer looks like he had a blast doing this role he almost seems to be cracking up laughing during some of the scenes. Perhaps he couldn't believe he was actually getting paid millions to act in this stinker. But the point is, Kilmer is so bad in The Saint that he was actually nominated for a Razzie (the Oscars for bad movies) for his terrible performance.

I must insist that you pass on The Saint unless you are a serious Val Kilmer or Elisabeth Shue junkie.

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