Snake Eyes (DVD)

Snake Eyes, on paper, sounds like a good film. Directed by Brian De Palma (Carrie, Mission Impossible), written by David Koepp (Spider-Man, Panic Room), and starring the heavyweight acting combination of Nicholas Cage (Face/Off) and Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump). How then, does it all go so wrong? Well mainly, because the plot isn't up to much. Cage plays a somewhat crooked cop, Rick Santoro, who is at a casino-held boxing match when a government official ...
...your enjoyment or otherwise of Snake Eyes. Besides, the film tells us who it is about 50 minutes into it, just in case we were too slow to pick it up from the start. Although revealing the identity of the "surprise" baddie halfway through is an unusual gamble, it doesn't pay off whatsoever. From this point on, there is absolutely no suspense. The two guys are paired off as rivals, and "the baddie" starts following Cage around the casino. The only ...

l-m-n-o-p 24.12.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Snake Eyes (DVD)

...(Spiderman) writing the script for Snake Eyes, it seems odd that it can go from having so much promise to a massive disappointment. Not only does the directing, script and story really lose its way but even the special effects and continuity on screen seems to slide away in the second half of the movie. The promise died away too quickly and the promise of an excellent film becomes distinctly average. Even the acting seems to suffer from this syndrome. ...
...too much detail. Overall Snake Eyes is a film that promises a lot to begin with but half way through it seems to seriously loose its way. As De Palma films go it seems to be missing the usual cutting edge we've come to expect from his movies. The script reveals too much at once and for that reason the suspense is drained out in one go and the ending left me feeling very flat. If it's on TV then it's a film I could recommend watching but I'd certainly ...

Andy.mack 04.02.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Snake Eyes (DVD)

Brian de Palma's Snake Eyes is a movie which you are going to love for 90% of its running time and then suddenly hate with a vengeance. Its one of those slicky filmed, slicky acted movies which has a fairly obvious plot but is ultimately highly entertaining until the dreaded deus ex machina ending kicks in and ruins everything which has come before. The ending here makes no bloody sense whatsoever, comes completely out of the blue and completely ...
...be another example of that. Snake Eyes could just have easily have been a reference to the way the camera behaves in the opening section of the movie, snaking around the corridors of the building in Cage's footsteps in a sequences which runs for 20 minutes without a cut. De Palma is more than happy to introduce a variety of weird angles and cuts throughout the movie, utilising the split screen effect to show two things happening at once and showing ...

wampyrii 04.05.2002 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Snake Eyes (DVD)

On the outside cover of this DVD was the promise of good entertainment, and they quoted Nicolas Cage as Academy Award Winning although what I failed to read after that was that his awards were for other films. I like Nicolas Cage. His work is usually consistently good, though with this film, I think the poor man must have been in need of money to take on such a weak script that actually gave away its ending within the first half an hour of viewing. ...
...obscure, and as you plough your way through scenario after scenario of loud script reading that sounds more like a rehearsal than the real thing, you may, like me, find that the noise of the film is unecessarily loud, it's characters oversized in the vocal department, and that the plot is extremely weak. From the combination of writer and director, David Koepp and Brian de Palma, I would strongly advise de Palma to carry on doing what he is good ...

thingywhatsit 10.10.2005 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Snake Eyes (DVD)

Snake Eyes is a Brian De Palma film in many aspects. He directed it, he also produced it and he came up with the story along with David Koepp. Nic Cage stars as an Atlantic City cop who is as a big boxing match when he is witness to a political asassination. Naturally the culprit must be in the building but with an arena full of spectators it's going to be hard finding the culprit. His investigation uncovers some secrets best left untouched. The ...
...feather in De Palmas hat. Cages character is very highly wired and over the top at time. He's also cheating on his wife so basically he's a bit of a git and as a result you don't have as much respect for him. By the end it all becomes a bit silly with a big storm sequence which detracts from what could have been a tense and tightly woven film. For film buffs there is one thing worth seeing this film for. One sequence in the film runs for twenty minutes ...

utero 06.05.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Snake Eyes (DVD)

I have not yet completed a challenge in the Ciao Café that asks for your top ten film actors but if I ever did there would be a place for Nicholas Cage in my top ten. However while in this film his performance is good his place in my top ten would not be on the actual merits o this film, which, as thrillers go is pretty average. This 1998 film has Brian De Palma stamped all over it as he was director, producer and along with David Koep wrote the ...
...is does not live up to his other great works such as the Untouchables or Mission Impossible. The movie is set entirely around a world title-boxing event at the Millennium Casino Atlanta. This is an interesting concept to compress the film into one area and certainly it means that there are no car chases to liven up the proceedings instead the film relies on the strength of the actors to carry the thriller. At a relatively early stage the viewer ...

atticusuk 27.05.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Snake Eyes (DVD)

Being a great fan of Brian DePalma, I will watch any of his films with ease - The Untouchables, Carlito's Way and Mission Impossible undoubtably great films - so when "Snake Eyes" didn't do to well at the box office back in 1998 I was surprised, but chuffed because it makes it all the more special. "Snake Eyes" is set completely in a sports arena on the night of a huge boxing match. Nicholas Cage plays Ricky Santoro, an Atlanta cop with all the ...
...the fight by Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise) as an important member of the government is also at the fight. Dunne is head of security for the evening, and when our government friend is assisnated - all hell breaks loose - 40,000 suspects are held in the arena and the investigation starts... "Snake Eyes" is a highly overlooked movie. Okay so Nicholas Cage plays his usual eccentric part - a part that he does very well - but the whole film has a sparkling ...

Kozinski 12.03.2001 · Read full review
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Review of Snake Eyes (DVD)

Snake Eyes starts off with a very good premise which loses its way as the movie progresses. Starring Nicolas Cage and Gary Sinise, the story is about a murder plot involving a number of high ranking government agents, with the murder in question taking place during a boxing match. Set in Atlantic City, all eyes are focused on a boxing contest involving heavyweight champion Lincoln Taylor. Watching the match in the audience are the head of security ...
...(Cage). The film kicks off when, during the boxing match, the Secretary of Defence is shot in the throat. It is up to Santaro and Dunne to investigate who is involved in the conspiracy. The complexity and intricacy of the murder makes the film very watchable and engaging, with Cage giving a very good performance as the out of control Santaro, who, among other things, takes bribes and cheats on his wife. The twenty minute opening sequence is the highlight ...

bigmike33 21.09.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Snake Eyes (DVD)

A reasonably entertaining film from De Palma about corruption and conspiracy in Las Vegas. Definitely not going to win any prizes for acting or storyline but an entertaining film none the less. ...

icarus_falls69 28.11.2007
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Snake Eyes (DVD)

...hurricane outside. A superb thriller Snake Eyes keeps the viewer on the edge of they’re seat throughout the duration of the movie. Both Cage and Sinise are brilliant, with Cage’s character being particularly well written and acted. I wish I had gone to the cinema to see this movie, but video will simply have to do, get it out, kick back with a beer and watch a brilliant battle of wits. Well written and directed Snake Eyes is a must see for Cage ...

Gaz 15.07.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Snake Eyes (DVD)

Fans of Nicholas Cage might have already seen this flick, along with some non fans, but overall, it is not a very famous movie. It has a really great story line, with the movie totally set inside a boxing stadium/ casino/ hotel building. After a murder, they have to lock it down. Cage plays a dodgy cop who starts to find out about the murder. You get to see this movie in sections, peoples views turning back the clock to unveal a part unnoticed before, ...

Mopemaster 08.12.2000 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Snake Eyes (DVD)

Oh Dear. This film is, I am afraid to say, yet another waste of Nicholas Cage. It also stars Gary Sinese, who won't be thanking himselve for taking this role. Cage does everything he can, but there are some films that cannot be saved by just one man, and this is definately one of them. the story revolves around a casino. But that really is about all you need to know, as you really shouldn't waste your money on this film. It will be a waste of ...

DavidBell2000 03.12.2000 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Snake Eyes (DVD)