Plot: What’s it about?
A bomb has exploded in Washington, leaving behind immense damage and two casualties, both members of the Senate. The FBI came in to investigate, but they were unable to find any clues, not even a detonator could be located. This leaves the bureau stumped and as such, the best man in the field is brought in. That man is bomb expert Danny O’Neill (Pierce Brosnan), but he is in the midst of some problems of his own. The death of his daughter has rocked him, as has his wife’s well known affair with a prominent politician. As she is working for Senator Frank Taveres (Ron Silver), she is able to spend ample time with him and in that time, a mixture of business and pleasure is sampled. This enrages O’Neill to no end, to the point where he attacks Taveres, though he is soon forced to work with the man himself. As the investigation continues, O’Neill finds a link to Taveres, as if he is marked for a bomb at some point. O’Neill dislikes the man, but he is concerned that his own wife might be there when it happens. As far as evidence, minimal elements have turned up, but one of the men involved is caught and charged with the crimes. At the same time, O’Neill struggles to settle his personal issues and still devote time to the case, which seems to be impossible. But if anyone can solve the case, it has to be O’Neill.
As selective as Pierce Brosnan is with the roles he takes, you would assume his choices would be good ones. And all in all, Brosnan has been wise when it comes to which projects to jump into, I think. But his best decisions have come after he was given the reins to the Bond franchise, as he made some clunkers before that point. Three years before Brosnan as Bond, he accepted the role of an ace bomb expert on the verge of burning out. Sounds like a Mel Gibson or Bruce Willis role, but instead we have the suave Brosnan. He does as well as possible, but we’ll discuss that later in the review. This movie is not good, but it has some moments and Brosnan & costar Ron Silver are fun to watch at times. If you can get past the obnoxious premise, in which a bomb can be disguised as water, you’ll find a passable experience. But it doesn’t end there, as Live Wire asks us to take some real leaps of faith, sometimes without the other side in view. This would have been better with some tweaks and a more rugged lead actor, as Brosnan is too slick to be effective. The writing needs to be overhauled on the whole, but a few priceless lines are dispensed, most of which are delivered to perfection by Brosnan. This is not a bad movie per se, but unless you’re a devoted Brosnan fan, a rental will more than suffice.
We’re used to hearing one-liners from Pierce Brosnan, but as James Bond, not some burned out bomb expert. But in Live Wire, Brosnan takes on a role that seems like a perfect one for Bruce Willis and makes the best of the situation. I actually like most of the satiric lines given to Brosnan’s character and of course, his delivery style ensures they’re all effective. He loses his normal accent here in favor of an American one however, so prepare yourself a little for that. Brosnan does well enough, but he slips now and again. But that just adds more humor to the experience, so no harm done. He brings his usual cold, calculating presence to this picture, which was released just before he took on Bond for the first time in the smash hit Goldeneye. Although he does the best he can, Brosnan simply took the wrong role in Live Wire, as he is unable to get things into motion. He can be tough, but in a cool kind of way, which is why he excels as Bond. But in this movie, he needs to be tough in a crude fashion, which he isn’t too good at. Other films with Brosnan include Mrs. Doubtfire, The Tailor of Panama, The World is Not Enough, Dante’s Peak, and The Lawnmower Man. The cast also includes Ron Silver (The Arrival, Reversal of Fortune), Ben Cross (First Knight, Chariots of Fire), and Philip Baker Hall (Hard Eight, Lost Souls).
Video: How does it look?
Live Wire is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a full screen option also included on this dual layered disc. I found the image here to be solid, but it never rises much above that level of performance. A few scenes have grain in the darker portions of the visuals, though debris never proves to be an issue. I do think this looks softer than it should, given that it isn’t that old of a release. The contrast remains stable in most scenes, aside from the ones with grain I mentioned, but the black levels never appear to be that stark. The same holds true with the colors, as the hues look good, but not too bright. I would describe this visual effort as passable, but dull and lifeless in most instances. I am unsure if that was part of the intended visual scheme, but I wouldn’t think so, all things considered.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio is more than solid, thanks to some explosive material, but don’t expect a high end presentation. I say that because while this is an active, often powerful effort, the audio seems to lack a special element at times. The kind of extra juice you find on the best soundtracks, but you can’t put your finger on what it is. The soundtrack here kicks when it needs to and even has good subtle touches, but something is missing at times. The surrounds come to life often, since there are a lot of explosions in this movie, as well as other action oriented moments. No troubles with dialogue either, as vocals were smooth and sharp throughout. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround track, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
In addition to a special uncut version of the movie itself, this disc includes the film’s theatrical trailer.
