MovieChat Forums > The Negotiator (1998) Discussion > Good, but could have been great

Good, but could have been great


This is a great concept done well, and it has a fantastic cast, but it feels… dumbed down.

If you compare it to that legendary siege film Die Hard, this felt somewhat bloated in its pacing, and the dialogue never crackled, it was kinda rote.

The ‘surprise’ that Danny never executed that hostage is one of the most predictable ‘twists’ in movie history, and why didn’t they just shoot Danny when he was yelling out of the window covered in laser sights? Yeah it’s on TV but so what? The cops were gagging to take him out and TV cams weren’t going to stop them.

It’s frustrating because there’s so much good about the film.

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I think it’s one of Jackson’s best roles.

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It probably could had benefited from one last rewrite to polish things up. It's solid enough as it is.

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