Mighty Quinn [VHS]
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VHS Movie Reviews of Mighty Quinn [VHS]
Movie Review: A Colorful Mystery
Summary: 5 Stars
This colorful mystery harkens back to those old 1930's films of old friends like Gable and Powell who suddenly find themselves on opposite sides of the law. There is a fun flavor and lots of great music in Carl Schenkel's take on this genre from Hollywood's past. Denzel Washington charms his way through this film set on a Caribbean island where nothing is done in a big hurry.
Denzel is Xavier Quinn, an easygoing ex-marine who has returned to the island where he grew up and become the Chief of Police. On the outs with his wife Lola (Sheryl Lee Ralph), he spends most of the film trying to charm his way back into her good graces so he can be with her and his son, who idolizes him.
When someone important ends up dead, and Thomas Elgin (James Foxx) wants Quinn to accept on blind faith how it happened, Quinn can smell something funny through the clear blue waters and goes fishing. Complicating things is Elgin's desire to pin the murder on Quinn's old childhood friend, Maubee (Robert Townsend).
Maubee is an island legend, loved and protected like Robin Hood. He is a likable guy who has never grown up. When someone compares him to Peter Pan, Quinn laughs and explains he's more like Bugs Bunny. Quinn has doubts Maubee would kill anyone. When a currency which doesn't even exist starts showing up, he knows more is going on here than meets the eye.
A couple of people end up murdered while Quinn tries to patch up things with Lola, look for Maubee, and avoid sleeping with both a lovely island girl, and the very sexy wife of Thomas Elgin, Hadley (Mimi Rogers). Rogers is especially terrific here and burns up the screen in every scene she's in.
Screen legend Keye Luke has a good role as Quinn's old friend, Dr. Raj, who Quinn sneaks in to do an autopsy he's been forbidden to do. Tyra Ferrell is lovely and sexy as Isola, and Ester Rolle has some fine moments as the very Caribbean Ubu Pearl, who Quinn believes knows exactly what's going on.
The story sounds dark, but it is filled with bright colors and the smooth flavor of Jamaican rum. This is a very fun to watch film that feels like a vacation in and of itself. Denzel is fantastic as Quinn, who avoids taking the easy route with the almost irresistable Mimi Rogers, and tries to avoid being Elmer Fudd to his old pal's Bugs Bunny.
This is an excellent mystery with a big splash of color and some great music that will be a favorite after you see it for the first time. A real winner!
Movie Review: A Very Good Noir with Some Flaws
Summary: 4 Stars
I like Denzel Washington, have ever since his "St. Elsewhere" days, though I've never thought he radiated the all-time star quality so many people declare he does -- just stacked up against the mediocrity of contemporary acting and filmmaking, he shines. He's a likable presence, savvy and natural before the camera, but he's still no Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, or Sidney Poitier. Nonetheless, his performance in "The Mighty Quinn" as a smooth, mostly law-abiding Caribbean police chief investigating a gruesome murder deserves even more accolades than it typically gets. Despite a wandering accent (still not as bad as Kevin Costner's in "Robin Hood"), it ranks among his best and holds the film together, which is no mean feat considering the plot and execution are sometimes uneven. As with the best film noirs, the actual mystery in "The Mighty Quinn" takes a back seat to the exploration of Quinn's personal life, which in stereotypical fashion is in shambles in spite of and because of his bravado. His marriage is strained, his childhood friend (Robert Townshend) is the chief suspect in the murder, and his aspirations for political mobility are dashed. There's also a shabby American (M. Emmet Walsh) poking about, suggesting he may be something other than an eccentric tourist, and the wife of a bigwig (Mimi Rogers) putting out more sexual temptations than Quinn needs at this point in his life. When it all works -- and it frequently does -- "The Mighty Quinn" is eminently watchable, as breezy and rich with music and local color as a good vacation (the bits with characters in the police station are among the film's finer moments, as is a rendition of the titular song). When it doesn't, as with an incidental soundtrack that assumes we're too dumb to understand what's going on or with a climax that undercuts the smartness of the rest of the mystery, the film feels schizophrenic. There are some nice visual allusions, including three blind men walking the streets to music, a la "Dr. No," and one must wonder whether Walter Mosley was inspired by the book upon which this film was based. And despite its flaws, "The Mighty Quinn" stands up to repeat viewings, mostly because of Washington.Movie Review: One of my favorites...I never get tired of this movie...
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent writing, gorgeous setting, wonderful actors make this a lush visual and musical treat that never goes over the top and thoroughly takes me away to the tropics. I don't know how many times I've watched the movie, and still I always go back to it when I'm sick of winter and want to see a good mystery set near the sea-green waters. And Denzel is absolutely the best here.Movie Review: Bookends
Summary: 4 Stars
Grab a copy of this movie and watch it as a double feature with the current "Out of Time." Denzel Washington fans will argue until the cows come home over which is the better performance, but the two films show Washington's mastery of his art. While Quinn is smooth but pure, Denzel's Chief in Out of Time is like a Quinn gone a little soft and ripe in the tropical sun, a man of integrity who has faced one too many temptations in a sordid and complicated world. I loved the noir feel of the first 7/8 of Out of Time and was annoyed at the lapse into Hollywood at the end, but Washington makes the character so attractive, that you wish him the best. Check it out.Movie Review: Laid-Back Island Fun
Summary: 5 Stars
There's very little I dislike about this movie. Okay, the swearing's a bit much, but everything else - the characters, the mystery, the music, the scenery - is incredibly enjoyable.Denzel Washington portrays Police Chief Xavier Quinn, a cop who struggles for respect from a lower-class that sees him as a betrayer and an upper-class that has no use for him beyond that of lap dog. His character's development is an unsuspected surprise in what could have been just another run-of-the-mill tropical thriller.
Supporting characters played by Robert Townsend, Mimi Rogers, Esther Rolle, and M. Emmett Walsh are also surprisingly nuanced, as is the murder investigation itself. The only main character I didn't quite get is Sheryl Lee Ralph as Quinn's wife; her expectations for her husband seem ill-defined in the story - in keeping with the island custom, however, I didn't let it get to me; I just went with it.
This is a budget release, so except for the trailer there are no extra features. There isn't even an insert card showing chapter listing. Subtitles come only in French and Spanish, but the film is closed-captioned if you want the equivalent of English subtitling. I would've liked more features, but I'm not going to let that get to me, either.
Get this DVD. Then get some popcorn and pour some rum in your Coke - or at least drop in a tiny paper umbrella - and enjoy the show.