Blue Steel (1990)

Blue Steel: Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. With Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Silver, Clancy Brown, Elizabeth Peña. A rookie in the police force must engage in a cat-and-mouse game with a pistol-wielding psychopath who becomes obsessed with her.

“This is a bit of an oddity. Usually movies are either really good or really bad all the way through. Rarely do I see a film where there are a ton of good moments, but just as many dumb ones. I mean, this film really tries to take cop movies in a different direction in many ways. Example one: our hero cop is female. Example two: our obligatory psycho is a commodities trader(???). Example three: something Iu0026#39;ve never seen from a movie wacko: he actually hears voices! So many times the killer is without explanation doing what heu0026#39;s doing. But here, Silver actually has extended scenes where heu0026#39;s hearing someone(?) and possibly trying to fight them. Itu0026#39;s never explained. Which is where we get into the negative elements, as Silveru0026#39;s motivation isnu0026#39;t fleshed out. Was he a psycho before the early scene shootout? Why is he a nut? We never know, except that he feels a certain power in killing. Plus, even though I appreciated the attempt, his freaky moments of hearing whomever come off a bit silly. But back on the good side he has some very effective moments with Curtis, which mix psychosis and sexualitly nicely. The NYC locations are also well used thanks to some nice cinematographic touches. Ah, alas, we must go back to the junk side, particularly Curtisu0026#39; cliched superiors. All the typical u0026quot;My ass in a sling! Mayoru0026#39;s ass in a sling! Chiefu0026#39;s ass in a sling!u0026quot; Or TWO superiors, who in reference to a scene from the beginning, falsely say that Curtis blew the guyu0026#39;s HEAD off. Her shots were grouped in his chest and never at his head. For them to TWICE proclaim otherwise put a big hole in their credibility. Then you have a totally underdeveloped subplot about Curtis father, who is apparently beating her mother. He is rightfully arrested only to be forgiven moments later and back at the house (what is veteran Bosco doing in such a poorly defined roll??). Or how bout when Jamie Lee beds down with a superior…right after the killer has just run off into the night in front of them!!! Tack on an overlong and predictable ending and you have something that started off in the right direction but quickly veered into an NYC pothole.”