Verdict
Summary
Shoot to Kill/Deadly Pursuit is definitely worth hunting down for the entertaining script, memorable villain and buddy banter between Poitier and Berenger.
Plot: When a murderous diamond thief escapes with a cache of stolen jewels, grizzled FBI agent Warren Stantin (Sidney Poitier) gives chase to the brazen killer, trailing him to the remote Pacific Northwest. Learning the fugitive has taken local tour guide Sarah (Kirstie Alley) as a hostage, Stantin recruits Sarah’s boyfriend, Jonathan (Tom Berenger), to lead him through the wilderness. Now, Stantin and Jonathan must race against time to capture the thief before he reaches the Canadian border.
Review: Man vs. Nature films are always entertaining to watch as it takes us back to our most primal instincts. Throw in a crazed kidnapper/murderer into the mix and you’ve got yourself a forgotten gem of a movie.
Shoot to Kill is a pretty lame title and the British name of Deadly Pursuit makes far more sense but aside from that this is one of my all-time favourite films. First of all you’ve got a top notch cast in Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger, Kirstie Alley and Clancy Brown who are all perfectly cast in their respective roles.
It’s relentlessly paced with some fantastic stunt work and an unpredictable storyline; Clancy Brown is always reliable as a psycho for hire and this is one of his best and most underappreciated roles. The scene where he gets rid of the other hikers is frankly jaw dropping and sticks with you long after watching.
Sidney Poitier and Tom Berenger are a great double act with Poitier out of his element in the wilderness and gruff mountain man Berenger reluctantly dragging him along as they try to rescue his girlfriend Sarah (Alley).
I always though Berenger would have been a perfect Frank Castle/Punisher in his younger days; he had the right look for it and would have brought the necessary kind of intensity to the role.
The script has just the right amount of humour and buddy banter as well as tension to spare.
There are breathtaking vistas of the Canadian wilderness making this one of the most underrated survival movies of the genre.
The only minor problem is the score which is very 80’s sounding now but it’s not that bad and didn’t take away from the action.
Overall, Shoot to Kill/Deadly Pursuit is definitely worth hunting down for the entertaining script, memorable villain and buddy banter between Poitier and Berenger.
