Product Description

An FBI agent has been tracking an unknown killer for over a year; things take a turn when the killer kidnaps the agent's son.
Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: R
Street Date: 12/01/98
Wide Screen: yes
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
Language: ENGLISH
Foreign Film: noSubtitles: no
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: no
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15130 in DVD
• Brand: Par
• Released on: 1998-12-01
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.20 pounds
• Running time: 118 minutes

Amazon.com
This film has the feel of a script that's been resurrected by a writer given the chance to direct his own movie. So it was with writer Jeb Stuart (Die Hard) and this film, his directing debut. The plotting is creaky and predictable in this story of an FBI agent (Quaid) relentlessly pursuing a serial killer (Glover) who, in an effort to intimidate the lawman, kidnaps the agent's child. The action set-pieces show up like clockwork, as this rogue cop battles his own agency in an effort to find his child. Quaid is grim and lifeless, so the film's only sparks are given off by Glover, in a wonderfully shaded performance that keeps you guessing whether he is, in fact, the bad guy after all. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Killer leaves trail of clues...
While watching The Bone Collector at a theater recently I was reminded of Switchback and the similar theme of a killer leaving intentional clues and daring the police to find them before they killed again. Although both movies suffered from Hollywood's habit of providing unlikely coincidences I enjoyed both films. Switchback on DVD is close to reference quality with a great picture enhancing the beautiful scenery and tremendous audio provided by the Dolby Digital soundtrack. The fight scene toward the end is particularly exciting with the sound cranked up. The movie's locales are off the beaten track and that alone can sometimes be recommendation enough. See it...at least once.

Wonderful
I loved this movie. It was refreshing to see Danny Glover as a bad guy again. And while the movie can sometimes fall into predictable lines, that does not detract from the appeal. Quaid as a hardened FBI agent is casting against type and Jared Leto as the unspecting friend of Glover leads to wonderful if not suprising twists. While not totally orginal it is still a good way to spend two hours.

GLOVER'S FILM
SWITCHBACK is a good movie. I felt it had some great suspense scenes and the climax is a different one. Director Jeb Stuart has orchestrated some beautiful snow shots, and utilizes the special effects quite well. The main problem with the movie is Dennis Quaid's performance. I have enjoyed many of Quaid's roles, particularly in "Frequency" and "Innerspace." In this one, however, his stoic, emotionless FBI agent is so wooden and lifeless that I didn't find myself sympathizing with him on the kidnapping of his child nor his quest to find the serial killer. Danny Glover, however, is superb. He demonstrates a wide range of emotions, and even though you know where his role is going to take him, it's a pleasure going along for the ride. The suspense he creates in the scene in the convenience store is acutely eeerie. Jared Leto is okay as the mysterious hitchhiker, but a little more sinister behavior could have enhanced the mystery. William Frichtner as the newly elected sheriff did a commendable job with his underwritten role. (He was also excellent in "Perfect Storm."). This is the first movie I liked R. Lee Ermey. Usually playing the redneck villian, he gets a chance to play a redneck good guy and he seems to relish the change. Ted Levine, the bad guy from "Silence of the Lambs" plays Ermey's deputy with such downhome fervor, he too emerges a winner in the casting department. Basil Polodorous' score was also effective. Not a classic, but it deserved more than it got on its initial release; just wish Quaid had been directed differently.
RECOMMENDED.