This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Irritating All - American Air Force recruit discovers his parents have a dark secret.They are Soviet "sleeper" agents,infiltrated into the U.S. twenty years earlier but never called upon until other "Sleepers" start turning up dead.Elderly FBI agent uses him to entrap a maverick Russian hit-man.Hard to say whether "Little Nikita" was aimed at the potential audience of irritating young All - Americans who might identify with the late Mr River Pheonix or the retirees who would root for Mr Sidney Poitier. Comic Book Russians flood San Diego to stop their "sleepers" from being assassinated,but are failing dismally until the FBI - in the form of "deniable" Mr Poitier - become involved. He is a frisky 60 -odd,still able to bed the local school Principal whilst wearing his underpants in case of unexpected visitors,a propitious action in the event as young Mr Pheonix bursts in on them in flagrante. In the era of Reagan - Gorbachov "Glasnost" Mr Poitier and his Comic Book Russian counterpart warily reach out and settle the problem without causing a Diplomatic Incident by hurriedly smuggling the villain across the Mexican border.Phew!That was a close call. Presumably the irritating Young All - American's Pinko - Commie illegal immigrant parents get a free pass because that's the way it is in California,folks. "Little Nikita" is not exciting,it's not funny,it just....well, "is"..I suppose.You watch it,there's a "yeah,well..." shrugging moment and you carry on worrying about when Russia is going to cut off gas supplies to the European Union.The Bear's claws may have been blunted but there's more than one way to skin a cat,Comrades.

It's easy to look back now at this film as a very average Cold War thriller, but that is with the benefit of hindsight. It's difficult for today's generation, those of the age that the Phoenix character plays, to appreciate that the world really was living with a possible Nuclear destruction if there had been an accident or serious misunderstanding.The action and drama is really primarily psychological, with the heart of the film hinging on the Poitier and Phoenix performances. It's easy now to pass off the whole thing as a trivial character piece, but, then, the stakes were sky high and the Cold War themes were progressive and unusual. In our post Cold War world where Gorbachev and Reagan slowly recede into the mists of history it would be a shame to write of this movie without understanding the atmosphere it was made in.

I sat to watch this one because it came from the 1980s, and had (Sidney Poitier) in it. Although I know so well that this great icon made a lot of movies that didn't deserve his great talent at all. But let us watch this thriller from 1988.. At first some ridiculous questions were allowed to be asked such as : if the FBI knows the places of the Russian sleepers (temporarily retired Russian spies) why for god's sake they didn't warn them at all about this maniac killer ?! Or even arrest them in the first place?!!, and if (Poitier) already knew the truth of (River Phoenix)'s parents what exactly he intended to do with their son by telling him the hidden reality ?? Is it for using him to convince his father and mother not to obey (Richard Bradford) the Russian officer ?? Maybe. But what's the need of those ones in particular to hand over the money to the killer? And why on earth that very Russian officer phoned the sleepers themselves (after the ballet) from (Poitier)'s apartment ?? .. And if he didn't intent to kidnap their boy (who enters at the same time to the very place so easily !) by what he was going to threaten the previous agents ? Especially with the fact of their parents being dead ?? And let us look at that scene which HAS the Russian officer showering and the killer is here suddenly (with a knife !), menaces him quickly : (I Want My Money Fast) and runs away !!.. To have the miserable fat officer standing under the shower just offended ?? So you must ask yourself why in the world he didn't run after him (even nude ?!), or why he didn't hold his gun (if he had one !) to shot the evil guy who had just a knife ??.. For a second I thought that there was a secret relationship or undercover partnership between them BUT at the end I said to myself what a good twist it would've been if they did what I was thinking of !! Anyway I've got some things extra to bother : (Poitier) all his work at his office is just looking at the pictures more than 10 times ??, reading names from his computer to discover the reality of the sleepers in such too easy way to the extent that I was saying while watching : WaW, the job of the FBI agents is very simple ! Then what's the necessity of his love affair with the school's employee (Poitier was 61 years old at the time)?, and when it comes to the end of the movie I just wonder why the Russian officer kidnapped the boy to have this long chase?! I believe not to kill him for sure but to negotiate with the Americans to GET the killer in his custody, however the movie made him kill the killer with the American FBI agent in the same time ! So long live the peace agreement and good bye to the old cold war ! (must notice that the movie is produced at 1988. Not before. So the changes were very fresh !) but you must ask yourself first what the killer would have earned by throwing the boy out of the bridge ?! And what a shot when all the money went to the two very poor alien emigrants by pure coincidence just to till us how America is so generous and kind to anyone would resort to it ! By the way there is a strange guy appears in that scene out of the blue to stand beside (Poitier) and talk with him about the continuance of life ! so (Poitier) responds in his wise tone : yes, same all same all !!.. Who is that guy anyway ? And from where did he emerge ??!.. Well, It was so aspirant movie with a new catchy story which had unpredictable thrilling lines : The FBI old agent who wants to fulfill his old revenge, the nice relationship between the mentor (Poitier) and Little Nikita (Phoenix), what would you do if you discovered that your parents are not what you're used to know ?? and that serial killer for the old spies who was chased by the Americans and the Russians too. All of this was so bright and original but unfortunately the main big mistake was in the SCREENPLAY which was incapable of building solider plot without any holes. At last, the most enjoyable things in here would be : the potentials of the story, the magical charisma of the old (Sidney Poitier) and the young (River Phoenix) together, Marvin Hamlisch's stylish music, the good chase at the end, and the brief but unique presence of (Ingrid M. Rhoads) at the Air Force Academy as (Cpl. Hogan) in maybe 3 shots only ! (you maybe missed her.. but not me !) although she didn't talk but she was unforgettable sexy in the military suit.. Unforgettable unlike the movie itself for a lot of people and if you don't believe me just ask yourself (for the very last time) why there are no more than 9 comments in here about this one after nearly 20 years of its production ?!

On one level, "Little Nikita" is just another silly action movie. But strong performances and some interesting turns keep this one afloat. FBI agent Roy Parmenter (Sidney Poitier) interviews teenager Jeff Grant (River Phoenix), who is trying to get into the Air Force Academy. But while reviewing Jeff, Roy discovers the most surprising thing of all: Jeff's parents are Soviet "sleeper" spies who fled to the United States and never told him about their history. Moreover, there's renegade Soviet agent Scuba - who murdered Roy's partner many years earlier - looking for Jeff, while the USSR has sent someone to capture Scuba! Yeah, it's beyond convoluted, and - quite frankly - improbable. But director Richard Benjamin knows how to to do it. There isn't a dull moment anywhere in the movie. Pretty interesting. And playing Jeff's dad is Richard Jenkins, aka Nate Sr on "Six Feet Under".