hyped garbage

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

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.

'Law and Order' creator Dick Wolf is the writer and co-producer of this reasonably entertaining movie that gets by thanks to good performances and well done action scenes. At its core is the relationship between a cop and his target, as the former goes undercover in the latter's garage to try to obtain any sort of proof that his new buddy is responsible for the murder of a detective. The trouble, Benjy Taylor (D.B. Sweeney), the cop, realizes that he *enjoys* stealing cars and likes his target, Ted Varrick (Charlie Sheen) just a little too much. What's more, he finds himself falling for the friends' sister (Lara Harris).The age of the protagonist (22) does add an interesting wrinkle into the plot: not really that mature, Benjy is young enough that he allows his focus to be blurred, and has to be reminded by an angry supervisor, Vincent Bracey (Randy Quaid) what his mission is supposed to be. Also, what worked best for this viewer was the fact that Benjy and Ted become good enough friends, that, even faced with knowledge about the other, they don't want to believe the worst.Wolf and director Peter Werner take their time telling this story, but viewers should still take delight in the pulse pounding action scenes and the cars on display (Ted and his crew are especially fond of Porsches.) The two stars do fine work. Sweeney has the right amount of likability and naivety in his role, and Sheen does nice understated work as a guy whom the audience themselves may like enough to have doubts as to Ted being a killer. Quaid delivers an intense performance as the hard driving Bracey. An excellent supporting cast helps matters a lot, although the movie makes an awful waste of M. Emmet Walsh, who only turns up towards the end. (Jenny Gago, too, barely appears despite her prominent billing.) But Bill Duke is good, as is Arlen Dean Snyder as a crooked detective and R.D. Call as a thuggish competitor. Other familiar faces that appear include Linda Shayne, Claude Earl Jones, Florence Schauffler, Guy Boyd, Henry G. Sanders, and Gary Riley. Appearing uncredited are George Dzundza as Uncle Mike and a young Brad Pitt, in one of his earliest films, as a waiter.Overall, a slick, pleasant diversion.Seven out of 10.

Charlie Sheen and Little known actor DB Sweeney star in this excellent thriller about a cop who is sent undercover at a chop shop to find out who murdered another undercover officer.DB Sweeney is not bad as the cop who ends up blurring the line and whose loyalties become divided. Benjy (DB Sweeney) gets in way over his head when he falls for the prime suspects sister(Lara Harris), and becomes buddy's with the suspect.Charlie Sheen is at his super smooth and sleek best as the extremely affable but ultimately very cunning Ted Varrick. A well respected guy who has cops on the payroll, steals Porsche's and still has time for lavish party's at his home. As Sheen tell's Sweeney "Welcome to the lifestyles of the rich and aimless" ! There is a lot to like about this film. The performances range from excellent (Charlie Sheen & Randy Quaid as Sweeney's boss) to good (DB Sweeney) to not so good (Lara Harris). The Car Chases are well filmed and exciting as well as pretty believable as is the storyline and the actions of the characters. The Tension between Sweeney & Sheen and the ending are well handled and leaves you satisfied at the end.I was surprised that Character actor George Dzundza was uncredited as Benjy's Uncle Mike and he is not even listed on IMDb (I have sent a cast update to IMDb).I highly recommend this film and would rate it 7/10

The eighties might be considered a fairly relaxed era for movies. So many classic films come out of the eighties and they are ripe with sex, materialistic lust, violence, bad language, and the ultimate in cool. No Man's Land, despite a rather dull title, is exactly what the eighties genre is all about. Sleek cars (the Porsche) fast women, cool guys, guns, suits, and basically chock full of testosterone. This film is exactly what Fast and The Furious or Gone In Sixty Seconds was years later. Although No Man's Land has a fairly stereotypical storyline, the cop goes undercover to bust a car thieving ring and becomes entranced with the sweet lifestyle, something makes this different. It might be the cast who all work really well together without really giving any truly outstanding performances, it's a fast paced action film with an incredible car chase scene right at the climax and it's just a good time. It's not that will rake in the Oscars but at the same time you'll just feel pumped up watching it.Charlie Sheen...king of The Brat Pack, some might say. He was at the top of his game going into No Man's Land following Platoon and shortly thereafter Wall Street and Young Guns, and Major League. The guy was big in his day. In this film he plays bad guy, smooth talking businessman Ted Varrick. Varrick is so cool that you barely notice his illegal activities. Sheen is slick and easy to watch and commands a screen presence for his young age. And he's actually playing a grown up which is always a good move for a young actor trying to break into adult roles. He is very good as Varrick. D.B. Sweeney plays undercover rookie cop Benjy Taylor. Now Sweeney has done a bit of character acting although he was fairly new out of the gate when he filmed this one but I didn't think he was quite as good as someone stronger could have been in the role but he does alright. He tries to come across as the bad boy and never quite gets there. He's too soft but still he's likable and you can relate to him as the hero who gets too deep in with Varrick. Sheen and Sweeney do share some decent chemistry on screen together, which makes for some truly likable scenes and a killer ending. Lara Harris is Sweeney's love interest and Varrick's younger sister. She does a decent job although a little quiet for her role and her and Sheen seem to have too much sexual chemistry to be brother and sister which comes across as creepy at times but she also has decent chemistry with Sweeney although again he's not much of a bad boy like they try to portray him. Randy Quaid plays a small role as Sweeney's boss who sends him undercover. Quaid plays a tough as nails Lieutenant who seems to only yell and scream most of the time which is unfortunate because Quaid could have added a lot to the cast.As I mentioned before one of the absolute highlights of the film is the car chase scenes, one in particular at the height of the film. Sweeney behind the wheel, Sheen in the car with him and rival mobsters on their heels but there is plenty of action surrounding that chase. Gun fights, violent beatings and an intriguing underworld look at the parties, the women, the drugs and the stealing of the cars. I can't believe this film doesn't get more credit for being a classic eighties film because it truly is very entertaining and I only happened to come across it in my local video store and I thought it looked a little like a buddy cop film so I went for it and at times it does have that feel despite being on the other side of the law. Sheen and Sweeney hold their own and hold your attention and a decent story to go along with it. Moonlighting director Peter Werner establishes a deep friendship between them making the climax all the more thrilling. This one is a sure fire eighties hit!! 8/10

This film is nearly 20 years old, but still rates as one of the best movies I've ever seen.Following the title sequence which sets the violent scene of car crime which forms the backdrop for this film, Peter Werner opens the film with a fairly protracted scene featuring the central character (22-year-old rookie cop, Benjy) in his home environment. This marks the start of some brilliant characterisation which underpins the whole film, causing the viewer not to perceive that there is a "villain of the piece". As an enviable friendship between Bengy and the police target, suspected ringleader and businessman, Ted Varrick (Charlie Sheen) develops, the viewer yearns to be in ether's shoes, as Ted welcomes Bengy to his world of the "rich and aimless". This envy is part based on the complex hedonistic and idealistic relationships between all the characters that evolves, but ultimately everything relies for its roots on Bengy and Teds crime sprees, something that ultimately must end.The deterioration is palpable, and when ultimately the reckoning comes, it does so in series of twists that drive the two friends together (something very much cunningly engineered by Ted himself). The end represents a self fulfilling prophesy that left me craving for more, yet knowing there could be no sequel.The contrast between the pair is very much a focal point, the only commonality being their devotion to their own goals - goals which for Bengy at least become very blurred, as Ted gives him the Porsche and the lifestyle that form the focus of his own existence. The domestic opening scene is a stark contrast for the remote, empty but undeniabley plush and palacial house that Ted "visits" rather than truly lives in, with its stunning view from the hills over the city. The film is bolstered by some spectacular car chase sequences that are plausible in a way that modern sequences rarely are. They all involve Porsche 911's and if there is ever any incredulity it comes from these sequences only. Could an Oldsmobile ever keep pace with a works Porsche? How could an Iroc Z ever hope to keep up, and if it did, and crashed into the lightweight Porsche, how on earth does it fail to leave a scratch?Romantic interest is enticingly present as Ted encourages the relationship between Bengy and his own sister Anne (Lara Harris) but it never manages to rival, nor is intended to rival the strength of the bond between Ted and Bengy. Utterly brilliant for the most part, I've now watched this film 8 times.Thoroughly recommended.