(1988)
3
Karl Williams
A mystery-thriller that unites Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan for the second time onscreen, this co-directorial effort from Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton is a visual tour de force that is significantly damaged by an oafish script that makes obvious use of the red herring device several too many times. While attempting to lead the viewer down the wrong narrative path is a staple of the noir genre, this remake of a 1950 potboiler is lead-footed in its employment of the device, quickly wearing patience thin. It doesn't help either that the tale bogs down too frequently in the muddy politics of academia, not exactly the most scintillating of dramatic backdrops for a walking dead man to explore in his quest for justice. Still, leads and real-life couple Quaid and Ryan display plenty of genuine chemistry, and their British co-directors mount an impressive succession of sequences that dazzle with technical wizardry. Too bad it's all in the employ of a story that's not told with much skill or acumen. D.O.A. is a fun, snappy B-movie with potential that goes too much to waste.
cast-crew for D.O.A. on AllMovie
D.O.A. (1988)
