The trouble with Hidden Agenda is the credits. Instead of John Le Carre as the writer, you have Les Weldon (his Replicant was better); instead of Manchurian Candidate-era John Frankenheimer, you have Marc S. Grenier; and instead of Clear and Present Danger-era Harrison Ford, you have Dolph Lundgren. And even with those corrections, it's a stretch to think that this convoluted spy saga -- which meanders around computer gobbledy gook, silly disguises, and inept moles -- would make much sense or come to a satisfying conclusion. Dolph does his best reciting lines that tangle around the plot like errant ivy, but the pace and plotting are so mishandled -- and the photography is so dark -- that the movie never gains momentum. And just when it does, there's the obligatory slow-mo sex scene set to soft music to put the brakes on. And don't think that freeze-frame-during-action-scenes editing trick is effective. Snatch this is not.
by Buzz McClain
review

