The Hunter

No nasty words about this film, i was in the cinema on it's release and at the end of the film the manager came out to inform everyone {it was a packed house} that Steve McQueen sadly passed away, i still remember that moment 24 years on....the film my not be his greatest but i loved it......... I have since seen it a number of times and will continue to sit through whenever it's shown on TV. Steve McQueen, it's good to be in the same room as him, even if it is via the wonders of science. So enjoy the moment when you do see this film, or enjoy them again, if you have seen it, i would loved to have been on set with the great guy himself.

I first saw this in the late 80s on a vhs. Revisited it recently. As a die hard fan of McQueen, i enjoyed this film which many dubbed as the last n weakest of McQueen's films. The film is about a modern-day bounty hunter who captures criminals who have skipped on their bail to bring them back for a reward. His job doesn't allow him to spend time with his pregnant girlfriend n at the same time a psychopath is stalking them. The film has a good rooftop chase, a foot chase, a train sequence n a funny chase in a corn field with ample amount of dynamites. In this film McQueen came up with the idea of going against his famous car n bike racing abilities by portraying his character as a terrible driver. The film does have a very weak villain n the screenplay is a mishmash.

There are moments of greatness from McQueen in this, his final picture. That persona of cool that he will always be remembered for is put to the test one more time. The story isn't unique or earth shattering, but die hard fans of the legendary star will not be disappointed.

This, of course, was McQueen's last role. It is nothing grand, and for the most part there really is no plot, but it is still a rather good movie. This movie revolves around McQueen's character who is a bounty hunter. This movie shows him go after various people and also shows his home life...which is a bit unique too. He goes after super big rednecks, small time crooks, crazy guys who blow things up, and one rather dangerous individual. Someone who he captured in the past also stalks him. All in all it isn't the greatest movie, but it mixes action and humor well. Even though McQueen was feeling the effects of his illness during the shooting of this one, he still does a great job.

When i decided to watch all of Steve McQueen's films, i went the opposite direction and watched this film first, rather than starting with his early films. There seems to be a curse with great actors doing terrible films right before they pass away. Robert Shaw, Bette Davis, Peter Sellers, Henry Fonda (Fonda seemed to have appeared in just about every disaster film before his death in 1981), to name a few. I beg to differ in Steve McQueen's case. Sure this film isn't an earth shattering, Oscar winning experience. Sure this film seems like it was made for TV. Sure this film isn't McQueen's best work. But the great acting alone from McQueen, good supporting work from LeVar Burton and Eli Wallach, and the great subway chase at the end of the film, certainly raises this film above made for TV fare. So, to you Leonard Maltin, this film is NOT McQueen's worst film. It's a fine end to a great career for the King Of Cool.