
In the midst of an elaborate conspiracy, an expert negotiator is driven to the edge when he's framed for the murder of his partner, as well as embezzling money from his department's pension fund. His only chance to prove his innocence is to take hostages himself, acquire the services of another expert negotiator, and find out who's running the conspiracy before it's too late.... (Full plot summary below)
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In the midst of an elaborate conspiracy, an expert negotiator is driven to the edge when he's framed for the murder of his partner, as well as embezzling money from his department's pension fund. His only chance to prove his innocence is to take hostages himself, acquire the services of another expert negotiator, and find out who's running the conspiracy before it's too late.
Leave your thoughts about The Negotiator.
| Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertA triumph of style over story, and of acting over characters. |
| Internet ReviewsSteve RhodesAs good as Jackson is as the story's central character, Spacey is even better. |
| Rolling StonePeter TraversThis little-hyped thriller emerges as a dark-horse winner by reminding us of how pleasurably exciting a popcorn movie can be when it's populated by actors who are in it for more than an exorbitant fee. |
| Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanThe Negotiator, once it gets going (there's a rather lengthy prosaic setup), is a satisfyingly tense and booby-trapped thriller about the meeting of two relentless minds. |
| The A.V. ClubStephen ThompsonOne of the best by-the-numbers thrillers you'll see this year, thanks to a hot-shot cast. |
| The New YorkerBruce DionesF. Gary Gray, the young director of the 1996 female heist film "Set It Off," runs with a good script (by James DeMonaco and Kevin Fox) and gives us the summer's first action film that's as rich in character as it is in suspense. |
| The Globe and Mail (Toronto)John Haslett CuffFrom the film's bravura opening scene to its cute but bloody conclusion, The Negotiator plays out as tautly as any crowd-pleasing action flick since Die Hard,which it emulates with shameless glee. |
| ReelViewsJames BerardinelliOnce the initial setup has been accomplished and the film kicks into high gear, it grabs the viewer's attention and holds it for the rest of the running time. |
| L.A. WeeklyManohla DargisThis tough, crackling thriller from director Gary Gray is one of those rare action movies with something on its mind other than moviestar sneers and incessant big bangs. |
| New York TimesJanet Maslinike Mr. Jackson, Mr. Spacey cuts an impressively cryptic figure even when dealing in platitudes, and the two stars do get to make the sort of declarations that rarely crop up in everyday life. |