Some movies are must-sees simply because of their pioneering value and the influence they had on cinema in the years/decades after their release. John Boorman's "Point Blank" is such a landmark that left a quintessential and everlasting impact on the world of action/gangster cinema, even though - in all honesty - the film itself looks badly outdated by today's standards. Released in 1967, "Point Blank" was one of the first Hollywood blockbusters to depict uncompromising violence and introduce a merciless and very unlikeable good guy. Who knows, without Lee Marvin's Walker, there perhaps wouldn't have been Clint Eastwood's (Dirty) Harry Callahan or Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle.
The simple yet compelling plot comes from a novel by Donald Westlake. Betrayed and left for dead by his former best friend and girlfriend after a heist, tough guy Walker is determined to claim back his 93,000$ share of the loot and get revenge. Finding his pal turned double-crosser Mal Reese isn't much of a challenge, but recovering the money definitely is.
The best twist about "Point Blank" - according to your truly, at least - is that Walker is an old-fashioned and no-nonsense crook who quickly gets lost in a new world where criminal gangs turned into organizations, ordinary thugs have become respectable businessmen in suits, and cash dollars got replaced by credit cards.
"Point Blank" delivers in the action and suspense department. Walker is a streetwise man who avoids death traps and goes straight for his goal. Quite often it looks far too easy, like how he manages to reach a heavily guarded penthouse, but I'm gladly overlooking those kinds of flaws, as well as the painfully dated special effects (most notably the body falling from the rooftop). It's also full of great names, with macho-icon Lee Marvin, obviously, but also Keenan Wynn, Angie Dickinson, Lloyd Bochner, and John Vernon.
The simple yet compelling plot comes from a novel by Donald Westlake. Betrayed and left for dead by his former best friend and girlfriend after a heist, tough guy Walker is determined to claim back his 93,000$ share of the loot and get revenge. Finding his pal turned double-crosser Mal Reese isn't much of a challenge, but recovering the money definitely is.
The best twist about "Point Blank" - according to your truly, at least - is that Walker is an old-fashioned and no-nonsense crook who quickly gets lost in a new world where criminal gangs turned into organizations, ordinary thugs have become respectable businessmen in suits, and cash dollars got replaced by credit cards.
"Point Blank" delivers in the action and suspense department. Walker is a streetwise man who avoids death traps and goes straight for his goal. Quite often it looks far too easy, like how he manages to reach a heavily guarded penthouse, but I'm gladly overlooking those kinds of flaws, as well as the painfully dated special effects (most notably the body falling from the rooftop). It's also full of great names, with macho-icon Lee Marvin, obviously, but also Keenan Wynn, Angie Dickinson, Lloyd Bochner, and John Vernon.