Bad Company (2002)

Directed by: Joel Schumacher | 116 minutes | action, comedy, crime, thriller | Actors: Anthony Hopkins, Chris Rock, Peter Stormare, Gabriel Macht, Kerry Washington, Adoni Maropis, Garcelle Beauvais, Matthew Marsh, Dragan Micanovic, John Slattery, Brooke Smith, Daniel Sunjata, DeVone Lawson Jr., Wills Robbins, Marek Vasut

‘Bad Company’ (2002) is one of the many films that saw its release date extended by nearly a year after the 9/11 attacks; the subject of terrorism was still too sensitive for the Americans. In addition, ‘Bad Company’ is one of the last films shot in the World Trade Center. When twin brother and CIA agent Kevin is shot, two years of work threaten to be lost to the CIA. The only solution: find his twin brother Jake and pass him off as the murdered cop to get the job done and stop the terrorists. In nine days. Enough fodder for an entertaining comedy, right?

Unfortunately! ‘Bad Company’ sees itself more as a (serious?) action film, and thus misses out on its potential. If the makers had realized that the script is actually much more like a comedy, the jokes would have been tinkered more and they might have been fun. Apart from a few Chris Rock moments – you really have to love it – the jokes are really too weak. Chris Rock is – fortunately – not as overactive and emphatic as in other films, which makes it a lot more bearable to watch. Anthony “”Hannibal Lector”” Hopkins has (which is very unfortunate) lost his energy, or rather: clearly plays on autopilot. As if he already knew beforehand that it actually had no chance of success.

Nicole (Garcelle Beauvais), Jake’s girlfriend, doesn’t really add much. Her role consists mainly of walking around in lingerie, breathing and being beautiful. The other woman in the story, Officer Swanson, isn’t very interesting either. A fun fact is that the actress who plays her, Brooke Smith, has a history with Hopkins. In ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ they were respectively hunter (Hopkins as Lector) and prey (victim Catherine Martin); here they are collaborating CIA agents. But both are not here at the level of then… A mediocre plot, generally not much humor to write home about, but action – little suspense: ‘Bad Company’ fails to amaze and entertain. It can be fun, as long as you’re prepared for it not to happen.