The Negotiator (1998)

People are voting emotionally.

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

This one is gonna be easy...First off, WHY in God's name has this director not either done more films or why is he not more recognized...??? I had to look him up here because I didn't know him; imagine my surprise when I saw that he also directed the excellent 'LAW ABIDING CITIZEN' & 'THE Italian JOB'(2003)This guy is GOOD!Just that simple. I'm REALLY puzzled why we haven't heard more about him. I mean, this was one of his earliest and biggest films, starring two iconic actors among many other excellent supporters, and the guy has only done ONLY 3 really big, recognizable films in 16 years...???!! We're talking like Antoine Fuqua quality here people. So WHERE the hell has this guy been...?Oh well, who am I to unravel the dastardly machinations of Hollywood? Probably better off not knowing... : )Anyway, the acting is excellent all around and the story itself is very well done. It seriously GRABS you right from the beginning, and it does NOT let you go until it is done with you. That is really all you need to know...Needless to say... DAMN good film!

The Negotiator is a very good and successful Crime film filled with lots of action and mystery. The story is about a Police Negotiator known as Danny Roman (Samuel L Jackson) who is 'apparently' accused of corruption and killing his partner. Danny Roman (Samuel L Jackson) strongly believes he is innocent and that some members within his police force framed him for these crimes for various reasons. He then sets out to prove in a hard way that he was being set-up and to do that, he holds some hostages at a building until his demands are met. Danny Roman then demands certain conditions to be met and one of them is for summoning an indifferent Police Negotiator called Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey) who works for a different police force. This is because there are some fellow Police members within Danny's (Samuel) force that apparently set him up and he cannot trust his own team to openly handle this major situation Danny (Samuel) has put himself in and demanding decisive answers from them too. Danny (Samuel) believes that without Chris (Kevin) taking charge then some members within his own team that apparently framed him will try to kill him because of the conspiracy Danny (Samuel) is trying to solve with hostages in his presence. Chris Sabian (Kevin) is his one and only hope Danny (Samuel) believes that can get him out of these 'false' accusations. Like I've said, the film is a brilliant crime film that gets you intrigued. The acting was brilliant especially from Samuel L Jackson and Kevin Spacey who were unarguably the stand-out performers of this film. What makes this film really good is that its hard to predict who is behind the crimes Danny (Samuel) 'apparently' committed yet it gives some clues but the viewer somehow won't even notice it till after the film. Well that's how I felt anyway.The film is certainly worth watching and you certainly won't feel disappointed. The film has everything drama, action, mystery and thrill. This film is pretty much tailor made for crime film fanatics.

Going into this movie, you shouldn't really have such high expectations. You should look at it for what it is: a good, solid action thriller. Even though you probably wouldn't have very, very high expectations going into this movie, I think you would have gotten much more than what you were looking for! I think that the best aspect of the movie would probably be the performances given by Samuel Jackon ("Pulp Fiction", "Die Hard with a Vengeance"), and Kevin Spacey ("Seven", "The Usual Suspects"), as well as a solid performance by David Morse (who, in the following year, gave another solid performance in "The Green Mile"). I thought that they were all great.The reason I say that you might have gotten much more than what you were looking for is because of the movie's unpredictable scenarios and how well they were handled. During the course of the movie, I didn't really expect that Frost (played by Ron Rifkin) was going to be behind it all.Overall, this should definitely please fans of the genre and anyone who is a fan of Samuel Jackson and Kevin Spacey should definitely check this movie out, as it is going to keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time!8/10

In terms of plot and story development, The Negotiator offers little that is new. It's a very conventional film. However, it gets a much needed injection from its cast, especially the two leads Jackson and Spacey, whose verbal exchanges are exciting and dynamic.The far-fetched yarn introduces us to Chicago hostage negotiator Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson). Roman's partner Nate (Paul Guilfoyle) is brutally murdered just as he is about to expose a bunch of cops who have been stealing from the Disability Fund. All the clues at the scene of Nate's murder point to Roman being the guilty one. Danny is arrested for the killing, but he remains determined to prove his innocence. He violently besieges the Internal Affairs division of the Chicago P.D, taking several hostages at gunpoint, and proceeds to demand that his name be cleared. Hostage negotiator Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey) arrives on the scene to talk Roman into surrendering his hostages.The ease with which Jackson's character is framed for a crime he didn't commit is hard to believe, and his subsequent decision to take hostages in order to clear himself stretches credibility to the limit. The solution to the mystery - with the revelation of the real killer coming right at the end - isn't especially believable either. However, improbabilities aside, The Negotiator is an entertaining work. As mentioned, Jackson and Spacey's confrontations are quite dynamic and help to make the film compulsively watchable. Siege thrillers by their very definition are exciting, and this one is no exception. Granted, The Negotiator is totally conventional fare, but within its limitations it remains a well-crafted, absorbing and agreeable offering.