The Delivery (1999)

Disturbing yet enthralling

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Because it was trashed by Dutch critics I hesitated a long time to rent The Delivery, but at the end I did and I must say it's not as bad as they say. It's fun. Mindless fun, no more and no less.It's all about two guys who have to bring XTC pills from Holland to Spain. One of them has to leave his wife at the druglord as a deposit and on their way they meet a French terrorist. Roel Reiné (the director) did a terrific job shooting this film in 35 days with a very low budget, but you can't tell, 'cause its action all the way!This film is like reading a comic book. Don't take it too serious (come on, it's no Karakter!) and if you don't you'll see a fun, European road movie. This film deserved more credit from the (dutch) critics (who trash just every Dutch film).My favourite: Guy can't find real love, because he's cursed by a dwarf!A seven out of ten.

I'm just filling this comment out, because I couldn't stand the fact that a positive comment was featured on the "complete information" page. I really think this to be the worst movie ever made in my country. This is not only because of the terrible plot, the crappy English and a tension-curve that is as flat as our country. No, it is because this was a serious attempt to make a good action movie, conform the Hollywood standard. It had to be "The European Action Movie of The Year".For this purpose they even hired Fejda van Huet, actor in the Academy Award- winning picture "Karakter", to do the job. I don't mind bad films, I can even enjoy them if they are pretensiousless b- movies. but I can't stand movies that are terrible, but supposed to be a-type movies.

I liked the Delivery. But, there are two things special about me. I'm Dutch, and think it's really neat to see a roadmovie being done in Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain), places that look familiar to me. Also, I like roadmovies, so that made up for things that this movie did not do so well. The first thing that comes to mind is the Dutch accent some actors in this movie have. But, that may be charming to others. Also, there are some loose ends in the movie, and things that are just too coincidental to be believed. During the movie, I let myself be surprised with what was going to happen, but in the last scene, it again became too unbelievable.In short: if you don't mind the gaps in the story too much, and just want to sit back and enjoy a roadmovie, that's different from most as it is European, this is a nice movie to go see.

I really hoped for the best with this one, but it just didn't happen. Financed at a very non-dutch manner and still looking great, with a style and pace that's very much like Hollywood. What I don't understand is how-with all these great benefits- the director,writer,producer still managed to make this film a completely horrible picture to watch. Filled with bad jokes, cheap nudity and actors that just can't really talk [act] in the english language. Kudo's for pulling it off, but what was this guy thinking!