In the Line of Fire The Rewatchables
In the Line of Fire poster
In the Line of Fire

What’s Aged the Worst?

Score (disputed); answering-machine ending; harassment; cockamamie; old photos; murders; hotel association; age-gap sex; small talk

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:47Read transcript
  • The score, especially the opening, is called cheesy; another view disagrees.
  • The crucial answering-machine message is considered dated, but ignoring the dead villain’s final statement is defended as a joke about his self-importance.
  • Frank’s sexual harassment is an aged-worst choice.
  • Cockamamie is considered dated even for 1993.
  • The altered old photos of Malkovich are criticized, unlike Eastwood’s convincing images.
  • The abrupt neck-breaking murders of Sally and Pam are judged insufficiently scary and physically implausible.
  • The ineffective German shepherd is mocked.
  • Malkovich reportedly wanted the dog killed too, but Petersen refused.
  • Staying at the Bonaventure is imagined as uncomfortable because of the movie’s murder association.
  • Eastwood’s age and the absence of Viagra in 1993 prompt jokes about the romance.
  • Al’s mundane family small talk is criticized as a pre-internet conversational habit; sports or modern podcast chatter are suggested alternatives.