Thowback Thursday: “The Hidden”
October 22, 2009
This throwback flick hits all of the staples of great ’80s action cinema. There’s the salty cop who treats gunshot wounds as a minor annoyance when “bagging his man” instead of as a medical emergency. There’s fast cars driven by coked-out yuppies with the sleeves of their jackets pushed to the elbow. There’s a strip club scene, with background hoot and hollers from nowhere (seemingly the equivalent to the laugh track in strip club scenes).
For The Hidden – an action/sci-fi about a body-snatcher-type villain going Grand Theft Auto – there are a few factors upping its ranking amid other ’80s classics. For one, the effects are quite good, with more squibs going off than a Rambo flick, and plenty of blood to boot. The plot twists, in ’80s fashion, are more like moseys, and fairly transparent, but the acting from this fairly star-studded cast holds strong.
Of course, it’s as cheesy as most everything from that time period, but a fast pace and likable characters drives it along better than most.
There are some surprise appearances, as well, like seeing Danny Trejo with about a 5-second cameo before getting blown away. There’s also Lin Shaye, still notorious as the landlady from the Farelly Brothers’ Kingpin.
So if you like ’80s films and are in the mood for some good shoot ‘em up action, check out The Hidden.
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