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Hard rain
Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities
Movie propaganda
In the worst storm in living memory, one guard stands between five men and three million dollars.
The small town of Huntingburg is forced to evacuate when torrential rains bring rising flood waters. The local Sheriff (Randy Quaid) and town residents, having been through this before, are all too familiar with the looting and petty thefts that take place in an abandoned town. What they are not aware of, however, is the planned heist of an armoured car sent to transport the $3 million from local banks.
The tension begins as the armoured car breaks down and the drivers, Tom (Christian Slater) and his Uncle Charlie (Ed Asner), find themselves stranded. Their radio transmission for help is intercepted and before they know it they are surrounded by a suspicious crew led by Jim (Morgan Freeman). Without warning the crew opens fire.
Operating on adrenaline and ingenuity, Tom is able to flee by foot into the thigh-deep waters with the $3 million in tow. Jim, smart and determined, begins the campaign to find Tom and the money. The chase is on, the plot is twisting and the action non-stop.
Intelligence analyst
Special Agent Matti
Theatrical report
9 production companies, 16 cast members, 32 stunt persons. Not entirely the correct ratio for a good film.
However, Hard rain is an action thriller, so we shouldn't expect too much. And if you don't, you'll see an entertaining B-movie with some interesting bits, some Hooplah! bits and some decidedly dodgy bits. The effects are continuous - it rains for the entire length of the film - but there are some nice explosions, too. If you want to know how they did it, they built a 1.5 metre deep tank (and about the size of two football fields) inside a hangar then rained on it. It's a good effect, as is the opening sequence (which I won't spoil for you).
Morgan and Christian are really miscast in this film and it does nothing for their résumés. The acting overall is of a standard that you would expect from this type of movie. And because the story is action driven, the whole thing is rather unbelievable, so the best thing to do is to sit back and enjoy the ride with a big bucket of popcorn and a giant bag of Maltesers.
Security censorship classification
M (Medium level violence, low level coarse language)
Surveillance time
96 minutes (1:36 hours)
Not for public release in Australia before date
VHS rental: 12 February 1998
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