How do you even screw this up? How do you screw up a script that was already a successful book and film? I don't know, but somehow Michael Cimino did it. This mediocre movie is a 100-minute snorefest about a bad dude (played by Mickey Rourke, who contributes nothing to the role), who kidnaps a upper-middle-class family. Most of the other actors do good to very good jobs, notably Michael Morse who plays one of Rourke's cronies, and Anthony Hopkins in a role which is far beneath him. But the plot is nothing but totally predictable filler and just when you think it has gone nowhere, it goes even more nowhere. Since we already know that the script can be done well, there is no one to blame here except Michael Cimino for the non-direction this movie took. 5 out of 10.

An escaped delinquent : Michael Rourke on the run along with his two hoodlums : Elías koteas, David Morse , move into a luxurious suburb and they enter at a house where lives a married couple , Anthony Hopkins, Mimi Rogers , and their two children : Shane Smith, Gerard . At the height of fear every moment is a desperate hour. A psychotic criminal is looking for a place to call home... just for a few hours , who is stronger ? A psychopath who feeds on terror ? Or a father driven by fear .? Only time will tell. Desire is the deadliest weapon of all.

A new rendition of the classic film 1955 by William Wylerthat starred Bogart , Fredric March, Martha Scott being released thirty-five years later and the result is a n average, violent and twisted story. It is based on a play written by Joseph Hayes and subsequent novel , he also wrote the script of the William Wyler film which is based this 1990 adaptation. The original source stage play was boxoffice smash hit in Broadway and won Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Direction. However, this latter 1990 rendition was critically poor received , panned by the reviewers and was a comercial failure , while Humphrey Bogart's adaptation had awesome critics . Furthermore , there is another version 1967 by Ted Kotcheff with George Segal , Michael Conrad , Arthur Hill, Barry Primus. Interpretations in this last 1990 recounting are uniformly acceptable . Mickey Rourke plays the psychotic criminal ,though overacting at times . The marriage couple , Anthony Hopkins and Mimi Rogers are better than Rourke. While other secondaries as Kelly Lynch , David Morse , Elías Koteas Linsay Crouse , Dean Norris , John Finch give decent performances.

The motion picture was regularly directed by Michael Cimino . Ths deceased director was an artisan who made a few but enjoyable pictures with hits and failures , such as Heaven's Gate , Thunderbolt and Lightfoot , The Sicilian , The Sunchaser and , of course , his biggest success : The Deer Hunter . Desperate Hours rating 5/ 10. The film will appeal to Michael Rourke and Anthony Hopkins fans .

Lawyer Nancy Breyers (Kelly Lynch) is defending robber and murderer Michael Bosworth (Mickey Rourke) for killing a guard in prison. She helps him escape but she falls behind. Albert (David Morse) and his brother Wally Bosworth (Elias Koteas) drive the getaway. Brenda Chandler (Lindsay Crouse) releases Nancy to track down Bosworth. Tim (Anthony Hopkins) and Nora Cornell (Mimi Rogers) are splitting up their family with their children (Shawnee Smith, Danny Gerard). He's broken up with his girlfriend and looking to reunite but she insists on selling the house. Michael and his men take over the house and keep the Cornells hostage. He makes contact with Nancy as he waits for her to join them.

Director Michael Cimino remakes the 1955 film. He's trying way too hard to be stylish. Some of the acting is too over-the-top. If he could dial some of it back, the movie could be an intense crime thriller. Micky Rourke can be an intense bad guy without any help but Cimino insists on pushing it. Everybody is overacting. The worst is probably Lindsay Crouse. Cimino is using every camera move and dramatic music. It's a little ridiculous to release Nancy but the call to her apartment is a little more ridiculous. The cops could easily be listening on the other end. It's not as if the message is in code. The movie could have been great but Cimino's relentlessness squanders the work of some great actors.