Today’s quick review: Hard Rain. Torrential rains and extreme flooding have forced the evacuation of Huntingburg, and Sheriff Mike (Randy Quaid) and his men have their hands full rounding up the last stragglers. Saving the bank’s cash falls to Tom (Christian Slater), a mouthy security guard. But when his armored car is attacked by Jim (Morgan Freeman) and his gang, Tom must flee through the flooded town to protect the money and his life.
Hard Rain is an action thriller set in a town that’s rapidly filling with water. The rising water level is a constant threat to Tom and the others, one that the film puts to use in a variety of ways. Apart from its rain-soaked premise, Hard Rain is standard thriller fare. Tom attempts to outrun and outwit Jim using the limited resources at his disposal. The film offers a decent plot and a smattering of action, but little in the way of memorability.
Hard Rain’s one distinguishing feature, apart from the rain, is the ordinariness of its cast. Jim, though smart, is far from a criminal mastermind, and his men are clearly part-timers. Tom is tough and resourceful, but he’s not an unstoppable force like most action heroes. None of this stops the movie from indulging in gunplay, boat chases, and explosions, but it does gives the character interactions some nuance, as no one is larger than life.
Give Hard Rain a shot when you’re in the mood for a no-frills action thriller with a unique angle. The film never really distinguishes itself in terms of its characters or dialogue, but its winding plot and aquatic action are enough to make it an entertaining watch. For a more iconic action movie with better characters, check out Die Hard. For a crime movie with more action, check out U.S. Marshals.
5.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for decent plot and action but little more.