'Superboy' Babitch, a cop, is road-rammed by a couple of punks while driving across a bridge. One of the punks pulls out what appears to be a shotgun and apparently fires. But we soon find out that it wasn't a gun and the tire just blew on Superboy's car (!) Superboy, believing he has been shot at, shoots back and kills them.

When the force come to investigate they find there is no gun so try to plant one, but an ambulance worker sees what they are doing and, during this confrontation, Superboy, sure he will not get justice, apparently jumps to his death off the bridge...

"Broken nose land would have been a better name for this movie."

"A triumphant use of a dart up the nose!"

"A fast start which makes you suspend your critical faculties. Which is just as well, really."

"Oh, if only this plot was more likely."

"Not a whodunit, more of a whoknewhedunit mystery."

"Did I notice a pot on Mr Stallone? No, surely not I must be mistaken, these spectacles are going straight back to the opticians tomorrow morning..."

"When SuperBoy shot at that car it stopped efficiently - shit man I would have at least crashed into the sides! It's good to see those extras have some respect for the budgetary constraints of a modern motion picture."

Superboy Babitch (Michael Rapaport) goes on the run after his friends try to push his head into a swimming pool - he clearly hasn't thought his strategy through very well.

An investigation is started into the incident as no body is found, Lt. Moe Tilden (Robert de Niro), Internal Affairs, approaches Heflin (Stallone) for help (he doesn't, even though he has already observed that Superboy is still alive).

Heflin comes to the realization that a Mafia style cop arrangement has built up in his home town, and, when Superboy comes to him for help, he eventually tries to do the 'right thing', even though this is suicidal in view of their power.

The Cop-Mafia makes some calls and the investigation is called off. Heflin, who just happens to turn up when they are packing everything up, grabs hold of the documents he needs (!?) and starts an investigation all of his own... Heflin takes 'Superboy' into custody but when transporting him on his own he is attacked and Superboy is taken. A shoot-out follows in which all the bad guys die.

He's "had a hard on for me for years, it's a personal thing. He's a scumbag."

In your favorite cop show classic edition posture.

There is a moment when our hero nods off on a bridge and a middle aged couple give him a verbal slapping, another when a woman puts the trash out in the wrong place...

The start of this movie happens very quickly so you tend to be carried along by the ride, and of course the impressive cast, but basically the premise of the accident in the first place is a little iffy, to say the least. The guys in the car know he is a police officer, but still take out a stick which looks like the barrel of a shot gun. The blow out is therefore a complete coincidence at that point which makes Superboy think he has been shot at... Hmm...

Then the attack at the end, where Heflin is on his own with SuperBoy (having just let his deputy go home!)... we have been here before and this stupidity annoyed us. The whole movie ends in a big shoot-out which is efficient but a disappointment considering the cast.

This realization: You will never be able to see Stallone walk up steps without that Rocky music in your head...

A Rocky 'World Champion' 100lb weighted gloves set.

After the (unlikely) car accident on the bridge, when the punks drive their car into Superboy's, and then, when shot at and killed, stop the car neatly on the bridge without hitting anything, there are no stunts to speak of - this stunt counts as violent parking.

An ambitious movie which promises much but fails to deliver.

We really liked the Stallone character but the plot has many flaws which, by the end of the movie, left us chewing anything that came into sight.

But there is undoubtedly an A-List cast here to while away the time... and you may never be able to look at the business end of a dart in the same way again...

March 25 , 2003