"What's your name...?"      

THE SAINT (PG-13) 

Who is "The Saint"?  "The Saint" is Simon Templar, an infamous thief...a master of disguise who uses the names of Catholic saints as his own.  This is a man who has the ability to transform himself in a matter of seconds, and who seems able to get himself out of any dangerous situation.  This also happens to be (as the film tells it) a man repressing some painful childhood traumas...a real "complex individual", if you will.  "The Saint" is one part James Bond, one part Mission: Impossible, and one part Batman.  No wonder they made a movie out of it!

Unfortunately, The Saint as a film just doesn't quite fly.  Starring Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue, The Saint sets up with Simon (Kilmer) accepting an assignment to steal a newly discovered cold fusion formula from one Dr. Emma Russell (Shue).  A wig here, a moustache there, and Simon is off.

What follows is your typical cat-and-mouse spy genre activity.  Simon is working for Ivan Tretiak (Rabe Serbedzija), the Russian billionnaire who wants to use cold fusion as the key to becoming ruler of his motherland.  Dr. Russell, an American, turns out to be "an innocent one," an individual who wants to give away cold fusion to the world.  When Simon and Dr. Russell develop a romance things get pretty complicated for all parties, with the Russians chasing both Simon (who they want to kill) and Dr. Russell (who they want to capture) in search of the formula.

I suppose what's really disappointing with The Saint is that it could have been very good.  The character of Simon Templar is an interesting one, but unfortunately his complexity really isn't explored in this film.  Kilmer does, to his credit, provide some entertainment with all his costume and accent changes, but even this novelty wears off after a while.  Is this a romance, an action picture, a spy film, or a comedy?  The Saint tries to be everything, but in the process its characters get washed out.  I know, I know, "The Saint" isn't supposed to have an identity, but that doesn't mean he can't have character.

Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing, folks!

Sara gives this movie  stars: "The flick was pretty good. It wasn't the action thriller it was supposed to be - more of a cute love story about some fake people that led interesting lives. Not realistic, but entertaining. See it for a nice evening." (10/22/01)

Hunter gives this movie  stars: "Great movie , I wish I could take a look at the journal that the character Thomas Moore had." (3/19/01)

tl06367@salleurl.edu gives this movie  stars: "The best film I've ever seen!!!" (9/13/99)

Kass gives this movie  stars. (3/8/99)

lilbehr@gte.net gives this movie  stars: "I thought the Saint lacked no character flaws at all; the point of the movie was to be a shrt, fun movie. I loved it!!! I love the Saint!!!" (12/30/98)

c064@tsn.cc gives this movie  stars: "Val is a sexy babe he did very well with the aussie accent and i should know as i'm an australian myself" (12/15/98)

kendra gives this movie  stars: "Val Kilmer could dress up in a cow outfit and he'd still be hot." (12/15/98)

tahi@juno.com gives this movie  stars: "Good action flick..." (12/12/98)

lizzy5000@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "i own this mivie it is very great!!!!" (11/30/98)

cowly@n2dogs.com gives this movie  stars: "It was a really good movie. I think that the characters could have been explored a little more though." (11/21/98)

kchapman@terraworld.net gives this movie  stars: "I think this was the best movie Val ever made and the best movie that I have ever seen. All I can say is that I went out and bought it the minute it hit the stores and I have seen it more than 20 times. I almost know all the lines by heart. What a great film!" (11/2/98)

taneli.karki.kolibr@.otol.swe gives this movie  stars: "Roger Moore is the real Simon Templar.. satan" (9/23/98)

jkbarker@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "A well executed plot, the acting was 'real' unlike the mechanical and self-centred offerings in so many other films of this genre. Onlyt at the very end do things move a little too quickly. Check out the music score, it is spot on!" (7/12/98)

armbutton@aol.com gives this movie  stars: "I thought the movie was wonderful. The chemistry was perfect between Elizabeth Shoe and Val Kilmer. Unfortunetly the book, which the movie was based on-loosley, was quite a lot better. I have to admit I have seen it to many times I'd like to say." (4/14/98)

David gives this movie  stars: "Average. Not what I thought it would be. Some good acting, pretty good plot, but it didn't really have much of an effect on me. Okay." (2/7/98)

stevespidy@hotmail.com gives this movie  stars: "It's a hybrid between Mission Impossible and Jerry Maguire. I love it!!!" (1/3/98)

reesed@infinet.com gives this movie  stars: "Val Kilmer did an excellent job with all the characters he played in the file and Elisabeth Shue (the wonderful actress she is) also did an excellence job. The plot was also perfectly well written, you could tell they put a great deal of time and money into this film.." (6/24/97)

ydnew@alaska.net gives this movie  stars: "This movie, its characters and its storyline did not interest me in the least. Total fluff, and so contrived. Felt like watching a slick tv show. So Val can sit in makeup for hours on end, so what?" (5/12/97)

LMoore@ttu.edu gives this movie  stars: "The plot was a little weak and in parts confusing, but I thought it was a good movie. It combined humor, romance, and action and was an entertaining date-type film." (5/6/97)

Crystal gives this movie  stars: "I think its funny that men just dont get what the saint is really about. Val Kilmer is the hottest thing around. The movie had romance , humer and suspence. Men cant stand it when there's very little killing in a movie. When my friend and i whent to see it on opening weekend , the theater was packed. And the audience loved it. we were melting in our seats. The chemistrey bettween emma and simon was HOT. I am going to see it again." (4/15/97)

ludwig@ari.fed.us gives this movie  stars: "Val Kilmer was believable in the Saint having so many disguises." (4/10/97)