Clint Eastwood’s Wild Cop Thriller on Netflix

Here’s a summary of Roger Ebert’s review of The Rookie, based on the provided text:

Overall Impression: Ebert found The Rookie to ⁣be ⁤a visually remarkable film with spectacular stunts, but ultimately ‌lacking in substance. He felt it was disjointed and failed to connect with the audience on an emotional level.

Specific Criticisms:

dialog: He criticized the dialogue as being “wooden, artificial, or self-consciously cute.”
Character development: Ebert felt the characters were underdeveloped and difficult to care about. He specifically noted Sheen’s performance as lacking the necessary “vigor‌ and ​intensity.”
Over-the-Top Moments: While acknowledging the impressive stunts (like the⁢ car ‍driving out of​ an exploding building), he felt some moments were ruined by overly obvious lines⁢ (“Fasten ‍your seatbelt!”)
Formulaic Plot: He pointed⁤ out the predictable nature of the “cop waging a private war” storyline.

positive Notes:

Stunts: He acknowledged the film’s impressive and elaborate stunt work, noting it required more stunt‌ people than actors. He also praised the physical acting of Eastwood and Sheen.
Action Scenes: He recognized‍ the film contained “big action scenes” and “sensational car stunts.”

Importance: The article notes that​ The Rookie was Eastwood’s last action film, ⁢after ​which he moved towards dramas and thrillers.