The Sandspur

Issue date: 10/21/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Media Credit: Copyright New Line Cinema DOMINO HARVEY STRUTS HER STUFF: Keira Knightley and Mickey Rourke stroll to the latest job.

In Tony Scott's highly anticipated action flick, "Domino," with its violent nature and cold-hearted heroine with a soft-spot for gold fish, what could possibly go wrong? The answer is everything.

To begin with, the film's tagline is indication enough of what to expect from the finished product, "I am a bounty hunter..." in the familiar thick British accent of the delicate Keira Knightley, an unexpected candidate for such a hardcore title character. Despite this fact, she does do an impressive job of holding her own throughout the movie in attitude and physicality.

This is delightful for women, showing that size doesn't matter, women can be just as tough as any man, even Mickey Rourke. Plus, no girl can resist watching a fellow feline kick ass as much as the next guy.

Starring Keira Knightley ("Pirates of the Caribbean", "Love Actually") as Domino Harvey, the fabulous Mickey Rourke ("Sin City", "Once Upon a Time in Mexico") as leader of the "Bounty Squad," Ed Moseby, and such random appearances as Brian Austin Green and Ian Ziering (both of "Beverly Hills 90210" fame) as themselves, as well as comedian Mo'Nique, singer Macy Gray and Shondrella Avery (Lafawnduh of "Napolean Dynamite").

What the film turned out to be, contrary to its very convincing previews, was a typical cheesy action flick that upon leaving the theater raises the question, "Was that supposed to be a comedy?" Quickly answered with a sincere "I hope so." However, if this film were to change genres it would not do much to improve the terribly written screenplay, if you can call that writing. Quite frankly it might have done better as a poorly written science fiction love story that involved shotguns and models.

"Domino" follows spoiled, pampered daughter of actor Laurence Harvey, obviously of the same name, as she goes from Ford model to bounty hunter in a job gone horribly wrong.

The movie is filled with one-liners that are as cheesy as its tag line. Christopher Walken shows up as a television show producer wanting to sign the squad on for a WB reality television show, cleverly titled, "The Bounty Squad."

When their boss tries to commit car insurance fraud to steal the money to save his sick grandchild, his wife (Mo'Nique) gets caught by the FBI making counterfeit licenses at the DMV where she works and they strike a deal with her that will keep her out of prison.

Trying to shift all the blame, even for the insurance fraud on her last customer, she turns them into the FBI with her husband's plan pinned on them.

These last customers, however, end up being mob children who are kidnaped and killed for the stolen money. The delivery was made by the "Bounty Squad" who were oblivious to the teenagers identities.

The squad soon finds themselves running out of time as they seek out the stolen money in order to save their own lives. Obviously while all of these terribly exciting events are occurring, the WB is getting footage of it all. It seems highly unlikely professional killers would stoop so low.

In an era where the film industry has lost its inspiration through the multitude of appalling remakes that have been released as of late, "Domino" isn't going to be the original film that pulls them out of it. It is assumed that this film was created as a big joke...and a bad one at that. One can only hope.

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