End Game (2006)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Andy Cheng

Writers:

J.C. Pollock (story)
J.C. Pollock (written by) ...

Release Date:

21 July 2006 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

The Assassination Was Only The Beginning.

Plot:

A secret Service agent and a news reporter investigate the conspiracy behind the assassination of the President. |

Plot Keywords:

Violence | Shot In The Hand | Police | President | Hit By Car

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Cuba Gooding Jr.	...	Alex Thomas
Angie Harmon	...	Kate Crawford
James Woods	...	Vaughn Stevens
Patrick Fabian	...	Brian Martin
Peter Greene	...	Jack Baldwin
Jack Scalia	...	The President
Anne Archer	...	The First Lady
David Selby	...	Shakey Fuller
Burt Reynolds	...	General Montgomery
Sarah Ann Schultz	...	Janice Frost
Todd Jensen	...	Agent Smith
Brian Presley	...	Billy Bergoon
Benito Martinez	...	Ramsey
Patrick Treadway	...	Lewis Detimore
Yuji Okumoto	...	Doctor Lee

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and some language.

Runtime:

93 min | Argentina:99 min

Country:

Germany | USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #15783) | Australia:M | UK:12 | Argentina:16 | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Gonzaga University - 502 E. Boone Avenue, Spokane, Washington, USA

Company:

Millennium Films

Trivia:

The movie is supposed to occur in Washington, DC, but was actually filmed in Spokane, WA.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the second to last scene when Alex is speaking with the First Lady, the line of blood from the cut on the side of his face goes up and down.

Soundtrack:

Long Way Home

A stellar cast looking for a movie

Apparently most of the money spent in making "End Game" went to pay the stars. With such adept actors as Cuba Gooding Jr., James Wood, Anne Archer, and a pasty-faced Burt Reynolds literally having a bad-hair day, this movie should have been much better. None of the others looks quite as shopworn as Burt but they do give the appearance of being tired and bored. Cuba almost walks through his lines as if reading from a cue card.

The story is trite and lackluster, with only a few exciting scenes such as the opening assassination. Both writers, J.C. Pollock and stunt man Andy Cheng, are novices and it shows. Even the title is lame. Of what relevance is "End Game," and what exactly is the story? This viewer got confused, especially toward the end.

Vaguely, the film is about the assassination of a President and a personal investigation by the secret service man, Alex Thomas (Gooding), who did take a bullet for the President. But the bullet pierced Thomas' hand and then hit the President, ergo Thomas feels responsible for the Chief Executive's death, that he also let the First Lady down. He is joined in his manhunt by a reporter, Kate Crawford (Angie Harmon), who is determined to crack the case and get her scoop even at the risk of her own life. The situation becomes extremely hazardous as more and more evidence is uncovered pointing a finger to those in high places of our government. How the case is resolved at the end of the game leaves several unanswered questions. That all this sounds familiar indicates the picture's lack of originality and creativity.

The hackneyed script does provide a few good lines such as when Kate is interrogating an indigent person who keeps asking her for money. When she wants him to keep a house under surveillance, he tells her he would be glad to help anytime. She mumbles under her breath,"And how much will that cost me?"

Rather than waste time watching "End Game," why not rent other better movies on the topic such as "In The Line Of Fire," starring Clint Eastwood?