In the Line of Fire

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In the Line of Fire

R

Released Jul 9, 1993

2h 8m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

73 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

A Secret Service agent is taunted by calls from a would-be killer who has detailed information about the agent - including the fact that he failed to save President John F. Kennedy from assassination. The caller is revealed as an ex-CIA assassin, and the agent, who is investigating a threat to the current president, is determined not to let history repeat itself.

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Critics Consensus

A straightforward thriller of the highest order, In the Line of Fire benefits from Wolfgang Peterson's taut direction and charismatic performances from Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Generously exciting, In the Line of Fire is mercifully free of that artificial energy that makes so many new movies look as if they were created with steroids.

Jan 29, 2019

Full Review

Clifford Terry

Chicago Tribune

Petersen directs his film in a straightforward, workmanlike fashion-few surprises here -- and, curiously, for most of the film is better at establishing a kind of amiability than a hard tension.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 30, 2013

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Director Wolfgang Petersen moves the story along, but his real job is to simply stay out of the way of his two racehorse lead actors. And he does.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 30, 2013

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

A generally smart, adult thriller.

Rated: B

Aug 31, 2022

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

615 Film

The classic 90s political thriller, complete with an air-tight script for 2+ hours, some great performances and a steady hand from Wolfgang Petersen.

Jun 25, 2022

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Quentin Crisp

Christopher Street

This is a picture which I would simply hate to have missed. It is a totally conventional film, but is none the worse for that. A good movie is a series of gloriously foregone conclusions, and Fire is no exception.

Apr 6, 2022

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Jonathan O

A heart stomping suspense thriller ever is really entertaining and really intense and Clint Eastwood performance is outstanding and John Malkovich performance is absolutely terrifying and disturbing villain and really great writing which is loosely based on the real secret service who protects JFK.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/22/24

Full Review

James B

a great thriller john malchovich and clint eastwood are great rean russo is good too a great thriller worth watching a classic

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/29/24

Full Review

Sean S

Malkovich is the star of the show, his performance, for the most part, is almost earnest and not snide or smug; It makes him more of a match and foil for the damaged hidden psyche of Eastwood’s ageing traumatised agent. In The Line of Fire is a psychological thriller as much as a potboiler boiler-plate assassination/chase/cat and mouse hunt flick. Wolfgang Peterson does steady work and the print is spectacular, one of the best I’ve seen. It's worth a watch on a lazy Sunday or of a late night

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/14/24

Full Review

Jay H

My favorite Clint Eastwood movie. Enormously entertaining.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/06/24

Full Review

Test T

I watched this on DVD. It's good, but has a flaw which stops it from being the great movie it should have been. The film's runtime is just over 2 hours, and for a good proportion of that time we see some great cat and mouse scenes played out between Eastwood and Malcovich operating at the top of their game. The action, stunts and dialogue are superb, and a real treat for the viewer. Rene Russo provides an effective love interest, giving Eastwood's Frank opportunities to show his softer self which is pleasant and adds depth. The problem is that every now and then Frank gets reflective and delivers boring monologues to camera about his past career. Cutting these would enhance the movie because they add little that the viewer has not already figured out, and spoil the otherwise tight pacing of the film. Highly recommended never the less. Oh, and I really enjoyed the opening scene with the counterfeiter which is a very effective attention grabber and introduces us to Frank perfectly.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/24

Full Review

James A

Fair to say underrated? Yes, its reputation is good, but this pic doesn't get the notoriety it deserves as a real top-level thriller. For me, it's better than The Silence of the Lambs. In the Line of Fire offers a very engaging premise, excellent direction from Wolfgang, and strong acting especially by John Malkovich.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/08/23

Full Review

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Wolfgang Petersen

Director

Clint Eastwood

Frank Horrigan

John Malkovich

Mitch Leary

Rene Russo

Lilly Raines

Dylan McDermott

Al D'Andrea

Gary Cole

Bill Watts

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - Fatal Fall

1:40

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - Blocking the Bullet

2:13

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - Are You Going to Shoot Me, Frank?

2:13

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - Rendezvous With My Ass

2:00

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - If Only I Reacted

2:06

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - Aim High

1:49

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - The Irony's So Thick

1:50

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - You're Under Arrest, Too

2:12

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In the Line of Fire: Trailer 1

1:22

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Synopsis

A Secret Service agent is taunted by calls from a would-be killer who has detailed information about the agent - including the fact that he failed to save President John F. Kennedy from assassination. The caller is revealed as an ex-CIA assassin, and the agent, who is investigating a threat to the current president, is determined not to let history repeat itself.

Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Producer: Jeff Apple
Screenwriter: Jeff Maguire
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Castle Rock Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 9, 1993, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $102.2M
Runtime: 2h 8m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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