Mad City

PG-13

Released Nov 7, 1997

1 hr. 54 min.

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

33%

30 Reviews

Tomatometer

42%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Simple security guard Sam (John Travolta) has lost his job at a museum, and in a fit of desperation, he returns and demands his boss, Mrs. Banks (Blythe Danner), rehire him. But he comes armed, and his plan goes awry when he accidentally shoots an ex-coworker and ends up with schoolchildren as hostages. Meanwhile, down-and-out TV reporter Brackett (Dustin Hoffman) is on scene to capture everything, thinking this suddenly huge story is his ticket back to the top of the news game.

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Sanford P

Some how they took 3 A listers and made a bad movie. No logic or believe ability. The lack of crowd control to that extent is absurd. No police department in the smallest of towns would ever let the population gather in harms way in an active shooter situation. If I could have given a negative star rating I would have it was not an option. Absurd is being kind. Even stupid is a level above the words needed. Even the song at the end during the credits was so out of place. I know it's a 90s movie. I'm surprised it did not end their careers. Even as a 90s movie there is no excuse I have seen silent movies that were better entertainment. Currently playing on Utube movies for free they should pay you to watch it. Do something better with your time maybe watch some fresh paint dry or old paint fade.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Steve D

The scrip is most likely to make you roll your eyes,

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Marcus T

Dustin Hoffman keeps this project's head above water, but just barely. The premise is pretty farfetched and the execution overblown. John Travolta's character is not particularly likeable, but we are supposed to sympathize with him. There are a few different plot threads that never come together and so it feels shaggy at the end. This is supposed to be a commentary on how the media edits and manipulates the facts to push one agenda or another. So far so good, but the direction and script don't create a tight vehicle for this message. It's like the producers couldn't decide what they wanted this to be, so ultimately it is unsatisfying. Watch it if you are a Dustin Hoffman fan. Not so for Travolta fans.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"We killed him." Way underrated critic about the medias. A Travolta who can explodes anytime, a Hoffman who's very aware, a constant suspense, fun also and boom!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great film really moving and fantastic acting all the way round both Hoffman and Travolta are fantastic and you really feel for these characters that they are playing. This film is one of the best at showing media power and corruption and just how far it can push someone to the limits and you really feel sorry for Sam for losing his job because i know for a fact what it like to be unemployed and unable to provide for yourself and your family.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I was not impressed with mad city one bit it comes under the category good actors bad movie with john Travolta as an out of guard at a museum begging for his job back and dustin Hoffman as newsman looking for ratings

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

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Costa-Gavras

Director

John Travolta

Sam Baily

Dustin Hoffman

Max Brackett

Mia Kirshner

Laurie

Alan Alda

Kevin Hollander

Robert Prosky

Lou Potts

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73%

75%

Runaway Jury

18%

38%

Paparazzi

81%

74%

Clear and Present Danger

TRAILER

for Clear and Present Danger

21%

67%

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56%

58%

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Emanuel Levy

Variety

This simplistic and obvious expose about the manipulative power of the news media (lazily acted by Travoilta and Hoffman) is so familiar that it's not going to upset or provoke anyone.

Rated: C

Aug 21, 2006

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 2/4

Apr 12, 2002

Full Review

Mike Clark

USA Today

A wanna-be event movie that merely reinvents the wheel.

Rated: 1/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Mad City is an example of every thing that is wrong with sensational journalism.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 19, 2023

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A movie so narratively threadbare that its idea of cutting-edge topicality is to have Larry King and Jay Leno pop up as themselves to comment on the proceedings.

Rated: 1.5/4

Nov 8, 2023

Full Review

Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

A drama too timid to tackle its media machinations or manipulations with thoughtful talk. Dustin Hoffman is fine. John Travolta resembles the SNL version of Wolverine. Ultimately, it's a 2-7 off-suit hand bluffing an ace in the hole.

Rated: 1.5/5

Jun 24, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Simple security guard Sam (John Travolta) has lost his job at a museum, and in a fit of desperation, he returns and demands his boss, Mrs. Banks (Blythe Danner), rehire him. But he comes armed, and his plan goes awry when he accidentally shoots an ex-coworker and ends up with schoolchildren as hostages. Meanwhile, down-and-out TV reporter Brackett (Dustin Hoffman) is on scene to capture everything, thinking this suddenly huge story is his ticket back to the top of the news game.

Director: Costa-Gavras
Executive Producer: Stephen Joel Brown, Wolfgang Glattes, Jonathan D. Krane
Screenwriter: Tom Matthews
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Punch Productions, Warner Bros., Arnold Kopelson Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 7, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 31, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.6M
Sound Mix: SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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