The Presidio

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The Presidio

R

1988

1h 37m

Action

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Popcornmeter

41%

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32 Reviews

33%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Ex-military policeman Jay Austin (Mark Harmon) is now a San Francisco detective. When his former MP partner is killed at a military base, he takes the case. But after arriving at the crime scene, he realizes he must look to his old rival, Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell (Sean Connery), for help. Austin then falls for Caldwell's daughter, Donna (Meg Ryan), further complicating matters. Still, the two men push on in their search, learning to respect one another as they pursue the killer.

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Critics Consensus

The Presidio is too well-cast and competently directed to be truly painful, but action fans have no shortage of more compelling options.

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Chris Chase

New York Daily News

I liked "The Presidio."

Rated: 3/4

Sep 6, 2021

Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Cater

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Unfortunately, "The Presidio" never progresses beyond its promising setup.

Sep 6, 2021

Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

''The Presidio'' becomes an object lesson in the essential interchangeability of genre conventions.

Rated: 2/4

Sep 6, 2021

Full Review

Tom Cassidy

Common Sense Media

The Presidio is an easy watch, mixing gorgeous widescreen 1970s-style cinematography with big, blammo '80s action.

Mar 1, 2024

Full Review

Jae-Ha Kim

Jae-Ha Kim

"The Presidio" is about two law enforcement officers who don't get along but learn to respect each other as they solve a crime. Sound familiar? But unless the chemistry between the two stars works, the viewer doesn't care what happens to the characters.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 28, 2023

Full Review

Patrick Taggart

Austin American-Statesman

The film does tend to peek from behind its formulaic framework from time to time to offer hints of real personality. But on balance, director Peter Hyams' latest is a paint-by-number job.

Rated: 2/4

Sep 6, 2021

Full Review

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Carol C

The city of San Francisco always looks good on film. As to the plot, it's predictable as are a lot of the character tropes. Sean Connery does a competent job, as does Meg Ryan. I thought Mark Harmon was flat and uninteresting. Certainly no Dirty Harry! I must have seenthis in the 80s, but it wasn't special enough to remember.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/13/24

Full Review

David B

I'm biased because San Francisco is dear to me. The acting from the cast tells each of characters' story very well, especially from Sean Connery. Relative to other films, I couldn't say that this one blew my mind, but it's not as embarassing as Nowhere to Land (2000), which is barely compelling just enough to sit through. This movie is also better than Citizen Jane (2009), which was also pretty weak. If I had to pick The Presidio over The Avengers, I would watch The Presidio.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/01/23

Full Review

John H

Solid rating. I have 35 years…all the services. Two wars. I've seen it/lived it on both sides. I know the stress between officer and enlisted. So, to me, these tensions were more than skin deep. Scenes, good. Dialogue kept my interest up…no flat cliches. Couple guys in each other's faces. Cute girl-Hot guy clashes. Familiar turf. All great for the main course. Hour and a half of fun. And this is 2023. Third time with this one.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/09/23

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Steve D

The actors work well together and the story is fun.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/02/23

Full Review

Jack S

A touch of class provided by the presence of Connery and Warden plus, a couple pretty good chase scenes unfortunately can't elevate this sub-standard effort. The director and screenwriter are simply going through the conventional motions here and the result contains little suspense or intrigue. Most of the rest of the cast is also fine, but Harmon lacks charisma and hasn't a whit of chemistry with either Connery or love interest Ryan. Instead, check out Hyam's earlier Running Scared for a more worthwhile law enforcement themed actioner.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

tom w

Ecclesiastes 1:9 says there is nothing new under the sun. So why expect it? I just sat back & watched actors I enjoy practicing their craft together.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Peter Hyams

Director

Sean Connery

Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell

Mark Harmon

Jay Austin

Meg Ryan

Donna Caldwell

Jack Warden

Sgt. Maj. Ross Maclure

Mark Blum

Arthur Peale

The Presidio: Official Clip - Car Love

2:10

The Presidio: Official Clip - Like Whoa, Man

2:09

The Presidio: Official Clip - I'd Like You to Resist Arrest, Just a Little

2:13

The Presidio: Official Clip - Factory Pursuit

1:05

The Presidio: Official Clip - San Francisco Chase

2:12

The Presidio: Official Clip - You Wanna Die, Cop?

1:51

The Presidio: Official Clip - Drunk Old Guard Dogs

2:02

The Presidio: Official Clip - Making Things Right

1:51

The Presidio: Official Clip - My Right Thumb

2:11

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Synopsis

Ex-military policeman Jay Austin (Mark Harmon) is now a San Francisco detective. When his former MP partner is killed at a military base, he takes the case. But after arriving at the crime scene, he realizes he must look to his old rival, Lt. Col. Alan Caldwell (Sean Connery), for help. Austin then falls for Caldwell's daughter, Donna (Meg Ryan), further complicating matters. Still, the two men push on in their search, learning to respect one another as they pursue the killer.

Director: Peter Hyams
Producer: D. Constantine Conte
Screenwriter: Larry Ferguson
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 20, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.9M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Surround

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