Tödliche Weihnachten

If something positive can be said about action films of the 90s, it is that they represent a certain craft improvement from the dull action B-movies with muscular men from the previous decade. They have better effects, are more action-packed, and have better actors. However, The Long Kiss Goodnight does not confirm this trend. It could be subtitled as "the dumbest film of the 90s all in one". If Die Hard 2 came from Renny Harlin's workshop and represents a very decent above-average (although not a top-notch) genre film, then The Long Kiss Goodnight is its opposite. Davis does not fit into the role of a super agent to the extent that it feels like a lack of judgment on the part of the producer. A possible solution could have been a shift towards acknowledged genre parody, but this option evidently did not occur to the creator. Although the film is lightened by funny lines and does not take itself completely seriously, as was customary for action films of this era, the laughter that it evoked in me clearly missed the expectations of the creative team. This film is so naive and silly that it simply does not deserve a better rating. Overall impression: 25%. (12.02.2021)

A heavy romp in the form of a slightly deranged mix of comedy, wild action, unbalanced effects and overkill from the 1990s. The attempt at a supercool action flick largely backfires due to a story pulled out of thin air and a lot of annoying clichés. What worked for Harlin in the focused and straightforward Cliffhanger and Geena Davis in the sprawling and fabulous Cutthroat Island doesn't come together here. (12.08.2020)

Proper B-movie that doesn’t pretend to be anything else, but that still fails with the inconsistent action and the transformations of the heroine. I don’t think it’s Geena’s fault, she’s quite alright, but her character is not very interesting and, next to Jackson (the best and funniest character), she can never become an action icon. But it’s no dud, it has a solid pace, frequent twists and a couple of funny jokes. 65% (22.12.2020)

"I expected more from the movie. Even back when it was on television, I saw the previews and it completely captivated me. However, in this case, the trailer once again outshined the movie. It's occasionally funny, but not that much, and it's occasionally cool and intense, but it doesn't excel in that either. Maybe I imagined it to be overall darker, but it wasn't." (07.06.2016)