Review

At the heart of this Murphy action/comedy is a terrific car chase down the precarious streets of San Francisco. Logic and crashed cars alike are tossed through the air like matchbox toys in this hyperkinetic, over-the-top piece of Hollywood stunt craftsmanship — and excess. But as Metro zooms along, it feels more like the film was written "around" this spectacular chase scene. Murphy plays a police hostage negotiator who runs afoul of a vicious killer following a botched robbery. Rapaport is his new trainee, who merely turns up whenever Murphy needs an extra pair of eyes or a sharpshooter or a lipreader (don't ask). Ultimately, Metro is a by-the-numbers police thriller. Murphy is in good form, but after The Nutty Professor, this is a precarious step backwards.

 -- Steven D. Segal