Ticker (2002)

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

And finally another Clive Owen short film that promotes the BMW brand. The director here is Joe Carnahan ("The Grey"), who also wrote the script based on David Fincher's work. The story is about a priceless suitcase this time and The Driver has to protect it and also Don Cheadle's character. As you know by now, this is another star-studded cast for a film under 10 minutes. Also in here are F. Murray Abraham ("Amadeus") and Ray Liotta ("Goodfellas"). And the score comes from Darren Aronofsky's pal Clint Mansell. Unfortunately, the final result does not look as great as the cast and crew list. It's probably not the worst of these shorts, but it's also nowhere near being the best. The ending actually elevates the whole thing. Pretty good idea with what actually was in the suitcase. But not enough to make up for the uninteresting parts before that. Not recommended.

After watching all of the The Hire BMW commercials, I'm still considering the first, Ambush, my favorite. But I must say, this one comes damn close. It has great action, a pretty good plot and very good acting by all involved. The cameos by Ray Liotta and Robert Patrick are a nice touch. The only thing I didn't like in this was the twist... when we find out what's inside the suitcase. That is a little lame... and overly 'good guy', I think. Apart from that, though, the commercial is very cool and intense. I like the way the story was told, jumping a bit back and forth in time, throughout the entire thing... that worked exceptionally well. I haven't seen any other films by Joe Carnahan, but if any of them are as action-packed and intense as this one, I might have to check out some of his other work. While I can't say too much about his acting talent in general, I think Don Cheadle did a pretty good job in this. Clive Owen is, as usual, great as The Driver. F. Murray Abraham is charismatic as always. While this is not the best of the commercials, it is very good, and definitely worth watching. I recommend it to fans of the commercials and action films. 8/10

This is among the best of BMW Films to date, a charged and emotional action short revolving around a mysterious suitcase. The Driver and the man who holds the suitcase are being chased by a helicopter whose passengers fire incessently to stop the delivery, and The Driver demands to know why it is so important that this suitcase be delivered. He gets his answer when blood drips from the package, and when he arrives at the delivery point, and sees an army, both a literal one and one of doctors.

All of the films in this series The Hire are exceptional outstanding work. My favorite so far has been Ride with the Devil. Ticker is good work buy all the actors and visually is well done. Mixing in a political agenda is a nice touch.