Anthony Hopkins recently claimed he still makes mistakes - despite having put his womanising, alcoholic past behind him.
This film is the evidence. He also revealed he didn't bother to read the script before making Bad Company. Big mistake.
It makes you wonder just how many pieces of paper with the Queen's head on them the studio was paying him?
You can't blame him for taking the shilling - Streep, De Niro, Gielgud and even Olivier all did that - but you can blame him for not being bothered about what he did for it.
Phoning it in is always a crime - even if his telephony skills are better than many other actors' genuine performances.
Bad Company is a load of very silly, post-cold war terrorist bunk about Eastern European baddies trying to blow up a thermo-nuclear bomb in New York.
You can see why Americans found this alarming and tasteless and stayed away from cinemas.
CIA agent Kevin Pope (Chris Rock) is killed in action, posing as an antiques dealer trying to buy the bomb from a dodgy dealer. No one seems to care why he wants it.
One of Anthony Hopkins' fellow CIA agents in the movie is played by Brooke Smith who played the character rescued from Buffalo Bill by Clarice Starling in the Silence of the Lambs.
To complete the trade, and get the nuke in safe hands, the agency dredges up Pope's long-lost twin brother, low-rent hustler Jake Hayes (Rock again).
Trouble is, he needs serious grooming, and veteran CIA agent Anthony Hopkins has just nine days to keep the deal on ice, get his charge in shape and save the world.
Joel Schumacher, back to being a hired gun after some more credible films, exploits all the cliches as they career towards a chase-laden conclusion.
Hopkins kicks and punches his way through, looking like he's thinking, "I'm too old for this."
Chris Rock swears his way through unconvincing situations, and is out of his depth playing it straight as his sophisticated brother at the start of the film.
When he's himself he's annoying and unfunny but then, that's the writer's fault.
In these times the heavy-handed and preachy tone is to be expected - and it's done with no subtlety.
If you like popcorn action you're going to find something to enjoy here. It's less terrible if you park your brain at the door but I can think of much better company for a couple of hours than this.
Aidan Conway
