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Next of Kin

Starring: Patrick Swayze, Liam Neeson
Director: John Irvin
Genre: Action
Year: 1989
Rating: 2 / 5

Try to imagine a time before Brad Pitt, before George Clooney, and, yes, before Vin Diesel. Around 1990, action stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were still churning out blockbusters, while understudies Jean-Cluade Van Damme and Steven Seagal were just getting started. It was during this time that Hollywood was operating under the impression that Patrick Swayze was a bankable movie star. (Breathe.) A couple years removed from the romantic classic Dirty Dancing, Swayze was actually being cast as part of the new wave of action stars, opening successful films like Roadhouse and Point Break. During this period he also released Next of Kin, a dud with little going for it save a bevy of faces that would soon become quite famous.

Truman Gates (Patrick Swayze) is a country boy who has left his humble roots to become a police officer in downtown Chicago. Fighting a never-ending battle with his brother Briar (Liam Neeson) for their soul of their younger sibling Gerald (Bill Paxton), Truman is trying to convince his family that their future resides in the city. It irks him to no end that Briar and, to a lesser extent, Gerald believe that the city life is not for them. This proves all too true when Gerald’s life comes to an unfortunate end. Making a nighttime delivery with a co-worker, Gerald is assaulted by mob hoods looking for his truck and his cargo. Not willing to surrender so easily, Gerald is shot and killed, setting in motion a series of events that will leave Truman, Briar, and the entire Gates clan looking for vengeance.

Liam Neeson, before his big break in Sam Raimi’s cult film Darkman. Bill Paxton, released from James Cameron’s clutches for this bit part. Helen Hunt, three years before she would spring to fame along with Paul Reiser in Mad About You. Ben Stiller, still in his early twenties, stepping out in advance of his publicly ignored but critically praised Ben Stiller Show. These people all floated in and out of Next of Kin, all playing second fiddle to Patrick Swayze! Granted, this is the man who steered Red Dawn to near-mythic levels, and he did help make Demi Moore a star in Ghost, but there has to be a reason the man has hardly worked in the past decade. After all, Swayze has only made a handful of quality films in his day, and this is not one of them.

Next of Kin may have worked at the time – a tale of a man seeking revenge for a family member’s death – but it seems a tad trite in hindsight. After all, we have since been subjected to countless Seagal films detailing his one-man crusade to right the wrongs that have been done to him. Patrick Swayze may bring a little more acting credibility to his role than his action star brethren, but he comes across as somewhat deficient in the ass-kicking department. (Fans of Roadhouse will no doubt dispute this claim.) The final action sequence comes across as especially contrived, as it features, among other things, crossbows and a bus full of snakes. Next of Kin may make you appreciate the value of some tough hombres in your own clan, but that will not make this particular film any easier to swallow.

Cast:

Certification: Rated R for violence.
Running Time: 108 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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