Wow, as good as this was and it was only slightly above good, the ending I DID NOT SEE COMING FROM 50 MILES AWAY sold me all the way to a solid 8/10 stars.

Never saw this before tonight, but I've known of it since it came out. Probably never seen it because for the longest time I couldn't stand Kevin Costner. Then he made Dances with Wolves and I loved him. Then he made Waterworld and The Postman Back to Back, so I didn't like him again.

But, then I opened my eyes. Noticed him in so many other movies where he was basically perfect and I've been a Costner fan ever since. No way out of this last bond.

So, tonight, while looking for a political thriller - hopefully slow burn, I came across this title in my research. With the HIGH recommendation I found, plus Costner and an all-star cast of the late 80s, I watched it. I knew the basic-basic plot and began, subconsciously looking for clues as I'm accustomed to these late 80s thrillers.

Costner's high-ranking Naval Officer is having a relationship with Sean Young who also happens to be dating his newest boss, The Secretary of Defense. Easy peasy, but muddy. And then, bam, a wrench/twist is thrown in and Costner has to work with/around a coverup even though he might be a suspect, himself.

And that's like 40% of the story. Watch for the rest.

I was rewarded with what I needed: a slow-burn, political thriller. This is 100% that, until the inevitable and messy climax that 100% elevates this above expectations. Sorry I didn't see this sooner, but glad I finally did.

***

Final thoughts: #1 boy, I'm glad I changed my mind to Costner. He is one incredible, thoughtful and brilliant actor. #2, unrelated, half-way thru I wondered if Hackman is still alive. Fair question, he's been out of the spotlight for a while. He is, and also 90. 90! Sadly, Sean Connery JUST died yesterday, and he was 90. I know it's 2020 and aside from a possible positive that comes out of the November 3rd election in 2 days, nothing else comes out of 2020 safe. Here's to your health, Mr. Luthor!

"No Way Out" is a reworking of the 1948 classic "The Big Clock". I say reworking and not remake because the plot has been changed quite a bit...so much so that it's practically a new story.

Lt. Commander Farrell (Kevin Costner) meets a sexy lady (Sean Young) at a party...a party with many well-connected folks from DC...including the President, Secretaries and Congressmen. The pair hit it off VERY fast and end up leaving early to do the nasty in the back of a limo. Unfortunately for their relationship, he's soon sent back to duty on a ship. However, his time at sea is cut short...apparently the Secretary of Defense (Gene Hackman) and his toady like Farrell and think he'd be a great asset to their intelligence division. And, since this means returning to DC, Farrell's affair begins again. However, Farrell is shocked to learn that the woman ALSO is the Secretary's mistress...and she demands he leave through the back door when the Secretary arrives unexpectedly at her apartment.

The next day, Farrell learns that the woman is dead....and he assumes the Secretary killed her. But in order to cover it up, the Secretary and his toady concoct a lie...that some Soviet agent killed the lady. So, they unleash their full power to do a fake investigation of the murder...and they are obviously looking for a scapegoat. While Farrell knows what's happening, he won't be able to convince anyone that the Secretary is a killer...and what's worse, the fake investigation is leading to Farrell! So, it's up to Farrell to do something...but what?!

If you like ultra-cynical suspense films, then "No Way Out" is clearly for you! It's taut, well written and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Well acted as well....and a film that helped make Kevin Costner a major star.

NO WAY OUT is a bit of an oddity. For the first hour or so, I watched this in complete indifference, waiting for the real 'plot' to begin. Watching Costner and Young sleeping together was repetitive and pretty dated, full of '80s tunes and cheesy scenes, like the one in the back of the limousine. Then Hackman's character sets the plot off for real, and suddenly I was hooked. I was behind Costner's character all the way, and I loved the way the scriptwriter trapped him within the imprisoning confines of the Pentagon, hunting for a wronged man whom he knew to be himself. I thought the suspense and twists played out very well. Often in suspense movies, writers are happy to throw out all the old clichés – such as the ticking bomb – but the computer recognition software really makes this film and gives it an edge over its competition.

There was a sense of urgency that I rarely find elsewhere in the movies. My heart was pounding as Costner's plight became ever more deadly and how his enemies were gradually closing in. A COMMANDO-style action set-piece in a shopping mall threatens to destroy credibility, but then the suspense comes back stronger than ever, lasting right until the thrilling ending. Then we get an extra coda, one of those big 'twist' endings that throws the whole previous film on its head. I have to say that I disliked this twist. It didn't feel real, and it felt tacked-on as a last minute thing ("oh, wouldn't that be cool?"). To be honest, I would have preferred the film without it, but there we go.

A strong cast delivers a fine script in this one. It's one of Costner's best movies, and Hackman's multi-layered villain is another solid entry in the actor's career. Will Patton is delightfully evil as the slimy aide. Other good characters are George Dzundza as Costner's wheelchair-bound buddy and Marshall Bell and Chris D as a couple of hulking hit men. NO WAY OUT is one of those films that doesn't have to have shoot-outs every five minutes to be exciting – in fact, the action scenes are few and far between, and I counted just a couple of them. No, here the urgency comes from the well-plotted situation the central character finds himself in – and it's a rare beast to find a film so enthralling because of that.