Quicksilver

Directed by Tom Donnelly, Quicksilver follows Kevin Bacon’s Jack Casey as he attempts to recover from a tremendous financial loss by taking on a job as a bike messenger – with the narrative detailing the character’s subsequent adventures alongside a group of oddball fellow couriers (including Laurence Fishburne’s Voodoo and Jami Gertz’s Terri). There’s little doubt, ultimately, that Quicksilver fares best in its familiar yet entertaining opening stretch, as filmmaker Donnelly, working from his own screenplay, does an effective job of establishing the central character and the off-kilter world in which he eventually finds himself – with the potency of these scenes heightened by the strength of the various performances. (Bacon’s personable yet somewhat bland work is alleviated by the colorful supporting cast’s efforts, to be sure.) It’s disappointing to note, then, that the picture begins to palpably go off the rails as it progresses through its frustratingly overstuffed midsection, as Donnelly drops the focus on the aforementioned messengers and instead packs the proceedings with one entirely underwhelming subplot after another – including Jack’s efforts to help a coworker (Paul Rodriguez’s Hector) and, especially, the ongoing emphasis on the exploits of a vicious drug dealer (Rudy Ramos’ Gypsy) terrorizing the protagonists. By the time the bizarrely action-heavy climax rolls around, Quicksilver has unquestionably squandered the good will engendered by its easygoing and engaging first act to become a forgettable (and occasionally interminable) endeavor.

** out of ****