Black Dog

Directed by Kevin Hooks, Black Dog follows Patrick Swayze’s Jack Crews as he finds himself in a whole mess of trouble after agreeing to drive a questionable load across state lines. It’s a simple yet promising setup that’s employed to mostly engaging (albeit awfully hit and miss) effect by Hooks, as the filmmaker, working from William Mickelberry and Dan Vining’s screenplay, delivers a briskly-paced endeavor that benefits from its compelling performances and smattering of engaging, exciting interludes – with, in terms of the latter, Hooks suffusing the narrative with a whole host of larger-than-life action sequences that elevate one’s interest and attention on a recurring basis. There’s little doubt, however, that Black Dog suffers from a somewhat forgettable vibe that prevents it from becoming the persistently enthralling actioner Hooks has obviously intended, and it’s clear, as well, that picture does begin to palpably run out of steam as it passes the one-hour mark – although, admittedly, it’s difficult not to get a kick out of the last-minute (and impressively unexpected) set-piece that ultimately closes the proceedings. The end result is a decent-enough piece of work that does feel a little long even at just 97 minutes, and yet Black Dog‘s unabashedly old-school sensibilities, when coupled with Swayze’s typically charming turn, ensure that it remains fairly watchable from start to finish.

**1/2 out of ****

Leave a comment