Movie Review: "Reservoir Dogs"

Yes, this movie is almost 20 years old but I just watched it in its entirety for the first time that I can remember.  (Which means that perhaps I saw the entire thing previously but because of those pesky brain cells that keep vacating the premises, I didn't remember the whole movie.) What I remember from previous viewing interludes is that the movie was very violent.  Now, in the 21st century, it doesn't seem all that bad.  It is a Quentin Tarantino movie, so yes, there is blood and yes, there is the famous scene where the bad guys cut another guy's ear off, but it's just bloody, not overtly violent.  James Bond is more in-your-face violent than these crooks.  And hey, it's a movie with bad guys so you have to expect a little gun and knife action.

Basically, it's about a jewelry heist that ends up in the weeds, a couple of guys dead, one shot and bleeding and the rest of the crew running around trying to salvage the operation while trying to figure out what went wrong.  A few characters are not what they seem to be and that revelation slowly unfolds for us, the viewer.  It is a simple plot, simple story of best laid plans going awry.  The thing about "Reservoir Dogs" that makes it worth seeing again is the dialogue.  Tarantino is responsible for most of the writing and it almost seems like a one-act play.  Most of the action takes place in an abandoned warehouse and all of the characters talk, a lot.  It is quick, jumpy, smart and never lags. Yes, there is a lot of cursing and plenty of use of the f-word, but again, what can you expect from Tarantino. The cast is amazing: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Quentin Tarantino, Steve Buscemi, Michael Madsen.  No women, too much testosterone for that.

Bottom line, a good caper movie with excellent dialogue.  Definitely worth seeing, definitely worth seeing again if it's been awhile since you checked it out.

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