Main Cast: Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Karen Young, Joe Don Baker, Tess Harper, Ron Lea
Release Year: 1989
Country: US
Run Time: 113 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Criminal Law is an inadvertently legal thriller wherein criminal defense attorney Ben Chase (Gary Oldman) decides to prove that his client Martin Thiel (Kevin Bacon) is in fact a serial killer, despite the acquittal that Ben won for him. When new murders occur, Ben takes matters into his own hands, beginning a psychological battle of wills with Martin. Gary Oldman gives an excellent performance as the criminal defense attorney with a conscience, and Kevin Bacon is intriguing and ambiguous as the killer. The action sequences -- particularly when Ben finds a body in the rain in a deserted park -- are terrific as is the fast-paced direction by Martin Campbell. However, the film cannot overcome its ludicrous premise or its laughable, totally unbelievable courtroom sequences. Criminal Law, if not taken very seriously and with more than a grain of salt, can be entertaining, but it fails miserably when compared to accurate, exciting legal thrillers such as Primal Fear. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
Karen Woolridge - Claudia Curwen; Elizabeth Sheppard - Dr. Sybil Thiel; Michael Sinelnikoff - Prof. Clemens; Terence Labrosse; Tyrone Benskin
Credit
Vera Miller - Casting, Lynda Gordon - Casting, Mike Fenton - Casting, Jane Feinberg - Casting, Ken Gord - Co-producer, Hilary Heath - Co-producer, Robert MacLean - Co-producer, Martin Campbell - Director, Chris Wimble - Editor, John Daly - Executive Producer, Derek Gibson - Executive Producer, Jerry Goldsmith - Composer (Music Score), Curtis Schnell - Production Designer, Phil Meheux - Cinematographer, Mark Kasdan - Screenwriter
Attorney Ben Chase successfully defends Martin Thiel, a wealthy young playboy, getting him acquitted of a series of brutal murders — only to find out later that Thiel is indeed a serial killer. Since Thiel cannot be tried again for his crimes, Chase tries to get him to incriminate himself before he can kill again.
The film received a negative to mixed reaction from critics, with a 38% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert gave the film two stars out of four, calling it "a textbook example of a movie going wrong before our very eyes."[1]
