The game of cat and mouse intensifies, digging up the past, and the manhunt closes in. As one F.B.I. agent pulls the pieces of the puzzle together, the depth of corruption reaches out to cut its loose ends. And the last man standing tries to reclaim his prize, but victory won't be his. And the pieces of one man's life will be brushed aside, paving the way for a new road to follow.Intricate lanes of suspense and mystery crisscross together, taking us on a wild ride into the dilemma of one man trapped between the lines of innocence and guilt. The storyline plunges further into conflict, and the heat of passion intensifies. Life and death tango as loose ends are pulled together, and mystery is unmasked. And as the story concludes are we captivated by a brilliant cast of actors bringing to life conflicted characters, and the conclusion carries us off into the sunset, bringing an end to The Stickup, a movie that stands with Blink, Basic Instinct, and Taking Lives.

Rowdy Herrington's "The Stickup" turned out to be a surprise when it turned up recently on cable. Not having seen it before, we decided to take a chance, which paid up because of the interesting work the director gets out of the star of the film, James Spader. "The Stickup" makes a case for appearing to be something on the surface, while being something else in reality. John Parker, the cop that decides to take a trip up north to clear his head knows about the corruption in his own department and feels horrible about the death of his good partner during a stake out in L.A. When we see him at the beginning of the film bleeding at a church, little do we know what he has been involved in. For all appearances, John has robbed the bank and has gotten away with all the money. An FBI agent is assigned to the case; he is an inexperienced young man who appears not to have a clue of what he is doing, but by looking to clues in the video tape about the bank heist, he will solve the mystery.The film is greatly helped by James Spader, who as John Parker is the best thing in the movie. Leslie Stefanson, is Natalie, the nurse who believes in Parker even when all the evidence points out to his guilt. David Keith is perfectly obnoxious as the sheriff. "The Stickup" is a small film that packs a great punch!

Picked up a couple of videos to watch on this rainy Saturday afternoon. Oh what a waste of time this movie was. Can I get my money back? I love James Spader. What a great actor. I'm sure he wouldn't have taken this role if it wasn't a good script -- originally. Too bad that in the process of making this film so many bad decisions were made.What I found to be the most disappointing was the casting of the lead (and only) female character. There just wasn't any chemistry between Leslie Stefanson and Spader. I can think of SO MANY other actresses who could have been far more believable, interesting and competent. Stefanson couldn't deliver a convincing performance. If Natalie really was attracted to Parker, why didn't she act like it? His reasons for getting involved with her were obvious -- he needed her help (and wasn't going to turn down her quick invitation to jump in the sack) -- but what were her reasons for getting (and staying) involved with him? Even when they first met, there was no flirting, no dalliance. This mysterious man just shows up one day and brings excitement and intrigue into her otherwise duller-than-dull life, yet we see no emotion from her. Natalie took a lot of serious risks helping Parker, yet Stefanson's performance left me wondering why. Being his nurse as well as his lover, one would expect some tenderness, some warmth from her. I found her to be cool, aloof and sarcastic. There should have been some fervor from her to justify her actions.The main storyline of this movie involving the crime and the mystery of solving it was a good one. But the simultaneous "romantic" relationship between Natalie and Parker never heated up as they became more involved with each other, and it should have. That was a disturbing distraction to me.

This movie is so good, I watched it 5 times before I returned the rental. I purchased a copy, and have seen it at least 7 more times. James Spader is one of my favorite actors, and this film was a proper vehicle for him. The fact that it had a plot (bank robbery), subplot (his illegal past), and a plot twist (he didn't do it), made it a complete film. I hope I haven't spoiled it for anyone.