Predrag I think when Quaid and Ryan were married and their chemistry on screen is terrific in a terrific story remade from an even better earlier film from the 40's, I understand. This DOA is just different enough to make it interesting to watch. Yes in places this updated version of DOA drags almost to the point where I got bored. There are more than a music club scenes in DOA that seem to be thrown in just to get lots of use the club set. The music is loud but nothing special. This revamped DOA is more of a who done it and valid suspects are plentiful. The characters are well acted an interesting. The original DOA did a far better job of telling you time was of the essence. This DOA uses a contemporary theme of a cheating wife, questionable associates and scheming students to create a web of suspects the main character must weed through.The film moves a mile-a-minute, with people getting knocked over the head with things, people chasing through tar pits, and of course a short episode at the compulsory carnival. Seems like suspense movies from the 1980's until the mid-1990's always have a scene where the protagonist is stumbling through a carnival or bizarre of some sort late in the evening to add to his already dazed-and-confused condition. Some of the action is a bit unbelievable but what saves it are the fine performances of all the leads, particularly Quaid who keeps you wanting to find out with him what is really going on. Certainly not the best movie of its type, but it has a look and feel all its own.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

LouisRenault In the original, the main character and the premise are established in a few minutes. The plot moves along briskly and as O'Brien tries to find out who did it and why, you are as interested to learn the answers as he is.Here, for more than half an hour you have no idea what the picture is all about; at one point it crossed my mind that it might not be any sort of remake at all. How is this half hour spent? In establishing that Quaid's character is someone who could live or die and you couldn't care less either way.Learning form other reviewers that the denouement is a colossal letdown comes as no surprise; I couldn't say myself because I couldn't be bothered to watch it through.Meg Ryan is gorgeous and Quaid gives a solid performance, but apart from that it is hard to find much good to say about this.

seymourblack-1 This remake of the 1950 classic film noir of the same name cleverly utilises a combination of old and new elements to create an entertaining thriller which, although designed for 1980s moviegoers, still has a strong appeal to contemporary audiences.Fans of the original will particularly appreciate the fact that the basic premise of the story has been retained and will also enjoy the black and white sequences at the beginning and end of the movie which provide a stylish homage to Rudolph Mate's film. Those not familiar with the original will also find it an enjoyable mystery which involves murder, jealousy, campus politics and a very unusual motive for murder.University professor Dexter (Dex) Cornell (Dennis Quaid) goes into a police station to report his own murder and as his story is recorded on video tape, it becomes clear that he's been poisoned with a slow acting substance which left him with less than 48 hours to track down his killer and to find out why anyone would want to murder him.Dex had written some successful novels but when writer's block set in, he'd become disillusioned and progressively lost interest in what he was doing. His despair became even greater when one of his most talented students, Nick Lang (Robert Knepper) died after falling from a high building and his wife Gail (Jane Kaczmarek) pressed him to go ahead with action to speed up their divorce. Dexter then reacted by seeking consolation in the local bars where he met Sydney Fuller (Meg Ryan) who was one of his students who had a crush on him. The couple then got drunk together and went back to Sydney's place.Next morning when Dex woke up feeling ill, he knew he was suffering from something more serious than a hangover and checks at a local clinic confirmed that he'd been poisoned. There was no antidote which could help his condition and so, knowing that he didn't have long to live, he decided to visit Gail who had been involved in an affair with Nick. When Dex found her dead body, the police immediately suspected him of murdering both her and Nick. Dex took an opportunity to escape from the police and then decided to force Sydney to go with him to the places they'd visited the previous night, to try to discover who'd murdered him.During Dex's frantic race against time he learned more about Nick's complicated family background and together with Sydney escaped the attentions of a vicious assailant who pursued them with a nail gun. The identity of the murderer surprises Dex but the motive proves to be even more shocking.Directors Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel employ an interesting combination of stylistic influences which work together very effectively. The use of high and low angle shots, close-ups and tilted camera angles are also especially successful as they reflect the sense of chaos and confusion which prevails through certain passages of the action.This is a film which features good performances from Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan and Charlotte Rampling and has a premise which gives its story a natural sense of pace and urgency. Add to this a number of twists and numerous moments of suspense and humour and the final result is an intriguing mystery which is great fun to watch.

elshikh4 Well.. (Meg Ryan) was fabulous.. I've always dreamed of a similar classmate or mate !, she was at the top of her loveliness, tenderness, sexiness. (Dennis Quaid) was at the top too.. He did some unforgettable efforts to the extent that I believed how he was this grieved sarcastic professor. (Annabel Jankal) & (Rocky Morton) made a fine job to sense the oddity of the moment through solidly suspenseful atmosphere.In fact I'm crazy about such a plot which can make the whole world collapses on the head of its hero in only one or two days whatever the genre is (Die Hard, 1941, Before Sunset, Hallo Dolly.. etc). Here it's the perfect thriller : How to find the one who killed YOU in just less than 48 hours ?!!! I said a genuine WAW when I knew that it had been done firstly at 1950 !, it's a great formula for strong noir, sharp thrill, and one hell of a meaning too because – as in here - when you're living in a world has no trust in it among society of unfaithful people to discover eventually that your closest friend is the one who planned to kill you..Then definitely you're dying ! But I think this movie altogether didn't deliver ALL of this that well ..Why?It's technically glaring but maybe the script cared basically for making hot pursuits and chases more than strengthening the deep concept about the end of a guiltless guy in such horrific dark world where perfidy rules, or the poisoning of the intellectual in this savagely violent community where money owns souls. Actually the types of people which the movie presented didn't express that important motif. However it seemed generally like an elegy of our modern life and its message was unmistakable especially with the main character at the end living his death literally : Try to find the ones whom really love you, try to do the right thing by finding and facing the truth early enough before it destroys you or others, and to be that active, cautious not that blind all the time.. Or should I say all the time you've got !I'm in love with some scenes where everything was quite perfect : (Quaid) knows that he's going to die so he runs in the streets like a shadow with a screamer electronic guitar.. It was how to define "helpless" cinematically, the song at the bar (Too Much Sex, Not Enough Affection) by (Timbuk. J) which refers to the absorption in materialism plus this whole scene and the smile of (Meg Ryan) at its end too, the moment when the wealthy wife finds out about the suicide of the student. It was fair work and what a sweet adventure they all done (the crew, the actors, ..etc), there are interesting image and sound along the way and some talents behind them made (D.O.A) a worth watching experiment.All in all it's about being alive indeed not to be dead and alive in the same time, AND that had been said in a movie was so alive at action and suspense however not that alive intellectually, and finally it's alive work but close to dead when it comes to appreciate its real amusing time.