Hoping to capture the brio of Eddie Murphy's   successful Beverly Hills Cop series, Metro once again has the star playing a smart-aleck cop. This time there are few laughs, the flick is much nastier, and little original material surfaces.
    Eddie Murphy as a hostage negotiator? Two minutes with manic Murphy would invariably send a hostage holding psycho over the top. He only gets to do any real bartering at the beginning of the movie and from then on it's standard fare.
     Murphy spends time training new sharp-shooting partner Michael Rappaport while on the trail of a psychopathic criminal who takes hostages at the drop of a plot need and seeks revenge like a movie amateur. A lot of time is spent in defining the Eddie's relationship with an off again on again girl friend merely setting up the dramatic confrontation that has echoes of a bad silent movie.

Runaway cable car.©Touchstone

     Metro is a very sharp DVD transfer. The wide- screen 2.35 aspect ratio film features bright colors and excellent overall luminosity. Night scenes feature deep, pure blacks and defined shadow detail. There is too much electronic enhancement resulting in exacerbated edge jumpiness. The 5:1 surround mix is outstanding.

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