Scott LeBrun Stop me if you've heard this one before: a loose cannon detective loses his partner when the latter is killed by a loathsome criminal, so naturally the detective becomes obsessed with vengeance and tracks the killer down to their home turf. In this case, the home turf is New Orleans. A key element that our detective latches onto is the presence of a sultry young woman who is supposedly the "property" of the bad guy. Richard Gere probably wouldn't automatically come to a lot of minds as a leading contender for this sort of detective role, but he basically does alright, and he works well with leading lady Kim Basinger; both stars look great as always. But what really helps to make this a decent if unexceptional entertainment for this viewer is that New Orleans setting, which is a very healthy asset to any film set there. That unique New Orleans atmosphere is definitely present and accounted for. The film, competently directed by Richard Pearce, gets down to business quickly and keeps up a pretty good pace while offering a fair bit of excitement and violence. The script, by Jim Carabatsos, doesn't offer anything that's terribly out of the ordinary, but the actors make the most of it. The film *does* feature an excellent supporting cast: William Atherton plays yet another of his patented Jerk characters whose lights you just want to punch out the first moment you see him, Gary Basaraba is reasonably likable as the ill-fated partner (you just *know* he's a goner because he's the married one), George Dzundza is solid as Gere's weary boss who ultimately supports him in his quest for vengeance, Terry Kinney is another victim of our bad guy, Bruce McGill is a grumpy N.O. detective, and Dutch actor Jeroen Krabbe, who got effectively introduced to American audiences here, is nicely understated as the villain, sometimes exploding into violence but never going the obvious route of throwing temper tantrums. Look also for Charles S. Dutton in a bit, and the late, great Ray Sharkey in an amusing cameo as Angles Ryan. Good action sequences are a plus, as well as a striking music score by Alan Silvestri, one compelling (and seemingly obligatory) journey through a swamp, and the finale, taking place inside a burning motel, which is a definite corker. "No Mercy" isn't anything great or even that good, but it's not without its moments. Six out of 10.

James Hitchcock "No Mercy" is a film which draws upon two cinematic traditions. The first is the "tough cop" thriller which first saw the light of day in the late sixties and early seventies in films like "Dirty Harry" and "The French Connection" and which was enjoying a new lease of life in the eighties.The hero of this film is Eddie Jillette, a Chicago cop who is investigating Paul Deveneux, the scion of a wealthy New Orleans family who has travelled to Chicago to hire the services of a professional hit man. In an attempt to entrap Deveneux, Jillette and his partner Joe pose as assassins for hire, but something goes wrong. Losado, the man Deveneux wants dead, is aware of his plans, and sends his own team of killers to Chicago. In a shootout, Jillette escapes, but Deveneux and Joe are killed. Jillette heads to New Orleans to investigate, but his presence is welcomed neither by Deveneux's family nor by the local police, and he soon finds himself in danger from Losado, who turns out to be a powerful local crime baron. Jillette's only ally (and she at first a reluctant one) is Michelle, Losado's beautiful mistress. (In the cast list her name is spelled as "Michel", but as that is the masculine form of the name this is presumably an error).The other tradition on which the film draws is that of neo-noir, the genre which uses modern cinema techniques in order to produce a contemporary equivalent of the classic films noirs of the forties and fifties. The film contains some of the traditional noir devices, such as the blonde femme fatale, with Kim Basinger playing the part that in the heyday of film noir would have been played by the likes of Lauren Bacall, Lizabeth Scott, Gloria Grahame or Rita Hayworth. (Well, I know Rita wasn't normally a blonde, but she was one in "Lady from Shanghai"). As with many films noirs the hero has an idiosyncratic morality based on personal honour; in his pursuit of Losado he is inspired not so much by an abstract belief in law or justice (like many "tough cops" he has a "shoot first, ask questions later" attitude) but a desire to avenge Joe, who was not only his partner but also a close personal friend.Like most neo-noirs, or at least like most good neo-noirs, "No Mercy" manages to find a visual equivalent to the brooding monochrome photography which was a frequent hallmark of the original noirs. As with many films in the genre, much of the action takes place at night, with the darkness acting as a visual symbol for the moral darkness which lies at the heart of the plot. There are some striking scenes of the industrial areas of Chicago, of the Louisiana bayous and of the sleazy, rundown quarters of New Orleans in which Losado operates.Richard Gere makes a stylish hero, but he is perhaps rather too laid back, lacking the sort of intensity that the likes of Mel Gibson, Bruce Willis and Gene Hackman brought to their tough cop heroes. Kim Basinger, however, is excellent; of all her performances that I have seen I would rank this one second only to the one she gave in an even better neo-noir, "L.A. Confidential". Kim brings to the role not only her usual sex appeal (in my view she was, together with Michelle Pfeiffer, the loveliest Hollywood star of the eighties) but also some subtle acting. At first she seems, both to the audience and to Jillette, like a hard, brassy femme fatale; Jillette even assumes that she is a hooker. Gradually, however, she softens as her tragic story becomes apparent (she was "sold" to Losado as a child) and both we, and Jillette, come to realise that she too is a victim.Like some of the other reviewers here, I am at a loss to understand why this film should have such a low rating on this board any why it should have attracted so many negative comments, with many seeing it as merely a "hackneyed" or "clichéd" thriller. Yes, it is a thriller, but it is possible to work creatively even within the confines of a formulaic genre, and "No Mercy" is in my view one of the better thrillers of the eighties. The action sequences, especially the final shootout in the burning flophouse, are effective enough to satisfy action-movie junkies, but there is more to the film than that. It is well acted, well photographed and well written- in all a superior sort of thriller. 7/10

cyndih50 No Mercy is a great movie that offers a lot of action, a great cast of actors and actresses, a very haunting melody as the base music in the soundtrack, and additionally, some really beautiful scenery. All of the actors do a really great job portraying their characters and there is a lot of action and subtle bits that endear the movie watcher to the character played by Kim Basinger. Richard Gere was a very cool "tough cop" in this film and he was a real looker needless to say. I have seen this movie more than once and still think it is a really entertaining film. Lots to offer INCLUDING a great soundtrack that has eluded me all these years. I would appreciate any tip that would help me locate one of the "out of print" CD's of this soundtrack. I most definitely would pay a reasonable price. thanks!

vampiresan Look it is not that this movie is bad, it's just not very good. The usual hollywood mix of beautiful blonde girl(prostitute of course), vigilante cop, lots of car chases and several references to Basinger's breasts. Okay if you like that sort of thing, but even this has been done better elsewhere.Not recommended unless it's late night when there is nothing else on.