Little Nikita (1988)

Why so much hype?

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Roy Parmenter (Sidney Poitier), having a great mistrust for anything Russian, arguably understandably so as his FBI partner had been killed by a Soviet spy codenamed Scuba decades earlier, has to ascertain if Jeff Grant (River Phoenix), a recent Air Force applicant, is in fact a Soviet spy just as his 'sleeper' parents are, while at the same time protecting them from the aforementioned spy who killed his partner all those years ago and whom is now has turned rouge and is killing Soviet agents in an effort to extort money from Russia.This film is would be a strictly average 'espionage' thriller if not for Poitier and Phoenix who give some excellent acting in a vain attempt to propel this film above it's source material. They're not entirely successful, as the movie is still pretty of the cut and paste variety. But at the same time I do appreciate their combined efforts.My Grade: C

Irritating All - American Air Force recruit discovers his parents have a dark secret.They are Soviet "sleeper" agents,infiltrated into the U.S. twenty years earlier but never called upon until other "Sleepers" start turning up dead.Elderly FBI agent uses him to entrap a maverick Russian hit-man.Hard to say whether "Little Nikita" was aimed at the potential audience of irritating young All - Americans who might identify with the late Mr River Pheonix or the retirees who would root for Mr Sidney Poitier. Comic Book Russians flood San Diego to stop their "sleepers" from being assassinated,but are failing dismally until the FBI - in the form of "deniable" Mr Poitier - become involved. He is a frisky 60 -odd,still able to bed the local school Principal whilst wearing his underpants in case of unexpected visitors,a propitious action in the event as young Mr Pheonix bursts in on them in flagrante. In the era of Reagan - Gorbachov "Glasnost" Mr Poitier and his Comic Book Russian counterpart warily reach out and settle the problem without causing a Diplomatic Incident by hurriedly smuggling the villain across the Mexican border.Phew!That was a close call. Presumably the irritating Young All - American's Pinko - Commie illegal immigrant parents get a free pass because that's the way it is in California,folks. "Little Nikita" is not exciting,it's not funny,it just....well, "is"..I suppose.You watch it,there's a "yeah,well..." shrugging moment and you carry on worrying about when Russia is going to cut off gas supplies to the European Union.The Bear's claws may have been blunted but there's more than one way to skin a cat,Comrades.

I sat to watch this one because it came from the 1980s, and had (Sidney Poitier) in it. Although I know so well that this great icon made a lot of movies that didn't deserve his great talent at all. But let us watch this thriller from 1988.. At first some ridiculous questions were allowed to be asked such as : if the FBI knows the places of the Russian sleepers (temporarily retired Russian spies) why for god's sake they didn't warn them at all about this maniac killer ?! Or even arrest them in the first place?!!, and if (Poitier) already knew the truth of (River Phoenix)'s parents what exactly he intended to do with their son by telling him the hidden reality ?? Is it for using him to convince his father and mother not to obey (Richard Bradford) the Russian officer ?? Maybe. But what's the need of those ones in particular to hand over the money to the killer? And why on earth that very Russian officer phoned the sleepers themselves (after the ballet) from (Poitier)'s apartment ?? .. And if he didn't intent to kidnap their boy (who enters at the same time to the very place so easily !) by what he was going to threaten the previous agents ? Especially with the fact of their parents being dead ?? And let us look at that scene which HAS the Russian officer showering and the killer is here suddenly (with a knife !), menaces him quickly : (I Want My Money Fast) and runs away !!.. To have the miserable fat officer standing under the shower just offended ?? So you must ask yourself why in the world he didn't run after him (even nude ?!), or why he didn't hold his gun (if he had one !) to shot the evil guy who had just a knife ??.. For a second I thought that there was a secret relationship or undercover partnership between them BUT at the end I said to myself what a good twist it would've been if they did what I was thinking of !! Anyway I've got some things extra to bother : (Poitier) all his work at his office is just looking at the pictures more than 10 times ??, reading names from his computer to discover the reality of the sleepers in such too easy way to the extent that I was saying while watching : WaW, the job of the FBI agents is very simple ! Then what's the necessity of his love affair with the school's employee (Poitier was 61 years old at the time)?, and when it comes to the end of the movie I just wonder why the Russian officer kidnapped the boy to have this long chase?! I believe not to kill him for sure but to negotiate with the Americans to GET the killer in his custody, however the movie made him kill the killer with the American FBI agent in the same time ! So long live the peace agreement and good bye to the old cold war ! (must notice that the movie is produced at 1988. Not before. So the changes were very fresh !) but you must ask yourself first what the killer would have earned by throwing the boy out of the bridge ?! And what a shot when all the money went to the two very poor alien emigrants by pure coincidence just to till us how America is so generous and kind to anyone would resort to it ! By the way there is a strange guy appears in that scene out of the blue to stand beside (Poitier) and talk with him about the continuance of life ! so (Poitier) responds in his wise tone : yes, same all same all !!.. Who is that guy anyway ? And from where did he emerge ??!.. Well, It was so aspirant movie with a new catchy story which had unpredictable thrilling lines : The FBI old agent who wants to fulfill his old revenge, the nice relationship between the mentor (Poitier) and Little Nikita (Phoenix), what would you do if you discovered that your parents are not what you're used to know ?? and that serial killer for the old spies who was chased by the Americans and the Russians too. All of this was so bright and original but unfortunately the main big mistake was in the SCREENPLAY which was incapable of building solider plot without any holes. At last, the most enjoyable things in here would be : the potentials of the story, the magical charisma of the old (Sidney Poitier) and the young (River Phoenix) together, Marvin Hamlisch's stylish music, the good chase at the end, and the brief but unique presence of (Ingrid M. Rhoads) at the Air Force Academy as (Cpl. Hogan) in maybe 3 shots only ! (you maybe missed her.. but not me !) although she didn't talk but she was unforgettable sexy in the military suit.. Unforgettable unlike the movie itself for a lot of people and if you don't believe me just ask yourself (for the very last time) why there are no more than 9 comments in here about this one after nearly 20 years of its production ?!

This is one of the stupidest movies I have ever seen, however like many similarly dumb movies it does have its entertaining moments. To start with the plot is about as farfetched as they come. **SOME SPOILERS ** During a routine check to allow a boy into the airforce it comes to this FBI guy's attention that the boys parents are either the undead or are using fake names. Now the FBI agent has to do some snooping and finds out that the boy's parents are in fact Russian sleeper spies and that other sleeper spies in the region are being killed one by one by a rogue Russian spy! the FBI agent tells the boy who predictably does not believe that his all-American parents could be Russian spies but after he does some snooping he finds some passports revealing that his parents are Russian and in fact his name is not Jeff Nicholas Grant as he thought but is actually Nikita! We can all guess what's going to go down now. **END OF SPOILERS **So the plot is a big weakness but combined with the terrible script Little Nikita makes all its cast and crew look like amateurs. There is seriously only one reason to watch this movie.....the crazy talented RIVER PHOENIX. Phoenix is the only one able to breathe some light and life into the script and his scenes are the only ones worthwhile watching. In a film that is undeserving of such talent River Phoenix comes away unscathed. His performance is solid even if at certain points he too looks embarrassed both by the lines he has to say and the stereotypical Russians he is playing against. Phoenix was the best actor of his generation and it is a deep tragedy that he was taken so young.My verdict on this film is: AVERAGE script, AVERAGE plot, AVERAGE acting from all but River Phoenix who is great in every part.Don't pay money to see this film, don't rent it and don't buy it. It's the kind of film you may want to catch on TV if you have a couple of spare hours. If you are a fan of River Phoenix then you probably want to check it out but don't expect too much, his performance is good but the movie itself is far from his best.5/10