The Saint (1997)

Despondent after the disappointment of playing Batman in Batman & Robin, Val Kilmer chose The Saint, based on the character best remember from books at the 70s TV-series, which offered more acting opportunities, rather than return to being swallowed up in a rubber suit in another Bat-sequel. The Saint is certainly better than Batman Forever, but by less than you might expect.

An interesting failure, the first half-hour of the film, focused on Kilmer's character's past and a pretty underwhelming heist in the present, is nearly unwatchable. However, things do pick up once Elisabeth Shue is introduced as the latest mark for our thief and master of disguise (Kilmer) which are opportunities for Kilmer to show up on-screen in a series of ridiculous costumes (and even more ridiculous accents).

Shue co-stars as a scientist on the verge of a breakthrough in cold fusion (a still unproven hypothesized energy source and something Hollywood became enamored with in the late 90s in films like The Saint and Chain Reaction).

Wooing and stealing Dr. Russell's (Shue) research while taking on a personality named after a Catholic saint, our hero is then betrayed by his employers (Rade Šerbedžija and Valeriy Nikolaev) and he and the doctor go on the run in Russia where to beat the would-be dictator from stealing power she must get the science to work and he must stay alive long enough to allow events to play out in his favor.

The movie works when the pair are together on-screen, despite some dialogue that hasn't aged well, and does offer some fun moments including his surprise at the doctor tracking him down and the pair's escape through the sewers of Russia. The makeup effects on Kilmer are mostly disappointing, even for the mid-90s (and a year after Mission: Impossible) never going so far to actually hide the fact that it's always our protagonist underneath. It's hard to believe our Saint has ever fooled anyoone.

The new 4K steelbook includes both 4K and Blu-ray versions of the film as well as a digital copy. The only extra included on the Blu-ray is audio commentary from director Phillip Noyce.

• Title: The Saint
• IMDb: link