User reviews

I am a huge fan of both Morgan Freeman and John Cussack, so when I saw this rental at Hollywood Video, I didn't hesitate, it seemed like a very good idea of the two of them being together in the film. However, I was disappointed when I brought it home and looked up the rating on IMDb to see an average rating. But knowing I had to get my money's worth, I watched it this evening, now I didn't think it was a bad movie, but it was pretty average for what I was expecting from these extremely talented actors. The plot had extreme potential, but some things were not explained well enough, like the characters just had no depth. The script just needed some more work.

After Ray's son gets into trouble, he wants to do a little bonding with him, so he takes him camping. But things get a little interesting when he and his son try to save two people from the river who have washed ashore, one of them is a police officer who is fatally wounded and the other man, Cander, is a hit man who is wanted by the F.B.I. and is also being followed by his fellow assassins. Ray and his son take Cander and try to take him to the police, but it's hard when the assassins are after all of them and won't stop until they get what they want.

A hit-man with a heart of gold, not that original, not that believable, not to mention how some of the plot seemed a bit mediocre and confusing at times. Now, Morgan and John did a good job with what they had, they made the film watchable. They really did have good chemistry so I do hope they do a film together soon, just before they do that, they read the script first. So The Contract is a film I would say is watchable, just like I said, it's a bit average for what you would expect, but just judge for yourself.

6/10

John Cusack must deal with hired killer Morgan Freeman in order to keep his son safe.

Take a great cast that clearly took the roles since they are atypical then undercut them with an unremarkable script and unimaginative direction and you have this forgettable snoozer. Bruce Beresford directed this? Did he show up? Outside of the cast there is no reason to see this film. If you must see this wait for cable, its not even worth a rental.

Not horrible, but you'll forget you saw it-I saw it early today and completely forgot I had watched it until I stumbled on a note to myself about it.

Sure it is not a great movie but it is much better than the reviews on here would have you believe. It was an enjoyable hour and a half of entertainment.

This film is about the chase between cops, assassin's associates, assassin and an ex-cop.

The plot is very simple. Run, run and run. Apart from the constant displacement, there is really not much more to the film. As a result, there is no room to develop the characters. The dialog is weak. The only line that had some depth was when Chris exclaimed that he never thought his father listened to him.

The suspense looks too artificial. Why must they climb down the cliff in pouring rain? Is there really no alternative route? The editing was not tight enough to allow the suspense to sustain. Female nudity is put into the film in such a way that seems totally out of place and unnecessary.

In the end, Morgan Freeman's and John Cusack's characters developed respect and sympathy for each other. This could have been portrayed in more detail.

The only redeeming feature is the beautiful scenery. The valleys and waterfalls are breathtaking.

Every once in a while, they release another movie about a government agent going on the run from his supposed friends (Sydney Pollack's "Three Days of the Condor" brought the genre to its apex 32 years ago, owing in part to widespread distrust of the government at the time). "The Contract" is one such movie, with Morgan Freeman on the run and John Cusack trying to help him. If you turn on the movie not expecting any kind of masterpiece (or not expecting much at all), you won't be a bit disappointed. I could predict much if not most of what was going to happen.

What I found most fascinating about this movie is that it was filmed in Bulgaria. I never would have guessed that that country looks so much like the Pacific Northwest (the setting seriously did look like Washington and Oregon).

But mostly, this is the sort of movie that you rent if there's nothing else to watch. Though in the thick of things, I will say that "Did you learn how to fly in Disneyland?!!!!!" was a pretty entertaining line. Also starring Jonathan Hyde and Bill Smitrovich.

The Contract presents itself as an engaging action thriller with lots of twists. Including the always enjoyable performances of John Cusack and Morgen Freeman one should be in for a great ride. But after several moments into this film it becomes clear why the script has been lying on a dusty shelf somewhere for so long, waiting for top actors to get involved.

Even with the star involvement, the movie just fails to surpass its weak plot and tired premise. Ex-cop Ray, (Cusack) estranged father, and his son are on a hike to better their relationship when they stumble upon a fatally injured policeman and his prisoner, the hit-man Carden (Freeman). In stead of just letting Carden walk as Carden suggests, Ray, for no apparent reason, decides to turn him over to the police at the risk of his own life and that of his son. After this the chase through the woods for Carden by both the police and Carden's accomplices begins. With people running through bushes, occasional gunfire and certain bad weather.

Although Freeman and Cusack give away ample performances, the dialog seems to be that of some average TV-series. The villains and the characters of the police fare even worse. The movie just doesn't pick up any speed as it steers clear from any interesting action or build up of suspense. And especially the lack of motive for Ray to keep going with his plan to turn Carden in gets annoying after a while and this doesn't work very well in terms of sympathy for his hero-character. It is obvious that Catz wanted to write a story in which the bad guy develops sympathy for his capturer and maybe the other way around as well. But the cheesy, almost campy way this is attempted and the high number of scenes that just don't make any sense, stand in the way of its success.

Like the former reviewer pointed out, the movie is crammed with clichés and is lacking any originality. There are no mentionable plot-twists to keep the film interesting and the hackneyed screenplay is often accidentally comical.

I wouldn't even recommend getting the DVD. Just wait till it's the movie of the week and then see something else in stead.

You won't see anything new in this movie. If you've seen some thrillers, than you will foresee a few things. Surprisingly enough that doesn't hurt the movie as much as I thought it would. That might be the case, because you've got Morgan Freeman and John Cusack in the movie. They play very good at/off each other. And although, there are a few bumps in the thrill ride, they obtain the high adrenaline level almost every single time.

I had mixed feelings about the ending, but then again some might think it's perfect. Others might not like it at all and it might spoil all the fun they might have had up until that point ...

Anyway, it's a nice little thriller with good acting in it! :o)

If you want to see a mindless action flick, disregard most of the other commentators and check out "The Contract." I'd found the title on the public library shelf, read like an interesting plot, and of course had the star power of Morgan Freeman and John Cusack, not to mention acclaimed Driving Miss Daisy director Bruce Beresford, so I checked it out.

I watched the film last night and didn't venture onto the IMDb site until today when I just saw other comments.

Yes, there are 14 producers to this film which is a tad on the heavy side, but this isn't too surprising when you consider most of the cinematography occurs in Bulgaria.

Again, it's mindless entertainment. The plot can be more defined but who sees action movies for plot?

The widower teacher and baseball and basketball coach Ray Keene (John Cusack) lost his wife that died of cancer two years ago. When his teenage son Chris Keene (Jamie Anderson) is caught by the police smoking pot, Ray invites him to hike and camp in the woods to increase their bonds. Meanwhile, the mercenary assassin Frank Cordell (Morgan Freeman) is arrested by FBI after a car accident in the middle of a contract to kill an important target. While Frank is traveling on the road escorted by three FBI agents, his men try to rescue him, but his car falls into a river and is carried by the drift. Ray helps the wounded agent and the cuffed Frank to leave the river, and feels responsible to deliver Frank to justice. The former policeman and stubborn Ray does not listen to Frank's proposal to leave him alone and travel through the woods with Chris, trying to find a safe place. But the men of the Frank and an undercover agent in the team are chasing the group with different lethal intentions.

"The Contract" is a shallow and flawed thriller that has the intention of being dramatic and serious, but actually is laughable. The silly plot is full of coincidences and stupid actions taken by most of the characters. For example, in the beginning, the FBI agent leaves the car to help the truck driver on the road; the attitude of the crew of the helicopter is simply ridiculous when they land, specially the pilot; the way a suburban coach defeats trained mercenaries is shameful; and the coincidences when the bad guys shoot and miss the target are awful; the hiker Sandra loses her boyfriend and never grieves; and the corny romance of Sandra and Ray, and the incredible sentimental attitude of Frank Cordell in the end make this film a great deception. The motives why the reclusive billionaire apparently could not criticize the stem cell research program in a democratic and free country are never clarified, only tagged as "an obstacle to the progress". Is this a reason to kill and important man? My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "O Contrato" ("The Contract")

I saw this movie only a couple of hours and really, it seemed to me very good, but it was a surprise to see so many bad comments about it in IMDb. I believe that the movie was thought-out well, there were moments of anxiety and failure where you felt intrigued, and desired to know what would happen then. May be there were some things out of sense or mistakes, etc,..but, of course, nothing is perfect!. It wasn't as bad as some people think. The script was good, the MF performance was outstanding, and the plot was disturbing. I had a good time, don't let that all this comments make you change the expectations about the film, this time you have to see it and give your own opinion.

I recommend...rent it.

The contract is an entertaining film. While not the best film in any way, it is still worth seeing. This is not an in depth thriller, or a work for the ages. But it is a fun way to spend your time.

I love John Cusack movies. And I love Morgan Freeman's acting roles as well. But they have never struck me as academy award winners. With that being said, they showcase the same personality they always have. And that works for me.

The story moves along at a steady pace. And though it never reaches that edge-of-your-seat excitement, it is never boring either.

Bottom line: If you are a fan of either one of these actors, it is worth taking a look at. Although I would doubt if it stands up to repeated viewings. But only time will tell....

I'm sorry. I am a huge fan of John Cusak and Morgan Freeman. I have loved their work's apart and when my wife brought home this movie from the store last night, my heart actually skipped a beat. My first chance to see them working together. John's wit and Morgan's presence...I popped it right into the DVD Player. I was intrigued at first. A little bit of good action, some Freeman dry wit. Then it all fell apart. Cusak just seemed to be phoning his performance in...even with the horrible lines. Freeman almost seemed to be bemused with the terrible story line and the bad acting all around him. And the plot...just a little too out there for me. The one point that explains why Cusak's character does what he does for the rest of the movie is given no background. Just one line given by Cusak. It actually angered me that I not only sat through this drivel, but actually paid to rent it! Cusak and Freeman both hacked their way through this just for the paycheck at the end. Sad really. My opinion...stay away from it. You'll feel better about both actors.

Ray Keene is a former policeman who is struggling to build his relationship with his young son. His plan to bond over a camping trip in the woods goes sour though when they come across a hit-man (Cordell) in the middle of escaping Government custody. Keene holds Cordell at gunpoint but without a mobile phone signal they begin to trek towards civilisation. However with Cordell's men hot on their heels, Ray becomes increasingly desperate as he tries to get to the protection of the authorities.

I saw this film on an overnight bus crossing Argentina. I mention this not as name dropping but to admit that the sound was very low as must passengers were sleeping and relying on headphones or the Spanish subtitles. Without headphones or a working Spanish, I prepared to strain my ears and also use the subtitles the best I could. I needn't have worried because I could have followed this if the sound was on mute and the DVD was playing all the scenes on random shuffle. The plot is simple perhaps but it did offer a sort of moral ambiguity that was interesting to me at first. With two strong actors in the leads I expected the verbal fireworks to be more interesting than the action. In a way I was correct but this is not to say that the script was good – just that the action was poor. The moral complexity of good and bad is skirted on but is ultimately dumped in a ending that is nothing more than insultingly lazy writing.

Fortunately anyone getting to the end will not be surprised by this as it is pretty much what the previous hour or so had been like. The narrative is totally unconvincing and offers little to make up for it. The tension that could have covered the plot holes is absent and the action is mostly just dumb. Writers Katz and Darrouzet deserve much of the credit for this because really nobody is given much to work with. Director Beresford does the basics with little conviction but I did feel sorry for the cast. Freeman and Cusack both deserved much better than this nonsense. Freeman I assume was attracted by the chance to play a baddie and it is a shame then the script doesn't really let him do this with any effort. Cusack does what is asked of him but nothing more. The support cast are average at best in keeping with their cardboard characters.

Overall then a roundly poor film that offers nothing of interest and wastes the talents of the two actors in the lead. If I hadn't been a captive audience I would have struggled to make it past the 30 minute mark.

I would be misled if I went by most of the comments on this movie. Perhaps, if you have inordinately high expectations because of the talent involved, you might be disappointed. However, I had no expectations and it turned out to be a pretty entertaining adventure movie. Most of the time, I get a good indication from the comments on this site. This time they are wrong. It is a fun movie and certainly better than the majority of trash that is out these days on DVD, i.e. the garbage that examines the depths of human depravity under an electron microscope with no saving grace. One example is the disgusting horror movies that seem to celebrate the evil in humanity while offering a template for any twisted mind on the fringe just waiting for some excuse to "try that". I don't know about the rest of you, but I go to the movies to be entertained and uplifted if possible. Most critics seems to think movies are for moral edification and as a vehicle for their idea of the "artistic" spirit. Yes, sometimes, but I have had enough of subtitles and Greek tragedies and political statements (almost always liberal). Give me some good old fashioned adventure with positive "heros", etc. (TV is getting better than the movies at this.) All in all, I still find IMDb.com very useful; just not this time.

I was entertained by the action, the scenery in the mountains of Washington state, and the comic mini-scenes that were part of this movie. I very much enjoyed Morgan Freeman's character. There were quite a few scenes where there were ironic quips and mishaps, such as when the cop "accidentally" spilled coffee on a snobby FBI agent.

However, I couldn't quite figure out the plot. I'm not sure the exact details matter anyway because there is enough there to enjoy without exactly knowing who is supposed to assassinate whom.

If you like action movies and enjoy Morgan Freeman's acting, I believe you will at least like this movie. In terms of simple entertainment it was worth my time.

Before I even start my review, I want to announce that I found "The Contract" 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD NEW at the Dollar Store for, yes, $1. Hurry down and pick up yours while they last. After you buy it you can come back here & decide whether it's worth watching or just selling on ebay.

"The Contract" will appeal to a specific audience whom I'd loosely categorize as fans of late-80s crime thrillers. From the respectable titles like "Witness" (1985) where Harrison Ford protects an Amish boy from the mob, to the utterly cheezalicious fare like "Streets of Fire" (1984) where Micahel Paré is a mercenary trying to rescue his rockstar ex-girlfriend from a weird biker gang, if you have a soft spot for these kinds of films, you should check out "The Contract".

However, if you're looking for 21st century realism, a labyrinthine plot with edgy conflicts, disturbing, gritty situations like in maybe "Pulp Fiction" or the newer style of crime thriller pioneered by filmmakers like Tarantino & the Coen Brothers, then you probably won't find what you're looking for here.

What you will find instead is simple (but interesting) story made extravagant with high production values (a budget of $25 million, filmed in the Pacific Northwest, Washington DC, and Bulgaria), some powerful actors (Morgan Freeman & John Cusack), and some heavy hitters involved in production (director Bruce Beresford who did "Driving Miss Daisy" with Freeman back in '89) as well as a consortium of big-moneyed producers.

One thing that all these people have in common is a solid reputation in 80s films, and I think that's why this movie came out this way. "The Contract" is an entertaining flick whose plot is set up in the first 20 minutes and doesn't stray from it thereafter. It may seem predictable, and there are 1 or 2 scenes bordering on preposterous, but like the 80s crime drama, that's part of its charm.

Don't worry, we're not quite in "A-Team" territory, and there are no talking Trans Ams, but it does have a slightly unbelievable vibe that you might find either refreshing or infuriating.

To me, the beauty of this film is in the interaction between the three main characters: the killer (Morgan Freeman), the patsy (John Cusack) and his semi-estranged son (Jamie Anderson). It's basically the story of these three people in the dense wilderness of the Pacific Northwest with a bunch of psycho bad guys and equally psycho good guys on their trail. Like I said, the story is very simple, almost comic book simple, but there is tremendous value in the interaction between the 3 leads.

The scenery is lush, with most of it being shot near Spokane, WA and other parts in the forests of Bulgaria (I couldn't tell the difference). And the special effects are amazing. There's a car crash or two that'll really get your heart pumping, and there's a mishap with a helicopter that was stunning to watch, especially on Blu-ray (even better on a $1 Blu-ray). The music is equally momentous, performed by the London Philharmonic. "The Contract" is truly an example of taking a very simple plot and surrounding it with grandeur out the wazoo, whether that idea appeals to you or not.

More than anything, though, it requires that special 80s suspension of disbelief, that ability to go along for the ride even though your higher brain functions are screaming at you to snap out of it. If that describes you, this is a great flick.

176 people on Facebook people can't decide if they "Dig John Cusack or the Morose Bastard He Plays". 2427 more "Want Morgan Freeman to Narrate My Life". So what happens when God becomes a contract killer, the Morose Bastard turns into a stressed-out dad dealing with teenage angst from his son, and the two meet on a unlikely hiking trip? A dark twist of your trite Pleasantville family camping trip, into an thrilling adventure which includes grappling down a rainy cliff, hiking across a fickle moraine, and sharing a donut with FBI snobs from D.C. John Cusack and Morgan Freeman do a terrific job with a run-of-the-mill script and despite uneven editing, there's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow…uh…movie! The finale is truly ironic piece of work.

Absolutely uneventful. The acting was downright awful and I honestly have to blame a lot of that on the screen writing. The story was laughable and the people who created this movie managed to take a couple of halfway decent actors (well, maybe Morgan Freeman anyway) and make quite a joke out of the kill-for-hire 'business'. I almost managed to make it to the end, but winded up having to skip a couple of chapters because I felt as if I was on a nature hike right along with the whole cast. Seriously boring, uneventful and *definitely* unimaginative. I'd skip this one unless you're just a die hard Freeman/Cusack fan.

I'm kinda surprised that names like John Cusack and Morgan Freeman would be associated with such a pedestrian film as this. Then again their names were the only reason I picked this up, so maybe the studio's ploy worked, and it's actually their performances that saved it from being unwatchable.

Cusack is having father/son issues with the teen after his wife passes away from cancer. In an attempt to devote some "quality time" and bond with his son they go on a camping trip in the Washington state wilderness. Unfortunately for them, rogue CIA spook Freeman happens to be en route to prosecution in that area when his mercenary buddies try to free him. The escape scenario doesn't go as smoothly as planned and Freeman ends up in the unwanted "custody" of Cusack (who just happens to be an ex-cop turned teacher) with the help of an errant handgun. In the middle of the nowhere they look to evade the trailing mercanaries and get to safety.

There are way too many implausiblities and clichés in the story to make this a good film (e.g., why wouldn't Cusack just take Freeman's advice and the gun, leave and not put his son in harm's way?). The meeting of the other hiking couple was totally unnecessary and felt tacked on just to try to add some drama at the last scene. The action was OK, but rote and implausuble again. But at least we get some nice scenery and decent performances from the leads, so if you're fans of theirs, as I am, you may want to give this a rent.