Review of the DVD - rating: * * * *

Review of the film - rating: * * * * *

The picture is Panavision framed, pin sharp and renders the Chicago night time colours and blacks without a pixel out of place - you can watch the whole thing 1 inch from the tube, and still it looks flawless. The layer switch happens at almost bang on the 90 minute mark, mid shot of Jackson, and is reasonably unobtrusive.

Sound wise, this has dynamic range in spades, with plenty for the split surrounds to do and some well placed LF woomph where needed. There's a good deal of subtlety too in the atmospheres - witness the change from the open plan office in the Police HQ to the boss' lair.

The main extra here is documentary covering the logistics of filming in Chicago. Not totally without merit, this is however a strangely specific theme on which to reflect, and tends to go on a bit. Another documentary present on the US disc - on real life negotiators - is conspicuous by its absence, but oh dear never mind.

And speaking of which, we also miss the animated menu, the pretty full colour disc label and (as is becoming the norm for all Warner releases) any production notes or biographies. This is a shame, and writing from the Summer of 1999, you have to go back 6 months to find the last high profile Warner disc which really holds up to a US counterpart - LA Confidential.

But to reiterate, what we do end up with here is excellent stuff, and belongs on the shelf of any home cinema addict. The DVD release gives a second chance to give this gem the credit that was due on its original release.

Jackson is Chicago Police Department's top negotiator - you know, the chap who has to talk round homicidal psychos and that. Upsetting his happy, heroic existence however, is the revelation that his sidekick has stumbled across some insiders meddling with the Police disability fund. Worse, his sidekick has unwittingly turned his car into a convertible after a bloody close encounter with an unknown assassin. And still worse, Jackson is framed for the murder. Finding himself thrown from hero to less-than-zero, and on the edge of life imprisonment if he's lucky, it is time for some radical action that you won't find in the law books.

And it's right here - at bang on thirty minutes in - that the film throws the rule book out of the 21st floor window. I don't want to spoil what Jackson's outrageous plan is, because I didn't know beforehand and found it an unexpected and excellent surprise, giving that all to rare feeling - I didn't know where the film was going, but was happy to go for the ride. But (and here, with the wind rushing in my hair, I remove my soap box and megaphone) the trailer spoils it all of course.

Be that as it may, it's dead exciting stuff - the long running time is crammed full of twists and turns. Spacey is the more obviously impressive of the lead thesps, but Jackson actually has the trickier role in keeping us in sympathy with his increasingly wild actions. The much missed JT Walsh heads a fine supporting cast and the script - cliche ridden cop dialogue aside - is intelligent and for once worthy of such a fine series of performers. Finally, the whole shooting match is very well covered by the improbably named writer/director F Gary Gray

Only once or twice do the bullet holes which riddle the plot reveal themselves whilst you're actually watching - the rest become obvious on reflection afterwards. But by that time, you'll have been so thoroughly entertained that you won't much care. This was unfairly overlooked on its cinema release - action fans round up and test your negotiating skills talking your other halves into seeing this.