Long Kiss Goodnight, The MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +2 Content: -3

Suffering from amnesia for eight years, Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) has settled into a new life as a suburban school teacher and mother to her young daughter. Following a serious car accident, however, Samantha has flashbacks about her previous life and discovers a tougher personality emerging. Private detective Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson) also uncovers some promising information after months of dead ends, so he and Samantha hit the road to see where it leads. They discover that Samantha's real name is Charly Baltimore, and she was a government assassin. Villainous characters who thought she was dead want to finish the job, leading to several threats on Samantha's life. She also uncovers a plan by devious CIA agents to stage a violent terrorist act in order to protect their jobs. The story has intriguing possibilities, but not enough time is spent establishing Samantha's gentle personality to show the contrast with her new darker side. The movie's second half concentrates on violent and explosive action, so it should attract fans of that genre. Much of that violence is excessive, however. There are many stabbing and shooting incidents with bloody wounds, including a ridiculous scene where the bad guys riddle a train station with bullets and manage to injure just about everyone but Samantha. One man has a hypodermic needle stuck in his eye, while another is killed with a knife implanted in his throat. Obscene language is incessant, with over 80 instances, along with many crudities and regular profanities. Samantha is shown taking a shower with rear and side nudity, and she tries to seduce Hennessey with suggestive remarks and kissing. The film has no other sexual content, but the abundant violence and foul language are more than enough to make the film offensive to morally discriminating viewers.

Preview Reviewer: Mark Perry
Distributor: New Line Cinema, 888 7th Ave., 20th Floor, New York, NY 10106