In the Line of Fire (Special Edition) (1993)

Rolling Stone
"...Terrifically exciting..." 08/05/1993 p.71-2

Variety
"...A proficiently made thriller....Eastwood splendidly gives Horrigan humor, grit and imagination..." 07/19/1993

Entertainment Weekly
"Anyone on the hunt for surefire movie concepts need look no further than IN THE LINE OF FIRE....Engrossing..." 07/16/1993 p.38-9

Sight and Sound
"...Clint Eastwood excels here as a Secret Service agent with an Achilles' heel....The rest of the cast is equally impressive..." 05/01/2002 p.61

Premiere
"It's Malkovich, as an assassin tormenting Eastwood's aging Secret Service agent, who gives this movie its pulse." 09/01/2005 p.130-131

Empire
"Clint Eastwood followed his Oscar triumph UNFORGIVEN with a tough turn as a veteran secret service man....Riveting..." 09/01/2008 p.150

Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide 8 of 10
Crackling, well-made thriller about a would-be presidential assassin who pulls Secret Service agent Eastwood--who failed to protect President Kennedy in1963--into a cruel game of cat-and-mouse as he plans to murder the current president. Eastwood, as an older, vulnerable, piano-playing loner, has never been better, and Malkovich matches him as the superintelligent loony. - Leonard Maltin
 
Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
Thrillers are as good as their villains, and "In the Line of Fire" has a great one - a clever, slimy creep who insidiously burrows his way into the psyche of the hero, a veteran Secret Service agent named Horrigan (Clint Eastwood). The creep, who likes to play mind games with his opponents, makes a series of phone calls threatening to assassinate the president. He chooses Horrigan because he knows the agent still feels guilty about failing to save the life of John F. Kennedy 30 years ago...In its broad outlines, "In the Line of Fire" has a story similar to many of Eastwood's Dirty Harry movies, in which a psycho killer plays games with the cop, who is ordered off the case and then continues as a free-lance, helped by a loyal partner. The movie even supplies a typical Eastwood sidekick, a woman agent played by Rene Russo, who is tough and capable, and able to fall in love...Eastwood is perfect for the role, as a man of long experience and deep feelings. He is set off by an inspired performance by Malkovich, who is quiet and methodical and very clever, and devises a sneaky plan to work his way close to the president with an ingenious murder weapon. The movie's climax is exciting not only because of its action, but also because of its flawless logic...Most thrillers these days are about stunts and action. "In the Line of Fire" has a mind. - Roger Ebert
 
ReelViews 8 of 10
Director Wolfgang Petersen, best known for Das Boot, but also at the helm for the taut, twisted Shattered, is aware of what's necessary to make a good thriller work. He knows the importance of pacing, and plays the tension in In the Line of Fire like a virtuoso. Petersen takes what could have been a muddled motion picture and structures it perfectly, creating a strong piece of entertainment...Plot-wise, In the Line of Fire is nothing extraordinary. It's basically a formula-type thriller with one or two twists thrown in to keep the viewer off-balance. However, strength of character, coupled with a consistently-high level of excitement, makes this film anything but ordinary. The most intriguing element of In the Line of Fire is the cat-and-mouse game between Horrigan and Leary. The relationship of these two is fascinating in a twisted way, as it explores psychological layers which many motion pictures find too difficult to convey realistically...Overall, this is one of the most intelligent thrillers of the summer. In the Line of Fire doesn't require the special effects bonanza of Jurassic Park to involve the audience, nor does it rely on the mega-budget explosions and mountaintop battles of Cliffhanger. So, for a couple of hours of entertainment, In the Line of Fire is one of those rare "big" movies that doesn't disappoint. - James Berardinelli