Grade: D
Synopsis: A mysterious organization pulls an assassin turned art professor (Clint Eastwood) out of retirement for a mission on a mountain.
The Eiger Sanction almost works as a so-bad-it’s-good movie. If it weren’t for the great cinematography and the well-done mountain climbing sequences, you could almost be sure the filmmakers weren’t taking themselves seriously. Unfortunately, I think they were.
Director and star Clint Eastwood stomps through the film one degree removed from his Dirty Harry persona; far too bull-like to pass for either a college professor or a covert assassin. This absurdity, combined with the script’s laughably bad dialog, would have made for a great tongue-in-cheek actioneer, but, while Eastwood the actor is cashing a paycheck, Eastwood the director is trying to make a serious film.
Poor George Kennedy. He seems genuinely unsure just what kind of movie he’s making, and yet somehow manages to be the film’s only human bright spot. His performance, combined with the sharp cinematography and genuinely thrilling climbing sequences, are the film’s only bright spots.
Bottom Line: As a mountain-climbing drama, The Eiger Sanction would have worked extremely well, but instead we’re left with a disjointed train-wreck of a film.
