Review: Bird on a Wire

DVD & Blu-ray: Bird on a Wire (1990)

Rick Jarmin (Mel Gibson) has spent the last 15 years in witness protection, moving from job to job, never staying long in one place for fear of being seen by the former agents whom he helped put in jail. A chance encounter with the woman he loved before his disappearance, Marianne Graves, (Goldie Hawn) throws them together, running from both the police and the people that want them dead.

I first watched Bird on a Wire at the cinema way back in 1990 and although I probably wasn’t the target audience, being a fresh faced 14-year-old, I remember absolutely loving it. I was a big Mel Gibson fan after being introduced to him in Lethal Weapon 1 and 2 and that probably influenced our decision to go and watch, what is effectively a romantic comedy with a bit of action. Not the usual kind of thing teenage boys go for!

I approached this viewing of Bird on a Wire with some trepidation mainly because I didn’t want it to ruin my memories. I’m 40 not 14 anymore and it’s been a long time since I last watched it, but, I’m happy to say that I really enjoyed it. So much so that I watched it twice, once on my own and once with my wife. If you want my wife’s opinion she thought it was too long but generally she liked it!

I’m not saying for a second that Bird on a Wire is a masterpiece but, there is plenty to enjoy in a Friday night, put your feet up and enjoy some light entertainment kind of way. For my money it is definitely a couple’s movie as there is something for men and women to enjoy. You get Mel in his pants (calm down Tina!), Goldie in her pants (calm down Dave!) and some decent action throughout.

Whatever you think about Mel Gibson you cannot argue with his screen presence and he is very watchable in Bird on a Wire. You could argue he plays a toned down version of Martin Riggs but, he also shows off his more comedic side. Without giving it away, one particular scene where he camps it up had us grinning from ear to ear.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Goldie Hawn (I sure I’m not alone) and she does a decent job in the role. She possibly plays the hysterical victim a little bit too much, screaming her way from one scene to another but, there is no denying that her and Gibson have real chemistry and enjoy their time together. In fact both leads look fantastic and have a lot more charisma than some of the modern romantic movies I’ve watched recently. There is also a good supporting cast with David Carradine, Bill Duke, Stephen Tobolowsky and the lovely Joan Severance.

Bird on a Wire isn’t going to win any awards and it is very daft but, if you are looking for a fun film with likeable good looking leads then you won’t be disappointed.

It is available on DVD now and the Blu-ray is released on 10th April 2017. YOU can be in with a chance of winning it on Blu-ray, as thanks to the fabulous people at Fabulous Films, we have 1 to giveaway on our exclusive Twitter competition which will begin on the evening of April 5th. Make sure to follow us and not miss out: @60MinutesWith

Review by Chris (co-host of 60 Minutes With and The Same Coin) from a disc kindly supplied by Fabulous Films.