Madigan

The "good boy of Hollywood" Henry Fonda is again a respectable good guy in every way, Richard Widmark is again the right stubborn policeman, there's some fine jazz music and the atmosphere of New York at the end of the 1960s is very classy, but the plot in the first two acts is not engaging at all, it doesn't draw you in and there’s too much dialogue dealing with utter banalities. I was expecting something much sharper from Don Siegel, a specialist in the crime genre and macho films, and I didn't get it until the last twenty minutes, which ooze with the charge so typical of his films. (05/01/2014)

Madigan seemingly has everything a good crime show should have, namely tough detectives, dangerous criminals, beautiful women, and a big case, and yet it ultimately falls short. There are too many dialogues, the pace is too sluggish, and it feels trapped in the 50s in spirit, although there are a few scenes that show that it tries to keep up with the times. I'll give it three stars, but they are completely different three stars than I usually give. I squint my eyes a bit and think that it wouldn't be fair to go any lower when it comes to the veteran Siegel. Overall impression: 50%. (21/07/2019)