THE REAL McCOY

US, 1996, 106 minutes, Colour.
Kim Basinger, Val Kilmer, Terence Stamp.
Directed by Russell Mulcahy.

The Real McCoy? is an entertaining bank robbery caper. It is a star vehicle for Kim Basinger, who is attractive in the central role. Val Kilmer is good in support. The villain is Terence Stamp.

The film has Georgia and Atlanta settings, takes advantage of technology. However, the plot and the characters are very familiar from the genre. Direction is by Russell Mulcahy, the Australian director of Razorback. For Hollywood he made the Highlander films as well as Blue Ice, Ricochet, The Shadow.

1. Entertaining heist, caper story? With '90s technology?

2. The Georgia backgrounds, the city of Atlanta, homes, the woods, the bank? Musical score?

3. The title and the slang phrase? Karen as the genuine article?

4. The impact of the opening, the robbery, the skill, techniques, strength? The security system? Being caught? To prison, the six years passing? Getting out - and audience expectations that it would be a man? Initial response to Karen?

5. Karen and her story, her marriage to Roy, the tomboy background? Love for her son? Roy telling Patrick his mother was dead? Her hopes in phoning Roy, wanting contact with Patrick?

6. The parole officer, his chauvinist treatment, pressure on her? The range of job interviews and the refusals? Finally getting work, the parole officer and getting her fired?

7. In the supermarket, watching J.T. and his bungled robbery? Meeting him at the parole board? His admiration for her? Offering her housing? His link with Jack, his visit to get help for Karen and a job? The irony of their dinner together and his touting for Jack?

8. Karen seeing Patrick, watching him in the park? The kidnapping, her being blackmailed by Jack? The rescue and the chase in the car, the forest? The parole officer and his brutality? Jack and his control?

9. Her agreeing to do the robbery, the building up of the team, the plan? Her disguise as Miss Baxter, the visits to the bank, charming the officer? Studying the plans? Her decision against Jack, the plan with J.T. and his planting the gun? The preparations?

10. Jack and his wealth, sinister? His mansion? His gang and their brutality? The parole officer in his pay? The symbolism of his having tigers in his park?

11. The heist detail, the security, the police coming four times? The different squads and their work? J.T. and the loss of power? The skill and timing? Locking Jack and the group in the vault? Her taking Jack's money from his safe?

12. The final confrontation with the parole officer, the rescuing of Patrick? The tigers? Going to the airport, the disguises? Roy and his having the gun, wanting the money, J.T. rescuing Karen? In the plane, the irony of the police and the organ transplant?

13. The nicely amoral ending, audience sympathies? Old-fashioned styled robbery filmed with comic touches?