You get with Pam Grier and Rutger Hauer in the same movie as heroine and villain & you'd expect something pretty special, right? Wrong. WILDER is a by-the-numbers murder mystery/ thriller which attempts to update Grier's FOXY BROWN/ COFFY persona for the 2Ks. There's one problem: this movie practically talks itself to death.
The plot: Dr Samuel Charney (Hauer) is the prime suspect in a violent murder. The victim is one of his patients who was about to sue him for malpractice. He claims he's innocent. Cop Della Wilder (Grier) is assigned the case, which she presumes to be an open-and-shut revenge killing. But of course, it's more complex than that- it would have to be because this movie drags on for 90 boring minutes and totally wastes the time and talent of the leads- who appear to be sleepwalking through the film. And so will you. Keep your fingers crossed that Director Rodney Gibbons and Writer Terry Abrahamson get blacklisted at some point in the future. Why does poor old Rutger always wind up in direct to video fodder like this? He hasn't been in movie worthy of his talents since 1984's LADYHAWKE. A real shame. And this movie is a real sham. If you must see it, rent it first. You've been warned.
