‘The Devil’s Own’ Is Hellaciously Bad

Imagine a screenwriter picking out the slowest, most boring parts of an Edward Burns film and putting them in a Steven Seagal movie in place of the action.

If you are imagining a relatively pointless, disjointed movie with no meaning and even less entertainment value, you’ve got “The Devil’s Own.”

“The Devil’s Own” tells the story of a 20-something IRA mass-murderer (Brad Pitt) who does what he does because his father was gunned down in front of him when he was a child. At first glance, the plot sounds promising; instead, this storyline is presented like a mid-afternoon talk show.

Then, to secure an arms deal in America, Pitt stays with an IRA sympathizer’s friend, played by Harrison Ford. Had the movie cared about its success, Ford’s role would have been a minor one, but $20-million actors don’t warrant minor roles.

After Pitt arrives in America, six weeks go by - in about six minutes of on-screen time - in which we are expected to believe that Ford and Pitt become soulmates and Pitt is accepted as one of the family.

Well, it was a nice try, but doesn’t work. Because of this, when the movie is supposed to be suspenseful, Ford’s character is so busy meddling in everyone else’s business that it ruins the actual storyline (which could have been the redeeming factor in the film).

Instead, the redemption is left to the two superb leading men who, despite their efforts, can’t save this film.

Pitt is faced with one major problem: His character is supposed to be the protagonist but his characteristics and actions make him look like a bad guy. It could be easy to accept Brad Pitt as worthy of our sympathy, but not when he is betraying his friends and killing people at every turn.

Ford is faced with a different (but just as serious) problem. His character shouldn’t matter. “The Devil’s Own” should be a film about the troubled IRA man and what he comes up against. It shouldn’t be about some uncommon bond he develops with a big city cop who might eventually turn on him.

As a fan of both Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt (I am rarely disappointed by either one), I was troubled to see this film. In a sense, both actors were in top form, but were stuck in dead-end roles in a dead-end movie that couldn’t help but make them look bad. Despite their acting talents, one might question their abilities for picking a script.

Hopefully, Ford will redeem himself in this summer’s “Air Force One,” a film that looks like it has some real action and a little less male bonding. In the future, I only hope that Edward Burns’ genre will be left to him, and Steven Seagal’s won’t be allowed anywhere near it.

Grade: C-