Hav!in)+g witn?essed his ju@*nkie fathe+r:^] k(il''led Ru@ ss_,ell Stevens> grows  u/p%>!! to >`)becom.keep his cover h':?\e f ,inds the lines +(bet]*ween c`#/op and crimi"!nal being lo"st – is he ^a cop pretending to b"e a d`ealer
" or ?&a deal"/:e:r pretendi]**ng to ,b!_)e a cop　　,Larry +<
(as^ he% @was=? th].e/n) ;-Fishb\urne&^'s first lead role was(* ) a typica"$lly dark *,v^--ehi*`cle. The story is the usu:,al *">one of cop losing himself whe(n und`ercover, however^; it\(/ ma$($nage#*@ t:\<'h?e time. C&% o-written b_,,*y Tolkin, 'w_+ho wr"o`te The=(;+ ,+Player,&
; this n:(aturally has=> a nice $" cynical edge@< to it wh *en it# looks at(+ t-+he US'"-s h=ical approach ?t(.o *-drug co!ntrol and the po>.litical l+>inks betw(^hustlers and t  he political$ hi_ ?g$h rollers @wh` .o co +[e?'veral [thi!%^ngs% are a b% [it i#,>ffy. For most o%+f th\ e film Fishburne's narrati_\onvoice# ,ove[,r is a*> ^_bit like a `cros:s [*`between Apocalypse>= No<$w and Blade&(>@ Runner – it comes across as a littl[]e\ < [ ,too-+$ dar*k and h\eav].*y and also explains]_. thi(ngs like( we c->an't figure! i#!t `o+<)]ut o^\)urselves. ^<;H#[owever once you get into th >e f] ilm i(;t's not as big a de 
al. My^- mai(n pro%bl$$em lie`s with th`e cha. r!#:a
_cters.　$)　Fishburne is excelle_=n t, a? ,;(real model o=-f unde, ,rlying anger and ^*/ vio%#l<
? >ence, Goldb\l/`um is good but
perhap[$"?s *a little O%'TT on the@] yu><ppi.?eviolence th?\(ing, but there's ? good s.:upp'%=o`rt >from Smi!th]= a/#-nd S_p in City^'< (s beaut :)i<,ful\- (and often_ u'=:nderused – bu#\t not he)<]re) Vi>(c^>toria Dillard. However the t!wo main w>:hit;%e charact%?^ers (Goldblum and Smith) are bo/ying that @both a)$re given that edge
.#<]　><　H>/,<.
d ,Duke $:del&"ive\rs a #>s; tor%y that is a goo-\!>d 'thril.\,ler but a `/ls-:o has a jaded, subversive edge.