The Mighty Quinn Reviews

Making the most of its lush Caribbean setting, bouncy reggae soundtrack, and the charismatic presence of Denzel Washington, THE MIGHTY QUINN is both a formula thriller and a buddy film with a twist. Xavier Quinn (Washington) is the dedicated police chief of a small island nation who isn't particularly popular with either the rich whites who dominate the local tourist industry or with his black countrymen, who believe their old friend has become a toady. En route to investigate the murder of a prominent businessman, Quinn unexpectedly encounters his boyhood buddy Maubee (Robert Townsend), a local legend by virtue of his uncanny ability to avoid capture after breaking any number of laws. And at the hotel murder scene, Quinn learns that Maubee is the prime suspect. Hampton Fancher's screenplay provides few surprises--at least none that depart from genre expectations--and merely scratches the surface of the postcolonial tensions that provide the backdrop for the story. However, Fancher and director Carl Schenkel have made a film that is involving, often tension-filled, frequently leavened with humor, and, above all, fun. The film's crisp photography and energetic soundtrack liven up a mystery that occasionally defies logic and at other times is transparent--but that never loses our interest, primarily because of Washington's masterfully understated performance.