Word About Biehn

With an impressive cast that includes Michael, Dan Aykroyd, Rob Schneider, Nastassja Kinski, Billy Zane, and Lara Flynn Boyle, along with seasoned and gifted John Landis as writer and director, Susan's Plan would seem to have everything necessary for a top-notch film. Yet somehow all those tasty ingredients blend into only standard fare, providing a modicum of entertainment, but disappointingly, not what one would expect considering the talent involved.

A black comedy, Susan's Plan revolves around the efforts of the title character to knock off former husband Paul. It would seem that Paul's fatal flaw is procrastination; divorced from her for three years, he still has not removed Susan as beneficiary of his insurance policy. Susan intends to capitalize on this oversight, and along with boyfriend Sam, hires Bill (Michael) and Steve, a couple of blundering ne'er-do-wells, to do the deed. Though the two hopeful hitmen manage to shoot Paul three times at point-blank range, they somehow fail to kill him, thus necessitating a revision of Susan's Plan. Enter unbalanced Bob to remedy the bungled business and cause further complications.

Although the writing is competent, it lacks the sharpness and cleverness necessary to a biting comedy, and poor pacing further weakens the film's impact. At one point, we are treated to a succession of scenes showing each character as he or she marks time waiting to attend a 6:00 p.m. meeting, an interlude as slow-moving for the audience as for the characters themselves. And the brief graphic violence and final tragedy seem jarring to me.

Nevertheless, despite its flaws, I did find myself enjoying Susan's Plan. The actors do quite well with what they have to work with, especially Lara Flynn Boyle, who is right on target as a delightful co-conspirator, who is far from the artless sexpot she at first appears to be.

As Bill, a softcore bad guy playing with a deck that's just a few cards short of being full, Michael gives an engaging performance. He makes Bill a disarming off-kilter sort, whose wide-eyed wonder over his murderous act reveals his inability to grasp the gravity of what he's involved in. For the most part, Michael plays his role with gentle humor, but he also demonstrates a flair for physical comedy. Particularly noteworthy is the hilarious scene after Bill has been shot, when he is writhing on the floor clutching his injured knee and hollering bloody murder. At that point, I found myself laughing wholeheartedly and reminding myself that this is the same actor who played the calmly determined Corporal Hicks in Aliens, the tightly wound Chris Larabee in Magnificent Seven, and the self-sacrificing Kyle Reese in Terminator. The contrast is striking and great fun to behold, and for Michael's fans that alone is enough to make Susan's Plan worth watching.