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With heavy rainstorms resulting in dangerous flooding, an evacuation order is in place for Huntingburg, Indiana, coordinated by Sheriff Mike Collig (Randy Quaid) and his police officers. Tom (Christian Slater) and his uncle, Charlie (Edward Asner), work as armoured car drivers collecting money from the local banks. But when their vehicle becomes stuck in flood waters, the pair are ambushed by a group of armed robbers, led by Jim (Morgan Freeman), who are determined to acquire the millions of dollars they are transporting. One of Jim's men kills Charlie in a shootout, but Tom manages to escape, hiding the cash and fleeing while Jim's gang remains in hot pursuit. While fleeing, he is mistaken for a looter and taken to the police station, where he also meets a local named Karen (Minnie Driver), who refuses to leave the area.
If Hard Rain was made in the 2020s, it would probably look like Rob Cohen's PG-13, digital-looking Hurricane Height. Thankfully, however, Hard Rain is a gloriously old-fashioned '90s production without any phoney-looking digital trickery to behold. With a massive $70 million budget, the film comes to life through enormous sets, practical effects, location shooting, miniatures and matte paintings, and the illusion still stands over twenty years later despite a couple of imperfect shots. (For example, Slater's face being digitally imposed on a stuntman does not hold up.) The film even opens with a hugely impressive aerial tracking shot showing flooded areas and disaster preparation, ending on the street next to the town's police officers coordinating the evacuation. There's a strong sense of atmosphere, and it never feels like the action is taking place on sets or soundstages. Hard Rain is a blockbuster action film, but it is exceptionally well made, with exhilarating action sequences and palpable tension when the main characters are in danger. It might be B-grade in terms of content, but the execution is undeniably A-grade; it never looks like a cheap or nasty direct-to-video effort. Additionally, Hard Rain is an R-rated action film, and director Salomon does not hold back on the violence. The visceral punch to the shootouts makes the film a must-see for genre fans and further distinguishes it from this century's seemingly never-ending glut of vanilla, PG-13 action flicks.
Yost's screenplay is not airtight, as there are plot contrivances and conveniences to allow the protagonists to escape at a critical time, but it's not too distracting. Furthermore, despite the movie's relatively short 96-minute running time, a sense of repetition admittedly begins to sneak in towards the end, with the premise starting to wear a tad thin during the third act. However, the climax is worth the wait. Although none of the main characters are necessarily three-dimensional, the actors effectively bring their respective roles to life, with the charismatic Christian Slater (who also co-produced) making for a fun and engaging protagonist. Slater knows how to deliver a one-liner, leading to several fun moments of levity. (While desperately trying to acquire the keys to his jail cell, he finds a set of car keys and exclaims, "Perfect, I can drive out of here!") Alongside him, the always-reliable Morgan Freeman makes a terrific impression, handling the material with a straight face. Even though Freeman is an antagonist, his character is level-headed and easy to like. As the token female and love interest, Minnie Driver is perfectly adequate but unremarkable, while the late Edward Asner brings a touch of class to the role of Tom's uncle. Randy Quaid also appears as the town's sheriff, chewing the scenery with gusto to broadly play the somewhat thankless role. Meanwhile, the legendary Betty White is on hand as a stubborn resident who refuses to evacuate, adding ample colour and humour to the production in a way that only White can do.
Hard Rain is full of memorable moments and set pieces, from an enjoyable jet ski chase through a flooded school to an intense shootout in a cemetery and a showdown in a church. Although not on the same level as the best action or disaster movies from the 1990s, it's hugely entertaining and competently made, with fun action sequences and effective comic relief. In 2024, there's something intrinsically charming and nostalgic about old-school blockbusters like Hard Rain that look like proper films, have no political agenda, and manage to be entertaining without insulting anybody's intelligence.
7.3/10
