Director Peter Hyams is an underrated master of the high-concept action thriller (Outland, Narrow Margin, Timecop) and this effort boasts his usual strengths and weaknesses. On the downside, the plotting in which San Francisco cop Mark Harmon is paired with an old enemy, military policeman Sean Connery, to solve a murder mystery is perfunctory to say the least. However, Hyams distracts attention from that with some humdinging action sequences, including the obligatory but smartly shot car chase and the final watery shoot-out. Performance-wise, Connery and Harmon spark off each other nicely, Meg Ryan is a spirited love interest and there are solid supporting turns from Jack Warden and Mark Blum.

Jay Austin is now a civilian police detective. Colonel Caldwell was his commanding officer years before when he left the military police over a disagreement over the handling of a drunk driver. Now a series of murders that cross jurisdictions force them to work together again. That Austin is now dating Caldwell's daughter is not helping their relationship.