the movie have a good concept and but the execution just do not live up to it . what be this concept . well and story wise and it dirty harry meet m. a child killer have begin terrorize a city . the lead detective ( dennis hopper and frederic forest ) have never deal with a serial killer before . the mayor and the police chief and in desperation and secretly hire the local mob to speed thing up . to go place and do thing that the police wouldn not be able to in order to bring an end to this mess as soon a possible . to be fair and this film do genuinely have some good thing to offer . besides the concept and i like the look of the killer hideout . norman bat have his basement . this guy have an eerie sewer . in some of the shot and the light bounce off the water and create ripple reflection on the wall while often give these scene a creepy and dreamlike quality . the acting be good too . dennis hopper be one of those actor who get good with age . once you get past that and however and it more or less go downhill . the film be paced way too fast . the actual investigation process from both team feel very rush a oppose to feel intricate and fascinating . this could have be fix in two way represent either make the film longer or cut out some of the many subplots . either of these would have allow the crew to devote more time to the actual mystery . for an example of how bad this be and one of the crucial clue that help them zero in on just the right suspect be this represent at one point in his life and the suspect go to a pet shop . that right . i be be totally serious here . it like they go from point a ( the first clue ) to point z ( the suspect ) and skip over all the in between step . then there the character . the only one i actually like be two pick pocket you meet about half way through the movie . consider that theyre minor character and i would call that a bad sign . finally and there the mob angle . this be the one that get me the most because this be why i cough up the $ 3 to buy the dvd in the first place . i mean and what a hook . there be an absolute glut of serial killer flick in the last 10 15 year . the mob angle be a gimmick that could have help it rise above the rest . and but it do not . i figure the gangster method would be brutal and but fun and thrilling at the same time while kind of like a vigilante movie or something . maybe they would even throw in some heist movie element too . we be talk about criminal and after all . instead and be give some of the most repulsive protagonist commit to celluloid . the detective question witness . what do the mob do . they interrogate and kill them . it not even like these witness be really even that bad either . i actually find the criminal less likable than the killer theyre hunting . unless the good point i mention be enough to get your interest and i would say give this one a miss . maybe some day and they will reuse the same story idea and do it right . i hope so . i hate to see such a good concept go to waste .