I never watched "No Mercy" when it came out in 1986, but somehow I don't think my opinion of it, having watched it now, would have been much different because quite simply it's a cliche and predictable cop looking for revenge movie. In fact watching it now "No Mercy" is not just cliche and predictable but also corny with dialogue which is so miserably tacky it's embarrassing. Even the sexy casting of Richard Gere and Kim Basinger adds little of merit and it's only some nice atmospheric moments which stop it from being completely lacking anything worthy of praise.

Having busted a crook whilst posing as car washer, Chicago cop Eddie Jillette (Richard Gere - The Cotton Club) and his partner get a tip off about a possible hit man job. Posing as the hitman to meet with a client from New Orleans things get out of hand resulting with Jillette's partner killed and attractive blonde, Michel (Kim Basinger - Nine 1/2 Weeks) who holds the key to things going missing. Hell bent on getting revenge for his partner's death Jillette heads south to track down the mysterious blonde where he not only discovers her but gets into a whole lot of trouble with a criminal organization and local cops who are less than happy having Jillette in their neighbourhood.

As storylines go "No Mercy" whilst a well written cop thriller is also very cliche. From the bad guys through to the cop seeking revenge it's all been done before and often much better. Even the way the storyline unfolds, whilst thrilling, doesn't really stand out as being amazing. And that's one of the major issues for "No Mercy" there is little if anything which really makes it stand out be it storyline, action or casting. What it does have going for it is that it is surprisingly well written, it builds up the storyline surprisingly tightly so there isn't that many noticeable plot holes or shocking contrivances. If only the writers hadn't worked there way through what seems like a playbook of 80s cop thrillers then maybe I would have been more impressed and more importantly engrossed.

But whilst the storyline feels all too cliche director Richard Pearce has done his best to distract with atmosphere and it has to be said he does it quite well. Be it the scene in an abandoned cabin, on the swamps or in the bar there is no let up when it comes to creating the right mood, atmosphere and even tension. Plus of course with two hot sexy stars in Richard Gere and Kim Basinger there is an atmosphere of sexual tension going on, slowly simmering from the first time that Eddie spots Michel as it builds up to an expected peak. Although it has to be said that the close up camera work on a hot Michel damping down her body especially her breasts borders both on the tacky and exploitive failing to really be anything more than titillation.

The biggest problem with "No Mercy" is that it ends up dating badly. Scenes which would have seemed semi cliche back in the 80s, such as the Eddie and Michel sex scene are now very cliche. And that is not the only one as even action sequences which whilst well choreographed are extremely cliche. But it is the dialogue where it suffers the most and watching Richard Gere deliver over the top dialogue which is meant to establish him as a hard nut cop now ends up as making it all a little too corny, even comical at some of the guff he has to try and make work.

The corniness doesn't end there because there is not a single character which rises above being either cliche or corny or at worst both. Gere and Basinger work well together, but between their pouting, preening and often breathless delivery of dialogue it's all over the top and corny. And they are not alone because between them George Dzundza, William Atherton and Bruce McGill play a collection of cliche bad guys and cops, which look like and act like the stereotypes set up in the 80s for there parts. There is little when it comes to the acting which impresses and it does boil down to the fact that Gere and Basinger do have a sexual chemistry going on which makes "No Mercy" bearable.

What this all boils down to is that "No Mercy" is a very stereotypical movie. From the storyline, the characters, acting and action there is little which makes it stand out from the crowd and watching it now it's also seriously corny thanks to the terrible dialogue. But what stops it from being terrible is that Gere and Basinger have chemistry, the writing is solid and despite being cliche it delivers scene after scene of atmosphere.