THE SAINT

Val Kilmer has gone from hiding in a bat suit to hiding behind disguises in THE SAINT. Like Batman, his adult character is also troubled and motivated by witnessing a death. As a child, young Simon Templar was brutally treated by a Catholic teacher. The teacher made Simon say that his name was the name of a Catholic Saint. Simon refused, causing himself and all the other students to be punished for his insolence. One of his fellow students was his sweetheart, but during a late night break out, where the children were in process of fleeing the tyrannical school, the girl fell to her death during a freak accident. From that moment forward, Simon dedicated himself to battling for justice where the law cannot, or will not reach, even if it means breaking the law.

As an adult, Simon is a hired high-tech thief who wants to earn $50 million and then retire. He demonstrates his abilities by stealing a micro-chip from a high-rise building near Red Square in Moscow while dignitaries and security have a meeting on one of the lower floors. This job impresses Russian billionaire Ivan Tretiak (Rade Serbedija ), who hires Simon to steal the formula for cold fusion from a young, attractive American scientist named Emma Russell (Elisabeth Shue). Ivan Tretiak wants to throw out the ruling leader and position himself as the first Czar of the new Russian by making promises of greater economic prosperity through selling the formula.

Simon takes the job, but unexpectedly falls in love with Emma’s warm and innocent nature. Simon does steal the formula, but his conscience bothers him so much, he decides to steal it back and allow the rightful ruler of Russia to maintain his position. Tretiak’s men chase Simon and Emma to stop them from foiling their nefarious plan.

THE SAINT has many qualities that are comparable to last years MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, also distributed by Paramount. Both were TV programs, and both feature international locations. Both involve stealing secrets, and both have a great deal of action. Both share confusing plots and have unexplained scenes. Though Simon stole Emma’s formula, she still is attracted to him and trusts him. She also has a fluctuating heart problem, sometimes needing medicine and sometimes not. Also, Tretiak’s desires for the formula are hidden in pompous speeches about his rise to power.

Surprisingly, this movie has few obscenities and only one profanity. It does have implied and briefly depicted fornication. After all, THE SAINT, was once played by Roger Moore, the second incarnation of the womanizing James Bond. In fact, during a final scene of the movie, we hear Roger Moore’s voice as a radio announcer. Perhaps for moral Americans, the most alarming part of this movie will be that it makes a hero out of a thief. Kilmer justifies the role by saying, “Templar has a morality and a code and, like many professional thieves, has no interest in harming people or killing them. He is not a bad man. He just grew up in an illegal world and that’s what he does for a living.” Positioning itself as the foundation for a franchise, you can be assured that Simon will steal again, despite the ending here where he rights wrongs. THE SAINT is slick, good-looking and mildly entertaining with Kilmer performing as several different roles with different accents, but as a hero of questionable ethics, his halo is tarnished.