Review – Off Limits

Funny how a combination of the Vietnam War movie and the murder mystery can end up working as a representative of neither genre but still have at least a little entertainment value. Willem Dafoe and Gregory Hines play Army detectives investigating crime in Saigon in 1968. They end up on the trail of a serial killer who’s slaughtering prostitutes, but their investigation starts hitting dead ends as it becomes more and more apparent that the culprit is a high-ranking American officer. Though the Vietnam angle is fraught with clichés and the mystery elements are likewise weak, the production does a few things right. The hot, sweaty, noisy milieu of the city is skillfully captured. The stars and supporting cast (including Scott Glenn, Keith David and a host of other familiar faces) do a solid job. And if nothing else, at least the relationship between Dafoe’s character and a novitiate nun doesn’t blossom into a vow-busting romance. Mildly amusing