The Shadow Conspiracy (1997)

0% of critics liked it
(28 reviews)
23% of users liked it
(2,832 ratings)

Presidential advisor Bobby Bishop (Charlie Sheen) is hunted by an unknown assailant in this political thriller. With the help of Chief-of-Staff Jake Conrad (Donald Sutherland) and the newspaper journalist Amanda (Linda Hamilton), he uncovers an assassination plot to kill the President and his most… More Presidential advisor Bobby Bishop (Charlie Sheen) is hunted by an unknown assailant in this political thriller. With the help of Chief-of-Staff Jake Conrad (Donald Sutherland) and the newspaper journalist Amanda (Linda Hamilton), he uncovers an assassination plot to kill the President and his most trusted advisors. Bobby battles forces in the government he has sworn to uphold, as his every move is monitored by high-tech surveillance cameras. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 43 min.
Directed By: Vic Armstrong (II), George P. Cosmatos
Written By: Adi Hasak, Ric Gibbs
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Jan 25, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Aug 12, 1997

Critic Reviews

Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader
Bland, interminable chase scenes take up so much of the story -- the hackneyed plot doesn't need much exposition -- that the sheer repetitiveness begins to amaze you.
Daniel M. Kimmel, Variety
The climactic assassination attempt... is so ridiculous there's only one real danger: that the president (and the audience) will laugh to death.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
The film is so contemptuous of its audience it doesn't even bother to present a surface resemblance to reality.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
When Charlie Sheen and Donald Sutherland appear in any movie, you should be wary. Their contracts seem to demand nothing but corny formula.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
There isn't a brain in its empty little head, or in its assembly-line story, which is about how Charlie Sheen pauses occasionally between ludicrous action scenes, some of them ripped off from better films.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
The plot, as it eventually unfolds, is so absurd and leads to such a silly climax that much of the audience's good will is burned away.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Corpses pile up, dreadful secrets are uncovered, and Bishop eventually gets to the bottom of things, a full hour after the least attentive viewer will have figured out who's behind it all.
Charlotte O'Sullivan, Time Out
Sadly, Sheen doesn't even look profound. Like a zombie who's spent too much time in the gym, he blunders heavily from one stunt to the next, his pursed lips conveying nothing more than pique.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
The story's driven completely by coincidence and baffling lunacy, and you'll be driven... to press eject on your VCR.
Dragan Antulov, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Ridiculous.
Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
The whole thing is so vague and preposterous and paranoid that it almost goes without saying that Donald Sutherland plays a key role.
Karen Achenbach, Boxoffice Magazine
Sheen is a handsome and resourceful actor, but not enough so to win in this conspiracy of shadows over substance.
Cynthia Fuchs, Philadelphia City Paper
Is it just me or is Charlie Sheen the kiss of death for anything other than Hot Shots?
, Empire Magazine
This is the sort of film in which informants are shot in the head from across the street just as they are about to reveal the name of the traitor behind the scheme.
Madeleine Williams, Cinematter
A truly pathetic thriller.