Blood Work

Rating: R

Movie Release Date: August 9, 2002

DVD Release Date: December 27, 2002

Plot 411: A heart transplant recipient investigates the circumstances in which his donor was killed.

Review: Clint Eastwood stars as FBI agent Terry McCaleb, who has a heart attack while chasing a suspect down an alley. Two years later, he receives a transplant and is recovering well when his donor's sister visits him on his boat. Graciella (Wanda de Jesus) implores McCaleb to help her get answers about her sister's death. As McCaleb digs deeper into the case, he ruffles the feathers of local law enforcement officers, played by Paul Rodriguez and Dylan Walsh. He also gets a hand from a former colleague, played by Tina Lifford. Anjelica Houston makes a couple of brief appearances as McCaleb's heart doctor and Jeff Daniels is his neighbor. This movie seemed like every other run-of-the-mill cop thriller and wasn't enhanced in any way by Eastwood's star credentials. I didn't realize it was only made in 2002. Instead, I thought it was one of Eastwood's earlier works. This, I suppose, is due in part to the lackluster production quality and special effects. It could've been an '80s classic rather than a turn-of-the-century effort. The pacing was also less than perfect, which made the movie drag for me.

Watch It: To see old Clint in action just like the good old days.

Skip It: Because the requisite love scene was totally unnecessary and came out of no where, in my opinion.