The Saint

Val Kilmer stars as globe-hopping daredevil and "gentleman thief" Simon Templar in this glossy and thrilling updating of Leslie Charteris' roguish hero. Hired by a Russian crime boss to steal a cold-fusion energy formula from scientist Elisabeth Shue, Kilmer falls for his "victim," and soon both find their lives in danger as they race against time to recover the formula. 118 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround, French Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: Spanish; audio commentary; theatrical trailer.

Lightly enjoyable but a disappointment in the context of author Leslie Charteris's popular character, the Saint--who has been played by several actors, most notably George Sanders--this 1997 film is more in keeping with the requirements of high-octane contemporary action than it is the requirements of a particular legacy. Val Kilmer plays Simon Templar, the mercenary spy, who is hired to steal a fusion formula but falls in love with the scientist (Elisabeth Shue) who cooked it up. Kilmer's portrayal bears little resemblance to Charteris's rakish hero, and the film itself becomes increasingly improbable and ponderous the longer it goes on. I--Tom Keogh/I