Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
All bets are off when shady homicide cop Rick Santoro witnesses a murder during a boxing match. Determined to solve the crime, he quickly learns that his search for answers will only uncover yet more questions in an ever-widening web of conspiracy, intrigue, and danger.
Snake Eyes is best remembered for its bravura opening sequence — a seemingly continuous 12-minute Steadicam shot through the Atlantic City casino and boxing arena that showcases De Palma at his most technically audacious, earning a genuine 4 for Cinematography. The plot is a reasonably engaging conspiracy thriller for its first two acts, though it unravels under scrutiny and the contrivances pile up. Cage's performance is entertainingly over-the-top but inconsistent, and the supporting cast is serviceable rather than memorable. The film's biggest problem is its ending: the finale was famously re-edited after test screenings, losing its intended wave-of-destruction climax, leaving the resolution feeling abrupt, deflated, and unsatisfying. Novelty is limited — it's a fairly standard De Palma-esque conspiracy thriller that borrows liberally from his own playbook without adding much new.