This crime drama/thriller, “China Moon,” set in Florida and featuring Ed Harris, Madeleine Stowe, and Benicio Del Toro, involves a seasoned detective (Harris) mentoring his new partner (Del Toro), while also becoming involved with an attractive woman (Stowe). Unbeknownst to him, she’s trapped in a difficult marriage with a self-important banker (Charles Dance). Things quickly spiral out of control. The film shares similarities with “Body Heat,” released more than a decade prior, including the shared setting; however, "Body Heat" was commercially successful while this one struggled to find an audience and faded into relative obscurity. Despite that, it’s a competently made neo-noir picture, leaning toward traditional storytelling rather than extreme visual flair, though it does incorporate some atmospheric rainy night scenes. The performances are strong, but the conclusion feels contrived and unnecessary. Kyle's (Harris) unexpected predicament combined with his apprentice’s sudden detective skills were compelling enough on their own; however, the subsequent events felt unbelievable. Nevertheless, if you appreciate neo-noir films and enjoy watching these actors, it might be worth your time to see it. The movie has a running time of 1 hour and 39 minutes and was filmed in the Greater Tampa Bay area, specifically Lakeland and Bartow—about an hour east of Tampa—as well as St. Pete’s Beach. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB