Murder at 1600, brings to the screen the story of a D.C. detective as he tries to solve the mystery surrounding the murder of a young woman found dead within the White House. What he encounters though, might be more than he bargained for...
Wesley Snipes, Diane Lane (who is GORGEOUS!), Alan Alda, and the rest of the cast, have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are exceptional to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows, allowing for a highly entertaining movie.
It's too bad we don't see "more" of Diane Lane, even though she is quite "gifted..."
The setting, the plot, the dialogues, and the music are all very good.
In short, though not a masterpiece it is definitely a movie worth watching, as it will surely provide for an evening's entertainment.

It's a dark and stormy night at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Under the eternally captured eyes of Washington and Jefferson, a lovely young blonde is having sex in one of the rooms in the White House. Soon a maid discovers her body in a stall in the restroom. She has been stabbed to death. Uh-oh, is this going to be a problem or what?
MURDER AT 1600 has a lot of incredible plot contrivances that don't work unless you go ahead, suspend your belief, and enjoy the ride. Dwight Little's competent direction allows us to do that. Remember, it's just a movie, and even though its plot seems a bit far-fetched at times, it works as an engrossing thriller. Wesley Snipes is convincing as a no-nonsense DC homicide detective who forces himself onto the investigation, which should have been federally handled since it took place on Federal property. But then we wouldn't have had a movie. Diane Lane in a rare "action" role is marvelous as Dena Chance, the secret service liaison who realizes a cover up is going on. Daniel Benzali (from the critically acclaimed but short-lived tv series MURDER ONE) chews up the scenery as the head of security and the always delightful Alan Alda gives fine support as the head of NSA. It was nice to see the still lovely Diane Baker as the First Lady (I remember her so fondly from those 60s tearjerkers and of course as the murderess in STRAIT JACKET); Ronny Cox is an appropriately wimpy president; and Tate Donovan does well in the underdeveloped role of the president's sexually promiscous son.
This is one of those aw heck, what the heck kind of movies. It's fun to watch and I enjoyed it.

Snipes is a genious in this one
the director picked a great cast to do this movie
the movie plot is just so strange that you have to ask yourself how will this end?
I love the whole movie
it really shocked me who the killer was.
I won't give away who it was
all I know is I'm glad I got this on dvd. and gave it a spin. cuz it will be seeing more spins in my dvd player when I can watch it. Snipes deserves an award for best actor in a thriller. and the director does too for most powerful directing in a thriller
you go Snipes. you rock in this. I would recommend his Blade movies too ifyou like Snipes.

Once again I find myself praising a movie that a majority of folks seem to view as average at best. Murder at 1600 is a serious movie that you can't take too seriously, not if you want to enjoy it. Wesley Snipes has a few humorous bits, and Dennis Miller is his normally wisecracking self, and I think the movie perhaps benefits from this remote air of unreality due to its subject matter - after all, the brutal murder of a young woman inside the White House is some pretty serious stuff. The other main aspect of the film, which supplies the motive for the murder in the first place, is - granted - a little bit out there, and that is where the subtle sense of unreality pays dividends; without it, it would really be hard to get from here to there.

Carla Towne is a young unknown White House staffer - until her body is found in a White House restroom sporting a number of deadly knife wounds. This is not good news for the President, who is already bottoming out in the polls for still attempting to negotiate, six months into the crisis, the release of an AWAC crew captured and obviously tortured by the North Koreans. Wesley Snipes plays Detective Harlan Regis, the investigator summoned to the White House to investigate the murder. The Secret Service as an organization is less than friendly and cooperative, viewing the White House as its beat alone. Except for his buddy and sometimes partner (played by Dennis Miller), Regis is pretty much on his own. The tight-lipped and intimidating Nick Spikings (Daniel Benzali), the chief of White House security and definite contender for the next Lex Luthor look-alike contest (his Marlon Brando impersonation isn't half bad, either) assigns Agent Nina Chance (Diane Lane) as Regis' liaison with the Secret Service. Spikings doesn't mess around, and once he has tabbed an individual for the murder, he wants Chance to have nothing to do with Regis. The detective is pretty persistent, though, and Chance has to weigh her sense of duty against her sense of justice.

The list of suspects is quite fluid, and I think the movie does a very good job of sustaining suspense and the sense of mystery throughout. The facts as Regis acquires them make not only the President's philandering son, but the President himself possible suspects. Then you have the crisis with North Korea coming to the fore, with the President really frustrating his top advisors with his incredibly wimpy refusal to risk war with North Korea over the military hostage crisis. The truth, when it comes, does push the envelope to some degree, but it is certainly logical in the given context. I didn't ID the real bad guy any sooner than Regis and Chance did, so that to me is a good thing.

A great mystery, plenty of action, power politics, lust, murder, conspiracy inside conspiracy: Murder in 1600 offers the viewers all of this and more. The ending itself is well done in my opinion, as well. Thus, this reviewer counts this as an impressive and very entertaining thriller.

Any movie that allows former-M*A*S*H star Alan Alda to play against type is worth a look.

Star Snipes adds another "action role" to his ever-expanding arsenal of "kick butt" types. Diane Lane, Ronny Cox, and Daniel Benzali supply enough backing to make this thriller passable.

The appearance of Diane Baker as the President's wife makes the movie work for me.

Wesley Snipes stars as a DC homicide cop brought into the White House to help solve the brutal murder of a White House staffer. He gets very little support from the Secret Service, who want the matter resolved quickly, even if that means bending the facts a little. Snipes begins to realize that there is a coverup in progress and that he is only one man standing against the machinery of Washington. Snipes is a good fit for this role, not relying on simply mugging and attitude like he sometimes does. Diane Lane as the Secret Service agent assigned as his liason gives the film's best performance. She really deserves to get her "breakout" role that would give her a shot at better scripts than this one. It starts out promisingly, but the mystery and action becomes increasingly ridiculous as it moves along. The supporting cast are never given a chance to flesh out their roles as their characters do things that don't make much sense. By the ending of the film, the best I could muster was, "Yeah, right." A murder mystery involving top level political cover ups in Washington is a ripe topic to say the least. But this was a good idea that needed a lot of reworking before filming. It's a wasted opportunity.

The film starts out with a ridiculous scene involving a suicide that Wesley saves by cold cocking, and the film never gets any less absurd. As contrived thrillers go, this one was pure Hollywood, complete with dopey plot twists that make less sense the more you think about them. Plodding, pointless and pedestrian, Murder At 1600 is so dull it actually put me to sleep twice, I finally did finish it, though I admit that I fast-forwarded through the tedious fight scenes at the end, will Wesley die? Snipes mugs through the whole film, with then trendy cigar conspicuously in place. Even Dennis Miller was dull. You really don't need to see this flick, although I was amused when Wesley read the big bad guy his rights while in handcuffs.

Murder at 1600's strong point is that it has characters you want to care about. Wesley Snipes has this type of character nailed down as an "officer just wanting to do my job" (Detective Regis) as he's done in pictures such as Passenger 57. Diane Lane as Special Agent Nina Chance is once again great and beautiful as ever. The plot of the movie has some twists as a murder in the White House is used as a cover up (or not as a cover up) to disgrace the First Family. One complaint is, somehow Ronny Cox should have continued his run as a "baddie" (Total Recall, Robo Cop) in films. He and Alan Alda (as Alvin Jordan, National Security Advisor) should have switched roles in the film. Alan Alda should have played the President in the movie. Otherwise, a pretty good thriller from start to finish.

OK, there are times you want to relax by watching something easy and entertaining, so you go for a movie with a bit of this'n'that: action, violence, humor, romance. This was my premise when choosing this movie. I was hoping for very uncomplicated fun, with some mystery, action, intrigue, romance, etc. Let's face it, we might love gourmet cuisine, but every once in a while a hotdog sounds really good. Well, this hotdog was a real dog. Sure, this is a straightforward movie, with an easy to follow plot, and with many of the ingredients listed above, but the end result was bad. Wesley Snipes is such a talented actor, and somehow he gets these roles where he is a thuggy good guy, decent but not very bright, getting in trouble (as usual). Alan Alda was disappointing as the National Security Advisor. The only refreshing character was Dennis Miller almost playing himself. But in summary, this movie was way too lame and predictable, better left on the shelves.

Hey i think that people today are to into the realism of film, this movie was cool because the plot is very far fetched. So who cares its hollywood when i come home from work or class i want to be taken away from the real wrold and be entertained. This movie does it, all the characters are great and give solid performances. So what if Alan Alda played bad, Deniro played in a comedy and in a spy movie. Diane Lane looked hot when she amswered the door. Dennis Miller part oppsite of Snipes was very funny. Oh and by the way who would have thought a President haveing sex with an intern would be blown up into a scandel that could have costed him the presidency? So this plot is not as far fetched as you think.

Conspiracies, corruption, cover ups. Welcome to Washington D.C. Nothing new there, but a murder in the White House along with all the corruption and cover ups makes for a good story. Snipes, D.C. homicide cop, is called in to investigate. Through the political jungle that surrounds the White House and its denizens, Snipes makes his way through to the truth with the help of a Secret Service agent, played very well by Lane. Twists and turns abound, which is one of the elements that make the movie so enjoyable. It was just an all around fun movie, and more believable than a lot of other action, who-done-it films.

This movie is quite good, it has its moments. However this has been made before. The plot goes something like this: President and a murder and one suspect! The good part is that its fairly easy to watch, you dont have to concentrate 100% to follow the plot (U have seen it before, right!) Suitable for a rainy Sunday afternoon!

Replay value: Medium

The story about a DC cop (Snipes) investigates murder of a young woman in the White House. Everybody is a suspect including the President and his son. The story is quite good and Dwight Little direction keeps the film interesting all the way. The DVD sound and picture quality is very good. This movie also features my favorite actress, Diane Lane. She is so good in the role of Secret service. I am so disappointed she was not even considered to replace Jodie Foster in the sequel of Silence of the lamb (Julianne Moore got the part). The producer should have seen this movie before made the decision. Anyway it is a great entertaining DVD to be added to your collection. You won't be sorry.

This is the first murder mystery film to have the White House as the location of the crime. This is what makes the film more suspenseful and interesting. I have this DVD and I really like this movie. It's really worth watching.

Another White House murder, like Absolute Power. The president's son's girlfriend is murdered. Cagy Alan Alda, no longer a lovable Mash doctor, gets the president to agree to resign in order to save his son from prosecution. (Huh?) Law enforcement agent Wesley Snipes suspects that the president's son is innocent. Happy ending, if predictable.

A woman is found murdered in the white house. A local cop is brought in. Who killed her? Can he figure it out? This movie is excellent film full of suspense. Just when I thought I knew who the killer was, I realized I was wrong.

If you love a gooooood mystery/suspence...look at this one.

This movie covers all angles of what would happen in a celebrity murder case.

This movie has an average story and was written for a pretty low brow audience. I only watched it because the person who was the victim of "murder at 1600" was played by a friend of a girl I used to go with at university (Mary Moore). Her stunning good looks make the movie worth the rental, however the story may leave your thumb tired from fast forwarding to Mary's scenes.

Murder at 1600 is an unsolvable mess that suffers from a severe identity crisis. It starts out with the murder of a White House staffer and ends up with everyday cop Wesley Snipes and his Secret Service counterpart Diane Lane trying save the nation from a constitutional crisis. Therein lies the problem with Murder at 1600: it is really two not very good movies in one. The first half is rather ho-hum, but is still believable; Snipes wades through bureaucratic bull while investigating the death of a White House intern. The second half is pure fantasy, livened up with shoot'um up action, as the trail of crumbs leads to an incredibly dumb conclusion. If the producers of Murder at 1600 could have decided which direction to go, they would have had an average, but entertaining movie. Instead, we get a movie that is average and not entertaining.

wesley is allright! he should have used more of his martial arts

The only reason I saw this movie was because Alan Alda was in it.The cast was good but give me a break Alan got a bad part he should have been a main chractor.

it wasn't all the suspense type thriller that i thought, but it was prteey good!

This is fun movie to watch. Plot is well executed and keeps you interested throughout the movie. If you are interested in a great basic cop drama with a little twist of biting Washington satire, this is a wonderful movie to watch. If you liked this one, I also recommend Absolute Power with Clint Eastwood. They are quite different from each other but have the same, basic context. I recommend Murder at 1600 over Absolute Power. The characters are more likable and the story line pulls you in more. All in all, a fun movie that you will not regret renting or owning.

I enjoyed watching this movie on HBO. "Fun" would be my overall comment. Sure it might not be realistic in some areas but it's fiction! As another reviewer commented, it's a little scary to think that anything close to this might actually occur in our government. But who knows. I think Wesley Snipes always has a fun personality so if you don't care for him, you might not like the movie. I was also enjoyed Diane Lane. I'm a fan of her's now. The outfit she answered her door in seemed a little far-fetched but it worked for me!

I am a die-hard civil war buff and I really enjoyed this movie. I feel it was a great plot and with the history intertwined it is one of the best movies I have ever saw. I really liked the First Bull Run Diaroma. As Dennis Miller says in the best line of the movie "WHO SAYS HISTORY IS NOT PRACTICAL."

My husband and I watched this movie at home. I was pleased with Wesley Snipes acting ability, and really like a good mystery. I do not, however, like really suspense filled moments. It is scary to think that people affiliated with our government officials has/have such power, as the Alan Alda role showed. Especially with all the back up provided by the National Security System, shown in this film.. END