Wichita's Kirstie Alley in "Shoot to Kill" a.k.a "Deadly Pursuit" (1988)

Starring Wichita's, Kirstie Alley

"Shoot to Kill" a.k.a "Deadly Pursuit" (1988) is a buddy cop action thriller film directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Sidney Poitier (in his first role in eleven years), Tom Berenger, Kirstie Alley, Clancy Brown and Andrew Robinson. The film follows an FBI agent pursuing a homicidal extortionist; when the extortionist kidnaps a fishing guide in the Pacific Northwest, the agent teams up with her partner, a local wilderness guide, to rescue her.

The film was released to positive reviews from critics, who praised the film's direction, performances, and quality despite its formulaic plot.

Plot:
Sidney Poitier returned to the big screen in this action-thriller, after a decade-long absence. When a cunning murderer vanishes into the rugged mountains of the Pacific Northwest, pursuing FBI agent Warren Stantin (Poitier) must exchange familiar city streets for unknown wilderness trails. Completely out of his element, Stantin is forced to enlist the aid of expert tracker Jonathan Knox (PLATOON'S Tom Berenger). The killer has infiltrated a guided hiking trip led by Knox's girlfriend Sarah (Kirstie Alley, at the height of her Cheers fame). Then, Kirstie becomes the killer's latest hostage.

Cast:
Sidney Poitier as Warren Stantin
Tom Berenger as Jonathan Knox
Kirstie Alley as Sarah Renell
Andrew Robinson as Harvey
Clancy Brown as Steve
Richard Masur as Norman
William S. Taylor as Police Captain
Frederick Coffin as Ralph
Ken Camroux as Charles Denham
Fred Henderson as Agent Owenby
Samuel Hiona as Inspector Hsu
Les Lannom as Sheriff Dave Arnett
Robert Lesser as Agent Minelli
Michael MacRae as Fournier
Walter Marsh as Sam Baker
Janet Rotblatt as Mrs. Berger
Kevin Scannell as Ben
Frank C. Turner as Austin Crilley

Janet Maslin of The New York Times remarked that it "marks the return of Sidney Poitier after a long absence from the screen, and a reappearance of good old-fashioned storytelling technique as well. This is essentially a formula film, and as such it's nothing fancy. But it has crisp, spare direction, enormous momentum and a story full of twists and turns. For anyone who thinks they don't make spine-tingling detective films the way they used to, good news: they've just made another."

Film critic, Roger Ebert, stated that it was "yet another example, rather late in the day, of the buddy movie, that most dependable genre from the early 1970s. The formula still works. Two characters who have nothing in common are linked together on a dangerous mission, and after a lot of close calls they survive, prevail and become buddies." He stated that Poitier "is probably not going to win any awards for this performance, but it's nice to have him back.

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