Sean Connery as Army Lieutenant Colonel Alan Caldwell and Mark Hamon as San Francisco Police Inspector Jay Austin star in the murder mystery The Presidio. The Presidio was an army base in San Francisco where a murder occurs when a Military Police Officer and two SF Police Officers are killed in an apparent robbery. Austin is assigned the case and Lt. Col. Caldwell is the commander of the base. The movie starts off as a crime flick but then gets caught up in a love story.

The movie actually doesn’t focus upon the crime initially but the relationship between Caldwell and Austin. Austin used to be a military policeman at the Presidio, but the two got into an argument about a case and Austin ended up quitting. Austin also likes Caldwell’s daughter Donna played by Meg Ryan. This relationship triangle is supposed to add tension to the investigation as Caldwell and Austin constantly clash over more than just the crime. That’s also the problem with the film because it can’t decide what kind of movie it wants to be. Is it a romance or a crime drama? It never figures that out and the story suffers as a result.

This film is badly dated and contains many of the worst elements of 80's movie making. The paper-thin plot plays out as though the filmmakers hadn't been able to decide what kind of movie they were trying to make. The script is awful, the direction atrocious and the players seem to be sleepwalking through the whole thing. Meg Ryan (I admit I'm not a fan) is particularly bad--neither she nor her character is likeable. None of the characters' relationships seem genuine or heartfelt. Harmon and Connery don't play well against each other. It's an entirely hohum affair and by the time you get to the denouement, you won't care anymore.

This movie is great, until the characters start talking. I don't blame the actors. I blame the material.

So, it starts off okay, with a car chase. And it ends okay, more action. In between, the murder investigation moves at a snail's pace, as the movie decides it's actually a romance. Don't get me wrong, I like romances, when done well (hint: don't have the characters just sit around and talk about their feelings).

GIRL: I like you, but I'm scared to get close.
GUY: Me too. Oh and by the way, your dad hates me.
DAD: I hate you. Many years ago, you beat up a guy who was drunk and disorderly, after he picked on your female police partner and then took a swing at you. I didn't even really like the guy. But still, I hate you.

This is not too different from the actual dialogue.

This movie is for those of us who grew up in San Francisco. For all others it may, indeed, be too simplistic, boring, etc. And it's OK, don't force it, just let it go and move on to something else. I, for one, like to watch this movie for the atmosphere, for the nostalgic feeling of being back home in 1980es San Fran, just as I remember it growing up. I enjoy a trip down the memory lane now and again. And the cast is great as far as I am concerned. The Connery/Ryan/Harmon trio just let the movie roll smoothly all the way to the end. So, if you are "made and grown in SF", grab a cup of whatever makes you feel good, relax and enjoy! :-)

If you are a fan of Mark Harmon as Special Agent Gibbs in NCIS, seeing a younger Mark Harmon paired with Sean Connery in this cross jurisdictional police story is a real treat. Harmon fans will recognize many of the character traits seen in his NCIS Gibbs character or Secret Service Special Agent Simon Donovan (The West Wing) that has become his trademark reserved mannerisms. Meg Ryan adds a romantic element to the story. Enjoyable.

I bought the 2017 reissue of The Presidio on DVD and the back cover says it's presented in anamorphic widescreen. It's not. It's letterboxed just like the original release back in 1999. False advertising on Paramount's part. But, hey, let's talk about the actual movie. Is it any good? Sure, it's a good flick. James Bond as a military man and Jethro Gibbs prior to getting a job with NCIS team up to solve a mysterious crime wave in the heart of San Francisco. Good times.

Don't have a single complaint other than the suspension of disbelief during some of the bullet dodging. Even the cheesiness is delightful. Love all three protagonists, and their respective actors. Harmon is exactly as you expect him to be. Stellar performance, especially when he gets Donna to stop playing games. Connery was different than usual in this, but charming as always.

It should been put down to a simple break in. But the death of an MP at the Presidio and the death of two San Francisco police officers, Inspector Jay Austin (Mark Harmon) and Lt. Colonel Caldwell (Sean Connery) the Provost Marshall of the Presidio are force to join forces to find the killer. Each trying to forget that they can't stand each other due to old history and the face Jay is seeing the Colonel daughter's Donna (Meg Ryan) But past action dating all the way back to Vietnam are getting people in the present and this two are determined to stop it.
"The Presidio" was a decent and entertaining movie and what it may lack in in action it more than make up for in decent storyline and actors. Both Connery and Harmon do a good job with their parts.