When prison inmate Gene Hackman gets a visit from the powerful but mysterious Richard Widmark, his entire life changes. Gene's in jail for murder, and all his appeals have fallen through. Dick has a proposition to get him out early: he just has to eliminate someone of importance once he's out. A favor for a favor. But, as the title implies, it's not as simple as it sounds. One favor leads to another, one mistake leads to another, and one twist leads to another.

I'd definitely recommend this mid-'70s thriller. The acting is very good (as you would expect from a Stanley Kramer movie), and the story is exciting and fast-paced. There's a fun bit of against-type casting in this movie. Candice Bergen plays Gene's lowlife, Southern wife, a far cry from the usually classy roles she had taken up to that point in her career. Edward Albert plays a really cold villain, which I would argue was a mistake. He could have continued to play nice, sensitive fellows like in Butterflies Are Free and no one would have objected. You'll also see Mickey Rooney and Eli Wallach in smaller roles.

Run-of-the-mill crime thriller resulting in a muddle , so-so flick in which lunkhead Gene Hackman is coerced in recruitment by a mysterious organization bent on politican assasin . Stars a Vietnam War veteran , named Tucker (Gene Hackman) , he is a doltish , chronic underachiever , and a real loser who's imprisoned for murder , along with his colleague Spiventa (Mickey Rooney) . The only thing Tucker to be aware of the Vietnam war was his skill with a rifle . But one day an elegant person (Richard Widmark) visits him in prison, a man he has never seen earlier , and informs him that he can walk out of prison as a free man if he will carry out a perilous assignment , no questions asked about this risked mission . As he is offered his freedom if he accepts to undertake a sinister , risked contract for a shady organization. Trust no one. No one.

An average , predictable thriller stars Gene Hackman as a tough convict sprung from the joint by a government organization to do some dirty work , working as a political assassination , including noisy action , double-crosses , romance and violence , but never have so many been wasted on so little . It is cloaked in mystery , though hardened thriller enthusiasts should have have little trouble in guessing pretty well what's going on. Even the always excellent Gene Hackman as a Viet vet can't do anything playing a confused convict busted out of prison with the intent to kill somebody . Along with Gene Hackman as an inmate Vietnam war appears the attractive Candice Bergen as a lower-middle-class housewife , but both of whom fail to convince on their respective roles . They are accompanied by a distinguished cast , these are following ones : Richard Widmark who contributes the best portrayal as a mysterious contractor , Edward Albert as a violent agent , Eli Wallach as a suspicious General and Michael Rooney offers his customarily pugnacious acting . And brief appearances from Neva Patterson , Majel Barrett, Ken Swofford, Joseph Perry and Jay Novello.

It contains an atmospheric and evocative cinematogaphy by two great cameramen : Fred J. Koenekamp and Ernest Laszlo . As well as thrilling and moving musical score by composer Billy Goldenberg . The motion picture was heavily-handed and regularly directed by Stanley Kramer and lack of intrigue and suspense make it less than it should be . Prestigious producer/director Stanley Kramer was consequently tagged as a "message film maker" and "Hollywood's Conscience" . Among his most popular films are : The pride and the Passion¨, ¨On the beach¨, ¨¨ Judgment at Nuremberg¨, ¨Ship of fools¨, ¨World is mad , mad ,mad¨ . And , of course , being ¨Guess Who's Coming to Dinner¨ his biggest hit ; however , ¨Oklahoma crude¨ and ¨The Domino Principle¨resulted to be flops at box office . The Domino Principle (1977)rating : 5/10 , very average and frustrating movie ; only for Gene Hackman's hardcore fans.