The word "classic" is thrown around a lot and many people use it as a term that just means "something old." To me, classic means something that has gone down in the past and will be remembered in some form or another. Bullitt is definitely a classic film in my eyes, not just because it's an old film, but due to the fact that it has an incredibly engaging array of characters and the action sequences are some of the best ever put to film. Quite often you will hear film buffs exclaiming the best films of all time to be that of Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Citizen Kane, The Godfather, or anything else that is valid in pop culture, but some of the other films that should truly be remembered as classics only have a small fan base that remembers it or even discovers it. Bullitt is one of the overlooked classics that needs the spotlight treatment once again. Here is why this film still holds up today. Although there are quite a few scenes dealing with investigations and paperwork, making the overall film feel more like a procedural television show than anything, Bullitt always manages to keep you engaged with likeable characters and a great screenplay, for what it's worth. Hired to protect a witness to a crime, police officer Frannk Bullitt makes it his mission to hunt down the murderer after the failure of his initial job in keeping the man safe. When this film gets moving, it doesn't let up and that just goes to show how entertaining films will always be entertaining, no matter how much time passes since their theatrical release. Film fans and critics across the world have been talking about the long climactic chase sequence to be one of the best in the history of cinema, and don't let that hype ruin this portion of the film, because there is a reason it's talked so highly about. Bullitt single-handedly has one of the best car chases ever, bar none. It honestly has to be seen to be believed. That being said, that chase isn't the only impressive thing this film has to offer. From gun fights to chases on foot under planes on an airport runway, everything about this film would've been done with CGI these days, but I don't believe there was a single special effect present anywhere in this film. Practicality was second nature to director Peter Yates and actor Steve McQueen, and it shows in spades when you watch the final product. Yes, the dialogue and action-packed moments are truly what make this film as incredible as it is, and as much as I will defend that this film has great pacing, there are undeniably too many scenes with two characters conversing. This makes the overall film feel the whole two hours that it is. This is the only drawback that I faced when watching this film, but that's easily forgivable, because it was clear that they were going for the procedural feel in order to blow audiences away once they reached the big moments in the film. for that reason, I have no problem giving some of the pacing a pass. This is a great film from start to finish. In the end, Bullitt offers much more than just a procedural story with great action, because the deep character study into the mind of Frank Bullitt is really what puts this film over the edge in terms of quality entertainment. This is a film that I can easily recommend to adults of any age and it still welcomes the young film lovers of today who want to discover the best films from the past. This is one of the all-time classics in my personal opinion. It does have a few small issues, but the sheer impressiveness of the overall film makes me want to revisit it over and over again. Bullitt is fantastic entertainment.

Steve McQueen is as attention-demanding and sauve as any James Bond, and Bullitt is a perfect showcase for the actor. With the famous car chase thats shows off the equally arresting camera work, the film has enough style and bravado to almost make up for the generic crime story.