If you go in with an open-mind, and with the understanding that this film was made for 700K - then you might come out of it with a serious appreciation for those involved.
Who in the heck is Johnny Strong, and what in the heck is he doing acting so well in a no-name, rock-your-socks-off action flick like this? His performance, along with the action sequences, carry the film.
The film will test your patience.
It starts with an earth-shattering action sequence(much like the directors previous work, "The Prodigy 3/10"), and then the film settles down to start the plot set-up.
It's during this set-up that the average viewer may be tempted to turn it off. The low-production values are at their worst during the early dramatic/dialog sequences. There is some schotty camera work, and the film stock gets terribly blurry from time to time. There were points when this film looked nearly as bad as a bootleg. BUT the film really starts to grab you at the half-way point.
Johnny Strong quickly becomes a character the audience would like to root for, and with all the films' faults, it has some moments of sheer brilliance. There are some dialog scenes(one particular in the police car towards the middle of the film) that create an emotional spike to the film, and then there's the action sequences which are extremely well-done.
I can see this film growing into a huge cult-hit.
I didn't care for "The Prodigy" at all, but it's obvious this director is progressing. He and Strong may have just punched their ticket to the big-time.
The storyline is decent for a genre where we shouldn't expect rocket-science. The hero of the film is balanced with a partner who is a family man. Kevin Phillips does a fine job as the partner, but Strong's character has NOTHING to lose, and all the talent and experience in the world to take on this formidable enemy. Johnny is Johnny-on-the-spot with a gun, and an ex-marine, but his partner has more to lose. This balance adds a certain dynamic to the film.
These characters break-out performances more than make up for the cameo-like appearances of Sean Patrick Flannery and Tom Berenger.
I've already mentioned some of the film's flaws, but the film also slightly overstays it's welcome with about 5 action sequences that could have been combined into about two in the films' final half. It makes the ending a little bit anti-climactic, but the second-quarter and the third-quarters of this film are very strong considering its' resources.
You should know if this is the kind of thing you want to take a chance on or not. If you read that statement, and still rent it, you won't be disappointed.
65/100 You'll like this if you liked: El Mariachi, The Prodigy, A Better Tomorrow, Narc, and The Killer.
JUST GET PAST the early production short-comings and stick with it and you shouldn't be disappointed.
Who in the heck is Johnny Strong, and what in the heck is he doing acting so well in a no-name, rock-your-socks-off action flick like this? His performance, along with the action sequences, carry the film.
The film will test your patience.
It starts with an earth-shattering action sequence(much like the directors previous work, "The Prodigy 3/10"), and then the film settles down to start the plot set-up.
It's during this set-up that the average viewer may be tempted to turn it off. The low-production values are at their worst during the early dramatic/dialog sequences. There is some schotty camera work, and the film stock gets terribly blurry from time to time. There were points when this film looked nearly as bad as a bootleg. BUT the film really starts to grab you at the half-way point.
Johnny Strong quickly becomes a character the audience would like to root for, and with all the films' faults, it has some moments of sheer brilliance. There are some dialog scenes(one particular in the police car towards the middle of the film) that create an emotional spike to the film, and then there's the action sequences which are extremely well-done.
I can see this film growing into a huge cult-hit.
I didn't care for "The Prodigy" at all, but it's obvious this director is progressing. He and Strong may have just punched their ticket to the big-time.
The storyline is decent for a genre where we shouldn't expect rocket-science. The hero of the film is balanced with a partner who is a family man. Kevin Phillips does a fine job as the partner, but Strong's character has NOTHING to lose, and all the talent and experience in the world to take on this formidable enemy. Johnny is Johnny-on-the-spot with a gun, and an ex-marine, but his partner has more to lose. This balance adds a certain dynamic to the film.
These characters break-out performances more than make up for the cameo-like appearances of Sean Patrick Flannery and Tom Berenger.
I've already mentioned some of the film's flaws, but the film also slightly overstays it's welcome with about 5 action sequences that could have been combined into about two in the films' final half. It makes the ending a little bit anti-climactic, but the second-quarter and the third-quarters of this film are very strong considering its' resources.
You should know if this is the kind of thing you want to take a chance on or not. If you read that statement, and still rent it, you won't be disappointed.
65/100 You'll like this if you liked: El Mariachi, The Prodigy, A Better Tomorrow, Narc, and The Killer.
JUST GET PAST the early production short-comings and stick with it and you shouldn't be disappointed.