This Arnie action flick which isn't badly acted by our man of brawn, sees him back in action, at the request of an old cop friend, FBI chief (Darren McGavin), whose son was killed by the Chicago mafia, while working undercover. A certain leak was involved. Arnie must find this SOB. So he leaves his position as small town sheriff, no one more disapproving than his wife of his current rut, who throws a chocolate cake at him with the word S..T decorated on it. Luckily Arnie ducks, then says in that block voice, "You shouldn't drink and bake". So he suits up, fakes his death, in one cool explosion scene (Arnie great, at lighting fires with his cigar) and moves to Chicago, under an assumed named, with a character, that of a bad arse. It isn't soon, before Arnie's mixing with mafia, making waves, etc. Arnie, too has his own score to settle, with a certain guy in the FBI, that led to his sacking in the bureau, and deportment, where his new occupancy, in this little town, would put you on quite a downer for a while. So it's good that we've got the revenge aspect of it to, not just for McGavin. Arnie strikes up a relationship, with a girl (Harrold-Mcgruder And Loud) of one the mob's cronies, (Davi). Davi kind of smells something fishy about this new guy from the word, "Go", where it's great to see Arnie and him square off in particular scenes, and Davi's got the classic, ugly skinned, unattractive, villainous look, that's made him shine in so many other films, whether either playing good or bad. Just when the action dies in this, it starts up again. Something's always happening. The baddies here are really bad, some of them, visually, real ugly sorts, who don't care who you have to waste, to get the job done. You should see one of them get frustrated at golf. Arnie' inserting a Rolling Stones's tape, and single handedly, taking out many bad folk, on a construction site to Jagger's "Satisfaction" with just another cool moment. It was sad though, McGavin's ill fortune, the result of a bungled shootout in a cemetery, where everything came up roses for Arnie in the end. Raw Deal is quite a smart action, if enthusiastic movie, with a lot of great scenes that are addictive, with some great sticking dialogue, from writers you'd like to have on board your project. It's and a cool opening score if I ever heard one, that warrants a few rewinds and plays, with establishing shots of our baddies, one of them Victor Argo, who went on to many other roles. Arnie, standing tall, prominent, and cool in the black jacket, delivering that line on "poetic justice" to our leak, was another highpoint Schwarzenegger moment, making him choose between resigning or being prosecuted, like he did with Arnie. The pacey country music theme after the opening shootout, where the credits come up is most unfitting.
Review of Raw Deal
Raw Deal
(1986)
Arnie flick way different, from his earlier Commando exploits of the same year
24 February 2013