Cheapo British director David Winters churned out a series of no-budget actioners during the thrill-heavy '80s and this south-of-the-border thriller is very much par for the course. Robert Ginty, no stranger to exploitation after the success of THE EXTERMINATOR, doesn't make a great deal of effort as the Robin Hood-style hero but he does shine in a couple of over-the-top moments where his unique style of acting comes to the fore. The laboured and overly-complex plot sees Ginty teaming up with an old army buddy to deliver a shipment of arms in Mexico. Said buddy is played by Cameron Mitchell, looking booze-swollen and bloated, a far cry from his shining days twenty years earlier in the likes of MINNESOTA CLAY. Thankfully, Mitchell is killed off early on, leaving Ginty to carry the film amid a cast of underachieving Mexican actors and actresses and a brief role for Brit starlet Olivia d'Abo in a nonsensical part.
What I did like about this film was that was more ambitious than most no-budget schlockers. Involving a revolution in a South American country, it sees the rebels battling corrupt government troops in lots of high-powered show downs. This involves copious stock footage during one interlude – where we see a series of random buildings being demolished – and a handful of action scenes that surprisingly don't suck. Sure, they're not that good, but they're certainly passable and the film reaches a high when Ginty initially takes a stand, grabbing a machine gun and taking care of half a dozen troops in one burst. What follows is entirely predictable, but not without merit; for instance, I liked the traitor plot and the cheesy helicopter ending. At least Winters understands that action is what the viewers are looking for, and he offers plenty for your money's worth.
What I did like about this film was that was more ambitious than most no-budget schlockers. Involving a revolution in a South American country, it sees the rebels battling corrupt government troops in lots of high-powered show downs. This involves copious stock footage during one interlude – where we see a series of random buildings being demolished – and a handful of action scenes that surprisingly don't suck. Sure, they're not that good, but they're certainly passable and the film reaches a high when Ginty initially takes a stand, grabbing a machine gun and taking care of half a dozen troops in one burst. What follows is entirely predictable, but not without merit; for instance, I liked the traitor plot and the cheesy helicopter ending. At least Winters understands that action is what the viewers are looking for, and he offers plenty for your money's worth.