Bush Shrink (1988) User Reviews

Adventure in African wilderness with Charles Napier

[unclehugo · 6/10 · 31 October 2008]

Released under the title "The Trackers" in the Czech Republic. The original title "Bush Shrink" refers to a character of an American psychiatrist named Martin Cypher (played by Craig Wasson of "Schizoid" or "Midnight Fear"). This expert in the field of human psyche temporarily stays in certain African country where he attends to a girl whose uncle, Mr. Kingsley, is in charge of diamond mines. The character of Kingsley is played by the great Charles Napier. Cypher would like to cross the boundaries of purely professional relationship with Kingsley's niece, however, she seems to have no desire to indulge in any kind of intimate physical activities (it is revealed later that she was sexually abused by her father). Real problems begin when a bunch of black rebels taking counsels of a white mercenary kidnap the girl and her uncle. Captives are taken to the mountains and negotiations with Kingsley's subordinates and the police start. Meanwhile, Cypher decides to act on his own in order to rescue the hostages. Without any permission from local police officer, he releases a native poacher (and experienced tracker) who got arrested the day before for attempted killing of a cheetah, and both men set out to the untamed natural area on four wheels. The poacher who has the necessary knowledge of survival techniques proves to be essential for Cypher who wouldn't make it through a single night in the wilderness by himself. There is also some action involving fire-arms in the movie, but not until Mr. Kingsley takes the kidnappers by surprise and, while peeling an apple, he manages to stir up a bloody gunfight that reduces the number of players severely. Only Kingsley's niece and the white mercenary stay alive. Then the cheetah wounded by the poacher in the beginning of the movie returns, with empty stomach and its eyes set on the girl. Will the trackers be able to locate the Bush Shrink's patient before the beast sinks its teeth in the beauty? "The Trackers" is a well-made adventure but it certainly takes its time to get moving. The soundtrack consists of various native tunes and the cinematography reveals some truly striking sceneries. According to the Czech VHS, the director of "The Trackers" was a man named Ivan Hall.