Cast:
Brian Bosworth (Detective Joe Huff / John Stone), Lance Henriksen ("Chains" Cooper), William Forsythe ("Ice" Hensley), Arabella Holzbog (Nancy), Sam McMurray (FBI Agent Lance Dockery), Richard Gant (FBI Special Agent In Charge Frank Cunningham), David Tress (District Attorney Brent "The Whip" Whipperton), and Illana Diamant (Officer Sharon) Directed by Craig R. Baxley.
Review:
Okay, some "new directors" are for the curiosity. I had first heard "Brian Bosworth starring in a movie" and thought, hey, maybe I should consider it for Turkey Week (November 2022). It did not come to pass, but I struggled to find a way to talk about this, because such a goofy title and, uh, a former football star being paired with Lance Henriksen seemed ripe someday. This is currently the last feature film directed by Craig R. Baxley, as he has since directed a long list of television movies and a few miniseries (including multiple based on Stephen King works). Imagine going from Action Jackson (1988) and I Come in Peace (1990) to steady work on television...yes, I can't fathom that. Actually, Baxley had come from the world of stuntmen, eventually rising to positions as second unit director and stunt coordinator before breaking in as a director for stuff such as The A-Team. Bruce Malmuth (probably best known for Hard to Kill [1990]) was the original director intended for the film, and he had done a bit of filming before "personal issues that he couldn't control which poured out on set" led to him being replaced by Baxley. Four weeks had been spent filming with the main character having a family before that firing led to a portrayal instead of a loner (as quoted by Bosworth later, Baxley reportedly had said he was "hired to blow shit up and kill a lot of people"), because Malmuth's footage evidently was not useable. I would like to point out that Michael Douglas served as producer (uncredited). The film was written with Bosworth in mind by Walter Doniger, who actually graduated from Harvard is business before having his first profession being as a scriptwriter with Universal Films that eventually led to directing on occasion. His various scripts or direction included various things such as Duffy of San Quentin (1954) or the TV soap opera Peyton Place. The script was his last as a writer before his death in 2011 at the age of 94. The film was a bomb with audiences, but it has a small following, at least one that can be appreciated by say, a drafthouse screening.
This is the most noted film that featured Bosworth, who has appeared from time to time in direct-to-video fare (such as the Revelation Road trilogy) or guest roles. He was mulling on what he was going to do with himself now that his football career had unexpectedly ended at the age of 24. He apparently never considered himself an actor. His son even pointed out the, uh, interesting decisions made to make an action hero out of someone who doesn't really save that many people, and at one point, gets a motorcycle launched into a helicopter. Believe it or not, it was better than I expected. It was designed as a slam-bang action boiler that wanted to promote the physicality of a "name person" more than name actor that would basically put it probably a notch behind in the expectation levels one would have for a Steven Seagal film. Gratuitous and preposterous but never banging a false note, it is the sweet spot of average times for those who desire a film to see on a silly day besides just putting on The Wild Angels (1966). Henriksen was not keen on the original script for the character, because apparently all of his dialogue was cribbed from the Bible. He then went with doing all of his dialogue instead and also brought in outlaw bikers to serve as extras. I admire the dedication for an over-the-top role that is on point for what the film is selling: ridiculous but never boring (and Movie Night likes Henriksen anyway). Bosworth gets to do a few silly stunts like the opening (robbery at a convenience store? not if hiding man has something to say) and play the biker stuff to the routines you expect anyway. Forsythe seems game already to do any wild thing you ask in the name of acting, so having him being grim and gnarly is on point before that amusing endpoint chase. It is a highly combustible film with all the trappings of what should've been a small hit but instead got buried away. A handful of films like this is far more interesting than just going for direct-to-video fare, I imagine. Could it have been a movie about outlaw biker culture? Sure, but the result of striving for action straight on the line is an enjoyable piece of over-the-top filmmaking that delivers exactly on the expectations laid upon it anyway. Maybe Baxley wasn't destined to be a regular feature filmmaker for very long, but he sure looked like he had fun doing it, which sounds about right. Never a great film but always trying to be entertaining, it's a worthwhile pleasure to encounter.
Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.
Next: Ken Loach's Poor Cow.
