Arnold at his peak as a one-man wrecking crew as he demolishes a crime family single-handed. It reminds me of the Stallone film where Rambo takes on Russia in Afghanistan. This film has good acting though, and the ever-evil Robert Davi at his slimy best. The shoot-out at the gravel pit with "Satisfaction" playing is a classic. And don't forget the classic line :"You should not drink and bake"!
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al_phillips200016 December 2001
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MyOpinionIsFact21 May 2000I own this movie. Well, I own most of Arnold's movies. But I've only watched this one 3 or 4 times over the last decade. It's not a great movie although I think I enjoy it a little bit more with each viewing. The flick does have its moments. I like the interplay between Max and Brenner. And Arnold plays a very cool Mafia-like guy. The ending -- if you could even call it that -- is terrible. Did the script say, "Insert ending here"? Nevertheless, I liked the action even if it was corny at times. And the style of the movie grows on you with each viewing. I give it a 6/10 for been slightly more enjoyable than average.
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In Arnold's best period of his film career, it is unquestionable that Raw Deal is his worst film from that era. Sandwiched between two of his best action movies, Commando and Predator. Raw Deal is real weak by comparison. The film is a mess and it seemed that those involved with the production could not agree on what they were making. Also, it would appear that funds were too low for anyone's vision to get on screen. The editing and music for this movie is really poorly done. This film is definitely lacking in a consistent tone or focus. The action scenes seem out of place as well. Raw Deal was probably meant to be a low budget police thriller. Any way you slice it, this film is not a cohesive piece of work and is filled with plot holes. Arnold, at this point in his career had massive physicality and charisma. However, he was lacking in acting skills and was horrendous in the more dramatic scenes here. The supporting cast was pretty good for the most part. Even though this is not Arnie's highest quality production, it still remains fairly entertaining. There is quite a bit of funny stuff here(some intentional and some not). Also, there is plenty of Arnold one liners with one of my favorites, "You should not drink and bake". While Raw Deal is not a well made movie, it is not totally unwatchable and is still quite amusing and outrageous.
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lemon_magic19 November 2005Don't be angry with me for only awarding "Raw Deal" 5 stars out of 10. It's a 'strong, almost a 6' 5, not a 'weak, barely above a 4' 5. If that makes any sense.
I think that part of the problem is that I saw this after I saw "Terminator" and "Commando", and it was a bit of a let-down. (And I might have been suffering from a bit of "Schwarzenegger-overexposure".) Arnold is a bit wasted here. It's as if someone mistakenly cast him in a role meant for someone like Chuck Norris. Let's face it, this is a smaller scale movie with a seemingly smaller budget; Dolph Lundgren or Rutger Hauer or Micheal Biehn or even that guy from "Eddie And The Cruisers" could have filled in for the S-man in this movie and you would hardly have noticed the difference, except for a few one-liners. Not to mention the director for "Raw Deal" seemed to be nowhere near Cameron's or Lester's class. Same thing goes for the cast (with all respect to Darren McGavin and Robert Davi). Kathryn Harrold is not a substitute for Linda Hamilton. She's OK, but she's a Ford Taurus to Hamilton's Corvette Stingray.
There are pacing problems, too. The screenwriter felt the need to include several filler sequences that are meant to advance the plot and fill in back story and give the other cast members something to do. But most of these sequences are pretty lackluster: a fistfight in a women's clothing store goes nowhere; a romantic confrontation between Davi and Harrold leaves no lasting impact (though it does let Harrold get off a good put-down line); and the 10 minute car chase scene where a crime boss winds up hamburger is an exercise in by-the-numbers padding if there ever was one (good sound design, though).
But the last 20 minutes serves as a payoff to the first part of the film, and it is basically one long bullet-fest. Arnold basically shoots everything short of LAWs and RPGs at the bad guys, and they obligingly miss with all their shots and fall over and die. None of this is staged with anything like the panache of the firefights in "Commando" or the desperate high speed run-and-gun highway fights in "Terminator". It's all very meat-and-potatoes stuff that wouldn't have be out of place in a typical Cannon/Golan-Globus production. But there's plenty of it, and the S-man is appropriately grim and indestructible, and any fan will be satisfied once the final bad guy goes down in the final hail of bullets.
After 3 viewings, I still don't understand why no one can hit the huge, slow-moving white guy when they shoot at him, but it's his movie, so I'll just attribute it to Arnold's penchant for bringing a Browning Automatic Rifle to a revolver fight, and let it pass.
And I don't discount this movie just because it was an Arnold vehicle - I felt that his follow-up "The Running Man" was a return to form (although still not as good as "Terminator" and "Commando").
Anyway, "Raw Deal" doesn't place in the top 5 (or even 10) Arnold films, but any Schwarzenegger completist will want to have it, and will probably find much to enjoy. And fans of "Crime Story" and gangster films in general will also find this to their liking. -
Raw Deal was in the classic Arnie era, the era of one line classics and bad acting. How quality is this film, its just non-stop from start to finish. You've got the classic good guy joins the mobsters gang in order to bring them down - Arnie sports a classic lumberjack shirt in this film as he plays a small town sheriff (check out the car chase at the beginning). He rolls of classic line after classic line, there is one instance where him and his wife have a argument - she throws are cake at him after she has had a few drinks, he says
"You shouldn't drink...and bake"
how cool is that
this looks surprisingly low budget for Arnie, but you have to watch it for its comedy value -
I have been soaking up a lot of vicarious aggression lately with Van Damme, Stallone, and Ahnuld. I bet a lot of Arnie's fans have missed this little gem. No, we don't look for quality here, but Schwarzenegger does a credible job of acting and he keeps throwing out these funny lines that keep you in stitches.
Nothing original here - failed FBI agent, now small town Sheriff (think Bruce Willis in Hostage or Striking Distance, Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone, or many others who are out in the cold because of their screw-ups or someone's evil deed - called to infiltrate the mob and bring them down.
You know Arnie's going to get the job done with muscle and firepower. He even manages a little romance - damn little - with Kathryn Harrold.
Paybacks are hell! -
'Raw Deal' is for me somewhat of a tough film to rate and review. It is not a great, or even a good, film and is as close to ridiculous as Arnold Schwarznegger films get. At the same time, it's difficult to be too hard on 'Raw Deal' because there is some entertainment value.
Let's start with the good things. Schwarznegger is not the greatest of actors and never has been, but he has always had a hugely charismatic screen presence, a larger-than-life likability and a knack for action sequences. One gets all of this from his performance in 'Raw Deal', even with some expressionless and moments where he does struggle with lines he is immensely watchable and it is very vintage Schwarznegger. Generally it is the cast that come off best. Robert Davi is a rightly hiss-able bad guy and Kathryn Harrold has charm and sass. Sam Wanamaker and Paul Shenar make much of relatively little, they bring colourful menace to their stereotypical roles despite (particularly Shenar) being underused.
There are a few fun one-liners here and there and some excitement in the action. Can't say that on the whole as individual components the script and action were great, but the entertainment was there. The soundtrack is cool too and the scenery has atmosphere.
On the other hand, the story is not just ridiculous (even by Schwarznegger film standards) and generic but has too many scenes that feel like filler and either drag the story out or confuse it. A few nice one-liners here and there, but the script is quite weak and there is a lot of unintentional humour and next to no care developing the characters in a film littered with stereotypes (only Kaminski has any kind of development).
Action-wise, 'Raw Deal' is hardly amateurish and has some exciting moments but too much of it is too routine and a huge amount of suspension of disbelief is needed. Although the ending is certainly memorable, more so than most of the stuff before it, it's for all the wrong reasons. Visually, it has a low-budget made-for-TV-production-like look to it. Ed Lauter is pretty wasted and while the direction is competent it's never more than that.
In conclusion, watchable but doesn't feel cooked all the way through. 5/10 Bethany Cox -
Arnold takes on the entire Chicago syndicate run by mob chief Luigi Petrovita, Sam Wanamaker, with predictable results.
Arnold, Mark Kaminski, is canned from the FBI because he was too rough with the bad guys and told by his boss Baxter, Joe Regalbuto, to "resign or be prosecuted". Now working in a dead end job as a lawman in some hick town in North Carolina a friend of his from the FBI Harry Shannon, Darren McGavin, gets in touch with Arnold for help in the death of his son who was killed in a mob attack on a FBI safe house.
Harry tells Anold that there's a mole in the FBI's higher ups that's tipping off the mob on what the FBI has as informers and witnesses and where there being kept from the mob to live long enough to testify against it and is responsible for his son's death. Arnold goes undercover as a hood and joins the mob to find out who's working with them from the FBI and bring him to justice in this action-packed Arnold Schwarznegger vehicle; and just guess who the FBI mole is?
A must for Schwarznegger fans with Arnold, for the first time in his movie career, speaking whole sentences and showing some sensitivity in scenes with his love interests in the movie his wife Amy, Balnche Baker, to whom Arnold utters the movie best line " You shouldn't drink and bake at the same time". There's also Arnolds sexy mob girlfriend Monique, Kathryn Harrold, whom he avoids having any action with and has no idea that Arnold is an undercover lawman as well as a loyal and happily married man.
Great action sequences sprinkled all throughout the film with a tremendous and unbelievable shoot-out at the end of the movie to the explosive and thumping music score of "The Kaminski Stomp" which raises the adrenaline level of the theater audience to it's limits. -
"Raw deal" is a rather forgotten movie in Arnold's movie career. It's not strange , when you compare it to the hits like "Conan The Barbarian" , "Terminator" or "Predator ". Even lesser movies like "The Running man" and "Commando" easily overshadow this flick. However , it doesn't mean that you can have some fun with this flick.
Arnold Schwarzenegger only agreed to star in this picture after much haggling in exchange for dissolving his multi-picture agreement with Dino De Laurentiis. He had one picture left with the producer and was actually very interested in doing "Total recall" , but De Laurentiis objected, so "Raw deal " was made instead (Thankfully we still got "Total recall" made few years later).
The budget probably was rather low , because the production values are rather poor. "RD" looks more like one of those Cannon/Golan-Globus production than a Schwarzenegger movie. The editing is pretty bad.
The other problem is that the movie has some identity crisis. The basic plot premise ( cop goes undercover) begs for a serious tone , depth and complex story. None of which appears here. So , it's no "Donnie Brasco" or "License to kill" . Arnold looks like he is trapped in a cop thriller that would suit better Chuck Norris or Rutger Hauer. He seems wasted here. The plot is a mess with plot holes , unnecessary filler scenes and action scenes that seem out of place. Oh and the ending is one of the cheesiest in action movie history.
The action is strangely uninspired . Action scenes appear without any real rhyme or reason. They aren't also anything special with the exception of ending. At the end of the movie we have 20 minutes long bullet fest that obviously wants to imitate the climax of "Commando". While not exactly well staged and edited it's fun to watch (for all the right and wrong reasons).
Arnold is obviously lacking in acting skills. He learned how to give good low key performances with "Predator", but before that he was very bad at acting. Here he is horrendous in dramatic scenes . In his defence his one liners are often pure gold ("You should not drink and bake").The supporting cast (Robert Davi , Kathryn Harrold , Darren McGavin) is pretty good.
The rock music is fun and the use of Rolling Stones "Satisfaction" was brilliant. The pacing by director John Irvin ("Dogs of war") is not bad .
I give it 4/10. "Raw deal" its not Arnold's worst movie from the 80's ("Conan The Destroyer" and "Red Sonja" anyone ?) and is not his worst movie overall. Any Schwarzenegger completist will want to have it, and will probably find much to enjoy. Even if it's pretty forgettable movie overall. -
ma-cortes20 February 2022Big Arnold stars in this action-packed movie as a former FBYI agent who goes back in action , being recruited by his previous chief (Darren McGavin) as an act of vengeance, to infitrate the Chicago mafia led by a nasty villain (Sam Wanamaker) and his henchman (Paul Shenar) . The government gave him a raw deal . Nobody gives him a raw deal. Nobody gives him a Raw Deal . His trigger has all the answers. The system gave him a raw dea l. Nobody gives him a raw deal.
Thiis is a predictable , run-of-the-mill thriller , even formulaic , but the usual formula works , at times . Arnie as an ex raw deal infitrated agent is nice and , of course , he shoots lots of people , as our hero will eventually take a machine-gun and mow down the entire syndicate of bad guys just like Charles Bronson and Chuck Norris . Violence , profanity , sex , grisly killings and bloodshed ensue here and there , that's why it's rated R . Main and support cast are pretty well , as Arnold Schwarzenegger is well accompanied by a good cast , such as :Darren McGavin , Kathryn Harrold , Sam Wanamaker , Paul Shenar , Blanche Baker , Robert Davi , Ed Lauter and Joe Regalbuto.
It displays an adequate cinematogrphy by director of photography Alex Thomson , shot in Chicago city . As well as atmospheric musical score composed y means of synthesizer by Boardman .The motion picture was professionally directed by John Irvin who managed to stage some excellent action scenes , stunning scenarios and clever edition. Irvin has made some thrilling action and wartime movies such as : Dogs of war , Hamburger Hill, When Trumpets Fade , The Fourth Angel , Freefall , Shinner , Next of kin , Robin Hood , City of industry , among others. Rating : 6/10. Acceptable and passable . An Arnold typical vehicle that will appeal to his fans . Worthwhile seeing . -
The premise of this familiar actioner had some potential, with Arnold Schwarzenegger getting to act like a "bad guy" at least for a while, but unfortunately the theme is "explored" in just ONE scene, where he admits that he likes his new lifestyle as the right hand of a mob boss. But eventually he loses his patience, gets his machine gun and decides to wipe out the bad guys the old-fashioned way. And the viewer is inevitably going to wonder: why did they torture us for over an hour with all the secret-agent business, just to get to a "Commando"-type final showdown, where Arnie is able to kill dozens of enemies simply because they are too stupid and slow to get him first? There is no answer to that question, and that's what makes this film ultimately excruciating. (*1/2)
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monkeysgalore7 April 2020A routine 80s action film elevated considerably by the presence of then rising star Arnold Schwarzenegger, Raw Deal is one of Arnold's earlier screen appearances, and more forgotten action movies.
There's really nothing to set it apart. A super cop taking down a gang of criminals. That's the plot. The undercover plot was interesting, but there was a weird abundance of plot for such a bland-looking action film.
The action scenes are the film's strength for sure. The action abounds here, with a great opening shootout, car/motorcycle chase, bar fight, alley fight, store fight, car chase, and the long climax consisting of two long and awesome shootouts. There's a long shootout where Arnold drives around in a car shooting fools to the tune of "Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones. The best part? He puts the tape into the player at the start of the scene.
This is a severely blood-soaked action film, even by 80s standards, with lots of bloody violence. It's a little excessive. It also has an underrated acting performance from Arnold, a cool rocky 80s theme, and one of the best gear-up scenes ever. It's almost as good as the one in Hot Fuzz (2007).
Definitely give it a watch if you're an Arnold fan, or even an 80s action junkie. I still can't get over the greatness of the gloriously OTT final shootouts. This movie is painfully Arnold, and I love it. -
tarbosh220007 January 2011Today we thought we'd revisit an Arnie classic. Sometimes the hustle and bustle of reviewing movies from the direct-to-video world makes you forget that staple action movies such as this came to the theater, and they shouldn't be overlooked.
In this Arnold outing, he plays Mark Kominsky, the sheriff of a small town who always gets his man. He was once an FBI big shot, but was "exiled" to the boondocks. When his former FBI chief Harry Shannon (McGavin) informs him he might have a chance to get back to the Bureau, Harry pays attention. It seems a group of mobsters led by the evil Patrovina (Wanamaker) killed Shannon's son, so he does what any grieving father would naturally do: he gets Arnold Schwarzenegger to go undercover in the organization and get an explosive revenge. And if anyone screams "I fit in perfectly with Italian gangsters" it's clearly the Aryan supergod Schwarzenegger with his thick Austrian accent. It's no wonder Shannon tapped him for the job. (In his defense, he did dye his hair black, so, disguise completed).
While taking down the "strongest of the Chicago families", Kominsky runs into a variety of colorful characters. Baxter (Regalbuto) is the federal prosecutor with mysterious motives, Rocca (Paul Shenar) is the "undertaker" for the mob, Lamanski (Hill), not to be confused with "Kominsky" is a mobster honcho, and it's interesting to see "Adam Schiff" in a totally different type of role than his legendary Law and Order character. While away from his wife (Blanche Baker), Kominsky meets a totally different type of woman, Monique (Harrold), a flashy dame, also with questionable motives. Ed Lauter plays the cop one step behind Kominsky, and last but not least is Comeuppance favorite Robert Davi as Max Keller, a mob enforcer suspicious of Kominsky. I guess Kominsky's "undercover name" of "Joe Brenner" didn't convince him like it did everyone else.
But honestly the star attraction here is unquestionably Schwarzenegger, who when we first meet him is wearing a red and black lumberjack shirt and closely resembles the Brawny paper towel man. He quickly and effortlessly charms the audience with his winning smile (even while chomping a cigar), and also with his classic one-liners like "you should not drink and bake" and "magic? Or...magnet?!!??!!" His deadpan wit makes you see what the writers of The Simpsons must have seen with their "McBain" parodies. There's an immense amount of shooting, but it's all good clean fun, really.
And, as opposed to some of its imitators, Raw Deal has impressive widescreen photography and a cool score. Some of the pop songs it uses are interesting too, such as The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction", which must have cost the filmmakers a pretty penny to use, as well as lesser-known gems like Pamela Stanley's "If Looks Could Kill". Add some humor into the mix, and it all adds up to classic 80's entertainment.
As you probably already know, Raw Deal is foundational for your knowledge of American action films and is a true classic of the genre. If you haven't seen it yet, don't hesitate.
For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com -
callanvass25 December 2013Mark Kaminsky is forced to leave the FBI after controversy from treating a suspect too harshly. Kaminsky takes a job as a small time sheriff. This makes him and his wife very unhappy to the point of turmoil. Mark has a chance at glory when he agrees to infiltrate the kingpin of the Chicago Mafia, Luigi Patrovita (Sam Wanamaker) in order to avenge his friend Harry when Harry's son is murdered.
This has plenty of shootouts, explosions, and all the things you love from Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's just too bad this movie is so routine and rather mundane at times as well. This had a chance to be quite a riveting story, and it is at certain times, just not nearly enough for my liking. I realize Arnold Schwarzenegger movies aren't meant to be Oscar worthy. Arnold is one of my heroes. He's one of the most charismatic action stars to ever grace our screens. I own almost all of his movies, including this one. I just feel it was a missed opportunity. There are some plot holes as well. How did it take so long for the federal prosecutor to realize Arnold is undercover? You would think that he would figure it out far sooner. Arnold's performance is a bit of a character study. There was some decent character development with him. I thought he gave one of the best acting performances of his career. It's a bit of a meaty role for him. I thought he did very well with it. His character is damaged goods. I would have liked to see more desperation coming from him, but he has that unprecedented charisma to even things out. Not many can entertain like he can. Wait until you see the finale that starts at a construction site. Not only is it full of gunfire and mayhem, but Arnold kicks ass with the song "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" Kathryn Harold is solid, if a little underdeveloped. We don't know much about her, other than she has a heart. Her relationship with Arnold wasn't all that convincing. Sam Wanamaker is terrifically smarmy as the villain. Darren McGavin always provides good presence. Davi, Lauter & Shenar add to an overall, great cast. The finale has some decent twists and turns in it as well. The ending is probably the best thing about this movie. I didn't get teary eyed. I was definitely moved by it though. I won't reveal what happens but it will get your emotions running. At least it did with me
Final Thoughts: This is a bit of a misfire for Arnold. It does have some merit. It's far from terrible but it's completely forgettable. I just try to find the positive in things, as well as the negatives. See it for some brainless action, the performances, or if you're a huge fan of Arnold like I am
5.4/10 -
Wizard-86 August 2012I was a teenager when "Raw Deal" first came out, and when it was released on video I remember renting it... and fast-forwarding through big chunks of it. More then twenty years later, I found it on DVD at my local video store, and not remembering anything about it, I decided to give it another chance. Well, I did not fast-forward through it this time... though I was sorely tempted to. It's no wonder that this movie has been mostly forgotten despite the presence of Schwarzenegger. It often has a cheap and tacky look to it, for one thing. Nobody on screen seems to be having that much fun, despite occasional stabs at humor. But the most surprising thing about it is that there is considerably less action than you might think. And the action, when it does come, isn't the least bit exciting. The most interesting thing about this movie is how closely it resembles the generic straight-to-DVD action movies of recent years.
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Mr. Pulse24 February 2002That seems to be the message of Raw Deal, an absurd Schwarzenegger vehicle from the 1980s, in which an intricate plot of mob wars and double-crosses is resolved with a hail of perfectly aimed, vengeance-fueled bullets.
Arnold plays Mark Kaminsky, a small-town sheriff who used to be in the FBI, before he was forced to resign because he brutally beat a man who had raped a small child. His wife (Blanche Baker) hates him because he resigned instead of fighting for his job, she's bored in small-town America, prompting her to ice a cake with an expletive frosted on the top. After she throws it at his head, Arnold returns with the immortal line, "You should not drink and bake."
That sort of depressed but oddly humorous atmosphere permeates all hour and forty minutes of Raw Deal, as Mark is brought in by his old boss Harry (Darren McGavin) to infiltrate the Patrovita mob and bring it down from the inside. Soon the bitter wife is all but forgotten as Mark fakes his own death by blowing up an oil refinery. (Probably an effective way to fake a death, but would a law-loving sheriff fake his death in a way that ensures a hugely disastrous oil fire?)
The plot trudges along through double-crosses and betrayals involving various police officers, mobsters, and the obligatory love interest (Kathryn Harrold, given little do since, even though his wife is awful to him and he's technically dead, he's still a dutiful married man). Arnold bides his time, cracking jokes and doing battle with the minimal threats that come along, until a surprising hit prompts him to forget his weeks of careful planning and simply kill everyone in the mob. It's a shame that hit hadn't happened earlier, it would have saved everyone involved a good deal of time. Wait, make that a RAW deal of time.
The shoot-em-up ending is preceded by a odd scene in which Arnold takes out his vast arsenal, and lovingly inspects and loads each weapon. The scene is filmed with such drawn out zeal that it could only be defined as sexual. As for the climactic battle itself, Arnold breaks the windshield off his car, pops "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones in the tape deck, and drives around a construction site firing at will.
Handling the scene in a such a ridiculous manner speaks to the way this movie could never have worked as an exciting action movie. When the hero is so invulnerable that he can put on rock tunes as he blows away his enemies, there's no audience investment in his fate. As soon as Arnold joins the mob we know everyone but him is going to be dead at the end, and not only that, he will be rewarded for his mass genocide (He gets reinstated for killing roughly fifty men, forty-nine more than it took to get him kicked out in the first place). As silly Arnold-tinged action, this movie can be laughed at, and enjoyed to a certain extent, but never without acknowledging that for the most part the entertainment is at the movie's expense. -
Throughout the eighties Arnold Schwarzenegger reigned supreme, but most people remember his films for Terminator, Predator and Commando. 'Raw Deal' often gets missed off the list of his movies. It's kind of understandable; when you compare it to the affore-mentioned classics, it does seem a little subdued.
Yes, Arnie breaks a lot of bad-guys' bones along the way, as he goes from smalltown Sheriff to undercover gang syndicate member, but it never seems to have the required action that fans were synonymous with during this stage of his career. You could almost call it a 'thriller,' only that would definitely be miss-selling it. It's more of a crime drama which has had action scenes added into it as a result of having Arnie fronting the bill and naturally wanting to play to his strengths.
People may criticise the 'big man' for his lack of acting talent. I always thought he does what he does well and am normally quite happy with his performance. However, he does seem to struggle a bit here and there during 'Raw Deal,' leaving some of his lines coming out as a bit awkward. At least it does have a decent (if not as long as usual) action sequence near the end which is pretty fun where Arnie slays countless henchmen while driving round a gravel-pit listening to the Rolling Stones.
If you're a fan of Arnie in general, you'll probably enjoy Raw Deal. Again, if you just like your crime/action films, you may also get something out of it. However, if you're just a casual fan of the genre/actor then it may come across as a bit forgettable, especially in the wake of Arnie's other hits of the day.
Just don't ask Arnie's (on-screen) wife to bake you a cake. -
jboothmillard28 July 2009From director John Irvin (Hamburger Hill), I didn't pay the fullest attention to this film when it was on, but I guess it doesn't matter. Basically Mark Kaminsky (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is kicked out the FBI for rough treatment of a suspect, he winds up as sheriff of a small town in North Carolina. FBI Chief Harry Shannon (Darren McGavin) enlists Kaminsky to get the man who killed his son, mobster Luigi Patrovita (Sam Wanamaker). Shannon promises to get him back in the FBI if Patrovita is taken down, to do this Kaminsky goes undercover as Joseph P. Brenner to join his gang. That's the basic story that I got. Also starring Paul Shenar as Paulo Rocca, Licence to Kill's Robert Davi as Max Keller, Ed Lauter as Baker, Joe Regalbuto as Marvin Baxter, Mordecai Lawner as Marcellino, Steven Hill as Martin Lamanski, Blanche Baker as Amy Kaminsky and Louise Robey as Lamanski's Girl. I think the only reasons I stayed with this film was because of Schwarzenegger and some eye-catching explosions and action sequences, but I just couldn't get into the story. Okay!
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Harlekwin_UK16 April 2023Here's the deal. Infiltrate the mob that are responsible for the deaths of dozens of police officers and bring them down. Alas, without sanction support or acknowledgement of the FBI or anyone else.
Do this and you've a chance to get your old job back at the FBI.
Get caught, you're on your own. That's the Raw Deal.
Busted down local Sheriff after he's forced out of the FBI, Mark Kaminski (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is offered a way out when contacted by an old friend and senior officer in the FBI, Harry Shannon (Darren McGavin). Shannon's son has been killed by a gangster Petrovita (Sam Wanamaker).
Taking the job on, killing his old identy first, Kaminski becomes "Joseph Brenner".
Off to Chicago and a life of crime in the hope of bringing down the people at the very top of the mobster families.
Pretty well writen crime thriller with a heavy slant on violence. If you watch this and think it's a rip off of another story, that's understandable. The plot is almost identical to "Licence to Kill", the James Bond movie staring Timothy Dalton. They both even have Robert Davi in them as prominent villains.
But you'd be wrong. Raw Deal pre-dates Licence to Kill by a full three years.
Some of the characters a little over stereotyped but the movie is enjoyable and doesn't take itself too seriously.
I like seeing Darren McGavin in a proper movie. I was a big fan of the re-runs of Kolchak.
I like the movie. It seems to fit together well. Much better movie than Red Heat which was made two years later.
Things to look out for: "Come on Deputy Dawg.", Darren McGavin, "You should not drink and bake.", Motorbike chased by jeep through a lumber yard, Kathryn Harrold, some decent one liners, Sam Wanamaker
Rating: not bad action thriller, a decent watch, okay. -
utgard147 February 2014Arnold Schwarzenegger "classic" actioner full of unintentional comedy. Arnold plays a small town sheriff who used to be an FBI agent. He was kicked out of the FBI because he roughed up a suspect ("He molested, murdered and mutilated her!"). But now Arnold has a chance to get back in if he goes undercover inside a mobster's gang. So naturally he agrees, fakes his death, and doesn't tell his wife a thing! Laughable to the extreme, this movie would have killed a lesser mortal's career. But not Ah-nold. Riding high after the Conan films, Terminator, and Commando, I suppose he was allowed one stinker. He would follow this with Predator and Running Man to prove to the world he was still the action champ. Honestly, it's not a great movie. Even for a dumb action movie, it's especially stupid. But it does have a lot of funny moments; most of which are unintended. If you are an Arnold fan or a fan of '80s action movies, regardless of quality, definitely give it a shot.
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PeterMitchell-506-56436424 February 2013This 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.
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AaronCapenBanner17 September 2013Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a former FBI agent(who had been fired under dubious circumstances) now small-town sheriff who is contacted by his former FBI boss Harry Shannon(played by "Kolchack: The Night Stalker" veteran Darren McGavin) to help him take down a Chicago mob family, who are responsible for the recent death of his son. Arnold agrees, but this requires him to go undercover in the family, to confirm their responsibility, and gather evidence.
A bit better than "Commando", which this film resembles, though it is still very familiar, unconvincing stuff. McGavin in particular is wasted, though he does enliven the scenes he is in. Has a funny action climax involving the song "Satisfaction", but otherwise, strictly routine. -
weezer7619 August 2002This is a great film for what it purports to be. It's an action picture, but it also has curious storyline that keeps one interested in Joey P. Brenner's travails, and it's not all that predictable until the very end. Moreover, it does have a human element at times (plus we see a still-massive Arnold sporting a wife-beater). Granted, Arnold doesn't have much depth of dialogue, but it's not Shakespeare. I don't understand why everyone else dislikes "Raw Deal" to such an intense degree, as one must first understand where it is coming from. It is a fun film, one of the few Schwarzenegger films that is a must-have on dvd.
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Voorhies11 February 1999Okay, so this isn't the best of the 80's Arnie movies (that distinction goes to Commando, easily) but it's still not too bad. It has a bit of a slow start, but the cheesiness of the last half hour is worth the crummy buildup. This movie has my vote for one of the most hilarious endings ever in an action movie (Oh my god, he can walk!!). Wow, really great stuff. Check this one out if you're an Arnie fan. My grade: C+
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slightlymad2210 July 2016Continuing my plan to watch every Arnie movie in order, I come to Raw Deal.
Plot In A Paragraph: Mark Kaminski (Arnie) a former FBI agent turned small town sheriff, agrees to help the FBI chief infiltrate the Chicago mafia.
Following 4 movies in two years Arnie only had Raw Deal released in 1986. I don't know if this movie has any fans here. But I am not one.
Arnies acting seems to have gone backwards. There is none of the charisma shown in Commando, maybe if there was, it wouldn't be as bad. But Arnie plays it very straight, no hint of tongue in cheek. And it's to the movies detriment.
The Oaks biggest asset is his charisma. Here he can't even answer a telephone convincingly, and the less said about how he awkwardly places a coffee cup on the table the better!! He just comes off as any other poor actor with an impressive physique. In fact this role could have been played by any such actor.
In fact it probably should have, Arnie struggles with the dialogue, and it makes him look bad, throw in some unconvincing fight scenes and it's not a good watch. At least in amongst the camp cheesy fun of Commando, the shootout at the gravel pit would have fit in, here it is awful.
Ed Lauter is wasted, Sam Wannamkaer is never convincing as a ruthless mobster. Even Robert Davi (normally a perfectly fine bad guy) is poor here, The love interest is ridiculous, The rest of cast is rounded out by people who just seem to have been the cheapest alternative.
Arnies long time friend Sven-Ole Thorsen turns up as Bearded Bodyguard after roles in both Conan movies and Red Sonja.
Raw Deal only gets two mentions in Arnie's autobiography Total Recall. The first is "In the months before the wedding, I was busy promoting Commando and shooting Raw Deal - the action movie I'd promised to make for Dino De Laurentis- and getting ready to start Predator" And the second is when he is talking about the movie Total Recall, how De Laurentis had the rights to it, but wouldn't cast him. The first time he tried to make it, he cast Richard Dreyfuss, and when it went into development hell, he left. Then he he tries again, and this time he gave Patrick Swayze the role. He says "I was peed Dino didn't give me the part, he knew I wanted it. Instead he gave me Raw Deal."
Amazingly Raw Deal was the 54th highest grossing movie of 1986 with $26 million at the domestic box office.
Excluding Red Sonja (because he refused to do any promotional work) this would be the lowest grossing movie with Arnie in a lead role for a long time.
In a quirky twist of fate, this movies failure, sent De Laurentis into bankruptcy and he had to sell the rights to Total Recall, which Arnie convinced Mario Kassar and Andy Vajna at Carolco to buy as a project for him.
Just remember one thing kids "You shouldn't drink and bake"