Beyond the Law (1993) User Reviews (54)

Sheen is miscast as a tough outlaw biker, but a decent biker flick

[Wuchakk · 6/10 · 11 March 2015]

My wife watches "Gangland Undercover" on the History Channel and I sometimes catch clips of it. Both the series and 1993's "Beyond the Law" are about individuals going undercover and joining an outlaw biker gang. Both are also based on true stories. After watching the gritty, realistic "Gangland Undercover" I was a bit let down by the tone of "Beyond the Law." While the bikers are wild and do totally wicked things, the movie has too much sheen to stack-up, excuse the pun. The acting & dialogue come across as how a geeky screenwriter imagines bikers to act rather than how they really do.

This isn't helped by the miscasting of Charlie Sheen who, although an excellent actor as witnessed by 1986' "Platoon," lacks the physical presence and grittiness to be believable in the role. His baby-face doesn't help, although they try to hide it with a beard. Still, he's a good actor and, if you're a fan of the outlaw biker film genre that ran from 1966-1973, "Beyond the Law" is a must. The other members of The Jackals are well cast, like Michael Madsen as the leader, Blood, and Leon Rippy as Virgil, the mechanic.

The rockin' soundtrack is great, featuring cuts by the likes of Saigon Kick, Asphalt Ballet and Dying Breed, as well as more mellow stuff.

Linda Fiorentino is sharp as the main babe, but she's blown out of the water by Blood's "old lady," the raven-haired bombshell played by Hollie Chamberlain. A couple of other women have cameos at a saloon.

There's not much else to say. This is a decent biker film and is unsurprisingly better than a lot of the low-budget biker flicks from 1966-1973, but it seems too polished and bubble-gummy. It doesn't hold a candle to giants like 1966's "The Wild Angels" or 1969's "Easy Rider," but it's still worthwhile if you enjoy the genre and the last act is the best part.

The film runs 108 minutes and was shot in the Phoenix, Arizona, area and El Mirage Dry Lake, California.

GRADE: B-

Decent biker flick.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 7 March 2013]

Screenwriter Larry Ferguson ("Highlander", "The Presidio", "Alien 3") debuts as director with this fairly absorbing true crime drama.

Charlie Sheen does a creditable job playing the lead character, Dan Saxon, an Arizona cop who gets fired by his crooked boss. Soon after, he's approached by the attorney generals' office for an undercover gig. He'll infiltrate a biker gang that has been responsible for dealing in all manner of goods, from guns to drugs. Dan already has his fair share of demons, having been abused as a child by a racist uncle. As he works the case, he gets in deep enough that he begins to question his identity; he's becoming no different from the lowlifes with whom he's associating. Eventually he has to make a choice regarding what to do with Blood (an engaging Michael Madsen), the leader of this gang.

"Beyond the Law" has the benefit of on location shooting in Arizona, as well as plenty of local colour that helps to give the supporting roles a great degree of authenticity. It's well shot (by Robert M. Stevens) and features a pretty kick ass soundtrack. It's also got romance and sex as Dan hooks up with Renee (Linda Fiorentino), a writer living with the bikers, who's working on a book about her experiences with them. It's got some real heart thanks to the fine performance by character actor Leon Rippy as Virgil, the well meaning mechanic / biker who befriends Dan and helps him create his persona. Courtney B. Vance is solid as the ambitious Conroy Price, Dennis Burkley is fun as the intimidating "Oatmeal", and Fiorentino is appealing as the love interest, but Rip Torn is sadly wasted in a role that turns out to be rather unimportant. Director Ferguson appears on screen as Sheriff Kelly. Madsen is a natural for roles like the one that he plays here, and he gives his character some effective charisma. And Sheen shows here that he does indeed have some real acting chops as he immerses himself in the role.

The real Dan Saxon, whose work led to the arrest of over 200 people, appears in the film as an extra.

Seven out of 10.

Charlie Sheen's best ?

[Drealmer · 7/10 · 9 June 2018]

7.5 stars!

While I can't say I've seen everything he's done, this certainly stands out to me as the best acting I've seen Charlie Sheen do. I can't help but be curious how accurate the portrayal of the character and story is (it's based on a true story), but given the nature of it, I don't see why they'd have to exaggerate or take license with anything.

It may seem to start slightly expeditious, but it doesn't feel rushed once it gets going and, again, it's a true story and screen time is limited, so it really does a great job of setting everything up and getting the viewer into the bulk to the happenings and through them.

Great atmosphere, well-paced. Raw and engaging. A good script and the directing is more than solid in every aspect (he gets TOPS out of all of the actors, the use of music and sound is outstanding, non-intrusive yet evocative camera work, etc.) It's somewhat minimalistic which allows the great acting backed by all of it to shine through. It almost feels like a play in the desert.

If you've thought to yourself "eh, Charlie Sheen in some crime movie? looks like B-cheese I'll pass" or similar, you should re-consider. It's not easily-digestible crime-actionflick fare either.

This movie is serious, dark, and kind of like a surprise hit in the gut if you aren't ready for it.

Based on a true story

[martymaster · 7 September 2001]

This movie is based on a true story about a single man who sat his life on stake to go undercover in the dangerous biker community. This touching story show a ordinary man go so deep in that he don't know what is right anymore or which side he is on.He also has to make the choice to betrayl a friend or doing what is right.

In the leading role we find Charlie Sheen as Dan Saxon,we also get to see Michael Madsen in a very cool role as the leader of the biker gang.

The fact that this movie is based on a true story just makes you connect more with the main characters.

At the end I have to say that this is a great movie that shows how far an ordinary man is willing to go.

7 out of 10.

You're not dirty enough. You're not crazy enough.

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 28 December 2007]

I like Michael Madsen (Kill Bill, Sin City, Reservoir Dogs), and he really is a crazy SOB in this film based on a true story about an ex-cop who goes undercover and almost loses it.

Charlie Sheen ("Two and a Half Men") is more buff than I ever remember seeing him. Maybe it's that good life as a jingle writer that has taken the edge off. He is fighting demons from his childhood as he takes on the toughest job one could imagine. At least he gets the best looking girl in the film - Linda Fiorentino (Dogma, Unforgettable).

The film could have done with a lot more action to be a real motorcycle flick, but it was tense and raw enough for a couple of hours entertainment.

Great Action-Police Story Based on True Events

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 20 July 2023]

In Arizona, when the Deputy Daniel "Dan" Saxon (Charlie Sheen) is fired after an argument with the corrupt Sheriff, he is recruited by the agent of the General Attorney Office Conroy Price (Courtney B. Vance) to work undercover in the bike gang Jackals. He befriends the mechanic Virgil (Leon Rippy) that introduces him to the Jackals' leader Blood (Michael Madsen) using the alias Sid. He also has a love affair with the photographer Renee (Linda Fiorentino) that recognizes him. Now Sid has to be prepared to cross the thin line between the law and outlaw to convince Blood that he is a drug and dealer biker.

"Beyond the Law" (1993) is a great action-police story of an undercover cop and based on true events. "Rush" (1991) is a more dramatic and also tells the story of an undercover police officer that joins the underground of drugs to catch criminals, but is depressive. The screenplay of "Beyond the Law" shows only Sid reaching the bottom of the well of insanity when he is beyond the law, but he recovers his sanity when he sees the murder of and Asian-American worker in a convenience store. The sexy Linda Fiorentino makes a nice romantic pair with Charles Sheen. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "À Sombra de Um Disfarce" ("At the Shadow of a Disguise")

Charlie Sheen acts his head off.

[triple8 · 7/10 · 12 February 2004]

I saw this movie some years ago and was very impressed with the acting. I can't say this is my favorite movie-far from it, it's very violent and very dark(did not know this was a true story until I read some of the posts). However, I have always felt Charlie Sheen was very underated as an actor and in this movie he creates a character I still remember and care about, years later. This movie, although not wellknown was very poignant in parts besides being violent and hooked me in. I'd recomend viewing it. Even if you don't like the movie, check it out for Sheen-he shows he can act with the best of them.

Sheen lost in the biker gang

[smatysia · 7/10 · 18 February 2002]

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Charlie Sheen plays a cop going undercover in a biker gang. The point of the film seems to be that Sheen's character loses himself in his undercover role and becomes unsure of who he really is. There is some exposition about him being abused as a child, but it really doesn't ring true. Sheen performs very well and is almost believable except that he lacks the size to carry off the biker part. Linda Fiorentino is excellent scenery here, as always. Grade: C+

Behind the Scenes - Working with Charlie Sheen

[philtbautista · 8/10 · 20 June 2017]

It was fun making this movie with Charlie as his stand-in again (did the same for Hot Shots!). Shooting it in reverse (long hair first, then short hair scenes later), sitting next to him with his pearl handled matching 45's he asks me "What do you think of this Movie, Phil?". He was always very nice and cordial to me. When I went back to the production office one day (me with long hair and him with short hair) he passes me (after shooting for days with both of us in long hair) and says "How's it going, Phil?". I didn't recognize him!

Shooting the scenes for the "Sonora" bike run were intense! We had one of the leading outlaw motorcycle gangs respond to our casting call and they spent the night on location so they could be in the front of the pack. Lots of other extras as bikers ("Weekend Warriors" - aka Lawyers, Engineers etc. all dressed out on their shiny HD's and brand new leather!), also showed up (took their place behind the Gang). I worked Security that day (no need for a stand-in if the Actor isn't on set), and had a few "extra" bikers come riding past me to get off the set saying they were afraid of or had been threatened by the Gang members. Probably mouthed off to some of the Gang!

A fun group to work with including Reno Thunder (Native American) who I miss today! The quintessential "Native". We did the "Jail" scene next to each other over and over and over! As I said, Charlie (and Linda) were very kind and nice to me. Great to work with/for.

Phil Bautista, Austin TX

Fun to watch action movie.

[galpojohn · 7/10 · 23 April 2022]

One of the best Charlie Sheen movies. Convincing both as an ordinary police officer and as a nervous wrecked undercover agent. The soundtrack fits in very well. The only flaw to the plot was the unjustified murder that Blood committed given the fact that Blood (Michael Madsen) was depicted as a really intelligent criminal.

Other than that, the movie is great!

Sucks Tail

[michaelgarykelley1994 · 3/10 · 13 July 2019]

Frankly, this movie is horrible, cheap, cringe, and boring. Nothing special to it. No heart no passion. No character. Nothing to offer, in the end.

I don't understand the love and praise for it. The whole movie is a joke.

Awesome Movie

[titanicbuff2000 · 8/10 · 25 January 2005]

This movie is a keeper. I've had it in my personal collection for years now, and usually watch it every year or two. Charlie Sheen does a good job in this movie. The whole biker vs cop plot is good. If you have a couple hours to spend without interruption, definitely watch this movie. All of the actors in this movie do a very good job and are all very believable characters. This movie would be good action flick for the boys just to hang out and watch over a few cold ones. The ladies would enjoy this flick too though for its awesome action scenes."Beyond the Law" will keep you on the edge of your seat for quite a while. This movie definitely deserves more recognition. Enjoy!!

Above and under the law

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 15 July 2023]

No pun intended - Charlie Sheen winning ... even before he knew he was doing it ... the 90s were a crazy (movie) time! You have an undercover cop who ... well I had to check, because it did sound a lot like a movie that Katheryn Bigelow made with Patrick Swayze ... and that was 2 years before this came out. So they rode that wave (ah another pun, right?).

But believe it or not, this is way more out there. With Sheens character doing things that should put him into jail ... but when you have Michael Madsen, you don't really mind ... even when he goes completely crazy ... instead of remaining the psychopath he was before ... I wonder how there never was a spoof of this .. or was there? I might have missed it ... also Linda Fiorentino ... gotta love her ... even if she has not much to do here, rather than look good and be the love interest ... easier times? Well leave your morals outside ... they will not help you "enjoy" this movie ... quite the opposite will be true.

Wake me up when it's over please.

[pegman-1 · 2/10 · 2 May 2006]

Seeing the words "realistic", "fantastic", etc ad nauseam in conjunction with this movie or Charlie "The Sleepwalker" Sheen's performance makes me wonder why I was the only person who didn't receive free drugs with the movie's rental. Plot has more holes than Swiss cheese & special effects are like most movies nowadays - poor because computer generation cannot recreate the excitement of actual crashes of "REAL" vehicles. Madsen plays Madsen which in itself is not bad and Sheen, well he at least tries in this movie but I'd rather be dragged kicking & screaming to the ballet than sit through this mess again.

"I think I'm losing my ****ing mind!"

[sloopjohnb37 · 20 March 2003]

The above was the epic line delivered with consummate B-movie fury by our boy Charlie in this homage to classick 60's biker flicks. This winds up being a better movie than its forebears, like "Born Losers", "Hells Angels on Wheels", etc (not saying much).

If you are a C. Sheen fan like yours truly and haven't seen this film, pump yourself up for some prime fare. This one rates up there with Navy Seals and Red Dawn. That the film also stars the action-scenery-chewing Michael Madsen is merely gravy on the beefcake, as it were.

The story and its delivery could only have been rendered from life, as indeed it was (though surely through a ham-glaze of self-service).

I love this movie (but then again, I love "Road House")

It was ok

[fujifulgueras · 7/10 · 25 November 2019]

Cheap version of Donnie Brasco...but...an ok movie

Good undercover biker movie with Charlie Sheen.

[Aaron1375 · 8/10 · 9 November 2010]

This movie is a bit like the over the top Brian Bosworth film "Stone Cold". The main difference is that this one is based on a true story and is more serious fare than that film. Charlie Sheen does a surprisingly good job in the lead role, a guy who goes deep undercover to try and infiltrate a biker gang. He does so very well as he makes his motorcycle from scratch which using one already assembled and retrieved from a police lock up has nearly deadly consequences for a man who did not go quite as undercover as Charlie's character. Also in this one is Michael Madsen, who plays the biker leader very well. He has the aura of a biker dude, something Lance Henrickson did not have in "Stone Cold". There is a bit of action in this one, but this film is primarily a drama and it is a good movie too. "Stone Cold" was a fun movie to watch, but just not the same caliber as this movie. No, this one is the superior film on almost level, it is a bit surprising to see Charlie Sheen pull off a biker dude, but he does so very well. So all in all a good undercover cop drama.

Snoozer

[eracer-2 · 2/10 · 27 January 2006]

I dump this flick into the same trashbin holding recent movies like Species, Taking Lives, Underworld and any movie that has a car "flying into the air after hitting the rear-end of another car and bursting into flames".

I could almost hear the director yelling "action" at the start of each scene, and the "actors" waking up from their nap to trudge through this incredibly ridiculous script.

The biggest problem is that I like Charlie Sheen, Linda Fiorentino, and Michael Madsen. I think they are all decent enough actors.

But this movie was mis-directed, poorly acted, and situationally not believable.

I didn't believe in a single character, and found myself reaching for the remote, desperately fast-forwarding through ten minute dialog scenes that should have lasted thirty seconds.

In short - not campy enough to be funny. Way too bad to be taken seriously.

Beyond the Law is as good as it gets

[DanceInTheWind2 · 10/10 · 28 April 2006]

I would just like to say that Beyond the Law is in my opinion Charlie Sheens best movie. I have watched this numerous times, and coming from that type of Lifestyle, all I can say is take a long hard look, this movie is as real as it gets. I would also like to say that believe me, there are short bikers out there and they can kick butt right along with the rest of them. Its a shame that Sheen didn't get the recognition that he should of for this movie. It shows that he can be a dramatic actor right along with the best of them. He played the role of Dan Saxon better than anyone could, and I take my hat off to him. This is a movie that I own and truly appreciate.

Almost Complete Tosh

[helfeleather · 2/10 · 7 November 2002]

Charlie Sheen is a joke. In order to look tough, he peppers his dialogue with f-words. Pity his hair and beard look as if he's just stepped out of the salon.

Michael Madsen is the only credible thug in this sorry cast, but even he isn't given any decent lines.

a fantastic TRUE story with a fantastic cast!

[deemus1017 · 10/10 · 15 January 2005]

Without a doubt one of the best movies ever transposed from a true story. The cast was awesome. The locations were right on, and the storyline and ending was extremely well played out. I can't remember the last time Charlie Sheen was in top form as he was in this film. The "bikers" were true to form and the law enforcement portrayals were even realistic. All I can say is hats off to the real Dan Saxon for even attempting such a feat as was portrayed in the film. He is a true credit to law enforcement and the war on drugs. Also hats off to the entire cast, crew, and extras that made this very awesome movie a success. I just bought the DVD and can't wait to watch it again.

One of the more realistic movies about 1%ers

[lowrider-4 · 2 January 2000]

This is one of the most realistic movies about 1% bikers that has been made -- although most 1%ers don't look as good as Michael Maddren. Although Charlie Sheen's prospect time seemed a bit short, and he seemed to rise a bit too quick in the club, the movie got the gist of the whole hangaround/prospect ritual. Rent this movie or buy it, because when it's shown on tv, it's cut to pieces and several crucial pieces of the biker lifestyle aren't shown.

An Honest Review

[generationofswine · 1/10 · 20 June 2019]

Wow, people are calling this an awesome movie. I guess you can make anything and some people are bound to like it. But Linda Fiorentino was watchable.

Anyway, I have a simple method, most of the time if the film is fun it gets 10 stars, and if it's not it gets 1.

In Beyond the Law we pretty much see Sheen walking through the movie...as the star...while everyone else around him acts. And this includes the action that he also just kind of walks his way through right until the end where he walks into a room and everyone claps because they can finally end the nightmare and move on to other things in their lives.

I'm pretty sure Sheen read the script and thought "Paycheck."

Interesting additional notes about movie

[ejwhite-1 · 10/10 · 22 May 2005]

I also felt this was a great story and very underrated. At the time, it was an A- movie and never appeared in our local theaters. My first experience with it was on video. I've watched it several times since then, in various venues, and think it's some of Charlie Sheen's finest work. It is unfortunate that he did not win any awards for his work int his film. His real life character seems to parallel the life of the character in the story, which may be why he was able to do such a fine job with it.

Another interesting note about this story, as we are told at the end (And this is not really a serious spoiler)is that the real Dan Saxon appears as an extra in the movie, and the whole story is true. More than 200 people were arrested as a result of this Officer's work.

The real Dan Saxon lives in Northern California with the girl he fell in love with during the story.

On The Road To Hell With Charlie Sheen

[bayardhiler · 9/10 · 1 February 2013]

Long before he went on his "winning" streak, Charlie Sheen was actually a pretty decent actor and while he's always had a wild side to him, he was also a little bit down to earth (at least more to down to earth than he is now). One of the movies that Charlie starred in in his hey day was a little movie from HBO called "Beyond the Law" in 1993. In it, Charlie stars as Daniel Saxon, a small town cop who's struggling with demons from his past as well as his identity of being half Native American when out of the blue, he gets an offer from a federal agent (the underrated Courtney B. Vance) to infiltrate a brutal biker gang known as the Jackals. With the help of a biker misfit named Virgil (the constant scene stealing Leon Rippy) Saxon is able to learn how to act, think, and look like a real mean biker. His performance is so good in fact, that the club's leader, Blood (played by the always menacing Michael Madsen) actually offers Saxon membership in the club.However, the deeper Daniel goes undercover, the more trouble he has in keeping his soul from descending into the dark hell permanently. The story is also able to draw on the character's Native American roots and provide a spiritual allegory of losing one's self to the darkness and finding it again.

What's more, this was apparently based on a true story; however, like a lot of Hollywood true tales, I'm sure the filmmakers decided to add a little embellishment here and there. Still, the real life agent (his real name being Dan Black) did serve as a technical adviser and does appear somewhere in the film as an extra. Another thing that adds to the film is the surprisingly good soundtrack that accompanies the action. I say surprisingly because, for the most part, the soundtrack is done by unknowns but it just goes to show you that you don't need famous musicians to do a good soundtrack; sometimes just any good musicians will do the trick. Also starring the beautiful Linda Fiorentino as a photo journalist who helps lead Daniel away from the darkness and in a small role, the legendary Rip Torn, "Beyond the Law" is a nice way to kill some time by providing you with a good story and some really nice motorcycles. 9 out of 10. P.S. watch out for those outlaw bikers.