High Voltage (1998) User Reviews (16)

Wrong kind of ripoff

[bkoganbing · 3/10 · 6 January 2021]

High Voltage which has enough action and fight scenes to satisfy anyone who isn't really concerned about a story. There are certain plot similarities to Don Siegel's classic caper film Charley Varrick which starred Walter Matthau. A light years better bit of cinema.

Antonio Sabato, Jr.'s crew decides to rob a bank and they discover the place is a laundering establishment for the Vietnamese mob headed by George Cheung. At first they try to make some amends, but Cheung ain't having it so the inevitable violent climax occurs.

Just run this one back to back with Charley Varrick and you'll know what a good story and good plot do for a film. High Voltage is for violence junkies.

Two assets in a mediocre production

[lotekguy-1 · 5/10 · 22 July 2023]

The script is bad: the predictable plot overly familiar to fans of such flicks. Much of the casting was obviously driven more by cost than talent. Very low count of Vietnamese actors within the Vietnamese gang - especially those given any lines of dialog. Possibly more geographic authenticity among the stunt guys.

In the plus column, the fights are mostly well-choreographed for a low budget offering. Sabato looks good in action, whether shooting guns or doing MMA-style acrobatics. The best scene of the lot comes late in the film in a biker bar.

Which brings me to the other asset - the underappreciated Donald Gibb. Whenever a slot exists for a bulky biker or biker-adjacent thug, who also looks crazier than Dennis Burkley, Gibb is the go-to guy. Whether the part calls for serious menace or a touch of comic relief, the big dude fits the bill. With 98 roles under his large belt, he's sort of a Caucasian Danny Trejo. Always good to see him doing his thing.

For the action scenes, we say give High Voltage a watch.

[tarbosh22000 · 5/10 · 19 August 2020]

Johnny (Sabato Jr.), Larry (Munro), Molly (Smart), and Sam (Mains) are a bank-robbing gang and they sure do love their guns. Their luck runs out when a particular bank that they rob is a front for the Vietnamese mafia. Now Victor Phan (Cheung) and Harry (Lew), among many other goons, are after them. So is a biker named Bulldog (Zabka). Of course his name is Bulldog. The final showdown occurs at a run-down hotel managed by Carlo (Sabato Sr.) - who will come out on top in this gang war?



In 1998, we were all living in a post-Tarantino, post-John Woo world. Director Isaac Florentine seemingly decided he should try his hand at a mélange of the two directors' styles, but complete with his own trademark "whoosh" sound effects. Thanks to fight choreographer Koichi Sakamoto and Florentine himself, the fight scenes are well-done and fun to watch. Hence, High Voltage shouldn't be classified as a Tarantino slog, necessarily, but in the non-action scenes, it gets fairly close.



Yes, there is a lot of inconsequential, post-dubbed dialogue in between the action scenes that viewers probably won't really care about. But then a, frankly, High Voltage action scene will arrive and things perk up a lot. Thrill's Antonio Sabato Jr. not only flies sideways while shooting two pistols, he flies frontwards while shooting two pistols as well. There's plenty of top-notch stuntwork going on and the action setpieces are very enjoyable.



Thankfully, William Zabka screams while shooting a machine gun. The movie overall could have used more Zabka. He sports a very 90's "grunge" look throughout the film, as it was the 90's after all (though if memory serves, grunge was fairly well out the window by '98. That didn't preclude the inclusion of a song called "Trashgrunge" on the soundtrack, however).





Also helping things are the presences of fan favorites James Lew, George Cheung, and an uncredited Donald Gibb as a bartender. It was also nice to see Antonio Sabato Sr. join the fray. Interestingly, Amy Smart, as you probably well know, was in Crank: High Voltage (2009). Surely this must mark one of the few, if only, times an actress appeared in an action movie, then, over ten years later, was in another film with the same title (although, granted, it's a subtitle in the latter case). Still, worthy to point out, I think.



Featuring a "greatest hits" recap before the credits, not during them as certain Jackie Chan films do, High Voltage has its flaws - pretty much the plot and dialogue department - but makes up for it in the action department. That being said, it was probably one of the best things coming out on video store shelves at the time - the late 90's/early 2000's being a notoriously fallow time for quality DTV product. For the action scenes, we say give High Voltage a watch.

This movie reaches all time lows in the Awful Cheesy Kung Fu Movie genre.

[RugbyFox · 1/10 · 14 June 1999]

I laughed so hard watching this movie I nearly killed myself. It is so unbelievably bad and so completely unaware of how bad it is that you can't help staring in shocked disbelief. The dialogue is horrible, the acting sucks (save for a pretty OK performance by Monroe), and the directing is a textbook of cheesy bad timing. But what really makes the film worth watching is the action sequences. These little cut rate gems rival even the worst overseas, badly dubbed monstrosities. Examples: A guy dies from a gunshot wound to the shoulder; people jump off walls and fly 20 feet in the air; Every time somebody turns quickly or reaches for something, you get the ever popular "whoosh" sound effect. This movie is horrible, but it's a great late night choice if you want to see just how bad bad film making can be.

embarrassing to view

[ngraha3-1 · 14 July 2006]

Some guy... RUGBY15 or something was talking about how awful this movie is. Well let me tell you he is dead wrong...

Sort of.

Yes. The movie is bad in all those ways he mentions, but what's worse is the music. A character can't even remove a pair of sunglasses without some ridiculous cymbal crash or something. The soundscape is so ludicrous that it reaches a point of being grotesque.

I could not turn this piece of solid waste off, it seriously was the most embarrassingly hackneyed pile of sh** in the world. In one of the last gunfights, the entire shootout comes to a dead halt as a character named Bulldog rides through a door on his motorcycle with a chick wrapped in a leather bra.

I have a little hint here to filmmakers -- simply standing behind a wooden door or desk, or an upolstered armchair will not be enough to stop a bullet.

This movie has a lot of characters jumping through the air sideways and in slow motion as they fire off two guns at once while they have at least a dozen gun battles with the Vietamese mafia (yes, you heard right... It's those god**** Vietamese again...only now they are in a mafia apparently).

This film looks as though it were directed, shot and written by really uncreative and possibly mentally retarded 12 year old whit-e-trash orphans.

Here's a sample of some brilliant dialogue in an exchange between Bulldog and Johnny: "Go to hell Johnny!" "...No." "Yes. That's where you're going. To hell. Because you'll be dead." "You're the one whose gonna be going to hell and be dead mother f****r."

I felt physically embarrassed watching this.

Horrible.

[jdi_90025 · 1/10 · 22 May 2007]

Basically, most of the actors rush their lines, and except for the two Antonios (Lochlyn Munro somewhat OK), the acting basically sucked, which means the directing also sucked.

Weak story, weak writing. Worst of all was the music.

It's also funny that the writer (Mike Mains, the worst actor in the film) wrote himself the part of having the first primary relationship in the film. The interaction between the two of them is about as exciting as that between a turtle and a rock.

The positive reviews here are a joke. It is however, an adequate film for those who want to get high and laugh at how awful this film is.

I rented this because of Koichi Sakamoto.....

[Ice_Gin · 1/10 · 4 October 2000]

....and I have to say this movie SUCKS. I loved Sakamoto's stunt coordination of his other movie "Drive" which featured some of the best martial arts choreography way before "Matrix." After watching "High Voltage" though, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. The script was beyond incoherent and don't get me started with the acting. Well what else can one expect from a B-movie. The action was obviously contrived from the numerous Gun-Fu, John Woo style movies and the director doesn't even add his own touch to it which leaves the action scenes bland. It is a shame for the guns was the reason why I rented the movie. I have to say to all those who want to kill time, you can do something much better, like read a book or go for a drive. By the way, I highly recommend you people rent "Drive" instead. Yeah, it has a bad script and mediocre acting but it far surpasses the fizzle known as "High Voltage."

The Movie 0 out **** The action scenes * out of ****

Very bad film.

[dasa108 · 1/10 · 14 December 2022]

Isaac Florentine didn't always make good movies. This one in particular, despite having some acquaintances in the cast (such as the daughter of Bruce Lee or the villain of The Karate Kid) offers nothing to rescue the film from mediocrity. It's a bad film because its story isn't original, because the cast has limited dramatic capacity, because you can't do miracles when there isn't a budget or a lot of talent, and because there isn't any character that goes beyond the cartoon. Unfortunately, this film remains as a reference for the bad cinema that we consume in the search for entertainment in the era of video stores. I had a bad experience watching it.

Not Bad John Woo Style Action Film With Good Performances and Plenty of Action That Overcome A Weak Script

[Adam E · 6/10 · 20 December 1998]

It's kind of a weak film, but it's rather entertaining and the late night crowd in the mood for a fast and fun actioner should enjoy it. I thought the cast did a fine job, Antonio Sabato Jr., is a cool action hero and I was glad to see the great, rising young star Lochlyn Munroe (Dead Man On Campus, A Night At The Roxbury) in it as one of Sabato's members who may or may not be a bad guy. Shannon Lee (Bruce's daughter) and some famous Hong Kong stars also turn in good performances. Done in the style of John Woo, this has lots of fast paced shoot outs, good surprises and twists, and a cool "Pulp Fiction" like score in the background. The story is cliched at times and it gets a bit melodramatic when it comes to the end, but I still enjoyed this film and it should please ones looking for a good way to kill 90 minutes.

really good action

[deny · 8/10 · 18 January 2000]

Although the plot is really transparent action and cast made this movie look better. Acrobatic fights and shooting are nicely done, you can watch them over and over again. This is type of movie to relax after long day.I like this one and I recommend it to anyone who like well done action and tired for the day of thinking.Just sit back relax and enjoy the show. I gave it 8 out of 10

Excellent John Woo Style Action Movie.

[magilvilla · 7/10 · 28 February 2000]

This movie is really good, especially for a direct to video movie. The gunfights are cool and the fights are well executed. Lots of action to keep people happy. The theme song is awesome! I saw this movie almost a year ago and I still find myself humming the theme from time to time! A sure bet for action fans!

An excellent film that was totally under rated

[donrw · 8/10 · 18 July 2003]

An excellent film that was totally under rated. the film comes across as having a very "pulp Fiction" feel to it, and yet it delivers a lot of fun action!! . "High Voltage" really marked the action debut of Shannon Lee , alongside Antonio Sabato Jr looking the most impressive martial arts wise he's ever looked.

I liked It

[januszlvii · 8/10 · 11 April 2020]

Here is yet another movie that I liked better then most people did. I do have to say High Voltage is not a Martial Arts Classic likes Kickboxer, The Hunted or Enter The Dragon ( although High Voltage does have Bruce Lee's Shannon Lee ( Jane)). What makes it work is that besides being a Martial Arts movie, it is a gangster film ( the Vietnamese mob), and a relationship movie. The main star is Antonio Sabato jr ( Johnny Clay), the leader of a gang of bank robbers, who try and rob a Vietnamese bank ( unsuccessfully) and find out that their biggest problem is not failing ( or even the police ( the police are under orders not to get involved)), but it is a bank controlled by the Vietnamese mob, and there is a contract out on them. Spoilers ahead: One thing Johnny notices when he robs the bank is the manager ( Lee) is warning him and NOT the one who trips the alarm, and might actually be helping them. He actually goes to her apartment and confronts her, and she explains about the bank and that there is a stash of drug money that they can take. She also explains that she is a prisoner and a sex slave of the boss; and in exchange for her help, she wants to go with Johnny and his gang. Johnny understands, so she is welcomed into the gang. Of course, there are betrayals, fights ( martial art and gun), and Johnny and Jane do end up wealthy and as a couple. There is also a cameo of Antonio Sabato sr as Johnny's uncle and he says to him "You are just like your father." ( very nice touch). Ordinarily I would give it 7/10 stars ( good but not great), but that scene bumps it up a star. So I give it 8/10 stars. Again I liked it.

Excellent!!!

[donrw · 8/10 · 24 June 2003]

An Excellent yet underrated actioner, with a "Pulp Fiction" feel. that never got the respect it deserved. Sabato has a star quality. good action, good humor and good drama. No wonder this film became a cult movie to Martial Arts/action fans.

Move over "Plan Nine From Outer Space" ...

[chuck-543 · 8 February 2008]

... a new "worst film ever made" has arrived. This thing should be shown to every aspiring actor, director, writer and producer, to show them how really bad "bad" can be. Why it's not billed as a comedy is the big question. Everyone involved should hang their heads in shame, or better yet, they should all be drummed-out of whatever guild or union they belong to. I have to admit I watched it from beginning to end, sort of like watching a terrible train wreck.

But the real puzzle here is why any of the other reviewers would say they enjoyed it. The fact that these people are living among us, walking around in public, and worse yet, driving on our streets, panics the hell outta me.

I love this movie

[jjohnson2400 · 10/10 · 13 October 2012]

OK. This is the only time in my life I'll ever be able to say this but I love this movie because my friend, Ivan Visali, made this movie. Haven't seen him in 18 years but we programmed together in LA for about a year and became friends. Very talented individual.

So looked at from that perspective, I looked at it for where he was in his movie making. This was his first movie so you have to look at it from that perspective too.

Was this a great movie. No. But you should know something. He wrote a script for 4 years and got all the funding lined up and guess what, those idiots with the money thought they knew more about writing a script than he did (well my friend and his co-writer).

So he said they basically gutted what they wrote. Would have loved to see HIS movie made.

What's totally cool is that Amy Smart got her first movie credit in this movie! How awesome is that! Not sure how that happened. Ivan, if you read this, get back in the game buddy. I believe in you!