DragonFire99

Most discriminating fans will probably dismiss RAGE as just a standard action picture with better production values than most B-movies. However, amid the fireworks display of gunfire and exploding cars, RAGE is a rather caustic satire on the media. In any case, RAGE is an incredible motion picture. While the plot may be weird and convoluted, the action will have fans begging for more.

Alex Gainer (Gary Daniels) lived a simple, serene life as a mister nice guy-type schoolteacher. He lives in a splendid suburban home with a beautiful wife (Fiona Hutchison) and daughter. Until one moment...will have a tremendous impact for the rest of his life...

While driving home from work, Gainer is car-jacked by a menacing stranger. To be truthful, that is NOT the worst thing that could happen to him. The police arrive just in the nick of time to stop the car-jacking maniac, but instead of helping Mr. Gainer...they hold him at gunpoint. Talk about being an innocent man caught "at the wrong place at the wrong time."

When crooked cops and government agents decide to kidnap Gainer for use as a guinea pig in a malicious experiment to create a new breed of "super soldiers," boy, have they picked the wrong guy to mess with! Injected with a series of virulent chemicals, Gainer begins to go berserk. Eventually, Gainer escapes, but not before slaughtering a whole bunch of security guards and government agents. Gainer is labeled as a madman, and this once popular kindergarten teacher has become the cynosure for tabloid shows everywhere. Talk about having a bad day!

Only Action 12 News Reporter Harry Johansen (Kenneth Tigar) thinks that Gainer is an innocent man. With help from his camerawoman, Bobby T (Jillian McWhirter), Johansen is determined to help Gainer tell his side of the story so that there can be an end to the madness. However, how can one news reporter help save another man's life?

RAGE is a stylish and stylized action film in all its glory. It features some of the most daring stunts ever pulled such as Daniels utilizing a merry-go-round to elude the bad guys. The car crashes too are so sweet! Definitely one of the most memorable scenes in this movie was when Daniels tried to flee both the police and government agents by driving a gigantic tanker. Also, you will not believe your eyes when you watch our protagonist stand on top of this truck and then leap out of the "danger zone" as soon as this same truck collides with a rampaging school bus. The chases and action scenes are quite extensive and exhaustive, with at least two sequences lasting over 15 minutes. RAGE is an action thriller on speed.

In addition to the breathless action which should make RAGE a top choice for thrill seeking movie fans, the biting satire on the media and tabloid reports help make it stand out as a fine motion picture. Often in society, people become obsessed with sensationalism. Take for example, the scenario of the main character, Alex Gainer. Tabloid shows everywhere try to sensationalize the whole issue, labeling Gainer as either: A murderer, a homicidal maniac, or one of those "good people who have gone haywire for no apparent reason." The message that can be learned from RAGE is that people should not always follow sensationalism because that is not always the truth. Some reporters have a bad habit of manipulating the truth, making the truth become something "outrageous" so that they can satisfy their own desires. As noted, reporters have a tendency to tell the news from a biased point of view and in some cases, it can be extremely detrimental to the people affected by the news. People sensationalize for many reasons whether to entertain or to tarnish a person's reputation. However, as exemplified with reporter Harry Johansen, an admirable person with real strength and courage is one who does not whimsically take everybody else's words and agrees with them. Instead he or she follows his or her own heart and instincts, and searches for the real truth.

The hero himself is also very noble. He stays strong because he knows that he is fighting for a worthy cause: His own freedom to exist. He fights for the right to live. The main character himself is also very sympathetic. He is a person who cares for the welfare of his family and despite the chaos he is going through, he still puts the safety of his loved ones even before himself.

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, there are some foibles that must be pointed out. First, some of the editing is out of tune. In one instance, the bad guys try to grab the camera away from the reporter. In the next scene, the viewer suddenly sees the reporter and his assistant simply wave "good-bye!" What's going on here? Inept editing I suppose. Also, many of the plot elements in this movie are unbelievable. For one, how did this guy, Gainer suddenly learn martial arts? Or, how did he learn to use a machine gun for that matter? Or...where did these bad guys learn how to shoot? They cannot put a single bullet into the main hero! I also doubt that a person can survive a plunge of several feet into the inside of a building... There are other irrelevant plot mistakes which are only too common in movies of this character.

Let's face it, nobody watches these movies in order to discover any interesting character revelations. They just want action. Well, RAGE delivers action all right, in a blazing full-throttle style. Never mind that this movie's plot is out of proportions. RAGE is a movie made simply for your enjoyment. The violence in this movie is insane, but hey, it's all in good fun. This satire on media sensationalism is guaranteed to make your day.

RATING: *** out of ****.

ZERO TOLERANCE: It is a simple tale about one man's crusade for vengeance.

Jeff Douglas (Robert Patrick) is a young FBI agent who must transport a vicious psychopathic drug dealer, Ray Manta (Titus Welliver) from Mexico back to a federally sanctioned prison somewhere in the United States. Everything seems well until Jeff and his cohorts realize that on the trip back, they are being followed by a gang of motorcycle riding killers. Before long, these FBI agents are caught in a barrage of gunfire...

When the smoke clears, Douglas discovers that his friends have been gunned down. What's even worse...the prisoner has escaped! When Jeff returns to the United States, he finds out that his innocent family has been held ransom at gunpoint by a sinister drug cartel known as the "White Hand." The White Hand is a powerful drug conglomerate that is controlled by five "mainstream" businessmen: Vitch (Mick Fleetwood), Kowalski (Miles O'Keffe), LaFluer (Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter), Lee (Gustav Vintas), and...Ray Manta. This drug cartel is responsible for the distribution of a powerful new merchandise known as "liquid heroin." The White Hand demands that Douglas pose as a "courier" so that he can transfer a suitcase full of money back to Las Vegas. Douglas must comply to the White Hand's demand, or else...they will permanently execute his entire family...

Seeing that the White Hand refuses to keep their part of the bargain, they order their henchmen to assassinate Douglas's wife (Wendy Patrick) and children anyway. Meanwhile, Douglas delivers the requisite suitcase to Vegas, but he finds himself to be a moving target... Barely surviving the White Hand's sabotage, Douglas tries to contact his family, making sure that they are in one piece. When Douglas learns that all of his family members have ended up in body bags, hell have no fury like an ex-FBI agent scorned...

Jeff Douglas has a new mission now: To avenge the loss of his family by waging war against the entire White Hand clan. He plans on terminating the White Hand, one member at a time. As this film will prove, Douglas must take revenge into his own hands. For him, revenge is just another name for justice...

ZERO TOLERANCE is an action-packed, thrill-to-the-minute adventure that will certainly satisfy the most hard-core fans of this genre. This film is definitely head above water when compared to other direct to video drivel. The action is surprisingly unpredictable and the explosive firepower keeps this film moving at a breathtakingly rapid pace. ZERO TOLERANCE is mindless, fast-paced fun.

Granted, the premise for ZERO TOLERANCE is strikingly familiar: A loner decides that he must avenge the deaths of his loved ones. However, what truly places this motion picture above films of comparable characteristics is the main character, well played by Robert Patrick. The viewer is made to understand all of the torment the main character must go through after losing the only ones he cares about. The flashbacks are well made, showing how this "vigilante" was once a loving family man. The viewer could actually sense how much pain this hero is going through. To him, the loss of his family is his own personal hell. Tough character actor Robert Patrick (TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY) does an admirable job portraying this hard-boiled soul bent on vengeance.

Unfortunately, the rest of the performances in this film are a mixed bag. Titus Welliver is convincingly bad-to-the-bone as the prime antagonist. However, two of his cohorts, former rock star Mick Fleetwood and the star of the "Ator" (ha, ha) movies, Miles O'Keefe are rather mundane and stereotypical. Kristen Meadows tries her best as another FBI agent who is sympathetic to Douglas, but sadly for her, she is little more than a ransom victim for the bad guys. Another significant setback for ZERO TOLERANCE is that it virtually features ZERO plot revelations. This movie is very much run-of-the-mill, and though the action will keep you riveted, the plot lacks sophistication and depth. With the exception of Douglas, the rest of the characters are created in a by-the-book style.

If you are the typical action fan looking only for brisk thrills, then you probably do not care much about plot and characters. Well, I will say this, you have picked the right selection. ZERO TOLERANCE is the consummate action thriller. The fantastic excitement will most likely knock your shoes off. This PM Entertainment Group (who has made five dozen or so other "action" pictures) motion picture will not dissatisfy you with its abundance of leaping stuntmen, exploding objects, and awesome editing. Two examples of adroitly directed action scenes are the ambush at the beginning and the shoot-out in Las Vegas. This movie will make John Woo proud. Speaking of John Woo, some action scenes in this movie though seem to be TOO inspired by the works of John Woo. Take for example, the beginning of ZERO TOLERANCE where the main hero shoots it out with a gang of gun-wielding motorcyclists. If you saw the Hong Kong film, HARD-BOILED (directed by John Woo), then you will know what I am talking about. Anyway, with that said, adrenaline addicts will cherish this fast moving thrill-ride.

ZERO TOLERANCE is definitely one of the Pepin-Merhi duo's best films to date. Taken at face value, ZERO TOLERANCE is pure entertainment, PM style. Slick action scenes, decent production values, and proficient cinematography highlight this rather exciting motion picture. ZERO TOLERANCE may not have enough profundity to be considered a first-class B-movie, but it is a fine film nonetheless, with a strong, solid performance by Robert Patrick and some really neat action sequences and stunts. Trigger-happy fans will most likely remain contented. ZERO TOLERANCE is an underrated and overlooked thriller. If you ever get the chance to see this movie, I suggest you do.

RATING: *** out of ****.

THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is an archetypal animated crime drama. This is a relentlessly brutal film about one man's crusade to destroy the elusive figure who was solely responsible for the murder of his own kin. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is also an emotionally disturbing film which demonstrates the pain and distress of having to cope with the loss of a love one. It serves as a chilling reminder of how human beings can easily succumb to the power of suffering. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is a tautly made film dealing with the psychological mind, but most importantly of all, it is a thriller that leaves you on the edge-of-your-seat from the first frame to the finish.

Duke Togo (a.k.a. Golgo 13) is an assassin for hire. He does not care about his clients at all; he only cares about himself and his money. Devoid of emotion, Golgo's life is predominated by violence and sex. Golgo's latest mission is to terminate Mr. Robert Dawson, the son of a wealthy oil-business baron, Leonard Dawson. With just a single bullet, Golgo 13 has successfully accomplished this task. Meanwhile, Mr. Leonard Dawson, understandably aggravated with the death of his only son, has vowed to terminate this assassin once and for all. Leonard Dawson is usually use to `getting what he wants,' but this entrepreneur does not realize what a formidable foe Golgo 13 might be...

Desperate, Leonard Dawson has hired a number of professional mercenaries and agencies to assist him in tracking and eliminating his loose cannon. Along the way, Dawson has employed a ruthless, cold-blooded killer named `Snake' to personally make sure that Golgo 13 suffer a violent and painful demise...

However, Golgo 13 always manages to be ahead of the game. Whenever danger strikes, this elusive hitman always succeeds in escaping with his life. He is quick, agile, and intuitive, but consequently, he is a man with little sentiment...

Golgo 13 is constantly on the run from the menacing villains of every color. Will Golgo 13 be able to save his own skin...or will he truly meet his match with a professional adversary?

THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is certainly an adult-oriented tale. This is an extremely sickening film, with grotesque deaths being shown in explicit detail second by second. The color red tends to literally predominate the screen at times. Typical of the Japanese animation style is also the gratuitous use of frontal female nudity, especially since virtually every female in this movie removes her clothes at least once during the film's duration. Indeed, as shown by the abundance of sanguinary violence, soft-core sex scenes (Golgo's love-making scene with `Cindy' is particularly steamy.) and unclothed females, THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is animation made strictly for mature audiences.

It would be unfair to dismiss THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 just because of its excessive violence and nudity. Unlike most films of this caliber, what is admiring about this movie is that though it is full of sex and violence, it does not let those two qualities overshadow the film's technical and also rather profound attributes. First, the technical accomplishments in this movie are plentiful. The camerawork and editing are stylishly done. They often shift from the use of freeze frames to slow motion sequences to split screen features. The animation too, is marvelous; the use of different colors and lighting effects are utilized to the first degree in order to symbolize a certain character's behavior such as pleasure or anger. As well, the computer generated action scenes near the end are themselves a masterfully created piece of work. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 contains some of the best artwork and details of a modern animated feature.

THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is also a trenchant character study. This movie shows the mental anguish and vulnerability in the human soul, as demonstrated by the erratic behavior Leonard Dawson displays. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 spares no punches as it illustrates that human misery does not only affect the individual himself; it could also affect his loved ones just as sharply. This motion picture shows as well how an obsession with revenge will leave a person devastated even more deeply. It is a very sad movie indeed, but this movie dares you to actually show sorrow for many of the characters involved in the predicament...

What makes THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 even more remarkable is the film's diversely outrageous cast of characters. They range from the sick and bizarre lunatic, `Snake,' to the deformed twins `Gold' and `Silver,' and then, to the sexy, lascivious lady, `Cindy.' The breakthrough character sketches in this movie (plus the state-of-the-art animation) make the viewer believe that instead of watching a lame cartoon, he/she is experiencing an actual feature presentation. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is truly `number one...with a bullet.'

Overall, THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is a unique experience. Unlike most superficial, one-dimensional cartoon presentations, THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is a realistic (albeit still an animated feature) film that is rather plaintive, bleak, and depressing. At the same time though, THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 will leave you breathless as the amazing action and gritty visuals will keep you addicted for more excitement. The animation especially, is notably conceived. THE PROFESSIONAL: GOLGO 13 is a destined cult hit in the making. Though this is an animated film, the spellbinding plot, assured direction, plus the three dimensional characters and strong themes help give this motion picture a potently authentic quality. There are more than enough plot twists to keep you enthralled even after the denouncement. Plus, a powerful subtext (amongst many) about how the letting of one's emotions cloud his/her thoughts can easily cripple one's life forever will keep the viewer suitably mesmerized. This is a film that will leave you contemplating about how delicate the human soul really is...

If you are looking for a near perfect thriller, then search no further.

RATING: ***1/2 out of ****.

`Yeah, well keep your ‘stick' in the ring. Don't practice on my girls. I need them to concentrate on their jobs, so my business doesn't suffer...'

In the year 2007, crime has risen at an exponential rate. Once highly populated metropolises such as Los Angeles are no longer inhabitable. These cities have transformed into `Hell Zones,' ruled by violent street gangs. Talk about Y2K!

Two brave cops, Braniff (Chad McQueen), and Sledge (Gary Daniels) must risk their badges...and their lives when they enter Los Angeles's `Hell Zone.' Entering the Hell Zone is insanity...escaping from it is impossible. The Hell Zone, formerly called the `Zone of Personal Freedom,' is a safe-haven for criminal warpaths everywhere. This Hell Zone in LA is controlled by a criminal mastermind named Drexal (Joseph Ruskin). For the sake of entertaining his crowds of decadent losers and underlings, Drexal has staged a series of lethal, no-holds-barred matches in the `Death Ring,' where the winner takes all of the glory...while the defeated one shall lose his self-respect (or maybe just his head).

Meanwhile, Braniff and Sledge are obliged to go undercover in a clandestine mission as Death Ring fighters themselves. Sledge is actually having fun roughing up his Death Ring rivals while Braniff finds his martial vows in jeopardy as he himself becomes attracted to a beautiful woman named Lisa (Alisha Das). However, this married cop must remember his priority. Braniff, along with his robust and agile partner, Sledge, must fight for their lives in order to expose an alleged `black market' involving the sale of counterfeit AIDS vaccines. Will these two men triumph against all odds in the Hell Zone alive or will they pay with their very lives?

FIREPOWER is probably one of the most ridiculously contrived thrillers ever. This film is completely inept, with terrible acting and an incoherent plot. The script, full of pathetic one-liners and inane drivel, is also embarrassing enough. Incidentally, to make everything worse than it already is, this film is not quite as exciting as the title promises. For instance, the action scenes lack that poetic style. Sure, we have the heroes and the villains shooting at each other and trying to beat one another, but all of these action scenes lack that flair. There is no sense of excitement involved when viewing these action sequences. Also, the fight scenes lack the brutal realism; instead, they just seem like child's play. The fighters constantly beat, maul, maim, and mutilate each other, yet not a single fighter (save for the ones who are murdered in the Death Ring) seems to be displaying any severe injuries. The one-on-one death matches as well get repetitive. Listless action scenes are just part of this movie's innumerable problems. The dearth of both an intense musical score and smooth camerawork only injures this movie even more substantially...

Although FIREPOWER is an appalling movie, I found one factor which almost redeems this whole unpleasantness: The fact that this movie is amusing, whether it wants to admit it or not. The acting especially is funny. The main adversaries, Drexal and Mendez (Pablo Marz) are more asinine than frightening. You would expect Drexal to be insidious and sinister, but he appears to be more of an ersatz Vincent Price. Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs provides some amusing commentary as a ring announcer. Chad McQueen lacks the appeal and charisma of his father, the late (and terrific) Steve McQueen, but you will chuckle at how he tries to develop his relationship with Lisa. As for Gary Daniels, I must attest that he is one of the most impressive fighters ever. Granted, Daniels does have a thick accent, but after seeing this guy showcase his martial arts skills, you would not even want to comment on his accent! If you do, then prepare to defend yourself! (By the way, his accent does happen to distract from the impact of his one-liners.)

The best acting though, is displayed by Jim Hellwig (known to professional wrestling fans everywhere as the `Ultimate Warrior') as the Swordsman, a barbaric character who yells as if he was raised in the jungles. The Swordsman himself, a formidable opponent, only understands the language of violence. Also, I must comment that a lot of these fighters featured in this movie DO NOT know how to fight! As for the action scenes, it is just awesome how the car crashes and explosions can be seen from different angles in this movie! It is just brilliant! The (mostly unintentional) humor keeps FIREPOWER from becoming too lackluster.

It is a complete shame that FIREPOWER could not be a better movie. The special effects looked silly, but they worked, and the plot too held some potential. The sub-plot in particular, about a counterfeit AIDS vaccine seems very promising. It is quite sad that the filmmakers did not take advantage of that opportunity; it would have given the film more substance. Unfortunately, the anemic direction by Richard Pepin and the mediocre cinematography are unacceptable as well. Anyway, FIREPOWER is not worth the time if you happen to watch it by yourself. Instead, gather a group of friends, sit on a cozy couch, and prepare to have fun. Trust me, your colorful comments for this movie will be uninhibited!

RATING: ** out of ****. (For a high amusement factor.)