Helden USA IV - Zurück im Libanon

It's so bad, you have to laugh. It reminds me of George Carlin's observation about the U. S. always being at war with countries of brown people.

As is common in so many straight-to-video efforts, this offers a tired, formulaic script featuring some minor, washed-up actors in a project that's obviously hampered by a low budget. Even if you're simply looking for a 90-minute "time-killer," this will not suffice.

Particularly bad is the big torture scene in which John Schneider, who's fallen into the hands of the ruthless, sadistic bad guys, is tied to a chair so he can be subjected to electroshocks. The bad guys pull open his shirt, but since he's wearing an undershirt, this has little effect. Then they poke him a couple of times in the neck with the electrical wires. Then they give up, figuring that Schneider can't be forced to talk! What torture school did these guys go to? The Jack and Jill Academy of the Big Ouch?

For a much better scene of John Schneider being tortured with electricity, check out "Cocaine Wars." At least the bad guys in that movie have enough sense to strip him to the waist.

I don't really have a problem with a movie that's a rip-off as long as it is competently done. In this case, the movie being ripped off is "The Amateur". While that movie had some problems, it wasn't boring and at least kept moving. "Ministry Of Vengeance", on the other hand, takes forever to get going, was obviously shot on a low budget, and isn't the least bit exciting. Too bad, because it gets off to a promising start with its showing us the grief and rage the protagonist feels (though soon he turns bland.) You could do worse, but you could do better by renting "The Amateur" instead.