Die Vergelter

Anytime a film delivers what it promises, it gets at least a 5 rating from me, and "Armed Response" gives you exactly what you would expect from a low budget action movie. The weak points would be , numerous explosions and gratuitous car crashes, a paper thin plot, finally a shootout in Chinatown with grenades and automatic weapons that goes totally unnoticed by anyone. The strongest point is the fun of seeing David Caradine, Lee Van Cleef, and Michael Berrymen together, and they do not disappoint. Another plus is the musical score, which seems to fit perfectly. Top that off with some lively one liners and you have an entertaining action film. - MERK

My review was written in October 1986 after a screening at UA Twin theater in Manhattan.

"Armed Response" punches up a mundane action-revenge film plotline with above-par casting and enough style to make the formula work for genre fans L. A.-lensed opus was filmed early this year under the better title "Jade Jungle".

Instead of his real-life acting clan, David Carradine here is surrounded by a dissimilar dad (Lee Van Cleef) and brothers (Brent Huff, David Goss) in a simple tale out of the "Maltese Falcon" bag. Youngest sibling Goss is a private eye hired with his partner Ross Hagen to retrieve a stolen jade antique for Japanese gangster Mako, who must get the object and save face before a war with the Chinese Tongs breaks out. Greedy Hagen executes several double crosses, with Goss ending up dead and his family now at odds with Mako, who kidnaps Carradine's wife and daughter.

Papa Van Cleef is an ex-cop and Carradine a war vet plagued with recurring nightmares (weak flashback footage) of Vietnam, so both grab their weaponry and lurch into action. Helped by some effective car stunts and pyrotechnics, plus several allusions for film buffs to catch, pic delivers the action goods.

For his sixth feature film, director Fred Olen Ray steps up to a bigger budget with some stylish compositions and a few elaborate setpieces. Cast is adequate, overcoming some cory dialog, with Ross Hagen as the double-dealing bad guy making a strong impression resembling the late Gig Young.

The Roth clan gets wrapped up in underworld double and triple crosses after youngest son Clay (David Goss) is shot by his P.I. partner Cory (Ross Hagen). Seems the duo was hired by Tanaka (Mako) to reclaim a jade statue from some thieves (Dick Miller and Laurene Landon) and Cory felt it was the perfect ticket to good life. So ex-cop/drunk Papa Roth (Lee Van Cleef) corrals his two remaining sons Jim (David Carradine) and Tommy (Brent Huff) to get some family revenge.

This action flick was technically my first Fred Olen Ray film as I remember my dad renting it back in the day. I don't know why, but knowing that FOR pulled one over on my pops with the allure of Carradine and Van Cleef makes me smile. Anyways, I barely remembered it so tonight's revisit was almost like watching it anew. This moves fast and is actually better made than some of the films Ray made right after it. It is simple stuff plot wise but I enjoyed it and there are a few good shootouts here and there. The biggest surprise is that the leads are really there for the whole film and Carradine and Van Cleef really give it their all. Trying to swallow Lee as David's dad is kinda funny though as they were separated by roughly 11 years in real life. Lots of great character actors in supporting roles like Michael Berryman as a fortune cookie giving hit-man, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as a long-haired torturer, Bobbie Bresee as a stripper (who stays clothed), Michelle Bauer as a stripper (who doesn't stay clothed), Conan Lee in the first five minutes, and Dawn Wildsmith (aka Mr. Olen Ray at the time) as a barroom tough girl.

David Carradine and Lee Van Cleef star as father and son cops who join forces to avenge the murder of their sons/brothers at the hand of the triads who are after a priceless artifact that the hapless family has gotten their hands on. Brent Huff is the ill faded brother who keeps the family proud by being tortured and not caving in. Also is Lois Hamilton the wife of Carradine who also is kidnapped with her and Carradine's daughter in this plot heavy but generally enjoyable guilty pleasure. I haven't seen many movies from Fred Olen Ray but I figure this has to be one of his better features, this one is alone worth watching for the cast. Which include David Carradine, Lee Van Cleef, Mako(As the head mobster) and Michael"Hills Have Eyes" Berryman who are always fun to watch in anything. The movie is fairly predictable and Carradine is obviously a tad too old to jump in and kick ass but Armed Response gives of the unpretentious vibe that makes the response of of general acceptance from the audience.

* * out of 4-(Fair)

"Armed Response" is one of Fred Olen Ray's earliest directorial efforts, and it also less schlocky than some of his other ones, closer to an actual legitimate action film (it's hard to believe he would make a film as unbelievably bad as "Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers" only two years later). It has a fairly complicated plot, which would be hard to summarize in a single paragraph, and a cast that's a B-movie fan's dream (where else could you find Lee Van Cleef and Michael Berryman together?), though it must be noted that David Carradine is particularly awful in this movie. (**1/2)