Lautlos und tödlich

I had high hopes for Rachel McLish's starring vehicle 'Raven Hawk' after seeing her in 'Iron Eagle 3'. Unfortunately this revenge tale centered around murder and the stealing of Indian land has one note greedy racist villains, surface level only themes. It's not a complete loss, but this action trip is mostly by the numbers.

Rhyia Shadowfeather (McLish) watched her parents be murdered as a young girl by men (Michael Champion, Dick Warlock, Mitch Pileggi and William Atherton) who wanted them to approve land for development. With false testimony and help of the corrupt Sheriff (Ed Lauter), she's blamed for their deaths & remanded to a mental hospital. That is until 12 years later she escapes a transfer to prison and immediately picks up making these men pay for what they have done.

Once they start getting picked off one by one, three big hired killers are brought in to take her out in typical action movie fashion. There's a half Indian Federal Marshall (John Enos III) subplot used for story beats, but it's really Rachel's show. Her buff look, cast of faces (Mitch Ryan & John De Lancie appear too) and memorable freefall stunt work go in the plus column. Desert scenery and some good aerial photography too.

'Raven Hawk' with some Western elements ultimately has nothing new to say and the action isn't always shot that well. Perhaps a troubled production (not a first for director Albert Pyun) is partly to blame. The ending is certainly nothing to write home about. Dtv fans might wanna give it a go, but you'll have to agree McLish's inclusion is what got you here in the first place.

: If one intends to compare this movie to an Oscar winner, you are missing any appeal that there may be in this production. Without continued B-movies or Oaters (B-Westerns), something had to fill the gap, and this might be considered an appropriate replacement. Action--it's there; plot--obvious! And, Rachel McLeish is not at all unattractive as the main protagonist. If you want something for entertainment sake and profundity is not your objective, you may very well enjoy Raven Hawk. Too often one may seek mastery in every video they view, but sometimes it's alright just be after a little fun and escape. This was a Saturday afternoon treat for me.

"Ravenhawk" turns out to be far better than one might expect of a TV movie. Rachel McLish is wrongly convicted of killing her parents, to the benefit of a large toxic waste recycling plant. Twelve years later she escapes from confinement and unleashes revenge on the villains who set her up. This comes across like a female version of "Rolling Thunder", with McLish instead of William Devane dishing out the punishment. The desert locations are used to full advantage, and there is a nice assortment of stunts. If you would enjoy a buffed female heroine in place of the usual, usual, then seek this one out. I thoroughly enjoyed "Ravenhawk". - MERK

Okay, I saw Rachel McLish was in this movie so I had to watch it. I had seen "Pumping Iron II: The Women" and "Aces: Iron Eagle III" on the same merits.

First off, this is a "Die Hard" with a sex change and a different locale. Nothing more or less. The fact that they had to use the American Indians and their plight as a plot point is nothing short of reprehensible.

This is basically a revenge melodrama against the toxin-dumping white men who have killed the family of a young girl who is arrested for their deaths. Years later she grows up to become McLish and exacts her revenge on the guilty members one by one.

Poor McLish; she looks great posing and running, every muscle out proud on display. She looks ESPECIALLY great standing in front of a fire wearing nothing but a loincloth (sigghhhh....). But she is left with just a dull, bored expression most of the time and when she speaks, she sounds like her mind is on other things - Met-RX endorsements, perhaps?

But then there's that business of the Indians. This is a serious problem and it's simply glossed over as the bad guys shoot at McLish as she clings precariously on the side of a mountain, escaping death many a time thanks to Indian luck and good muscle training.

Two stars. Watching McLish is usually enough, but not with such a "Hawk"-ed up plot.

Rachel, as much as it pains me to say this, maybe you should pick better projects. Maybe, say, as a villainess who beats the beans out of Jean-Claude Van Damme?

Lord knows he could use the work, too.

Beautiful southwestern scenery is the only redeeming virtue of this by-the-numbers revenge film. The ecological, pro-Native American theme seems more exploitive veneer than imaginative twist, and the direction lacks suspense or even much of a climax. Acting is dull and unconvincing, though William Atherton is on board to lend his trademarked sneer to the chief villain. There is little more to the plot than "heroine framed for parents murder; heroine kills the real murderers." None of the characters are developed at all, even to the limited extent of an action film. That's too bad, because I was prepared to like this movie, and yes, the scenery was nice.