Die Cuba-Connection

Pleasantly surprised by this direct-to-video B-movie Action flick starring one of my all time favourite actors ever-ROY SCHEIDER.

First off i checked this out because of Roy Scheider, I've been a fan since little & watching Jaws & Jaws 2, but not only is the great screen presence Scheider good here in his role-playing an evil corrupted weapons company boss, we also get a decent performance from 90's star Gary Busey (Under Siege, Predator 2, Point Break) as the leader of a small team of Mercenaries along with 90's direct-to-video Action star Jeff Speakman (Street Knight) & an Awesome Steven Bauer (Scarface) who have Plato's back all the way. Plato Smith is of course played by the manic Gary Busey & he's having so much fun as the leader of his pack here.

Actually we need more action stars like Gary Busey because Busey is an average "Dadbod" type of man & not a ridiculously ripped-to-shredds bodybuilding meat head & i love him for that. Busey has been a big part of some of the best films from our childhoods as he stole the show in Point Break (way better character & actor than bland Keanu Reeves) & was a Classic villain in the Cop CLASSIC Lethal Weapon & was such a crazy & intense presence in the Classic sequel PREDATOR 2. Busey has been in so many films when you think back & he's always excellent.

Plato & his crew are sent on a mission to rescue some escapee prisoners from a tough Cubin prison but are double crossed & Plato is framed for the murder & is on the run. I loved the sweaty Miami setting that's full of sunshine & the action is pretty much non-stop with lots of chases & gun fights but what stands out is the fine chemistry between Plato & his two loyal buddies.

Roy Scheider is very good at playing a slimy villain even if it was probably such an easy paycheck for him at that time in his later career.

All in all Plato's Run is a fun & action-packed little B-movie, it's definitely not great but it's an easy watching typical direct-to-video action film.

I also liked the 90's look of the film.

'Plato's Run' isn't just bad, it's disgustingly awful. Not disgusting, but disgustingly awful. That's right folks, this movie sucked. OK, think for a minute here, why does these independent video labels keep making movie after movie, with the same cast, same plot, same twists, same everything. I know, I know, they're B movies that aren't meant to be taken seriously, but why oh why are there so many of them? They really can't make that much money, and are hardly much fun to watch. Well, I suppose that's kind of a lie there, they're a ton of fun to make fun of, but... it's two hours of my life which I'll never get back again.

And the sad thing is that there are these actors, many of them good actors, that will probably be stuck doing these low budget actioners forever. Roy Scheider for instance... he was nominated for a couple of Academy Awards way back when, had a series of high profile hits (2010, Jaws), then made a wrong turn somewhere along, and got stuck doing movies like this. Same with Gary Busey. Steven Bauer looks like he's found a way out if he can hold onto roles like the one he has in 'Traffic', but Jeff Speakman and the rest probably don't have a lot on their side.

First let's start with the plot. Actually, let's not. There isn't much of one, and you already know it by now, even if you've never heard of this movie. The technical values are pretty lackluster, even for a B flick like this one, the direction is really sub standard and the cinematography is nothing to write home about.

Unless you're a die hard Busey fan, this shouldn't be watched by anyone

1/10

Gary Busey,Steven Bauer and Jeff Speakman star as three mercenaries who become entangled into a complicated assassination attempt that is set up by Roy Scheider, so after Scheider kidnaps Busey's daughter it's one man army time. Gary Busey is back in his Bulletproof type days as Busey is the lead action star and does shoots all kinds of people in this mediocre potboiler. Plato's Run is pretty much what you would expect from the cast, which is that it's dumb, has lots of action, bad acting and Busey running around looking drunk. There always was something about the presence of Gary Busey that made him a cultural icon, or at least an icon in the B.movie world and for fans of Gary, Plato's Run offers up guilty pleasure not seen since Bulletproof and we all know that with the puffy Busey, puffy Speakman and the still slender Bauer that this is a personification of what a B.movie throwaway is. If anything else it's worth it just to see Busey and Bauer try and escape a landmine trap as a cackling over the top Scheider lies the ham on thick.

* * out of 4-(Fair)

Sometimes a nice low budget action movie hits the spot. Throw in a nice cast and it makes for an easy watch. "Plato's Run" is an easy watch. It's just not a real good one. It's okay. Gary Busey does a nice job. The rest of the cast is pretty good. I am a big fan of early Roy Scheider but I find older, facelifty Roy Scheider a bit hard to take. I don't want to be mean but older Scheider always seems that if he showed any emotion his face will crack. "Plato's Run" moves fast but runs out of steam after a while.

Passable 90's action that's worth a look for Gary Busey alone but, also has a decent supporting cast. The movie throws alot at you and in the end nothing really sticks. The land mine scene is an interesting idea but unfortunately not fully exploited. Has some odd editing moments as well.