Phase IV - Spiel des Todes

I can't believe anyone watched this movie!!! Three of my friends acted in it and they all got wasted............including the bad guy who got crushed in the car accident. This production helped a lot of Halifax industry people pay the bills that summer of 2001 so I have to give it at least a five. And it was hilarious that all the bad guys would ride around in one car together. That car was thrown off a condemned Ultramar gas station downtown Halifax. Right across from the Trailer Park Boys production house. Thats if anyone actually cares. Also, most of the Canadian actors have been dubbed over with Yank voices for international release. They really Honkified poor old Glenn.

I don't really understand all the positive comments for this movie.

Aren't people tires of slow-mo car chases ? Those might be

technically good, but they are inserted in the action without subtlety

and in a way that screams "nineties direct-to-videos !". Why start

with a car chase, when we have no idea who is being chased and

can't root for him without any background, when a poor ordinary

schmuk pursued by total strangers could be an interesting angle.

Besides, it is just an ordinary "Man who knew too much" kinda

story : bystander suddenly gets on a secret, a conspiracy wants to

shut him up, he has to get to the bottom of things to avoid being

killed. It's a sent-up of "The Fugitive" style manhunts, aloso

explored in Andrew Davis' "Chain reaction". Here, the only thing is

to find a corporate villain - here pharmaceutical companies.

Granted, this one is not the worse of the crop and Dean Cain is

convincing, but it's really a run-of-the-mill thriller with a few ideas

thrown in. Still, I have to watch it again to see if I missed

something.

This seemed like pretty standard B-movie fare when I decided to see it. Dean Cain and Brian Bosworth pretty much guarantee a mediocre movie at best. But I was a bit surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie. I am not saying this is a great movie or a must see, but I did enjoy watching it.

The premise is kind of standard, guy's best friend does something to get into trouble with the really powerful bad guys. So this guy ends up having to defeat the bad guys. Dean Cain plays the hero and does a fairly good job. Brian Bosworth is the head thug and was quite surprising. As an actor he has come a long way (although he did start way behind so that isn't saying too much).

Anyway, if you are into this kind of movie, you might just enjoy it. If you don't like this particular genre, the best steer clear, because while it is fairly good, it won't win any converts.

Come on, now where do you get a comic book hero beat up the guy who got steamrolled by BO JACKSON! Yes, The Boz will kick my tail for that last statement-Yes, I'm joking! Anyways, moving along past the preliminaries, Dean Cain and Brian Bosworth make this movie tick-no doubt about it! It's a first-class action flick with a cool story line-think about it a government cover-up about AIDS medicine! O.k. Dean Cain does a good job as a convincing reporter who won't let go of a good story and The Boz captures the spotlight in his role as a lethal congressional bad ass with that signature weapon of choice. The Boz needs his own T.V. show as a relentless hit-man of no remorse-that's how good he displays himself in this performance. O.K., end of review-bottom line, yes, it's worth a look-especially if you are a Boz fan, but none the less it's worthy of top reviews for a video that unfortunately went straight to video! Believe me you won't be let down besides it was USA the other morning-can't be that bad!

One of my guilty pleasures is The Marine. Not a great movie, but fun nonetheless. This is not The Marine, as Heather Mathieson is no Kelly Carlson. Dean Cain is certainly no John Cena either, but he did give a credible performance as an ex-jock (and Navy Seal) who was now a journalism student working on a college paper when his lifelong buddy dies.

Conspiracy theorists would have a field day with this film about a cure for AIDS that is covered up by multiple deaths so the pharmaceutical companies can go on looking for cures and selling pills.

There are some exciting car chases and crashes, lots of killings, some good explosions, and bad guys galore. Cain is all alone in fighting them all off to find the truth and save his family.

Oh, have some popcorn and enjoy.