Shakedown

Shakedown has all the characteristics of poorly made B-Movie, with a script which seems to have been made up as they went a long, lousy one-liners, which didn't serve the plot, and horrible filming. The only thing good about this film is Ron Perlman, which seems to be incapable of producing bad work. Erika Eleniak is always nice, though sadly she keeps her clothes on completely in this film. The story line is something along the lines of; a cult, headed by Ron's character, is trying to spread a deadly virus, which will kill everyone it gets to instantly. The showdown (which takes over the whole movie) is that the good guys and the bad guys get all stuck in a high story building after an earthquake, shooting and beating up one another. What irritated me the most was the constant shooting, where the bad guys would be shooting at the heroes, but never hitting anything, even when they are standing 1 meter in front of him with automatic gun. Each scene is also drawn out, in an effort to get the movie to a regular length.

This could have been a much better movie, but ends up being boring, not in the least funny, and not at all exciting. Unless you like B-movies with lots of pointless shooting, and no conversation with more then couple of lines, then you should stay away from this one.

The only reason to see this movie is Ron Perlman, one of the really great actors working today, who for whatever reason just doesn't get the quality script or the big production budget he deserves. But he never lets a viewer down. Like Gary Oldman, he gives every role his considerable best. Even in HELL BOY he showed those subtle touches he can do, even when slathered all over with red makeup and with his face hidden behind a mask. He is way overdue for a good movie. Not HELL BOY II, though, for God's sake! Still, maybe HELL BOY will finally do that thing for him that he deserves. Is there a producer in the business who actually casts an actor for his talent rather than just for the money his last movie made? I'm a hopeful fan, despite some of the dreck I've watched just because Perlman is in the cast. I try never to miss Ron Perlman, or Gary Oldman, in anything they do. It would be really great if someone would cast them in the same movie. They can both do any dialect or accent and I think they'd play off one another wonderfully.

The only reason I saw "Shakedown" was that it has Erika Eleniak in it. She's sexy as always, but she plays second fiddle to leading man Wolf Larson. It's a pity, because she has more action capabilities than she's allowed to show here. The film largely consists of endless shootouts that quickly become monotonous - especially when most of the time you are seeing the bad guys armed with machine guns constantly missing Larson and him armed only with a revolver (that NEVER runs out of bullets) taking them all out rather easily. The earthquake effects are decent, but there is also a lot of blurry motion and poor CGI explosions. As the psychotic "spiritual leader", Ron Perlman tries, but the pseudo-religious mumbo-jumbo he has to spout is simply boring. Eleniak, Perlman or Larson (assuming he has any) completists might want to give this one a look, for others it is barely worth a rental. (*1/2)

This is a low-budget B-movie, cheap flick & there's nothing wrong with that as i love tons of B-movie flicks & of Course who doesn't love the legendary RON PERLMAN?

Anyway it's a disaster type Action flick & to be honest The Perl is actually really good in his role as the big religious nut villain of the movie who has a Cult of followers that will do anything he asks, he always gives a good interesting performance in almost everything he does & he makes a decent villain/bag guy here in this fun little Disaster movie made by the legendary B-movie maker company of ROGER CORMAN!!!

Perlman gives a tough guy performance as St. Joy the doomsday cult leader & like i said he's great & the opening with him talking is really cool & menacing.

Another B-movie star in this is Wolf Larson (he's very good here) who often pops up in straight-to-video Martial arts films with often long hair (Expect No Mercy) but here he's had a hair cut lol & is an undercover Virologist who's helping out the F. B. I track down a scientist who knew that is now a suspect in the taking of an extremely deadly Virus & it's Perlman's cult that want it & on top of this we have a gang of bank robbers from the ghetto who turns up at the bank where everyone turns up including Ron Perlman's cult team, the robbers, S.w.a.t, F. B.i & many civilians all show up at the wrong place at the wrong time!!! It's really great what is pulled off here with a tiny budget & it's still an exciting disaster action Thriller with so much gun-blazing action that Albert Pyun & Jon Woo would be proud!!! You really get plenty of bang for your buck as they say!!!! Everyone is shooting each other & everyone is trying to survive this crazy mess their all in & amongst this lot is the beautiful & busty Erika Eleniak (Baywatch, Under Siege, Bordello of Blood) who is really good here & very likeable in her heroic role.

"SHAKEDOWN" is a combination With the "Viral Thriller" mixed into like "Outbreak" & a "Reservoir Dogs" type situation & the disaster movie thrown in to like the 1970's Classic "Earthquake" & abit of "Die Hard" that's the Cool & very creative mixture here.

The action sequences are very good & the acting is fine especially from Wolf & Ron but the cast do a fine job with what's available & i personally think this is one of the greatest B-movies ever made!!!

"Shakedown" is so early 2000's & i love it for that & remember the video cover so well in Blockbuster video, Nostalgia for this crazy fun little action

I always remember seeing the cover in my local Blockbuster video store back in like 2002 & was always intrigued by the look of it & of Course because it has one of my all time fave actor's on the front, Ron Perlman!!!! The write up on the back always sounded so Cool too with it's Earthquake & terrorist mixed story & the promise of pure cheap B-movie fun & to be honest it delivered all that years later when i finally found it for cheap on dvd & has become one of the greatest & most fun pure B-movies of the genre!!!

We get government agents, robbers, terrorists, a Deadly Virus & an Earthquake all set in L. A & on a tiny budget but the director pulls it off pretty well with what he has to work with & all in all it's good fun.

I love many of these types of B-movie flicks & "Shakedown" is one of the very best of it's kind & very entertaining, nice late-night entertainment.

Love Ron Perlman & he did some great work during this time period of the early 2000's with this flick (Shakedown) & his scene stealing role in the Comic Book masterpiece "Blade 2" both 2002.

This is the best film to come out of Roger Corman's studios in years. Director Brian Katkin does an amazing job with no budget. Clearly, he is a director to keep an eye on. Like his first film, the little seen nail biting thriller "If I Die Before I Wake", Shakedown keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. It's a shame the budget does not support his intent. The timely plot, shot before the 9/11 homicide attacks, tells the story of a group of suicidal terrorists who steal a deadly virus, only to become trapped with a lone FBI Agent inside a building by a tremendous earthquake. While this set up may sound far fetched, (and at times, it is!), the director keeps things moving so fast you hardly have time to catch your breath. Think Die Hard meets Resevoir Dogs and throw in a little John Woo and you get the picture. If only director Katkin had Woo's budget and schedule, one can only imagine what he could do. The cast standouts are Ron Perlman (Blade 2, Star Trek Nemesis) who seethes with low key menace, Erica Eleniak (Under Siege) who brings intelligence and wit to what might have ordinarilly been just an "eye candy" role, and Wolf Larsen (LA Heat) who carries the hero role with ease. All in all, Shakedown is a fun, popcorn movie in the best Corman tradition.