Target of Opportunity

Action films usually have a lot of Action and very little acting. Target is the first "Action" film I've seen in years where the actors deserve to be in a bigger budgeted more high profile "Action" movie. They deserve to be on the big screen.

"Target" stars Dean Cochran and Todd Jensen. Both actors really deliver the goods, but Todd Jensen undoubtedly steals the show. He plays, Nick Carlton, a flamboyant, risk taking CIA agent. Jensen's performance reminds me of a truly contemporary American version of James Bond with more "Balls." He's gritty, tough and believe it or not very funny! This film given a bigger budget would stand up to and surpass the original "Lethal Weapon" buddy picture and we all know how good that film was.

Cochran is the straight man to Jensen's seemingly uncontrollable behavior and what a great job he does. These two actors deserve MORE! MUCH MORE!! In the Action film genre where the last real action heroes are now in their sixties and even governing California, Todd Jensen and Dean Cochran are definitely ready, more than capable and in Jensen's case more than qualified to take the leap.

I hope and pray that all the Hollywood Gods smile and bless these two talented men.

Give them what they need! Give them what we all need!

Give them "A Break!"

This was a good popcorn flick given the amount of money spent on the budget. Things explode, people get chased, and by the end all is resolved with a smile. The only thing I say this movie needs more of Dean Cochran fighting. In the film's finale we only get a small glimpse at work he can do with his martial arts background. We need MORE of it. Let him bash a few skulls. Break a few arms. Swing a few jump roundhouse kicks. The more a-- kicking moments, the better.

I'd also like to say two two leads work well together and should do more films. Maybe even have one of the be the bad guy so they have to take on each other in the end. That would be S-W-E-E-T.

I'm sorry to say this, but the acting in this film is horrible. The dialogue sounds as if they are reading their lines for the first time ever. Perhaps I got the "dress rehearsal" version by mistake. The director over-uses slow motion during special effects perhaps as an attempt to compensate for the poor performance of the actors themselves. The story is pretty well written, and the fight sequences are actually better than I have seen in many action films. The fights seem pretty real. But all of this happens while to two leading actors time and time again miraculously survive incredible amounts of point-blank automatic weapon fire, grenades, morter rounds, and bazookas. The enemy soldiers are definitely some of the worst shots I have ever seen, especially when they have the escaping truck in their sights from about 30 yards, and every bazooka shot is wide by at least 50 feet. Those bazookas need serious site calibration.

Target of Opportunity finally announces the arrival of Dean Cochran as a full fledged leading man. The movie itself is pretty good, it's got a decent story, good action, it's fairly well directed, and has a high production value for a Nu Image film; but, the key here is Cochran. I've followed him through his lead roles in Air Marshal and Shark Zone and seen him in supporting roles in films like Phone Booth but Target really marks his arrival. I read that he was cast opposite Chuck Norris in an upcoming movie and think he has a new series coming out. It's good to see a film company take the time to build stars.

Target follows Jim Jacobs as he defies the CIA to go to the country of Ghorna to rescue his former parter Nick (played very well by actor Todd Jensen). It starts out a lot like SPY GAME in that sense but quickly becomes like The Borne Identity as Jim finds Nick has completely lost his memory other than knowing that he has left himself clues about a mission.

It's all pretty well done - now understand, it's well done considering it's a lower budgeted action film but it does more with a small budget than a lot of 40 million dollar films have done with all that money lately. I can only imagine what these guys could do given time and money.

I recommend this very highly for action fans.

In my own opinion viewing the trailer aesthetically it seems more an mid or late 1990's film.