Dumb action pic, with the CIA as bogeyman
My review was written in June 1984 after a screening at Rialto theater on Manhattan's 42nd St.
Made in 1981 under the title "The Retrievers" but just recently released domestically, "Hot and Deadly" is a substandard action cheapie loaded with martial arts fighting scenes. Director Elliot Hong (credited with one t on-screen, two t's on the one-sheet poster) did a poor job here, but went on to make the pleasant Johnny Yune vehicle "They Call Me Bruce" (aka " A Fistful of Chopsticks").
After an annoyingly fake and cryptic opening reel (the impact of which is only made known much later in the film, pic develops around a nondescript hero Tom (Max Thayer), recruited by a buddy to find fortune by joining the Company (i.e., the Central Intelligence Agency). Tom is quickly disillusioned when on a mission to pick up Danny (Lenard Miller), who's written an unpublished expose of the CIA based on his experiences as an operative, an innocent bystander is ruthlessly murdered by his partner Phillip (Bud Cramer).
Tom protects Danny's sister Janice (Shawn Hoskins) against Phillip, suberts their mission, and goes on the lam with Janice in tow. While attempting to get the manuscript published, duo also finds time to fall in love (with a truly silly insertion of the 1960s standard lyrical interlude montage plus ballad-over, right in the middle of a reel of chases) and to try and spring Danny from his captors.
Hong fails to find a tone for this nonsense, mixing some tongue-in-cheek action gags with the usual ruthless ultraviolence. Acting is flat and color quality is relentlessly ugly.
Made in 1981 under the title "The Retrievers" but just recently released domestically, "Hot and Deadly" is a substandard action cheapie loaded with martial arts fighting scenes. Director Elliot Hong (credited with one t on-screen, two t's on the one-sheet poster) did a poor job here, but went on to make the pleasant Johnny Yune vehicle "They Call Me Bruce" (aka " A Fistful of Chopsticks").
After an annoyingly fake and cryptic opening reel (the impact of which is only made known much later in the film, pic develops around a nondescript hero Tom (Max Thayer), recruited by a buddy to find fortune by joining the Company (i.e., the Central Intelligence Agency). Tom is quickly disillusioned when on a mission to pick up Danny (Lenard Miller), who's written an unpublished expose of the CIA based on his experiences as an operative, an innocent bystander is ruthlessly murdered by his partner Phillip (Bud Cramer).
Tom protects Danny's sister Janice (Shawn Hoskins) against Phillip, suberts their mission, and goes on the lam with Janice in tow. While attempting to get the manuscript published, duo also finds time to fall in love (with a truly silly insertion of the 1960s standard lyrical interlude montage plus ballad-over, right in the middle of a reel of chases) and to try and spring Danny from his captors.
Hong fails to find a tone for this nonsense, mixing some tongue-in-cheek action gags with the usual ruthless ultraviolence. Acting is flat and color quality is relentlessly ugly.
- lor_
- 10 feb 2023