Instant Death

Ferrigno, (Special Forces fighter John Bradley) left the army six months ago, and is suffering PTSD. After travelling to the UK he's drawn into the world of Razor (Jerry Anderson), a drug dealer with a very sadistic nature. This is the usual trope that we see in these movies: Razor's henchmen rape Bradley's daughter on her dining room table, and commit other awful acts, which are meant to convince us viewers that what follows is perfectly justified.

There is no tongue-in-cheek humour in all this and I kept wondering how all this mayhem could be going on with no apparent police reaction.

I like watching action and war movies but frankly, this film was a bit too hardcore for me. If you like gore and sadism it'll be your kind of movie.

This is a well made revenge action film, Its director Ara Paiaya, made a great job in the martial arts choreography that fitted well with Lou Ferrigno's talents. Ferrigno's acting was very good for an action centered film. They should do a sequel or at least a few more action films. This is not a high budget film but the story treatment and editing is more than adequate for its limitations money wise.

This should just be good start of a series of more Ferrigno action films.

Not the best movie, but enjoyable. The action sequences are quick and brutal. The plot is not fleshed out enough. But watching Lou fight and act made the movie worth watching. I could feel his pain.

All the money went to Lou and Razor but that's not to say it's to the detriment of your overall enjoyment. While the rest of the actors range from poor moderate or simply OK, and just a few are occasionally good… Lou and Razor do a fine job, Razor's heartless bastard performance actually convinces. The movie itself moves at a reasonable pace, first 5 minutes aside. It reminds you of the 51st state with slightly lower production values.

Personal take…

This is the sort of film of which reviewers who should not leave a review because they do not embrace the genre will say things about like, "just wasted a half hour of my life".

In my case, I feel fans of Indie Brit flicks with that American twist will enjoy it, or anyone who just wants to see Jerry Anderson doing his best Ray Winstone impersonation. If you want a deeper plot or high production values with a perfect script then this may not be for you. For the former group there are some sadistic scenes and some reasonable action to be had (given Lou's getting on a bit).

High art this is not, but a guilty pleasure for some… maybe!

Overall, I enjoyed it.

Instant Death is a fine homage to the the brutal revenge flicks of yesteryear such as Death Wish. Director Ara Paiaya tries something a little different and the payoff. Lou Ferrigno is still a hulking hero and while he is more of an anti-hero here, he can definitely give The Punisher a run for his money in the revenge department. Be warned, the move is a violent one but if you are a fan of brutal action flicks (as I am) then Instant Death is right up your alley. I suggest you watch this film with Paiaya's high-octane Skin Traffik with Gary Daniels and an cast of Hollywood legends and treat yourself to a double feature night with two very different action films from a man who knows how to deliver hard hitting action!