Deadly Impact

Director Robert Kurtzman's first foray into the action/thriller genre certainly won't be his last. While I have always enjoyed Kurtzman's horror flicks and magnificent special and make-up effects, I was anxiously awaiting his directorial debut into another type of film. I was not disappointed, as "Deadly Impact" is a solid thriller. Joe Pantoliano plays an assassin who is wreaking havoc on his victims, and Sean Patrick Flannery plays a cop on the team assigned to stop him. As Flannery's character gets closer to finding the assassin, he becomes the object of the assassin's wrath and the cat-and-mouse game begins. The two characters try to outwit and out-think each other up, right up until the very end. Be sure to grab this on DVD for an entertaining movie night.

After a horrible incident, police officer Tom Armstrong retires and moves to Mexico. But he is forced to return when the madman who targeted him once has returned, and only Armstrong knows the killer's mind well enough to play his games. But, of course, this only makes him a target.

Director Robert Kurtzman ("Wishmaster"), more generally known as the FX maestro behind scores of films (often in the horror genre), brings his vision to the script of Alex Vesha, who knows something about tense situations, psychotic (but brilliant) killers and bomb scares. There are more than a handful of moments here where lives are on the line -- sometimes hundreds. Eat your heart out, Jack Bauer.

While the lead role of Armstrong (Sean Patrick Flanery) has to be admired, there's no denying that Joe Pantoliano steals the show as The Lion. Menacing, devious, a master of disguise... he's a perfect casting choice for a villain. Despite decades in acting (including "The Goonies", "The Matrix" and "The Sopranos"), he still hasn't really achieved the notoriety he deserves. This probably will not be the film that breaks him into the top tier, but that day is coming. Watch out, Kevin Spacey.

I have to say I'm not really keen on the romantic aspects, and there is some slowness in general where the piano music kicks in. I understand the importance of the romance and relationships in this one, but there is a break in the pace that I think ultimately works against the fast action of the movie. I cannot really offer a solution of how to reconcile the need for romance and the pace, though, so I think the best was done with what they had. I would have replaced the romantic interest with a platonic partner or boss, but that's just me.

While I think the film is mildly flawed, due primarily to the pacing issue, it is worth seeing for anyone who enjoys the police or thriller genres. As stated, The Lion is a worthy villain in a long line of criminal masterminds, and Vesha, Kurtzman and Pantoliano really bring that to the forefront.

Deadly Impact is a really good suspense Thriller with some good action scenes & two good leads!!!

I had never seen a "Sean Patrick Flanery" film until i finally watched "Deadly Impact" & he made a good lead & seems like a good solid actor & done very good here as a troubled cop who has done something horrific to the one he loved because he had to!!!

The real star of this exciting Thriller is the Awesome "Joe Pantoliano" who plays a real sadistic evil terrorist they call "The Lion", this guy is so smart & so remorseless, he's a great villain & it's a great performance by "Joe" who is planting bombs all over a city & uses some very funny disguises!!! You get to feel the hate between the Cop & the Terrorist as it's all very personal & gets very intense. A real Cat & Mouse Thriller full of intensity & action & Directed by a legend within the Horror genre "Robert Kurtzman" who is an fx wizard & has done amazing work on "From Dusk Till Dawn '96" which he also helped write the script & has helped create tons of horror movies & has directed a few but his best was the excellent "Wishmaster" back in 1997, this "Deadly Impact" was his first time directing a "Action Thriller" instead of a Horror & he done a great job.

Yes this is a very low-budget B-movie that is made in the old school mould of action Thriller films like "Lethal weapon" & others & that's a good thing!!! I really enjoyed Deadly Impact

Deadly Impact is no better or no worst than Speed minus the bus ride for a low budget film the two stories seem very similar they both dealt with a bomber on the loose but this is where Deadly Impact falters the action is far few between and Joe Pantoliano does a better job at being a crazed bomber than Dennis Hopper's character in speed and the surprise ending which I thought was original which I won't give away you will have to watch it and I will give it a five star rating for effort.

First of all, I love a decent action flick as much as the other guy, given it has a good story, good acting, some nice twists, good action sequences, (keep in mind, I said GOOD and NICE, not PHENOMENAL or BRILLIANT)and let's not forget about the mandatory blond/brunette/redhead bombshell. Deadly Impact has none of the above. Apart from it's cheesy title, the only two good things in this movie are Sean Patrick Flanery and Joe Pantoliano - that's why I gave it 2 stars instead of 0 - , and even they are far from their usual acting. It took me half the movie to realize that Carmen Serano really IS the female lead in this movie, and I can't understand why on earth would the producers/casting/director/studio choose an ugly-tranny-lookalike when there are so much more rising - and HOT - female stars out there. And some who CAN act, too. Not even Sean Patrick Flanery's shaggy, beat-up-look - which is always welcome - can't save this one from sinking. Final report: don't bother, unless you have absolutely nothing to do for about one and a half hours. Watch The Boondock Saints instead! (both)