Zéro tolérance

Cool action B movie from the 90's with Robert Patrick

ZERO TOLERANCE was a recent "bargain bin" DVD purchase and in all honesty I threw it into the player this weekend as an antidote after watching "World Trade Center," figuring that after watching such a heavy-duty drama I needed to see something empty-headed as a chaser. In that regard, ZERO TOLERANCE didn't disappoint. It's a by-the-numbers revenge fantasy whose "plot" (scumbag drug dealers kill an FBI agent's family, so he goes rogue and hunts them down one by one) was probably written on a cocktail napkin, but there's so much wall to wall violence, carnage, and gunfire going off during its short running time that you barely have time to notice how silly the whole thing is. Robert Patrick of "Terminator 2" fame plays our FBI hero, who racks up some pretty impressive frequent flyer miles as he criss crosses the country picking off the heads of the "White Hand" drug cartel in Las Vegas, in New Orleans, and all points in between. My wife and I found it extremely funny after a while that there are dozens and dozens of goons firing thousands of rounds of ammunition at our hero throughout this movie and none of them even come close to hitting him, meanwhile Patrick can pop up from his hiding spots with two nine-millimeters clutched in his hands, fire off two shots at a time, and yet he hits his target every time. I didn't bother to try and keep a body count for this movie but I'm sure the grand total must've been astronomical. Nothing here hasn't already been done before in countless other shoot-em-up action movies like the "Death Wish" or "Punisher" films (to name but a few) but it sure is a fun ride while it's playing! If you find "Zero Tolerance" for less than five bucks (like I did) then by all means, take the ride.

For action freaks, this is great stuff, but overdid it, especially at the end. If they hadn't this might have been a good movie overall. For the first hour, this was tremendous with some wild, jaw-dropping action scenes in the typical revenge story angle.

Then it gets out-of-hand with good guy "Jeff Douglas" (Robert Patrick) killing all the bad guys in sight while numerous villains can't him - not one! It really gets ludicrous, and to make it worse, the acting is not the best in this movie. Some really dumb line deliveries and stupid characters.

In the end, worth a rental but not a purchase.

If you're looking for an action movie then look no further, with high-adrenaline action scenes from start to finish, Zero Tolerance is the ultimate action flick. Robert Patrick has the starring role as FBI agent Jeff Douglas and yet again he shines. I am always amazed by the emotion he is able to put through in any character he plays and Jeff is no different, you really feel for him and what he's going through. Watching Robert in this film is actually almost like watching a young John Doggett (his character in The X-Files), some familar mannerisms can be spotted, as well as his trademark intensity. The supporting cast is also good, particularly Kristen Meadows as Megan, and also keep an eye out for Barbara Patrick (Robert's real-life wife) playing his wife Wendy in the film. I must admit that I originally hired this film purely because it starred Robert, who is my favorite actor, but I enjoyed it so much that I had to purchase my own copy. If you're a fan of Robert or just action movies in general, I highly recommend checking this one out.

ZERO TOLERANCE: It is a simple tale about one man's crusade for vengeance.

Jeff Douglas (Robert Patrick) is a young FBI agent who must transport a vicious psychopathic drug dealer, Ray Manta (Titus Welliver) from Mexico back to a federally sanctioned prison somewhere in the United States. Everything seems well until Jeff and his cohorts realize that on the trip back, they are being followed by a gang of motorcycle riding killers. Before long, these FBI agents are caught in a barrage of gunfire...

When the smoke clears, Douglas discovers that his friends have been gunned down. What's even worse...the prisoner has escaped! When Jeff returns to the United States, he finds out that his innocent family has been held ransom at gunpoint by a sinister drug cartel known as the "White Hand." The White Hand is a powerful drug conglomerate that is controlled by five "mainstream" businessmen: Vitch (Mick Fleetwood), Kowalski (Miles O'Keffe), LaFluer (Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter), Lee (Gustav Vintas), and...Ray Manta. This drug cartel is responsible for the distribution of a powerful new merchandise known as "liquid heroin." The White Hand demands that Douglas pose as a "courier" so that he can transfer a suitcase full of money back to Las Vegas. Douglas must comply to the White Hand's demand, or else...they will permanently execute his entire family...

Seeing that the White Hand refuses to keep their part of the bargain, they order their henchmen to assassinate Douglas's wife (Wendy Patrick) and children anyway. Meanwhile, Douglas delivers the requisite suitcase to Vegas, but he finds himself to be a moving target... Barely surviving the White Hand's sabotage, Douglas tries to contact his family, making sure that they are in one piece. When Douglas learns that all of his family members have ended up in body bags, hell have no fury like an ex-FBI agent scorned...

Jeff Douglas has a new mission now: To avenge the loss of his family by waging war against the entire White Hand clan. He plans on terminating the White Hand, one member at a time. As this film will prove, Douglas must take revenge into his own hands. For him, revenge is just another name for justice...

ZERO TOLERANCE is an action-packed, thrill-to-the-minute adventure that will certainly satisfy the most hard-core fans of this genre. This film is definitely head above water when compared to other direct to video drivel. The action is surprisingly unpredictable and the explosive firepower keeps this film moving at a breathtakingly rapid pace. ZERO TOLERANCE is mindless, fast-paced fun.

Granted, the premise for ZERO TOLERANCE is strikingly familiar: A loner decides that he must avenge the deaths of his loved ones. However, what truly places this motion picture above films of comparable characteristics is the main character, well played by Robert Patrick. The viewer is made to understand all of the torment the main character must go through after losing the only ones he cares about. The flashbacks are well made, showing how this "vigilante" was once a loving family man. The viewer could actually sense how much pain this hero is going through. To him, the loss of his family is his own personal hell. Tough character actor Robert Patrick (TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY) does an admirable job portraying this hard-boiled soul bent on vengeance.

Unfortunately, the rest of the performances in this film are a mixed bag. Titus Welliver is convincingly bad-to-the-bone as the prime antagonist. However, two of his cohorts, former rock star Mick Fleetwood and the star of the "Ator" (ha, ha) movies, Miles O'Keefe are rather mundane and stereotypical. Kristen Meadows tries her best as another FBI agent who is sympathetic to Douglas, but sadly for her, she is little more than a ransom victim for the bad guys. Another significant setback for ZERO TOLERANCE is that it virtually features ZERO plot revelations. This movie is very much run-of-the-mill, and though the action will keep you riveted, the plot lacks sophistication and depth. With the exception of Douglas, the rest of the characters are created in a by-the-book style.

If you are the typical action fan looking only for brisk thrills, then you probably do not care much about plot and characters. Well, I will say this, you have picked the right selection. ZERO TOLERANCE is the consummate action thriller. The fantastic excitement will most likely knock your shoes off. This PM Entertainment Group (who has made five dozen or so other "action" pictures) motion picture will not dissatisfy you with its abundance of leaping stuntmen, exploding objects, and awesome editing. Two examples of adroitly directed action scenes are the ambush at the beginning and the shoot-out in Las Vegas. This movie will make John Woo proud. Speaking of John Woo, some action scenes in this movie though seem to be TOO inspired by the works of John Woo. Take for example, the beginning of ZERO TOLERANCE where the main hero shoots it out with a gang of gun-wielding motorcyclists. If you saw the Hong Kong film, HARD-BOILED (directed by John Woo), then you will know what I am talking about. Anyway, with that said, adrenaline addicts will cherish this fast moving thrill-ride.

ZERO TOLERANCE is definitely one of the Pepin-Merhi duo's best films to date. Taken at face value, ZERO TOLERANCE is pure entertainment, PM style. Slick action scenes, decent production values, and proficient cinematography highlight this rather exciting motion picture. ZERO TOLERANCE may not have enough profundity to be considered a first-class B-movie, but it is a fine film nonetheless, with a strong, solid performance by Robert Patrick and some really neat action sequences and stunts. Trigger-happy fans will most likely remain contented. ZERO TOLERANCE is an underrated and overlooked thriller. If you ever get the chance to see this movie, I suggest you do.

RATING: *** out of ****.