I saw this movie for the first time today on broadcast TV. I watched, or rather, suffered through, the entire thing. And the whole time I kept thinking to myself - this would have been a really great movie if the lead actor could actually act. I didn't know his name, figured he'd never act again and that this must have been some kind of low budget B movie that blew their budget on sets rather than real actors... that and the fact that dude with the big mustache from the Quaker Oats commercial played the dad.
Each line he spoke was flat, fake, stiff and sounded like it was being read off a cue card by freshman who just signed up for the high school play. Or, a beginner, that didn't know how to get into character and didn't know how to feel the line. To be honest, he almost sounded drunk. It was especially noticeable, almost painful, in the first part of the film. But thankfully, the film has less lines for him in the last half, after it turns into a series of Rocky style fight scenes.
So that's why I was amazed when I came here and saw how many reviewers said the biggest flaw, the "actor" who played the lead role, is what made the film great. I was also amazed that he continued acting after this film and somehow became famous. Maybe it was the fight scenes where he didn't have any lines? Abs over acting skill? I don't know, but I know bad acting when see it. I originally came here to point out to aspiring actors, that if they need a prime example of how to NOT deliver a line, watch this film.
