Embuscade

I was pleasantly surprised by this essentially a B-movie. The acting is uniformly good. Courtney B Vance and David Keith are particular favourites but the young actor who took the part of Eric was terrific as well. Its refreshing to see a made for television movie with a good script, good acting and (for once) real driving! The subject matter is topical, and for a South African viewer surprising in it's passion. If this is the kind of B-movie Hollywood made I say Keep it up!!

Clearly a small-budget, big passion undertaking. Terrific cast. The KKK milieu surrounds and informs the movie's big relationship--a black FBI detective framed for the murder of a Klansman who must go on the lam with the murdered Klansman's young son. How the boy begins to question his father's beliefs and how the agent acquires compassion for this white-hating boy in the crucible of their enforced togetherness make for compelling viewing. Gritty, truthful, iconoclastic offering in the tradition of "to Kill A Mockingbird."

"Ambushed" is no ordinary action flick. It's much to bad to be ordinary. One man walks toward another with a machine gun blazing. The other man fires one round and fells the man with the greater fire power without so much as a nick from the hail of lead raining down on him. Guess which one is the good guy. Duh. Such is "Ambushed" through and through. Not a good action flick, not a good drama, not a good movie, "Ambushed" fails on all levels with it's cast of B-movie veterans mechanically going through the motions almost as though they know they're making a real loser. Not recommended for anyone.

Sometimes movies that touches on race-sensitive issues comes out trite and panders to the liberal conscience. This is not one of them. Courtney Vance delivers a thoughtful performance as a cop who is struggling with his own race issues as he works to save a kid brainwashed by the KKK father. Virginia Madsen is sexy as usual and Robert Patrick (The Terminator, X Files) is excellent. William Forsythe is also great as a no bullshit cop. The movie score is cool and reminds me of Ry Cooder. It is well put together and director Ernest Dickerson deserves credit for that. I am a fan of his work. He earned his chops as Spike Lee's DP and if you want to see another Dickerson movie check out "{Never Die Alone". All in all, "Ambushed" is a fine little movie and deserves audience consideration as a rental. Check it out. I recommend it.

Would have been better if the sound wasn't so muted and bassy. that's the point of dailies and post; fix these essential elements. if you can't do that put subtitles on the film. southern accents are a problem especially when they mumble as they do here. the single guitar sound track is annoying a screams low budget; better have no music than poor music.