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."

This movie is generally okay but, it's not a movie I would call fantastic. The movie generally has a good plot and a bit of adequate directing. But however, the movie has a very poor setting which makes it look like a typical TV movie. On the other hand, the movie lets us see the effects of racism and corruption in our American society incorporated into a lot of thrilling action. It's a movie worth viewing when you are bored but, it's not a movie I would recommend to top action movie lovers.

This movie was ok. It was nothing great, but it was watchable. If you have anything better to do, don't watch this, but if you're absolutely bored, watch it. I thought AMBUSHED was 'entertaining' - at times it was suspenseful and it had some good action scenes, but in parts it was also unintentionally funny - ex. When the KKK is chasing the black policeman, they go through the sewer, and the KKK guy tells his comrade to go first - "Why not you?" "I'm wearing a suit." Maybe the filmmakers were trying to add some humor to this movie. Whatever it was, I thought it was funny and quite out of place if this movie hoped to be serious and not absurd.

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.