CIA Code Name: Alexa

C.I.A. CODE NAME: ALEXA is a solid '90s action B-movie, with great action and pretty much poor everything else. It's a film in which wooden acting is the order of the day, and the storyline is nothing new, but at the same time it has tons of action ranging from bloody shoot-outs to hard-hitting fight scenes in which every hit or kick is accompanied by extra-loud sound effects.

Director Joseph Merhi certainly knows how to shoot a fight scene and the plentiful action is what keeps you watching here. The B-movie cast is also a fun one, although you can't get much more wooden than Lorenzo Lamas's lead. As the villain-turned-heroine, Kathleen Kinmont is much better, and more fun, while the viewer's treated to O.J. Simpson playing the usual dedicated cop type. Cult actor Alex Cord is the bad guy, and watch out for a young Michael Bailey Smith (THE HILLS HAVE EYES remake) playing an absolutely hulking henchman whom Lamas goes up against in one stand-out violent showdown.

Lots of shooting. Awesomely improbable plot combined with unbelievable action. Lamas gets to show off his wife-of-the-moment and she gets a chance to try her best to act. His efforts exceed hers marginally. O.J. Simpson plays a policeman which is an ironic turn and he uses all the acting skills he learned at USC and in Buffalo. The movie is little more than a really poor take on 'La Femme Nikita' and serves as a vehicle for the Lamas/Kinston family to make some unearned buck. This is what happens when you're good looking and your father is a big name in the business. I will not go into detail on how ridiculous the movie is because that would require some "spoilers" for examples. Watch at your own risk.

The first of the two "Alexa" movies that Lorenzo Lamas and Kathleen Kinmont made in the mid-90s is thoroughly routine in all aspects, except one: the exemplary handling of Kinmont's action role. As a former terrorist recruited by the CIA to help them retrieve a micro-chip with nuclear capabilities, Alexa is tough, no-nonsense and efficient but hasn't completely lost her humanity, and Kinmont has the right body, moves and attitude for the role. This film has a few of the best female action scenes I've ever seen in a low-budget American film. Other than that, there is nothing here that you haven't seen before: Lamas' most notable acting effort is to whisper ALL of his lines, O. J. Simpson plays a cop whose partner got killed in the line of duty, and the villain has (wouldn't you know it?) a foreign accent. See it for Kinmont or don't see it at all. (**)

PLOT OUTLINE: A gang of thieves break into a government building & steal a valuable computer chip. The group is killed, but not before the leader swallows the chip. His body is stolen by a group of terrorists working for arms dealer Victor Mahler. One of the terrorists, a woman named Alexa, is captured by the CIA. Mark Graver, a CIA agent, decides to try & turn Alexa against her boss.

This low budget actioner was one of the first films made by PM Entertainment, one of the major players in the DTV action genre during the 1990s. The film became a cult hit on cable television due to the fact that one of its stars, O. J. Simpson, was put on trial for the murder of his wife & her lover. This success turned PM into a successful B-film studio, enabling them to make dozens of similar films during the decade.

The trial has given the film a reputation it does not deserve. In fact, C. I. A. – Codename: Alexa is something of a poster boy for those who decry action films as being nothing but violent garbage. The film's script is poorly written; the action scenes consist of people standing out in the open firing at each other; the dialogue is cheesy & stupid & the plot, despite given a title like "C. I. A.", fails to feature the agency prominently.

That said, the film does prove to be something of a guilty pleasure. The action scenes, despite having the characters standing out in the open while shooting their weapons, do have an undeniable energy (the cinematographer for the film, PM honcho Richard Pepin, would later go on to direct a number of sci-fi / action hybrids).

The stars are a mixed bunch. Kathleen Kinmont & Lorenzo Lamas make a good pairing (they would later marry), Pamela Dixon gives the impression that she hates the film, judging by the contempt she gives it, while O. J. Simpson gives the usual idiotic surliness that he gave his other film roles.

Lorenzo Lamas' wife (at the time of this movie!) Kathleen Kinmont does a better job of co-starring with Lorenzo here than she did in Renegade (TV series) and gets quite a lot of screen time. She plays an East European spy/assassin and actually suits the brown hair. Fans of Lamas will not be put out as there is his usual martial arts action on show. Kathleen also strikes out in this film more than all her fights in Renegade combined. The plot is perhaps a little more complex than other Lorenzo offerings due to the "Thriller" aspect of the spy plot - but it is still basically an action film. A sequel was released 2 years later "CIA II Target: Alexa", but i liked this original one for the action sequences and storyline. A good entry in Lorenzo's B-movie action flicks.