Shaker Run

In New Zealand, Cliff Robertson (as Judd Pierson) is an semi-unemployed daredevil race-car driver. Mr. Robertson advertises Budweiser beer on his race-car. His traveling companion is mechanic Leif Garrett (as Casey Lee). Mr. Garrett drinks Budweiser beer when he goes out to pick up women. While Robertson and Garrett are trying to make ends meet, Doctor Lisa Harrow (as Christine Ruben) learns a deadly virus has been discovered by some suspicious characters she works with at a laboratory. Ms. Harrow hires Robertson as her driver then, she steals the virus. Robertson, Garrett, and Harrow take off with the virus, in Robertson's "Helldrivers Auto Circus" car. Bad guys like Shane Briant (as Paul Thoreau) will do almost anything to get the virus back…

Interestingly, the virus stolen by Harrow destroys the body's immune system, like AIDS. It was discovered accidentally, and Harrow seems correct in her assumption about how her government would use the virus; she doesn't trust New Zealand's military. Why she decides to, instead, deliver the virus to the United States CIA has even co-star Robertson baffled! Despite some warming up, there isn't much characterization. The ending gives the film a lift.

*** Shaker Run (1985) Bruce Morrison ~ Cliff Robertson, Leif Garrett, Lisa Harrow, Shane Briant

Shaker Run shows more of the New Zealand countryside than even Lord of the Rings. As an added bonus, there are fast V-8 powered cars speeding through it. While it is a bit thin on plot, what is provided is sufficient and more than made up for by the good cinematography, excellent actors and fulfilling chase scenes. Realizing that V-8 powered cars, let alone American V-8 powered are quite rare in New Zealand these days, it is quite fun to behold Judd (Cliff Robertson), a cantankerous American professional driver, blasting across bridges and down roads in the style of Mad Max in a modified Trans Am whilst outmaneuvering the secret police chasing him in sinister black indigenously-produced V-8 pursuit vehicles with air scoops in their hoods. The treat of the movie, in my opinion, was the part where Mr. Carney commandeers a Chevy-powered race car from a downtown dealership, drives it through a storefront window and pursues the Trans Am up a mountain road.

Shaker Run is a rare snapshot of New Zealand during the 1980's. The movies is as rare as it is entertaining for travel-oriented and eclectic motor heads such as myself.

Shaker Run is strictly a film for those who like car chases with little plot to get in the way.

Cliff Robertson is down on his luck race driver and Leif Garrett is his mechanic stuck in New Zealand some 8000 miles from America. A deadly virus has been developed in a lab and Dr. Lisa Harrow doesn't trust her own government not to give it to the military. So what does she do? She contacts the American Central Intelligence Agency and of course they're real interested.

Lisa steals the virus and hires Robertson and Garrett to transport it to a designated hand off spot. Of course they have all of New Zealand law enforcement chasing them soon enough without at first Robertson and Garrett knowing why.

On the plus side there is both nice scenic photography of the New Zealand country side and of Auckland and Wellington. There are enough car chases and stunt driving to satisfy the most insatiable junkie for this stuff. Cliff Robertson and the rest of the cast basically walk through their parts, I'm sure Robertson did it for the money and for a nice trip to New Zealand.

I have to agree with another viewer, if you didn't see the police with New Zealand uniforms and didn't hear the Kiwi accents, you'd swear you were watching the American cops dealing with a fugitive with all that weaponry. Foreigners occasionally do more than chide Americans for their obsessive love of guns, yet these cops seem to find they come in handy if ineffective in dealing with a professional race car driver.

It was around this time when Cliff Robertson was struggling for work, due to his age and being blacklisted by Hollywood, so that explains what he's doing in a New Zealand movie. Robertson doesn't show much enthusiasm - he seems to be phoning it in and using his charisma to cover his lack of energy. (His co-star, Leif Garrett, actually isn't bad.) Anyway, the main features of the movie are car chases and action sequences. Some of the stunt sequences aren't bad, but the majority of the action is poorly directed, with continuity goofs to boot. On the other hand, the screenplay has some interest, with the N.Z. filmmakers having a cynical view of their government and portraying America in a heroic role. On the whole, the movie is pretty mediocre, but I think some viewers may get more out of it than I did, viewers who want to see the N.Z. countryside and urban environment (we get plenty of both), and who find the idea of a N.Z. action movie intriguing.

Cliff Robertson and Leif Garrett both give great performances in this exciting, well made thriller with a decent budget and the best car chase ever filmed.