User reviews

Director John Gazarian marshalled his stunt personnel for this scantily budgeted crime drama which spins a tale of an alcoholic and cuckolded dentist and his wife who, while on their way to a marital rehabilitative vacation in Reno, cross paths with members of a dope-running motorcycle gang which enables Harry, the dentist (Jake Jacobs) to have his due in the eyes of Vivian, his wife (Michele McNeill) by stealing four million dollars from the sleeping gang at its adjoining campsite. Since the bikers obtained their loot after an energetic shootout with a mob-connected drug cartel (14 dead!) which opens this affair, syndicate personnel then search for the biker remnant which is in turn trailing the retreating Harry and Vivian, and an exciting time is had by all. The script by Frank Norwood, from a story by Gazarian, is more wide-ranging than is commensurate for an action category film of this sort, and deals to a large extent with the transformation of Harry from a rather useless drunk to some sort of daredevil, an unrealistic conversion fortunately leavened with humourous bickering between the beleaguered pair. Gazarian's direction is without style, but he keeps events moving smartly and the efforts from the characters to survive the sundry carnage-filled scenes are aided by the generally effective editing of Geraint Bell, an old hand with this form of scenario, who attempts to give continuity to what is largely an absurd storyline. The acting is generally all of a piece, with most of the cast doubling as crew, but McNeill in her only film plays well and her occasional pouncing upon cues is a symptom of the sometime slapdash direction rather than of her lack of timing.

My review was written in February 1991 after watching the film on PM video cassette.

"Driven to Kill" is an improbable road movie that develops some good action set pieces but runs out of gas in the final reel.

Direct-to-video release, originally titled "Dirty Money", has an unusual (and hard to swallow) premise: Michele K. McNeillis ready to divorce her alcoholic hubby Jake Jacobs, who's been mean to her since he caught her with another man. She decides to take him to a legal brothel in Nevada, fix him up with a prostitute, and then they'll be even.

En route Jacobs stumbles on $4,000,000 in stolen drug money and grab it, causing a gang of bikers to pursue the couple. Rest of the pic is a game of cat and mouse with the mobsters butting in to get back their booty.

Star duo do a good job at creating resilient though smaller-than-life characters during the film's buildup, but the climax of only the two of them surviving gun battles with gangsters and bikers is ridiculous.

Overall he film is ans improvement for director John Gazarian.