User reviews

My wife watches "Gangland Undercover" on the History Channel and I sometimes catch clips of it. Both the series and 1993's "Beyond the Law" are about individuals going undercover and joining an outlaw biker gang. Both are also based on true stories. After watching the gritty, realistic "Gangland Undercover" I was a bit let down by the tone of "Beyond the Law." While the bikers are wild and do totally wicked things, the movie has too much sheen to stack-up, excuse the pun. The acting & dialogue come across as how a geeky screenwriter imagines bikers to act rather than how they really do.

This isn't helped by the miscasting of Charlie Sheen who, although an excellent actor as witnessed by 1986' "Platoon," lacks the physical presence and grittiness to be believable in the role. His baby-face doesn't help, although they try to hide it with a beard. Still, he's a good actor and, if you're a fan of the outlaw biker film genre that ran from 1966-1973, "Beyond the Law" is a must. The other members of The Jackals are well cast, like Michael Madsen as the leader, Blood, and Leon Rippy as Virgil, the mechanic.

The rockin' soundtrack is great, featuring cuts by the likes of Saigon Kick, Asphalt Ballet and Dying Breed, as well as more mellow stuff.

Linda Fiorentino is sharp as the main babe, but she's blown out of the water by Blood's "old lady," the raven-haired bombshell played by Hollie Chamberlain. A couple of other women have cameos at a saloon.

There's not much else to say. This is a decent biker film and is unsurprisingly better than a lot of the low-budget biker flicks from 1966-1973, but it seems too polished and bubble-gummy. It doesn't hold a candle to giants like 1966's "The Wild Angels" or 1969's "Easy Rider," but it's still worthwhile if you enjoy the genre and the last act is the best part.

The film runs 108 minutes and was shot in the Phoenix, Arizona, area and El Mirage Dry Lake, California.

GRADE: B-

I like Michael Madsen (Kill Bill, Sin City, Reservoir Dogs), and he really is a crazy SOB in this film based on a true story about an ex-cop who goes undercover and almost loses it.

Charlie Sheen ("Two and a Half Men") is more buff than I ever remember seeing him. Maybe it's that good life as a jingle writer that has taken the edge off. He is fighting demons from his childhood as he takes on the toughest job one could imagine. At least he gets the best looking girl in the film - Linda Fiorentino (Dogma, Unforgettable).

The film could have done with a lot more action to be a real motorcycle flick, but it was tense and raw enough for a couple of hours entertainment.

This movie is based on a true story about a single man who sat his life on stake to go undercover in the dangerous biker community. This touching story show a ordinary man go so deep in that he don't know what is right anymore or which side he is on.He also has to make the choice to betrayl a friend or doing what is right.

In the leading role we find Charlie Sheen as Dan Saxon,we also get to see Michael Madsen in a very cool role as the leader of the biker gang.

The fact that this movie is based on a true story just makes you connect more with the main characters.

At the end I have to say that this is a great movie that shows how far an ordinary man is willing to go.

7 out of 10.

7.5 stars!

While I can't say I've seen everything he's done, this certainly stands out to me as the best acting I've seen Charlie Sheen do. I can't help but be curious how accurate the portrayal of the character and story is (it's based on a true story), but given the nature of it, I don't see why they'd have to exaggerate or take license with anything.

It may seem to start slightly expeditious, but it doesn't feel rushed once it gets going and, again, it's a true story and screen time is limited, so it really does a great job of setting everything up and getting the viewer into the bulk to the happenings and through them.

Great atmosphere, well-paced. Raw and engaging. A good script and the directing is more than solid in every aspect (he gets TOPS out of all of the actors, the use of music and sound is outstanding, non-intrusive yet evocative camera work, etc.) It's somewhat minimalistic which allows the great acting backed by all of it to shine through. It almost feels like a play in the desert.

If you've thought to yourself "eh, Charlie Sheen in some crime movie? looks like B-cheese I'll pass" or similar, you should re-consider. It's not easily-digestible crime-actionflick fare either.

This movie is serious, dark, and kind of like a surprise hit in the gut if you aren't ready for it.

I saw this movie some years ago and was very impressed with the acting. I can't say this is my favorite movie-far from it, it's very violent and very dark(did not know this was a true story until I read some of the posts). However, I have always felt Charlie Sheen was very underated as an actor and in this movie he creates a character I still remember and care about, years later. This movie, although not wellknown was very poignant in parts besides being violent and hooked me in. I'd recomend viewing it. Even if you don't like the movie, check it out for Sheen-he shows he can act with the best of them.

No pun intended - Charlie Sheen winning ... even before he knew he was doing it ... the 90s were a crazy (movie) time! You have an undercover cop who ... well I had to check, because it did sound a lot like a movie that Katheryn Bigelow made with Patrick Swayze ... and that was 2 years before this came out. So they rode that wave (ah another pun, right?).

But believe it or not, this is way more out there. With Sheens character doing things that should put him into jail ... but when you have Michael Madsen, you don't really mind ... even when he goes completely crazy ... instead of remaining the psychopath he was before ... I wonder how there never was a spoof of this .. or was there? I might have missed it ... also Linda Fiorentino ... gotta love her ... even if she has not much to do here, rather than look good and be the love interest ... easier times? Well leave your morals outside ... they will not help you "enjoy" this movie ... quite the opposite will be true.

It was fun making this movie with Charlie as his stand-in again (did the same for Hot Shots!). Shooting it in reverse (long hair first, then short hair scenes later), sitting next to him with his pearl handled matching 45's he asks me "What do you think of this Movie, Phil?". He was always very nice and cordial to me. When I went back to the production office one day (me with long hair and him with short hair) he passes me (after shooting for days with both of us in long hair) and says "How's it going, Phil?". I didn't recognize him!

Shooting the scenes for the "Sonora" bike run were intense! We had one of the leading outlaw motorcycle gangs respond to our casting call and they spent the night on location so they could be in the front of the pack. Lots of other extras as bikers ("Weekend Warriors" - aka Lawyers, Engineers etc. all dressed out on their shiny HD's and brand new leather!), also showed up (took their place behind the Gang). I worked Security that day (no need for a stand-in if the Actor isn't on set), and had a few "extra" bikers come riding past me to get off the set saying they were afraid of or had been threatened by the Gang members. Probably mouthed off to some of the Gang!

A fun group to work with including Reno Thunder (Native American) who I miss today! The quintessential "Native". We did the "Jail" scene next to each other over and over and over! As I said, Charlie (and Linda) were very kind and nice to me. Great to work with/for.

Phil Bautista, Austin TX

In Arizona, when the Deputy Daniel "Dan" Saxon (Charlie Sheen) is fired after an argument with the corrupt Sheriff, he is recruited by the agent of the General Attorney Office Conroy Price (Courtney B. Vance) to work undercover in the bike gang Jackals. He befriends the mechanic Virgil (Leon Rippy) that introduces him to the Jackals' leader Blood (Michael Madsen) using the alias Sid. He also has a love affair with the photographer Renee (Linda Fiorentino) that recognizes him. Now Sid has to be prepared to cross the thin line between the law and outlaw to convince Blood that he is a drug and dealer biker.

"Beyond the Law" (1993) is a great action-police story of an undercover cop and based on true events. "Rush" (1991) is a more dramatic and also tells the story of an undercover police officer that joins the underground of drugs to catch criminals, but is depressive. The screenplay of "Beyond the Law" shows only Sid reaching the bottom of the well of insanity when he is beyond the law, but he recovers his sanity when he sees the murder of and Asian-American worker in a convenience store. The sexy Linda Fiorentino makes a nice romantic pair with Charles Sheen. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "À Sombra de Um Disfarce" ("At the Shadow of a Disguise")

Frankly, this movie is horrible, cheap, cringe, and boring. Nothing special to it. No heart no passion. No character. Nothing to offer, in the end.

I don't understand the love and praise for it. The whole movie is a joke.

This movie is a keeper. I've had it in my personal collection for years now, and usually watch it every year or two. Charlie Sheen does a good job in this movie. The whole biker vs cop plot is good. If you have a couple hours to spend without interruption, definitely watch this movie. All of the actors in this movie do a very good job and are all very believable characters. This movie would be good action flick for the boys just to hang out and watch over a few cold ones. The ladies would enjoy this flick too though for its awesome action scenes."Beyond the Law" will keep you on the edge of your seat for quite a while. This movie definitely deserves more recognition. Enjoy!!

'Beyond The Law' aka 'Fixing The Shadow' is a film floating around in a few different cuts, but the thing to take away about this Charlie Sheen pic in either case is it entertains as intended. I think there's an attempt by the filmmakers to be an epic piece on undercover work and the true cost that falls short of its lofty ambitions, but if you're game for a light action flick this is sufficient.

Deputy Sheriff Dan Saxon (Sheen) is tired of seeing the guilty sort go unpunished mixed with bribes left & right. Bounced off the force, he's approached by AAG Price (Courtney B. Vance) who wants him to join his undercover operation and feels he's the perfect man for it. Given the necessary lessons on how to act and look like a legit biker by mechanic Virgil (Leon Rippy), Dan takes on the persona of 'Sid' and soon finds himself infiltrating the biggest local gang the Jackals run by President Blood (Michael Madsen) who deal in weapons and drugs.

There's back story on Dan's dark childhood as means to set up minor plot / emotional developments. However for the most part what you see is what you get. A man trying to do his job - make buys, gather evidence - and not getting his head blown off. Character actor Rippy is solid as is Vance good at portraying a guy in the game for advantages to his career. Dennis Burkley as one of the Jackals stands out and while I didn't think she fit in very well here, Linda Fiorentino a photographer who is interested in biker culture. Naturally she becomes a romantic interest.

'Beyond The Law' is one of those titles I saw on video in the 90's as a lite but pleasant viewer. With each new viewing I'm coming around to the popular opinion that Madsen was miscast, but it doesn't derail the flick. Fans of Sheen or action pics as a means to violence and fisticuffs should give it a chance if they haven't already.

I dump this flick into the same trashbin holding recent movies like Species, Taking Lives, Underworld and any movie that has a car "flying into the air after hitting the rear-end of another car and bursting into flames".

I could almost hear the director yelling "action" at the start of each scene, and the "actors" waking up from their nap to trudge through this incredibly ridiculous script.

The biggest problem is that I like Charlie Sheen, Linda Fiorentino, and Michael Madsen. I think they are all decent enough actors.

But this movie was mis-directed, poorly acted, and situationally not believable.

I didn't believe in a single character, and found myself reaching for the remote, desperately fast-forwarding through ten minute dialog scenes that should have lasted thirty seconds.

In short - not campy enough to be funny. Way too bad to be taken seriously.

The above was the epic line delivered with consummate B-movie fury by our boy Charlie in this homage to classick 60's biker flicks. This winds up being a better movie than its forebears, like "Born Losers", "Hells Angels on Wheels", etc (not saying much).

If you are a C. Sheen fan like yours truly and haven't seen this film, pump yourself up for some prime fare. This one rates up there with Navy Seals and Red Dawn. That the film also stars the action-scenery-chewing Michael Madsen is merely gravy on the beefcake, as it were.

The story and its delivery could only have been rendered from life, as indeed it was (though surely through a ham-glaze of self-service).

I love this movie (but then again, I love "Road House")

Cheap version of Donnie Brasco...but...an ok movie

This movie is a bit like the over the top Brian Bosworth film "Stone Cold". The main difference is that this one is based on a true story and is more serious fare than that film. Charlie Sheen does a surprisingly good job in the lead role, a guy who goes deep undercover to try and infiltrate a biker gang. He does so very well as he makes his motorcycle from scratch which using one already assembled and retrieved from a police lock up has nearly deadly consequences for a man who did not go quite as undercover as Charlie's character. Also in this one is Michael Madsen, who plays the biker leader very well. He has the aura of a biker dude, something Lance Henrickson did not have in "Stone Cold". There is a bit of action in this one, but this film is primarily a drama and it is a good movie too. "Stone Cold" was a fun movie to watch, but just not the same caliber as this movie. No, this one is the superior film on almost level, it is a bit surprising to see Charlie Sheen pull off a biker dude, but he does so very well. So all in all a good undercover cop drama.

Charlie Sheen is a joke. In order to look tough, he peppers his dialogue with f-words. Pity his hair and beard look as if he's just stepped out of the salon.

Michael Madsen is the only credible thug in this sorry cast, but even he isn't given any decent lines.

I would just like to say that Beyond the Law is in my opinion Charlie Sheens best movie. I have watched this numerous times, and coming from that type of Lifestyle, all I can say is take a long hard look, this movie is as real as it gets. I would also like to say that believe me, there are short bikers out there and they can kick butt right along with the rest of them. Its a shame that Sheen didn't get the recognition that he should of for this movie. It shows that he can be a dramatic actor right along with the best of them. He played the role of Dan Saxon better than anyone could, and I take my hat off to him. This is a movie that I own and truly appreciate.

Seeing the words "realistic", "fantastic", etc ad nauseam in conjunction with this movie or Charlie "The Sleepwalker" Sheen's performance makes me wonder why I was the only person who didn't receive free drugs with the movie's rental. Plot has more holes than Swiss cheese & special effects are like most movies nowadays - poor because computer generation cannot recreate the excitement of actual crashes of "REAL" vehicles. Madsen plays Madsen which in itself is not bad and Sheen, well he at least tries in this movie but I'd rather be dragged kicking & screaming to the ballet than sit through this mess again.

Without a doubt one of the best movies ever transposed from a true story. The cast was awesome. The locations were right on, and the storyline and ending was extremely well played out. I can't remember the last time Charlie Sheen was in top form as he was in this film. The "bikers" were true to form and the law enforcement portrayals were even realistic. All I can say is hats off to the real Dan Saxon for even attempting such a feat as was portrayed in the film. He is a true credit to law enforcement and the war on drugs. Also hats off to the entire cast, crew, and extras that made this very awesome movie a success. I just bought the DVD and can't wait to watch it again.

Wow, people are calling this an awesome movie. I guess you can make anything and some people are bound to like it. But Linda Fiorentino was watchable.

Anyway, I have a simple method, most of the time if the film is fun it gets 10 stars, and if it's not it gets 1.

In Beyond the Law we pretty much see Sheen walking through the movie...as the star...while everyone else around him acts. And this includes the action that he also just kind of walks his way through right until the end where he walks into a room and everyone claps because they can finally end the nightmare and move on to other things in their lives.

I'm pretty sure Sheen read the script and thought "Paycheck."

This is one of the most realistic movies about 1% bikers that has been made -- although most 1%ers don't look as good as Michael Maddren. Although Charlie Sheen's prospect time seemed a bit short, and he seemed to rise a bit too quick in the club, the movie got the gist of the whole hangaround/prospect ritual. Rent this movie or buy it, because when it's shown on tv, it's cut to pieces and several crucial pieces of the biker lifestyle aren't shown.