Arizona Rider

And before he lost it. But, this is by far the most realistic biker movie I've ever seen. Charlie plays a real life undercover cop with issues that infiltrates a top gang run very effectively by Michael Madsen, minus the obligitory hair and tatts. Charlie's descent into a self-imposed hell is a real treat for fans. Makes you wonder where all that passion went? 9/10

Long before he went on his "winning" streak, Charlie Sheen was actually a pretty decent actor and while he's always had a wild side to him, he was also a little bit down to earth (at least more to down to earth than he is now). One of the movies that Charlie starred in in his hey day was a little movie from HBO called "Beyond the Law" in 1993. In it, Charlie stars as Daniel Saxon, a small town cop who's struggling with demons from his past as well as his identity of being half Native American when out of the blue, he gets an offer from a federal agent (the underrated Courtney B. Vance) to infiltrate a brutal biker gang known as the Jackals. With the help of a biker misfit named Virgil (the constant scene stealing Leon Rippy) Saxon is able to learn how to act, think, and look like a real mean biker. His performance is so good in fact, that the club's leader, Blood (played by the always menacing Michael Madsen) actually offers Saxon membership in the club.However, the deeper Daniel goes undercover, the more trouble he has in keeping his soul from descending into the dark hell permanently. The story is also able to draw on the character's Native American roots and provide a spiritual allegory of losing one's self to the darkness and finding it again.

What's more, this was apparently based on a true story; however, like a lot of Hollywood true tales, I'm sure the filmmakers decided to add a little embellishment here and there. Still, the real life agent (his real name being Dan Black) did serve as a technical adviser and does appear somewhere in the film as an extra. Another thing that adds to the film is the surprisingly good soundtrack that accompanies the action. I say surprisingly because, for the most part, the soundtrack is done by unknowns but it just goes to show you that you don't need famous musicians to do a good soundtrack; sometimes just any good musicians will do the trick. Also starring the beautiful Linda Fiorentino as a photo journalist who helps lead Daniel away from the darkness and in a small role, the legendary Rip Torn, "Beyond the Law" is a nice way to kill some time by providing you with a good story and some really nice motorcycles. 9 out of 10. P.S. watch out for those outlaw bikers.

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.

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!!

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-