Riot

Gary Daniels stars as a soldier who, with Sugar Ray Leonard dive into gang territory to save the ex-girlfriend of Daniels, seems our English hero's girlfriend(Also English)is the daughter of an ambassador and the IRA are looking to hold her for ransom and well you can guess pretty much what happens next. I saw this a couple months ago on HBO (or was it Showtime, in any-case thank goodness I take notes) and this was pretty much what I expected it to be. Of course the movie was a PM effort so this meant that there was tons of mindless action and plot threads which make no sense, of course all of this is made acceptable by the fact that Gary Daniels is a good martial artist and that the the action sequences deliver the expected punch that you would hope for. However much more disappointing is the lack of Sugar Ray Leonard who only gets one big action sequence. Also on the wasted front are Charles Napier and Patrick Kilpatrick. Good old Patrick Kilpatrick, he's made a living playing these type of roles (From Death Warrant to Substitute IV) and he is always convincing. So basically I give it a two star rating because I derived some mild enjoyment from this title, however it's only for fans of this genre. I can't imagine anyone else deriving much from this movie. Of course I'm a fan of the genre and this while not great, was a pretty watchable movie. Perfect with Beer and Pizza. Then again what isn't perfect with that combo?

* * out of 4-(Fair)

While RIOT has absolutely nothing new to offer for the tiresome and tedious action genre, this film does sport a few incredible and breathtaking action sequences that puts this film a few light years ahead of the usual low-budget junk.

On Christmas Eve, 1999, in Florida, full grown teenage racial riots have sparked everywhere... Windows are shattered, lives are devastated, and the national guard cannot do anything that is remotely close to detaining the anarchy.

Amid the violence and the nonstop chaos comes a ruthless, merciless enemy, the IRA. These twisted souls have just kidnapped the daughter (Paige Rowland) of a powerful and popular British ambassador. Working in collusion with some of the street gangs in Florida, the IRA demands a heavy ransom of over 1 million dollars plus from both the United States and British governments, or else, they will return the Ambassador's daughter...mutilated to pieces...

Enter a tough officer and kick-boxing martial artist Shane Alcott (Gary Daniels) along with his buddy, Major Williams (former boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard). They must save the British Ambassador's daughter and soon-to-be Alcott's betroth from beneath all that rubble and consummate destruction in the city. Alcott must kick his way into enemy territory, but to Alcott, he has an old score to settle with the terrorist group, the IRA...

RIOT is an enjoyable film which is big on action and stunts. This movie has its share of car crashes, shoot-outs, explosions, martial arts, and people burned alive. However, RIOT lacks that magic, which is a cohesive plot, that is suppose to keep this film from collapsing under its own weight. RIOT has substantive performances from Daniels, Leonard, and the villains, but this is one of those "been there, done that" type action movies. If you've seen one, you've seen them all...

Evidently, there are no salient features in this movie, RIOT, but it's still worth a look. The escape from an exploding helicopter is a highlight and the nighttime motorcycle chase scene is also well done. Gary Daniels fighting against several roller blade assassins is also fun, exciting and achieved pretty well.

Director Joseph Merhi and producer Richard Pepin, two prolific filmmakers who specialize in making "made-for-video" movies have a gift for designing solid, above average action vehicles. These films, made exclusively for the video market are short on plot, but long on excitement. RIOT is a film that has also done its best to convey a message about the consequences of racial tensions and hatred escalating into shambles. RIOT is a proficiently made, fast-paced movie which is perhaps too cliché at times...

RATING: ** out of ****.

Today we have the PM gem Riot - a film that takes place during the "Christmas Eve Riots". Shane Alcott (Daniels) is a former SAS soldier in America to train U.S. forces. All he wants to do on Christmas eve is do a little training, rescue the neighbor kids Sue and Johnny after Johnny stupidly puts a microwave pizza in the oven while still in the box, and have a beer at the local hangout with his buddy Maj. Williams (Leonard). But OH no, Shane can't get a moment's peace. During the riots ravaging the city, an evil gang of Crips, working in conjunction with the IRA (bet you never thought you'd see that combination) kidnaps Anna Lisa Gray (Rowland), the daughter of Ambassador Gray (Ron Barker), and love interest of Shane. So, Shane ventures into this urban war zone to rescue the girl. With some help from his compatriot Williams, Shane must battle an army of street thugs, Crips and IRA, led by the sinister Bryan O'Flaherty (Kilpatrick). Will Shane prevail? Riot's plot is as standard as they come - action hero must rescue the girl - but it is cloaked in the device of the "Riot". PM, staying attuned to the times, was obviously trying to capitalize on the L.A. Riots, Rodney King riots, and the riots that occur every time the Lakers win or lose any of their games. Throw in some elements from The Warriors (1979), Escape From New York (1981), and Jungleground (1995) with Roddy Piper, add Gary Daniels and Voila - you have a movie perfect for the direct to video market.

Additionally, the solid B-movie cast helps things a lot. Patrick Kilpatrick is dependable in anything we've seen him in, and the puzzling, but successful casting of Sugar Ray Leonard of all people works because he's a great counterpart to Daniels in the fight scenes. Daniels' style is more Asian-influenced, while Leonard brings the boxing flair. Dex Elliott Sanders as the evil Leon "Shy Boy" Hughes is also worth mentioning . And let's not forget Charles Napier cast once again in a nothing role as a commander, this time named Devaney. The cast tries to bring as much emotion as possible to the proceedings. But really, the film is non-stop action. The desolate urban landscape with its burnt-out cars provides a great obstacle course for our hero. Some of the stunt scenes are absolutely amazing and the people that worked on them deserve all the accolades in the world. Special mention goes to the scene towards the end where a bunch of baddies on motorbikes attack Shane. PM outdid themselves on that one.

Another thing PM was trying to do here is explore the so-called "urban" markets (this also includes the Master P-helmed No Tomorrow and Hot Boyz - both 1999). Racial tensions are played up in the film, but what the audience really wants to see is Gary Daniels do what he does best. In this case, it's decimating entire baseball and hockey teams with his awesome moves. Also the audience wants to watch Sugar Ray Leonard pilot a helicopter. And speaking of giving the audience what they want, it is worth noting that the kid from the beginning, Johnny, has a framed picture of a hamburger on his wall. If you can explain this, please write in today.

For a Christmas-themed action-packed thrill ride, look no further than Riot.

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Good action movie. It may start out a little slow the first 10 or 15 minutes, but once Gary enters the riot zone, the movie becomes a non stop action fest! Lots of shooting and fighting to keep action fans happy. The stunts are good as well. The last one in particular is amazing! See the movie. I bet you will be amazed as well. Another winner from PM! Keep up the good work guys!

This movie is not about the riot; the riots are simply something that provides a distraction that allows a kidnapping to occur. I suppose it is not any more stupid than similar action movies, but it sure is stupid if you are expecting a realistic view of the riots.

It is opportunistic in that it uses the riots to make us think it is interesting and worthwhile. The riots were not a good solution and will not be a good solution to problems, but this movie does not show any of the desperation and other social influences that caused the riots. In this movie, the only purpose of the riot is to provide the opportunity to make the black people the enemy.

It is racist because nearly all the black people are the bad guys.

There is a military influence to the story, and that makes the plot more complicated, but that does not help much.