The Protector

I liked the design of the lead character for this film and the basic premise of the virologist bad guy. I also like the always adorable Annabel Schofield.

Aside from that the film is lousy. Bad performances from everyone including Ron Perlman, who is usually very convincing in aloof shadowy roles (particularly his TV role as Beauty and the Beast's Vincent), simply underscores the bad dialog, the silly story line, and the listless direction.

Annabel seems to have a gift for rescuing really bad films from the absolute dung heap (cf. Solar Crisis).

Most part of the time, watching the movie, I had a strong feeling that the main hero Ken by name just shows off. I don't want to say anything about the actor who played him but nevertheless, after the next "winner's smile" of the main character I felt a strong sympathy towards Dr. Ramsey Krago. I even wished I was there to help poor Ramsey to get rid of this annoying macho man. In fact, Ramsey, with his evil genius' charm, looked better than Ken and "behaved" better. I think I would agree to become his secretary if I didn't have such a nice job of a librarian already! :)

The movie in general was quite nice but lacked fresh ideas a bit, I think. And the main character was too predictable. The only bright spot in all this is Ron who definitely had to be given more time for different nasty things. :)

A good solid film for only a million dollar budget. The plot is believable and right along the same lines as Mission Impossible 2...and this movie came out 2 years before MI2. Maybe MI2 saw this and copied it on a big scale. Ron Pearlman is as sinister as he always is and Clint Howard plays the same quirky, goofball he is so good at. Annabelle Schofield and Morgan Brittany are sexy and fun to watch.

Ex-military, black belt professional bodyguard/soldier of fortune Ken Conway (Matt McColm) is recruited by his ex-fiancée Marisa (Annabel Schofield), who left him at the altar, to find her missing coworker. The search leads him to world renowned virologist Dr. Ramsey Krago (Ron Perlman), who is secretly creating deadly viruses, releasing them, then "developing" an antidote (which he had created in tandem with the virus) and selling it to the highest paying pharmaceutical company. The Doctor, via poison ring, infects Conway with his latest invention leaving him forty eight hours to get the antidote or die.

TV movie quality. The opening music is incredibly tacky. Not the most brilliant dialogue. The lead (McColm) has a tendency to go over-the-top-cocky. A rainy day watch.

Perlman is the elegant epitome of class and style as the suave, debonair and totally villainous Krago. An enjoyable performance as he is so damn smooth and so damn ruthless; a silken snake.

Worth a rent/buy used.

You know, in modern age of corporate slop, it's almost nostalgic to see a movie that knows exactly what it is. It's not amazing, but some of the cast really helps it move along - especially Ron Perlman as the villain.

In the final act, he even keeps talking to the hero on loudspeakers watching him through the cameras - absolutely ridiculous, but if you embrace the cheese, surprisingly fun.

It's absolute shlock, but it's definitely not boring - it's briskly paced and filled back to back with comedy, tension and action. The comedy isn't the best and it's the weakest part, and action is a typical low rent direct-to-dvd stuff, but overacting makes all the scenes way more fun than they should be.