High Voltage

Basically, most of the actors rush their lines, and except for the two Antonios (Lochlyn Munro somewhat OK), the acting basically sucked, which means the directing also sucked.

Weak story, weak writing. Worst of all was the music.

It's also funny that the writer (Mike Mains, the worst actor in the film) wrote himself the part of having the first primary relationship in the film. The interaction between the two of them is about as exciting as that between a turtle and a rock.

The positive reviews here are a joke. It is however, an adequate film for those who want to get high and laugh at how awful this film is.

... a new "worst film ever made" has arrived. This thing should be shown to every aspiring actor, director, writer and producer, to show them how really bad "bad" can be. Why it's not billed as a comedy is the big question. Everyone involved should hang their heads in shame, or better yet, they should all be drummed-out of whatever guild or union they belong to. I have to admit I watched it from beginning to end, sort of like watching a terrible train wreck.

But the real puzzle here is why any of the other reviewers would say they enjoyed it. The fact that these people are living among us, walking around in public, and worse yet, driving on our streets, panics the hell outta me.

I laughed so hard watching this movie I nearly killed myself. It is so unbelievably bad and so completely unaware of how bad it is that you can't help staring in shocked disbelief. The dialogue is horrible, the acting sucks (save for a pretty OK performance by Monroe), and the directing is a textbook of cheesy bad timing. But what really makes the film worth watching is the action sequences. These little cut rate gems rival even the worst overseas, badly dubbed monstrosities. Examples: A guy dies from a gunshot wound to the shoulder; people jump off walls and fly 20 feet in the air; Every time somebody turns quickly or reaches for something, you get the ever popular "whoosh" sound effect. This movie is horrible, but it's a great late night choice if you want to see just how bad bad film making can be.

It's kind of a weak film, but it's rather entertaining and the late night crowd in the mood for a fast and fun actioner should enjoy it. I thought the cast did a fine job, Antonio Sabato Jr., is a cool action hero and I was glad to see the great, rising young star Lochlyn Munroe (Dead Man On Campus, A Night At The Roxbury) in it as one of Sabato's members who may or may not be a bad guy. Shannon Lee (Bruce's daughter) and some famous Hong Kong stars also turn in good performances. Done in the style of John Woo, this has lots of fast paced shoot outs, good surprises and twists, and a cool "Pulp Fiction" like score in the background. The story is cliched at times and it gets a bit melodramatic when it comes to the end, but I still enjoyed this film and it should please ones looking for a good way to kill 90 minutes.

The script is bad: the predictable plot overly familiar to fans of such flicks. Much of the casting was obviously driven more by cost than talent. Very low count of Vietnamese actors within the Vietnamese gang - especially those given any lines of dialog. Possibly more geographic authenticity among the stunt guys.

In the plus column, the fights are mostly well-choreographed for a low budget offering. Sabato looks good in action, whether shooting guns or doing MMA-style acrobatics. The best scene of the lot comes late in the film in a biker bar.

Which brings me to the other asset - the underappreciated Donald Gibb. Whenever a slot exists for a bulky biker or biker-adjacent thug, who also looks crazier than Dennis Burkley, Gibb is the go-to guy. Whether the part calls for serious menace or a touch of comic relief, the big dude fits the bill. With 98 roles under his large belt, he's sort of a Caucasian Danny Trejo. Always good to see him doing his thing.