Peter Falk stars as nice-guy bookie and pub owner, Vin, who is slowly being squeezed out by Tony Cicero, an arrogant, ambitious coke-head, who's family connections force Vin to take him on as an assistant, although he is unaware of Tony's plans to "own the neighborhood." Mafia-movie regular, Frank Vincet, plays Tony's scheming uncle who is secretly working behind the scenes to make sure that Vin doesn't get in the way of his nephew's plans to satisfy the boss. Vin soon catches on however, and knows that as Tony keeps pushing his way up, he is destined for trouble and, like a lion in the jungle, will either has to exert his prowess. It's a dangerous game that Vin is willing to play.
I caught this one on TV and it did turn out to be a pretty good drama if you're not already exhausted with the millions of movies about the mob. Although, Freddie Prinz, Jr. was a miscast is barely convincing in the macho role of Tony Cicero, nor could he pull off the accent. His consistent pretty boy appearance and lightweight performance just wasn't enough to make a believable adversary of any of the so-called "good guys" in this movie (namely, Peter Falk as Vin, the owner of the pub). He always looked ready to laugh. Peter Falk, too, came off a bit wooden. (And, the fist fighting and face-slapping scenes were horribly choreographed). But the story may be just enough to interest anyway. Good supporting cast.
