Luck of the Draw

Luck Of The Draw is one of a zillion straight to DVD, second tier crime thrillers that aren't about all that much besides a gaggle of cops, criminals and whackos all chasing some elusive valuable property, in this case some counterfeit money printing plates. What makes this one stand out is its unbelievable cast if heavy hitting tough guy actors, all subtly sending up their own image with some wily antics and breezy, cheerfully violent fun. Twin Peak's James Marshall plays "", an ex con kid looking to go straight. But of course the movie has other plans for him and soon he's caught up in a heated collision course involving several unsavory characters. Volatile mafioso Gionti Ponti (Dennis Hopper on the ham train to scenery chewing city) lost the plates in a messy robbery/heist. Eric Roberts is a hoot as his enforcer Carlo, his dumbfounded reaction to being shot for the first time is priceless. Dogged federal agent Max Fenton (an amped up, excellent William Forsythe) has a shady agenda of his own. Ice T shows up with his usual laughable sneer as a grouchy boxer. ""'s only friend in this mess is a perpetually hungover Michael Madsen as Zippo, the archetypal S&M porn producer with a heart of gold. Patrick Kilpatrick wanders around in a turn of pure comedic gold as a calm, cool Irish contract killer who, after seeing the film like five times, I'm still not sure who works for. It all snowballs together into a mish- mash, Reservoir Dogs style confrontation, but but the journey getting there is half the fun with this one. You could get this cast together for a game of lawn bowling or a live read of an ikea instruction manual and it would still be a great time. Fun bit of trivia: Mickey Rourke was originally cast in Madsen's role, but walked off the set in a huff because (get this), the producers wouldn't let him hold his chihuahua during the filming of his scenes. Classic Mick. Anyway, this one's worth a gander, if you can wrangle up a copy from some obscure corner of the universe.

I took a gamble by renting this one DVD - it certainly had potential, with the good storyline and great actors (Madsen, Hopper).

After 15 minutes however, things really went downhill and it became obvious that this is a total Tarantino ripp-off. The story is very similar to True Romance and the music reminded me of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction - except that these weren't the original tracks from the 70s :)

It's really a b-grade ganster movie with none of the subtle filming or dialogue we get in Tarantino's movies.

4/10

Good entertainment! The script must have been written in one week or so. They probably only had money to hire Madsen and Hopper for a couple of days. The romance line is pretty weak. We don't get to know who the brute is. Hopper is changing his accent midway in the movie. The shoot-out is just plain boring. Plus that Sweeney fellow had the facial expressions of a well groomed hipster but... I liked it! Hopper and foremost Roberts are not taking their acting real seriously, and it shows, but they seem to be having a good time. My opinion: enjoy this film but don't take it to seriously. In other words: don't see this movie without alcohol.

I think this movie was really great. The cast was awesome and made the movie an enjoyable feast for action lovers.

Eric Roberts was great as a wise talking, gangster wannabe type Carlo, whose opinion of himself was much higher than everyone else's opinion of him.

William Forsythe's part of the doggedly determined agent Max Fenton, hell bent on bringing Giani Ponti (played expertly by Dennis Hopper)in was the stuff that legends are made of. He is an extremely talented actor who shines in every part he undertakes. His veteran status in Hollywood has earned him the respect he deserves for his part in this movie and every other he stars in.

Dennis Hopper's portrayal as the savvy, hip and utterly criminal Giani Ponti is only more proof that while other actors his age are looking for work, he is not. This perfomance was only more ammunition in the belief that he is STILL a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

Michael Madsen shined as only he can in the part of Zippo, an S & M freak who loves the ladies. His part was believeable and he added his own flair and unique style to a well executed role.

Wendy Benson as the hard working but not as naive as she seems, Rebecca Johnson was classic. She made the role of the daughter of a two timing, thieving accountant (played to unbelievable realism by the wonderful veteran actor Frank Gorshin)come to life. If this role is any indication of her talents, I look forward to seeing many more movies with her in the future.

When one thinks of "bad", you can't help but think of Ice-T. He played Macneilly a small time hood with big aspirations and the muscle to back up those aspirations. Ice-T is multi talented and this role was just further proof that whether good guy, bad guy or somewhere in between, he is a major player in Hollywood.

I was surprised and delighted by a small but pivotal role in this movie. The hit man played by the talented and veteran actor Patrick Kilpatrick. He could be the role model for hit men everywhere. Charming, handsome and utterly cool he would be any "target's" worst nightmare.

One downside to this movie and something I found very disappointing was the role played by Sasha Mitchell as the bumbling, dumber than dirt, driver, Buddy. He is referred to as "bone head" in the movie by Carlo because of his dimwittedness. I was disheartened to see such a talented and multi faceted actor as Sasha Mitchell thrust into such a demeaning and humiliating role. I would have thought that after the astoundingly high class way he handled the problems with the false spousal abuse allegations lobbed at him by his ex-wife, that Hollywood would drop their "stupid surfer dude" image of him. I think after what he has been through in the past few years (all but having his career ruined) he would be a shining star in Hollywood's crown. What a pity that they can't see true talent.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants fast action and hot stars. I own this movie and am proud to have it amongst my collection of favorites.

As has been mentioned, the great cast carries this stolen currency plates crime drama well beyond expectations. Special mention must be made of Eric Roberts, as his performance alone is worth the watch. Michael Madsen is somewhat subdued, Dennis Hopper plays Dennis Hopper, and the rest of the cast is totally acceptable. Thankfully the story plays out in a mostly logical manner, and without any annoying Tarantino-like flashbacks. The film is what it is, and what it is, is pure entertainment with little or no distractions for style points. Pay attention to the sharp dialog, overlook any flaws in logic, and you will enjoy it. - MERK