Shakedown

This is the best film to come out of Roger Corman's studios in years. Director Brian Katkin does an amazing job with no budget. Clearly, he is a director to keep an eye on. Like his first film, the little seen nail biting thriller "If I Die Before I Wake", Shakedown keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. It's a shame the budget does not support his intent. The timely plot, shot before the 9/11 homicide attacks, tells the story of a group of suicidal terrorists who steal a deadly virus, only to become trapped with a lone FBI Agent inside a building by a tremendous earthquake. While this set up may sound far fetched, (and at times, it is!), the director keeps things moving so fast you hardly have time to catch your breath. Think Die Hard meets Resevoir Dogs and throw in a little John Woo and you get the picture. If only director Katkin had Woo's budget and schedule, one can only imagine what he could do. The cast standouts are Ron Perlman (Blade 2, Star Trek Nemesis) who seethes with low key menace, Erica Eleniak (Under Siege) who brings intelligence and wit to what might have ordinarilly been just an "eye candy" role, and Wolf Larsen (LA Heat) who carries the hero role with ease. All in all, Shakedown is a fun, popcorn movie in the best Corman tradition.

An average TV movie quality, totally formula story of religious fanatic (Ron Perlman, who gives good "I'm not just the President of 'Psychos R Us,' I'm also a client.") who gets control of a biochemical virus (think the virus from the movie "The Rock"). Too bad for him that he also gets stuck in a bank building during an earthquake with bank robbers and the government agents trying to stop him (led by the impressively physiqued, mildly entertaining Wolf Larson, backed by Fred Dryer) along with the standard "in the wrong place at the wrong time" spunky female (the forever bland Erika Eleniak) and "lived as a wimp but died as a hero at the last minute" male (Brandon Karrer). Has the standard background story to give sympathy to the religious fanatic (wife and son killed in a police raid a few years previous).

Basically a decent rainy day movie.

Favorite line, spoken by Ron Perlman after he finds the vial of the virus hidden in Erika Eleniak's cleavage: "A woman and her mystery."

Worth a rent.

The only reason I saw "Shakedown" was that it has Erika Eleniak in it. She's sexy as always, but she plays second fiddle to leading man Wolf Larson. It's a pity, because she has more action capabilities than she's allowed to show here. The film largely consists of endless shootouts that quickly become monotonous - especially when most of the time you are seeing the bad guys armed with machine guns constantly missing Larson and him armed only with a revolver (that NEVER runs out of bullets) taking them all out rather easily. The earthquake effects are decent, but there is also a lot of blurry motion and poor CGI explosions. As the psychotic "spiritual leader", Ron Perlman tries, but the pseudo-religious mumbo-jumbo he has to spout is simply boring. Eleniak, Perlman or Larson (assuming he has any) completists might want to give this one a look, for others it is barely worth a rental. (*1/2)

I rented this film for one reason alone. I'm a huge fan of Brian Katkin's horror masterpiece, "If I Die Before I Wake"... (the best damn low budget movie, period). I was worried when I saw that this film was produced by Roger Corman. His films usually suck and I expected this one to as well. Despite the no budget (and at times it is really obvious... weak special fx and set design), this movie kicks butt! The acting is top notch. The leads are charming (Wolf Larson) and scary (Ron Pearlman) and you really empathize with the characters. But its the action that rocks. And much like If I Die, Katkin creates such incredible tension that you're neck and shoulders ache by the end of the film... (the hostage stand-off scene is my favorite, when Pealman is knocking off prisoners one by one and the hero tries to take him out but has only one bullet with no clear shot). After listening to the director's commentary (with the film's composer, who deserves kudos as well), I really understand the problems and frustrations of trying to do good work with so many elements working against you. I wish Hollywood would wake up and give this guy a shot at a real movie, instead of turning to commercial and rock video "directors" who puke out stylish but souless drivel.

This is a low-budget B-movie, cheap flick & there's nothing wrong with that as i love tons of B-movie flicks & of Course who doesn't love the legendary RON PERLMAN?

Anyway it's a disaster type Action flick & to be honest The Perl is actually really good in his role as the big religious nut villain of the movie who has a Cult of followers that will do anything he asks, he always gives a good interesting performance in almost everything he does & he makes a decent villain/bag guy here in this fun little Disaster movie made by the legendary B-movie maker company of ROGER CORMAN!!!

Perlman gives a tough guy performance as St. Joy the doomsday cult leader & like i said he's great & the opening with him talking is really cool & menacing.

Another B-movie star in this is Wolf Larson (he's very good here) who often pops up in straight-to-video Martial arts films with often long hair (Expect No Mercy) but here he's had a hair cut lol & is an undercover Virologist who's helping out the F. B. I track down a scientist who knew that is now a suspect in the taking of an extremely deadly Virus & it's Perlman's cult that want it & on top of this we have a gang of bank robbers from the ghetto who turns up at the bank where everyone turns up including Ron Perlman's cult team, the robbers, S.w.a.t, F. B.i & many civilians all show up at the wrong place at the wrong time!!! It's really great what is pulled off here with a tiny budget & it's still an exciting disaster action Thriller with so much gun-blazing action that Albert Pyun & Jon Woo would be proud!!! You really get plenty of bang for your buck as they say!!!! Everyone is shooting each other & everyone is trying to survive this crazy mess their all in & amongst this lot is the beautiful & busty Erika Eleniak (Baywatch, Under Siege, Bordello of Blood) who is really good here & very likeable in her heroic role.

"SHAKEDOWN" is a combination With the "Viral Thriller" mixed into like "Outbreak" & a "Reservoir Dogs" type situation & the disaster movie thrown in to like the 1970's Classic "Earthquake" & abit of "Die Hard" that's the Cool & very creative mixture here.

The action sequences are very good & the acting is fine especially from Wolf & Ron but the cast do a fine job with what's available & i personally think this is one of the greatest B-movies ever made!!!

"Shakedown" is so early 2000's & i love it for that & remember the video cover so well in Blockbuster video, Nostalgia for this crazy fun little action

I always remember seeing the cover in my local Blockbuster video store back in like 2002 & was always intrigued by the look of it & of Course because it has one of my all time fave actor's on the front, Ron Perlman!!!! The write up on the back always sounded so Cool too with it's Earthquake & terrorist mixed story & the promise of pure cheap B-movie fun & to be honest it delivered all that years later when i finally found it for cheap on dvd & has become one of the greatest & most fun pure B-movies of the genre!!!

We get government agents, robbers, terrorists, a Deadly Virus & an Earthquake all set in L. A & on a tiny budget but the director pulls it off pretty well with what he has to work with & all in all it's good fun.

I love many of these types of B-movie flicks & "Shakedown" is one of the very best of it's kind & very entertaining, nice late-night entertainment.

Love Ron Perlman & he did some great work during this time period of the early 2000's with this flick (Shakedown) & his scene stealing role in the Comic Book masterpiece "Blade 2" both 2002.