Shakedown

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)

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.

Hello movie goers, How do you know when you have seen a bad movie? Well, I will tell you what, this movie is one of those that answers that question. One way is that who ever made this movie used scenes from two other movies: "Earthquake" (1974) and the "Great California Earthquake" (1991). Number two: when most of your special effects are computer generated, that tells you something right there. I see it like this if you don't have enough money to use for special effects, don't even make the movie! If you have computer generated graphics, make sure that they look so real, they look good! Other than that keep watching for movies that do this:_)

Shakedown is B-movieland personified. Lots of shoot-em-up silliness, shouting, yelling, the occasional burst of humour, and a nonsensical script. Oh, and a number of filler shots in the way of stock footage and grotty CGI work. But never mind.

The cast try very hard to make up for it, with a personable leading man in Wolf Larsen, who turns out to have a nice line in wry humour. It's a real shame he doesn't make better films than this. Erika Eleniak looks pretty, makes an attempt at acting and portrays the tough-nut heroine quite well. But the real star of this one is Ron Perlman as the deadly intense religious nut St Joy, all blonde hair and black leather, in a role that could so easily have been ruined by over-acting. But not in the hands of the tremendously talented Perlman. St Joy is genuinely creepy, and - oddly enough - at times, even sympathetic. Then he turns the whole 'sympathy' thing on its head with his unerring brutality.

If you like mindless violence, a convoluted, badly thought-out plot and loads of mayhem, then you'll like this one. Great for an evening in with a pizza, but not much else.

The only reason to see this movie is Ron Perlman, one of the really great actors working today, who for whatever reason just doesn't get the quality script or the big production budget he deserves. But he never lets a viewer down. Like Gary Oldman, he gives every role his considerable best. Even in HELL BOY he showed those subtle touches he can do, even when slathered all over with red makeup and with his face hidden behind a mask. He is way overdue for a good movie. Not HELL BOY II, though, for God's sake! Still, maybe HELL BOY will finally do that thing for him that he deserves. Is there a producer in the business who actually casts an actor for his talent rather than just for the money his last movie made? I'm a hopeful fan, despite some of the dreck I've watched just because Perlman is in the cast. I try never to miss Ron Perlman, or Gary Oldman, in anything they do. It would be really great if someone would cast them in the same movie. They can both do any dialect or accent and I think they'd play off one another wonderfully.