User reviews

Ultra-cheapo Irish martial arts movie, shot on VHS with amateurism running through it from head to toe. If the slightly threadbare Irish aspect of 'Father Ted' ever raised a smile then you should definitely give this a look.

There's nothing in this film that you could consider in any way professional or competent. The acting stinks, it's badly dubbed, the action scenes are arthritic, the dialogue feeble, the direction barely qualifies as such and the whole thing makes very little sense at all.

However.

I don't think I've ever seen anything quite as entertaining in my life, and not even in a "so bad it's good" sort of way. It's impossible to explain - but it works, it just works. A quite amazing movie.

There's rumoured to be a 10th anniversary festival this year in the village of Trim where it was made. If it pans out, I'm there - if only to meet the incredible James Bennett!

I don't know how the Irish martial arts cinematic scene is doing, these days, but I would not be surprised if the last 17 years have not been enough time to recover from this debacle. To be certain, FATAL DEVIATION – apparently the first Irish martial arts film – is a no-budget feature that deserves some slack given its obvious limitations, but I just couldn't find any fun in it to justify a higher rating. This is a simple movie made with the most basic means, but unless you like "bad" films for the sake of badness, I can't recommend it to you.

The story: A young martial artist (James Bennett) returns to his hometown to avenge the death of his father at the hands of a murderous drug lord (Michael Regan).

The only substantial thing the film has to its credit is its lead star. James looks great and has some cool moves, and I was genuinely surprised to realize that he's had nothing resembling a solo career since this picture...but then I remembered that the world already has a Jean-Claude Van Damme. Admittedly, no Caucasian karate star can avoid being compared to Van Damme, but both Bennett and the filmmakers go out of their way to make this as much of a JCVD homage/knockoff as possible. Bennett's character (1) must avenge a family member, (2) enters a tournament, (3) is trained by a master, (4) performs the splits, (5) performs helicopter kicks, and (6) must topple an unbeatable opponent.* Aside from such general resemblances, there are several blatant lifts from HARD TARGET, and man! – does it ever look silly to see these guys trying to ape John Woo's style without a penny to their name.

However, the vast majority of the film is unambitious to a fault. On one hand, I commend the filmmakers for knowing their limitations and keeping the plot as basic as possible, but on the other, it's disappointing that they did not exploit the creative freedom intrinsic to indie filmmaking a little more. But perhaps I am asking for too much, because these guys really don't have much to work with: there isn't a skilled actor among the cast and the technical limitations of the filming equipment are apparent in every poorly-lit and color-blinking shot. The fight scenes are the only aspect captured with anything resembling flair, but despite their quantity, few fights are filmed well enough to stand out and few fighters other than Bennett have enough screen time to make an impression.

Despite its short runtime, FATAL DEVIATION has a meandering pace that makes it a chore to watch, and the odd pop-polka soundtrack certainly did not help me pass the time faster. Simply stated, this movie is no triumph. While I would be delighted to see James Bennett headline another feature, I desperately hope for any kind of a budget for the poor guy.

*Credit to the original "Van Damme Checklist" belongs to Jason of Amazon.com.

This is a home movie masquerading as an action movie. I couldn't watch it, but some of you may like it. the quality isn't low budget, it's no budget. I scanned through it and there are scenes where the sound is almost totally gone, and many scenes with really really boring stuff going on in what appears to be vacant cheap apartments. It might have a good story, but I guess I'm too spoiled by professionally made movies. How much more can I say about a movie I couldn't watch? If your a friend of these people you'll probably be slamming the "NOT HELPFUL" button now. I understand that everyone wants to be a movie star, but how the people making this could have deluded themselves that anybody besides friends and neighbors might want to watch this is beyond me.

...and it was all filmed directly onto VHS tape to boot and it looks like it. One can't cringe hard enough.

CRACK-A-BOOM! Now THIS, right here, is how everyone should start off a film career! Because the instant you press that play button your screen is absolutely set ablaze and crackling with the raw, untamed energy of James Bennett (Irish kick-boxing legend, iconic action star and all around badass) and it's then that you'll realize that an unparalleled level of action movie ecstasy has been achieved.

But of course, with all sarcasm aside, none of that's really true when watching this remarkably lame, sub-amateurish movie...

Right from the start star/director extraodinaire James Bennett reveals his great talent and singular vision of cinema in his film debut: FATAL DEVIATION! At the time of filming he was only 22 years old, appeared to have no experience what-so-ever in film-making and is obviously a Jean Claude Van Damme wannabe in the worst possible way. This movie resoundingly proves that not always is mimicry the highest form of flattery, as Bennett clearly idolizes Van Damme, to the point of having his picture on the wall wasn't a big enough clue. But even more revealing is the fact that on several occasions Bennett try's his best to stage and replicate specific scenes from Van Damme's movies (mostly from Kick Boxer and Hard Target) with absolutely terrible looking results.

I won't speak of the plot, other than to say it's indeed a very impressive one. I can say that the acting in this movie is some worst and most wooden ever seen and people say Van Damme's a bad actor, but just what till you see this! The films dialog is kept to a minimum at all times (which often makes for some very abrupt scene transitions) and that's a plus, because you might have guessed it, the writing for this is woeful. The sound of the film is VERY lo-fi and often seems muffled (the gun-shots near the end for instance), at times some of the dialog is hard to make out and also it must be said that whoever picked the musical selections did as bad a job as humanly possible. Just listen to musical abominations that comprise Fatal Deviations soundtrack.

Back to the plagiarizing angle for a moment it's almost as blatant here as it is with Reb Brown's Strike Commando (1987), which proceeds to rip-off every other scene from Rambo II, as they copy, stage and limply recreate scene after scene from much better action films made years earlier. Again I saw more than a fleeting glimpse of both Kick Boxer and Hard Target (and likely some other titles) while watching Fatal Deviation. Coincidence? Most definitely not. This film stands as a great example for why it's so important that a qualified and experienced film director (or in James Bennett's case an "actual" film director) be hired to deftly and cohesively direct a picture, because if not movies such as Fatal Deviation show up and litter the cinematic horizon.

Just for a joke: Compare the levels of technical excellence of Fury Road, Aliens, T2, Rambo III or even Snake Eater III to this movie. Yeah, that's quite a difference.

Lastly, come on guys, stop with the flagrantly wrong 10 star "Perfect" ratings. The sarcasms great, but rating it that high is stupid and nonsensical.

I cannot understand how everybody here is praising this movie. In fact I wouldn't even call it a movie at all. Looks like one fine day, some people got their hands on a camera in their basement and decided to shoot some scenes in their backyard to come up with a movie like this. Do not trust the reviewers here. Check the Wiki page for quick reference and it'll direct you to an article on cracked explaining why this is the worst film ever. I do not normally write reviews but I made an exception because almost every reviewer here is deluding the people into believing that it is one of the best movies ever. Trust me and do not waste your resources on this film. I wish I could have given it a zero but IMDb wouldn't allow it.

I think I read somewhere that this is the first Irish martial arts movie ever - I'm guessing it probably has the distinction of being the last as well. It stars James Bennett, who is Ireland's answer to Tonny Tulleners. His acting level makes Van Damme appear like Richard Burton but I am guessing he was hired more for his martial art moves. It does have to be said though that the fight sequences are absolutely ludicrous and the hero has a mysterious mentor who seems to be a magical monk from a forest. The film itself has been shot on video and, consequently, it truly looks appalling. Story-wise, like this genre in general, its generic in the extreme - its sort of like Kickboxer or something. Ultimately, it is kind of interesting seeing what an Irish martial arts action movie is like - it's sort of like a low end chopsocky flick...but worse. But fair play to them, they made a movie.

Before I seen this film my life wasn't worth living, I had lost my job, my girlfriend left me for my granddad and Im ashamed to admit, I was thinking about committing suicide.

A friend recommended I watch this, and I was sceptical at first, but it was the best thing I've ever done. This film taught me some life lessons that I have encompassed into my lifestyle. I now run my own company with a multimillion pound turnover, my girlfriend is a 19 year old model and I owe it all to this film.

Thank you Fatal Deviation, than you so much.

And thank you James Bennet, you are a modern day sage in the mould of Socrates with your wisdom.

Too call this film an Oscar winning performance is an understatement. Bennett has the qualities of a master, more agile than Bruce Lee but with the funny bone of Jackie Chan. From moon kicks to standing on logs he can do it all. From a young age he was trained in one of the finest schools in Europe, the school of Bennett in Trim. His dad was a master of the sport and has always been proud of his son, he is now and he was then. His first and only film "Fatal Deviation" reached box office success with packed out shows in his home town of Trim. Hes his own stunt man and cos of his recklessness his friends dubbed him "Johnny Square Ass". Hes so crazy he even did his own car stunt in which he nearly died, yes hes that mental! So crazy in fact that after the stunt he gets out and laughs, what a guy!!

My friends and I have watched this over 50 times minimum and still watch it bi monthly. It is without a doubt my favourite film of all time and a piece of Irish film history, way better than your Michael Collins or any other wannabe Irish movie. If your looking for authenticity well then look no further.

This film makes me proud of my country..

It makes me sad that the guy down below that gave this piece of brave film making a 1/10, obviously s/he just doesn't get the films plot and insane action. Its probably not Hollywood enough for him but if you can appreciate a film for its roaming shots of rural life, tricky martial art stunts, harrowing love interests and som eof the finest acting this side of the world, well then take a seat, open your eyes and set your mind to stun.

(p.s: the priest can still be seen roaming the church grounds but only "after training").

A strong effort by Martial Arts enthusiast James Barnett and his pub friends despite having no budget and no knowledge of how to light or edit a movie, nor about how to capture sound.

A solid 7.

To call this just a film would be tantamount to calling Da Vinci just a mere artist or Scorcese an amateur.

I believe this film has the ability to change lives and should be introduced into School Ciriculums to combat drug-abuse, underage smoking and drinking and would also eradicate underage pregnancies.

The lessons learned in this has already made me stop smoking 100 Mayfair before breakfast, and I've even stopped drinking 3 bottles of Frosty Jack a day, which is around 20% of my daily requirement of Frosty Jack.

The lessons learned in this masterpiece, if viewed by our representatives in Parliament definitely has the power to stop wars and allow some form of united world socialism.

Bless you Shay Casserly, and Jimmy Bennet for introducing me to what can be accomplished with shared vision and a beautiful philosophy that underlies this masterclass of film-making.

I was once seen walking around with one shoe on, upon being asked if I lost a shoe, I responded "No, I found one." This transexisential thought-process was a result of watching this film.

How James 'Jimmy' Bennett hasn't went onto further his career in Hollywood is more to do with his beliefs that he wishes to remain in Ireland and boost the Irish film economy.

All the classic ingredients of an amazing action film are contained in this mementous masterpiece: amazing CGI effects that were partly done on a Commodore 64, insane stunts, a beautifully narrative and the jaw-droppingly stunning Paudie Greene as the leading lady who, for some factual movie trivia, actually came 12th in the Limmerick Rural Lovely Gurls competition in 1997. It even stars Mickey Graham. The seminal pop-singer and 'Nice One' from Boyzone. Mikey shows why he replaced Colin 'Feckin' Farrell in the line-up and shows he can compete with anyone in front of the camera.

This film was touted for the foreign film award at the Oscars and rightly so.

From now on I will no longer be wearing my Megadeth t-shirt, but will be wearing the Fatal Deviation t-shirt I got for signing up to the fan club.

Thank you, Fatal Deviation....the lessons learned from this film can, if watched by more people, boost this country's economy single-handedly out of recession and allow me to continually drink Dark Destroyers while watching this film.

After being released from the utter hell of St Claude's reform school, taciturn badass James P Bennet returns home to his village to find out what happened to his father, and to take on the local kingpin, who conducts his international crime cartel from a caravan and has Mikey from Boyzone as a coke snorting henchman.

The P in Bennet's name obviously stands for "Punch the head off ya" as that's pretty much all he does, be it in field or pub. Watch in amazement as Bennet trains in slow mo to no less than THREE montage sequences. Gape in awe as he beats the bejaysus outa track suit garbed thugs in Londis supermarket. Gasp in incredulity at the tournament held among bales of hay, in which about 30 people attend. Drop your jaw at the awesomely sound FX-d cruddy fight scenes.

In short it's a nigh on craptasterpiece that fully deserves this term I just made up. See it now, preferably drunk. And NEVER kidnap James P Bennet's squeeze...

Possibly the greatest movie ever made, complete with carefully interwoven subplots thats keeps the viewer guessing for days afterwards.

Mickey Graham is nothing short of spectacular and James P. Bennett plays the role with all the coolness and natural ability of Bruce Lee, but also has the emotional acting ability of a young Marlon Brando or Humphrey Bogarts performance in The Big Sleep.

As far as scenery, you couldn't wish for a more serene setting than Trim, its a character in itself, just like Sergio Leone's mid 1960s westerns.

This is a celebration of joy.

Much has been written about this movie and undeniably most statements are absolutely true. Yes, viewing "Fatal Deviation" can give back eyesight to the blind and has been known to cure lepers. Why James Bennett has not been hired to play a major role in "The Expendables 4" is beyond my understanding, I can only presume that Sly and Arnie are intimidated by Jimmy's sheer awesomeness.

Let's just focus on the brilliant dialogs, which really prove that Shakespeare was merely an inarticulate, monosyllable clot. "You made me look bad, and that is not good"!, has since replaced "Hallo, how are you" in my vocabulary. "You have killed my son! Now I'll kill you like I killed your father", sneers the kingpin, who wishes to defend his drug-monopoly in the metropolis of Trim (Population: 8,000). Our hero replies faster and wittier than Eddie Murphy could have ever dreamed off: "You have killed my father! Now I will kill you like I killed your son". I could go on quoting those lyrical gems but am afraid that my keyboard will overheat.

Watch out for a cameo by JCVD himself (he appears in a picture hanging from the reform-school dorms wall), which led many a person to the speculation that Bennett has indeed studied under the muscles-from-brussels (or, humble martial artist that he is, has changed his birth name Sean-Claude O'Damme to J.P). The rest of the cast is equally formidable; any puppet-theater in the world would crave to have such fine actors among their ensemble. Not to forget the leading lady: The tag line has promised us "a hot babe" – that's like saying a volcano is only lukewarm. The way she presents our hero with a pancake and than blows at a dandelion made me feel like I was cheating my wife by just watching. Surely, you couldn't find a fyner lass in all of Trim, county Meath.

I loved this movie so much that I christened my firstborn daughter James Bennett! And please: Ignore all those reviews that deny the film its greatness and have surely been composed by the sock-puppets of a bitter Chuck Norris and jealous Jackie Chan. The leprechauns pot has finally been discovered and it contains not gold, but a copy "Fatal Deviation"! Only 10/10 and I can only petition IMDb to give us extra points just to bestow it upon this masterpiece.

I don't know many people that have seen this film; however, the few I do know don't seem to like it. I can't understand why this is. It seems to include all the ingredients necessary to make a martial arts masterpiece... insane martial arts moves... intricate plot... sublime acting and Mikey Graham from Irish Boy Band Boyzone.

The lead actor/character, James Bennett, is perhaps the most significant martial arts actor since the late great Bruce Lee. He delivers a fantastic acting performance delivering his lines with the eloquence of a Shakespearean actor while delivering his back kicks with the ferocity of a kangaroo. Indeed Bennett's back kick is certainly his most effective weapon which is why he chooses to use it all the time.

Another character of note is Bennett's mentor the monk. Every great martial arts film has a mysterious elderly master and fatal deviation is no different. However, it does approach this aspect of the genre in a unique way. The monk, Bennett's master and trainer, doesn't seem to have any training himself. Basically he just gives Bennett Yoga like advice and hides behind trees.

Last but certainly not least is the performance of Mikey Graham. Mikey Graham was a member of an Irish boy band called Boyzone which enjoyed major success in Ireland and Britain throughout the late nineties. Always the bride's maid and never the bride, Mikey had always been considered one of the less important members of the band. He was never as popular with the fans as his colleagues were. Fatal Deviation was expected to put Mikey to the forefront... it should have. Playing an extremely brutal gangster was always going to be tough for the clean cut pop star but his stellar performance was comparable with that of Daniel Day Lewis in "Gangs of New York." Look out for his use of "angry eyebrows" to portray how angry he feels.

To conclude I feel the film has been unduly criticized, and for true martial arts fans this is a must see.

1998's Fatal Deviation is an Irish direct to video martial arts film written and starring tike sized fighter, James P. Bennett, im going to be frank, this movie is what I call "A beautiful failure" this movie is horrible in every facet, The acting, the soundtrack, the stunts, the story, the dialog, and the film quality are all at best laughable, but with all this ridiculousness it finds...zen if you will, much like other films in its category (at least to me) The Room, Troll 2, Hobgoblins, and The animated Titanic films, Final Deviation transcends horrible film making to the point that you are forced to enjoy it as you belt out laughing... I suggest everyone watch it but only if you are in the mood for a funny and down right silly time (its free on youtube).

Fatal Deviation (1998) 8/10 (for all the wrong reasons)

The Greatest Irish Film of all time, regardless of what anybody says; Pure Genius. It's a shame that Jimmy Bennet has not popped up in anything since, skillful as he is not only in martial arts, but his incredible acting abilities sees to be a shameful waste of natural talent. The same goes for the rest of the cast, powerful performances by all give way to real-as- life martial arts and action so intense you will want to watch it over again. As rumors go the films budget was made with an astonishing small amount of only £200, professional camera crew and sensible post production make this small-would-be indie hit into a full explosive, extravagant blockbuster that all should see! The town of Trim has produced an incredible amount of talent for such a small place, Amazing!

Excellent acting by good guy jimmy(i'm going to be the next jean claude van damme) bennett and the evil gang boss played by brilliant solicitor michael regan, who when they're delivering lines such as "Fuck you and your gun, ya prick" and "wouldn't that be sweet?!" seem so natural it defies the fact that this is their movie debut.

My only gripes with this movie are that it isn't longer and didn't have any sequels. If the makers of this timeless classic read this and many internet blogs on this legendary movie surely they'll realise that a DVD release would sell brilliantly online, surely then funding a much sought after sequel. Well done lads!

I watched this movie recently. When it was over I sat in silence, thinking. Although I come from the town where it was shot, I had never watched it before. Parts yes, but never in its entirety. I would recommend it to anyone even remotely interested in making movies and especially those who as yet, are not completely lost to the cold logical grip of cynicism; it may just bring you back from the edge.

I continued sitting in silence, wondering what it was about the movie that had so taken the reigns of my thoughts. I replayed the gritty fight scenes in my head, and the beautifully naive love triangle. The awkward line delivery and the wonderfully spiritual woodland scenes and inventive use of locations. And then it hit me; I felt like I had been looking at the sun without realizing where the light was coming from. It was James Bennett.

Fatal Deviation lends some insight into a personal journey, of a road chosen and taken that has a far greater resonance than the negative derision that has resounded rather unfairly in my opinion from some of the movies obvious constraints; a journey that has embryonic dreams fuelled by a powerful heart and an "iron will" that refuses to say no. James Bennett hunts his dreams with a rocket launcher. And to be honest, in my opinion, the man should be regarded as an inspiration.

Remember your classics? Dickens wrote about people like him. And speaking of classics, "No retreat No Surrender" probably one of the most underrated martial arts movies of all time springs to mind. I doubt if James will ever settle for meagre rations. I think he will always ask for more...

It's easy for some to stand in shadows, sum up an individual by their "so called" failures; it's harder for those same to bring those failures into the light; because bound only by fracturing testimony, we know most would crumble beneath even modest scrutiny. In the shadows, the finger never rotates inwards. I know because I lived there for a very long time.

I give it an 8/10.

Fatal Deviation was filmed in and around Trim Co, Meath.

James Bennett has a slew of credited and uncredited work, and is appearing with Johnny Depp and Timothy Hutton in a new movie about "The Lone Ranger".

You got dreams? Don't sit there and complain, or mock the decent people. Either get up or shut up. Or perhaps take a page from James... hunt them down with a rocket launcher.

One of the greatest movies Ireland has ever produced and can hold its own amongst the IMDB top 250 if people knew about it.

It seems like many of these positive reviews on this site are done sarcastically but I don't understand why. I do take exception with the title since there is no deviation and since it does not exist it is hardly fatal but other than that this movie is breathtaking from beginning to end. the acting may seem a little stiff at first but once the actors settle into their roles they are all top caliber. James P. Bennett deserved the career Van Damme stole from him. His moves are slick and ooze machismo. There were several times his character's sincerity moved me to tears. The action sequences are top notch given the tiny budget and the choreography sacrifices nothing. The filmmakers took the time and had the nerve to add art to the picture. Some might misinterpret the scene where the unknown character bathes in a tub full of dirty water outside of his camper as a mistake or a scene which they forgot to explain but it's obvious to me this was a statement on the state of humankind - who are we really and does any of it even matter? Brilliant, brilliant stuff which was lost on so many lesser, unsophisticated viewers. Don't worry that this all makes it too somber because once you think the delight of all of this is over you are treated to an uproarious blooper reel of other actors getting injure by the star James P Bennett. Some say this was a lack of control in the fight sequences but I know it was Bennett's commitment to realism in the fights. If Van Damme did the same his movies might have been more successful. This is why Van Damme never starred with Bennett but Seagal did. The female lead in the movie is the most beautiful woman who has ever lived and the fact that she could really act didn't hurt at all. The dirt bike fight scenes brought up memories of the dirt bike love scene from Ruckus even though the woman was on the sideline during these scenes rather than riding next to Kyle and showing her love for him on the dirt bike trails. This brings us to the tournament climax - a kumite unlike any you have ever seen, a secret society kind of bloodbath of earth shattering consequence and impact. The best part is when during the final battle between our hero and the aptly named Seagull the protagonist simply leaves the arena to start killing the bad guys to avenge his father's death. The training sequences are a mixture of high drama and are very zen. You'll know when you are in a memory sequence by the hero's constipated look and when he shuts his eyes tight to initiate the memory. I so hope that the rumors of Fatal Deviation Krakatoa are true because it is high passed time for some more lethal deviations. And if you are one of the many people who despise James P Bennett I have this to say to you..... Hey. At least he is better than Brendan Fraser.