Scott LeBrun Silly, routine, Texas filmed B action picture stars Fred "The Hammer" Williamson as Dakota "Dak" Smith, an ex-detective who's ended up as a motorcycle cop, thanks to his problems with the bottle. One day he's pursuing a serial killer known as "The Video Stalker" (Robert Prentiss), a crafty sicko who delves into the lives of his victims and films his crimes. Dak screws up big time, so what happens to him is that he must switch a motorcycle for a car and be partnered with a young female cop, Kristin O'Connor (Cynthia Rothrock), who's also in hot water.Die hard fans of the stars and the genre may be forgiving towards this ridiculous movie, which is funny often enough to make one think that producer / star Williamson, screenwriter Michael Thomas Montgomery, and director Gil Bettman had their tongues in their cheeks to some degree. Still, this is pretty inept, overall. The action is uninspired, and those viewers hoping to see Rothrock doing what she does best will have to wait until the story is almost over. A mild sex quotient, mostly consisting of bare breasts, might satisfy some people, but as for the violence, this isn't all that graphic.Williamson and Rothrock do seem to get along alright. Robert Forster, the third star attraction, is typically likable and adds some much appreciated levity to the proceedings. Two other performers that one might recognize are veteran character actor Frank Pesce, as one of Daks' colleagues, and Rodger Boyce, who later turned up in "No Country for Old Men". Prentiss is an amusing villain and gives the best performance in this thing.If you're like this viewer, and watched this on the basis of the star trio, you're advised to keep your expectations VERY low.Four out of 10.

Comeuppance Reviews When a sadistic serial killer starts stalking the streets of Dallas, Texas, only one man can stop the madness: Dakota "Dak" Smith (Williamson). But before he can fight this antagonist, he must fight his inner demons: he's been living in a sober house and going to AA meetings. His alcoholism even got him demoted from detective to motorcycle cop working the graveyard shift. But his Commanding Officer, Teak Taylor (Forster) believes in him, so Teak teams Dak up with the enthusiastic Kristin O'Connor (Rothrock). Despite his initial misgivings, they forge a solid relationship. Dak's buddy Newt (Bushwick Bill) also is supportive. Can Dak turn his life around and catch The Video Stalker (Prentiss) - so named because he videotapes all his murders - at the same time? The presence and charisma of Fred Williamson completely carries this movie. In his first go as the recurring character Dakota Smith (later to be reprised in On the Edge, among others), Fred gains your sympathy as the hard-working guy who loves Twinkies and root beer. Inexplicably, there are multiple scenes where he appears pantsless, but maybe that was to underline his slide from hero detective to living on the skids - the media even gives him the nickname "The Skid Row Cop". He even gets his own, ultra-catchy theme song, "Dakota Smith - You're 12 Steps Away", which was co-written by music legend Andre Williams of all people (assuming it's the same Andre Williams whose career goes back to the 50's).We all love Cynthia Rothrock, and we were definitely happy to see her here, but she seems miscast as O'Connor. Her martial arts talents are severely underused. This part could have been played by many people - this movie doesn't highlight her particular talents and abilities. Even still, it was nice to see her alongside Fred and Robert Forster (whose part is pretty minimal but still does a competent job). Bushwick Bill, of Geto Boys fame, basically steals the movie as Newt. You really like Newt and Bushwick does a great job.The great cast notwithstanding, this is still late-90's DTV crud. It's ultra-low budget, and the mixture of simplistic plot - a cop drama/serial killer chase - means it gets a bit slow at times. It really seems like it could have been made in the 80's, thanks mainly to the cast. It was directed by Gil Bettman, the same man who directed Never Too Young To Die (1986). How far the mighty have fallen. What would Stargrove think? The DVD contains the trailer, which we would advise watching after the movie because it gives away pretty much everything. That's why we always watch the trailer after the movie. In order to hook the potential viewer in, they have to give away all the best parts. Too many spoilers.In sum, the cast is strong but the movie itself is not. So it's kind of a wash, but Fred and Rothrock fans still might find this entry worthwhile, if not ideal.For more action insanity, drop by: www.comeuppancereviews.com

loveandmarriage Low budget action movie that tries hard to have some substance (but doesn't leave out gratuitous breast shots). While they scored some once successful actors for this one,the real draw is kick butt Cynthia Rothrock. Rothrock has done some movies that make this look big budget but she never fails to please...her acting is actually fairly good this time around and her martial arts skills top notch. Two major actors from Jackie Brown might seem to be a draw for renters looking for a good movie but be warned; this type of film is an acquired taste. For Rothrock fans, take a look through her filmography and you'll find a number of films where she's more prominently featured as well as early work she did in China.

warlorde Trying to catch a serial killer, did they ever think of tracking the license plate number of the black van or fingerprint the video tapes he sent? Oh brother the plot of this movie was so full of holes it was pathetic. Now I know why there are bad movies in the world. This one however was one of the worst.