Abysmal action garbage stars The Bos (Brian Bosworth) as a military sergeant who nearly dies from serious gunshot wounds in an attempt to protect his family from a drug-dealing scumbag named Marcus (Jeff Kober, as detestable as they come; this guy can play these cretins in his sleep). Marcus is associated with a drug kingpin (MC Hammer!!!) and gunrunning cop (Bruce Payne, in long hair with a nose ring, smirking his way through the movie as he kills one criminal lowlife after another; amazingly, it is hard to really cheer against the guy because those he constantly obliterates are worse than he is!). Bos wants to find Marcus and get revenge for the murder of his wife and little girl, but he also winds up having to rescue a young black kid (DeJuan Guy) from the midst of all the drug-dealing and gun-distribution that exists on the streets of sunny palm tree LA. There is just a plethora of loathsome human trash in this film, with Payne, as psychopathic as he is, almost a hero at times. It isn't like those he and his "cops" (using that loosely; he is part of the FBI, although his activities and behavior you'd think would be suspicious to the government he serves) destroy are innocent, upstanding citizens
if anything they are worse than Payne and his guys! There is even one scene where Payne keeps his men from killing Bos, questioning their scruples! Payne casts off this arrogance and his cold-blooded dispatching of victims just for the hell of it, seemingly for kicks, does set him up as a maniac destined to be knocked off his perch.
Bos, bless his heart, gives it all he has to earn our sympathy, but he's not exactly cast for his thespian emoting. He tries, that I'll give to him. He's ultimately a softie who only fights when he must, even pulling away from killing Kober (and if anybody deserved to die a slow, painful death it is this guy!) when DeJuan is nearby the whole "practice what you preach" as Bos had talked with the kid about his disapproval of hunting down and killing a street punk who killed a school chum. Willing to shock, there's even a scene where Payne threatens to drown DeJuan if he doesn't lead him to the man responsible for taking his guns! There's one scene Payne sets a gunrunner on fire using gasoline from a pump without giving it a second thought, and he purposely sells guns with blanks to Hammer's men who invade a cop baseball game believing they are responsible for the murder of the kingpin's accountant brother! The trick Bos goes to in order to break free from two agents associated with Payne using the ole "I need to pee" excuse (he was to be set up and tried for gun selling) agrees with the implausible plot shenanigans of this really dumb movie. Payne and Kober posit warts and all, let-it-all-hang-out performances, adhering to the requirements of providing the film with the vilest, most conscience-less villains so worthy of execution. Could be fun to non-discriminating action fans who embrace the unsavory elements of despicable people committing egregious acts to profit themselves no matter who gets hurt. Bos' fight choreography is shot carefully, allowing him to look like a million bucks. Payne is having a hell of a lot of fun, but Kober is equally repellent. The street locations are appropriate backdrops for the characters highlighted. DeJuan's little tough guy routine is laughable but the plight of a kid influenced by his surroundings is real life. This film is just an over the top Z-movie action flick which takes that plight and exploits it for dramatic purposes that will make you cringe due to the poor performances of those attempting to convince us as unsettling depictions of LA gang life.
Bos, bless his heart, gives it all he has to earn our sympathy, but he's not exactly cast for his thespian emoting. He tries, that I'll give to him. He's ultimately a softie who only fights when he must, even pulling away from killing Kober (and if anybody deserved to die a slow, painful death it is this guy!) when DeJuan is nearby the whole "practice what you preach" as Bos had talked with the kid about his disapproval of hunting down and killing a street punk who killed a school chum. Willing to shock, there's even a scene where Payne threatens to drown DeJuan if he doesn't lead him to the man responsible for taking his guns! There's one scene Payne sets a gunrunner on fire using gasoline from a pump without giving it a second thought, and he purposely sells guns with blanks to Hammer's men who invade a cop baseball game believing they are responsible for the murder of the kingpin's accountant brother! The trick Bos goes to in order to break free from two agents associated with Payne using the ole "I need to pee" excuse (he was to be set up and tried for gun selling) agrees with the implausible plot shenanigans of this really dumb movie. Payne and Kober posit warts and all, let-it-all-hang-out performances, adhering to the requirements of providing the film with the vilest, most conscience-less villains so worthy of execution. Could be fun to non-discriminating action fans who embrace the unsavory elements of despicable people committing egregious acts to profit themselves no matter who gets hurt. Bos' fight choreography is shot carefully, allowing him to look like a million bucks. Payne is having a hell of a lot of fun, but Kober is equally repellent. The street locations are appropriate backdrops for the characters highlighted. DeJuan's little tough guy routine is laughable but the plight of a kid influenced by his surroundings is real life. This film is just an over the top Z-movie action flick which takes that plight and exploits it for dramatic purposes that will make you cringe due to the poor performances of those attempting to convince us as unsettling depictions of LA gang life.