"I tell you Jack, I feel a whole lot better if we were flying".
"Well, ever since that plane load of prisoners went down in Vegas. The FFA doesn't want anything to do with us".
Cool to see a little wink to the film that it patterned itself on. "EVASIVE ACTION" is a poor man's version of "CON AIR". Being in the same film universe, you could call it Con Train, but it manages to deliver a few of its own surprises. It just doesn't stop there either, as certain characters are similar in persona and mannerisms. Instead of a top-draw cast, you get a second string ensemble. Dorian Harewood is the good-hearted criminal ala Nic Cage. Roy Scheider is the cunningly dangerous head criminal ala John Malkovich. Clint Howard is the weird psychotic prisoner that everyone fears ala Steve Buscemi. Howard doesn't do much, and his character doesn't really live up to the name Hector "The Director" Millar whose signature style was recreating the murders from horror films. Instead all does here, is look creepy, while spouting well known movie dialogues. Then there's Ray Wise, Don Swazye, Ed O'Ross, John Toles-Bey and Dick Van Patten rounding it up. The performances are all acceptable without anyone really standing out.
For what it is, plot mechanics stay simple. Predictable character traits and motivations linger, being brutal when it wants to be. Mayhem and pacing stays frequent, in spite of its minimal intensity, a few stunts had a degree of tension and were extremely well-shot. This durable, straight shooting b-grade actioner delivers on the quota.
Cool to see a little wink to the film that it patterned itself on. "EVASIVE ACTION" is a poor man's version of "CON AIR". Being in the same film universe, you could call it Con Train, but it manages to deliver a few of its own surprises. It just doesn't stop there either, as certain characters are similar in persona and mannerisms. Instead of a top-draw cast, you get a second string ensemble. Dorian Harewood is the good-hearted criminal ala Nic Cage. Roy Scheider is the cunningly dangerous head criminal ala John Malkovich. Clint Howard is the weird psychotic prisoner that everyone fears ala Steve Buscemi. Howard doesn't do much, and his character doesn't really live up to the name Hector "The Director" Millar whose signature style was recreating the murders from horror films. Instead all does here, is look creepy, while spouting well known movie dialogues. Then there's Ray Wise, Don Swazye, Ed O'Ross, John Toles-Bey and Dick Van Patten rounding it up. The performances are all acceptable without anyone really standing out.
For what it is, plot mechanics stay simple. Predictable character traits and motivations linger, being brutal when it wants to be. Mayhem and pacing stays frequent, in spite of its minimal intensity, a few stunts had a degree of tension and were extremely well-shot. This durable, straight shooting b-grade actioner delivers on the quota.