Relentless Justice (2015)

Relentless Justice (2015)- * *

Directed by: David A. Prior

Starring: Leilani Sarelle, Ted Prior, Mimi Michaels, Sherrie Rose, Vernon Wells, Lisa Langlois,  Tara Kleinpeter, Sonia Curtis, and Eric Roberts 

Victoria DeVries (Sarelle) is the owner, operator and main trainer at an MMA gym in Alabama. She's also the loving and protective mother of her daughter Sherrie (Michaels, not Rose, who appears elsewhere later on). When Sherrie and her boyfriend roll into the rural burg of Lake Forest on some sort of camping trip (never go camping), they run afoul of a gaggle of baddies who hunt people for sport. 

Victoria's Mom-tuition perks up and she senses something is wrong. She heads out into the wilderness to find her daughter, and runs up against these same villains, and she has a big problem when it turns out that head evildoer, Jason Macendale (Wells) is MAYOR Jason Macendale of Lake Forest. Uh oh. Macendale's iron fist of control of the town further starts to crack when Deputy Goodrich (Sonia Curtis) and Dr. Traci Lind (Kleinpeter) - both of whom deliver tour-de-force performances - start to realize something rotten is going down in Lake Forest. When an event (no spoilers) occurs, Victoria DeVries - a former Australian intelligence operative, spy, and supersoldier, not to mention MMA master - falls back on her skills to hunt the bad guys down one by one in almost slasheresque style. Will Victoria enact RELENTLESS JUSTICE on the baddies?



It's called Relentless Justice. It's directed by David A. Prior. It features Eric Roberts, Vernon G. Wells, Sherrie Rose, and Ted Prior. Did you think we WEREN'T going to watch and review this? This is Comeuppance Reviews-bait all the way. So we were willing to give ol' RJ plenty of slack. But, let's be honest, there are some problems here. While we applaud the Priors for continuing to make this sort of movie in 2015, the downside of that is that it has this unpleasant digital look to it, a "new" look that comes from using a Red camera. We can't help but miss the pleasurable quality of good old-fashioned film. We understand it's probably difficult and expensive these (those?) days to make a film like this on actual film, but we can't help but think that if they had taken that extra time and trouble, it would have paid off with a more pleasing visual look.


That aside, there are definite, obvious pacing problems. The justice isn't as relentless as you might think. Only in the final section of the film do things really pop off in the way you want them to, and even then, things are hampered by the low budget. We know they're trying, but certain aspects just can't be overcome.


Funny to say, but RJ needed more action. Sarelle as De Vries needed to fight more goons in the middle section of the film, and throughout. The fact that this doesn't happen leads to slower moments in this 96-minute outing. She's an appealing lead, she should have been given more heads to bust. By this point in our lives, we've all seen Hard Target (1993), Avenging Force (1986), Surviving the Game (1994), and their derivatives countless times. If you're going to do this sort of plot again, you need to inject it with some sort of new element, a twist, or just a lot of energy and verve, which, as much as it pains us to say, is largely missing from Relentless Justice. Bas Rutten came up against this same problem in The Eliminator (2004). If he can't overcome this obstacle, what hope do the rest of us have?


That being said, it was nice to see some of our favorite people all together again. Eric Roberts was here as some kind of gangster, who doesn't exactly fit into the "backwoods" plot, but was present and accounted for because Roberts was likely available for a few days. His scenes are some of the better ones, and they're enhanced by the fact that most of them include fan favorite Sherrie Rose. Oddly, her character is named Cinzia Monreale, the name of a real-life Italian actress best known for being in Fulci's The Beyond (1981). Could this have been the suggestion of writer/producer Fabio Soldani? We may never know. Ted Prior, Vernon Wells, and Lisa Langlois are the notable baddies, and it was especially interesting to see Langlois in that sort of role, seemingly cast against type.


Try as anyone might, it's basically impossible to recreate the glory days of Deadly Prey (1987). We know the Priors tried again with Deadliest Prey (2013) before this. RJ might have been them giving the formula one last go. This was David Prior's last completed film before his death this same year, 2015, at the too-young age of 59. There was a posthumously-released final film, Assassin's Fury, in 2023.

Shot in the Prior's stomping grounds of Mobile, Alabama and its surrounding areas, and featuring a final, end-credits song, "Revolution", by Olivia D'Abo - yes, that Olivia D'Abo, of all people - Relentless Justice has its faults and flaws, as we all do as human beings, but fans of the Priors, any of the stars involved, or independent/regional filmmaking could give it at least one whirl.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

TNT (1997)

 

TNT (1997)- * *

Directed by: Robert Radler

Starring: Olivier Gruner, Randy Travis, Rebecca Staab, Bre Blair, Ken Olandt, Kane Hodder, Simon Rhee, Sam Jones, and Eric Roberts

Alex Cheval (Gruner) is a member of TNT, or the Tactical Neutralization Squad. They're a group of Iraq War vets who are sent around the world to deal with sensitive issues that require them to beat up and shoot people. When one of the ops goes horribly wrong, Alex walks away from the group. Now known as an average guy named Mark, he gets a job as an aerobics instructor in a small town in Colorado. He's buddies with the local sheriff, Jim (Travis), and is in a relationship with Jamie (Staab), who has a daughter from a previous marriage (Blair).

Unfortunately for Alex/Mark, his new, idyllic life is about to be shattered. His former compatriots in TNT now work for an evil mastermind named Robert Victor Russo (Roberts), and because Russo doesn't want any loose ends, he turns loose the former TNT boys on Alex. Alex is then put in the position where he has to take on his former comrades-in-arms, highly-trained elite soldiers who want him dead at all costs. They include, but are not limited to, Greel (Jones), Basu (Olandt), and Choi (Rhee). Will Alex Cheval be able to protect his new family and his new life from the assailants formerly known as TNT?

From looking at the cover for TNT, which features a solo, shirtless Gruner, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a Punchfighter. Surprisingly, it's actually not. It's more your standard 90's DTV actioner that starts off like one of those boring "war slog" movies, but transitions to a better scenario where the baddies are trying to get Gruner as he lives his suburban life. 

Sure, there's a certain moment that's highly reminiscent of The Specialist (1994), but there's one thing TNT has that The Specialist does not have: Randy Travis. It was an inspired casting choice, and his speaking voice is as comforting and soothing as his singing voice. Because TNT features a very Radical Jack-esque barfight, we're graced with the presence of a country singer, and it features a former elite soldier trying to start a new life in suburbia, not to mention the similar overall feel, it was hard not to make comparisons to 'Jack.

The barfight takes place at an establishment classily named Bullwinkle's. The daughter character in the movie mentions how they have a rockin' jukebox. One of the toughs Gruner beats up is Kane Hodder, who gets to show off a bit of humor, which is rare to see from him. On top of Bullwinkle's, the name of the gym where Alex works is The Penitentiary. So obviously the business owners in that particular small town have good senses of humor.

While there are plenty of B-Movie names on display, we wouldn't classify this as "Lone Tiger Effect" because TNT isn't bad, it's just a bit too bland for its own good. Eric Roberts, sporting a stylish beard, is just another cast member along with the rest. He doesn't get any particular time in the sun here.

Director Radler, known for Best of the Best (1989), Best of the Best II (1993), Showdown (1993), and The Substitute: Failure Is Not an Option (2001), delivers enough of the action goods so that TNT would find itself on video store shelves and in the cable listings. It doesn't exactly go "above and beyond the call of duty" to entertain us, but it does the minimum and features some of the silly moments we all love.



In the end, TNT is okay, all right, and fine, but it needed a bit more oomph to really make itself stand out from the pack.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Also check out write-ups from our buddies, DTVC and The Video Vacuum!

The Butcher (2009)

The Butcher (2009)- * * *

Directed by: Jesse V. Johnson

Starring: Eric Roberts, Jerry Trimble, Robert Davi, Keith David, Bokeem Woodbine, Irina Bjorklund, Vernon Wells, Geoffrey Lewis, and Michael Ironside







Merle "The Butcher" Hench is one cool dude. He's an ex-boxer, has a pair of golden guns, and he drives a 1969 Dodge Charger. His temperament is very even and he doesn't yell. He also has a gambling problem. As an enforcer for Irish mobster Murdoch (Davi), he is highly skilled in "the science of violence", as someone tells him. However, Merle's luck begins to change when he wins money from both Chinatown Pete (Woodbine), and Larry Cobb (David).

Meanwhile, thinking that Merle is "over the hill", he is set up as the patsy for a multi-million-dollar heist on a group of other gangsters. While Hench does end up with some of the money, and plans to use it to run off into the sunset with diner waitress Jackie (Bjorklund), he can't help but shake the fact that he needs to get revenge for the fact that Murdoch and his boys betrayed his long-time loyalty to them. So, risking it all - including a potentially brighter future with Jackie - The Butcher gambles one last time...for his life.

There's a lot to recommend about The Butcher. The style of it is fairly downbeat and a bit unorthodox, with some interesting flashbacks. It seems influenced by the "L.A. Noir" of the past. It's a fantastic showcase for fan favorite Eric Roberts as well, as he not only gets to ponder on the existential side of things, he also does some Eric Roberts-Fu on the baddies, and he shoots a whole heck of a lot of them as well. 

Director Johnson is almost venerable towards Roberts and gives him the starring role he deserves. There are a lot of other interesting character moments as well - Davi doing an Irish accent, instead of the expected Italian one, was a surprise treat. Woodbine and David as The Butcher's gambling cronies added a lot. The great Geoffrey Lewis as Naylor, the pawnshop owner, stood out. Although he only appears in the silent flashbacks, Vernon G. Wells is hiding in there as well. And this has to be one of the best-ever performances in Jerry Trimble's career.

The cast is strong and the main idea behind the film is simple but effective. We've seen a good amount of Johnson's films at this point, and he really seems to understand action and what the fans want. He's one of the very few directors out there that really seem completely dedicated to the action genre. 

While The Butcher is far from a thrill a minute - it's deliberately paced and takes time to build up a head of steam - Johnson seems to be showing the fact that you can combine action violence and quasi-film noir without a hitch. When the action does come, it's explosive. It's all the more impactful because of the character moments that surround it. Johnson does his best to eschew cardboard characterizations. 

We applaud everything about the film, with the exception of one little caveat. It's too long. At almost two full hours, we couldn't help but think that if it was trimmed down to 90 minutes or so, it could have worked better. Yes, we realize we just contradicted ourselves a bit - it takes time to build up character moments, so how can we say we love those moments and then want to cut them - but surely a few trims here and there just to get things down to a reasonable running time couldn't hurt.

Perhaps interestingly, the working title for the Van Damme film 6 Bullets (2012) was The Butcher. They must have realized that this The Butcher predated it, then they changed it. Then they got Joe Flanigan. As all movies should.

The Butcher is a solid film all around with a lot of good points and highlights. Its mix of thoughtfulness in with the violence was appreciated. There are interesting faces, as well as ideas, and the cast is excellent. The only thorn in the movie's side is that it's too long. So, as that's not a complete dealbreaker, we say check it out.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Skin Traffik (2015)

Skin Traffik (2015)- * * *

AKA: A Hitman in London

Directed by: Ara Paiaya

Starring: Gary Daniels, Dominique Swain, Daryl Hannah, Jeff Fahey, Eric Roberts, Michael Madsen, and Mickey Rourke







Bradley (Daniels) was a hitman, but he gave it all up. But a chance meeting on the streets of London with a prostitute named Anna Peel (Swain) slowly embroils him in the danger of the underworld once again. 

Not only does he have to face the goons sent forth by the guy that used to run him, known only as The Executive (Roberts), but also a pair of evil SKIN TRAFFIKers named The Boss (Madsen) and Zhanna (Hannah) are wise to Bradley ruining all their operations. Teaming up with a mysterious diamond merchant named Jacob Andries (Fahey), the two men aim to find Anna's missing sister...and take down the baddies's operations forever. But what will Vogel (Rourke) have to say about all this? Find out when a HITMAN IN LONDON comes to your screen...



Thank goodness for Ara Paiaya. He's one of the few people out there delivering old school-style action movies for the fans. We saw the follow-up to Skin Traffik, Instant Death (2017), first, and really enjoyed it. But we liked Skin Traffik even more. It's very hard to lose when you put Gary Daniels in the main hero role and he goes around busting heads. Surround him with a top-notch cast of B-Movie regulars and you have a real winner on your hands.

The plot is sort of Urban Justice (2007) meets Taken (2008) meets the aforementioned Instant Death. Again, a very winning formula. The whole thing kicks off, quite literally, with Gary Daniels looking for the time-honored "Disk" just like in all the action movies of the old days. 

The only difference now is he's asking Mickey Rourke, who is almost unrecognizable here. If it wasn't for his voice, we wouldn't have recognized him at all. Whatever happened to growing old gracefully? He looks like a cross between what happened to Kenny Rogers, Jocelyn Wildenstein, and an old Hollywood agent. Gary Daniels still looks good and seems vital because he doesn't go in for any of that superficial muck. 

Fan favorite Madsen brings his classic charisma and his gravelly voice to the proceedings. It would have been nice to see him and Daryl Hannah in other settings besides just that one room, but we're still happy they're there. Same goes for Eric Roberts, who also puts in an enjoyable performance, but for most of it, it's a classic sit-down role. To be fair, he does get up later, however. The whole rest of the cast is fantastic and we're very happy they all agreed to be in this low-budget DTV action movie.

Sure, some of the action scenes are a bit rough around the edges, but the viewer can tell they were done with a lot of heart. The sped-up action and the CGI were not even needed. For a true old-school feel, they should have been eschewed, especially with Gary Daniels at the helm. But, on the whole, those are minor quibbles and we really enjoyed Skin Traffik immensely. 

You can tell that Paiaya and his compatriots really cared about what they were doing, and that shines through to us, the viewer. If he chooses to continue down this road of action filmmaking, which he clearly has a lot of affection for, the sky's the limit for what he can do in the future. We wholeheartedly recommend Skin Traffik.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Also check out a write-up by our buddy, DTVC!

Maximum Impact (2017)

Maximum Impact (2017)- * *

Directed by: Andrzej Bartkowiak

Starring: Mark Dacascos, Kelly Hu, Polina Butorina, Alexander Nevsky, Bai Ling, Matthias Hues, Danny Trejo, Eric Roberts, Tom Arnold, and William Baldwin

When Secretary of State Robert Jacobs (Roberts) travels to Russia on an important mission, his teenage daughter Brittany (Butorina) tags along. The main reason she does this is so she can run off with a boy band pop star she’s been texting with. This seems like the ideal time for a baddie named Tony Lin (Dacascos) and his sidekick Ian (Hues) to kidnap her. 

After a lot of bumbling around, they finally manage to do this, and so an American CIA (?) agent named Kate (Hu) has to team up with a Russian FSB strongman named Maxim Kadurin (Nevsky) to save the girl, and, if time allows, her date. As if that wasn’t enough, a criminal mastermind of some sort named Sanchez (Trejo) and his goons are causing trouble all over Russia. How do Barnes (Arnold), Scanlon (Ling), and, perhaps most enigmatically, “Man In Shadows” (Baldwin) all fit into this picture?

Much like director Bartkowiak’s prior Exit Wounds (2001), Maximum Impact is a mix of action and comedy that features Tom Arnold. The emphasis this time around seems firmly on the side of comedy, even though there are some silly and not entirely serious fight scenes and some car chases, both of which appear to be green screen-enhanced. Stick with Exit Wounds. Or, also featuring Dacascos, Drive (1997).

The jokey tone and childish dialogue start to get tiresome after a while, and expecting the viewer to tolerate this over the course of an inexcusable 109-minute running time is just asking too much. On the plus side, it has a lot of energy and a fast pace, but it just goes on and on too long. 

Yes, there are fruit cart chases and a lovely framed Eric Roberts picture on the wall, but on the other end of the spectrum there are green screen missiles and helicopters, teenagers texting, and dialogue that mentions Instagram and Snapchat. Have we really fallen that far from Charles Bronson blowing away the bad guys with a rocket launcher? If this is truly the state of action in 2017, we’ll stick with the old classics, please.

There are too many people in the cast to really break down fully, but let’s just say this is a classic case of Lone Tiger Effect. Hell, it even has Matthias Hues, as if to underline the point that much more. Did all these people know they were signing on for a goofy comedy? It has all the Bartkowiak trademarks, such as putting hip hop beats under the dialogue scenes, and a wacky coda during the credits. 

William Baldwin just makes wacky faces into a screen. There’s a place called Grump International Plaza. Tom Arnold’s running gag is about his bladder. We could go on, but we won’t. That being said, Alexander Nevsky somehow manages to come out of all this relatively unscathed. Maybe that’s because he’s credited as a producer on the film.

Comedies and action movies shouldn’t be more than 90 minutes. Don’t filmmakers know this by now? Maximum Impact wears out its welcome quickly and leaves minimal impact on the viewers.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

The Hard Truth (1994)

The Hard Truth (1994)- *1\2

Directed by: Kristine Peterson

Starring: Michael Rooker, Eric Roberts and Lysette Anthony









Jonah Mantz (Rooker) is a hardworking, brave, and honest L.A. cop, who, thanks to his rogue ways, gets suspended from the force. Seemingly instigated by his girlfriend Lisa (Anthony), Mantz embarks on a scheme to steal a ton of money from Lisa’s boss, a corrupt city councilman who is on the take from the mob. In order to pull this off, the two enlist the help of the smug Dr. Chandler Etheridge (Roberts), a guy who looks as arrogant as his name. Henceforth, a bunch of capering goes on, with plenty of twists, turns, and double-crosses along the way...will this love (?) triangle turn deadly? Will we ever find out the...HARD TRUTH?

The truth is that this movie is pretty hard to watch. Looking at the VHS boxcover (released by Live Home Video), we see fan-favorites Rooker and Roberts holding guns, while some sort of fire/explosion occurs behind them, complete with a helicopter above them, adding extra production value to the scene that does not ever materialize (could those be different heads pasted on bodies?). 

While something of a bait and switch, The Hard Truth is not really an action movie. There is an enjoyable and impressive action setpiece in the beginning, and that’s pretty much all we get, and that hurts. What follows is a bunch of gobbledygook about city council members and whatnot. To be fair, there’s a little more to it than that, but that’s how it felt. There are plenty of boring parts where the audience doesn’t care about what’s going on. There should have been more action scenes like the one that kicked off the movie so well.

Rooker was engaging as the lone cop good guy, and it was nice to see him as a protagonist. He even has the most amount of hair we’ve seen to date. But he can’t save it. Roberts was also good as Etheridge, but, again, this whole outing is a waste of the two talents. 

At 100 minutes, it becomes a slog, and the inexplicable overabundance of Rooker nudity and sex scenes surely contributes to the overlong running time. The whole thing is indeed classic 90’s - the type of thing you’d see on HBO or languishing on a video store shelf - complete with a WYC (White Yelling Chief) demanding Rooker’s gun and badge, sax on the soundtrack, characters yelling “Nooooooo!!!”, some light shootouts, etc. Judging by the evidence, it was a time when ads for Bugle Boy jeans were rampant. But in 2015, The Hard Truth doesn’t have the same watchability factor as it might have back then.

Director Peterson went on to make Kickboxer 5 (1995) the next year after this - perhaps she wasn’t satisfied wasting a once-in-a-lifetime (so far) acting “dream team” like Rooker and Roberts, and wanted to over-extend an already over-extended movie series. If the action setpiece is on Youtube, watch that, and then you’ll have no reason to sit through all 100 minutes of The Hard Truth. A 100 minute documentary about wrestler R-Truth would be more satisfying.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

Blood Red (1989)

Blood Red (1989)-* *

Directed by: Peter Masterson

Starring: Eric Roberts, Dennis Hopper, Giancarlo Giannini, Julia Roberts, Burt Young, Elias Koteas, and Michael Madsen












Sebastian Callogero (Giannini), the patriarch of the Callogero clan, has brought his family to Brandon, California in search of a better life. They, along with other Sicilian, Italian, and other immigrants work hard to produce wine in that part of the country. But seeing as it’s 1895, railroads are being built all across the country, and it just so happens that the land the Callogero’s use is blocking the way for W.B. Berrigan (Hopper) and his dream to plow his railroad right through their precious wine country.  Sebastian won’t budge, so the ruthless Berrigan calls in Andrews (Young) and his goons, to use force and intimidation to get them to relent. After some more escalations in unpleasant events, it’s up to Sebastian’s son Marco (Roberts), who formerly was rebellious against his father, to rise up and fight back against Berrigan and Andrews’ reign of terror to save his land and protect his father’s good name.  Helping him is Enzio (Madsen), among other compatriots. Will they get their revenge?

Blood Red is a decent movie, nothing great. It feels like a TV movie a lot of the time, and judging by the killer cast,  it should have been a more exciting and worthy outing. Its slow-paced, old-fashioned style might appeal to fans of classic Westerns. Not that any of this is offensively bad in any way, it’s all just a bit bland. A few blow-ups and maybe a bit of gun-shootin’ doesn’t really help much.

Eric Roberts continually has a smug look on his face and is consistently shirtless throughout the movie (we’re assuming just suspenders doesn’t count as a shirt). Also we didn’t know mullets existed in the 19th century. You learn something new every day. And despite the fact that this is likely to be the only Julia Roberts movie on this site, as well as Burt Young ALMOST rescuing the movie, truly the star of the show is Dennis Hopper as Berrigan, the classic Carpet Bagger/Robber Baron/Captain Of Industry (or what-have-you) of the day. When he first appears on screen, your first impulse will be to say “Is that Willy Wonka?” - but once you  get past his fancy suit and top hat, there’s the Irish accent. Yeah.

Interestingly, if you watch the AMC show Hell On Wheels, you may have some idea of what Blood Red is about - immigrants and the birth of the American Railroad, with all the conflicts that ensue. Blood Red may have paved the way for it, but Hell On Wheels is done much better. If you’re interested in that subject matter, check out that show instead. Blood Red is just an immigrant-based variant of your classic “Get Off My Land” movie. Party A tells Party B to get off their land. Party B refuses to get off said land. Conflict ensues. The stereotype is that “GOML” would traditionally be said by a man with a Southern accent holding a shotgun. Here at least it’s some different ethnic groups.

Blood Red appears to be an oddity in the careers of most of the people involved. It might be worth checking out just to see them all interacting in a low-budget Western setting, but on the whole, Blood Red seems a bit lackluster.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Hitman's Run (1999)

Hitman's Run (1999)-*1\2

Directed by: Mark L. Lester

Starring: Eric Roberts, Estaban Powell, Brent Huff, Damian Chapa, Farrah Forke, Robert Miano, and C. Thomas Howell













Former hitman Tony Lazorka (Roberts) (how do they come up with these names?) is now living as a happily married family man in the suburbs of L.A. He thinks he’s far from his past, having worked has a hired killer for mob boss Dominic Catania (Miano), but when yet another “Disk” (as in, “we’ve got to get The Disk! - which we’ve all seen so many times before) surfaces that contains other people in the witness protection program, Lazorka must team up with annoying punk kid Brian (Powell) to save his father, and Lazorka’s kidnapped family. And what do FBI agents Tom (Howell) and Randall (Huff) have to do with all this intrigue? Will Lazorka be successful?

This movie is very, very dumb. That’s not necessarily an insult - there are varying degrees of dumb. There’s dumb dumb, there’s just plain bad dumb, there’s funny dumb, etc. Luckily, Hitman’s Run falls into the “yeah, it is very dumb but there are plenty of unintentional (probably) laughs” category...but there are some major caveats here - read on...

Eric Roberts is definitely a major meathead in this one. His hair, clothing and demeanor are all very silly, and he strongly resembles Antonio Banderas, especially from Assassins (1995). Don’t forget, Roberts also plays an assassin here. Why the filmmakers decided to use a dud like Assassins as their template for greatness is somewhat puzzling. During all the blow-ups and shooting, the bad guys constantly have terrible aim and Lazorka’s is always right-on. Sure, that’s fairly common I suppose, but there are a lot of just hilariously implausible scenarios on show here (again, not necessarily a negative).

And while C. Thomas Howell looks like a young kid here, this was actually released three years after the great The Sweeper (1996), where he plays a macho tough guy. It really shows his range. This movie could have used more Howell. Brent Huff and Damian Chapa are also on display, and it’s nice to see them, as well as fan favorite Robert Miano. Unfortunately, the movie makes a major mistake with the kid. Why, again, would the filmmakers use such poor judgment in thinking any audience any where would like this irritating punk, much less not want to twist his stupid head off like a bottlecap, remains unknown. All he does is spout grating cliches, or, when Lazorka is doing his action stuff, say “Whoa!” and things like that. Sure, the kid from American Ninja 5 (1993) did the same thing, but he was a kid. As an older teen, he has no excuse. We’d love to know what the writers were thinking with this Poochie-like decision. Importantly, he also wears a sleeveless sweater throughout the whole movie. A SLEEVELESS SWEATER. Who even knew they existed?

Hitman’s run is fairly cartoony and could have used some grit. Then just dump the kid and have Eric Roberts go on a solo revenge mission to save his family. THEN Hitman’s Run would really have something. But the quality is junky, and the unnecessary addition of the stupid punk kid really sinks things.

We all love Eric Roberts, and all the other names in the cast as well, and the aforementioned dumbness alone is no big deal, but, married to the addition of the kid, Hitman’s Run might be very trying to the patience of viewers. When the dumbness is the SAVING GRACE of the movie, there’s a definite problem.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

Also check out our buddies Direct To Video Connoisseur and Eric Roberts: Our Movies reviews!

Best Of The Best 2 (1993)

Best Of The Best 2 (1993)-* * *1\2

Directed by: Robert Radler

Starring: Eric Roberts, Phillip Rhee, Chris Penn, Sonny Landham, Ralf Moeller, Meg Foster, Simon Rhee, and Wayne Newton









Now here’s a classic! In this lovably absurd sequel to Best of the Best (1989), illegal, underground Punchfighting matches are taking place in a secret club called The Coliseum. The front is a Las Vegas dance club called The Stock Exchange, but behind the scenes, “Gladiator Fights” are taking place (remember, at this time, the TV show American Gladiators was huge). Specifically, fighters dress up in absurd outfits and pummel each other to death. The star of the show is the arrogant, powerful and unbeatable soulless automaton Brakus (Moeller).

When the likable Travis Brickley (Penn) dies at the hands of the nefarious Brakus, only fellow fighter Alex Grady, his young son, inexplicably named Walter (Gross), and of course Tommy Lee (Rhee) can get to the bottom of this illegal Punchfighting operation. To do this, they head out to the desert so James (Landham) can help them train. Oh, and one more thing...WAYNE NEWTON is the head of this evil hydra.

Only in the early 90’s could a mix of utter silliness and brutal violence come together like this. Not only that, but we feel this movie was instrumental in promoting the Punchfighting genre. The Best of the Best series was surprisingly popular in video stores and on cable channels, and many people first got their taste of Punchfighting because of them. So for that, they deserve a lot of credit. Additionally, this was a time in which filmmakers felt that they should get quality actors and teach them to fight, instead of the other way around. That they should get Eric Roberts and Chris Penn, instead of any old meathead. And at least here, the formula works great.

And when we think “action movies” we immediately think “Wayne Newton”. Newton is a showbiz professional and gives his all here, and he, for whatever reason, really seems to care. he gives an energetic, big performance, and his presence sets the movie apart and makes it really enjoyable.  And while it’s great to see Chris Penn, Wayne Newton, Walter the kid (who looks more like a 35 year-old stunted adult), who loves his Tetris, and Eric Roberts, complete with his tomato apron, AND Phillip Rhee, Sonny Lanham, Meg Foster and Nicholas Worth, lest we forget....BRAKUS?

The writers of this movie must really be proud that they came up with the name Brakus, because it is said a minimum of 36 times throughout the movie. Ralf Moeller plays the classic German baddie, and a lot of Best of the Best 2 is lifted from Rocky IV (1985). The invincible Teutonic muscleman is the antagonist, and our heroes must go out into the wilderness to train to beat him (why are Phillip Rhee’s relatives Indians for some reason?), and of course the parallels between Apollo Creed and Travis Brickley.

There are many funny bits, Eric Roberts seems tipsy (if not drunk) throughout the movie, and all is well and good, but even as lovable as it is, it is a bit overlong. If the movie had been chopped down by about 10-15 minutes, we’d be dealing with an even bigger classic. But this is one David and Goliath tale that can certainly withstand multiple viewings.

Featuring the memorable title song by Mark Free, Best of the Best 2 just narrowly makes it into the ranks of a must-see.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

The Expendables (2010)

The Expendables (2010)-* * *1\2

Directed by: Sylvester Stallone

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Eric Roberts, Jet Li, Steve Austin, Gary Daniels, Giselle Itié, Dolph Lundgren, David Zayas, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger














The Expendables is the most macho movie ever made. From the metallic-looking credits on down, the screen pretty much oozes testosterone.

Barney Ross, Lee Christmas, Yin Yang, Toll Road, Hale Caesar, and Gunner Jensen (Stallone, Statham, Li, Couture, Crews, and Lundgren respectively) are an underground A-Team of sorts who go all over the world doing the hard jobs that no other teams of mercenaries will do. When it is discovered that evil South American dictator General Garza (Zayas) is a puppet for rogue CIA agent James Munroe (Roberts), the team are sent in to clean up the mess (i.e. create a bigger mess by creating countless deaths and explosions) by a mysterious man named Mr. Church (Willis).

When Barney falls in love with the dictator's daughter Sandra (Giselle Itié) and she is kidnapped by the Munroe's goons The Brit (Daniels) and the very imposing Dan Paine (Austin)... get ready to party like it's 1986 as The Expendables hearkens back to the glory days of action cinema. Even Stallone's vehicles (car and plane) are reminiscent of the classic Cobra (1986), as are Garza's soldiers. 

Roberts plays the slimy Munroe with aplomb. He gets the classic final villain speech we all want to hear. Let's not forget our favorite governor Arnold: He is basically the comic relief with his jokey cameo and prerequisite funny name (Trench). It would have been fun to see Willis character to return one more time to angrily bellow "This wasn't part of the deal!" or some line like that but sadly, that is not to be.

We're so used to seeing these faces on the small screen, it was a real treat to see them in the theater. They truly deserve it. Eric Roberts, Dolph Lundgren and Gary Daniels in the same scene? Oh yeah! We also get to see a one-on-one fight between Dolph and Jet Li for the first time ever. And Gary Daniels vs. Jet Li and Statham. In the theater!



The pairings of all the different fan-favorites is pretty mind-boggling. Of course, with an international cast such as this it becomes hard to understand what some of them are saying - when Stallone and Li talk it's hard to understand, and when Couture talks you don't want to understand. But to counteract his Dale "Apollo" Cook-style delivery, we have Mickey Rourke on hand as the token "good actor" who gets a heartfelt monologue. For a movie with so many characters, it was very well done how each got a nice backstory and it never got confusing at all.




God bless Stallone - he couldn't have delivered this at a better time. What the world needs now is more tough, take-no-prisoners action. Not more sissy junk involving "facebook". This movie is the antidote to "Eat Pray Love". To quote The Simpsons, this is more like "Beat Slay Shove". Another good thing about the movie is it has no stupid kids or teenagers. 

When Jason Statham is the YOUNGEST person in the group, we get mature, professional action. Stallone is known for giving his characters funny names and here he really goes to town. You thought Driven's Joe "The Hummer" Tanto was funny...He also includes another of his trademarks - ripped from the headlines topicality. Like the plot of Rambo III (1988) involving Afghanistan, here we have Somali pirates and a clear analogue to crimson-shirted cretin Hugo Chavez.



If there is a downside to The Expendables, it is the use of CGI. CGI sucks and it takes away from the old-school feel we love. It's not entirely dependent on it, but when it was there, we felt it was unwelcome.

Back in the golden age, any one of the cast members could have sold a movie. It is a sad comment on movies today that it took a ton of producers and EVERY major action star just to get the project off the ground. How can they top this if they want to do it again?

It has all the clichés we know and love, just on a bigger scale. Abandoned warehouses, neck-snapping the villains, the line "we've got company", exploding guard towers and many, many more. The first 20 lines said by our heroes (and throughout the film) are fun clichés and soundbites. This isn't a complaint. Perhaps a certain appreciation for action movies is needed to truly understand what's going on here. Anyone who trashes this movie simply doesn't get action movies or their significance. They should go back to poking Twi-hards on facebook, or some such moronic twaddle.




Truly a movie for the fans, The Expendables delivers the goods with a once-in-a-lifetime cast. See it!

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Fugitive Among Us (1992)

Fugitive Among Us (1992)-* * *

Directed by: Michael Toshiyuki Uno

Starring: Eric Roberts, Peter Strauss, Elizabeth Pena, and Lauren Holly








Fugitive Among Us is a pretty good mystery\drama. Peter Strauss plays a Cop On The Edge. He wants to catch a really brutal criminal played by the always awesome Eric Roberts. I liked that that this movie was more of a drama. It doesn't have any action or need any. It's the tough performances that makes it good. There are some slow moments, but both the Strauss and Roberts characters are both interesting enough to carry over the boring parts.

Any movie with Eric Roberts is great. He will always be better than his sister. Who cares if she has an Oscar, Eric always puts in a quality performance.

Comeuppance review by: Ty

Endangered Species (2002)

Endangered Species (2002)-* *

Directed By: Kevin Tenney

Starring: Eric Roberts, John Rhys-Davies, and Arnold Vosloo













It looks like Velocity Home Entertainment does some of the editing of the movies they release on home video because they all look the same. In "Mafioso: The Father, The Son" the editing of the violence or any sort of action is sped up to make it look "cool". The same goes with "Endangered Species". The DVD box art is not only horrible but misleading. There's a monster on the cover, even though it's about aliens.

Direct To Video legend Eric Roberts is a detective figuring out who is killing people in spas and gyms. The plot is ridiculous, the special effects are laughable. The chase scene in this movie is so inept and badly edited that all you can do is stare at the screen in disbelief. Look out for a scene which features the aforementioned "Fast Motion" to make a car chase seem much faster than it really is. However, the editors fail to notice a man out for his evening stroll whose power walk has now reached epic proportions. He went from a middle-aged dork to Usain Bolt in a matter of seconds thanks to the editors.

If you want to laugh, rent it now!


Comeuppance Review by: Ty

Stiletto Dance (2001)

Stiletto Dance (2001) -* * *

Directed By: Mario Azzopardi

Starring: Eric Roberts and Yaphet Kotto










We all know the truth: Eric Roberts is Awesome! Come on, admit it. I'm a big fan of the man. Julia sucks. Eric is better.

Stiletto Dance is about a cop named Kit Adrian (Roberts) who infiltrates the Russian mob, only to be swept up in a deadly love triangle with Lena (Lucie Laurier) and his partner.

The movie is a lot of fun. It has everything: pervasive swearing, brutal Russian mob violence and a cool performance from the master of Ham: Eric Roberts! Yaphet Kotto makes an appearance as the chief of police. His role is made up of exposition, but he puts in his usual professionalism.


Comeuppance Review by: Ty

The Alternate (2000)

The Alternate (2000) -* *

AKA: Agent Of Death

Directed By: Sam Firstenberg

Starring: Eric Roberts, Bryan Genesse, Larry Manetti, Michael Madsen, and Ice-T









Watch out for this company:



If you watch a lot of Direct-To-Video flicks like me, the company pops up a lot. They make on-the-cheap knockoffs of Die Hard (1988) and monster flicks like Octopus 2: River Of Fear (2001).

The Alternate is no exception. For the millionth time, John McClane....I mean "The Replacement" (Roberts) has to foil a plot to stop terrorists from killing the Prez. Michael Madsen plays the Reginald VelJohnson part as the agent on the ground. All he does is bark orders and waits to tuck into the craft service table. Bryan Genesse plays the terrorist leader. He's okay. Eric Roberts is his usual self as the hero. The action scenes are ripped off from Die Hard wholesale. The scene with Eric hanging on to a building, and the climax. I'm surprised there wasn't any stock footage. Ice-T pops up to make a cameo. He reads his lines off the cue card like the pro he is.

Sam Firstenberg is also the director of the Michael Dudikoff classic American Ninja (1985).

Overall, The Alternate isn't bad, It was just written with no personality.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty

The Immortals (1995)

The Immortals (1995) -* * *

Directed By: Brian Grant

Starring: Eric Roberts, Chris Rock, Joe Pantoliano, Clarence Williams III, Kevin Bernhardt, William Forsythe, Tia Carrere, and Tony Curtis









The Immortals looks like the usual heist thriller but it's not. Jack (Roberts) assembles a team of thieves to rob money from different parts of town and it leads up to the double cross of gangster Dominick Baptiste (Curtis). On the outset it looks the thieves have nothing in common except one thing....which I can't reveal because it's pretty original for a direct to video action movie. Speaking of action, it never stops. If you like bloody gunfights, this is your movie. It was a good idea to cast Tony Curtis. He classes up the movie. Eric Roberts is excellent as usual. William Forsythe, Joe Pantoliano, and Tia Carrere as the thieves step up to the plate and give it their all in the roles. Chris Rock, on the other hand, looks confused to why he's in the movie.

 The Immortals is worth watching for the different plot twist and non-stop bloody action.




Comeuppance Review by: Ty