The Pandora Project (1998)

The Pandora Project (1998)- * * *

Directed by: Jim Wynorski

Starring: Daniel Baldwin, Erika Elaniak, Tony Todd, Bo Jackson, and Richard Tyson

When William Stenwick (Tyson) steals a newfangled laser weapon from the military and attempts to sell it for big bucks on the black market, Captain John Lacy (Baldwin) snaps into action. CIA Director Houtman (Todd) chose Lacy for the "track down and stop Stenwick" mission because Lacy and Stenwick have a past. Former friends and now rivals, Lacy is now chasing Stenwick from Colombia to Los Angeles in order to retrieve the laser (i.e. "The Pandora Project"). Lacy is doubly under the gun because he's due to marry "GNN" news anchor Wendy Lane (Eleniak) in just a few days. Can he save the day in time to get to the chapel with his longtime love? Or will the Pandora Project destroy us all? Don't be too afraid to find out...

We know what you're thinking. The President of the United States is a character in this movie. Bo Jackson is in this movie. We regret to inform you that Bo Jackson does not play the President in The Pandora Project. We thought we'd get that out of the way right off the bat so no one's hopes got too high. Jackson plays a soldier named Manson who comes and goes so quickly, it's almost at Bear-level proportions.

But the good news is, we were pleasantly surprised by The Pandora Project. Rather than be yet another plane slog, there's actually very little dogfighting and plane footage in the film. It does fit fairly comfortably among its late-90's ilk, such as Desert Thunder (1999), Black Thunder (1998), Stealth Fighter (1999), Active Stealth (1999), Tactical Assault (1998), and Surface to Air (1998), etc., etc., etc. Some of the above may or may not have also starred Daniel Baldwin. But The Pandora Project is probably among the best of these types of these Jim Wynorski or Fred Olen Ray-made DTV military outings that use footage from other movies (in this case it's Clear and Present Danger). In other words, it's not really a plane slog at all. The dialogue is a bit better than usual and there are some good characterizations by the B-actors we all know and love.


Richard Tyson is much more charismatic here than he usually is. He wears different Hawaiian shirts throughout the film, as well as a baseball cap. He's your classic wisecracking villain. In the beginning it seems like he commands a cadre of ninjas, but those are just his helpers in Delta Force-esque outfits. Most of the time, it's just Tyson as a solo baddie, which is more than enough this time around. The presence of Eleniak was welcome, as always, but she should have done more. Her part was a bit too small.

Tony Todd has a commanding presence and a voice that you really want to pay attention to. His name in the film, Houtman, is markedly similar to Trautman, and he always wants to know what the action man in the field, Lacy, is up to. Hmmm...


Speaking of Baldwin, he has a Corey Hart-esque spiky brush cut, and he gives hope to those among the population who may be a bit on the chunky side but who still want to get into the fight, be physical, and be the hero. Interestingly, his military code name in the film is Avatar. The planet that the movie Avatar (2009) takes place on is Pandora. Looks like a certain James Cameron was watching The Pandora Project.

Most of the fight/action scenes are very, very stupid (although in more-or-less a good way). The laser scenes are also pretty amusing, and the whole idea that the laser will kill someone, and instead of incinerating them into a pile of ashes, they're just lying there with their eyes closed without a scratch on them never failed to provide a few laffs.


In the end, The Pandora Project is one of the better - or, should we say, more entertaining - entries in this particular DTV subgenre. In other words, don't be afraid of watching it if you come across it. Be sure to stay tuned for the after-credits sequence as well.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Enemy Territory (1987)

Enemy Territory (1987)- * * *

Directed by: Peter Manoogian

Starring: Gary Frank, Ray Parker Jr., Tony Todd, Deon Richmond, Stacey Dash, and Jan-Michael Vincent












Barry (Frank), a New York City-based insurance salesman, has been down on his luck lately. But when his boss offers him a policy with a potentially large commission, he jumps at the chance. The only problem is, he must go into the Lincoln Towers, a frightening, dilapidated housing project not exactly friendly and welcoming to his kind (i.e., White outsiders). However, feeling he has nothing really to fear, and needing the money, he goes into the towers. 

But it’s not long until Barry discovers that the buildings are controlled by a street gang known as The Vampires, led by an intimidating psycho known as The Count (Todd). His gang members are extremely loyal to him, and when he sends out the order to kill “The White Ghost”, as well as a kind Vietnam vet helping him survive, Will Jackson (Parker Jr.), who the gang calls “The Blood Traitor”, all hell breaks loose. With the assistance of Toni Briggs (Dash) and another Vietnam vet, Parker (JMV), the frazzled Barry is going to learn, over the course of one hellish night, that there are some things in life more valuable than money. Will he ever escape ENEMY TERRITORY?

Enemy Territory is an under-appreciated gem that seemingly got lost in the video store shuffle. More people need to seek this movie out: it’s engaging, intense, and completely worth seeing. Sadly, it was one of Ray Parker Jr.’s only major film acting roles. He probably found it to be an easy transition from serenading us about ghosts to fighting Vampires. 

He even predates John McClane in being a barefoot hero in a high-rise. But the movie as a whole isn’t a knockoff of Die Hard (1988), like so many others were at this time. Try to imagine a cross between The Warriors (1979), Chains (1989), Dead End City (1988), Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), Tenement (1985) and The Raid (2011). And coincidentally, Tony Todd would return to the projects with Candyman (1992). So while the movie suffers from the common problem of slowing down a bit and getting a tad repetitive pre-climax, on the whole it’s a solid, absorbing winner.

Plus, this was to mark the first and only time RPJ met JMV. Vincent puts in what is honestly one of his best performances of his that we’ve seen to date. He seems angry and focused, and not at all drunk. His role is cool, that of an embittered, wheelchair-bound Vietnam vet who is heavily armed (even his wheelchair is tricked out with weaponry, which, needless to say, is awesome). He even calls Barry “jerk meat”, which must be a distant cousin to Judd Nelson’s immortal “Jerk Beef” of a few years later. JMV is always the trendsetter. Speaking of Barry, Frank did an excellent job in the role, but we also feel Judge Reinhold could have played that part. But then again, Crackerjack 2 (1997) proves that the man can do literally anything.

Featuring some great, un-PC dialogue and box art that features the WTC towers prominently, Enemy Territory is from another time in history. A time when movies were actually good. The film has a lot to offer and should be more widely seen. We recommend it.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

Also check out a write-up from our buddy, Cool Target!

Excessive Force (1993)

Excessive Force (1993)-* * *

Directed by: Jon Hess

Starring: Thomas Ian Griffith, Lance Henriksen, Tony Todd, Charlotte Lewis, W. Earl Brown, Burt Young and James Earl Jones











Terry McCain (Griffith) is a Chicago cop who is pretty much on the edge. A member of the Tactical Narcotics Unit, he’s obsessed with taking down the slick mobster drug dealer Sal DiMarco, who, like John Gotti, seems to be made of “Teflon” and always manages to avoid jail time. During a shootout with the DiMarco mob, three million dollars in a suitcase goes missing. Naturally, DiMarco wants it back, and he assumes McCain and his team are behind the missing loot. So now the mobsters are after the cops, and McCain and his girlfriend (Lewis) must go on the run. Luckily Police Chief Devlin (Henriksen) has given McCain a wide berth to go off on his own (not necessarily “rogue”) and catch/punch/kick/kill the baddies. After some mild twists and turns in the plot, we see who is the true dispenser of EXCESSIVE FORCE.

The good news is, this is a movie that lives up to its title. There’s some hilariously, unnecessarily brutal violence, as if the writer (T.I.G. himself, interestingly enough) felt he HAD to live up to the title. Like he thought, “well, I already spent all day coming up with this title, better make sure the movie has an excessive amount of force”. Well played, Mr. Ian Griffith. Well played.

The real reason to watch this movie isn't Thomas Ian Griffith's constant roundhouse and jump kicks, but the killer cast! For starters, what is James Earl Jones doing here? This might make an action movie first: a Shakespearean actor on hand to play Jazz with Thomas Ian Griffith! Terry McCain is a pretty in-the-pocket Jazz pianist, just so you know. (McCain also has an earring, so you know he’s cool, long, greasy hair , resembles Christian TV evangelist Joel Osteen and might be a member of the Trenchcoat Mafia. Research is still being done).

 Then we have Lance Henriksen, doing his best as Devlin, Tony Todd as Frankie, again, struggling against some potential mediocrity and coming out quite well, the awesome Burt Young doing what he does best  - being Burt Young. The movie could have used more Burt. The presence of Charlotte Lewis as the model Anna Gilmour was appreciated. And of course all the lesser-known names in the cast performed admirably as well. 

Additionally, the Martial Arts Technical Advisor on the film was Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. Sadly he doesn’t appear on screen. So you have a much better than average cast for this sort of thing, which is nice, and they help to sell the more inane aspects of the plot without you even realizing it, because that’s what good actors do. And, yes, this movie is riddled with cliches, but for the most part they are the FUN cliches you want (You mean Terry McCain‘s use of excessive force is always getting him in trouble? No way!). Amazingly enough, this movie went to the theater! It never would today. Maybe the cast is part of the reason why.

But the movie is enjoyable, if not groundbreaking, and, yes, much of the brutality is fairly unwarranted, but this is EXCESSIVE FORCE people! While not nearly as violent as, say, Wardogs (1986), perhaps Griffith felt he went too far and didn’t want to be pigeonholed, so the follow-up, Ulterior Motives (1993), is less impactful. ‘Motives does not consistently and strongly follow up Excessive Force properly and a lot of steam was taken out of the T.I.G. train. That might explain why he isn’t really a household name, even among action movie fans.

For a fun beat/shoot ‘em up, try Excessive Force.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

The Prophecy: Forsaken (2005)

The Prophecy: Forsaken (2005) -* *

Directed By: Joel Soisson

Starring: Kari Wuhrer, Tony Todd, and Jason Scott Lee












The Prophecy: Forsaken is a step down from Uprising. The problem is that the movie is just too short. There's no reason for this movie to be 75 minutes. It had some good ideas and scenes but it didn't go anywhere.

Kari Wuhrer once again plays Allison. She still has to stop renegade angels from getting the "The Lexicon". This book contains the access to destroy the earth. Jason Scott Lee and Tony Todd play characters who try to stop her.

Kari Wuhrer does a decent job as Allison. Jason Scott Lee was OK. Tony Todd was fun, but he goes over the top.



In the end: It could have been way better. It's worth seeing once just to complete the series.



Comeuppance Review by: Ty

Sabotage (1996)

Sabotage (1996) -* * *1\2

Directed By: Tibor Takacs

Starring: Mark Dacascos, Carrie Anne-Moss, Graham Greene, Heidi Von Palleske, and Tony Todd



"The Dark Heart Of The Black Ops Beats To A Secret Agenda..."






Sabotage is a fantastic action movie. Michael Bishop (Dacascos) is an ex-army commando, who after almost getting killed, is asked to become a bodyguard for an arms dealer. After a routine pick-up at the airport, the dealer is killed by Sherwood (Todd), an assassin for the government. Bishop is blamed and he's on the run.



The plot description above doesn't do it justice. This movie is an action-packed thrill ride. This is one the first movies to use the "bullet time" effects. This was made three years before the The Matrix (1999). The whole cast does a great job. The standout is Tony Todd as Sherwood. He's so evil, you just want to kill him every time he's on screen. This is one of Dacascos' best movies. (Drive is another one of his Direct-To-Video classics).

There is a lot of energy and thought put into the action sequences. The ice rink fight and the climax are just so cool.

Sabotage is highly recommended!




Comeuppance Review by: Ty