You rent a movie like "Power Play" because you want to see people having sex and people getting shot--and if you're lucky, you also get a story with a sense of humor. "Power Play" is one of those lucky ones. It's direct-to-video fare, make no mistake about it, but it edges out its competition (such as, say, "Arrival II") by keeping tongue firmly in cheek and by embracing its genre with low-budget bravado.
Shannon Tweed stars as Jacquelyn Knight, a femme fatale who will do anything to scheme her way into piles of money. She hooks up with business tycoon Benjamin Alcott and makes off with $300,00--sending Benjamin's daughter Candy and her boyfriend Steve in hot pursuit. Inbetween plot developments, you get to watch a lot of naked people, check out a few crime-caper plot twists, and witness a couple of performances sufficiently atrocious that you wonder how these people ever decided "Hmm, maybe I should go into acting." You also generally have a good time.
One of the main recommendations of the movie is the actress who plays Candi. She's a Neve Campbell lookalike, but without those damn "no nudity" clauses that Neve makes sure are written into her contract. You have to appreciate a movie in which Candi says or does something that directly relates to the plot, and then decides to have sex on top of a nearby stove, which has nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. For a direct-to-video buff such as myself, this is "King Lear-style dramatic structure. Just imagine a really randy Cordelia.
It's also worth mentioning Shannon Tweed. It's clear why she continues to be cast in movies like this--she brings a sleek professionalism to her role. Writer/Director Chris Baugh also must be noted for a lively pace, using nicer visuals in the film than one normally tends to find in the genre, and for his minimalist script that occasionally zings with bits of choice comedy.
