Although I would have preferred to watch a higher calibre crime/thriller than Sunset Grill, I must admit I have seen a lot worse with a more influential cast than who were starring in Sunset Grill.
Peter Weller (best known for his role in Robo Cop) plays a hard drinking, chain-smoking, low end private investigator named Ryder Hart. There is only one thing Ryder loves more than his booze and cigarettes and that is his estranged wife Anita (played by ex Baywatch babe Alexandra Paul), who owns the restaurant bar Sunset Grill. Early in the film we witness Anita's murder by two thugs named Mule and Christian. So Ryder does what any private eye would do in his circumstances after finding out his wife was murdered, he goes out as a lone wolf to find Anita's killers.
Through Ryder's investigation he runs into a pretty eclectic cast of characters such as Stacy Keach who plays a multi millionaire named Harrison Shelgrove and his very pretty assistant named Loren (Played by Lori Singer) who eventually ends up in bed with Ryder. Now Mr. Shelgrove likes to boast to the press that he is on the brink of a huge medical/science discovery but to accomplish this task we find out that Shelgrove's clinic is harvesting human organs from illegal immigrants. Also involved in the illegal activity of capturing the illegal immigrants for organ harvesting is an Immigration agent named Stockton played by John Rhys-Davies. Stockton is being investigated by an FBI agent who is undercover named Joanna and she is played quite well by Kelly Jo Minter.
To add a bit of comedy relief to the storyline we also learn that Ryder used to be a cop and one of his partners was a guy named Lieutenant Jeff Carruthers (played by Michael Anderson Jr.) who just happens to be Ryder's estranged wife Anita's current boyfriend and Carruthers wants to marry Anita once Ryder signs off on the divorce papers. So when the two ex partners find out that Anita has been murdered they agree to join forces to find her killers.
Okay so the film will never win any awards for best screenplay, cinematography, musical score or best actor award but putting that all aside I did like the film for its simple enough plot, good cast of characters and for keeping the film interesting throughout. I give it a 6 out of 10 rating which may be a tad higher than deserved but since I watched the film 23 years after its initial release I can state that it has not lost any of its grit or wit.
