Cover-Up

One of the worst movies ever made, Manny Coto has nothing to do with what is called film art. Dolph Lundgren, Louis Gossett Jr. and all the other "actors" are just ... sorry. If you watch it at the cinema, you will want to kill the cashier to get your money back on the ticket. If you watch it at home, on the video cassette, DVD or Blu Ray, you will want to break the TV or/and destroy the player. A waste of time!

Mike Anderson (Dolph Lungren) is an ex-marine reporter sent by the LA time to Tel Aviv to investigate the recent bombing of a US army base. There he meets his mate Cooper, who has now hooked up with Mike's ex. Mike sense that something isn't right with this attack, and he's right. A nerve gas has been stolen that can kill up to a square mile of people and it seems a shadowy group called Black October have stolen it. Mike sets out to find out what's up with the whole deal, and just exactly what Lou Gossett Junior has to do with it all.

Low on action but high in covert shenanigans, Cover Up is helped greatly by the fact that Lungren, unlike a lot of action stars, is also quite a likable actor to boot. Here he doesn't have too much to do except snoop around, avoid the CIA, and avoid being killed by assassins, but he does find time to sleep with his widowed ex, get into a car chase, and seemingly get into a very violent fight with an actor who greatly resembles Italian b-movie star John Stiener (who, in some sort of time slip, travelled forward in time from a movie set in Rome to kick Dolph's head in - weird).

There's your usual double and triple crosses, plus, for an action hero, Dolph really takes his licks here. I liked it for what it was, and when violence appears it's quite strong. Not bad for something to pass the time.

Reporter and former marine Mike Anderson (Lundgren) investigates following a deadly assault on a US military base which the CIA attributes to a terrorist organisation. However, with a powerful weapon missing, Mike believes something more sinister is afoot and soon finds himself coming face-to-face with an old foe, CIA man Lou Jackson (Gossett Jr), with the lives of thousands of people at stake.

Action-wise, 'Cover Up' is quite limited. A a couple of explosions, a couple of punch-ups and a decent car chase, that's it. It's more of a thriller with some drama and intrigue. Lundgren gets to play a slightly different type of character, and acts quite well; his interplay with Louis Gossett Jr. Is good. There's some good scenery, and a surprising twist at the end, but the film lacks pace, it's a bit too dullish, unexciting and talky - needed more punch, however it was slightly diverting with its intrigue and Lundgren's performance. Otherwise it's not something I would watch again in a hurry. A one time watch I would say.

This is a fairly well written and involving thriller. Unfortunately its good early work is slightly let down by either obvious or absurd twists in the final 15 minutes. Before the slightly disappointing ending the film moves along nicely, and the script is developing well, while there aren't too many B-movie cliches, such as the obligatory sex scene, between a recently widowed woman and the central character. This was Dolph Lundgrens first real move away from the action genre and he gives his first decent lead performance, he has more than 3 lines of dialogue as well, but he does fairly well. The film unfortunately looks very cheap but the direction from Manny Coto is functional and well paced, while the action scenes are good, including a trademark Vic Armstrong car chase. ***

Great rainy day film, and a gem from this period.

Not sure about the low ratings -- this is a solid action movie, and more, it's far more intelligent than a lot of similar movies from that time. An interesting, rather complex plot, and it's good and dark, something many of those other films lack.

I really liked the ending as well, not really what one expects from this kind of film and the final shot is quite memorable.

As far as this era of action films go, its an 8. In the bigger picture, still gets a six from me for being above average. Which is saying a lot, because most of these 80's/90's mercenary/military movies are 4's.

I first saw this on a tape of old cheesy movies a friend had made when they were a kid, and was surprised and thoroughly enjoyed it. I remember being quite creeped out during a scene where you see the effects of a deadly nerve gas on people. Check it out.