Riot

This movie is not about the riot; the riots are simply something that provides a distraction that allows a kidnapping to occur. I suppose it is not any more stupid than similar action movies, but it sure is stupid if you are expecting a realistic view of the riots.

It is opportunistic in that it uses the riots to make us think it is interesting and worthwhile. The riots were not a good solution and will not be a good solution to problems, but this movie does not show any of the desperation and other social influences that caused the riots. In this movie, the only purpose of the riot is to provide the opportunity to make the black people the enemy.

It is racist because nearly all the black people are the bad guys.

There is a military influence to the story, and that makes the plot more complicated, but that does not help much.

Today we have the PM gem Riot - a film that takes place during the "Christmas Eve Riots". Shane Alcott (Daniels) is a former SAS soldier in America to train U.S. forces. All he wants to do on Christmas eve is do a little training, rescue the neighbor kids Sue and Johnny after Johnny stupidly puts a microwave pizza in the oven while still in the box, and have a beer at the local hangout with his buddy Maj. Williams (Leonard). But OH no, Shane can't get a moment's peace. During the riots ravaging the city, an evil gang of Crips, working in conjunction with the IRA (bet you never thought you'd see that combination) kidnaps Anna Lisa Gray (Rowland), the daughter of Ambassador Gray (Ron Barker), and love interest of Shane. So, Shane ventures into this urban war zone to rescue the girl. With some help from his compatriot Williams, Shane must battle an army of street thugs, Crips and IRA, led by the sinister Bryan O'Flaherty (Kilpatrick). Will Shane prevail? Riot's plot is as standard as they come - action hero must rescue the girl - but it is cloaked in the device of the "Riot". PM, staying attuned to the times, was obviously trying to capitalize on the L.A. Riots, Rodney King riots, and the riots that occur every time the Lakers win or lose any of their games. Throw in some elements from The Warriors (1979), Escape From New York (1981), and Jungleground (1995) with Roddy Piper, add Gary Daniels and Voila - you have a movie perfect for the direct to video market.

Additionally, the solid B-movie cast helps things a lot. Patrick Kilpatrick is dependable in anything we've seen him in, and the puzzling, but successful casting of Sugar Ray Leonard of all people works because he's a great counterpart to Daniels in the fight scenes. Daniels' style is more Asian-influenced, while Leonard brings the boxing flair. Dex Elliott Sanders as the evil Leon "Shy Boy" Hughes is also worth mentioning . And let's not forget Charles Napier cast once again in a nothing role as a commander, this time named Devaney. The cast tries to bring as much emotion as possible to the proceedings. But really, the film is non-stop action. The desolate urban landscape with its burnt-out cars provides a great obstacle course for our hero. Some of the stunt scenes are absolutely amazing and the people that worked on them deserve all the accolades in the world. Special mention goes to the scene towards the end where a bunch of baddies on motorbikes attack Shane. PM outdid themselves on that one.

Another thing PM was trying to do here is explore the so-called "urban" markets (this also includes the Master P-helmed No Tomorrow and Hot Boyz - both 1999). Racial tensions are played up in the film, but what the audience really wants to see is Gary Daniels do what he does best. In this case, it's decimating entire baseball and hockey teams with his awesome moves. Also the audience wants to watch Sugar Ray Leonard pilot a helicopter. And speaking of giving the audience what they want, it is worth noting that the kid from the beginning, Johnny, has a framed picture of a hamburger on his wall. If you can explain this, please write in today.

For a Christmas-themed action-packed thrill ride, look no further than Riot.

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This TV Movie is one of many aimed towards the martial-arts action market, the type that goes straight to video and has clearly been done on a budget, but can nevertheless be reviewed critically. Riot sets out to do one thing: provide a platform for the butt-kicking skills of its star, Gary Daniels. He may not be Robert De Niro in the acting stakes but within his own domain, that of the B-list actioner, he is king of all he surveys.

The "plot": When his ex-fiancé, the daughter of the city's (we don't know which) British ambassador is kidnapped in an inner city riot zone on Christmas Eve, stateside stationed SAS man Shane Allcott has to come to the rescue by delivering the money to her ransomers. In doing so he comes face to face with his past, in the form of IRA terrorists.

I would imagine that fans of this kind of low budget action fest would not go far wrong with Riot. I do not count myself in their number, but sticking with this film for its 80 minutes was no chore, especially given some very competently made stunts, fight sequences, and chases. These are especially good when they are taken seriously, because at times the film can be quite powerful, specifically the scene where Sugar Ray Leonard's character falls from Shane Allcott's (Daniels) grip and onto the pavement some twenty storeys below. Seeing that sequence was a real surprise in what I took to be a mindless action fest, and showed that even in simple or even plain silly movies, you can get great moments of film. Many of the scenes in the film have a nightmarish and excited feel, as the viewer is taken into the heart of the riot zone with Allcott. That part was well done, but unfortunately the rest of the film is a mixed bag.

Realism seems to have been sacrificed for simplicity, as the writers take the complex dynamic of the conflict between the SAS and IRA and turn it into a bunch of caricatures of various stereotypes, especially in the case of the two main villains the (get this) o'Flaherty brothers, Brian and Paddy. One of them even looks like Vernon Wells in Commando. You would not find a more clichéd stereotype in an Irish theme bar. Same goes for the black gang members in the riot zone, who are built up as running things on a racial ideology, despite the very obvious multi-ethnic nature of the rioters. Although the fight scenes are well done, any pretence that the IRA are represented accurately must surely be dispensed with. The acting is generally good, with the exception of Paige Rowland, who should have been blacklisted for her attempts. The film at times feels like a cheap spoof, but as I mentioned it does have its moments, and these are when Gary does what he does best - flex his muscles and dispatch armies of villains.

All the action is handled well, not surprisingly as this is a specialist production by an experienced team. The climax is well done on a technical level, but lacks the spectacle which a few camera angles could have changed. Charles Napier, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Dex Elliot Sanders all put in good performances, but in Napier's case this is just for a cameo. I'll ignore the lack of logic in the plot and accept this is a made for video Gary Daniels action flick.

In all, fans of this type of thing will feel at home. Anyone else, if they can put aside the simplicity of this picture, may find something they like too.

5.5/10

While RIOT has absolutely nothing new to offer for the tiresome and tedious action genre, this film does sport a few incredible and breathtaking action sequences that puts this film a few light years ahead of the usual low-budget junk.

On Christmas Eve, 1999, in Florida, full grown teenage racial riots have sparked everywhere... Windows are shattered, lives are devastated, and the national guard cannot do anything that is remotely close to detaining the anarchy.

Amid the violence and the nonstop chaos comes a ruthless, merciless enemy, the IRA. These twisted souls have just kidnapped the daughter (Paige Rowland) of a powerful and popular British ambassador. Working in collusion with some of the street gangs in Florida, the IRA demands a heavy ransom of over 1 million dollars plus from both the United States and British governments, or else, they will return the Ambassador's daughter...mutilated to pieces...

Enter a tough officer and kick-boxing martial artist Shane Alcott (Gary Daniels) along with his buddy, Major Williams (former boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard). They must save the British Ambassador's daughter and soon-to-be Alcott's betroth from beneath all that rubble and consummate destruction in the city. Alcott must kick his way into enemy territory, but to Alcott, he has an old score to settle with the terrorist group, the IRA...

RIOT is an enjoyable film which is big on action and stunts. This movie has its share of car crashes, shoot-outs, explosions, martial arts, and people burned alive. However, RIOT lacks that magic, which is a cohesive plot, that is suppose to keep this film from collapsing under its own weight. RIOT has substantive performances from Daniels, Leonard, and the villains, but this is one of those "been there, done that" type action movies. If you've seen one, you've seen them all...

Evidently, there are no salient features in this movie, RIOT, but it's still worth a look. The escape from an exploding helicopter is a highlight and the nighttime motorcycle chase scene is also well done. Gary Daniels fighting against several roller blade assassins is also fun, exciting and achieved pretty well.

Director Joseph Merhi and producer Richard Pepin, two prolific filmmakers who specialize in making "made-for-video" movies have a gift for designing solid, above average action vehicles. These films, made exclusively for the video market are short on plot, but long on excitement. RIOT is a film that has also done its best to convey a message about the consequences of racial tensions and hatred escalating into shambles. RIOT is a proficiently made, fast-paced movie which is perhaps too cliché at times...

RATING: ** out of ****.

As far as straight to video action films go, this is superb and is worth adding to your DVD collection, particularly if you are a fan of the other titles from PM Entertainment.

If you are a fan of hard-edged action films like "The Warriors" and "Judgment Night", then you will certainly appreciate the concept of this film. It is basically an on-foot chase movie through deserted streets, punctuated by superb martial arts choreography and action scenes. You will have to be forgiving of the acting in the film, which is quite atrocious and usually commonplace in straight to video fare, but most of the performances are done "tongue in cheek" which makes for a very fun night in! Gary Daniels has never been a very good actor, but he certainly looks great and has nice charisma. But what counts in a film like this is the action and it's fantastic, although maybe a notch down from PM's best work. This is understandable though, because it is more martial arts orientated, as opposed to their usual demolition derby style films.

The martial arts are superb and there is one amazing scene where Gary Daniels single handedly takes on numerous guys on motorbikes. It is quite reminiscent of the finale of "Drive"! The stunts are breathtaking and Joseph Merhi shows off some of his best editing yet, with well-timed cuts of people smashing through panes of glass or hitting the ground violently. The explosions are fantastic and prove why PM are the best in the business for blowing shite up! Cars don't just ignite, they flip over and land dangerously next to actors.

So watch with low expectations and remember that it is very low budget and you will have a great time. Get the DVD, its only $6.99!