User reviews

Adam Ant rocked. He always does. Sharon Stone played Sharon Stone (I forgive her for her poor acting, the part was *horridly* written. She deserved better.) Jonathan Banks was fairly good as the evil Iceman (who comes up with these names??), but with better writing he would have been far more impressive. Bad writing sums this film up. And Brad Davis' flat acting and monotonous character didn't help the matter much. There were some really amusing scenes (including the battle with the drinks machine, and the bad fish episode;), and some really fun artillery. And of course, the red-blooded male in me enjoyed seeing the lovely Sharon Stone baring all in her pre-gravity days. But it wasn't enough to save this second-rate CHiPs wannabe. 4/10.

****SPOILERS**** Brad Davis, Johnny Modine, in a 1987 cop thriller set in LA with him looking for the killer of his dad Sam Modine, William Lanteau, and finds a whole lot more then he bargained for in the process.

The movie "Cold Steel" has the distinction of being the first and last film directed by Mario Puzo's, who wrote "The Godfather", daughter Dorothy Ann Puzo. Being a first-time directed film it isn't exactly a modern Film-Noir classic or top-flight police action drama but it is quite watchable. The pacing by Ann does move the movie along with a number of shoot outs and an incredible car chase scene that ends up, in of all places, at a racetrack. The final scene in the film with Johnny having it out with the bad-guy in the movie Jonathan Banks, Issac the Iceman, and his mob at the new LA Police Headquarters construction site is a real thriller. The climatic and exciting scene is as good as anything that you'll see in films similar to "Cold Steel" like "Die Hard".

Brad Davis though very likable in his role as policeman Johnny Modine is a bit off when it comes to being a tough and expert law enforcement officer.You can forgive Johnny early in the movie when he's a bit too aggressive with a robber he arrested at a grocery store in the police station. It was days after his father was murdered and Johnny wasn't exactly interested in following the law by the letter where a person is innocent until being proved guilty, as well as him only being the cop not the judge and jury. But Johnny falling for Kathy Connors, Sharon Stone, who walked into his life, or bar, and practically threw herself at him should have been something that Johnny should have been very suspicious of. Johnny should have known that the drop dead gorgeous looking Kathy wasn't exactly interested in his striking good looks as well as his very refined social graces. Johnny was almost on the floor slouching on a chair at the bar drunk when Kathy first met him.

It later turned out that Kathy had a very personal reason to get to know Johnny and become very friendly with him, and it wasn't love at first sight, in order to set him up for the kill by Issac who murdered his father. Sharon Stone has a much broader range of acting then you would have expected her to have in a B-movie like "Cold Steel" and showed the talent she had back then, in 1987, that later made her one of the top ranking actresses in motion pictures that she later became.

Everybody in the movie seemed to be really enjoying themselves in their roles and it showed on the screen with the film never bogging down and becoming boring. The big secret in the movie about Issac killing Johnnies father as well as Issac's connection with Kathy who's brother Eddie, Michael Warren, was a major factor in her allying herself with him. Kathy trying to kill Johnny was a bit strange and unusual but still interesting and did make sense, to Kathy at least.

Jonathan Banks' Issac was a better then average psycho drug addicted killer but the idea of giving him a gang, when he would have been better as a lone killer, who's job seemed to be committing robberies to get money to buy Issac drugs was a bit far fetched to say the least. The reason for that was because he didn't want anyone to see his face! That's what Issac kept saying over and over in the movie. If anyone did like Johnnies father and the Fishman, Ron Karabatsos, Issac murdered them as if he were some very well known and wanted criminal who would be recognized by anyone as soon as they saw him! Yet both Johnnies father and the Fishman, who were killed by him, had no idea who the heck Issac was when they saw him!

It was sad to see Brad Davis in one of his last movies before he died of AIDS in 1991 and realize what a great talent he was and how many good films and theater performances he would have giving the public had he lived. The movie "Cold Steel" is a fair and modest action film but it didn't give Brad, who did the best he could with his role in the movie, the opportunity to show the public the fine actor that he really was.

After his father is slashed to death on Christmas Eve, handsome Los Angeles policeman Brad Davis (as Johnny Modine) embarks on the inevitable. While pursuing meth-addicted Jonathan Banks (as Isaac), Mr. Davis gets sexy Sharon Stone (as Kathy Connors) to show a little skin. The hero is supported by buddy Jay Acovone (as Cookie) and former glam / new wave rocker Adam Ant (as Mick) helps the villain. A flashback reveals some violent silliness triggered the plot. We get a good chase scene, with plenty of crashing. "The Godfather" writer's rarely seen daughter Dorothy Ann Puzo directed.

***** Cold Steel (12/11/87) Dorothy Ann Puzo ~ Brad Davis, Sharon Stone, Jonathan Banks, Adam Ant

Brad Davis plays a cop here tracking down his fathers killer, and on occasion has various encounters with defiant vending machines. Jonathan Banks shows his versatility by giving the same dry performance were all accustomed to, despite an unusual vocal disposition. Oh, and then there's Sharon Stone,…no surprises here. Director Puzo tries to show some visual flair with gravity defying slow-motion car jump's, a la' Blues Brothers, and it comes off just as silly. The films sports cliché' locations and situations, routine acting, and the occasional twist here and there, but really, nothing ever leaves the realm of the status quo. Even the off-casting of Adam Ant couldn't help rise this mediocre entry above it's ilk.

This movie is an absolute must see for all true film fans. A wonderfully entertaining one and a half hour cliche fest. From the ludicrously over the top car chases, to the hackneyed dialogue, wholly predictable plot "twists" and diabolical attempts at comedy there's always something to laugh at (though never with). This film deserves to be a mainstay of drinking games, just go to one of the movie cliche websites, print off a list of the cop movie cliches and drink whenever one appears. If that's not enough to get you completely hammered you could always try downing your drink whenever Brad Davis's character seems to completely forget the fact that his father's just been murdered. Cold Steel is brilliant if enjoyed as a spoof or as a chance to get drunk. As a film, however...

0/5

Cold Steel is one of the most atrocious crime films I've ever seen. It's little more than a tv movie of the week with foul language, and it's badly written to boot. Sharon Stone ends Cold Steel with the immortal line, "I hate sushi". Perhaps 'screenwriter' Moe Quigley is one of Joe Eszterhas' biggest influences.

Avoid at all costs.

Thats what it received from critics and audiences alike . Except for the over the top violence quota, COLD STEEL is a revenge cop caper more suited to television than general release, which was at best - limited to say the least.

Jonathan Banks, a Frank Stallone look-alike of sorts, gives us a hammy performance as Iceman, who knocks off Brad Davis's dad who understandably then, carries a grudge against the knife-wielding maniac until the last scene.

Sharon Stone's contribution is negligible except for her figure and regularly thrust-forward breasts! Not a solitary viewer's life could be greatly enriched by watching this under-achiever of a movie.

Hackneyed dialogue, every cop show cliche you can think of, car chases that defy physics, a boom mike in the apartment, ill-timed "humorous" scenes, and a predictable ending. Adam Ant turns in a respectable performance but everyone else falls flat. See it if you're a diehard Sharon Stone fan but otherwise the movie offers nothing you haven't seen a hundred (thousand?) times before.

More resemblant of a '70s TV cop show, this revenge flick from Dorothy Ann Puzo [and this is her only attempt at celluloid, praise God] is truly wretched.

The always-excellent Brad Davis stars as a cop out to avenge his father's murder [at the hands of Jonathan Banks]; femme-almost-fatale Sharon Stone is the only other reason to watch this.

0 of 4 NiroStars

Sometimes those unknown flicks that seem straight-to-video or befitting a light night cable channel can actually work, like COLD STEEL, now billed as a Sharon Stone vehicle since her BASIC INSTINCT breakthrough, a cop action drama actually literally driven by MIDNIGHT EXPRESS actor Brad Davis as a cop whose father is murdered, and he wants revenge...

On the peripheral, looming in the antagonist spot is Iceman, a villain both living up to his name and the film's title...

Like any thug played by Jonathan Banks, fresh from BEVERLY HILLS COP only in charge this time and equally formidable, frightening and with a robotic voice-box in his throat, each pre-kill threat has a creepy and sinister vibe...

As Davis and his comic-relief partner venture from one near-death situation to the next, the suspense builds nicely, as does the action, in particular one car chase starting on the streets and winding up in the middle of a stock car race, about as good as any big venue mainstream action flick...

And he's chasing none other than 80's new wave icon Adam Ant as Iceman's hyperactive limey partner, and a pretty good actor, providing a terrific balance of overboard zany and lethal menace, as if this were his very own cult b-movie, with the line "I feel bigger with a trigger!"

And last but not least is Ms. Stone, whose gorgeous blond ingenue enters our hero's life so breezily you'll know there's something under her sleeve, and, okay fine, so it's not THE FRENCH CONNECTION: but for an unknown underdog cop thriller, this has bite.

This is the worst movie I've ever seen. It's so bad I found myself wondering if it was in fact a comedy instead of an action movie. Terrible acting.

Maverick Cop Johnny Modine's (Brad Davis) beloved father is brutally killed by a vicious gang of thugs headed by glacial sicko Iceman (Jonathan Banks), and Johnny vows to even the score, badge or no badge!!! A superb little 80s crime flick, Cold Steel remains a spunky, sharply honed revenge thriller, that is ably served by an exceptionally fine cast of gifted actors. Brad Davis, Sharon Stone, Jonathan Banks, Eddie Egan and Adam Ant are all on credible form in director Dorothy Ann Puzo's rumbustious action thriller. Granted, the hackneyed plot isn't going to win any plaudits for originality, but with a rocking score, skuzzoid L. A. locations, a sympathetic hero, a dastardly villain, plus a slam bang climax, I 'ain't got no complaints!

From getting to watch the Sharon stone film library and being a fan after watching basic instinct and total recall, this was just more embarrassingly horrible in a way where you about to see if Arnold was Captain America (it's true). the main character hero, his acting was so bad that's the reason there was 4 writers on this, can't you get James R. Silke to do it, he did it really good with the ninja movies, anyway I'm getting off topic on this film. Sharon was okay, but only one flaws bothers me when her accent gets off when she says "You're a liar". No offense. I can say this, this is rather a cold flop when your husband is about to get insane, trying to get a idea after he's watching this film, trying to shove a lot of DVDs of Godzilla (1998) up your "C**t. Rating: 1/10 (Godawful film). Jeez. Note: Columbia Pictures associated with RCA Video had the rights to release it home video on VHS and then Sony Pictures released it on DVD and then as of today, it would never seemed to have the guts of towards getting a blu ray release made, Why the hell would Sony still own it as of today. It should been in public domain territory.

I have seen this movie and I loved it. Jonathan Banks is plain wonderful in this. He is my favorite actor and he is excellent. Sharon Stone is a terrible actress....... she is pretty but that is all she has. It's cool to see 80's Adam Ant as Jonathan's Sidekick.... wonderful special effects and overall and awesome movie.... buy it rent...... just get it.... :)

This movie is hilarious! Hilariously bad, in fact it's bad enough that it's almost a must see lol I can't believe that with all of the people involved in the making of a movie nobody out the brakes to this one. Oh wait what am I talking about, look at all the drivel Hollywood releases these days. Anyhow this movie fails on so many levels starting with but not exclusively the story. It's week and the characters aren't fleshed out whatsoever but that's just the surface, it fails in every other category as well. Cinematography, wardrobe, lighting, script, soundtrack, dialogue, acting... need I go on? Ok one more, the IKEA furniture they use for the sets! C'mon man! I will say though that a person should see this as it's SO bad it's kinda funny, not that you'll laugh with it but AT it. It also has Adam Ant (for those of you old enough to remember him) and an extremely young Sharon Stone in it so I guess at least casting was awake one day. I gave it an extra +1 because then it would be one up on 1997's Batman & Robin which may be THE WORST movie ever made.

Police detective Johnny Modine (Brad Davis) gets a bad Christmas surprise. His father opens his store to Dorian "Mick" Michael Duran (Adam Ant) and gets killed by Isaac "Iceman" (Jonathan Banks). One night, Kathy Connors (Sharon Stone) shows up in the cop bar and starts talking to Johnny. As he investigates, he finds a group of men with a vendetta against him.

Once upon a time, Brad Davis was a rising star, but he never got to A-list status. In this one, he's trying very hard and maybe too hard. Everything in the movie is a little over the top and not well done. It does have some interesting side characters including Sharon Stone as the femme fatale. According to the movie posters, she is the big selling point. It also has Jonathan freaking Banks and Adam Ant. Banks is a legend and Adam Ant is a forgotten name from the 80's. The vending machine gag is not funny and they repeat it. The movie keeps trying for comedy and it rarely works. They do like their car stunts and it's fun to see all the cars flipping around in the air. This is a poor action movie, but it does have a couple of fun scenes.

It's safe to say this isn't quite what I expected. The antagonist played by Jonathan Banks has had little time on screen even as the halfway point rolls around, except primarily for the scene of violence that kicks off the plot. Meanwhile, the film carries itself with an oddly light tone, such that there's a lot of humor sprinkled liberally throughout - more than is characteristic for any such thriller. The romantic element is even more contrived than we get from most movies, and not written very well in the first place; the protagonist and his buddy are even more free-wheeling, endangering civilians, than is true of most Hollywood cops, let alone real-life cops. And through all this, plot develops rather slowly, with only scattered beats advancing the story even heading into the last third of the runtime.

I don't think 'Cold steel' is outright bad. The cast, and Dorothy Ann Puzo's direction, are mostly fine. The crew behind the scenes put in good work, stunts and effects not least of all (though one effect employed at T-15 minutes is astoundingly weak). The writing, however, is something else altogether. The characters, dialogue, and scene writing are middling, and kind of unconvincing, and the overall tale suffers as a result. This definitely goes for the plot development, too - slow in the first two-thirds as noted, even in the last act something just feels very "off" about it. And the linchpin of the feature, the background we get early in the last act that ties all the pieces together, is maybe the flimsiest part of all, in every regard. Or is it the climax?

It feels more earnestly like a thriller than some of its brethren can claim, despite the weird levity throughout much of the runtime. Yet it's a thriller in which the writing is strangely hollow and questionable, and from one moment to the next I can't decide which aspect of the screenplay is the most troubled; it looks good on the surface, but meaningful substance is missing. 'Cold steel' is entertaining on some level, but it's the type of entertainment whereby anything will suffice to pass the time, sans active engagement - and as if to emphasize the point, the action-filled climax really should be fun, but instead it sort of Just Is.

Look, I don't hate this. But every time I think the picture is breaking even, cynicism rears its head once more. It's decent enough for a lazy day if you come across it, and perhaps most recommendable for fans of those involved. Don't go out of your way, though, because 'Cold steel' is a thriller that can't quite gel into a complete, satisfying whole.

Don't believe the low ratings.

Cold Steel is a great little thriller shot in real locations with an excellent cast.

Brad Davis is sympathetic as the lone cop hellbent on revenge and Jonathan Banks chews the scenery as the villain.

Stone gets a thankless part as the love interest bug she's nice to look at.

Adam Ant is hilarious as the villains sidekick who dies spectacularly at the end during the explosive climax.

There's also a pretty cool cat chase and the score is rocking too.

In short, this 80s gem is heaps of fun and from a period when action flicks were just entertaining and didn't have to carry messages or meaning.

Great film!!

One Christmas Eve, a tough Los Angeles cop learns that his father has been brutally murdered. You're probably guessing that he swears revenge. In actual fact, it's kind of hard to conclude whether he does so or not, because for the next thirty or so minutes of the movie, he does NOTHING in the way of investigation. When he does decide more or less to take care of business, he really doesn't have to do that much thinking - the clues as to who was behind his father's murder and why are pretty much handed to him on a silver platter. It's hard to believe that this movie actually got a theatrical release. It's pretty cheap, badly shot, but worst of all, except for a few okay motor vehicle stunts, it's extremely boring. Even Sharon Stone's nude scene is a big yawn. The production company (Cinetel Films) went on to make even cheaper and cruder movies.