User reviews

In a way LAND OF THE FREE was a good action movie about a campaign manager that discovers the senator he is working for is actually part of a terrorist group that wants to take over the U.S, and goes on the run once the the corrupt senator dispatches his henchmen to go after him and his family.

Although the film has a lot of car crashes, shootouts and fight scenes, all very well done, the thing that is really poorly done is the film's music score, its basically this one little tune that sounds like a kind of national anthem that plays repeatedly throughout the film including action scenes, and it really doesn't go well with the film at all, to give an idea of what the score is like, imagine Celine Dion's My heart will go on being played during all of the film's action scenes.

The storyline is nothing new, the acting isn't too bad at all and the film isn't badly directed either, but it gets my vote for a razberry award because of its score.

Well, nothing original here in terms of plot. Action? Yes, plenty! If there is anything to talk about this film, it's due to the endless action that happens through out the film, whether is be between cars, people, or both. I was highly surprised by how well the stunts were performed and even the fighting sequences. Although my comment is on the good work the stunt people have done for this film, the fact is that ever car winds up being launched in to the air.

I was impressed that most cars didn't blow up for just being in an accident - something Hollywood does far too often. The ultimate for me was the school bus car chase, lots of damage. Not only did this bus ram innocent people, it even rolls over a few! The bus scene is worth an extra star.

This film ranks well with me for mindless violence. I expected a cheesy movie that I wouldn't be able to watch, but instead, the constant supply of bad guys to kill or cars to destroy makes this actually entertaining to watch.

One element I laughed about was the soundtrack. The composer seemed to mismatch happy, sad, action, and serene music with the entire opposite scene.

The film truly is shot and directed well, sadly what does this film harm is the lack of believability in the story. The film has constant car accidents, gunfire, and murder, yet no police ever intercept. I'm sure that you can't steal a bus and run 20 cars off the road without getting at least ONE person calling the cops!

Any of the movies from the company "PM" are usually gonna be pretty bad. PM uses the same actors quite frequently, especially Dennis Hopper and Michael Madsen. I was surprised to see Bill Shatner show up. The most ridiculous part of the movie to me is the climactic fight between Jennings (Jeff Speakman) and Shatner's character Aiden Carvell (however it is spelled, who cares!!). Speakman at the time was only 38 or 39 years old and is a martial arts expert. He is supposed to have a hand to hand fight with portly, aging, senior citizen Shatner. Come on! Shatner only got one good lick on Speakman anyway in the fight. Plus, he was another example of the kind of bad guy who talks instead of just killing the hero when he has the chance. He walks up to Speakman with a gun and says "It's over!" Just shoot him! Speakman then kicks Shatner's ass while he is badly injured (Speakman).

Bad movie but I bought it cheap on DVD and watch it frequently if I am bored just alone because the climactic fight is so hilarious! Why do they have all these former TV stars in this movie by the way? Bernie "Doc" Kopell from "The Love Boat" shows up. Charles Robinson from "Night Court" plays a bad guy and of course William Shatner of "Star Trek" plays the bad guy ringleader.

Keep in mind that just because the PM Entertainment Group made this film, it does not guarantee that this will be a high quality action picture. LAND OF THE FREE is overflowing with car crashes, explosions, shootings, paranoia, and more paranoia. On the other hand, this film lacks an intelligent script, redeeming social values, energy, and efficacy. It also does not have a shred of ingenuity either! This is one of the Pepin-Merhi duo's lamest films in years...

Imagine this: William "Captain Kirk" Shatner stars as Aidan Carvell, a militia-based terrorist who wants to be a politician representing America! He has even written a book titled "Land of the Free." Carvell has won the hearts and votes of the people across California. He has made his own proposal known as the "Free America." Little do these denizens of California realize that they are supporting a politician who is working in cahoots with the militia. Carvell has his own inner ambitions...

Aidan Carvell may be connected to a surreptitious militia organization called the "Northern Militia." Once the haughty Carvell wins the Senatorial election, he can help these guys organize a plan to take over the United States!

Martial arts expert Jeff Speakman is Frank Jennings, Mr. Aidan Carvell's campaign manager. Jennings has recently uncovered quite a ton of dirty dealings made by Mr. Carvell himself. What Jennings has discovered can jeopardize his entire family's lives.

Desperate, Jennings forces his family to enter the Witness Protection Agency for the sake of their own safety. There are only a few minor problems... One, Jennings and his family are still in the city! Two, everyone else seems to know the Jennings' aliases. Third, there is no one that they can trust! Last (and certainly the worst possible outcome), Carvell's men are hunting the Jennings down like helpless prey...

If you like watching total carnage in the name of justice, then maybe you will give LAND OF THE FREE a try. LAND OF THE FREE has plenty of mayhem as we watch cars skyrocket, and then crash and burn. LAND OF THE FREE has the opportunity to be a solid, well-written political thriller with intense action. However, torpid direction, listless performances, a lackluster script, and repetitive action sequences maul what could have been at least an interesting film.

Granted, this movie does deliver the works. There must be at least half a dozen car crashes in this movie...maybe more. The best highlight has to be a joyride on a speeding bus! I am usually always ecstatic to see car chases and the ensuing destruction. This time though, it's as if the batteries ran out of juice. These action scenes all could have been very exciting...but they are not briskly paced. The way these action sequences are directed in this movie just seem too awkward with little confident orchestration. We have also seen the same redundant car wrecks in other previous works by the PM folks. They have done so much better.

In addition, the plot holes in this movie proliferate more than the number of cars demolished. I mean, what's up with the botched assassination attempt?! Why murder an FBI agent who is barely introduced into the story? Do motorists purposely crash their own vehicles? As for these bad guys, how come when they are firing their weapons, they can never hit their target? These bad guys can shoot anything, but they cannot put a single bullet into the protagonist! With problems like these, not even the great William Shatner can save this movie from being sealed by its own fate...

Speaking of William Shatner, I was surprised that Captain Kirk has contributed more than just a small cameo. He actually appears in the WHOLE (well, most of the) movie. Shatner is the only character who actually breathes life into this lifeless project. His portrayal of a dishonest politician is sometimes absurd, but mostly amusing. One question that I have continuously pondered about is what made William Shatner want to sign up for this piece of drivel anyway(?)

LAND OF THE FREE is just a disaster waiting to happen. Besides the lackluster action and the wooden performances, this movie also suffers from a lack of cleverness. There are no surprises here, we already know who are the true despicable villains. The action scenes are dull and predictable. The musical score is constantly dreary and horribly bothersome. The cinematography is pathetic. The people behind and in front of the camera fail to handle the limited material given to them. They just could not make the best of what they have. LAND OF THE FREE is without a doubt, one of the poorest entries from the prolific PM duo. Events that do not coherently connect together plus inadequately directed action sink this whole production.

Maybe this movie is worth a laugh or too. Shatner's performance deserves a few chuckles and you will laugh often at how Speakman does not seem to take the menacing perils very seriously. This is better particularly when one is intoxicated. This way, the person will not realize what kind of agony he/she is subjecting him/herself into...

RATING: NO STARS out of ****.

I got stuck watching this film on a bus from Chiapas to Mexico City, and I felt like apologizing to everyone on the bus (most were Mexicans, of course) on behalf of the entire American entertainment industry.

The logic errors in this movie just pile one on top of the other. Why would this candidate secretly stock his campaign staff with violent militia cronies... with the one law-abiding exception being the guy who just happens to be IN CHARGE of the staff? Why is a campaign manager also a karate expert? What does the opening assassination attempt have to do with the whole rest of the movie? Why would this secret militia kill one FBI guy at his home and think that that would somehow throw the law off their tails? Why is a guy who's trying to keep himself (and his family) incognito hop on a bus and drive it down the wrong lane of a freeway? These are all questions the movie does not bother to answer.

Another question I'd like answered, though, is why Arthur Hiller makes an appearance in this movie. Did he lose a bet, or something?

The saving grace of this movie lays in the sheer pleasure you'll feel at seeing that the guy who played Mac in _Night Court_ is still getting work. 'Cause weren't you beginning to worry about him? Me too.

Somewhat interesting idea with horrible execution. Dialogue was horrific and action predictable. Shatner added some much-needed comic relief as the executive turned militia member turned candidate. This is a low budget film that tries to do too much. The only way to watch it is with a couple of friends and try to do a MST3K on it.

While William Shatner's performance was the best part of the movie, the rest of the acting by every single every other person in this movie is just awful. The music is one of the worst scores I have ever heard, and the car chases are just non-stop and totally unrealistic. On the plus side, the hand-to-hand action scenes are actually entertaining. If you feel like watching a movie that really defines 'B-movie,' this is it.

Oh the pain. I got this as a gag for a friend who's a fan of Shatner premium ham and always jokes about classic lame-sterpiece The Perfect Weapon. So, this is the best of both worlds, right?

Wrong. My friend was totally sober as the intense pain and throbbing from this movie resulted after his neural synapses collapsed. You can imagine how I was feeling since at the time since I was the polar extreme of sober. Plot shmot, just let Bill Shatnerize some bad lines set in a scary, twisted society where Bill is this close to elect power. Can you imagine making it mandatory for citizens to watch T.J. Hooker everyday while Shatner's 'Rocket Man' plays freely in elevators nationwide? Too bad Bill only appears in a few scenes. The rest is Speakman trying to look heroic (it didn't work) and dramatic (like over-amplified scratching against a chalkboard), typical cars flipping stunts, and the corniest school bus scene EVER. This is a movie you should see once and never again! Not as torturous as IMPULSE.

Land Of The Free casts martial arts actor Jeff Speakman as the campaign manager for charismatic candidate William Shatner. Speakman who is a Navy veteran and Annapolis graduate has to be the dumbest graduate of that institution. He has no idea that William Shatner whom he looks on as a father figure is fronting for these rightwing paramilitary groups who are looking to have him front for their takeover of the country. Sounds a bit familiar doesn't it. If he has more polish than a Trump, Shatner sure lives like one.

Anyway the FBI approaches Speakman who reluctantly becomes a mole and he gets indictable material on Shatner. But now Shatner and his group of right wing crazies are out for him and maybe his wife Lisa Darr and son if they get in the way.

A lot of martial arts and car chases. Speakman and family hijack an empty school bus and reek plenty of havoc on a California freeway. And nary a cop in sight. Where was CHiPs?

Shatner really hams it up in his performance as our would be dictator. He knows it's a turkey he's in so gobble incessantly.

Not his finest hour on the big or small screen.

Jeff Speakman plays a campaign manager for would-be senator William Shatner who finds out that Shatner wants to take over America with the help of militias. This is a lesser PM Entertainment film that concentrates on being a kindler, gentle action film. With the inclusion of a wife and kid amidst all the on-the-run action, it's obvious that this film is pandering to many varying demographics. It slows down the pace and adds only bad melodrama.

Even the action scenes aren't as good as some other PM releases. William Shatner isn't even allowed to ham it up. It's not bad, but, it ain't good.

If you enjoy the sight of cars flying and spinning through the air and exploding upon impact with the ground, then here's the movie for you my friends.

Visibly out of shape and sadly, clearly struggling here, Kenpo master, Jeff Speakman, stars in this somewhat mundane action effort as campaign leader for a political hopeful (William Shatner) who subsequently discovers that his boss is in fact secretly financing terrorists for his own ends on the side. Predictably, such knowledge puts our hero and his family in jeopardy however, as various shady characters try to wipe him from the board in order to silence him and suppress the truth that he has uncovered. Yes, it's generic action flick time again, as Speakman is subsequently, relentlessly pursued by seemingly everyone in on this conspiracy (which as it happens is just about every one in the cast!)

All this invariably translates as a series of admittedly, very well orchestrated car chase action sequences, during which the cars of Speakman's pursuers have a propensity to fly up into the air at any given moment. Sadly however, such kinetic enjoyment doesn't carry over into the rest of proceedings and it has to be said that the whole film carries a horribly rushed feel to it, taking liberties with huge leaps in logic in order to keep the running time (and presumably also the budget) down.

On a more positive note, the performances are generally fine considering the material the actors have to work with and the stunt work is good throughout at least. For Speakman fans however, this is will likely prove a decidedly disappointing effort. If you want to see the action star on peak form, my advice is to check out The Perfect Weapon instead.

I seriously don't know how anyone got funding to do this film. The script it trite, hackneyed and just plain awful. And the actors (yes, including William Shatner) deliver their lines with all the believability of the unstrung characters at Disneyland. The whole thing seems like an excuse to destroy a bunch of cars. There are plenty of car chases, but you could probably see better action at a destruction derby. The 'hero' can't generate any sympathy from the viewer and the plot depicts the American voting public as just plain brainless to believe in the BS the Shatner character is speaking. Don't waste your time watching this when it comes to cable in your town. And surely don't waste your money in buying a copy.

Plot: A politician's campaign manager (Speakman) discovers that the candidate (Shatner) is a front for a military organization plotting a political overthrow of the government. In trying to expose the candidate's right-wing activities, he puts himself and his family in danger of being killed.

Looking at all of these user reviews for this film, I don't get it this is not supposed to be high art, it's supposed to be entertainment. Land of the Free is a pretty good film that knows what it is and goes with it. Speakman does an adequate job along with most of the cast. The action is pretty decent for the most part. The only problems I had were I wish Speakman used more of his kempo style at the end of the film and that the score is very over bearing and lame.

This is not one of PM Entertainment's best, that would be the Gary Daniels films Rage, Riot, and Jeff Wincott's Last Man Standing, however its still pretty decent considering some that were pretty bad from that company, I'd say give this film a chance and see it for yourself, it's at least worth a one time watch.

The parallels in this film to the modern-day political scene is amazing.. The film is average but almost predicts the future 20 years away... Shatner is great as a corrupt lying right wing trumpian character trying to take over the country.. it's a early '80s karate fest in 1998.

PM Entertainment made some good action movies, but this isn't one of them. It does have its trademark high production values (for direct-to-video movies), and it has a few good stunts. The rest of the movie is pretty poor. The acting is terrible - Shatner hams it up, and Speakman isn't much better. The action sequences are poorly directed - the martial arts become a jumble of fast-moving limbs, and the driving sequences frequently use slow-motion that make them as exciting as pouring molasses out of a jar. The rest of the movie is just as slow-moving, and it seems to take forever to end. And you would swear that the movie's music composer wasn't watching the movie he scored, because he always uses the same somber-sounding military music, even during the action sequences! If you want to see a good movie from PM Entertainment, try RAGE, LAST MAN STANDING, EXECUTIVE TARGET, or THE SWEEPER instead.

Was this filmed in 1977 or 1997??? I never have seen so many heaps get trashed at one time! And where were the police? Maybe just one siren? They must have been packin' donuts and the fireman were playing checkers at the firehouse. The movies started out good then it turned into where they were chasing this turncoat against William Shatner's movement all around the countryside. I did not expect the movie to go in that direction. Oh well.....

This seems to be a parody of a parody. The overly-patriotic music (the composer will probably claim "West Wing" was inspired by his score) and the action scenes are especially bad. Each involves every single person who tries to kill Jeff and his wife and annoying kid being incredibly stupid, slow-footed, and a lousy shot. There was one moment early on when Jeff Speakman is karate-chopping a security guard in slow-motion, and I wondered why it seemed so familiar. Then I remembered the karate moves of the old "Double Dragon" NES game series, from 10 years ago. The only difference was that those games had more believable characters and plotting.

How sad to see talented actors like Chris Robinson and Chris Lemmon stuck in the middle of this latrine. If you ever wanted to see Mac from "Night Court" (Robinson) punch someone in the gut, then this is the movie for you. The best laugh of the film.

Watch only if you want to laugh, or learn how *not* to make a film.