Judgment Day

Bad acting + bad direction + a mish-mosh of a plot adds up to one terrible movie. I was lucky to have caught it on Hulu, because I'd be really upset if I'd paid to watch this dreck.

Don't waste your time.

Ice-T and Suzy Amis star as two cops who team up to rescue a scientist, Linden Ashby (!) who has been kidnapped by religious fanatics led by Mario Van Peebles (!) among the group of fanatics include Coolio (!) and Tiny Lister Jr (!!) and the reason they kidnap Ashby is because it is only him that can prevent a meteor from destroying earth, with his expertise. They want to end the world for mainly religious reasons although they are easily thwarted by the "cop-killer" himself. One of the great ironies in showbiz is just how Ice-T gained fame singing a (admittedly catchy)rap song which expressed his overall unhappiness with the men in blue, now Ice-T makes his living playing a cop on Law and Order:SVU! Hilarious. However given his choice of terrible movies (Johnny Mnemonic,Surviving The Game,Tank Girl,Ticker,Gangland and Ablaze) and this is believe it or not one of the Iceman's better efforts. It's still a badly made rip off of Armageddon (Which also sucked) with some extremely awkward acting from Van Peebles, Lister and (especially) Ashby. Indeed the casting director had to have been drunk to cast Ashby as a scientist, also Van Peebles as a religious fanatic? This alone guarantees a couple of chuckles, however the special effects are so terrible that the embarrassing stock footage causes more surreal amazement than genuine hilarity. Still for fans of Ice-T, this is a must see.

*1/2 out of 4-(Poor)

I recently watched Judgement Day (1999) on Tubi. The storyline follows the impending end of the world and a scientist who may be Earth's last hope. However, a cult leader believes the apocalypse is God's will and kidnaps the scientist. An unlikely pair of agents must track down the cult, rescue the scientist, and try to save the world.

This picture is directed by John Terlesky (Written in Blood) and stars Ice-T (New Jack City), Mario Van Peebles (Heartbreak Ridge), Tiny Lister Jr. (Friday), Suzy Amis (The Usual Suspects), and Coolio (Daredevil).

This is one of those movies that's terrible-but I enjoy it every time. The acting is wildly inconsistent, with Amis having zero chemistry with Ice-T, but Van Peebles and Tiny Lister give surprisingly entertaining performances and had me cracking up. The cast is actually pretty stacked. I also laughed out loud at Coolio's brief five-second appearance-it's so random, and it gets me every time.

The storyline is a mess, the logic is out the window, but honestly, that's part of the charm.

In conclusion, Judgement Day is a bad movie, no question-but it's a fun kind of bad. I'd give it an honest 3/10.

Ice-T stars as a federal prisoner that is doing a deed for the FBI, where a scientist is kidnapped by an extremist group, with Mario Van Peebles as the leader. An asteroid threatens the earth (a la Armageddon), and the top scientist is kidnapped, and hope lies with both Ice-T and Suzy Amis (Titanic) as an FBI agent.

Ice-T might be portraying another stereotypical role as a convict, as well as the villain, like his previous films, but his vulgar overtones might sound like one of his rap songs. Check out a cameo by Coolio as a street hustler, and this film marks the third appearance of Tiny Lister (Trespass, Jackie Brown) with Ice-T.

The scene where Amis cuffs Ice-T to the steering wheel of the car has been repeated several times, in films like Rush Hour. 48 HRS. was the first film to feature such a scene, and every fan of the film might view this scene as homage to a timeless classic.

Why Mario Van Peebles as the black David Koresh? Ice-T might have lynched his ass in this film, since the two first met in New Jack City.

A direct to video blockbuster involving meteors destroying the planet. Thats where the similarities between Not So Deep Impact, Yawnageddon, and this movie end and actual entertainment begins. The movie moves at an impressive pace with some amiable performances by all (except for an offensively lifeless performance by Amis). And the script actually serves up enough twists to keep the noodle somewhat active. It kind of treats your brain like a computer, occasionally nudging the mouse to get rid of the screen-saver. Mario Van-Peebles is in top form as a religious cult leader welcoming the end of the world.

Well worth a rent.