Movie Review #1 Heatseeker

Release: 1995 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113278/)
Director: Albert Pyun (Cyborg, Mean Guns, Captain America(tv), Kickboxer 2: The Road Back)
Writer: Albert Pyun
Cast: Keith Cooke (Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation)
          Tina Cote (Barbwire, Mean Guns)
          Norbert Weisser (Schindler's List, The Thing, Hocus Pocus)


Online Ratings: 

Netflix Rating: 2.4/5 stars

IMDB Rating: 3.0/10 stars

Rotten Tomatoes: 33%
       
Review: 
Heatseeker is a martial arts film that takes its cues from the 1989 film Arena. In Arena it man vs Aliens and vs cartel bent on making Millions. Heatseeker it is Man vs Cyborg vs a Corporation bent on making millions. They both are similiar and could not be more different. Where Arena is cheesy and goofy on purpose to sell its comic vibe. Heatseeker aims to be more like a future version of Kickboxer with little or no humor and lack of suspense and caring of the main characters.

Chance O'Brien the main Protagonist is as a vapid and clueless lead. He tries to emulate Van Damme both in appearance and ultimately in his grunting. While Xao whose is the secondary antagonist is far from villainousness. Where he comes across as a misunderstood pitbull who loves where pink tutus and make up than fight. While Tung the main antagonist seems to be taking cues from Lex Luthor in the kidnapping Chance's GF Jo and holding her hostage to make Chance do what he wants.

All of this is cookie cutter crap shows that Albert Pyun has no clue what makes good cinema. His directing, writing and editing are horrible, as continuity issues plague this film from start to end. The worst of these happens towards the end of the movie when Chance's acid laced gloves eat away at his skin. Leaving them bloody and scarred. Two scenes later they are fully healed  with no ill effect once again on him. Really!? Come on now if we the audience can see these holes. Maybe the editor or the director could have as well sadly that just seems that would been asking of to much.

Seeing that Albert Pyun who wrote and directed this seems lost in which way he wanted this film to go. Did he want it be action/Suspense? Action/Adventure? Combo of everything? While all this undecided direction was going on. The character devolpment it self failed. As the characters seemed to have gotten lost or just not given the chance for the audience to embrace them. Due to the poor editing. Which is sad as their could have been a decent movie here. As the movie never sold humanity vs cyborg. Nor did it sell Chance's desperation to get back Jo. Instead it resorted to bad fighting sequences to carry a very lethargic film. Even if you make it through the 90 minutes of crap and vile you hope for a grand closure is presented as a giant shit sandwhich. As it ends with one of those convoluted endings that make you say "What the fuck just happened!?" as the credits start rolling.

In the end I tried to like this film. Even went out of my way to find something that I enjoyed. To me there is nothing other than. I would put it in the ranks of film where you and your friends are looking for a bad film on Saturday night as you pop back a few beers and shots. Just so you can be like Mystery Science Theater. Otherwise you should steer clear of it as there are much better movies than this one.

Score: 1.75 Stars out of 5

My Review Criteria: Must be a film I have never seen and available on Netflix (Streaming or DVD). Must be a B-Film, Indie Film or Foreign Film. Must have not been released in mass to Theaters in the USA. Feel free to submit any movie you would want me to review. I am game for anything.

(Goal to write 365 movie reviews in 365 days. Damn I am nuts!)

Movie Count: 1 of 365




Arena IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101366/
Heatseker IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113278/
Rotten Tomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/heatseeker/