HELL'S ANGELS

STONE COLD @& Directed by: Craig R. Baxley Starring: Brian Bosworth Lance Henriksen

This film would be better named Urban Rambo and the Predictable Plot. Brian Bosworth’s motion pic- ture debut never really gets offthe ground. The action is spectacular, Boz surpasses the minimal expectations for his acting abilities, and Lance Henriksen is an enjoyable villain, but the film is simply lacking the distinction and integrity ofa serious one. Stone Cold starts off well with the tough cop John Stone nonchalantly stalking armed

_ robbers ina grocery store. This is a funny sequence and opens the movie on a high point (which turns out to be the only high point). From there Stone returns home to his pet Komodo dragon fora couple amusing domestic scenes in his apartment. This is when the plot thickens, and ultimately the movie thinnens. Whatever wit, charm, and interest Baxley pretends the movie has in the first fifteen minutes then disappears forever. Stone is assigned to work undercover and infiltrate a very menacing biker gang, the Brother- hood, in hopes discontinue their plans to ice Missis- sippi lawmakers. This stereotyped biker gang, with the exception of the small circle of leaders, is sup- posed to be the epitome evil and wild, reckless or- ganization. However, they come across asa group of armed, overweight bums. As soon as Stone begins his _ undercover assignment, the story becomes familiar and predictable. Nothing is original about the mis- sion. It is the typical cop goes undercover saga: cop meets gang, cop successfully gets in cahoots with the leader of the gang (Henriksen), cop becomes one of the leader’s right hand men in acouple days, cop is found out by leader’s other right hand man, blah blah blah. This is precisely what occurs in New Jack City, Undercover, and most cop-busts-drug-dealer movies (though drugs aren’t an issue here). As well Stone Cold shares similarities with the Die Hard’s. Boz has fights on moving aircraft and is forced to jump off and he also runs around a huge building trying to save hostages from terrorists. Craig R. Baxley directs each and every scene with equal dramatic importance.

‘Each one (less those in the first ten minutes) is di- =

rected and shot with an absurd amount of seriousness. Nothing exists to lighten the mood. All the comic relief over with in ahurry. However, despite his obvious shortcomings, Baxley (who is credits include Action Jackson and I Come In Peace) does have a gift in putting the action back in the term ‘‘action films’’. He shows his knack for high speed chases, vehicle explosions, gunfights, and blood. These are intended to carry the film since his movies’ plot and characters are unable. However, the film is somewhat unpredict- able, which is nice. Boz’s girlfriend does get toasted, the Brotherhood is successful in their assassinations, Henriksen does shave, and Boz does manage to jump from a helicopter and land face down into a wall. Though Stone Cold has a second-hand plot, itisfor — the MOST part predictable (exceptions in the preced- ing paragraph apply), it takes itself too serious, and is nothing you haven’t seen either Arnold, Bruce or | Sylvester do acouple times each, it does contain vers exciting action. And ifaction is what you seek, look no further. For $2.50 ofa rental your quest will end. Though this film will do nothing for Henriksen or Baxley, Boz’s existing fanclub will prosper. Don’t be surprised if to see him in more movies.

me *

GRADE: C-

review by Randy Burrows

BURKE 9/

THE GOOD NEWS |S \T'S TEMPORARY, THE BAD NEWS (5S IT'S FATAL.

UPEI X-P RESS

January 30, 1992