Leofwine_draca One of action star Dudikoff's "big" '80s opening movies, this is an averagely-plotted but fun offering which has the emphasis on action all the way through. The first thing you notice is the budget – particularly small here – but as the film offers the same excitement as many others with ten times the dollars, this makes you appreciate it more. Admittedly, things start off on the wrong foot, with some lame character building and a trawl through a Mardi Gras carnival in New Orleans which makes you feel like you're there, but offers particularly poor suspense and action. Once this has passed, however, and after all the government bull and the male bonding, things start to get good. We witness a nice shoot-out/fight at some kind of dockyards, complete with cheesy car chases and lots of deaths. This is nothing, however, compared to the ranch set-piece halfway through the movie, a nihilistic, powerful catalogue of death and atrocity and some great stunt work. Trapped in the burning building, Dudikoff watches just about everyone get blown up, shot or burned, which makes for some great surprising scenes.The latter parts of the movie see Dudikoff travelling through a Cajun community (in scenes recalling SOUTHERN COMFORT) before we get back onto the trail of THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, seen briefly at the beginning, in which four psychotic members of a secret society hunt our hero through the woods. The action is brief but brutal, employing realism over showy martial arts tricks, and very violent in places. Things conclude with a nice epilogue, where Dudikoff travels to the mansion of the last surviving baddie and fights him with various weapons from the guy's armoury – love that garroting device thing, really nasty! Dudikoff credibly carries off his everyday action hero persona, noticeably picking up in the action sequences later on in the movie. Nothing remarkable from him, but he's no worse than the dozen others from the decade. The supporting cast is pretty decent too; the familiar James Booth turns up yet again as an officious superior, whilst permanently jinxed Steve James (THE EXECUTIONER) kicks major ass as Dudikoff's pal, marked for death from the start, like in most of his movies. Bill Wallace pops up as a baddie dressed as a ninja (others are a cowboy and a wrestler) whilst John P. Ryan is just a weirdo and overacts for all his worth throughout the entire movie – not bad! Typical action hijinks throughout, but you can do (and I often see) a lot worse.

callanvass Cannon has made a few entertaining films, such as Over the Top, Cyborg, Bloodsport, Assassination, among others. But they've also made some real bombs, and this is one of them. Michael Dudikoff wasn't exactly a top action star, but after American Ninja commenced, he did become fairly well known. He even had his own T.V show at one point called Cobra. In this movie, you wouldn't know that Dudikoff was a top action star. Not only is this movie dreary in the extreme, but it's pretty boring as well. Aside from a decent action scene during at a parade of sorts, and a memorable one at a construction sight, it's pretty unremarkable. A wilderness setting works in horror movies, but not in the action genre, so much. It's also pretty brutal at times. They don't show it close up or anything, but kids are murdered. You'd think I'd be used to that sort of thing, since I'm such a horror movie fanatic, but the truth is I'm not. I can't stomach kids being killed in anything. I just feel so dirty after watching it. Michael Dudikoff gives a poor performance in this one. He's always had a bit of natural charisma, but his quiet demeanor does him no favors. He doesn't have a whole lot of dialog. It worked in American Ninja 1 & 2 to a certain extent, but it got tiresome here. Steve James is a cool guy, no doubt about it. I wouldn't call him a great actor, but he has charisma in spades. John P. Ryan is laughably bad as the villain. He is so hammy, it becomes OTT, and extremely annoying. I couldn't stand him. If anyone cares, the ending sets up for a sequel that obviously never commenced. Thank god for thatFinal Thoughts: This feels like a STV movie, even though it had a theatrical run. It's dull, dreary, and not much fun at all. If you're a Dudikoff fan, stick with some of his better work. I can't understand why there are so many positive reviews on here for it3.7/10

BrianG Michael Dudikoff and Steve James are back together in this one, again for director Sam Firstenberg and Cannon Films. Unlike most Cannon pictures, however, this one is actually good. Steve James is an ex-Secret Service agent running for office in New Orleans, and a secret racist group called The Pentangle attempts to assassinate him, as they don't want blacks in public office. James calls on his old friend Dudikoff to help him, and the two of them try to find out who is behind The Pentangle. Dudikoff and James definitely have a good chemistry between them, as they showed in "American Ninja" and both are very good in their parts. Director Firstenberg keeps the film moving smoothly, and stages a spectacular action sequence during a Mardi Gras parade. John Ryan does his usual good job at villainy. All in all, a very enjoyable little action piece.

ChoiBaby Ex-Secret Service agent Matt Hunter (Michael Dudikoff) is forced out of retirement after his best friend, a prominent Politician, Larry Richards (Steve James) has been ambushed and nearly assassinated by a group of racist, intelligent militiamen called "The Pentagle." The Pentagle is a highly organized enterprise, with connections to various businesses and implications to affluent persons. They control even many of the highest levels and parts of the government. The Pentagle believes in militarism, anarchy, persecution, and total white supremacy. Many are martial arts experts, who challenge others to games of death in the swamplands area...In the wildernesses, mangled bodies lay strewn everywhere. The ideal theory of "survival of the fittest" comes into play. Matt Hunter, hoping to avenge the tragedy of his once (and only) trusted friend, decides to embark on his own mission of justice. Hunter though, still is weakened through, plagued by psychological problems resulting from a childhood trauma. He is afraid of confronting his past for he felt that he was responsible for his own parents' deaths by a bomb. However, Hunter must stay fit, putting the past aside and letting life go on...currently, he must amend the deeds of the true evil ones... Seeking help from an old friend, Admiral Brown (James Booth) along with the "Agency," Hunter must beat these adversaries in their own twisted game of predator and prey...AVENGING FORCE may be a silly movie at times, granted. The cartoonish, right-wing militia-type villains are appallingly stereotyped. The acting is also a little mediocre. That, having been said, AVENGING FORCE stays as a good movie with lots of panache. Fun, energetic, and well made. Avenging certainly contains well cheoreographed stunts and sequences. The shoot-out during the Mardi Gras Parade is a thrilling spectacle! The confrontation between the scrupulous and the unscrupulous in the wetlands of the jungle are amazing as well. This violent action movie includes lots of swordfights, strange costumes, philosophies about the imminent collapse of capitalism in society, and kendo fighting.AVENGING FORCE also briefly touches upon themes of narrow-mindedness, racism, and corruption in the highest powers of authority. Movies like these were made to appeal to action fans. Everything an action fan desires for is here to surfeit their thrist for high power escapist type movies! AVENGING FORCE is a fine motion picture worth watching for non-discriminating genre fans especially. A great amount of suspense is injected along with a solid story line and a well-to-do cast. If you can't take the heat...RATING: **1/2 out of ****.