BelSports
This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Jonah Abbott
There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.
Kaydan Christian
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
ivo-cobra8
Disclaimer: If you are a viewer that mainly prefers art-house-type movies, then you might as well ignore this review. In addition, if you're not able to take an underrated solid action flick of the 80's from Lee Van Cleef and David Carradine, ignore this review, as well. We'll both be better off.Armed Response (1986) is a good solid action film of the 80's , It has flaws but I still like it. I love action and horror movies from the 80's and Armed Response (1986) Is one of them. I am an Lee Van Cleef fan and for a Lee Van Cleef fan and his character is definitely my favorite film that I like. For a Few Dollars More (1965) and Escape from New York (1981) are two my favorite films from Lee Van Cleef, I seriously like his two characters in those two films: Col. Douglas Mortimer and Bob Hauk New York Police Commissioner are two of Lee Van Cleef's characters I like, but now I love his character Burt Roth retired police officer, the father of his three sons. I like this action film, for a cheaper action film it was really decent it had nice shoot outs and a nice car explosion and the twist around. I love the Music theme by Thomas Chase and Steve Rucker. Almost everyone who was involved in making this movie is dead now. David Carradine, Lee Van Cleef, Mako, Lois Hamilton all past away are no longer with us anymore.Plot: One of Tanaka's underlings has stolen a rare statuette that he had planned to use as a peace offering between the local Yakusa and Chinese Tong. He hires two private investigators to exchange ransom money to recover the statuette, but the trade goes down bad and Clay Roth is killed. This angers Roth's brothers and father, all combat veterans, and they go after the people responsible.Jim Roth (Carradine) is a Vietnam veteran, family man, and owner of a bar. His father Burt (Van Cleef) hangs out there, as do other brothers Tommy (Huff) and Clay (Goss). It's a close family, as Jim's wife Sara (Hamilton) and young daughter Lauren (Chodan) also stop by on occasion. But the Roth family is about to encounter some trouble in the form of Yakuza boss Akira Tanaka (Mako), who desperately wants a valuable statue and will stop at nothing to get it, mainly because he will use it as a bargaining chip to prevent a Chinatown mob war with the Tongs.When Clay stupidly gets involved with Tanaka (and his evil bodyguard F.C. (Berryman), it sets off a chain of events where various members of the Roth family get in trouble - and Jim, who suffers from Vietnam flashbacks and nightmares, must team up with his father, Burt, to go back into an American-Asian war by gearing up to blow away the Yakuza. Add into this mix the slimy Cory Thorton (Hagen), as well as other various and sundry unsavory characters, and there's going to have to be an ARMED RESPONSE! The acting performance from this movie is solid, the script is terrible but the action in here is pretty good. This movie is more about a betrayal, stolen statue, family and a theft of a half of million dollars. Laurene Landon is also as extra in here as a thief in this movie, she has only two scenes, she was also cast in Maniac Cop 1 and 2. I seriously love movies from the 80's, they are part of my life and the two main heroes in this movie are decent. David Carradine is the main hero and his father Lee Van Cleef is the hero who does everything that keeps his only son alive. This film isn't about revenge and honestly I think Jim Roth (David Carradine) is well written character, honest, loyal and decent. He is not selfish he returns the statue to Tanaka (Mako) and he didn't want to killed him, even tough Tanaka was responsible for his two brothers death.The shootings and the action scenes were great I like it, the automatic weapons are a lot and they are used well. You have one car explosion. You also have Michael Berryman in it as another villain from Wes Craven's classic horror films The Hills Have Eyes 1 & 2, you also have a flashbacks on a Vietnam war when Jim is having another nightmare on his past life as a Vietnam Vet soldier, what he had to do, to surviving the war. He even has a wife and a young daughter. I also like the fighting sequence when Jim is fighting off a few drug dealers, while he is searching for Cory Thorton. I like that Lee Van Cleef kills 2 bad guys. One in a bar when he was holding Jim as hostage and one in a shoot out, while he was helping his son Jim saving his wife and his daughter. Burt shoot the bad guy and killed him, the baddie fall in an electric wire and was electrocuted. Overral: This action flick is forgotten and is not bad for cheaper film, it could have been a better action film but because of the money they couldn't make such a big action film that would get a higher rating or would be famous. This movie get's an 8 by me mainly for Lee Van Leef and David Carradine awesome action performances.Armed Response is a 1986 action crime film, starring David Carradine and Lee Van Cleef and directed by Fred Olen Ray. This is the first action film made by CineTel Films which would become famous in that genre.8/10 Grade: B Studio: CineTel Films Starring: David Carradine, Lee Van Cleef, Mako, Lois Hamilton, David Goss, Ross Hagen, Laurene Landon Director: Fred Olen Ray Producer: Paul Hertzberg Screenplay: Peter T.L. Lankford Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 26 Mins. Budget: $1.500.000 Box Office: $1,368,912
lathe-of-heaven
Okay, as another reviewer, WebsterGrayson already stated right off in the beginning of his excellent review, 'The movie delivers exactly what is expected' Now, come on! You already bloody KNOW that this is not going to be high art. You've got David 'well, tie my genitals down!' Carradine and ol' Lee 'Angel Eyes' Van Cleef for Goodness sake! And, you even have Mako and the ULTRA-cool Asian guy who was the b*tch'n Alien with the awesome looking eyes in the 6 total episodes of 'Space Rangers' (which I have, BTW - and, I'm sorry, but this guy even out-COOLS David Carradine) ANNNNND, if that is not enough, you even have the ICONIC Dick Miller! ANNNNNND the cooler than cool Michael Berryman!!! (even snapping his misshapen fingers in a David Lynch syncopated way and giving a Lambada glare to the camera when the radio suddenly turns on after a guy he just shot get's thrown into it! (you notice I didn't say WHO got shot, so no 'Spoiler Warning' needed)I mean, what the HELL more do you want for this kind of film...? I'm not normally a fan of outright CheeeeeZ as a rule, but this is good, solid, MASTER CheeeeeZ. And it is a total blast!So, yeah, I'm gonna give it an '8' because '4.8' just simply ain't right...
Scarecrow-88
Father and son Chinatown bar owners, Burt & Jim Roth(Lee Van Cleef and David Carradine)become inadvertently involved in a war with the Tanaka crime family over a jade statue, quite a pricey artifact desired by a powerful Yakuza family.Clay Roth(David Goss), Burt's son/Jim's brother, is partners with a no-good, dirty, rotten scoundrel, Cory Thorton(Ross Hage, perfectly vile and two-faced)who has taken a job to exchange money for a jade statue, commissioned by powerful mobster Akira Tanaka(Mako). It would be a 5 thousand dollar payday to orchestrate what seems like an easy task, but Cory's greed and avarice throws a cog in Akira's plans. Cory is to take all of Tanaka's money, kill the thieves(an unhinged Laurene Landon and Dick Miller offers another cameo), and set up Clay as the one responsible for the botched job. But, a wounded Clay delivers the jade statue to Jim and Burt before dying. With the money, Cory goes into hiding, with Tanaka targeting the Roth family desiring to get the statue he must provide to a major Yakuza boss arriving by plane in the coming days. Kidnapping Tommy Roth(Fred Olen Ray regular Brett Huff), and torturing him with acupuncture needles, Tanaka and his men will stop at nothing to secure the statue, but waging war with Burt and Jim may not be the smartest idea despite how powerful and dangerous a threat they are. When Tanaka captures Jim's wife and daughter, as well as show him his slain brother, Tommy(..whose courageous escape attempt ends in a shot gun blast to the chest), there'll be hell to pay. Another development is that one of the thieves, Deborah(Landon)didn't die after all(..she's one tough chick)and wants the money Cory took from her.I imagine it was a dream come true for director Fred Olen Ray to obtain the star power of Carradine and LVC in his movie. To have them in a war with Mako, Michael Berryman, and a litany of mobster vermin must've been a joy. FOR also has two major action set pieces, the double-cross when Cory betrays Clay, with hired guns(..paid by Cory)blasted in their cars before they could cause any damage. There's the Chinatown showdown where Carradine faces off with Mako and his goons(..my biggest disappointment was not seeing LVC getting to partake in the festivities very long). There's also a chase where a cop pursues a wounded Berrymen, with innocent bystanders(..in their vehicles)impacted, resulting in car crashes(..and FOR gets to demolish a telephone booth). Carradine's Jim has some plot development as FOR establishes some trauma that has left scars from a combat experience in Vietnam. Berryman seems to be having fun as one of Mako's assassins. Unfortunate for me, LVC doesn't have as substantial a role in the movie as I, a major fan, would prefer, but he was on up in age by this time. When Carradine tosses grenades at Mako's gunmen, explosions hurl lots of stuntmen in the air.I think fans of low budget action, not expecting strong acting or a challenging plot, might enjoy this rather straight-forward, undemanding, uncomplicated B-movie. Carradine's revenge over Mako("Rest in Pieces.")is certain to amuse. Brett Huff has a great scene where Mako and company seek information, using torturous methods which would make most squeal, not allowing them to benefit from his anguish. LVC, in his seventies, gets a chance to kick some ass, punishing a pack of loathsome customers looking to start some crap when they enter Jim and Burt's bar. Lois Hamilton, as Carradine's wife, gets to blow away a bad guy with a machine gun in a memorable final scene after a car is driven into Jim and Burt's bar! Another rather unfulfilling scenario for me was not seeing Cory get his comeuppance in gruesome style(..while he does pay, it's not nearly the fate he deserves for the trouble he has caused).
Woodyanders
Rugged ex-cop World War II veteran Burt Roth (a marvelously crusty Lee Van Cleef) and his equally tough Vietnam veteran bartender son Jim (a typically fine David Carradine) lock horns with ruthless Yakuza mobster Akira Tanaka (a deliciously wicked Mako) over who's got dibs on a priceless jade statue. Capably directed with real style and flair by the insanely prolific exploitation veteran Fred Olen Ray, with a brash, witty script by T.L. Lankford, a snappy pace, glossy cinematography by Paul Elliott, a gnarly rock soundtrack, an amusingly sarcastic sense of humor, a funky, syncopated score by Thomas Chase and Steve Rucker, a smidgen of gratuitous female nudity, a tight 86 minute running time, and several thrilling well-staged action scenes (a wild and destructive protracted car chase rates as the definite exciting highlight), this slick, lively and entertaining low-budget romp makes for very rewarding viewing. The first-rate cast of familiar trash flick faces helps matters a whole lot: Ross Hagen as shifty, double-crossing hoodlum Cory Thorton, Brent Huff as the likable, laid-back Tommy Roth, Lois Hamilton as Jim's sweet, concerned wife Sara, Michael Berryman as vicious assassin F.C., Dick Miller as sleazy small-time thief Steve, Laurene Landon as Steve's feisty partner Deborah Silverstein, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as cruel torturer Toshi, Bobbie Bresee as helpful informant Anna, Dawn Wildsmith as a scrappy thug, and Michelle Bauer as a stripper. A neat little flick.
