<*dv_0*>Youre a disease and Im the cure, informs Sylvester Stallone in a blank monotone seconds before blowing away a nameless scumbag. This sets the tone for a film that provides a chilling insight into the mindset of Reaganite America.
<*dv_2*> Stallone plays Marion Cobretti a LA police detective. To get into character Stallone sports huge Polaroid sunglasses, so big they could in fact double as solar panels. Stallone also moodily chews a matchstick. Its difficult to tell which puts in the more wooden performance.
The film opens with Stallone reciting in a low croak a litany of crime statistics. The only purpose of which seems to be to justify the impunity which Stallone enjoys as he cuts a murderous swathe through LAs lowlife. We cut to an armed siege at a supermarket. Negotiations with the gunman are too ineffective for the impatient Stallone who has no time for such namby pamby niceties and walks straight in to the building to face down the maniac. A couple of hostages get caught in the cross fire before Stallone finally gets to administer justice, but hey, you cant make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.
What plot there is revolves around a group of LA citizens conducting a wave of random motiveless murders. The conspiracy seems to involve hundreds of people who get together in deserted warehouses to take part in mass synchronised axe clinking. Do we get to learn anything more about their homicidal motives or why on earth they chose to wave axes around like a psychotic aerobics class? No. However, just in case that this should disconcert you there are plenty of cop film clichs to reassure and comfort you. Slys character is a maverick cop with unconventional methods and an attitude problem. His boss is a by the book hard ass who wants him off the case. There is a rock guitar sound tracked car chase, a love plot with the female witness and did I mention the bit where Slys partner gets shot and tells his buddy to go on without me? Rest assured every plot twist is signalled well in advance so you dont have to worry about any unpleasant surprises.
The films climax sees hundreds of people armed to the teeth riding motorbikes and pick up trucks descend on the motel where Stallone and his witness are holed up. Again questions like Who are these people and why? float to the front of your mind however the WWII-style body count serves as an effective distraction.
<*dv_1*> The lesson of this film seems to be that liberal values are obstacles to good honest cops who merely want the freedom to summarily execute criminals. It's reactionary, it's right wing, it's morally bankrupt. Fuck me it's good.
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