Senteur
As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.
Rosie Searle
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Nicole
I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.
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
Comeuppance Reviews
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, and I quote, "pappy", 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 prolific Fred Olen Ray followed this movie up with Cyclone (1987), and you can identify this period of his long career, as the two films share many traits. They're both fast-paced actioners loaded with B-movie stars about underworld characters trying to get a certain item, with one torture scene. They also both have that 80's vibe and plenty of memorable music on the soundtrack.It's truly a case of "spot the stars" as almost every character in the movie is a B-film name. It would be impossible to go into detail about each and every one, but Lee Van Cleef is memorable as the dad we all want. He gets all the best lines in the movie. Why he's supposed to be David Carradine's - as well as Brent Huff's - FATHER is kind of weird, but it adds to the fun. Carradine puts more energy into his performance than he did in Future Force (1989), but that's not saying much. And the daughter, Dah-Ve Chodan, can proudly stand in the pantheon of cute and precocious daughters alongside Lauren Levy, Sarah Dampf and Lisa Boynton. Mako brings his memorable voice and evil walking stick along and is menacing as the baddie. And it's nice to see Michael Berryman in an action movie. From the funny opening, to the prerequisite barfight, to the fact that the Vietnam flashbacks provide added action bits, as well as some depth of characterization, to the stuntwork (featuring all the car chases and shootouts you would expect), and the fairly short running time, Armed Response certainly doesn't overstay its welcome.The "older" action stars Carradine and Van Cleef show that you don't have to be a young punk to beat the baddies, and there's a nice message of family togetherness and even some Reagan-era patriotism, which we always like seeing.Armed Response is a nice little flick that's certainly worth checking out.For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com
Boba_Fett1138
It's amazing. This is actually a Fred Olen Ray movie that had a budget. Normally his movies look like they got made with a shoestring budget and are also too often completely unwatchable, mainly because of that. I don't know who ever decided to give Fred Olen Ray some big money to work with this time and I also really don't understand why. It's not like his movies ever brought in any big money or have a good reputation. But you know what, the fact that this movie had some money behind it actually also makes it a somewhat decent watch at times. It makes you wonder if perhaps Ed Wood also wouldn't have been capable of making some decent movies if he was given some more money to work with.But still Fred Olen Ray managed to mess things up. First off all, the build up of the movie takes way too long. I think this is because Fred Olen Ray is accustomed to and familiar with this storytelling approach. When you have a $0 budget to work with normally you have to become creative with your storytelling and stretch your story out as far and for as long as possible, without actually doing or showing something. But this is simply not the sort of approach you want from a straight-forward, tough, action-flick.But also the story in itself is pretty bad and formulaic but told even worse by director Fred Olen Ray. It has plenty of silly and bad moments in it. I mean, those Vietnam flashbacks were all kind of awkward and didn't really add anything good to the story. I understand why it's all in there but it feels so out of place and totally unnecessary.A reason why people still probably want to see this movie is because of its cast. It has David Carradine, Lee Van Cleef, Mako and Michael Berryman. What more could you want from a movie? I must say that without their star power this movie would had probably a way worse and more ridicules movie to watch. I had never actually seen Lee Van Cleef at such an 'old' age. You probably wont even recognize him the first time you see him in this, he looks like a real genuine, balding, gray, grandpa, even though he was only in his early 60's at the time. He also died only a couple of years after this movie. Some people just age fast I guess.One thing that Fred Olen Ray also doesn't know to handle is its action. Most of the sequences really aren't shot too well and the editing also helps to make it look clumsily at times.This movie at times has some hints of a good and entertaining, silly '80's action flick in it but Fred Olen Ray still managed to downgrade this movie overall to a below average one. I still like to say his name a lot though, Fred Olen Ray, Fred Olen Ray, Fred Olen Ray!4/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
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...
