"Trained By the Navy... Hunted By the Yakuza..."

"Trained By the Navy... Hunted As a Killer... 
Only She Would Discover His Real Secret"

From the instant this movie opens, we're treated to not only explosive shoot 'em up action, but ass-whoopin' martial arts too! Taking some influences from John Woo, this is a tense high-octane action flick with a quick-fire plot, memorable script and cool one-liners armed with so much quick-fire, slow-motion, dual-handed gunfire and martial arts action that'll make you want to roundhouse-kick down your neighbor's door, break all his furniture and yell swear words in front of his kids or something cool like that.

Now that you're all hyped up cos I've told you how much this movie kicks ass, I'm gonna actually tell you what it's about now! Cool huh? Well, Daniel Bernhardt plays Allen Griffin, a former Navy Seal who whilst on an assassination mission ordered his partner to hold fire when the target's wife and children appeared on the scene. However his partner had other plans and decided to make like Wild Bill Hickock in a tin can alley by taking pot-shots at the family like it's nobody's business. In response, Griffin retaliates by opening fire on his partner - and that's our opening back-story.

Years go by, Griffin has since been married and become a father, though is now a widower. One day at work he's approached by a Japanese guy who demands his services - to which Griffin rejects. Upon returning home he begins to worry about his daughter when he realizes she's nowhere around... he soon discovers a videotape that tells him that she's been kidnapped by the Yakuza and she's being kept alive on a respirator. Basically if he doesn't work for them, his daughter will die.

So Griffin's using his naval training as a hired assassin to save his daughter - one thing leads to another and after completing the mission he obviously turns against his Yakuza oppressors. However in complying with the assassination mission, he's still performed an act of murder, albeit for ulterior motives - so the cops are on his tail. Meanwhile, the Yakuza want him for betrayal and have hired a personal assassin to take him out before he reaches them; the police want him for murder - so poor Griffin has to shake the cops, battle the Yakuza, take down their hired-gun and save his daughter.... all in a day's work.

The production values are reasonably high for a made-to-video action flick such as this, with some quality direction. Oh, and there are gratuitous breast shots, samurai swords and motorbikes too, which obviously adds to any movie's cool-factor.

Playing Daniel's arch nemesis in the movie as his assassin is the mighty Miles O'Keeffe. Some of you will remember him from the cleverly disguised softcore porno, known as Tarzan the Apeman with Bo Derek prancing through the jungle with him in very little clothing with multiple gratuitous nipple-shots (and Bo's not wearing much either)... but most of you will remember him as Ator, Warrior Prince of Dragor from the ultra-cheap quadrilogy of Italian barbarian movies. Like Daniel, he was blessed with an appearance on MST3K (in the Ator movie, The Cave Dwellers) but that's neither actor's fault, as both are very talented action-stars and O'Keeffe proves he has what it takes when he's given a decent script. Here, Miles plays 'The Specialist'; one mean-ass S.O.B. with a Snake Plissken disposition and a nasty wit that perfectly rivals Daniel.

I personally feel this is the kind of character I enjoy seeing Daniel play most - a gritty action hero with a mean streak yet has a clear-written conscience and a repertoire of cool lines that I wish could be worked into my every-day conversations more easily! He can handle his guns as easily as his uppercuts & flying kicks and sports a pretty snazzy trench coat too!

Rounding out the lead-spots we have two forms of authority - the exotically attractive Lieutenant Wilson (Beverly Johnson) of Naval Intelligence, as well as a wry joker of a veteran cop, Detective Emory (Jonathan Lutz). Both want him for different reasons, but are working together for the same goal - to give ol' Griffin a taste of the Jailhouse Rock. All the characters have decent chemistry that adds to their appeal - with the three completely different sides of allegiance playing off each other well, quite literally being the good (Daniel), the bad (the cops) and the ugly (the Yakuza & O'Keeffe). I don't wish to delve too deeply into the intertwined subplots, as they're the magic that strings the picture together - so I've kept the plot details to a minimum. All I can suggest is you check this out and enjoy!

If you like high-quality made-for-video action movies, you're going to absolutely love this. If you like Daniel Bernhardt, you're going to love this all the more.... and why else would you be here? Without-a-doubt one of his absolute best, this film belongs at the forefront of any Bernhardt collection.