Danger Zone (1996)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

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.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

"Action at Point Blank Range.""Captain" Rick Morgan (Zane) works as a mine operator in East Zambezi, Africa (where they shot Damned River (1989)?) where he sings with his African buddies and minds his own business. When his old pal Jim Scott (Downey Jr.) shows up at the mine with a truckful of toxic waste barrels, havoc ensues. Due to a mix-up, everyone blames Morgan for deaths due to the toxic sludge. A year later, Maurice Dupont (Silver) approaches Morgan, who is now a disheveled drunk. He recruits Morgan and Dr. Kim Woods (Lisa Collins) to investigate the truth of the matter. Even though Morgan enlists the help of his friends Nando (Russel Savadier) and Madumo (Patrick Shai) things get complicated because the ruthless and evil Chang (Tagawa) shows up everywhere they are and shoots up the place. Will Morgan clear his name? Will he survive the country where the rebels are fighting the government? What really happened to Scott? How did Robert Downey Jr. spend his $500,000 for his two weeks on the set?Danger Zone is more of an ADVENTURE film than an action film. You wonder how Morgan will get out of all these cliffhanger-like scrapes. Just imagine a direct-to-video cross between Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) and Broken Arrow (1996).Nu Image produced the film, and Live entertainment released it, and it has some names, so they hoped it would be classier than the normal DTV project, which it is. It has some blow-ups, rocket launchers and fight scenes, as well as some silly humor. It's all very palatable.Billy Zane is funny as the man with the "alcoholic hat". It's a tan cap he wears to let the world know he is a raving drunk. There is even a scene where he retrieves the hat a la the aforementioned Indiana Jones. It's weird seeing a top name like Robert Downey Jr. in this type of product. He admits he did it for the money, but he probably had fun, if he remembers doing it. It was definitely a career low for him. His performance is more Jay Roberts Jr. than Robert Downey Jr. He has a ridiculous southern accent and every line he says ends with a drawling "Maaaan!" The nadir is reached with the line "This sucks, man!" We love Downey Jr. so it was unusual to see him like this.Ron Silver puts in a quiet performance which could be construed as having no energy. Shot on location in South Africa, Danger Zone is a cut above the normal DTV actioner in terms of quality, and might be a good intro to people who are not familiar with the crazy world of direct-to-video films. For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

Robert Downey Jr arrives at Billy Zane?s camp in Africa wanting to dump some toxic waste. Zane refuses, more so when the army arrives and begins to shoot up the place, killing Downey in the process. Zane escapes, fleeing to New York where he is talked into returning by Ron Silver who tells him there is more afoot then meets the eye. B level action adventure results. Pay check movie for the cast (some of which looks drunk or stoned) is an okay time killer for the rest of us. Entertaining and worth a bucket of popcorn when you?re in an undemanding mood, this is the sort of B movie that would have played in grindhouses a couple of decades ago. Zane is good as the hero, even if he looks a bit bored. Downey?s role, though figured prominently in the cover art is rather small, which only goes to show that even in a down phase, once you?re a name you still can attract people. I liked it, but I wish I had seen it on cable on a rainy afternoon instead of watching it VCD late on a Sunday night where the break in the film made me have to choose to continue (I did switch discs). Worth a look if you stumble on it and want undemanding action.

*SPOILERS*Going into this movie, I expected nothing more than your typical, tried and true Hollywood thriller in the made for TV format. But after drinking 8 or 9 beers and paying mostly attention to a game of poker, I can safely say that this movie blew my expectations away. The battle scenes between Mr. Billy Zane and the Mr. Asian guy, I've suddenly gained a desire to meet both Mr. Zane and the Korean and have them teach me the ways of the samurai. The script in this made for TV movie was breathtaking; by taking the time to ensure that Billy Zane kept his hat on after diving out of a flaming train at the end of the film, Danger Zone maintained the trust and believability the average negro film maker would come to appreciate.On a side note, the sexual undertones between Billy Zane and Robert Downey Jr. kept the energy up throughout the course of the piece. By just watching their eyes, and the way they closely looked up and down their manly chests, the viewer felt either sudden impulses to find a male specimen and make sudden, passionate love to him, or find an equally appealing man to masturbate to. I chose Paul Walker.If you could just give this film a chance, you will find that most other films in this genre (beastiality porn) fall entirely short of your expectations. I am shocked that this didn't win an academy award for best adult to horse interaction film featuring a negro back in 1997. It was fascinating enough that they even allowed the colored man to act in this film. I am still amazed by the poor decisions of these so-called expert movie reviewers.I give it 15/10. Kisses.

You know those movies that seem like they're an excuse to keep Hollywood pyrotechies working 24/7? This is one. Robert Downey Jr. is scraping the barrel bottoms after his work in "Chaplin". Billy Zane seems to have one expression: disdain/disgust. You want cliche's? This movie is one BIG cliche'.