| Heatseeker(1995) Cast:Keith Cooke,Norbert Weisser,Gary Daniels,Tim Thomerson,Thom Matthews,Tina Cote Heatseeker boasts the thinnest script for a martial arts flick since the Bruce Li cheapies that play on "Kung Fu Theater" And that's too bad because Weisser is really good here... This mindless, cheap "Bloodsport" knock off has a few decent action scenes but even then the film comes off as third rate Schwarzenegger. I guess Don "The Dragon" Wilson said "No" because we get Keith Cooke who is a decent athlete and his fightscenes are for the most part well mounted, However his trainer/girlfriend claims he has heart which is why he always wins when the fights, well the movie could have fooled me, Cooke shows such little emotion that he looks as if he has been held at gun point by Albert Pyun. This role was actually tailor-made for Don "The Dragon" Wilson. Can you imagine that? Wilson turning down a movie (And this guy did Future Kick! ) Not a very good sign. Heatseeker has only one thing going for it.:Norbert Weisser. Weisser has natural charisma and makes his villian actually interesting. (Something Albert Pyun can hardly do because his movies are usually so bad that the actors don't take it seriously. I.E Vincent Klyn ("Cyborg") and Lance Henriksen ("Knights") and Tim Thomerson although "Nemesis" was pretty good) Weisser displays such laid back aggression that his villian is by far the most interesting charicacter in the movie.....He doesn't go over the top and he doesn't underplay the role, he really sinks his teeth in the role and yet he remains the most human of the bunch. I always believed that the key to a good movie is a great villian and Heatseeker has one and it also has good action scenes that are well staged ( the fight scene between Daniels and Cooke is really exciting )but despite those qualities the cons outweigh the pros. For one the movie looks cheap. Okay I know it's Albert Pyun but the sets look as if he went shopping at the nearest garage sale. The sets are dull and it lacks atmosphere. (Something Pyun is usually sucsessful at creating) The acting for the most part is just plain bad. Cooke is your standard strong and silent type hero. Cooke has a screen presence but when he threatens Weisser he comes laughable because Weisser is just more imposing . Cote brings nothing to her "Damsel in Distress" part and although there isn't much to do with the dialog, She could at least come off a little more tougher then she does. Matthews whose other big film was Friday The 13th Part 6 is transparent as the buddy who turns out to be a bad guy and Daniels has it all wrong.......He is not 100% Cyborg he still has some human qualities. Daniels plays it like a straight robot and is underwhelming which can be said about Heatseeker although the movie has a few decent moments this film still lurches in the gutter.Secondly where are the missles? Lame title, Lamer movie. D.Albert Pyun *1/2 |