| Under Pressure (1997) Cast:Charlie Sheen, Mare Winningham,David Andrews,Keone Young It's a hot day on the block and fire-fighter Charlie Sheen snaps when the family next door breaks his window as well as irritates him, then he starts blaming Winningham for why his family walked out and decides to get even in this impressive effort. This is a movie that is long overdue in terms of being done well.. Falling Down started the idea but was completely unconvincing in justifying the actions of it's mean spirited villian, Under Pressure is a movie that really kicks into high gear due to Baxley's stylish directing as well as great acting which without a doubt raises this little thriller a notch above others. However what really makes this effort quite impressive is that Sheen really has the same super-heroic yet hair triggered temper of all the protagonists in Baxley's actioners which include Action Jackson, I Come In Peace and Stone Cold. In each of those films all of the protagonists seem always on the urge to punch somebody out or throw somebody through a window. Baxley features yet another actionstar in Charlie Sheen, and this time plays that same type of character with more sinister yet very effective results for example the way Sheen lets a mother fry in a fire because of her drug habit which he feels she brought on herself, even more true is the way Sheen kills an asian repairman who starts the fight with Sheen and despite being quite brutal it remains true to the character that Baxley has personified.. Indeed this is one of Sheen's best roles in awhile, much better then 1997's The Shadow Conspiracy. Like Treat Williams, Charlie Sheen has a typically likable charm which helps him in his hero roles but like Williams also can play a nasty character very well. Interestingly enough, Sheen's character inspires sympathy from us because really the kids next door are pretty irritating in the things they do. Whether it's spraying Sheen's dog with water or flying a plane into the window of Sheen's breaking a priceless gift from his mother, these kids would understandably piss anyone off. Plus Under Pressure is packed full of black humor and buffered by great one-liners including a shockingly racist rant from Sheen ,telling the Asian Repairman to "Have a rice day!" which then leads to the fight. Overall though this is a surprise, a movie that contains much more thought that one would expect from a straight to video thriller, a movie that gets inside the head of it's psycho and really stings the Baxley's hero persona. D.Craig R. Baxley***1/2 |