5 reviews
Oh man oh man!
Since I just saw this on local cable, and that I'm the first to write a comment here, I'd guess that not too many people have seen this spectacular movie!
No really! The producers, and the 'star' Ginty, must have decided that things like 'plot', 'characterization', and 'narrative' were all either overrated or outdated concepts holding back true filmmaking with their stodgy and rigid definitions of 'cinema'. There have been other films that have shirked the conventions of the masses in such a fashion, like 'Silent Assassins', 'The Destroyers', and almost anything starring Micheal Dudikoff, that brilliant man.
Is it fair to say that Ginty is a poor man's Barry Bostwick? Not to Ginty! He's more like a Barry Bostwick stand-in that you'd find discarded, and a little beat up, in some 10 for a dollar bargain bin in a local arts and crafts store. That's right -- you could probably cobble together your own Ginty with random odds and ends that you have laying in between your couch cushions. You'd need a lot of hair, though, to approximate the whole 'Whoa dude -- are you a shag rug?' reaction that most people have to Ginty when they first see him. Actually, if you did this, the resultant lint-and-ear wax monster might actually have some life, and deliver its lines without Ginty's trademark 'flat delivery'. Which means that anyone else in the world who said lines in a script would interject some of their own personality into them -- except for Ginty. Ginty is the acting equivalent of absolute vacuum, which is to say that the lines come out of his mouth with no urging, and simply exist with no inflection or modification possible. If you've seen him (oh, I don't know, probably not in this, but maybe 'WARRIOR OF THE LOST WORLD'!!) then I hope you know what I'm talking about. Maybe I've just watched too much Ginty!
Oh, the movie? Tremendous. I guarantee that your jaw will be agape as Ginty slips out of his jail cell during . . . some fracass that causes everyone to NOT LOOK AT GINTY!!! And then you'll see lots of grenades and explosions, sometimes where people are, and sometimes killing them or dummies hurled out of train cars. And even though this is Qatar, or 'Katar' as the movie lists it, watch in awe as Ginty immediately comes into possession of a suit and tie, and goes to some strip-club. He briefly watches a honey-roasted aerobics instructor shimmy (sorry, it's not really 'stripping') in terror, and then meets up with Shannon Tweed. Now Ginty is of course irresistable to women (just ask Persis Khambata . . . if you could find her), and so they dance slowly to poor 80's pop before they !get it on! in some room. Gotta wonder how Tweed restrained herself from asking if Ginty was actually some sort of ambulatory shag carpet . . . Oh, and this is within the first fifteen minutes of the movie!!! Awesome!
And then there's shooting! And killing! Lots! Some dudes in black get-ups and turbans appear! Ginty ain't gonna have none of that though, and how! You'll be blown away by his nonchalant attitude to death as he shoots in random directions and, every time, manages to shoot a guy off a roof! Amazing! Someone should have told those black-robed guys not to stand on roofs around Ginty!
The producers did make some concessions to filmmaking standards though, as there's enough plot for Ginty to be the good guy and be an American to boot, but, it really fades in comparison to the whole 'Black-robed dude turns corner, get shot by Ginty' aspect of the movie.
Well, gotta go. Tired of saying Ginty. But remember -- the shag rug you see walking down the street might not be a magical carpet; it just might be the most brilliant actor any human has ever seen - GINTY!!
No really! The producers, and the 'star' Ginty, must have decided that things like 'plot', 'characterization', and 'narrative' were all either overrated or outdated concepts holding back true filmmaking with their stodgy and rigid definitions of 'cinema'. There have been other films that have shirked the conventions of the masses in such a fashion, like 'Silent Assassins', 'The Destroyers', and almost anything starring Micheal Dudikoff, that brilliant man.
Is it fair to say that Ginty is a poor man's Barry Bostwick? Not to Ginty! He's more like a Barry Bostwick stand-in that you'd find discarded, and a little beat up, in some 10 for a dollar bargain bin in a local arts and crafts store. That's right -- you could probably cobble together your own Ginty with random odds and ends that you have laying in between your couch cushions. You'd need a lot of hair, though, to approximate the whole 'Whoa dude -- are you a shag rug?' reaction that most people have to Ginty when they first see him. Actually, if you did this, the resultant lint-and-ear wax monster might actually have some life, and deliver its lines without Ginty's trademark 'flat delivery'. Which means that anyone else in the world who said lines in a script would interject some of their own personality into them -- except for Ginty. Ginty is the acting equivalent of absolute vacuum, which is to say that the lines come out of his mouth with no urging, and simply exist with no inflection or modification possible. If you've seen him (oh, I don't know, probably not in this, but maybe 'WARRIOR OF THE LOST WORLD'!!) then I hope you know what I'm talking about. Maybe I've just watched too much Ginty!
Oh, the movie? Tremendous. I guarantee that your jaw will be agape as Ginty slips out of his jail cell during . . . some fracass that causes everyone to NOT LOOK AT GINTY!!! And then you'll see lots of grenades and explosions, sometimes where people are, and sometimes killing them or dummies hurled out of train cars. And even though this is Qatar, or 'Katar' as the movie lists it, watch in awe as Ginty immediately comes into possession of a suit and tie, and goes to some strip-club. He briefly watches a honey-roasted aerobics instructor shimmy (sorry, it's not really 'stripping') in terror, and then meets up with Shannon Tweed. Now Ginty is of course irresistable to women (just ask Persis Khambata . . . if you could find her), and so they dance slowly to poor 80's pop before they !get it on! in some room. Gotta wonder how Tweed restrained herself from asking if Ginty was actually some sort of ambulatory shag carpet . . . Oh, and this is within the first fifteen minutes of the movie!!! Awesome!
And then there's shooting! And killing! Lots! Some dudes in black get-ups and turbans appear! Ginty ain't gonna have none of that though, and how! You'll be blown away by his nonchalant attitude to death as he shoots in random directions and, every time, manages to shoot a guy off a roof! Amazing! Someone should have told those black-robed guys not to stand on roofs around Ginty!
The producers did make some concessions to filmmaking standards though, as there's enough plot for Ginty to be the good guy and be an American to boot, but, it really fades in comparison to the whole 'Black-robed dude turns corner, get shot by Ginty' aspect of the movie.
Well, gotta go. Tired of saying Ginty. But remember -- the shag rug you see walking down the street might not be a magical carpet; it just might be the most brilliant actor any human has ever seen - GINTY!!
- Mr Pan Cakes
- Oct 25, 2002
- Permalink
Chuck Norris Rip Off
Just watched this on TV. It was on at midnight. Should not have been on at all. Stupidest movie I have seen in a long time. The main guy is a dead ringer for Chuck Norris but is nowhere near as cool or tough. Story is retarded, acting is non existent. Music sounds like it's from a 70's porno. This movie wishes it was Missing in Action. I mean these guys are trained soldiers and can't hit a guy 5 meters away. 12 guys with Machine guns and a rocket launcher cannot hit 3 guys in a Land rover. Their hats didn't even fall off when they did Commando rolls. I love bad movies, but this is worse than the worst Dolph Lundgren movie and Steven Seagul movie put together. Crapola.
It's easy to love Ginty and Code Name Vengeance
- tarbosh22000
- May 21, 2018
- Permalink
Ginty? Minty!
This South-African, but set in Qatar action film really delivers on the gunfights and explosions right from the get go, when a prince and his mum are kidnapped by rebels during the King's speech. After a three minute massacre with over thirty on screen kills, Codename: Vengeance gets underway.
The royal family have been kidnapped by Tabrak, a rebel leader with a past dealing with the CIA. It's up to Beeler (Ginty), who has been languishing in jail for twelve years, to get the kid and his mum back. This won't be easy, though, as the CIA have assigned him a dodgy partner, and he can trust no one (except Cameron Mitchell, who turns up as a grizzled, crazed buddy ready to plug anyone he can't trust (and ends up being right)).
Badly shot, badly edited and badly directed, Codename: Vengeance is simply captivating in its energy. By the half hour mark, you've seen a massacre, prison fights, prison brutality, a head sent to the king in a jar, a prison escape, a rebels v army battle, an invasion of an arms dump and a sex scene. What more can you ask for? Whenever the plot lags, the director (David Winters) throws in a random scene of violence, where Tabrak attacks the army or Ginty attacks the rebels. The finale is pretty good as we get to see who double-crossed McGinty.
There are mistakes abound in this film, but I'm willing to let it go because I was rooting for the flick the moment everyone started shooting at each other in such a confined space at the beginning. I recommend this one, but please note: I do not have a brain.
The royal family have been kidnapped by Tabrak, a rebel leader with a past dealing with the CIA. It's up to Beeler (Ginty), who has been languishing in jail for twelve years, to get the kid and his mum back. This won't be easy, though, as the CIA have assigned him a dodgy partner, and he can trust no one (except Cameron Mitchell, who turns up as a grizzled, crazed buddy ready to plug anyone he can't trust (and ends up being right)).
Badly shot, badly edited and badly directed, Codename: Vengeance is simply captivating in its energy. By the half hour mark, you've seen a massacre, prison fights, prison brutality, a head sent to the king in a jar, a prison escape, a rebels v army battle, an invasion of an arms dump and a sex scene. What more can you ask for? Whenever the plot lags, the director (David Winters) throws in a random scene of violence, where Tabrak attacks the army or Ginty attacks the rebels. The finale is pretty good as we get to see who double-crossed McGinty.
There are mistakes abound in this film, but I'm willing to let it go because I was rooting for the flick the moment everyone started shooting at each other in such a confined space at the beginning. I recommend this one, but please note: I do not have a brain.
Mediocre actioner