Wolf Larson Movies

Brian Katkin, the director behind such video-store fare as If I Die Before I Wake and Hard as Nails, delivers this action thriller starring Ron Perlman and Erika Eleniak. Released straight-to-video in 2002, Shakedown centers on a terroristic religious cult, led by Perlman, with plans to infecting the world with a deadly biological weapon. After an earthquake, Perlman finds himself trapped in an office building with the weapon he covets and an undercover agent (Wolf Larson) bent on stopping him. Hunter's Fred Dryer co-stars. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

Those intrepid LAPD detectives Chase McDonald (Wolf Larson)--the white, reckless one--and Austin Brooks (Steven Williams)--the black, sensible one--continue to dodge bullets, embark upon hectic car chases, and narrowly escape being blown to smithereens as the 60-minute action series L.A. Heat enters its second season. The two protagonists also try really, REALLY hard to avoid imitating Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, the stars of the series' blatant "role model", the Lethal Weapon films. This season's crop of 22 episodes begins with "Fangs", a Night Stalker derivation wherein McDonald and Brooks track down what appears to be a genuine vampire. The obligatory "hero is accused of murder" plotline is the basis of the season's second entry, "F is for Framed"; while another reliable plot hook, a vicious Neo-Nazi organization, figures prominently in Episode Three, "Burning Sanctuary." And of course, no cop show of the 1990s would be complete without the occasional drop-in of a bevy of nearly naked exotic dancers--as witness the season's fourth and fifth episodes, "Strip Show" and "Eyewitness". This last-named episode also serves to introduce Gary Hudson in the role of ruthless, "untouchable" criminal mastermind Bobby Cole, who would remain the detectives' most deadly adversary throughout the rest of the year. Arguably the season's most poignant episode is "Little Saigon", which probes deeply--perhaps too deeply--into the troubled past of Detective August Brooks. And one of the most harrowing installments is "Call of the Wild", in which a desperate Chase must hunt down and neutralize a serial killer before the felon is able to bump off both August and his wife Kendra. Other episodes worth noting include "Faces of Fear", with Chase taking a page out of Miami Vice by going undercover as infamous drug lord Jake Rheams; "In Harm's Way", featuring Tina Louise, of all people, as a homicidal bank robber; and "Legacy of a Buffalo Soldier", an elaborate flashback to the Old West in which Steven Williams plays the dual role of August Brooks and his namesake great-great-grandfather. The series comes to a rousing conclusion with "Vengeance", as McDonald and Brooks defy orders from their police superiors--and the FBI--to take down the elusive Bobby Cole for keeps! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season One of the unabashedly derivative and highly entertaining action series L.A. Heat begins with the pilot episode "Daybomber", in which loose-cannon white LAPD detective Chase McDonald (Wolf Larson) is teamed with level-headed black detective Austin Brooks (Steven Williams) for the very first time. In their efforts to bring a deranged anti-technology activist to justice, Chase and Austin somehow manage to keep alive despite innumerable car crashes and explosions--not to mention the volatile verbal remonstrations of their superior officer, Captain Jensen (Kenneth Tigar). If all this sounds like a rehash of the Lethal Weapon pictures--well, you wanna make something out of it? Later episodes this season include "In Transit", the plot of which bears a marked resemblance to (surprise, surprise!) Lethal Weapon 2; "Electra", in which Chase's actual first name "Chester" is revealed, much to his embarrassment; "Cop Star", wherein the partners are saddled with babysitting the arrogant production crew of a TV reality series; "Rage", featuring series regular Renee Tenison in the dual role of Brooks' wife Kendra and her twin sister Rosie; "Words Will Never Hurt Me", pitting the detectives against a Howard Sternish radio "shock jock" (Robert B. Martin Jr.); "Rap Sheet", in which Brooks demonstrates a hitherto untapped talent as a rap singer; "Old Scores", wherein a murder draws August back into his previous life as a pro boxer; "211 Kidney", a grim new spin on an old urban legend; "Captain Crimestopper", featuring Peter Breck (The Big Valley) as the former star of a popular 1960s "superhero" TV show; and "Kiling on Lily Lane", which marks the last series appearance of Chase's long-suffering girlfriend Jody (Dawn Radenbaugh). The season finale, "Wake-Up Call" provides a valuable service for novice viewers of L.A. Heat) by offering a compendium of highlights from previous episodes--not to mention a compelling guest appearance by Abby Dalton (Falcon Crest) as Chase's mother. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When a would-be bank robber's attempt to steal $6 million goes awry, he takes a woman hostage without realizing that she is an ex-cop. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This cheesy martial arts flick has two government agents fighting to get out of a compound that trains assassins with virtual reality. Some good computer effects (for a film of this type) but still unable to achieve anything resembling entertainment. ~ Sean D. MacLaggan, Rovi

Donna (Dona Sper) and her partner Tanya (Hope Marie Carlton) are two beautiful female secret agents sent to stop the international villain Picasso Trigger (John Aprea) in this action spy thriller. Travis Abilene (Steve Bond) is the agent assigned to gather a group of sometimes questionable abilities to combat the international foes. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi