HUNT TO KILL (2010)
Rating: 3 on 4 / Buy the Blu-ray here
Tagline: Survival of the baddest
Directed by Keoni Waxman
Starring Steve Austin, Eric Roberts, Gary Daniels
THE KILL: Even with the amount of straight to DVD action flicks hitting the shelves, it still remains difficult to find one that not only delivers the goods in terms of action, but also in terms of overall quality as well. But when Keoni Waxman, the director of such STD action gems as THE KEEPER and A DANGEROUS MAN (both starring Steven Seagal) teams up with the likes of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and two other cast members from THE EXPENDABLES, you know you’re in for a real treat, and that’s exactly what you get with HUNT TO KILL!
Never stand in the way of Stone Cold and his crossbow collection.
This flick is awesome for a couple of reasons, mainly that of all around badass Steve Austin, who definitely has a career in the action genre if he keeps trying to raise the bar with the level of action flicks he’s been rockin’ lately. On the one hand, he’s like a big ol’ Teddy Bear that has the demeanor of a man who would hurt a fly. On the other, he can be a stone cold killing machine, breaking necks, punching women, and kicking all kinds of ass without blinking an eye. And that’s just what he delivers in HUNT TO KILL, a film that soars above his previous STD effort (THE STRANGER) and on par with his action-man’s wet dream THE EXPENDABLES.
Bond? I’d make Bond my bitch with a swift roundhouse to the nuts.
Beyond Austin, though, the film rocks in terms of the set up and the premise. In essence, HUNT TO KILL is CLIFFHANGER (a group of violent criminals needs a guide to lead them through an unknown and dangerous terrain) meets FIRST BLOOD (a mountain man using the forest around him to hunt down and kill his enemy) with a sprinkle of PREDATOR thrown in for good measure (particularly the scene of Austin gearing up for battle, which plays just like Arnold gearing up for battle). His hot daughter is the damsel in distress (but luckily not his love interest) and Gil Bellows serves as the criminally insane bad guy who would rather see his own mother murdered than let somebody talk smack to him. Add up all these factors, throw in the damp, moist, and generally miserable terrain of the Montana mountains (aka Vancouver), and you have yourself one fun-fill action movie plays out like a flick that would have hit theaters if released about 20 years ago.
CLIFFHANGER meets FIRST BLOOD minus a full head of hair.
HUNT TO KILL doesn’t have an extremely large body count, but the body count it does have is as entertaining as it is impressive. Speaking of which, HUNT TO KILL also plays out a like a mini EXPENDABLES reunion, with the great Eric Roberts making an extended cameo appearance and Gary Daniels once again strutting his stuff as the token kung-fu bad guy who also happens to be Irish and 100% white. Both of these dudes are as macho as they get and seeing the three of them together (though never at the same time) on the big screen was a real treat.
Oh gawd, who farted? No wait, that wasn’t a fart… this guy shit his pants!
The only real downside to HUNT TO KILL is that the kills themselves could have been a bit more elaborate, Austin’s daughter (Marie Avgeropoulos) could have been a lot less annoying / bitchy, and the action scenes could have been beefed up. That said, the crew of criminals are a fun group of baddies, the relationship between the bad chick and the daughter turned out to be a lot more interesting than I would have thought, and Austin did what he does best: kick a lot of ass and use shit like cross-bows and hand-made spears to his advantage.
Easiest paycheck Eric Roberts ever earned…
It’s rare when an STD action flick can blow you away, but that’s just what HARD TO KILL delivers: hardcore action, a badass action hero, and a group of despicable villains that you can’t wait to meet their demise. The few kills the film has are bloody as they are violent with the entire film playing out like an ‘80s action film with a slightly larger budget. If you caught THE STRANGER, this is 150% better in every way, and if you dug shit like A DANGEROUS MAN or (better yet) COMMAND PERFORMANCE, then you’re gonna want to get your groove on with HUNT TO KILL. If you’re not a fan of Steve Austin yet… you will be!
VHS trailer for HUNT TO KILL!
TOP DEATH: Not that I’m a fan of violence towards women, but when the main bad chick gets what’s coming to her with a Steve Austin-made spear… its glooooooriuos.
Stone Cold is now the new sponsor for all-things Animal beer related. Drink Hamms… or else.
TOP ACTION SCENE: Hands down, the fight sequences between Gary Daniels and Steve Austin is the best fight sequence in the entire film. Austin gets his butt kicked, Daniels gets his butt kicked, and both of them throw down hardcore. Nice to see both dudes doing what they do best–quite THE EXPENDABLES reunion scene right there.
TOP HOMOEROTIC MOMENT: There’s some serious man-love between Daniels and Austin in the abovementioned fight sequence… that is, if man love equals ass kicking. Nope, nevermind… there’s no man love to be found in HUNT TO KILL.
Oh gawd. He f*ckin’ shit his pants AGAIN??? This f*ckin’ guy…
FEMALE EXPLOITATION: Not so much exploitation here either (it’s in the cold, dreary, and damp forrest, what do you want?), but Austin’s daughter is smokin’ hot and so is main baddie chick. The chemistry between those two… I could almost see a GIRLS IN PRISON-style sequel on the way (if “TOP DEATH” didn’t happen, that is).
TOP LINE/DIALOGUE:
Austin: When I hunt, I hunt.. to KILL.
DRINKING GAME: Every time Austin’s daughter is a complete and utter biotch, you have to drink!
TRIVIA: Eric Roberts and Gary Daniels both agreed to be in the film as a favor to Steve Austin after they became friends while making THE EXPENDABLES.