Ballistic (1995)

BALLISTIC is unfortunate in that the parts making it a good film aren't necessarily the ones that B-movie action fans typically find appealing. The amount of time it spends on its characters will make adrenaline junkies itch for action, and when those awaited fight scenes don't blow 'em away, it's easy to be disappointed. Nevertheless, the picture's got charm beyond its means, and its obscurity makes it a rare find for an appreciative fan like me. Despite its price tag, I'm sorry I waited so long to get my hands on it.The story: When a straight-shooting police officer (Marjean Holden) is falsely implicated in a murder, she battles time to prove a conspiracy between the department and a sleazy arms dealer (Sam Jones).What's simultaneously infuriating and refreshing about the film is that, even though this is Marjean Holden's sole leading credit, she doesn't hog the spotlight. It's clearly her vehicle, but the amount of prominence given to costars Joel Beeson and Richard Roundtree is surprising. While it's easy to write this off as Holden being unable to carry a vehicle by herself, the story highlights the interrelationships between characters and makes what would otherwise be a bunch of stock figures seem interesting and easy to invest in. This isn't a masterpiece of drama, but if more B-movie action yarns spent this much time making you care about the people in it, the genre might have a better reputation. Also, it's one of the few films of this sort wherein Richard Roundtree actually earns his highly-placed credit, and for that it deserves praise.There's a good amount of action here, mainly in the way of fistfights, but the quality is inconsistent. Holden is a better onscreen fighter than, say, Mimi Lesseos but she doesn't approach Cynthia Rothrock's standard. The late Joel Beeson has at least as many fights as her and is a respectable kickboxer, though nothing out of the ordinary. The brawls range from basic karate-style encounters to pro wrestling-inspired bouts and even the odd weapons-themed showdown. Holden's final opponent is bodybuilder Corinna Everson, and while their match is interesting, it's not the showstopper you're hoping for. Supplying some much-needed pizzazz is Michael Jai White in a rare indie role wherein he actually fights. White has a few matches and his acrobatic moves vastly outclass those of anyone around him, to the point that you wish he'd get an opponent who can keep up with his skill.Production values are above average for this kind of picture, comparable to a really good PM flick. Its rolling pace and engaging tone make it a good starting point for newcomers to low budget action flicks. Again, viewers who are all about the action might not go for this, but at this point it's their loss. Among the hills of schlock and mountains of trash this genre has accumulated, this one's a diamond.

This is a really great action film. Being in Australia, the movie down here was called "Fist of Justice", not Ballastic. It really did have some great action scenes, when the girls face off against each other in a death match, and the drop-dead gorgeous Marjean Holden wins, and when Sam the Fighting Man defeats the other guy in the test, and I think the Gun-Fight between Marjean's on-screen father and the Asian guy was also good. I can say that I recommend this movie to anyone, a typical ending, good prevails over evil, but the action is what scores this movie points. There are some adult scenes in this movie, that is all OK, some other great movies have had such scenes, such as Basic Instinct... the big bonus this movie contained was that it was a female/male action movie, not just based on single sex-based action movie, like Charlie's Angels (Ladies) or Die Hard (Males) - this movie is more broken down and a little like street fighter in the gender base. I give it 7/10

Quite a decent low-budget action movie which focuses on female characters for a charge. Anybody with preconceived notions about "The Weaker Sex" may have to change their tune after watching statuesque cop Marjean Holden duking it out with ruthless muscle lady Cory Everson in a standout fight sequence that took all day to film.And by the way SC50, I met Marjean in 1999 and, as well as being funny and charming, she was definitely NOT chunky!

Apart from Richard Roundtree playing around, Marjean is all that recommends this waste of film. Marjean is a taller, slimmer, less chunky Marjean than we saw in the '99 Nikita episode. There are a couple scenes where we see her sprint like the track star she was...great form! She's pretty quick and snappy with the martial arts moves, but not enough to stay in the business as an action actress