Evasive Action (1998)

"I tell you Jack, I feel a whole lot better if we were flying". "Well, ever since that plane load of prisoners went down in Vegas. The FFA doesn't want anything to do with us".Cool to see a little wink to the film that it patterned itself on. "EVASIVE ACTION" is a poor man's version of "CON AIR". Being in the same film universe, you could call it Con Train, but it manages to deliver a few of its own surprises. It just doesn't stop there either, as certain characters are similar in persona and mannerisms. Instead of a top-draw cast, you get a second string ensemble. Dorian Harewood is the good-hearted criminal ala Nic Cage. Roy Scheider is the cunningly dangerous head criminal ala John Malkovich. Clint Howard is the weird psychotic prisoner that everyone fears ala Steve Buscemi. Howard doesn't do much, and his character doesn't really live up to the name Hector "The Director" Millar whose signature style was recreating the murders from horror films. Instead all does here, is look creepy, while spouting well known movie dialogues. Then there's Ray Wise, Don Swazye, Ed O'Ross, John Toles-Bey and Dick Van Patten rounding it up. The performances are all acceptable without anyone really standing out.For what it is, plot mechanics stay simple. Predictable character traits and motivations linger, being brutal when it wants to be. Mayhem and pacing stays frequent, in spite of its minimal intensity, a few stunts had a degree of tension and were extremely well-shot. This durable, straight shooting b-grade actioner delivers on the quota.

There are some familiar faces in this "Con Air" rip off. Dorian Harewood from Gothica and Full Metal Jacket is the lead actor who is 12 years into a 15 year sentence for shooting the guy who killed his wife. Ed O'Ross the villain from Red Heat who also had roles in Lethal Weapon and Universal Soldier has a role as the tough Warden of the prison. Clint Howard is a long way from his Gentle Ben days, but he has been turning up in small roles in movies for years. Waterboy, Austin Powers, Ed-TV, Tango & Cash and Backdraft. Don Swayze who has been in.....um.... err... We'll he's Patrick Swayze's brother. The star of the movie though is Roy Scheider who is a mob boss serving a life sentence. They are all prisoners on a train transferring The worst of the worst Prisoners to a new High-Tec prison. Scheiders character organises an escape with Harewood filling out the Nic Cage role from "Con Air" of trying to stop him, while remaining on his good side.The end ridiculously takes stock footage from Silver Streak, and a lot of explosions and stunts happen off screen like Harewood jumping from a motorbike to the train, and a helicopter crashing.I gave it 5/10 simply for Roy Scheider. There's a great scene early in the film where Scheider establishes his bad-ass credentials by brutally clubbing an uncredited Sam Jones (Flash Gordon) to death. Scheider was 66 when he made this, and he looks nails. I only watched this on TV because of Roy Scheider. Its sad that he had to took roles in movies like this to pay the bills, and its understandable that he did, we all have to make a living. I can forgive that rather than Sly Stallone starring in tripe because he was offered $15,000,000 to do so.

For me, the best part of this runaway train disaster, was the closing credits, where you get to understand just how many interesting character actors are totally wasted by the ridiculous script. Let's start with Roy Scheider, as a Mafia boss. Then there is Don Swaze, Clint Howard, Ed O'Ross, and Ray Wise, all lost in the cartoon-like goings on. You have a train. You have the bad guys taking over the train. You have the train eventually crashing into Los Angeles Union Station, yet everyone in the station seems oblivious to the fact that a locomotive has just torn through half the terminal. Hero, Dorian Harewood, jumps off the speeding train with no ill effects, steals a dirt bike, and somehow gets back on the train without a misstep. The weak attempts at levity, especially with the control room operator, are pathetic. Then there is the damaged helicopter, which somehow manages to get a cop onto the roof of the train, before disappearing behind a hill in flames. I could go on and on. The intriguing cast is absolutely the only reason to see this, but only if you are prepared for the ridiculous script. - MERK

This mess of movie is just a big Con Air Rip Off. The Story, The Names, The End. Like, Clint Howards character is named Hector "The Director" and his bald compare with Malkovich character the balded Cyrus "The Virus". Don't bother watch this movie unless you are like me fan of direct-to-video movies. And at last Don Swayze looks like a Ostrich in the movie.