Remember Loren Avedon ? , the King Of The Video Rental Pick Boxes and star of the quick feet ‘n fist fu flick sequels to ‘No Retreat No Surrender’, well Arnie’s not the only one who’s back as Avedon returns with ‘Deadly Ransom’. Team leader of a Navy Seals quartet he and his men are sent into El Salvador to rescue a C.I.A drug enforcement agent held captive in a cocaine den. Time to take to the forces equivalent of the super models cat walk as scuba gear is donned for a night time excursion into enemy territory , washed ashore replete with night vision and guns from top designer Uncle Sam. The opening sequence primes its intended audience like a pin pulled from a live grenade with all the anticipated results to follow. The explosive intro sets the tone for the strictly ‘B’ movie hi jinks to come as hand to hand combat goes blow for blow with gun play , and even has the audacity to bring on a heavy artillery tank just to add to the fun.

Loren Avedon plays Lieutenant Max Lightener , quite possibly the role model for Buzz Lightyear with his rip cord having the same vocal range , the son of a high ranking Naval Intelligence officer at the Pentagon. When Lightener’s girlfriend and her father are abducted in Brazil during carnival time he gets his father to green light a covert operation , sending him in on an unofficial rescue mission. Max isn’t supposed to actually find them though as his father fears he is too emotionally attached , and so seeks local assistance from the C.I.A whilst Max is shepherded by a back seat field agent. Just as crazy as the sight of wild animal and werewolf mask wearing abductors , known as the Grey Wolf Gang , is the notion that Max Lightener is going to be given the run around for very long. Teamed up with his likeable Venezuelan C.I.A equivalent Luis Mendes , high in the hills of the Venezuelan border , Lightener soon looks to infinity and beyond for his girlfriend and future father in law.

The ubiquitous Brion James provides all the usual insane qualities associated with his portrayals as resident bad guy , here seen hamming it up as a stock market broker named Ricco with a multi million dollar account to settle. His hilariously bad role as the leader of a misfit gang is best described as a cross between The Penguin and Marlon Brando , surely the true Godfather of the low grade home viewing experience.

Throw in a preposterous side story that more than infers Max has a sixth sense , far from the Die Hard credibility of Bruce Willis , guaranteeing to mess with your mind if your concentration phases out and you just know this is truly a ‘bad’ movie. The ‘bad’ experience is however often livened up by the odd moment to wryly relish such as a neat little bloody tomahawk to the head and the appearance of Bruno , a grinning henchman who stands out due to his striking presence as well as the uniquely applied green contact lense to one of his eyes.

Max and Luis prove to be the stars of the piece although the rest of the on screen characters don’t provide too much competition , but it is when the Seals unit reunite for the rescue finale that the film retrieves its entertainment value displayed at the outset. The only way to even come close to appreciating this poorly executed vehicle for Loren Avedon is perhaps to be a relative of the star , or to be blessed with a refrigerator overflowing with strong brews. Failing the brewskie option immediately go grab the entire back catalogue of Jim Wynorski films to appreciate just how good a ‘bad’ film really should be !. With ‘Deadly Ransom’ Loren Avedon’s crown as the one time King Of The Kickboxers has lost its sparkle.

Presentation : Full Screen 4:3
Release : Univers Laser & Video Co. Limited
Coding : NTSC Region 1
Sound : Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0
Extras : Trailers