Avenging Angel (1985)

User Rating:

3.9/10   

Director:

Robert Vincent O'Neill

Writers:

Joseph Michael Cala (writer)
Robert Vincent O'Neill (writer)

Release Date:

11 January 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Her all new Hollywood adventure. [USA Theatrical]

Plot:

Molly, former baby prostitute "Angel" from Sunset Boulevard, has managed to leave her street life with help of Lt...

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Cop Killer | Psychotronic | Female Nudity | Necrophiliac

Cast

Betsy Russell	...	Molly "Angel" Stewart
Rory Calhoun	...	Kit Carson
Susan Tyrrell	...	Solly Mosler
Ossie Davis	...	Captain Harry Moradian
Robert F. Lyons	...	Lt. Hugh Andrews
Steven M. Porter	...	Yo-Yo Charlie
Paul Lambert	...	Arthur Gerrard
Barry Pearl	...	Johnny Glitter
Estee Chandler	...	Cindy
Tim Rossovich	...	Teddy Butts
Frank Doubleday	...	Miles Gerrard
Howard Honig	...	Sergeant Hal Baylor
Ross Hagen	...	Ray Mitchell
Tracy Robert Austin	...	Pat
Michael A. Andrews	...	Mike

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (cut) | Norway:18 (video rating) | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Iceland:16

Company:

Avenging Venture

Trivia:

Little Buck, a boy, was actually played by a baby girl (Robert Vincent O'Neill''s first granddaughter, Jessica O'Neil).

Quotes:

Kit Carson: Damn that girl picks the funniest times to do her school work.

Movie Connections:

Followed by Angel 4: Undercover (1993)

Soundtrack:

Why?

Disappointing sequel to "Angel".

Molly Stewart, played this time around by the very sexy Betsy Russell, is now studying to be a lawyer, having left her street-walking days far behind. Unfortunately, her guardian, Lt. Andrews (Robert F. Lyons, taking over the role from Cliff Gorman), is killed in the line of duty. As one might guess from the title, Angel turns vigilante to strike back at the scum responsible. And she calls upon old friends, like flamboyant former Western actor Kit Carson (Rory Calhoun), landlord Solly (Susan Tyrrell), and Yo-Yo Charlie (Steven M. Porter), to do so.

My major criticisms with this sequel are 1, too much silliness, and 2, not enough sleaziness. For a film that is supposedly exploitative in nature, this film doesn't often go very far. There's no sex and one pair of bare breasts on display. There's a fair amount of violence, but even some of it comes off as overly comedic, as when one goon goes sliding down a wet hallway and crashes through a window. Some viewers may well take note that the film doesn't entirely shy away from ugliness, however, as at one point a baby's life is threatened. In any event, director Robert Vincent O'Neill, another holdover from the first film, marches this watchable enough bit of junk through its routine plot towards its inevitable ending.

The primary pleasure in watching "Avenging Angel" is seeing a bunch of familiar faces from B movies on display. The main cast is certainly enjoyable; having such a bunch of unlikely, quirky vigilante heroes take center stage has some appeal. While I kind of prefer the bitter, hard-edged cynicism of Donna Wilkes in the first film, Russell is still quite easy to watch. Calhoun and Tyrrell add much unsubtle comedy relief. Barry Pearl is fairly femme in his role as the gimmick-laden "Johnny Glitter", but doesn't overdo it either. What is truly amazing is seeing a distinguished veteran such as Ossie Davis in such a film; his presence is incongruous, but still welcome. The cast also includes Frank Doubleday, a heavy in the John Carpenter films "Assault on Precinct 13" and "Escape from New York", and Paul Lambert as a son-and-father pair of criminal masterminds, Tim Rossovich and Ross Hagen as thugs, Hoke Howell as a desk clerk, Liz Sheridan as a nurse, and Robert Tessier as a tattoo artist.

Even if disappointing in some ways, "Avenging Angel" is still a reasonably entertaining and very 80's style experience.

7/10