Mean Guns (1997)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Albert Pyun

Writer (WGA):

Andrew Witham (written by)

Release Date:

21 November 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime

Tagline:

100 Assassins. 1,000 Weapons. 10,000,000 Dollars. Only One Can Survive.

Plot:

A gangster boss (Ice-T) has a list of about 100 people who have screwed up at one point or another. Rather than outright killing them...

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Gunfight | Reference To Goldilocks And The Three Bears | Independent Film

Cast

Christopher Lambert	...	Lou
Ice-T	...	Vincent Moon
Michael Halsey	...	Marcus
Deborah Van Valkenburgh	...	Cam
Tina Cote	...	Barbie
Yuji Okumoto	...	Hoss
Thom Mathews	...	Crow
Kimberly Warren	...	D
Hunter Doughty	...	Lucy (as Hunter Lockwood Doughty)
Jerry Rector	...	Bob
James Wellington	...	Ricky
Hoke Howell	...	Commissioner Galloner
James Mathers	...	Jerry Montegna
Milan Nicksic	...	Kobolski
Jahi J.J. Zuri	...	Blondie

MPAA:

Rated R for nonstop violence, and for language.

Runtime:

104 min | USA:105 min (TV version) | USA:110 min (video version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R18 | Germany:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Spain:18

Company:

Filmwerks

Quotes:

Lou: Valium, prozac, and ritalin. Breakfast of champions.

Movie Connections:

References Lat sau san taam (1992)

Soundtrack:

Esta noche sin ti

Impressive for a grade B film.

Mean Guns (1997) was a nice surprise. I saw this movie on video a few years back and I enjoyed it. The plot is a re-working of the old "man hunting man" theme. Like I have said in the past, it's one of my favorite plot devices. The director Albert Pyun is one of those hit or miss directors. But this time the material succeeds despite the mundane direction and writing.

The film for the most part takes place within a warehouse that is maintained by Ice-T. He's rounded up a hundred people and has filled several rooms with duffel bags filled with firearms. The participants have to play a game. Whoever survives wins the cash prize. An eclectic bunch of criminals, junkies and low-lives round out the cast of b-movie actors. A few old favorites also appear as well. The action is heavy and it seems to be heavily edited.

I have to recommended this movie. The action is fast paced and the actors seem to be having fun and enjoying themselves. The only problem I had with this movie was the video transfer. It's a shame that they couldn't have produced a nice widescreen transfer (the movie was shot in Scope). A nice updated version of The Most Dangerous Game.