This is a solid crime thriller TV movie with some good performances throughout. It plows along at quite a pace and throws a lot of story into the pot, but it just about holds it together. The production value is strong and it still looks good today almost 20 years later. Its a mix of the mafia, courtrooms and cops, and attempts to explore what suffifcient justice really means in society.
Be warned though as despite star billing on the DVD cover Jim Belushi has a small role here, and is best described as a minor co-star.
15 Reviews
Dull
xredgarnetx7 May 2006
JUSTICE, or BACKLASH, was a dull and plodding TV flick about a prosecutor attempting to avoid being executed by a Colombian drug cartel. I watched it thinking it was going to be a Jim Belushi vehicle, but Belushi wasn't the star. A TV actress named Tracey Needham was, and while she was very attractive, she ain't no Jim Belushi. I didn't quite make it to the end, as I had to leave for work and I was getting bored anyhow. Charles Durning co-starred to no particular effect. While glossily photographed, JUSTICE looks like it was strictly a paycheck for all involved, including the legendary and ageless Henry Silva as Sal the Joker. And here we go again: IMDb wants more lines, God knows why. Brevity is often the beauty of a movie review. But not here. No sir-ee, Bob. You gotta drag these things out. Drag them out, I say!
Blunderbuss plot construction method
Bezenby13 August 2012
Phew! I had to work hard to get my five or six brain cells to keep up with this one, a scatter-shot film in the genre of action/court drama/prison/gangster/revenge movie.
The film started off in Colombia where a DEA agent gets executed and micturated on, then jumps ahead eight months to a prison where James Belushi saves Henry Silva from getting shanked, then jumps ahead a year to a courtroom. I was beginning to think that by the time Charles Durning showed up, they'd all be in the future fighting on hoverboards (man, that would have been great).
The hugely complicated plot is this: Tracy Needham convicts a Colombian drug dealer who killed her partner, so he orders a hit and her partner gets wasted (as does his wife), so Charles Durning turns up as her protector and they go after the Colombian (who in turn are trying to kill them), Belushi is now working for Silva in the mafia (or is he?) and some Fed and her Marshall are covering things up for some reason I didn't catch. Got all that?
The film moves briskly enough and there's plenty of action and such like (except my disc had a glitch that missed out the climatic battle - cheers Cash Convertors!), but if you're drunk you might want to watch something with a simpler plot.
I give this film a high marking because Henry Silva is absolutely brilliant here. Just wait till you see the scene where, in one of his restaurants, he offers Colombian dealers a coffee and then charges them $2.50 for the pleasure (then gets really really angry when they don't want to pay) - worth watching for that scene alone.
It's alright. I must note, however, that I couldn't take my eyes off Charles Durning's frame. He's...err...a bit on the large side.
The film started off in Colombia where a DEA agent gets executed and micturated on, then jumps ahead eight months to a prison where James Belushi saves Henry Silva from getting shanked, then jumps ahead a year to a courtroom. I was beginning to think that by the time Charles Durning showed up, they'd all be in the future fighting on hoverboards (man, that would have been great).
The hugely complicated plot is this: Tracy Needham convicts a Colombian drug dealer who killed her partner, so he orders a hit and her partner gets wasted (as does his wife), so Charles Durning turns up as her protector and they go after the Colombian (who in turn are trying to kill them), Belushi is now working for Silva in the mafia (or is he?) and some Fed and her Marshall are covering things up for some reason I didn't catch. Got all that?
The film moves briskly enough and there's plenty of action and such like (except my disc had a glitch that missed out the climatic battle - cheers Cash Convertors!), but if you're drunk you might want to watch something with a simpler plot.
I give this film a high marking because Henry Silva is absolutely brilliant here. Just wait till you see the scene where, in one of his restaurants, he offers Colombian dealers a coffee and then charges them $2.50 for the pleasure (then gets really really angry when they don't want to pay) - worth watching for that scene alone.
It's alright. I must note, however, that I couldn't take my eyes off Charles Durning's frame. He's...err...a bit on the large side.
Injustice
pooh-2420 September 2002
Routine tv movie drama starring some actors who have done bigger and better things but seemed to be in this movie just for the paycheck.The movie "stars" James Belushi,JoBeth Williams,Charles Durning,and Tracey Needham in a plot that is totally unbelievable,filled with poor writing,and bad acting.Belushi,himself,is hardly in the film.It is true Tracey Needham looks great in the film,and one of the reasons for her healthy look is that she was pregnant while doing this movie.It is then hard to believe that a female DA in high heels(Needham) and an elderly heavyset cop(Durning) are working together and staying ahead and outsmarting the drug cartel that wants Needham's character killed.The real name of the film is Backlash.Horrendous is more like it.
I like garlic too but not second hand
sol-kay25 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** Boring police flick about an undercover agent Frank Spello, James Belushi, biting off far more the he can chew and getting whacked for doing it. It's Spello who got himself arrested and sent to prison to at fist save and then befriend Chicago Mafia Boss Big Sal, Henry Silva, from getting knifed in the prison lunchroom. It's later that Big Sal give him a job in his organization as a pizza delivery and towel boy, at a mob controlled whorehouse, when he got out of prison. No sooner then you can say Geronimo is when Spello gets himself involved with D.A Gina Gallagher, Tracy Needham, who's job it is to put the Mifia members and Columbian drug dealers behind bars! It's Gina who has a hit put on her for busting big time Colombian drug kingpin Gil Rivera, Miguel Perez, for money laundering. That after he beat a murder rap for gunning down a DEA agent and his informer in the jungles of Columbia.
As for Gina she's now in hot water in that Rivera's fellow drug dealer Jairo Jaramilo, Richard Zauaglia, is the person who put out the hit in retaliation for her sending his good friend and fellow drug kingpin Gil Rivera up the river in a federal penitentiary for life plus 150 years. It's then when Gina's very out of shape and extremely overweight, how could anyone not notice, Godfather retired Chicago detective Moe Ryan, Charles Durning,gets himself involved in order for him to keep her from getting whacked. But what's really going on is that a top member in the D.A's office Jane Newheart, JoeBeth Williams, is keeping vital information from the police in what's to come down by using an informant's information to farther her career and thus putting a number of law enforcement member in the Chicago Police Department as well as FBI & DEA men in mortal danger.
Almost impossible to follow with all the sub-plots added in the film plods along with even those in it seeming to lose interest as well as those of us watching. There's a number of shootouts and a grizzly home invasion that ends with those involved in it getting whacked by the person who ordered it before they can safely fly out of the country and back home to Columbia. About the best scene in the film is the meeting between the Columbian drug dealers and their Mafia contact Big Sal at a Chicago restaurant where the truth comes out, over a couple of cups of espresso coffee, in what's really going on between them that has to do with undercover FBI Agent Spello. It's Spello who then stupidity blew his cover as well as wire and ended up getting blasted for it.
***SPOILERS*** The really meaningless ending really didn't solve anything but only proved to us that crime does not pay but mostly for those in law enforcement who want to farther their careers at the expense of their fellow law enforcers with the criminal element free to commit their life of crime. For as long as play ball, by being snitches and informers, for those who are out to arrest and put them out of business!
As for Gina she's now in hot water in that Rivera's fellow drug dealer Jairo Jaramilo, Richard Zauaglia, is the person who put out the hit in retaliation for her sending his good friend and fellow drug kingpin Gil Rivera up the river in a federal penitentiary for life plus 150 years. It's then when Gina's very out of shape and extremely overweight, how could anyone not notice, Godfather retired Chicago detective Moe Ryan, Charles Durning,gets himself involved in order for him to keep her from getting whacked. But what's really going on is that a top member in the D.A's office Jane Newheart, JoeBeth Williams, is keeping vital information from the police in what's to come down by using an informant's information to farther her career and thus putting a number of law enforcement member in the Chicago Police Department as well as FBI & DEA men in mortal danger.
Almost impossible to follow with all the sub-plots added in the film plods along with even those in it seeming to lose interest as well as those of us watching. There's a number of shootouts and a grizzly home invasion that ends with those involved in it getting whacked by the person who ordered it before they can safely fly out of the country and back home to Columbia. About the best scene in the film is the meeting between the Columbian drug dealers and their Mafia contact Big Sal at a Chicago restaurant where the truth comes out, over a couple of cups of espresso coffee, in what's really going on between them that has to do with undercover FBI Agent Spello. It's Spello who then stupidity blew his cover as well as wire and ended up getting blasted for it.
***SPOILERS*** The really meaningless ending really didn't solve anything but only proved to us that crime does not pay but mostly for those in law enforcement who want to farther their careers at the expense of their fellow law enforcers with the criminal element free to commit their life of crime. For as long as play ball, by being snitches and informers, for those who are out to arrest and put them out of business!
Waste, Wasted, Wasting
davidbr6 August 2000
All films must necessarily proceed from the script. When the script is drawn from the Collected Cliches of North America and the largest line item on the budget is cocaine acquisition, the result must be worth far less than the life force used to view it. The only good thing I can say about this movie is that Tracey Needham is pleasant to look at once she wipes off the Marilyn Monroe makeup.
A good cast and 90 minutes of my life wasted
harrymccormack19812 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
When I was out DVD shopping, I found this film advertised on its cover as a James Belushi mole-in-prison movie (undercover cop looking to break a crime boss) and with the likes of HenrySilva, JoBeth Williams and Charles Durning, I was expecting a fairly decent film despite only paying £1 for it.
This however was one of those marketing con-jobs trying to promote a fairly awful TV movie which starred Tracey Needham (who looks a bit like Maggie Grace of the TV series Lost)as a prosecutor being hunted down by the Colombian mafia for sending down their boss.James Belushi's role is nothing more than a cameo.
The film rushes in at 100 mph with the "prison" part over in a matter of 4 minutes and it can't make its mind up whether its a TV pilot, a violent b-movie or a very bad black comedy. Ironically the film tends to drag at the end which is tedious at best.
I've never seen so many good actors wasted like this especially with James Belushi given little to do. The plot is ridiculous and the ending pathetic.
The movie is a bomb and I can only assume that the aforementioned actors were stuck for work when this came along.
Avoid if you can.
This however was one of those marketing con-jobs trying to promote a fairly awful TV movie which starred Tracey Needham (who looks a bit like Maggie Grace of the TV series Lost)as a prosecutor being hunted down by the Colombian mafia for sending down their boss.James Belushi's role is nothing more than a cameo.
The film rushes in at 100 mph with the "prison" part over in a matter of 4 minutes and it can't make its mind up whether its a TV pilot, a violent b-movie or a very bad black comedy. Ironically the film tends to drag at the end which is tedious at best.
I've never seen so many good actors wasted like this especially with James Belushi given little to do. The plot is ridiculous and the ending pathetic.
The movie is a bomb and I can only assume that the aforementioned actors were stuck for work when this came along.
Avoid if you can.
What a load of c**p
jgpenner30 August 2000
I guess I've become spoiled by watching mainly good movies in recent years, but this was by far the worst movie I have seen in a long, long time. It didn't even have the redeeming virtue of being entertainingly bad; it was just plain BAD. The acting was uniformly wooden, and the script was laughable. I was deluded into thinking that the film was worth seeing by the fact that James Belushi and JoBeth Williams were in it, and even Charles Durning is often good for a laugh if nothing else. God knows what they thought they were doing when they agreed to appear in this turkey.
Many far fetched moments
jordondave-2808521 July 2023
(1998) Backlash
THRILLER
Straight to rental and low budget, and seen it as "Backlash" and not as "Justice" about young female federal prosecutor succeed in putting away a drug Colombian drug cartel for life, only then she is on the run because of other relatives who're also connected and in the drug business. Interesting on the first half with some amusing dialogue, but goes to the absolute ridiculous and predictable mode where she ends up having an affair with an informant. So many far fetch things happen after, is when it really becomes ridiculous and off the wall. James Belushi also stars in this as the informant!
Straight to rental and low budget, and seen it as "Backlash" and not as "Justice" about young female federal prosecutor succeed in putting away a drug Colombian drug cartel for life, only then she is on the run because of other relatives who're also connected and in the drug business. Interesting on the first half with some amusing dialogue, but goes to the absolute ridiculous and predictable mode where she ends up having an affair with an informant. So many far fetch things happen after, is when it really becomes ridiculous and off the wall. James Belushi also stars in this as the informant!
Good...
RosanaBotafogo2 November 2022
Federal prosecutor suffers attack, in which her partner is killed. She asks her superiors for help, but is ignored. And she ends up looking for the help of an FBI agent who is undercover in a mafia organization, to find out the truth about the events. A lawyer and her partner are on the run from the Colombian mafia and the corrupt US marshals and lawyers assigned to protect them.
An old DVD, very old that I found here at home, and that didn't change in the notebook, but I ended up finding the movie on YouTube, more of the same when it comes to the theme, but nice for boring and cold holidays... I love it...
An old DVD, very old that I found here at home, and that didn't change in the notebook, but I ended up finding the movie on YouTube, more of the same when it comes to the theme, but nice for boring and cold holidays... I love it...
I really liked the movie.
henryg24 March 2002
I thought the movie was great. I was channel surfing and found this movie as it was just starting. Usually I have to know something about a movie before I watch it-I don't like wasting my time. Charles Durning and Tracey Needham made a great team, I wish they would make a TV series about this movie. I used to watch Tracey on JAG all the time. I hope she gets more parts in TV or movies. I like seeing Jim B., I wish he had more screen time. I rate this movie 9 stars and I would see it again.
Try To Be Just With Justice !
elshikh421 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
If I wanna be sarcastic, then this movie gives me more than one chance: (Tracey Needham) was taller and bigger than everybody!, (Charles Durning) was a 76 years old cop, who had that one titan paunch?! So how could he manage to ride the motorcycle at the end, being disguised as a road patrol officer??!!, (James Belushi) was shorter than (Needham), so I think they made him stand on something while talking to her! Not to mention that he looked older than her too! And the nice loving cop, (Patrick Ersgard), seemed all the time like (Tom Green)'s look-alike!
But if I wanna be serious, then let me say that the script suffered from some hastiness. For huge instance, the love story between the undercover cop (Belushi) and the hunted lawyer (Needham) was very fabricated; with Just couple of scenes, and a dialogue about perfection and fighting for justice. It wasn't a problem for them to add some more scenes or dialogues to convince the characters and us. And for small instance, considering the condition of (Durning)'s age and belly, why he wasn't made as a retired police detective who works as a private eye?!
The direction handled the subject well, but while the story had a cinematic sense, there was too TV-ish dealing. I hated the determination to film maybe everything in close-ups as another typical TV movie, as if somebody would sue them if they did anything else! Look at the scenes of (Jobeth Williams), they were shot all in her office; that's boring if you asked me. And what is it with all of those wipe transitions, like it's a movie from the 1940s; I didn't like it as a goofy element compared to the whole thing. While the music was loyal to the atmosphere, especially at the start, it didn't keep up with the heat of the rest. The lighting was generally excessive which made the image a dully sparkling white for most of the time. And while nearly the cast delivered a wonderful performance, all of them with each other had weak chemistry, or some kind of disharmony!
However, there were some exceptional factors. Despite anything, (Durning)'s performance was lovable; even his Rambo's war scream at the climactic shootout was lively and harmonic. (Needham) had a shining presence, and tender performance. And true that the script wasn't excellent, but I can't deny that it pulled off being very good, with thrilling treatment, hot conflict, strong characters, and some clever lines too; mostly for the character of the old detective (Moe Ryan) played by (Durning), let alone those many points of view about justice; being blind as helpless, or half blind to let some people fulfilling it by other ways than the law!
It could have been made for the big screen yet with the expensive stars, the compulsory nudity, the sex scene, some smashing explosions, and maybe a slick twist at the end (you know, the usual of Hollywood!). Though this movie is nice and entertaining, with fair acting, well-done excitement, and an acrid satire. Plus, it doesn't have that easy happy ending, since the basic 2 drugs' lords ran away at last, hence justice, by the law or by bare hands, is not entirely perfect!
They wanted a TV night movie and they made one. However, if you felt a little frustration after the viewing, then that was because your own belief that this movie wasn't quite just to its powerful potentials; they deserved more than a customary TV work.
But if I wanna be serious, then let me say that the script suffered from some hastiness. For huge instance, the love story between the undercover cop (Belushi) and the hunted lawyer (Needham) was very fabricated; with Just couple of scenes, and a dialogue about perfection and fighting for justice. It wasn't a problem for them to add some more scenes or dialogues to convince the characters and us. And for small instance, considering the condition of (Durning)'s age and belly, why he wasn't made as a retired police detective who works as a private eye?!
The direction handled the subject well, but while the story had a cinematic sense, there was too TV-ish dealing. I hated the determination to film maybe everything in close-ups as another typical TV movie, as if somebody would sue them if they did anything else! Look at the scenes of (Jobeth Williams), they were shot all in her office; that's boring if you asked me. And what is it with all of those wipe transitions, like it's a movie from the 1940s; I didn't like it as a goofy element compared to the whole thing. While the music was loyal to the atmosphere, especially at the start, it didn't keep up with the heat of the rest. The lighting was generally excessive which made the image a dully sparkling white for most of the time. And while nearly the cast delivered a wonderful performance, all of them with each other had weak chemistry, or some kind of disharmony!
However, there were some exceptional factors. Despite anything, (Durning)'s performance was lovable; even his Rambo's war scream at the climactic shootout was lively and harmonic. (Needham) had a shining presence, and tender performance. And true that the script wasn't excellent, but I can't deny that it pulled off being very good, with thrilling treatment, hot conflict, strong characters, and some clever lines too; mostly for the character of the old detective (Moe Ryan) played by (Durning), let alone those many points of view about justice; being blind as helpless, or half blind to let some people fulfilling it by other ways than the law!
It could have been made for the big screen yet with the expensive stars, the compulsory nudity, the sex scene, some smashing explosions, and maybe a slick twist at the end (you know, the usual of Hollywood!). Though this movie is nice and entertaining, with fair acting, well-done excitement, and an acrid satire. Plus, it doesn't have that easy happy ending, since the basic 2 drugs' lords ran away at last, hence justice, by the law or by bare hands, is not entirely perfect!
They wanted a TV night movie and they made one. However, if you felt a little frustration after the viewing, then that was because your own belief that this movie wasn't quite just to its powerful potentials; they deserved more than a customary TV work.
AVOID/AVOID/AVOID
SILVERBEUWULF11 December 2001
This is really bad!Even for a tv movie,why is James Belushi getting star billing and on the front cover?He is in the film for like about 7 minutes total and on the front cover he is in a prison,he is actually in a prison for about 1 minute of the film.This is a blatant marketing scam to get people watching it because of James Belushi in it.The film itself is awfull even though I paid £5 for it.The one good thing about it is the leading lady who is very attractive,AVOID.
DO NOT WATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ozzyboro24 October 2003
My God what a terrible insult to the film world. The fact that I was very ill, sick off work and nothing else to watch but daytime television made it seem worse. My girlfriend bought this film, along with 3 others on one DVD for £2, so what did she expect for 50 pence a film.
I hate rape scenes in a film so watching this just made me feel sicker than I allready did. So this lawyer puts this thug behind bars and he takes it personal and seeks revenge. James Belushi attracted me to it, one of the other films on this DVD was Red Surf also staring George Clooney, but both these films use the big names to attract an audience and falsley lead them down a dark tunnel with no light at the end of it. At least Red Surf starred George Clooney, Belushi made a brief cameo role in this film and was given star credit. The scene where he falls in love with her and blah blah blah, is daft, it spoils a crap movie, if that's possible, the lead women is hot though.
I hate rape scenes in a film so watching this just made me feel sicker than I allready did. So this lawyer puts this thug behind bars and he takes it personal and seeks revenge. James Belushi attracted me to it, one of the other films on this DVD was Red Surf also staring George Clooney, but both these films use the big names to attract an audience and falsley lead them down a dark tunnel with no light at the end of it. At least Red Surf starred George Clooney, Belushi made a brief cameo role in this film and was given star credit. The scene where he falls in love with her and blah blah blah, is daft, it spoils a crap movie, if that's possible, the lead women is hot though.
Ummmm
Madeline-55 July 2000
Boy, I'm a person who loves every movie I see. Usually the worse the more I seem to like it, but this movie even I couldn't sit through. I think we made it about 30 minutes. Seeing that James Belushi and JoBeth Williams were in the film made me think that it would be a well-done movie. But from the 1/2 hour that I did see, all of the budget must have been spent getting those 2 stars because everyone else seemed as though they were made out of cardboard. The music reminded me of a Batman movie. Not a good film...nope.
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