Heiress Christine Sanders (stiffly played by the striking Carol Alt) hires former CIA agent turned mercenary Tom Burton (Rutger Hauer coasting along on automatic pilot) to go to Morocco and rescue her bratty kidnapped son Robert (an obnoxious portrayal by David Flossi).
Sound tense and exciting? Well, it just ain't. Although competently directed by Duccio Tessari, the talky script, sluggish pace, and infrequent blandly staged action set pieces all ensure that this movie fizzles when it ought to sizzle. Worse yet, Alt's cardboard acting and plastic personality make it impossible to care about her character while the annoying abducted kid just isn't worth all the effort everyone exerts to save him. Fortunately, the solid supporting cast keep this picture watchable: Omar Sharif as hearty sheik Emir Beni-Zair, Kabir Bedi as Christine's dashing husband Moulet, Brett Halsey as the two-fisted Sal Coumo, Peter Sands as Burton's rugged partner James Ross, and Elliott Gould as smitten lawyer Red Merchantson. In addition, the insights into Arabic culture are pretty interesting and insightful, the exotic desert locations are stunning, Giorgio Di Battista's glossy cinematography supplies a pleasing polished look, and Ennio Morricone comes through with a typically lush and sweeping score. A strictly passable diversion.
Sound tense and exciting? Well, it just ain't. Although competently directed by Duccio Tessari, the talky script, sluggish pace, and infrequent blandly staged action set pieces all ensure that this movie fizzles when it ought to sizzle. Worse yet, Alt's cardboard acting and plastic personality make it impossible to care about her character while the annoying abducted kid just isn't worth all the effort everyone exerts to save him. Fortunately, the solid supporting cast keep this picture watchable: Omar Sharif as hearty sheik Emir Beni-Zair, Kabir Bedi as Christine's dashing husband Moulet, Brett Halsey as the two-fisted Sal Coumo, Peter Sands as Burton's rugged partner James Ross, and Elliott Gould as smitten lawyer Red Merchantson. In addition, the insights into Arabic culture are pretty interesting and insightful, the exotic desert locations are stunning, Giorgio Di Battista's glossy cinematography supplies a pleasing polished look, and Ennio Morricone comes through with a typically lush and sweeping score. A strictly passable diversion.