What starts as a man who hunts different criminals soon becomes nothing more than a crime thriller about Nick being called back in to active duty to track a terrorist who is corrupting every bit of his life. Nick is then embroiled in a plot with the local authorities where he's being used as a tool to capture Malak Al Rahim all the while Simmons is basically forgettable as this villainous terrorist who takes it upon himself to strike at Nick's home, his financial security and his bland love interest, all the while Nick never actually hunts anyone. The title is turned on its head from being a summary of Nick's whole job to being about Nick who is wanted by local authorities and Rahim's crime syndicate by the time the second half rolls around. Nick's whole shtick revolves around his eluding the authorities and danger all the while rarely ever implementing his use of his Mare's Leg, or his ability to hunt people too much. When Nick finds himself confronted with Rahim in the climax, much of "Wanted: Dead or Alive" is a muddled and rather disappointing little affair taking what was an interesting and utterly exciting premise and turning it in to just another action film.

Gary Sherman's action thriller acts as something of an unusual animal. It's a sequel and adaptation of a Western series that is set in modern times with little to no relevance to the original source material beyond marketing on Steve McQueen's name recognition. "Wanted: Dead or Alive" is a bland and often lackluster action thriller with Rutger Hauer failing to hold a candle to McQueen.