{"id":29129,"date":"2018-10-02T01:10:45","date_gmt":"2018-10-02T05:10:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=29129"},"modified":"2018-10-01T22:30:11","modified_gmt":"2018-10-02T02:30:11","slug":"maximum-impact-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2018\/10\/02\/maximum-impact-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Maximum Impact (2018)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A diplomat\u2019s grand-daughter tags along on a trip from the US to her native Russia to see where she comes from. As she goes on the run, a group of criminals claims her kidnapping. A joint USA\/Russia task force must find her before it becomes an international political incident.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

From the minds of writer Ross LaManna and director Andrzej Bartkowiak comes a seriously 1980s and 1990s action film throwback. Together, they create a story that while fill of clich\u00e9s and action tropes is enjoyable on a nostalgic level. The film is almost wall-to-wall action with more than its fair share of ridiculousness. The way it\u2019s all written and how it comes off shows a great knowledge of what made cheap action films of the bygone era so much fun. The writing and directing are cheesy and filled with elements from the 80s and 90s. As the film is not played as a parody, one can only guess that it was done as a homage and not a pastiche.<\/p>\n

The acting here is not going to win anyone any prizes but it\u2019s all fairly fun to watch. The main draw to some will be to see Mark Dacascos as the villain as he did fairly well as such on Hawaii 5-0 and did amazing as good guy with powerful action scenes as Mani in Le Pacte des Loups. Here his acting is over the top, a bit much at times, yet still enjoyable. His turn as a German television martial arts show star turned political henchman is reminiscent of the Brandon Lee\u2019s turn as Michael Gold in Laser Mission. He clearly knows this is cheesy and it won\u2019t be his best work, but by all hell, he\u2019s going to have fun with it. This shows on screen and quickly makes him the best part of Maximum Impact. Playing other notably fun, or notable for other reasons, parts are Kelly Hu, Eric Roberts, and Danny Trejo, filling up the film with a bunch of almost action stars who have seen plenty of direct-to-video\/VOD action in their careers. Playing the de facto lead is Alexander Nevsky as Maxim Kadurin, the Russian secret service agent helping the US team. Here his acting is more recent Steven Seagal than old school leading man. As one of the top billed cast, it would have behooved him to deliver a better, less wooden performance. Overall, the acting quality is not exactly tops here but it\u2019s definitely not the bottom of the barrel either.<\/p>\n

In terms of style and look, Maximum Impact totally feels like a film that would have been released in theaters in 1992, but with current technology. The cinematography by Vern Nobles is perfect for the film and its overall feel, giving the actiong the forefront and not getting in the way or fancy at any point.<\/p>\n

All this being said, Maximum Impact is a fairly fun, easy to watch action romp that is better taken with its tongue firmly planted in its cheek while also giving its all on the action front. The action sequences are fun and the humor is outdated and cheesy, but it\u2019s a fun couple of hours easily spent.<\/p>\n