DEADLY TARGET is an example of a mid-tier thriller from PM Entertainment. It's a step up from their cheap and nasty efforts of the late 1980s and early 1990s, but not quite as slick and high budget as their action-packed thrillers of the years 1996 and 1997, although it's getting there. This one sees hard-knuckle cop Gary Daniels drafted in from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, battling some Mafia types headed by B-movie regular Byron Mann. The plot's entirely forgettable, but there's plenty of action here, with the requisite chases, shoot-outs, stunt sequences, and lots and lots of scenes in which Daniels punches, elbows, and kicks the heck out of the bad guys.

"Deadly Target" is overall about as bland and generic as its uninspired title. To be fair, there are a few good things in it. The production values are pretty good; the movie looks glossy (thanks in part to photography by PM Entertainment honcho Richard Pepin), nothing looks particularly cheap, and the lighting gives the movie a moody feel. Also, some of the martial arts fights are not bad. Not up to fights in Hong Kong movies, but still fairly exciting. However, the movie's other action sequences (car chases, shootouts) come across as really flat and unexciting. Part of this is due to the really tight feeling of most of the movie, with the camera jammed up close instead of stepping back and letting us see everything. But the real problems come with Daniels' character. His character is kind of a pr*ck in several scenes, making it hard to warm up to him. Also, after the first twenty-five minutes, Daniels' character does next to nothing towards his pursuit of the bad guy for the next fifty minutes! The movie may not be totally free of merit, but it should only be seen during a boring weekend - make that an ESPECIALLY boring weekend.

I saw 'Deadly Target' in a hotel room in Zhuhai, China. Evidently, Cinemax Asia has no budget for films that have been made by anyone actually in the film business. 'Deadly Target' is an instant classic for those of us who are connoisseurs of terrible films. The name itself is a give-away as to what is in store: atrocious acting, directing, writing, fighting, etc. etc. 'Deadly Target' may be the actual nadir of film possibilities. I loved the train-wreck of it all. The best part is that the usual homoerotic undertones of buddy-cop movies are so misplaced in this film that the sexual chemistry is hotter between the mismatched police 'partners' (pun intended) than between the pseudo-Adonis Aussie and his unattractive female Asian lover. It would have made a great gay-friendly comedy. Sadly, we have one less good comedy and one more crappy Cinemax hotel offering.

Not as good as the later Gary Daniels/PM movies, but still decent. The fight scenes are good, though it is obvious that no contact is made a few times. A decent car chase, a cool hero in Gary Daniels, and overall good and plentiful fights make this worth at least a rent. The guy that plays Gary's partner is an impressive fighter.