HOT TARGET is a UK/New Zealand co-production masquerading as an American thriller, although the British accents in the cast and the surroundings will make the viewer soon realise we're not in Kansas anymore, so to speak. This one's a forgotten addition to the short run of revamped film noirs that were popular in the 1980s following on from the success of the POSTMAN RINGS TWICE remake and BODY HEAT.This was put out by Crown International Pictures, so is chock full of nudity and sex scenes used to pad out the running time, as you'd expect from the studio. The characters are thinly-drawn and rather unlikeable, even though there are familiar faces in the cast list, notably the lead Simone Griffeth who was in the B-movie favourite DEATH RACE 2000. The whole of the production has a tired and overly familiar feel to it and the many and involved thriller elements don't really hold your attention, despite all the twists. It's just too cheap for that.

Thin on cogent storyline, thick on gratuitous nudity (which is either a plus or a take depending on your moral barometer), "Hot Target" tells us the story of an attractive American woman (Griffeth) in an unhappy marriage of convenience to wealthy Pom (Marshall) with whom she has a young daughter, living in New Zealand. Her regular dog walks at the park attract the attention of an American stranger (Marachuk) who proceeds to seduce Griffeth into a torrid affair that ultimately leads to murder and financial gain.It's a tired formula given a soft-porn treatment, Griffeth's ample full frontal nudity guarantees the R-rating and is sure to set pulses racing. Marachuk gets in on the act a few times in less detail, but seems to benefit from the situation nicely. It's good to be an actor. Marachuk might be familiar from "Piranha II", while Griffeth has an exploitation film career as long as her legs. Strangely, Marachuk doesn't seem to have any more credits to his name after this film? Marshall is dependable but not nearly as objectionable as he should be to evoke Griffeth's infidelity, and if you blink, you'll miss fellow ex-pat Pom Terence Cooper in a bit part.The film meanders aimlessly from one opportunistic bump 'n grind to the next - in the woodlands beside a cricket match, at a 'borrowed' apartment, on the billiard table - but does pick-up for the final thirty minutes. Then, just as the plot thickens and things get interesting, the film decides to end prematurely, leaving a gaping plot hole and wasted potential in its wake. When a half-dozen climaxes doesn't result in a satisfying ending, clearly, you're doing it wrong.

I'm not sure what this film is completely about. The film has a woman getting some much need spice and romance in her life after meeting a 'nice" man only to find that there is something else on his mind. The trouble is that the film seems to be more interested in the sex than it is in the plot. It might have been me but this film seemed to spend too much time watching bodies entwine and talking about things that really aren't necessary to plot for any real interest to be maintained. Don't get me wrong I don't mind watching pretty people in an erotic thriller do their stuff, but don't tell me its a thriller when the plot only seems to kick in until the last half hour or so. For my money this is little more than a soft-core romance wannabe. Probably slightly better than the 3 out of 10 I've rated it but that still isn't a reason to see it. Take a pass.

Wealthy and lovely, but bored and dissatisfied American Christine Webber (nicely played by gorgeous blonde knockout Simone Griffith of "Death Race 2000" fame) feels trapped in a stale and unhappy marriage to cold, ruthless New Zealand businessman Clive Webber (an effectively callous and obnoxious portrayal by Bryan Marshall). Christine receives some much-needed excitement in her life when she meets and gets seduced by suave professional thief Greg Stanford (a fine and charismatic performance by the hunky Steve Marachuk), who plans on breaking into Webber's house so he can steal all their valuables. Writer/director Dennis C. Lewiston relates the compelling story at a steady pace, doesn't skimp on either the tasty female nudity and steamy soft-core sex (the luscious Griffith looks absolutely delectable in her birthday suit and sweats quite fetchingly during her lusty love scenes), and delivers a few nifty twists in the film's last third after Greg's plans go disastrously awry. Griffith and Marachuk display a strong and engaging chemistry as the attractive and appealing leads, with sound support from Marshall (who makes for a perfectly hateful jerk), Peter McCauley as the determined, no-nonsense Detective Inspector Nolan, John I. Watson as Clive's loyal bodyguard Benjamin, and Renee Johansen as Christine's adorable daughter Sandy. Both Alec Mills' crisp cinematography and Gil Melle's supremely funky'n'jazzy score are up to snuff. An enjoyable movie.