Suavely slimy psychopathic hustler and gigolo Matt Stone (the incomparable William Shatner in full-blown eyeball-rolling four-sheets-to-the-wind histrionic mode) seduces lonely young widows and swindles them out of their money through an investment scam. However, complications ensure when Tina (a perfectly obnoxious performance by Kim Nicholas), the bratty daughter of latest potential conquest Ann (a solid and appealing portrayal by fetching brunette Jennifer Bishop), suspects that something is up.Director William Grefe creates a suitably seedy atmosphere, keeps the enjoyably sordid story moving along at a brisk pace, and provides lots of priceless gut-busting moments, with Shatner telling off a fat woman with balloons and an insane car wash chase set piece rating as the definite sidesplitting campy highlights. Ruth Roman lends sturdy support as Ann's loyal best female friend Julie while Harold Sakata serves as inadvertent comic relief in the plum role of Karate Pete, who's without a doubt the world's clumsiest and most painfully conspicuous would-be blackmailer (he even rides around in a huge camper with his name emblazoned on it!). Popping up in nifty bits are Florida exploitation staple William Kerwin as a soldier who gets bumped off in the prologue and Shatner's foxy onetime wife Marcy Lafferty as a hot to trot hotel clerk. Shat's trademark lip-smacking overacting and his eye-wateringly hideous 70's wardrobe via for the loudest spectacles featured in this film. A total kitschy hoot.

If there can be such a thing as overhyping the badness (read unintentional hilarity) quotient of a film, then the reviews I've come across of this one on the Internet are guilty of doing just that; it's not that I didn't find William Shatner's inflating hairline, outrageous clothes sense and, especially, his uncontrolled facial expressions comical…but I wasn't exactly laughing out loud either – let alone rolling about on the floor stamping my fist in hysterics! I'm not saying I was really expecting that kind of a response but, at any rate, I was let down by the film even in this department so that little remains for me but to bemoan the loss of 90 minutes from my life and try to forget this viewing ever happened! Sure, Shatner is hardly the ne plus ultra in psychopathically menacing and irresistibly handsome characters: seeing him threaten an obese woman for no reason at a park (while dressed in an unflatteringly sleeveless shirt), break out in tears after committing his first murder (as an adult), decked out in a completely white get-up with an over-sized fedora hat to match, slip his little finger into his mouth every time he recalls his childhood trauma (shown in black-and-white during the prologue) and boyishly jump up and down (as if his bladder's about to burst) in anticipation of being shown the safe is, admittedly, a source of amusement…but that hardly excuses the dullness of the rest of the picture.The chase in a car wash between Shatner and ex-partner Harold "Oddjob" Sakata (here playing Karate Pete!) was a nice try but even that sequence is clumsily executed and needlessly protracted. The worst part of it is that the three female leads – Ruth Roman, Jennifer Bishop and Kim Nicholas – claim a good share of the film's running time when they are merely boring caricatures; unfortunately, the director even contrives to waste the opportunity of the only two promising female encounters Shatner has in the movie – the sultry belly-dancer at the start and the flirtatious hotel receptionist!

I just saw this film and I had to write a review as quick as I could!All I can say is WOW! William Shatner shines, as does his wardrobe, in this great piece of cinematic film-making!!! This film has everything. A car chase through a car wash that rivals the one in THE FRENCH CONNECTION!!! Menacing acting by Mr. Shatner that rivals Malcolm McDowell's work in CLOCKWORK ORANGE!!! And the greatest wardrobe in any film since DOLEMITE!!!Shatner chews the scenery like a well done steak! But heed this warning: If you are partial to balloons...LOOK AWAY!!!See it... and then see it again!!This film needs to be on DVD!!!

William Shatner's Impulse (1974) is classic Shatner. He mugs, grimaces and sweats in front of the camera. Wearing those funky 70's threads and heavy sideburns and poofy comb over, Shatner's the man! But he's also a homicidal nut job. He over acts like a mother in this one. If you're a fan of the camera mugging, paycheck collecting, hammy over the top Shatner, you've struck the mother lode with this one. Impulse has to be the ultimate Shatner film. You'll never find him acting like this in one film. Seems like the director had Shatner pour all of his acting talents into the role of Matt Stone, the psychotic gigolo with pedophile tendencies.Highly recommended for William Shatner fans!If Shatner wasn't playing the role, this movie would have stunk like a week old pair of socks.