MASK OF DEATH is a well-made thriller from Lorenzo Lamas' career as a staple player of the golden days of direct-to-video action fare. It's basically a remake of Chuck Norris' THE Hit-man, and I'm surprised to say that the Lamas flick is the superior effort of this sort of storyline. With that said, it's not a fantastic action film, and that's what brings down my rating: if I could value low-budget storytelling over fistfights, this one would have a four-star rating, but as it stands, MASK OF DEATH is missing the one crucial element to my idea of a good mid-90s action flick.The story: After his wife is killed in a criminal deal gone wrong, Officer McKenna (Lamas) is declared dead but instead undergoes plastic surgery to disguise himself as a hit-man killed in action. Going undercover, McKenna infiltrates the dangerous underworld to bring a cruel mobster (Conrad Dunn) to justice.The script is penned by a writer with little apparent experience (R.C. Rossenfier) and by high standards probably isn't all that special, but I like how it goes more into the mindset of Lamas and the ethical problems he faces in this situation than the aforementioned Norris picture. Lorenzo Lamas isn't a fantastic actor but he makes the most of this role while staying within the macho archetype. There are some surprisingly well-staged parts here, like the interrogation scene in the middle of the film. Additionally, I appreciate the casting of part-time action lady Rae Dawn Chong as McKenna's ex-partner: it's not a fantastic role, but it allows her to play a tougher character than she usually gets to, one who gets into fistfights and car chases and crashes.As that last line indicates, the film is far from action-free but, it's too little and too impersonal for my tastes. There's a speedboat chase, two car chases, one shootout that Lamas is barely a part of, one bad hand-to-hand fight, and an instance wherein Rae Chong fends off an assassin with a towel, a jar of paint, and a wrench. Most of this passes as fairly big-budget stuff and would be at home in many a Hollywood feature, but it's just not what I'm after. There is plenty of opportunity for more karate and stylish gunfighting, but apparently the film was geared towards generic action to tide over the ultimately good story. It's disappointing and keeps the film from attain a four-star rating, but I don't think everyone will be bothered by it as much as me.Basically, Lamas fans - especially those of his TV show - can feel free to check this one out, and potential fans who want to acquaint themselves with Lorenzo via a slightly sophisticated vehicle might as well seek it out too, but everyone else ought to settle for happening upon it on TV someday.

McKenna (Lamas) is a cop with a rockin' mustache who happens to be taking a vacation on a remote lake, when baddies fleeing the law disrupt the party. In the ensuing battle, McKenna's wife is shot and killed, and McKenna himself is shot in the face. While most people would have died from this grievous injury, his mighty mustache protects him from certain death. While in the hospital, his boss, Agent Jeffries, (Williams), convinces him to reconstruct his face after super-criminal Lyle Mason (also Lamas). McKenna reluctantly agrees, and now he's undercover deeper than any cop has ever gone before him. Posing as Mason, McKenna has to navigate the criminal lifestyle without losing his integrity. This is going to be tough, because he can't reveal his identity to former partner Turner (Chong), for fear of her safety, but she's getting too close on her own. Will the truth of the mighty Lamas face be revealed? It's "two Lamases - no waiting" in this silly, dumb AND stupid production. Truly this is not one of Lamas' best outings. Perhaps he only did it to compete with Van Damme, who has played two Van Dammes in multiple movies. According to the tagline, "Danger Has A New Face", so, it might as well be Lorenzo Lamas' face. Or maybe it was a trial run for the crown jewel of television that he was involved in later in his career, Are You Hot? - and Mask of Death was just Lamas trying to prove that indeed he was hot whether he played a good guy with not just one, but several, stunt mustaches, or his classic baddie with over-sized sunglasses and a leather coat.Billy Dee Williams' role is minimal and he doesn't really do that much, but he does mention something about Star Wars. Coincidence? Director Mitchell is also responsible for Thunderground (1989), Last To Surrender (1999), and UKM: Ultimate Killing Machine (2006), and his style is heavily Canadian, as his DTV productions scream "SHOT IN CANADA!" all over them. That's not an insult, just an observation. Rae Dawn Chong is always nice to see, and her role gives her plenty of chances to get in on the action. But, as always, it's all about the Lamas. That being said, we would suggest Bounty Tracker (1993), Bad Blood (1994) or Blood For Blood (1995) for better examples of Lamas action.In the end, Mask of Death may have the prerequisite shooting and stunts and such, but we found it strangely unsatisfying. See above for better examples of classic Lamas.For more action insanity, drop by: www.comeuppancereviews.com

What worse then a movie with Lorenzo Lamas? A movie that has two Lorenzo Lamas's. In a loopy plot that casts him as a cop named McKenna who goes undercover and imitates his evil lookalike when the Russian mob led by Frank Dallilo (Conrad Dunn) kills McKenna's wife. A poor movie all around with no real merit, casting Lorenzo Lamas in two roles is even worse then when Jean-Claude Van Damme played two roles in Double Impact.

An average effort by action hero Lorenzo Lamas. This movie is just another example of the stereotyped role we've come to associate with him: slick hair, sunglasses, black leather and boots, fearsome. I thought the role reversal from the ruthless criminal to the more sensitive cob, and vice versa, was a big flaw. The intention was good, but somehow, between Lamas's lame acting and the more than shallow script, everything fell apart. This movie was was lame and boring. I'd expected more from it, particularly with famed actors such as Chong and Star Wars hero Billy Dee Williams. Wave this one goodbye before you've even said hello.