Review: Aftershock (1990)

Set in your standard post-apocalyptic worldview where Richard Lynch and John Saxon run the world in fascist, militaristic fashion. Into this horrible scenario drops a beautiful alien (Elizabeth Kaitan) here on a research mission, and unsurprisingly she attracts the attention of our villains and is quickly imprisoned. There she will be freed and team up with motorcycle-riding Jay Roberts Jr., and smart-mouthed Chuck Jeffreys to take part in a resistance. Christopher Mitchum plays the leader of the resistance who has past ties to Roberts. Chris De Rose plays a bounty hunter, whilst James Lew is Saxon’s chief henchman, and Michael Standing plays an Australian member of the resistance group (and does a more than decent Aussie accent).

 

“Low Blow” and “Killpoint” director Frank Harris, screenwriter-actor Michael Standing, and a cast full of cult actors and stunt performers. The result? A mixed bag that probably should’ve played to the strengths of the majority of its cast and the film’s budget. The martial arts is fun when we get it, visually the film is decent too. However, there just isn’t enough action for a film with so many experienced stunt people and action movie players involved. Al Leong and half of Gerald Okamura’s head can be briefly glimpsed in a fight between Bob Schott and Michael Berryman, the latter of whom brings a gun to a sword fight later and still somehow loses. The best bit of action is a fight between James Lew and star Jay Roberts Jr., and there’s a solid one between Roberts and a terrible actor named Chris DeRose who plays a henchman. Meanwhile, the world-building isn’t entirely coherent. We’re kinda thrown right into the middle of it.

 

Although many of them are wasted, there’s some fun work here by the cast, principally John Saxon and more briefly Richard Lynch (in great, creepy form) as the chief villains. They’re great to have around, certainly more impressive than the dud turn by Mr. Roberts Jr. Much more interesting than him is his African-American comrade Chuck Jeffreys (a stuntman by trade), who sounds and acts a lot like Eddie Murphy. Even ‘ol Russ Tamblyn, far from my favourite actor has a fun part as a bow-tie sporting bartender. Michael Berryman and Matthias Hues are oddball fun, with Hues doing bodybuilding poses in a bullet strap, whilst Berryman sports eyeshadow and lipstick. Less impressive is the stiff performance from Elizabeth Kaitan. I know she has her fans but she’s terrible here. Christopher Mitchum is his usual boring self, the man has no presence or charisma.

 

An uneven 1990 sci-fi action movie with not enough of the latter to compensate for a cast that is mostly comprised of stunt people and B-grade support players. It’s ultimately lacking, but there are moments – especially whenever John Saxon and Richard Lynch are around. A huge step up from “Killpoint”, though.


Rating: C+

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