Nowhere to Run

 
Director: Robert Harmon
Year: 1993
Rating: 5.0
Jean-Claude Van Damme gets stuck with a script that is rampant with clichés right to the end. It feels like ideas from a bunch of films was pilfered and glued together. That doesn't mean this isn't middling entertaining for 90-minutes - just that there are better JCVD films to waste your time with. What is kind of intriguing is how easy it would have been to turn this into a creepy sinister film if they had wanted to go in that direction. But there are definitely some cringeworthy moments in the film. I am not sure at this point in his career how good his English is, but they reduce his dialogue to the basics - short and sweet. Which is probably for the best because the dialogue he has is a death sentence. But audiences don't watch JCVD for the dialogue and the few action scenes are satisfying enough.


 
With the help of a friend, Sam (JCVD) breaks out of a prison bus, but the friend is killed. He is actually guilty which is a nice change. He drives the car to hide out by a lake to camp on a woman's property. And then sneaks into her house to steal . . . salt for his steak. The man likes his salt. He is seen by her young son (Kieran Culkin) and the dreadful hero worshipping begins. Shane. The next time he sneaks over to return the salt he watches her (Rosanna Arquette) get naked. Ok, you have been in prison but you are supposed to be the hero in this film and so far, you have creeped me out.  And that was before the little girl talks about how big his penis is. To which Rosanna says, I know, I saw it. He is creeping around some more - perhaps hoping for another look - when three guys come to harass her and he beats the crap out of them. This so endears him to her that he becomes part of the family.  That and the size of his penis. I was hoping this would turn into The Night of the Hunter but no such luck.

 

Joss Ackland is the villain of the film. A real-estate developer. What else. He wants her land for a big plan and she won't sell. Damn, how many plots has that been? And he hires a nasty guy to deal with her. That is Ted Levine, a favorite from Monk. More guys try to cause trouble and he beats them up too. No great opposition though Levine gives him a good fight at the end. Any movie with two cute kids and a widow is poison to me. Trite and predictable. But the motorcycle chase was well done with about twenty cop cars destroyed and then horses after him. That was the highlight of the film unless you are a huge fan of Rosanna and her naked body.