"I never said I was running for Pope."

Hey_Sweden

From a technical standpoint, this film doesn't disappoint. It marks the theatrical first unit directorial debut for Vic Armstrong, a longtime veteran of stunt work and second unit direction. This is one man who knows how to deliver action on a grand scale, and he does so here. He makes sure that this always energetic thriller never stops moving. The story isn't anything special, and there is some bad dialogue, but at the same time there are some good lines such as the one mentioned in this review summary. "Joshua Tree" isn't quite wall to wall action, at least not to begin with, but it definitely kicks into another gear in its second half, starting with an homage to John Woo, an over the top massacre of bad guys by our stoic hero Wellman Santee (Dolph Lundgren).

Santee ain't no angel, which is refreshing. He's been a runner of exotic cars, but things go very wrong when a highway cop pulls over him and his partner Eddie (a much too briefly seen Ken Foree). Soon he's in jail, framed for murder, but gets his chance to escape. Knowing he was set up, he embarks on a mission to find the man who he knows was responsible - and get paid. Exhibiting some ruthlessness, he's willing to take a hostage, Rita Marek (Kristian Alfonso). It turns out that he's actually abducted a sheriffs' deputy who's a pretty tough cookie, and Rita decides to stick by his side when she's convinced of his innocence. Hot on Santees' trail are cops (including Geoffrey Lewis as Sheriff Cepeda) and a pair of detectives, Severence (George Segal) and Rudisill (Beau Starr).

If one is partial to scenes of very cool cars driving very fast, "Joshua Tree" does deliver the goods, especially in an intense climactic chase that also shows off the beauty of the desert vistas (the movie was smartly shot using the 2.35:1 aspect ratio). But the aforementioned massacre of assorted Chinese goons is a beauty, with all of the bloodletting going on, the hammy acting of the guys getting shot, and Santees' acrobatics.

Dolph's never been that much of an actor, but then he doesn't need to be in this sort of thing. He just needs to be totally bad ass, which he does succeed at. Alfonso is very good at both providing the eye candy and playing a sidekick who can take care of herself. Lewis is under utilized, but Segal and Starr are fun, and the supporting cast features a number of familiar faces that add to the enjoyment: Bert Remsen (who's a hoot in his one scene), Michael Paul Chan, Matt Battaglia, gorgeous Khandi Alexander, and Nick Chinlund.

Fans of this genre should be more than satisfied. As testosterone-fuelled escapism goes, this is pretty good and above average.

Seven out of 10.

score 7/10

Hey_Sweden 26 August 2013

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2858659/