Most discriminating fans will probably dismiss RAGE as just a standard action picture with better production values than most B-movies. However, amid the fireworks display of gunfire and exploding cars, RAGE is a rather caustic satire on the media. In any case, RAGE is an incredible motion picture. While the plot may be weird and convoluted, the action will have fans begging for more.
Alex Gainer (Gary Daniels) lived a simple, serene life as a mister nice guy-type schoolteacher. He lives in a splendid suburban home with a beautiful wife (Fiona Hutchison) and daughter. Until one moment...will have a tremendous impact for the rest of his life...
While driving home from work, Gainer is car-jacked by a menacing stranger. To be truthful, that is NOT the worst thing that could happen to him. The police arrive just in the nick of time to stop the car-jacking maniac, but instead of helping Mr. Gainer...they hold him at gunpoint. Talk about being an innocent man caught "at the wrong place at the wrong time."
When crooked cops and government agents decide to kidnap Gainer for use as a guinea pig in a malicious experiment to create a new breed of "super soldiers," boy, have they picked the wrong guy to mess with! Injected with a series of virulent chemicals, Gainer begins to go berserk. Eventually, Gainer escapes, but not before slaughtering a whole bunch of security guards and government agents. Gainer is labeled as a madman, and this once popular kindergarten teacher has become the cynosure for tabloid shows everywhere. Talk about having a bad day!
Only Action 12 News Reporter Harry Johansen (Kenneth Tigar) thinks that Gainer is an innocent man. With help from his camerawoman, Bobby T (Jillian McWhirter), Johansen is determined to help Gainer tell his side of the story so that there can be an end to the madness. However, how can one news reporter help save another man's life?
RAGE is a stylish and stylized action film in all its glory. It features some of the most daring stunts ever pulled such as Daniels utilizing a merry-go-round to elude the bad guys. The car crashes too are so sweet! Definitely one of the most memorable scenes in this movie was when Daniels tried to flee both the police and government agents by driving a gigantic tanker. Also, you will not believe your eyes when you watch our protagonist stand on top of this truck and then leap out of the "danger zone" as soon as this same truck collides with a rampaging school bus. The chases and action scenes are quite extensive and exhaustive, with at least two sequences lasting over 15 minutes. RAGE is an action thriller on speed.
In addition to the breathless action which should make RAGE a top choice for thrill seeking movie fans, the biting satire on the media and tabloid reports help make it stand out as a fine motion picture. Often in society, people become obsessed with sensationalism. Take for example, the scenario of the main character, Alex Gainer. Tabloid shows everywhere try to sensationalize the whole issue, labeling Gainer as either: A murderer, a homicidal maniac, or one of those "good people who have gone haywire for no apparent reason." The message that can be learned from RAGE is that people should not always follow sensationalism because that is not always the truth. Some reporters have a bad habit of manipulating the truth, making the truth become something "outrageous" so that they can satisfy their own desires. As noted, reporters have a tendency to tell the news from a biased point of view and in some cases, it can be extremely detrimental to the people affected by the news. People sensationalize for many reasons whether to entertain or to tarnish a person's reputation. However, as exemplified with reporter Harry Johansen, an admirable person with real strength and courage is one who does not whimsically take everybody else's words and agrees with them. Instead he or she follows his or her own heart and instincts, and searches for the real truth.
The hero himself is also very noble. He stays strong because he knows that he is fighting for a worthy cause: His own freedom to exist. He fights for the right to live. The main character himself is also very sympathetic. He is a person who cares for the welfare of his family and despite the chaos he is going through, he still puts the safety of his loved ones even before himself.
As much as I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, there are some foibles that must be pointed out. First, some of the editing is out of tune. In one instance, the bad guys try to grab the camera away from the reporter. In the next scene, the viewer suddenly sees the reporter and his assistant simply wave "good-bye!" What's going on here? Inept editing I suppose. Also, many of the plot elements in this movie are unbelievable. For one, how did this guy, Gainer suddenly learn martial arts? Or, how did he learn to use a machine gun for that matter? Or...where did these bad guys learn how to shoot? They cannot put a single bullet into the main hero! I also doubt that a person can survive a plunge of several feet into the inside of a building... There are other irrelevant plot mistakes which are only too common in movies of this character.
Let's face it, nobody watches these movies in order to discover any interesting character revelations. They just want action. Well, RAGE delivers action all right, in a blazing full-throttle style. Never mind that this movie's plot is out of proportions. RAGE is a movie made simply for your enjoyment. The violence in this movie is insane, but hey, it's all in good fun. This satire on media sensationalism is guaranteed to make your day.
RATING: *** out of ****.
