Steele's Law

It isn't exactly fair to go into a movie starring Fred Williamson expecting a knock out of an action movie. He's had some which took me by surprise, such as the cool `Night Vision,' but by and large you should expect low budget fare that you hope is a little entertaining. With `Steele's Law,' Williamson just about got a thumbs up from me, but not quite. Williamson is Steele, Chicago's answer to Dirty Harry, a tough-as-nails cop not afraid to leave a big body count behind. He is assigned to take a trip to Dallas and help the federal and local authorities stop the assassination of the Iraqi ambassador, which could cause a political catastrophe (remember, this was made during the first Gulf War). The reason a street cop is called in on this is because the assassin happens to be an old foe of Steele's that was recently paroled. Lately, this killer has been leaving behind a string of bodies, killing merely for fun. Steele must find any leads he can before the assassination occurs.

Not much else can really be said about the plot. It's not spectacular, but it isn't required to be so as long as it doesn't delve into the annals of stupidity. In addition to starring, Williamson also produced, directed, and came up with the story for this movie, and he keeps things chugging right along to the conclusion as director. This is the saving grace because it holds interest in an otherwise incoherent series of scenes. I'm not too picky, and I didn't have a problem with any of the action scenes. Actually, Williamson appeared to be doing his own stunts and was pretty good at throwing punches and kicks. He's no Van Damme, but it worked for me. And then there were appearances by Bo Svenson, which were actually some good scenes, and I was happy for them. A little more Svenson in the end would have been helpful, but alas, it was not to be. Still, if you are a fan of The Hammer, you'll want to check this one out. If not, go watch a Dirty Harry movie. Zantara's score: 5 out of 10.