Customer Reviews

Raw Deal [VHS]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Well, the script needed a little help. In many places it was rather corny, but oh well. I don't think that most people view these types of films for the literary experience. The action at the end of the movie is worth the price of the video. A good final shoot-out. I always feel better after watching this scene. It's good for venting. Arnie takes them all out in a fierce gun battle. Rather excilerating.

After finding sucess with Conan the Barbarian and the Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in this half decent action yarn playing a disgraced FBI Agent called back into duty to go undercover to track a mob boss. The script, directing, action, and so forth are pretty routine for an 80's action movie, but good 'ol Arnold's magnetic charm keeps Raw Deal rolling even when it seems it's about to fall apart. The cast also includes longtime Law & Order vet Steven Hill, and most of the rest of the cast is pretty forgettable. Still worth checking out though for Arnold afficiondos who missed out on it.

As the Chicago Mafia attempts to murder witnesses who could incriminate them in court, Mark Kaminsky, a former FBI agent (Arnold Schwarzenegger), attempts to infiltrate the organization and root out the assassins. It's time for dues to be paid ... "Ah-nuld" style! Kathryn Harrold, Ed Lauter, Darren McGavin and Sam Wanamaker co-star.

Of all the 'get burnt, get even' types of movies, Arnold leads the pack! He's huge, he's tough, you can hurt him but can't kill him, but best of all, he metes out the justice and punishment better than anyone. You'll walk away from this movie feeling satisfied and empowered. High five, Arnold!!!

Let's face it - schlock as an art form has its place in our culture. Schlock takes many forms, from formulaic teen comedies, weepy romantic `comedies' and the trying-to-be-serious-but-looking-positively-ridiculous hard-boiled cops `n' robbers movie.

Raw Deal is the latter. Taken in a slightly different direction (and with an entirely different cast) the script might produce something dark, gripping, and ultimately rewarding. But watching John Irving's vision of Raw Deal is rewarding in its own way - lots and lots of unintentional laughs, not to mention a seemingly never-ending clatter of empty shell casings. If you like Ah-nuld pre- "Eraser," when his characters were given more leeway to act like, well, a muscle-bound Austrian playing the John Wayne role without a hint of shame, Raw Deal is an outstanding film.

As I said before, the plot could have been believable, but there's no real concern with reality here, and that works in the film's favor. The current Governor of California is a small-town sheriff in an unhappy marriage, having been removed from "The Agency" (gamely represented here by a super frumpy Darrin McGavin as some kind of rogue FBI boss named Shannon). Well, wouldn't you know it, Arnie's former boss loses a son to gangsters. To quote Mayor Quimby , "Those wacky gangsters. What're ya gonna do?" Well, Shannon decides to enlist the Terminator off the books to terminate those wacky gangsters.

But the termination comes not in the "Commando" mold of seek-and-destroy, but in possibly the least logical way possible - Mr. Schwartzenegger goes undercover in the Chicago mob. I'm no organized crime expert, but I somehow get the sense that the mob, whether Italian, Chinese, or Russian, tends to recruit from within. Walk-ons must be extremely suspect, especially if they look like escapees from WWE Raw (or the WWF, during the time this film was shot). But the mob honchos accept him with open arms, and the rest of the film is Arnold knocking the mob down piece by piece from the inside.

The film really shines in its cartoony portrayal of gun violence, where more rounds are fired per scene than in a comparable day in Iraq. Sometimes the bullets hit, and then get ready for mobsters falling off of cranes, mobsters falling down stairs, and mobsters blowing up inside their cars. My absolute favorite moment of the film comes towards the end. Arnold has just wasted an entire room of baddies, and is setting off in pursuit of the main bad guy. The main bad guy leaves one poor schmoe, let's call him `Gangster #37' at the staircase. Gangster #37 fumbles with his weapon and says something like "Bring it on! I'm going to go crazy and kill you!" Arnold just walks around the corner and wastes him. Well, at least Gangster #37's heart was in the right place.

So, if you like Arnold, and you like the idea of the mob getting its comeuppance in a hail of gunfire, check out Raw Deal. You won't be disappointed.

Arnold Schwarzenegger scores again with this under-rated action movie. Although, there are no other famous names in this film, Arnold carries it from start to finish. Intellect! Arnold is an F.B.I. agent that goes undercover as a mafia individual. This picture shows Arnold's true acting ability and he goes into the hideout at the end and obliterates his enemies. Annihilation! From the opening credits where Arnold Schwarzenegger is driving in the jeep chasing some clown. Splendid! Then Arnold combs his hair back and doesn't take any garbage from the mafia. How valiant! Arnold Schwarzenegger is truly my hero after I watched this bold action picture. The director was really thinking hard on this one and later on, made the epic "City of Industry".

With a movie like this, there are only a few things you need to know:

1. A good (though not universal, as shown in The 6th Day and Last Action Hero) rule of thumb is that if it stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and isn't The Terminator or Terminator 2 - Judgment Day (both of which are AWESOME), it's good only as a member of the "so bad/cheesy it's good" or "...it's all right" categories.
2. This is one of the "so bad/cheesy it's good" movies. All such movies are should not be graded as you would normal films. They aren't supposed to be good. Assess them by how good they are at being cheesy, and you are being fair.
3. "You should not drink and bake." See the movie for that one.

If you like pointless action flicks (for another example, see Eraser), get this. If not, save your money.

Quintessential Arnie vehicle of the mid-80s made to capitalize on his Terminator success, Raw Deal will remind you of at least 10 other films (not all of them necessarily better).

Mr. S plays an ex-FBI agent who had to retire for various Dirty Harry-esque actions/brutality. His old boss' son, who has become a mob informant, is whacked while in hiding, so the FBI chief brings Arnie out of retirement 'unofficially' to whoop some serious 80s hiney. It's sort of like Death Wish 3, with the cops (or FBI) hiring a professional to clean up the town. This time it's Chicago, which had more than its fair share of 80s shoot em ups and would of course re-welcome Arnold in Red Heat two years later.

What follows is the big guy infilitrating the Chicago Outfit, which features some reliable character actors like Robert Davi and even Sosa from Scarface, who looks like bizarro Sam Neil and this time plays an Italian, not a Cuban. What difference does it make? Eventually, Arnold blows his cover, some other stuff happens, and a lot of people get blown away, some publicly.

The climax is kind of like the Tech Noir scene from The Terminator, except this time Arnie is the good guy, and whole lot more liquor and glass get wasted as inept mobsters are shot to pieces. At one point, there's a shootout from about three feet away. Guess who wins?

Completely dependable shoot-em-up for a slow night, full of 80s staples like the 'getting geared up for battle scene' (featuring guns being assembled, loaded, cocked, and holstered in a scene begging for theoretical analysis of male adequacy), as well 'humorous' scenes with Arnold in what was already an attempt to explore his 'range' as an actor.

Some more quality one liners, a memorable use of the Stones' 'Satisfaction', some guys getting shot and falling from great heights, a guy getting shot at a cemetary, the requisite public car chase, and other niceties.

Cheap DVD, no real extras, but inflation-adjusted still up there with the cost of the original movie ticket as a solid 'value' for genre addicts. Definitely predicted Steven Seagal's entire career, except for the aikido moves and eventual girth (to say nothing of the pony tail).

In a time when the man with the biggest machine gun ruled the box office, Arnold Schwarzenegger was an unquestionable heavyweight amongst action stars. Following his success with the Conan films and "The Terminator", Ah-nuld signed on to do this crime thriller with director John Irvin. This one isn't one of his more well-known titles but is still "too cool for school". Not exactly one of the smartest action films ever released, what "Deal" lacks in brains, it makes up for in bullets.

Schwarzenegger is Mark Kaminsky, a former FBI big shot who is exiled to the role of local sheriff in a quiet Southern town. When an old friend's son is murdered by Mafia goons, Mark is called in to take down the bad guys in typical Schwarzenegger fashion. Faking his own death and re-emerging in Chicago under the assumed identity of an ex-con, Kaminsky infiltrates the mob organization and takes them down with an arsenal of awesome firepower. From taking down a mob foe in a car chase to driving a confiscated cement truck through an underground casino, Arnold gets to have plenty of fun while kicking his usual butt.

"Raw Deal" is a little bit longer than it should be and is overly talky at times but there are some solid moments to be had here. Any movie that has Arnold blasting his way through a gravel pit to the sounds of The Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" can't be all bad. The musical score was one of my favorites at the time that I saw it and the supporting cast including Darren McGavin, Paul Shenar, Robert Davi, and Ed Lauter are all exceptionally talented and equally underrated. While far from a box office hit or even one of his most noteworthy flicks, "Raw Deal" is a bad-ass little movie that is actually very underrated in my opinion. It's never gonna get the kind of love as Arnie blockbusters like "The Terminator" and "Predator" but it's still worth the price of admission for any true action fan looking for some bullet-riddled fun on a Saturday night. Anyone looking to buy on VHS, may want to avoid the full-screen Video Treasures release as some copies contain the TV edit.

raw deal is a great film,if you don't really like arnie movie's or think it's okay well this is much different it isn't one of his mad shooting film's it's more of a story killing shooting action film,arnie is stuck as a cop with marrage problems because of what he does so then he goes for his mission with the help of an old friend called harry,he becomes an undercover gangster spreading information to the other police until he has kill his gangster enemies