While “direct-to-video” films are generally perceived to be bad, there are some that are better than others. Sadly, Hit List, 1989 action thriller directed by William Lustig, doesn’t belong to that category. The plot is set in Los Angeles and deals with the effort of FBI agents led by Tom Mitchum (played by Charles Napier) to bring down powerful mob boss Vic Luca (played by Rip Torn). FBI has managed to arrest number of Luca’s underbosses and turn some of them into potential informants, but Luca has a secret weapon in his sleeve – Chris Caleek (played by Lance Henriksen), shoe salesman who is actually very efficient assassin, able to take out his targets even under heavy protection. After killing number of potential traitors, Caleek makes fatal mistake during the attempt to eliminate Luca’s former friend Frank DeSalvo (played by Leo Rossi). He misreads a house number and, instead of safehouse used by FBI for Frank, breaks into neighbouring home. He doesn’t find Frank, but he abducts young Kenny Collins (played by Junior Richards), mistaking him for Frank’s young son. Boy’s distraught father Jack (played by Jan-Michael Vincent) is further upset when he learns that FBI want to keep Caleek thinking that he didn’t make mistake, in order to secure Frank’s court testimony scheduled tomorrow. So Jack takes an extreme measure of abducting Frank and forcing him, with his knowledge of mafia operations, contacts and hideouts, to help him locate Caleek and his son.
Hit List is relatively obscure film, despite its director William Lustig having some notable titles in his filmography, including some, like Vigilante and Maniac Cop, that gained something of a cult status. Lustig here had low budget, but, on the other hand, he also enjoyed very good cast, made of experienced and versatile character actors. They include Rip Torn who is obviously enjoying playing flamboyant and arrogant mob boss, Lance Henriksen as quiet but efficient killer, Charles Napier as policeman with very personal agenda and Leo Rossi as mobster who, despite being unapologetic about his criminal way of life, wins audience’s sympathies. Hit List also features good action scenes with some truly impressive stunt work. What doesn’t work in this film, however, is the script by Peter Brosnan and John F. Goff, which is collection of cliches, implausibilites and some serious plot holes. One of the scriptwriters’ errors is never bothering to explain how could a completely ordinary man like Jack Collins possess enough combat and other skills to take out trained and experienced killers. This problem is made worse by awful casting of Jan-Michael Vincent, once promising 1970s Hollywood star who, according to Lustig in later interviews, had terrible drinking problem during his time at the set. Whether such claims are valid or not, Vincent appears disinterested and very weak in his role with Lustig apparently try to shoot his scenes in a way that would disguise or mitigate his condition. Those efforts failed, and while Hit List looks promising and mildly entertaining in scenes where Vincent isn’t around, in general isn’t worthy attention for anyone other than most curious fans of 1980s action cinema.
RATING: 4/10 (+)
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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/89526-hit-list Critic: AA
