Carl Weathers had the looks, physical prowess and charisma to become great action star of 1980s. However, his best known roles were those in which his characters were support to those played by proper stars – Sylvester Stallone in Rocky series in Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator. Weathers did try to become proper action star and first such attempt was Action Jackson, 1988 film directed by Craig W. Baixley.
Weathers plays Sergeant Jericho “Action” Jackson, Detroit police detective whose marriage has failed and whose career got wrecked after he arrested young sexual deviant whose father happened to be Peter Dellaplane (played by Craig T. Nelson), wealthy and powerful car manufacturing tycoon. Recently, someone began to assassinate top labour union officials in Detroit. Dellaplane’s trophy wife Patrice (played by Sharon Stone) overhears some of her husband’s officials discussing killings, so she informs Jackson about it. He begins investigating, but Patrice is killed by her husband who promptly frames Jackson for the murder. Jackson must now prove his innocence and the lead might come in form of Sidney Ash (played by Vanity), aspiring singer and Dellaplane’s mistress, whom Dellaplane deliberately supplies with heroin for his own sexual gratification.
Action Jackson originated as Weathers’ idea on the set of Predator. Legendary producer Joel Silver embraced it and launched the film as a sort of 1980s version of “blaxploitation” films. Like such films, Action Jackson had relatively low budget, but Craig W. Baixley, veteran stuntman in his feature directorial debut, compensated it with quick pace and energetic direction of action scenes, which are plenty. Many of those feature over the top violence that might make more sensitive viewers uncomfortable, but this is paired with a lot of gallows humour. Script by Robert Reneau, on the other hand, demands from the audience to suspend a lot of disbelief, much more than usual, which includes scenes like Jackson on foot outrunning taxi or his character ending as minor law enforcement official in Detroit despite Harvard Law degree. Silver adds female nudity as another ingredient of the formula, which includes scenes featuring Vanity and Sharon Stone. Vanity played her role badly and later deservedly won Razzie for Worst Actress; her poorly written role of a junkie looks uncomfortable in light of her real life drug addiction problems that would ultimately contribute to her premature death. Sharon Stone is almost as bad and looking at her in Action Jackson it is hard to imagine how good she would become in 1990s while directed by the likes of Verhoeven and Scorsese. Carl Weathers, on the other hand, plays his role quite adequately, but it is much overshadowed by diverse, talented and quite enthusiastic cast with many notable names appearing in small roles of colourful characters, whether Jackson’s helpers or Dellaplane’s henchmen. Craig T. Nelson is, on the other hand, quite entertaining as over the top villain who is not only ruthless tycoon but sadist and unapologetic sexual deviant; in most other films his performance would have been disastrous, but here it fits perfectly with the formula and audience’s expectations.
Critics, naturally, didn’t like the film. The audience had different opinion and film succeeded on box office, later becoming even more successful on home video. Silver’s and Weathers’ hope of franchise, however, weren’t met. This might be for the best, because sequels were not likely to be as entertaining. Action Jackson, apart from providing fun for undemanding audience, also gives some glimpse in how Hollywood misrepresented reality even in 1980s. Film appears to be set in some sort of parallel universe in which Michael Moore never had to make documentaries about decay of American industry and working class. Action Jackson describes Detroit as thriving capital of world’s automobile industry, with labour unions (although portrayed as shady and corrupt, just like in most films made by “leftist” Hollywood) as power that could steer someone into White House. From today’s perspective, character of powerful and psychopathic tycoon Peter Dellaplane is interesting and gives some idea how would present-day Hollywood portray Elon Musk if his heretical plans about Twitter and free speech are put in practice.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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Huh. Wow.
-via IMDB.com
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