Felony

After a dozen officers are gunned down in a drug raid that turned out to be an ambush, Bill Knight (Jeffrey Combs), the thrill-seeking cameraman of a "Cops"-style TV show, makes off with the videotape identifying the killers. A shoot-out, a chase, and a leap from a bridge later, Knight learns the killers are part of a renegade CIA unit selling drugs to fund covert operations. CIA villain Taft (Lance Henriksen) wants him dead and police detective Kincade (Leo Rossi) wants him in jail. There is also a mysterious Fed, Donovan (Joe Don Baker), with a secret agenda.

Not knowing what else to do, Knight heads for the soft arms of a beautiful nurse, Laura Bryant (Ashley Laurence). Unfortunately, it turns out she's working for Taft. More shooting, more chasing, and more leaping ensue. Knight arranges to sell the videotape to Taft, but it's really a trap to put the villain into the hands of the law. When it's all said and done, and Knight goes off with the forgiven Laura, Donovan learns that the resourceful lens-jockey is really a secret agent, too.

Writer-director David A. Prior's story of cops and double-crossing robbers exists in a world of plot implausibilities big enough to choke the average moviegoer. But that probably won't bother the juvenile mentality this escapist movie is intended to entertain. (Neither will the misogyny of the strip scene.) They might notice, however, that all the vehicles being crashed, shot, and blown up in this low-production-value effort are junkyard reclamations.

Prior keeps FELONY moving well for 90 minutes; it's just too bad he couldn't have slowed down to inject some atmosphere. The movie is set in New Orleans, but no one would ever guess it. Prior also should have elicited some acting from his cast, but perhaps it's just as well that he didn't bother. Very likely no effort would have overcome the handicap of lead Jeffrey Combs, a B-horror flick vet, who plays his scenes with all the dramatic urgency of a prop comic. (Graphic violence, nudity, profanity.) leave a comment