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The Silencer

2000, Movie, R, 92 mins

The Silencer: Review

In this DONNIE BRASCO-like thriller, martial arts specialist Michael Dudikoff tries to expand his range by playing a reformed villain. And while it's generally standard-issue manhunt stuff, the script contains a few genuine surprises: The film vilifies J. Edgar Hoover as a sociopath who viewed political paranoia as one of the pre-requisites of job security, and his legacy of suspicion propels the film's antagonists. A double agent named McGraw (Doug Abrahams) is killed while investigating a right-wing group, and FBI rookie Jason Wells (Brennan Elliott) reluctantly accepts the daunting task of replacing him. On orders from his mentor, Neal (Terence Kelly), Jason fakes his own death and resurfaces as a mob hit man. His mission is to infiltrate a political enclave headed by Mr. Rodeski (Peter LaCroix), and determine Rodeski's co-conspirators in a plot to kill liberal Senator Cayton (Michael St. John Smith). Rodeski selects ace assassin Quinn Simmons (Dudikoff) to groom cocksure Jason for bigger things. Complicating matters are the fact that Cayton plans to make a bid for the presidency; Quinn's pangs of conscience, which conflict with his loyalty to his bosses; and Rodeski's secret links with the FBI. Although John Curtis's screenplay sets up the triple-crosses intriguingly, action buffs will easily spot the dirty dog behind the plan to use Jason as a fall guy. But the rocky relationship that develops between Quinn and Jason has more depth than one usually finds in a direct-to-video action flick. leave a comment --Robert Pardi