HANDS OF STEEL

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HANDS OF STEEL (VENDETTA DAL FUTURO)(ATOMIC CYBORG) (director/writer: Sergio Martino; screenwriters: Elisa Briganti/John Crowther/Saul Sasha; cinematographer: John McFerrand; editor: Alan Beugen; music: Claudio Simonetti; cast: John Saxon (Francis Turner), Daniel Greene (Paco Querak), Janet Agren (Linda Hamilton), George Eastman (Raoul Fernandez), Amy Werba (Dr. Peckinpaugh), Robert Ben (Cooper), Andrew Louis Coppola (Eddie), Darwyn Swalve (Blanco), Daniel O’Brien (Professor Olster), Franco Fantasia (Rev. Arthur Mosely); Runtime: 94; MPAA Rating: R; producer: Frank Cook; Vestron; 1986-Italy-in Italian-dubbed in English)
“A pointless exploitation film.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

An Italian post-apocalyptic dystopian near futuristic sci -fi film directed by Italian filmmaker Sergio Martino(“A Man Called Blade”/”After The Fall of New York”/”The Big Alligator River”). If you’ve seen the superior Terminator (1984) and Blade-Runner (1982) films, you’ll know this knock-off is bad news. Its co-star Claudio Cassinelli, a regular actor in Martino films, was killed in a helicopter accident during the making of the film in Arizona. It’s written by Martino, Elisa Briganti, John Crowther and Saul Sasha.

The film is set in 1997, mostly in America. Paco Querak (Daniel Greene) is a muscular renegade cyborg and martial arts fighter, who was manufactured by corrupt industrialist Francis Turner (John Saxon) and was sent to waste a blind ecology-minded preacher (Franco Fantasia) who was gaining followers in Arizona by saying the world is all fucked-up because of corporate corruption. Paco’s in the Arizona desert with the sexy bar owner Linda (Janet Agren), and is heading for the hills to hide out after failing his mission because of a change of heart. While at the sleazy trucker’s motel, while on the run, Paco witnesses an arm wrestling championship and becomes a participant. While there, Paco pisses off Raoul Fernandez (George Eastman), who gives his location to the baddie Turner. The baddie orders an army of mercenary high-tech killers to eliminate Paco. Also the FBI want to grab Paco, as do local rednecks.

It’s a pointless exploitation film, with bad acting, crude dialogue and boring storytelling. But there’s always an audience for such a bad film that provides unintentional funny moments and an action-packed conclusion.

REVIEWED ON 2/13/2015 GRADE: C+

Dennis Schwartz: “Ozus’ World Movie Reviews”

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