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Guilty As Charged cast: Antonio Sabato Jr, James Remar, Yuji Okumoto, Duane Davis, Melissa Lewis director: Mark L. Lester 93 minutes (15) 2000 High Fliers VHS rental RATING: 4/10 reviewed by Jeff Young |
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They have been churning out these manhunt thrillers ever since RKO started the whole subgenre in 1932 with The Most Dangerous Game. This jingoistic army version recalls Peter Hyams' underrated The Star Chamber (1983), as it supposes ad-hoc tribunals are enforcing brutally rough justice whenever the forgiving court martial system fails to convict obviously culpable soldiers. What makes the story interesting is the seemingly genuine, patriotic fervour of Straus' homicidal regime and the passionate loyalty he inspires in his mixed race troops (male and female).
James Remar turns in another solid, straightforward, and typically compelling performance (making this an essential rental if you're a Remar completist), but apart from his sterling efforts, Guilty As Charged remains nothing more than grimly formulaic, wholly predictable tosh, enjoyable only as yet another no-brain actioner.