Such a frustrating disappointment

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Comeuppance Reviews fan favorite Richard Norton stars as Frank Torrance, a man under so much pressure, he makes "Stressed Eric" look like a pot-smoking sloth. A former star hockey player, Torrance now owns his own nightclub, named Boilermakers after his old team. The problem is, he is deeply in debt, and the Italian mob as well as the Triads have him in their sights. He is also involved in a war with an army of corrupt cops and DEA, led by the evil, eyepatchioed Det. Dexter (Robert Bruce). Add to that, every slimeball in the underbelly of society has a beef with Torrance. He's trying to escape it all and fly far away somewhere with his wife Sandy (Badler), but even his flight plans are going wrong. He must use his wits, and of course his formidable martial arts skills to solve his many stressful problems all in one night. Can he do it, or will Frank Torrance be "Under the Gun" his whole life? As Co-Producer and fight choreographer on the film, as well as starring, Norton wore many hats. Was he as stressed as Frank Torrance during the shooting of the film? The back of the DVD box says "likable action star Richard Norton stars...", and it is true, Norton does turn on the charm for this role. He had a lot of creativity with the many, many fight scenes in the film, even sporting some of the first "mop-fighting" scenes since The Toxic Avenger (1984). He even does some MMA-style takedowns, which was pretty awesome for 1995. It's a joy to watch Norton fight, as well as act, it truly is puzzling why he isn't really known outside of action movie circles. He's supported well by Peter Lindsay as his old buddy Harry, and Kathy Long as Lisa, who is not too shabby in the action department either. You may remember her from Albert Pyun's Knights (1993) or the Cynthia Rothrock vehicle Rage and Honor (1992). Her career should have been bigger as well.We did have some issues with the film, however. The fact that it takes place all in one location, the nightclub, shows its rock-bottom budget, as does the fact that some scenes are lit too darkly to see. It would have been nice to see Norton and Long fighting the baddies in different scenarios and places. Also the movie feels unfocused and unclear at times, with not a lot established. With a more streamlined, linear drive, Under the Gun could have been an all-time classic.What they were able to achieve with the budget they had IS impressive, so let's not forget that.As it stands now, Under the Gun is a solid Norton vehicle that displays the man's range of talents. While not perfect (but what is?), fans of the Awesome Australian Action man should seek out Under the Gun.For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

In comparison to many other stars of low-budget martial arts movies - say, Steven Seagal, Don "The Dragon" Wilson or Dolph Lundgren - Richard Norton has at least one quality that puts him ahead: his sense of humor. And this quality comes through clearly in "Under The Gun": there are a few humorous bits that made me laugh out loud. Besides, the whole movie at times begins to resemble a surreal black comedy. Norton's character simply wants to get through a few hours peacefully before he can escape to a better life, but almost everything that can go wrong, does go wrong, and he becomes the target of corrupt cops, impatient mobsters, big goons, suspicious accountants, humiliated pimps, etc. Even the airplane ticket lady on the phone is rude to him! The entire movie takes place during these few hours, which is a quite unusual concept for this kind of movie. The fight scenes (choreographed by Norton himself) are above-average, both violent and technical. Norton is supported by Kathy Long, the kind of woman who will melt your heart with her cute smile one moment, then on the next she'll take on three guys in a fight and come (convincingly) on top. In other words, she's great. But her role is briefer than it should have been, and that was my only serious disappointment with this film. **1/2 out of 4.

Richard Norton is entertaining in anything, and in this he's funny as well. The scene where he bites a telephone in frustration (ad-libbed!) had my husband and me nearly rolling on the floor. Of course, it's a very serious movie, with some very tense and some tragic moments in addition to the many funny ones, but it has a happy ending.

I rented this movie mostly for Richard Norton, and several other of the better-known Australian martial artists with whom I am familiar appear alongside him in the movie.It's shockingly acted - let's face it, Richard Norton may be a good martial artist, but a great actor he is not. The plot was secondary to the fight scenes, as it really should be in a movie that's really just a vehicle for some spectacular action sequences. Kathy Long redeems what would otherwise just be another film packed with guys beating the crap out of each other for 90 minutes.The fight scene with Norton vs Sam Greco is worth a look, but this film will probably only appeal to die hard MA fans and even then, will really only appeal to Australians for novelty value.