The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The plot: A cop on the edge tries to protect an informant and his young sister after they turn on a dangerous drug lord.Cuba Gooding, Jr, Christian Slater, and Kim Coates have been making direct-to-video action movies for a while now. Although none of them have reached the rock-bottom depths of Michael Madsen's career, it's still kind of depressing to see them toiling in such derivative, low budget B movies. This is the first time that I've seen any of these fine actors actually take on a project that seems more appropriate for Michael Madsen.If anyone in the world is the proper demographic for these kinds of movies, it's me. I have a fondness of gritty, low budget exploitation, and I'm capable of lowering my standards to levels that most people find intolerable. I don't care overmuch about budgets, I'm fairly forgiving of plot holes, and I don't mind a bit of bad acting or bad special effects. However, movies like Sacrifice test even my patience. This is not the kind of movie that's going to give Christian Slater or Cuba Gooding, Jr a comeback. In fact, it's just going to reinforce their "has-been" status.I know that most people don't like Cuba Gooding, Jr's recent output, but I thought some of them were quite underrated. Shadowboxer, for example, was a good movie. Hero Wanted was flawed, but it was certainly enjoyable enough for a direct-to-video release. Sacrifice makes Hero Wanted look like pure genius. I'm beginning to think that Cuba Gooding, Jr has simply given up, and he doesn't even care any more.Sacrifice is for Cuba Gooding, Jr die-hards only. If you have a strong tolerance for B movies, you'll probably find it tolerable, but the only real draw are the B-list leads, who are rapidly falling down into the C-list territory.

Seriously. This movie was bad.I like Cuba and Christian, but they were phoning in their performances. I felt like they gave up because they knew this was a bad script and poorly filmed.It looked like something a film student made or otherwise was filmed with 1980 technology - in a bad way.The chick Jade - yuck. Ridiculous "acting" if you could call it that. I had to look her up on IMDb to see if there was someone stupid enough to have cast her in something else; because I was otherwise convinced she landed the part because she was banging a producer. Cardboard movement and staged shots and clothing for that ugly tattoo on her back.The ending - clichéd. Far-fetched priest.Only redemption was fight scene in hotel.

I gave his movie a 5 because it is fun to see local settings and the movie was generally entertaining. It combines well worn plot lines from the last 30 or 40 years. The suffering cop, the vigilante cop, the hapless victim trying to escape a world not of his choice, the innocent little girl, the nasty alpha female, the wannabe trying to follow big bad daddy and of course the ex military man become holy and our ace in the sleeve. Totally predictable. It would have been cool if Jet Li and Mel Gibson were going at each other, but this is B grade from the start. Riddled with clichés.. the mobster, the caddy, the camera angles, the stand-offs. If you live or know Toronto well and want to feel nostalgic, enjoy for the settings, but not much else. Oh there is some eye candy for both sides, again cliché!

Wow, what a trainwreck. Where to begin...I suppose by this time you have more than recognized Cuba's downward spiral but teaming him up with Slater is an even more embarrassing turn for both actors. Slater has been pawning off his creepy yet campy style for years now and occasionally pulls of an entertaining performance (Dolan's Cadallac, He was a quiet man), but here he just swims in the dreck. Horribly miscast as a priest, he can do little more but smirk at the camera and look at his shoes. Devon Bostik is laughable as a drug dealer - I mean really, Wimpy's kid's big brother is now a tough guy? Just a total mess and a shame for all involved. I had hopes that Cuba would rebound at some point, but he seems determine to join Wesley and Steven Seagal in the DTV "worst of" series. Seriously, don't waste your time or money on this, bad bad bad.