The unheard of Christmas Action gem, Riot 1996 starring Gary Daniels

Riot 1997 (Rated R) 

Starring Gary Daniels and Sugar Ray Leonard

(Video Review)

Christmas, it's that time of year when we get together and argue about politics, or when you get together to watch some great Christmas movies, I guess, but, it's not nearly as fun as diving the family over politicians who dont give a shit about any of us. So since I ran off most of the family after the last election, I settled in alone to watch one of my favorite action stars, in a film I had yet to see, not only did it end up being one of his best, but it ended up being a pretty wonderful Christmas Action Movie gem. The story is Escape from New York meets Die Hard, there is a large scale riot on Christmas Eve started by Police wrongfully using lethal force on innocent teenagers mistaken for gang members, gangs then take advantage by kidnapping the daughter of an important politician, and then taking over the city like that furry green dude with poor anger management skills. The start of the film features real riot footage from the famous "Rodney King LA Riots", and the first quarter may have you thinking the film has some racist undertones, as the gang that appears to be the lead villains are of the cliched gangbanger variety, but all is not as it appears to be. While the script is weak in terms of dialogue and character development, it manages to have some pretty smart statements on racism woven into the film with a very surprising amount of thought and nuance.

Our hero Shane Alcott played by the always kickass Gary Daniels, is a badass SAS operative with a heart of pure gold, one thing that always makes Gary stand out is his charisma on screen, but most of all it's his heart, when he acts caring or concerned, you believe it. I would describe him as Mel Gibson meets Jean Claude Van Damme, he has all the ability and presence Gibson has as an actor, and the stunt and fighting chops to be credible during the action like Van Damme. It's really a shame that he didn't go further, I suppose it was bad timing that hurt his mainstream chances, by the late '90s when Gary was making a name for himself in some pretty impressive B action flicks, the action movie, and the action hero was seeing a decline in popularity on the big screen. But, action on the small screen was in high demand, I assumed Riot would be a pretty thrilling action flick, but what really surprised me is that it feels like a genuine Christmas film. Through wonderful set design, great use of music, not to mention some very touching scenes about giving and the real meaning of the holidays, shockingly Riot manages to packs in more Christmas themes than most action films set during the season. One other thing Riot packs to the brim is outstanding action, and it is non-stop, highly frenetic, well shot and features a ton of epic stunts long before CGI made stunts so damn underwhelming.

Now yes, this is a Direct To Video film from the late '90s, which means you should expect some cheese, let's just say that Kevin McCallister would approve of this Pizza. If you didn't get that reference, then your Christmas must suck... I'll just say that when the film was ordered, they asked for a very large, plain cheese pizza, with extra cheese. In any case, the cheesy scenes fit the Christmas vibe pretty well and they give the film an interesting tone that blends intense action, some serious family drama, and a good dose of humor, which somehow all comes together splendidly. While Gary is the standout performer, Sugar Ray Lenorad does give a pretty great performance, and you'll wish he had more screen time. The rest of the cast did a solid or above-average job, although the lead actress playing the damsel Gary must save, did have some slightly cringy scenes, though she has little screen time, so it never drags the film down. Late in the film, Gary's character runs into a family that is struggling during the Holidays, and these scenes are of the cheesy holiday film variety, yet, they also feel really sincere. Was the Hallmark message required? No, but, it is a Christmas movie, and is sending the message that we should cherish what we have when there are those with nothing, and if possible that we should give back to those in need, really something that needs to be criticized?
Most Direct To Video action films do not feature large sets, with bombastic stunts and effects, but somehow, they were able to stage some pretty complex action scenes that were of a larger scale than most big-budget action films of the time. If you are looking for some inventive and enthralling action set pieces, then you've come to the right place. This is the kind of film you pop on when you want to get into the holiday spirit, nothing says our Savior was born, quite like watching some wicked martial arts brawls, some sweet shootouts, and what would Christmas be without a few explosions? Riot is a sub-genre masterpiece and nearly a genre masterpiece, all it needed was a better leading lady and some slight refinements to the script and it could have been an Action Classic, but considering how rare Christmas Action Classics are, I'd say that is actually a grander feat, even if the entry bar is a hell of a lot lower. Those who are not in love with Action Cinema, specifically the Direct To Video breed, may not enjoy the film as much as a true Action fanatic would, although, my cat who loves mainstream films and isn't that big into action movies, really loved this one, and even thought it was almost equal to Die Hard, so maybe I am underselling this Christmas gem. Check it out and see for yourself, you can purchase it digitally on Amazon for 19.99, or hunt down the rare but worthwhile DVD copies.