A Vietnam POW called Robert McBain (Christopher Walken) is freed by a valiant soldier (Chick Vennera) who is killed while is trying a state coup in Columbia (though it was shot in the Phillippines and not actually in Colombia as the movie depicts) . Years later , McBain is appointed by his sister (Maria Conchita Alonso) , then he leads a band of veterans (Michael Ironside , Jay Patterson , Thomas G.Waites , Steve James) into battle against Columbian cartel . As Walken and crew do kidnap a character similar to Gotti and extort money from him to finance the coup in Colombia . The posse of mercenaries join together to infiltrate by means of an airplane in Columbia and bring to justice , both , the country's leading drug crime King -Pablo Escobar- and his own corrupt Prime Minister (Victor Argo) . They hold several risks , odds and dangers .
The picture is plenty of action , blast , explosion , battles and numerous kinds of vehicles : planes , jets , buses , jeeps get blown up . It's disconcerting combined , including a little bit of violence when the fights happen , romance between the protagonists (Walken and Conchita Alonso) and brief characterization of the various roles . Christopher Walken is nice as the two-fisted , he-man starring , he is an one army man who wrecks havocs a group of evil-doers . The movie provides fast and furious entertainment and action with no sense developing itself in great agility , fast paced and movement . The scenes shot all around New York City were in fact real locations such as the Drug House, The Hospital , The Brooklyn Bridge and the Hudson River , everything involving Colombia was shot entirely in the Phillippines .
The motion picture was regularly directed by James Glickenhaus . Being born in New York City where he usually shoots his movies . Glickenhaus served as the chairman for the film company SGE Entertainment from 1987 to 1995; this company specialized in both making and distributing low-budget independent straight-to-video fare . He's an expert on violent action movies and so-so films as proved in this ¨McBain¨, ¨The soldier¨ and this ¨Shakedown¨ . He's also directed a Jackie Chan vehicle titled ¨The protector¨ , the eerie thriller "Slaughter of the Innocents" and the attractive sci-fi romp "Timemaster¨ and of course the extremely violent , low-budgeted and successful 1980 movie , ¨The exterminator¨ , a cruel Vigilante drama . And James was the executive producer for the movies "Maniac Cop," "Frankenhooker," both "Basket Case" sequels, "Ring of Steel," and "Tough and Deadly" . Rating : Average , 5,5/10 but entertaining . Mediocre but entertaining .
