The Killing Machine

While the plot is nothing new (government contract killer falls for one of his assignments), this Canadian-lensed action drama is a cut above the rest. The amazing, intense Jeff Wincott plays the contract killer, and the fetching, vulnerable Terri Hawkes is the assignment he falls for. The always dependable Michael Ironside is Wincott's shadowy boss, a government official of sorts who is told who to kill, if not always why. This low-budget actioner was filmed and produced with the care and attention to detail of many A-level productions. And Wincott is thoroughly believable as a killing machine who develops a conscience. The fight scenes are extremely well staged, and they are frequent. Some decent nudity and a couple of detailed sex scenes keep the attention from flagging between fights and shootouts. Kudos to the director/writer, who clearly knew how to get the most for his money.