Outside of DTV enthusiasts and hardcore fans, most of Gary Daniels' movies qualify as obscure. WITNESS TO A KILL is fairly unknown even among the Danger Man's faithful, not in the least because of how well the generic DVD cover and indistinguishable cast blend in among the low-budget mass. While a viewing does reveal some unique touches, the movie isn't worth hunting down to all but the most enthusiastic Daniels fan.
The story: On a mission to deliver vital dispatches to an embassy in Africa, a special forces operative (Daniels) is caught up in a terrorist operation headed by a sadistic rebel (Nick Boraine).
Unbeknownst to most folks, this is actually the first (or second?) part in a short-lived franchise for Daniels that also includes QUEEN'S MESSENGER. Herein, Gary's character demonstrates strong James Bond overtones, but the disappointing screenplay helps make for a movie that in no way presents a threat to the genuine 007 series. While there are some nice touches in the form of surprising competency from the protagonist's team, there is no intrigue here at all and none of the characters are written memorably. It particularly peeves me that the screenplay seemingly goes out of its way to disempower its two major female characters – denying Eva Habermann an obvious opportunity to resolve the conflict an hour ahead of Daniels and giving action veteran Francoise Yip not even a single fight scene.
Speaking of fights, the film marks another collaboration between Daniels and the Alpha Stunts crew, and as usual, what they deliver is pretty nice but there's not nearly enough of it. There are only three fights of substance, plus some shootouts, and while Gary suffers from a lack recognizable opponents, the stuntmen he takes on nevertheless contribute to some modestly exciting brawls, complete with overblown flips and falls. Despite these highlights, the sections of the film that are comparatively lite on action tend to drag, with only a plethora of accents to keep you otherwise entertained.
WITNESS TO A KILL precedes the first time since his career got rolling that Daniels took a substantial break from filmmaking. After this three-year hiatus, Gary played more and more supporting roles in other people's vehicles or ensemble pieces, so in a way, this (along with the two other flicks he made in 2001) can be considered a final installment in the golden age of Daniels' occupation as an action hero. He does not seem tired at all, but perhaps the reduced focus on substantial butt-kicking indicates otherwise.
