Zero Tolerance (1994) User Reviews

Tremendous Action, But It Gets Carried Away

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 26 September 2006]

For action freaks, this is great stuff, but overdid it, especially at the end. If they hadn't this might have been a good movie overall. For the first hour, this was tremendous with some wild, jaw-dropping action scenes in the typical revenge story angle.

Then it gets out-of-hand with good guy "Jeff Douglas" (Robert Patrick) killing all the bad guys in sight while numerous villains can't him - not one! It really gets ludicrous, and to make it worse, the acting is not the best in this movie. Some really dumb line deliveries and stupid characters.

In the end, worth a rental but not a purchase.

Watchable mid 90's direct-to-video action

[WelshFilmCraze · 5/10 · 8 June 2022]

Robert Patrick stars as an FBI agent out for revenge after his wife and child are murdered by a drug cartel led by main goon Titus Welliver.

Patrick & Welliver are really too good for this trash by 90's B movie producers Richard Pepin & Joseph Mehri and their PM Entertainment Group, The script is dreadful, The acting by everyone (aside from the aforementioned above) is poor.

Plenty of gunfights & explosions, which is where most of the budget goes on this type of Straight-to-video trash, Patrick looks embarrassed to be in this - coming after his career defining role as the T-2000 in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and we even get Mick Fleetwood - Yes, THAT Mick Fleetwood as a drug cartel boss.

It's watchable enough with very low expectations, but we've all seen this many, many times before, "Zero Tolerance" doesn't break new ground or even tries to, it is what it is, a mid 90's bottom shelf, action cheapo with a far better leading man than this kind of trash deserves.

Goes full blown Rambo

[bkoganbing · 4/10 · 12 November 2014]

Zero Tolerance stars Robert Patrick as an FBI man with wife played by real life wife Barbara Patrick and two children. He gets an assignment to bring back from Mexico a notorious drug lord in Titus Welliver.

Things start to pop and don't let up for a minute when Welliver escapes custody with Patrick's two other agents and a whole lot of Welliver's men escape.

Welliver then gets the brilliant idea to take Patrick's family hostage and then confront Patrick and force him to take him across the border under the guise of custody, Welliver and a whole lot of illegal heroin. Works too and then he kills Patrick's family and nearly blows Patrick up in a limousine.

After that it's personal as Patrick whom we see a hint of his violent nature during Welliver's escape, goes full blown Rambo. The body count may run into triple digits. Did Sly Stallone ever do that well? Patrick is after the rest of Welliver's associates a five member board of a drug gang known as the White Hand. Do we have to ask if he succeeds?

If you like chase scenes, lots of bloody violence, and plenty of action you'll love Zero Tolerance. Makes one overlook a whole lot of flaws in the writing and the direction.

Dumb But Fun Little Actioner...

[MetalGeek · 19 February 2007]

ZERO TOLERANCE was a recent "bargain bin" DVD purchase and in all honesty I threw it into the player this weekend as an antidote after watching "World Trade Center," figuring that after watching such a heavy-duty drama I needed to see something empty-headed as a chaser. In that regard, ZERO TOLERANCE didn't disappoint. It's a by-the-numbers revenge fantasy whose "plot" (scumbag drug dealers kill an FBI agent's family, so he goes rogue and hunts them down one by one) was probably written on a cocktail napkin, but there's so much wall to wall violence, carnage, and gunfire going off during its short running time that you barely have time to notice how silly the whole thing is. Robert Patrick of "Terminator 2" fame plays our FBI hero, who racks up some pretty impressive frequent flyer miles as he criss crosses the country picking off the heads of the "White Hand" drug cartel in Las Vegas, in New Orleans, and all points in between. My wife and I found it extremely funny after a while that there are dozens and dozens of goons firing thousands of rounds of ammunition at our hero throughout this movie and none of them even come close to hitting him, meanwhile Patrick can pop up from his hiding spots with two nine-millimeters clutched in his hands, fire off two shots at a time, and yet he hits his target every time. I didn't bother to try and keep a body count for this movie but I'm sure the grand total must've been astronomical. Nothing here hasn't already been done before in countless other shoot-em-up action movies like the "Death Wish" or "Punisher" films (to name but a few) but it sure is a fun ride while it's playing! If you find "Zero Tolerance" for less than five bucks (like I did) then by all means, take the ride.

Good action, terrible acting

[fjalvarez2000 · 4/10 · 10 June 2014]

THis has a promising (if standard) plot with good action, lots of shooting, chases etc. Definitely has a 1990's feel to it and the quality of the film is not the best, almost feels like it was videotaped but it could be the streaming provider's issue. But terrible acting on average. Its cool to see some actors that will later in their careers appear in much better films and/or TV (e.g. Titus Welliver); also interesting to see Mick Fleetwood in here and a couple of other guys that I recognized, mostly general casting types. Overall I would say that if it is a couple of hours of mindless action that you seek this would fit the bill.

Out For Justice 2

[saint_brett · 5/10 · 19 September 2021]

I'm hoping to be entertained by a high octane PM movie tonight. One of my personal PM favorites is Kickboxer 2. (It's a shame that PM movies no longer exist.)

Robert Patrick, huh? That's a huge drop in class going from Terminator 2 down to a PM movie.

So Tommy Lee Jones; Nixon, and The T-1000 are heading to Mexico for what looks like a mob hit on someone who owes money. Movie better improve or I'm going to trim my toenails.

Is Hawk from Cobra Kai in the movie? They keep playing that bird noise theme of his for some reason?

They bail Wyatt, from Bold and the Beautiful, out of an underground holding cell and yep, it's a PM movie alright - the T-1000 is under attack by all these rent a car hitmen. As usual, the baddies have unlimited bullets in their guns but they're lousy shots just like Stormtroopers.

Love how this car still roles even though the driver was blasted away 3 minutes ago. (A car that's mobile with a dead driver?) Wyatt escapes under a hail of bullets.

There's that bird noise again - Hawk from Cobra Kai must be nearby?

Question - would a shotgun really make a trail bike explode?

So Wyatt snorts cocaine while face-timing with the maniac from Speed and either Fabio, or Feargal Sharkey, where there's delays and threats made over, I dunno, undelivered diapers and bibs? He's got 24-hours to deliver the baby products to Vegas or heat will come down on his head.

I would have expected Steven Seagal to star in this. It's one of those movies where you can't trust who you're talking to on the phone, even if it's your boss.

The T-1000 languishes in Wyatt's holding cell; is then blackmailed, his family is taken out, he's then bashed from pillar to post, blasted through the air in Vegas, hit by a delivery truck, then hit further with the news of his families demize. All this in under 10-minutes. "They killed his family, took his livelihood away from him, now the T-1000's out for revenge! Pray you're not a bad guy."

The wet nappies are successfully delivered to the king pins, but like Lethal Weapon, they're under the impression that the T-1000's dead. He's not.

So I take it the T-1000 stops being an FBI hitman and becomes a one man army to hunt down the wet nappy bandits? (He didn't even grieve, or attend any funeral.) I love these Hollywood movies where seasoned law enforcement officers go rogue and throw protocol out the window and kill at will without fear of consequence.

Movie's solid, I guess? You knew he'd hunt down all 5 members of the nappy crew. Um, remind me again, how'd he know the exact coordinates of Wyatt in Colorado? And how'd he smuggle gun's on a plane if he was a wanted man? Never mind.

Hmm, I dont know about the end credit song? Is that Mark Gormley?

Although Full Of Stunts Performed With Zeal, Little Care Is Taken With The Production As A Whole.

[rsoonsa · 1/10 · 11 September 2007]

When FBI agent Jeff Douglas (Robert Patrick) journeys by automobile, along with two other operatives from his Los Angeles office, to fictional "La Ropa", Mexico, to assume custody of an American narcotics dealer incarcerated there, there is no cause for him to expect other than completion of a routine assignment, while looking ahead to a pleasantly familial evening at home with his wife and two children. However, the drug boss, whimsically named Ray Manta (Titus Welliver), is forcefully removed from the clutches of The Law by a large cluster of motorcycle riding desperadoes who capture Douglas and kill his two comrades. His life threatened by the daring rescue that has thwarted the Bureau detail, Jeff is impelled to undertake a galling task. After speaking with his wife by telephone, Douglas is promised by the villains that he will be freed if he will feign at ushering Manta toward FBI custody, whereas in actuality he will be delivering the felon to Las Vegas and into the company of the other four ringleaders of a cabal that calls itself The White Hand, and that has gained what amounts to primary control of liquid heroin trafficking within the United States. Jeff eludes his captors and after he has telephonically learned that his entire family has been slain by minions of The White Hand, Douglas commences upon a mission of retribution, his goal to assassinate the five criminal organization kingpins, including Manta. Therefore, the background has been properly established for an interesting tale of heated vengeance. Unfortunately, the narrative is composed for the most part of set pieces that utilize a large contingent of stunt men and demolition experts, to the detriment of the plot line. It seems that gunmen hired by The White Hand are selected largely upon their proved substandard marksmanship, with scene following risible scene depicting a fortunate Douglas being unharmed by numberless rounds fired at close range by numberless thugs, after which he predictably brings down one each per trigger pull. Plainly, if Jeff were in fact gunned down, the film would be at its end, this truth eliminating any possible creation of suspense. Additionally, when a viewer finds himself chortling at what are ostensibly harrowing circumstances for the hero, it becomes obvious that this production suffers from a shortfall of logic. There is scant opportunity for the display of acting chops here, although Patrick gamely tries to create his role, while playing honours go to Welliver for his consistently effective portrayal of a principal member of the Forces of Evil.

More Great Entertainment from PM!

[Zantara Xenophobe · 7/10 · 30 September 2002]

This came on television the other day and I decided to watch it. I like Robert Patrick a lot, but I knew nothing about this movie going in. When I saw the credits, I was delighted to see it was made by PM Entertainment. I think PM makes some pretty fine action movies, much better than most of the big studio productions we are fed each and every year, I mean, who could possibly not think `Firetrap' was an awesome movie? Anyway, the only PM movie I thought was bad was `No Escape No Return' (which I coincidentally watched last week), so I was sure I would like `Zero Tolerance.' And I was right. Joseph Merhi takes an otherwise standard plotline and makes it interesting, something that PM does best. Merhi takes an uncomfortably brutal scene early in the movie and makes it something more by cutting to other characters throughout it, fitting the dialogue in perfectly in contrast to the brutal scene happening many miles away.

There's not much more I can add to the plot that other people here haven't done so already, so I will skip that part. I will say that I thought Patrick was really wonderful as an FBI agent on the edge after a drug cartel assassinates his family. He brought some fine emotion into the part; the only time he has done better is in his 1996 film `Asylum,' one of my personal favorite movies. Kristen Meadows was good, too. I loved the scenes with her father, who doesn't understand why she has to keep taking off on some assignment during the worst of hours. The father is a nice little touch that you won't find in most action movies. As for the villains, I got a big kick out of seeing Mick Fleetwood play the head of the cartel. He was surprisingly good, as was Miles O'Keefe, playing another of the cartel's big chiefs. O'Keefe's good job is a real treat. I also liked the brief part of Bill Hufsey, as Omar, a wisecracking thug whose biggest joke I am going to have to use one someone someday. The trouble with these great villains is that they aren't given much screen time. Instead, the villain that most screen time is Titus Welliver, the thug responsible for Patrick's grief. Welliver spouts out foul language and consistently points the blame of the mishaps on other people. He gets so annoying that I just wanted Patrick to hurry up and snub him out. Instead, the best villains are taken out too early or in the wrong way. Welliver alone makes the movie less enjoyable than what it should have been. That's not saying the rest of the movie is 100% perfect, either, because I did not like the last scene. *MINOR SPOILER* Aside from the vanishing handcuffs, the scene is bad in that it killed the prevailing theme of the whole movie, that Patrick has to let it all go and let the system take its course. Merhi must have thought that viewers would rather see raw justice. Well, there were ways of doing both (which could have involved one of the other villains).

Anyhow, I say this is another winner from PM Entertainment. Just give this movie (as well as other action movies from PM) a chance and you might find yourself engrossed in it. You may even take up my mode of thinking in that PM is a better choice than similar films from the big studios. Zantara's score: 7 out of 10.

Cop out for revenge against mobsters who murder his family

[Dan-56 · 3/10 · 18 March 1999]

Stupid script. Daft body count. Second rate acting. Manipulative and unpleasant junk.

This is every thing you want out of a '90's action flick...

[vnssyndrome89 · 6/10 · 23 April 2022]

Reading the other reviews, I didn't have high expectations. Boy, am I glad I watched anyway. Robert Patrick & Titus Welliver are EXCELLENT! If you have a problem w gratuitous violence, this is is NOT the movie for you. But if you like a good action/revenge movie, without a deep plot, then you'll like this. It's also recommend for anyone looking for '90's action.

There are a few problems... Robert Patrick's suicidal ideation is not realistic. It wanted to be Mel Gibson's scene in "Lethal Weapon," but it fell short. Patrick probably didn't have enough real pain to draw on for this scene.

The second problem... Mobsters don't kill family members & they don't kill cops. It just brings too much heat. I thought they we're going to reprimand Welliver"s character for this, but...not really. Gangsters also don't blow up cars in the middle of the Vegas strip, for the same reasons. I hate to see this, because then it moves it into Steven Segal territory.

The third problem... Why are all women in these types of movies useless simps? I'd like to see just one of these movies with a woman like me in it, instead of a nagging harpy. I thought the female FBI agent in this movie was going to back him up, but noooooo. All she does, is get her ass kicked, get in his way & then goes and narcs on him to his superiors. Useless. Her character could & should have been eliminated.

The fourth problem... The ending is ridiculous. Not the lone man seeking & getting revenge, but how this movie goes about it. There are so many other ways this could have ended, that would make it more believable, & less Segalesq. Because of the ridiculous plot twist, I dropped it 2 stars.

Overall, an enjoyable '90's action thrill ride. If you like that kind of fare, I recommend it.

The Movie That Criticised Itself

[rmc129-1 · 1/10 · 7 October 2001]

This movie is daddy no no brainer actioners.

Robert Patrick is a sort of bargain basement superhero, at times so wooden that if he was shot the splinters would fly.

Tip off that this is going to be a one way ride down the roller coaster is that Mick Fleetwood, former member of rock band Fleetwood Mac, is the arch villain.

We are asked to swallow, among other whole melon sized propositions, that no one but the hero can shoot straight (though sometimes he seems to have the capability of shooting round corners). His foes on the other hand seem incapable of hitting anything unless they are actually holding onto it.

Titus Welliver plays the chief villain, who seems to have gone to the Iago School For Scumbags, as he has no redeeming features whatsoever and comes straight from old style melodrama. (Promises the heroine a fate worse than death too - being in another movie like this, for one)

Then we have the FBI. It a wonder that J Edgar Hoover doesn't pop up through the floor to protest at the hatchet job done on his boys here ! Great films have been made in black and white, but great acting, dialogue and plotlines are never monochrome.

A rancid experience, not because it is violent but because if you believe this movie, you'll believe anything.

Rating: It rates itself ! A zero tolerant 0 out of10

Thoroughly enjoyed it

[Bilstein · 9/10 · 20 September 2001]

It annoys the hell out of me when, if a film has a lot of violence and/or gore, that automatically means it's second rate, with poor acting and a weak script etc. I would say 'Wishmaster' is an example. Lots of gore = poor, so to speak. And I would say this is another of those types of films. It has an excessive amount of violence, which means by most people, including major film reviewers, it's discarded as junk.

And that's a pity because this film is really rather good. I'll be the first to admit that I'm drawn to any film which has warnings about its levels of violence, but this, along with 'To Protect and Serve', seemed to shine above the rest.

Anyone who said this film has poor acting obviously missed the bit when Jeff, over the phone, learns his family has been massacred. After a brief period of time, Jeff goes over the edge, and Robert Patrick does it perfectly.

This has been done before, and is, in some instances, ridiculous. (At one point, Jeff drives his car through the side of a helicopter. The helicopter goes boom, but the car emerges almost undamaged.) But then again, Die Hard was pretty ridiculous too, and that was one of the greatest action films I've ever seen. This isn't Oscar winning stuff, but it's damn good.

Caution is advised: Some scenes are very violent.

8/10 - I thoroughly enjoyed it

Robert Patrick and his Magic Exploding Bullets

[verbusen · 7/10 · 7 July 2017]

This is a cheap take off of Die Hard, but it's memorable once you get past the build up romantic part which is a rip off of Robocop, where the cop is having flashbacks to his wife and kids. I watched it with my wife and she was thoroughly entertained so the romantic parts were good in terms of making it more of a date flick for guys to watch. I was watching it for massive carnage and was instantly amused that Patrick's rifle bullets were all explosive grenade types. Which, outside of a shotgun sized shell, I don't know of explosive bullets in the normal rifle size. This trick was done in Robocop with the bad guys in the end getting the "latest military hardware" in the future so it was easy to suspend belief with that but this is set in 1994 not 2044, so if you are looking for realism skip this one. I knew it would be a cheesy film so was OK with it. Oh, and all the bad guys when they use rifles their bullets don't explode either. Keep an eye on Patrick around the third boss attack, a henchman will be using a rifle and the bullets will be normal, after getting whacked, Patrick picks up the dead henchman's rifle and magically the rifle turned into a grenade launcher as the bullets were exploding! I therefore rationalized that Patrick had magical powers and fired magic bullets! Fun film, loved the carnage, and cheesiness! 7 of 10. BTW, Patrick's magical powers only work on rifles not pistols, lol enjoy.

Cash grab movie who did not see better action movies

[jordondave-28085 · 2/10 · 6 May 2023]

(1993) Zero Tolerance ACTION

Straight-to-rental horse crap the much poorer imitation version of better action movies such as "Lethal Weapon 1 & 2", "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" and "Hardboiled" to name a few. Robert Patrick as FBI agent Jeff Douglas along with two other agents get ambushed while escorting a dangerous drug cartel named Ray (Titus Welliver) from Mexico to the United States. During his freedom, Ray then get his goons to take Jeff Douglas's family hostage so that he could get his heroin across the border since he's a FBI agent even though he was planning have Jeff and his family killed anyway. After Jeff manages to escape a failed assassination attempt on his life, he then goes on a killing spree on the cartels responsible for his family's deceased, and they're called "The White Hand". Some of the action scenes although CGI wasn't used are poorly staged and like I've said above looked like poor imitations of better action movies like John riding the motorcycle similar to the Arnold character from "Terminator 2", the scenes where John's demeanour becoming suicidal was similar to the Mel Gibson character as Martin Riggs scenes of the Lethal Weapon movies as well as the helicopters. And the gun fire scenes from "Hardboiled" which they're times viewers are unable to make out what's happening, or that sometimes the people who're shooting look slightly off. Which now that I think about it seems like it's real intentions was to capitalize on better made and higher budget action movies.

An ultimate thriller which represents the "fantasy revenge" sub-genre.

[DragonFire99 · 26 December 1999]

ZERO TOLERANCE: It is a simple tale about one man's crusade for vengeance.

Jeff Douglas (Robert Patrick) is a young FBI agent who must transport a vicious psychopathic drug dealer, Ray Manta (Titus Welliver) from Mexico back to a federally sanctioned prison somewhere in the United States. Everything seems well until Jeff and his cohorts realize that on the trip back, they are being followed by a gang of motorcycle riding killers. Before long, these FBI agents are caught in a barrage of gunfire...

When the smoke clears, Douglas discovers that his friends have been gunned down. What's even worse...the prisoner has escaped! When Jeff returns to the United States, he finds out that his innocent family has been held ransom at gunpoint by a sinister drug cartel known as the "White Hand." The White Hand is a powerful drug conglomerate that is controlled by five "mainstream" businessmen: Vitch (Mick Fleetwood), Kowalski (Miles O'Keffe), LaFluer (Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter), Lee (Gustav Vintas), and...Ray Manta. This drug cartel is responsible for the distribution of a powerful new merchandise known as "liquid heroin." The White Hand demands that Douglas pose as a "courier" so that he can transfer a suitcase full of money back to Las Vegas. Douglas must comply to the White Hand's demand, or else...they will permanently execute his entire family...

Seeing that the White Hand refuses to keep their part of the bargain, they order their henchmen to assassinate Douglas's wife (Wendy Patrick) and children anyway. Meanwhile, Douglas delivers the requisite suitcase to Vegas, but he finds himself to be a moving target... Barely surviving the White Hand's sabotage, Douglas tries to contact his family, making sure that they are in one piece. When Douglas learns that all of his family members have ended up in body bags, hell have no fury like an ex-FBI agent scorned...

Jeff Douglas has a new mission now: To avenge the loss of his family by waging war against the entire White Hand clan. He plans on terminating the White Hand, one member at a time. As this film will prove, Douglas must take revenge into his own hands. For him, revenge is just another name for justice...

ZERO TOLERANCE is an action-packed, thrill-to-the-minute adventure that will certainly satisfy the most hard-core fans of this genre. This film is definitely head above water when compared to other direct to video drivel. The action is surprisingly unpredictable and the explosive firepower keeps this film moving at a breathtakingly rapid pace. ZERO TOLERANCE is mindless, fast-paced fun.

Granted, the premise for ZERO TOLERANCE is strikingly familiar: A loner decides that he must avenge the deaths of his loved ones. However, what truly places this motion picture above films of comparable characteristics is the main character, well played by Robert Patrick. The viewer is made to understand all of the torment the main character must go through after losing the only ones he cares about. The flashbacks are well made, showing how this "vigilante" was once a loving family man. The viewer could actually sense how much pain this hero is going through. To him, the loss of his family is his own personal hell. Tough character actor Robert Patrick (TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY) does an admirable job portraying this hard-boiled soul bent on vengeance.

Unfortunately, the rest of the performances in this film are a mixed bag. Titus Welliver is convincingly bad-to-the-bone as the prime antagonist. However, two of his cohorts, former rock star Mick Fleetwood and the star of the "Ator" (ha, ha) movies, Miles O'Keefe are rather mundane and stereotypical. Kristen Meadows tries her best as another FBI agent who is sympathetic to Douglas, but sadly for her, she is little more than a ransom victim for the bad guys. Another significant setback for ZERO TOLERANCE is that it virtually features ZERO plot revelations. This movie is very much run-of-the-mill, and though the action will keep you riveted, the plot lacks sophistication and depth. With the exception of Douglas, the rest of the characters are created in a by-the-book style.

If you are the typical action fan looking only for brisk thrills, then you probably do not care much about plot and characters. Well, I will say this, you have picked the right selection. ZERO TOLERANCE is the consummate action thriller. The fantastic excitement will most likely knock your shoes off. This PM Entertainment Group (who has made five dozen or so other "action" pictures) motion picture will not dissatisfy you with its abundance of leaping stuntmen, exploding objects, and awesome editing. Two examples of adroitly directed action scenes are the ambush at the beginning and the shoot-out in Las Vegas. This movie will make John Woo proud. Speaking of John Woo, some action scenes in this movie though seem to be TOO inspired by the works of John Woo. Take for example, the beginning of ZERO TOLERANCE where the main hero shoots it out with a gang of gun-wielding motorcyclists. If you saw the Hong Kong film, HARD-BOILED (directed by John Woo), then you will know what I am talking about. Anyway, with that said, adrenaline addicts will cherish this fast moving thrill-ride.

ZERO TOLERANCE is definitely one of the Pepin-Merhi duo's best films to date. Taken at face value, ZERO TOLERANCE is pure entertainment, PM style. Slick action scenes, decent production values, and proficient cinematography highlight this rather exciting motion picture. ZERO TOLERANCE may not have enough profundity to be considered a first-class B-movie, but it is a fine film nonetheless, with a strong, solid performance by Robert Patrick and some really neat action sequences and stunts. Trigger-happy fans will most likely remain contented. ZERO TOLERANCE is an underrated and overlooked thriller. If you ever get the chance to see this movie, I suggest you do.

RATING: *** out of ****.

"How does it feel being on the other side of the law?"

[The_Phantom_Projectionist · 5/10 · 2 July 2015]

Though I will always recognize PM Entertainment and director Joseph Merhi for being the main producers of karate B-movies from the 1990s, a flick like ZERO TOLERANCE reminds me that they were in fact more versatile when it came to the action department. This is an ambitious, occasionally cool but ultimately mild shoot-em-up picture that foolishly takes a "less is more" method when it would have been better off embracing excess. Particular fans of Robert "T-1000" Patrick may apply.

The story: When his family is murdered and his own life endangered by a powerful drug cartel, an FBI agent (Patrick) becomes a vigilante deadest on revenge.

As much as I like ol' Joe Merhi, I wish that a more inventive director had helmed this one and brought more life to the potential-filled plot. PM regularly made films that were a lick or two above the dramatic average of competitors, but here, it unsuccessfully attempts to navigate a precisely-balanced screenplay. John Flynn or Andrew Davis might have taken the screenplay and coordinated it into an escalating action-thriller, whereas Merhi bloats the first half of the picture with plot while skimping on action, then reverses the formula for the second half. It's a competent film, definitely, but the dramatic scenes appear awkwardly-placed and the actors often underwhelm in their performances.

Action-wise, the movie does well enough but could achieve more. Much to my surprise, there was a smattering of fight scenes, though none of them particularly stood out. The highlights are several exhibitions of bullet ballet, clearly modeled after John Woo's output. Viewed in a vacuum, the handful of large-scale shootouts is furious and entertaining. However, other films have had better results in westernizing the HARD BOILED standard: NEMESIS and even HARD JUSTICE are both relatively cheap films that alternatively did a better job of aping Woo's style and improvising with the resources they had. ZERO TOLERANCE features occasionally cool stuntwork and a handful of unique guns, but I've seen much better.

Strong production values are balanced out by a surprisingly grim tone, making this an interesting action flick to watch but not necessarily a fun one. I declare it to be on the low side of average: worth catching on TV, maybe worth renting digitally, but probably not worthy of purchase.

"I admire your work ethic"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 6/10 · 29 January 2021]

A typical film about a rogue agent who goes after the drug cartel (called the White Hand) that killed his family. Quite enjoyable. It has a good performance from Robert Patrick as the bereaved FBI man; lots of shootings, explosions and car wrecks done in the best PM Entertainment manner and a suitable cast of sleazy villains one relishes being blown away. It also has some effective emotional moments however action is the main business and action one definitely gets. PM's production output varied somewhat but this is entertaining and engrossing.

Not a bad film, but predictable

[bonestv-920-681938 · 6/10 · 17 April 2019]

I initially picked up this film because I am a fan of Titus Welliver (Ray Manta). I went in not expecting much even from him, and saw exactly what I expected. It's a pretty predictable film that comes to a pretty predictable conclusion, but if you're looking for something mindless you might just enjoy it.

Zero Tolerance gets our most enthusiastic recommendation. See it today!

[tarbosh22000 · 10/10 · 19 December 2011]

PM knows action, and by this point in their history they had refined their craft to such a point that they turned it into an art. Case in point: Zero Tolerance. This movie is awesome. It delivers the goods in every possible way.

Jeff Douglas (Patrick) is a by-the-book FBI agent and family man. On what he thinks will be just a routine assignment, he must go down to Mexico and pick up Manta (Welliver), an evil, but charismatic killer and drug dealer. He is a member of the White Hand, a sinister underworld organization intent on putting a new form of liquid heroin on the streets. Things don't go exactly as planned, and Manta escapes. Now back with his criminal associates Vitch (Fleetwood), Kowalski (O'Keeffe), LaFleur (Anderson-Gunter), and others, he commits an act that is so horrendous against Jeff Douglas, Jeff must go rogue and systematically kill all the baddies. His FBI counterparts don't approve of his reckless ways, but Jeff doesn't care. He's traveling around the country on a no-holds-barred revenge mission, and for the people that wronged him, he has ZERO TOLERANCE.

Robert Patrick as the hero, Jeff Douglas, was an excellent choice. Zero Tolerance has way more emotion than a normal film of this type, and Patrick is just the man to carry it off. That's something that makes this movie special. You can see Douglas slowly losing patience with life, and being stripped of everything he has. With his emotions flooding, we see he has nothing left to lose, and he takes out his grief and pain, as well as anger, on his aggressors. Another interesting casting choice was Mick Fleetwood as one of the top bad guys. It seems the filmmakers wanted to go with Donald Pleasance, but seeing as how the drummer for Fleetwood Mac is evil in real life, the casting decision was a no-brainer. O'Keeffe puts in one of his best roles also, as the conflicted baddie with the Matt Hannon-like hair.

Titus Welliver is also noteworthy as the sinister, purple suited Manta. He's actually not the only one in the movie that wears a purple suit. He even has a multi-screen videoconferencing system with his fellow evildoers which can only be described as GoToDrugDeal (patent pending). This was way before Skype and a lot of other technology. As we discussed in the Bloodmoon (1997) review, direct to video action movies oftentimes are ahead of the curve technology-wise, but no one gives them credit because no one ever talks about them.

But the bottom line is, this is a mega-entertaining, fast-paced gem that delivers the goods times ten. It's the best kind of revenge movie. It has a well-written plot, a likable hero, a hate-able villain, and action and stunts galore, but it actually has underpinnings of emotion and depth. What more could you want? Zero Tolerance gets our most enthusiastic recommendation. See it today!

For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

Song: one more shot

[FKuiper_1 · 6/10 · 22 April 2012]

Hello Guys I am Freddy and I'm from Holland

I've seen the movie witch has a good story but it is sometimes very fake.

Just like the end with the handcuffs Mr Manta falls out the window and where are the handcuffs? then he lands on a car and there are the handcuffs!!!!

I like the song at the end of the movie: One more shot!!! Can someone help me to get information about that song? or email the song to me?

Witch music group or singer? Can i buy the song?

with regards Freddy Kuiper

If you have information for me pleas mail me at:

[e-mail]

A review of a great action film ..

[doggett_girl · 17 February 2002]

If you're looking for an action movie then look no further, with high-adrenaline action scenes from start to finish, Zero Tolerance is the ultimate action flick. Robert Patrick has the starring role as FBI agent Jeff Douglas and yet again he shines. I am always amazed by the emotion he is able to put through in any character he plays and Jeff is no different, you really feel for him and what he's going through. Watching Robert in this film is actually almost like watching a young John Doggett (his character in The X-Files), some familar mannerisms can be spotted, as well as his trademark intensity. The supporting cast is also good, particularly Kristen Meadows as Megan, and also keep an eye out for Barbara Patrick (Robert's real-life wife) playing his wife Wendy in the film. I must admit that I originally hired this film purely because it starred Robert, who is my favorite actor, but I enjoyed it so much that I had to purchase my own copy. If you're a fan of Robert or just action movies in general, I highly recommend checking this one out.

Nostalgic Memories

[refinedsugar · 7/10 · 19 April 2023]

I was one of the countless kids blown away by everything 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' had to offer in 1991 including Robert Patrick as the emotionless T-1000. It was from that point on I'd grab anything off the video store shelves with him in it. Having the 'Zero Tolerance' box cover show him all serious faced in a black suit and tie walking down the burning street holding a large silver handgun just sealed the deal.

FBI agent Jeff Douglas (Robert Patrick) goes renegade when he and fellow agents are assigned to escort Manta (Titus Welliver) back from Mexico and things so south. Manta is part of the "The White Hand" criminal organization who uses Jeff to smuggle drugs back into the States with his family held hostage. When Jeff does what they ask, he finds out the horrible truth and launches his one man army to get revenge taking down all the heads of the once untouchable criminal underworld.

Sure the plot here is utterly basic, but it's serviceable and said cartel being co-run by Mick Fleetwood of all people was fun. I mainly knew him for his appearance in 'The Running Man' back then. Now rewatching it when I'm older, I can further appreciate his inclusion and that of established actors like Welliver, Miles O'Keeffe & Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter. Of course not to mention the unique charms of a PM Entertainment production from the 90's.

'Zero Tolerance' is one of those direct-to-video action flicks I remember fondly. Robert Patrick has a much longer list of credits to his name now - juicer roles and appearances in much better films - but I still appreciate the simple actioner. There's plenty of guns, decent explosions, good stunt work and even a surprise or two. A fun piece of action fans of his will want to check out if they haven't already.

Cool action B movie typical from the 90's with Robert Patrick

[tabbal-michel · 6/10 · 22 April 2019]

Cool action B movie from the 90's with Robert Patrick

What did you get for Christmas ? Nothing.

[Vivekmaru45 · 10/10 · 5 December 2010]

That's a dialogue in the film a little boy tells Jeff Douglas (Robert Patrick). He responds solemnly "nothing".

What would you do if your wife and child were murdered by a crimelord? You would take the matter in your own hands.

This is ZERO TOLERANCE a hard as nails revenge plot akin to The Punisher and also the main character is similar to that of Frank Castle.

Plot: After surviving a sneak attack on himself and fellow feds Jimmy (William Steis) and Gene (Michael Gregory) as they transport drug kingpin Raymond Manta (Titus Welliver) out of a Mexican jail, FBI agent Jeff Douglas (Robert Patrick) becomes an uwitting pawn of the White Hand drug cartel.

Raymond tells Jeff as he is being transported to let him go otherwise Jeff's family, which is being held hostage by Raymond's goons, will be murdered. Jeff tells Raymond to give him his word that his family will not be harmed. Raymond gives his word of honor.

Unknown to Raymond, Jeff's family is already dead. When Raymond returns to back to his gang he scolds them for failing to obey his orders. And now Raymond is secretly afraid because he knows Jeff will be coming for him.

You will be very satisfied with this film I assure you. I saw this film back in 1995 or 1996, I can't remember, memories fade. Buy it on DVD if you spot it.

Films similar to this: The Punisher, Collateral Damage, Death Wish, Death Sentence, Johnny Handsome, Mad Max, The Crow.

Email me [e-mail] for more movies list and recommendations and why not have a chat as well?

Have a NICE day.

Jean Genius

[Gary-161 · 22 October 2001]

Robert Patrick is quite the little terrier in this routine actioner about a wronged man hell bent on revenge (now, that's what I call a plot!) Patrick's claim to fame is that he looks a bit like Peter Weller (I'm gonna live forever!) And also played a robot in 'Terminator 2' (Now, that's what I call a stretch!) Here, he sports a blonde, bouffant, fifties rockabilly barnet and possibly the tightest pair of jeans I've ever seen in a movie. It's amazing he can talk, let alone roll around incessantly in those things, it's truly impressive, believe me. The whole ensemble makes him look like a reject from a Jimmy Dean look alike contest for violation of the the age limit. A rebel without a pause, he systematically blows away countless mafiosi without seeming to sweat. Patrick has devised a full proof method of combating the mafia which is basically 'duck and cover'. Frankly, I'm amazed he can even move, but it works. Despite having very loosely fitting standard Italian suits, the bad guys have not learned the concept of 'duck and cover' and continuously stand in plain site waiting for the cue to be riddled with bullets. They do not learn from this and just carry on with the same strategy. Back at bad guy central, the Mafia bosses scratch their heads over Patrick's astonishing success and decide that war has well and truly been declared on them, albeit from Lilliput. It can only end in one place. You guessed it, an abandoned warehouse. Or maybe they only look abandoned because they're so big. And full of explosions. Patrick, continuing his zero tolerance of gun control (and underwear judging by the EXCRUTIATING tightness of those jeans), proceeds to single handedly demolish Las Vegas, best described in a better film elsewhere as 'a suitably biblical ending to the place.'

The only other film I can recall with a similar looking lead with an eerily familiar pair of trousers is in 'Blue Jean Cop' AKA 'Shakedown', in which our hero, despite having very and I mean VERY tight jeans; manages to run, jump and hang off the wheels of a plane. Despite being called 'Shakedown', nothing shakes in his jeans, believe me. The actor in that film was a chap called Peter Weller. Funny, that.