Miami Vice (TV Series) Viking Bikers from Hell (1987) User Reviews

Crockett is on a hit list... again!

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 23 May 2012]

When biker Reb Gustafson gets out of prison he makes it his mission in life to avenge a friend who had been killed; he has no idea who did it so sets about murdering everybody his friend did business with! This makes things difficult for Crockett as one of those people was his under cover alter ego Sonny Burnett! As the episode progresses the death toll rises and it is only a matter of time before he gets to Crockett.

The plot of this episode is one of the simplest; that doesn't make it a poor episode though as there is a lot of action; this includes several shooting, once with a crossbow, some explosions and a bike jumping over a police car during a spectacular fire fight! While the guest stars who played the bikers were clearly hired for their intimidating physique the did a decent enough job; Reb Brown, who played Reb Gustafson was particularly intimidating; even after being shot his character carried on and in an impressive stunt took Crockett over the side of a ship. Overall this is far from the best episode of Miami Vice but it has a lot to commend it.

action mixed with humor.

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 18 July 2013]

A Biker out of jail is killing people who the biker believes killed his friend. Crockett is on the list! A simple script which has hart pounding action mixed with humor. The intimidating bike goes to extremes to kill his prey. During the extreme scenes there is tension release of humor. The mix of music, camera work, physical acting makes Viking Bikers from Hell a memorable episode. Nice to see great art work mix in with silliness. I give Viking Bikers from Hell a seven out of ten. One of the better Miami Vice episodes! A true 80's classic. I remember this episode as a teenager. I wish I had a copy. Maybe I can catch this episode on cable reruns.

Concussion??

[bunnyluv24 · 7/10 · 29 February 2008]

Ha, Rico has a gunshot wound to the head that's deemed a concussion, yet he only has a bandaged forehead. He's not hooked up to any IV or anything, matter of fact he's talking clearly and sitting up by the end of the episode. What happened to the drugs he was on that made him talk incoherently?? Also why wasn't Switek apart of the shoot-out fiasco? Also if you look closely at the scene when the bikers are delivering the flowers to the next guy on their hitlist--you can see the cameraman on the back left side when they are getting off the elevator. I still love the show, it's just hilarious to see the craziness the writers actually put in the show

Pure Action Pure Excitiment Pure Fun Pure Vice !!!

[yarborough · 10/10 · 18 November 2007]

This episode kicks butt. Whoever doesn't like this episode needs to get their brain checked. It's so much fun to watch and the action is non-stop. The last reviewer from above I have one thing to say: What the hell is wrong with you? The episode starts with a bang and finishes with a bang. Another perfect episode from 3! 3 is so perfect in every way. It sweeps the other mediocre seasons under the rug and lets not even talk about the disastrous, pathetic, and completely awful season 4. Ouch! This episode also is not only perfect, but features the best antagonist of 3 Reb Brown. What a show he puts on. I love it. This is one hell of an episode that features wall to wall action. Also the cinematography is great, the music, the cast, the action, and everything else. A Gem! It's not a 10, but a 20! Perfect!

Viking Bikers from Hell goes on my "Miami Vice Top 5 Episodes List". I rate it 10 stars!

[FloridaFred · 10/10 · 19 September 2020]

Viking Bikers from Hell is a Miami Vice classic. This show is packed with non-stop action, from the opening scenes at a biker reunion to a hand-to-hand combat grand finale.

Actor Reb Brown, as psycho-biker Reb Gustafson, gives a completely convincing performance. The supporting cast is also superb, from both the Miami Vice regulars and a host of actors playing high-end drug dealers. Viking Bikers from Hell features the music, the cars, the action, the suspense, the drama, and the emotions that make Miami Vice the best police/crime TV show of all time.

Some nit-picking reviewers mentioned that Rico doesn't have an IV tube in his arm on Sonny's second visit to the hospital. Some mentioned the cameraman who accidentally steps into the scene as Toad (actor Sonny Landham) gets off the elevator. One reviewer commented that Reb's motorcycle, as he jumps over the police car (take that, Dukes of Hazzard!) is switched from his street motorcycle to a dirt bike for the stunt. As to these flaws, it should be pointed out that when the show first aired in prime time, and when it re-ran on USA TV Network in the late 1980's, those faults weren't noticeable. They only became apparent when fans slow-framed their VHS recordings (or today, their DVDs).

The biggest complaints from the critics is the motorcycles that "The Violators" are riding, and their leather overcoats (in hot and humid Miami?). As for the leather outfits, come on folks, it's a TV show. The Bikers have to look totally bad-ass; the leather creates the image. As to why the Violators were riding Japanese motorcycles (brand names obscured), and not riding chopped Harley Davidsons, reasons given range from "the producers couldn't acquire the necessary Harleys in time for the film shoot" to, "Harley Davidson was trying to clean up their image; they didn't want their product associated with drug dealer outlaw bikers". Who knows, who really cares. The storyline and the great acting by all players blows away those petty complaints.

Memorable scenes in Viking Bikers from Hell include Izzy (actor Martin Ferrero) putting on a nightclub show at a cabana on South Beach, only to be interrupted by Reb, Toad, and Lascoe (actor John Matuszak). The scene with Victoria running her hands through a satchel of Krugerrands in her room at the Breakwater Hotel is acting at its best. An epic fire-fight between the Bikers and a SWAT Team involves grenade launchers and dozens of rounds of machine gun fire. And the final hand-to-hand fight between Sonny Crockett and Reb is brutal. Who will survive the battle? Sonny? Reb? Or will both of them die in the struggle?

"Viking Bikers from Hell" ranks among the very best episodes of Miami Vice!

Was this a half-hearted homage to Roger Corman?

[frankenbenz · 2/10 · 11 August 2007]

Talk about cornball, clichéd bikers with zero authenticity. A biker gang riding Japanese motorbikes? Did any of the writers or producers bother to research actual biker gangs? Even their wardrobe choices were horrendous - these so-called bikers looked like rejects from a Highlander audition. I'm sure even the lifelong hack Christopher Lambert would have been shamed to be a part of this mess. As for casting, apparently size out measured acting ability since Reb Brown and his cohorts were about as wooden as the caskets their careers were (hopefully) buried in.

The title of this episode makes it pretty clear that we're in for a silly episode from the get go, yet how silly and implausible it gets can only be believed if you have the time to waste to suffer through this miserable episode. My advice is to not bother.

The highlight of the implausible stupidness of this episode is when Tubbs get shot in the head by a high caliber gun and he ends up in the hospital with a...CONCUSSSION!!?? More insulting is that the writers somehow thought by having a doctor explain to Crockett that Tubbs is the luckiest guy in the world would excuse this nonsense. Give me a break.

One highlight of this episode is Izzy's cameo doing a lounge singer act in a public park for a smattering of inattentive seniors. I'm surprised there was never a spin off with Izzy and Noogie since they steal every scene they were ever in. I've still got seasons 4 & 5 to sit through, but one of the best MV episodes I've seen to date was season 1's "Made For Each Other," a comedic romp that put Zito, Switek, Noogie and Izzy at the forefront...a welcome relief to the all too regular ham sandwiches cooked up by PMT's and his over-the-top attempts to act/sing/ dance/etc. Is it any wonder this guy disappeared after MV?

in typical season 3 fashion, Crockett can't resist pounding 3 slugs into the bad guy at the climax (this time from point blank range). If I had more time on my hands I'd really like to know how many people Crockett has sent to the afterlife on this series. Dirty Harry eat your heart out, pal!

The acting in this episode is hilariously bad.

[infiniteonexvid · 2/10 · 10 January 2023]

Well, as usual, James Edward Olmos is horrible. But wow! John Matuszak is a dreadful actor. The other two biker characters are unbelievably bad as well. I was surprised because Sonny Landham was great in 48 hours as Billy Bear. Maybe the direction had a lot to this episode being stir-fried garbage. The doctor that gave Crockett the scoop on Tubbs' condition was not particularly good either. And she was on the screen for less than 30 seconds. I don't know if it's just me or not but this episode is not good at all. I can excuse the cheesy make-up and the 1980s feel but the acting just took me out of this episode completely. I need to wash my mind out with a better episode or show immediately. This is torture.