Here's another of this grind house sort flicks, British style and pretty bad at that. Another indie sort, that does have it's share of action, it's lead, a likable bad arse. Daniels plays a hit-man, who makes a fatal error, ending the life of an innocent party, the daughter of his objective, a swelled, puffed up libosuctioned faced Rourke, in a why bother film. Daniel's who gone off the radar of his agency, is implored by a young Russian prostitute (an annoying overacted Dominique Swain who needs a good whack in the head) to find her younger sister, caught up in the rackets (stereotypical sexy scenes of young groomed girls, in sexy lingerie, going off reluctantly with older clientele) Daniels visits an illegitimate model agency, run by that memorable cockney guy from Snatch, and finally ends up seeing a guy (Jeff Fahey) who's mistaken for the infamous executive, who has the missing girl. High kicks and fistfights go hand and hand in some great choreographed sequences, but is just bottom b grade. It's frightening to see good actors wasted in crap like this, where more here, it's crap with a trashy b grade style of it's own. Again likable bad arse Michael Madsen and Daryl Hannah, who looks terrible here libosuctioned lips share screen time as hit man accomplices, Madsen, providing one shocking amusing moment. The head of the agency, Daniels works for, is played with slimy sleek professionalism by Eric Roberts, (him and Fahey, the best actors in the movie). Daniel's does make a great action hero, but take Skin Traffik for what it is, trashy entertaining CRAP, nothing more.
45 Reviews
A total waste of talent
phanthinga20 September 2017
Skin Traffik is my very first movie starring Gary Daniels and it not a good start at all.With this movie i finally know what Gary capable of when he display his martial art skills but the whole movie is just a big hot mess.The movie editing is absolute horrible when something happen it cut very fast with many shot that so ugly to watch.I give credit for the director Ara Paiaya with his hard work behind the scene and hope his next movie Instant Death will be much better
SOME PEOPLE JUST DESERVE KILLING
nogodnomasters26 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Bradley (Gary Daniels) is a hitman with a conscience. He wakes up in San Francisco and does his morning routine: splashes his face with water, 2 sit-ups, 7 push-ups, 2 oz of green tea on the rocks. He gets his orders from a manila envelope in a church while he narrates, "some people just deserve killing" cue the picture of Jesus. He gets cash in various currency and a Russian passport so he can travel to London.
After a brief encounter with Mickey Rourke, he does some free lance work and goes vigilante over some Russian mafia types running prostitutes. Woman (Dominique Swain) with a terrible accent needs sister saved form bad guys. Bradley works for Eric Roberts by no surprise. He is up against bad guys Michael Madsen and Darryl Hannah who looks like a Botox vampire, a long fall from the spanking material she used to portray.
The fighting was fairly bad as there an almost void of the exaggerated hit noises that goes into action films. Instead it sounded like soft blows on leather jackets, mostly because they were wearing leather jackets and barely touching each other. The dialogue was bad, at times so bad as to be entertaining.
Guide: F-bomb. Sex and brief nudity
After a brief encounter with Mickey Rourke, he does some free lance work and goes vigilante over some Russian mafia types running prostitutes. Woman (Dominique Swain) with a terrible accent needs sister saved form bad guys. Bradley works for Eric Roberts by no surprise. He is up against bad guys Michael Madsen and Darryl Hannah who looks like a Botox vampire, a long fall from the spanking material she used to portray.
The fighting was fairly bad as there an almost void of the exaggerated hit noises that goes into action films. Instead it sounded like soft blows on leather jackets, mostly because they were wearing leather jackets and barely touching each other. The dialogue was bad, at times so bad as to be entertaining.
Guide: F-bomb. Sex and brief nudity
Students do better work with no money and an iphone
jamesmcgeorge24 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Awful, awful, awful, it seemed like a great cast but they're pretty much all doing cameos with the exception of Roberts.
The script is dreadful, the camera work is terrible, the special effects are dire, the acting is shocking, I suspect the lead actor is made of wood, don't waste any of your life on it.
The film comes across as if some one has more money than sense Ara Paiaya, director, head henchman, fight co-ordinator, writer, director, who did nearly everything should find another way to waste his or other peoples cash. Because it feels like he spent money on an ego trip to meet film stars and then set out to ruin their careers.
Truly a bad bad film, college students do better work with their mates and an iphone.
The script is dreadful, the camera work is terrible, the special effects are dire, the acting is shocking, I suspect the lead actor is made of wood, don't waste any of your life on it.
The film comes across as if some one has more money than sense Ara Paiaya, director, head henchman, fight co-ordinator, writer, director, who did nearly everything should find another way to waste his or other peoples cash. Because it feels like he spent money on an ego trip to meet film stars and then set out to ruin their careers.
Truly a bad bad film, college students do better work with their mates and an iphone.
Cast, Guns, Car Chases, Violence!
FilmJunkie198024 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Action movies like this will always have their, mostly male and indiscriminate audience satisfied with endless shoot-outs, explosions, beat-downs and big guns and knives. Exactly what I expect from a good action movie. Huge Star Cast, Guns, Car Chases, Violence, Gore, Cheesy Dialogue and a standard action movie storyline. Obviously anyone not happy with all of the above were expecting something more substantial but I couldn't have asked for anything more. Ara Paiaya creates an entertaining movie with wonderful use of the whole cast. The way each big name actor was used in the film was the best anyone could of done. Classic! Every time there was a fight scene with action hero Gary Daniels, I was overwhelmed by the incredible action and variety of kills on the screen. Bottom line, don't listen to the troll reviews. Watch this movie!
Almost painful to watch, steaming pile of turd. I put more thought into this review than they put into the movie.
bobkuhl23 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The stars have cameos as a favor to a stuntman/double. Ignore the 9s & 10s. I wonder why a director, having had visions of creating a polished, well acted, cinematographically beautiful movie, blindly refuses come to the realistic conclusion that what he actually produced was a steaming pile of manure. This movie is horrible on almost every level: - Awkward angles and shots - horrible editing in the fight scenes - atrocious, harsh sound - Was it filmed with an old, dirty super 8?
Its almost as if the writer/director thought good fight scenes (of which there are NONE due to the horrible camera-work and editing) figured he didn't need a plot, lighting, any semblance of acting, etc etc to make a good movie. Look at the vastly inflated bio of the writer/director/producer- (he's somebody with some martial arts training who forgot that you need to know how to make a movie to make a movie) explains his arrogance in thinking that this can actually be called a movie. I'm surprised that Hannah, Rourke, even Roberts w/his B-movie filmography, haven't had their names stripped off this junk heap. My nephew could have done better with his i-phone, friends and a laptop. I put more thought into writing this review than they put into this movie.
Its almost as if the writer/director thought good fight scenes (of which there are NONE due to the horrible camera-work and editing) figured he didn't need a plot, lighting, any semblance of acting, etc etc to make a good movie. Look at the vastly inflated bio of the writer/director/producer- (he's somebody with some martial arts training who forgot that you need to know how to make a movie to make a movie) explains his arrogance in thinking that this can actually be called a movie. I'm surprised that Hannah, Rourke, even Roberts w/his B-movie filmography, haven't had their names stripped off this junk heap. My nephew could have done better with his i-phone, friends and a laptop. I put more thought into writing this review than they put into this movie.
Unfortunately cant give a Zero rating
arun-infy6 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the worst on offer from a A list cast. Absolutely pathetic to say the least. Almost from the first scene onwards you can notice the bad direction and awful editing. The action sequences are loose and many don't fit into the scheme of things. Eric Roberts is one actor who seems to act sanely in the movie, but him too is way off the mark. The actresses are total mis-fit and have no clue about emotions or acting. There is absolutely no 30 second period in the movie that engages you. Stay away from this, unless you want to totally waste your time and mind on this. Still fail to realize why people even make such kind of movies.
Total waste of time and money! 1/10
leonblackwood8 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Review: What an awful movie! I thought that I would give this film a chance because it had quite a decent B-list cast but the storyline was really bad, along with the acting and the terrible action scenes which were blatantly choreographed. Anyway, it's about a hit-man for hire who decides to hang up his guns after a job goes wrong. Whilst laying low in London, he witnesses a girl brutally getting beaten up by her pimp outside his apartment so he decides to take matters into his own hands, not realising that he was disrupting a underworld that involved big time gangsters. He also decides to save one of the prostitutes who is desperately trying to find her sister so he decides to help her which puts both of there life's in danger. He then starts to come across some of his old employee's who try there utmost to take out Bradley but his fighting skills are second to none. I really made it sound better than it really is! The acting is really, really bad from Gary Daniels who tried so hard to play a tough man but failing miserably. The predictable storyline was weak and poorly written and the action scenes were slow and badly put together. I really expected more from the B-actors, who should have some experience in the business to know that this movie was going to be crap. Maybe they just needed the work! Anyway, the director sadly left it open for sequel, which I definitely won't be in a rush to see, so I'm glad that I've been warned. AWFUL!
Round-Up: Once I saw that Mickey Rourke, Daryl Hannah, Eric Roberts, Jeff Fahey and Michael Madsen were starring in the same film, I thought that it might have been half decent but there careers must have hit rock bottom for them to have taken on such a terrible project. Rourke has really messed up his face with too much surgery, to the point were he looks like he dribbles when he is talking. Daryl Hannah has also gone a bit too far with the bottocks but Michael Madsen and Eric Roberts don't look to bad for there age. With that aside, it was good to see some of the B actors back on the big screen and the chemistry between Madsen and Hannah was much like when they were in Kill Bill together but it wasn't enough to save the movie. At 52 years old and with over 70 movies under his belt, it's a shock to see that Gary Daniels can't act. Its obvious that Daniels usually plays the muscle in all of his films so with so many actors to choose from, I don't know why the director, Ara Paiaya, chose to stick him in the lead. Anyway, the director is known for his action movies but I personally haven't heard of him before. He done well by getting all of these B actors together but he really didn't make good use of them and he wasted a lot of time and money putting this movie together.
I recommend this movie to people who are into their action/crime movie about an ex- hit-man trying to take-down done gangster who launder women for currency. 1/10
Round-Up: Once I saw that Mickey Rourke, Daryl Hannah, Eric Roberts, Jeff Fahey and Michael Madsen were starring in the same film, I thought that it might have been half decent but there careers must have hit rock bottom for them to have taken on such a terrible project. Rourke has really messed up his face with too much surgery, to the point were he looks like he dribbles when he is talking. Daryl Hannah has also gone a bit too far with the bottocks but Michael Madsen and Eric Roberts don't look to bad for there age. With that aside, it was good to see some of the B actors back on the big screen and the chemistry between Madsen and Hannah was much like when they were in Kill Bill together but it wasn't enough to save the movie. At 52 years old and with over 70 movies under his belt, it's a shock to see that Gary Daniels can't act. Its obvious that Daniels usually plays the muscle in all of his films so with so many actors to choose from, I don't know why the director, Ara Paiaya, chose to stick him in the lead. Anyway, the director is known for his action movies but I personally haven't heard of him before. He done well by getting all of these B actors together but he really didn't make good use of them and he wasted a lot of time and money putting this movie together.
I recommend this movie to people who are into their action/crime movie about an ex- hit-man trying to take-down done gangster who launder women for currency. 1/10
Bad, bad, worse.
hodges-1519925 October 2015
The promo looked good. In the first 10 minutes i knew i wasted my money. Acting bad, filming bad, plot worse. Its just compounded all together. I don't like to say it, but an Adam Sandler movie is better. Please trust me and move on in your search for a good action movie to watch. As with previous reviews, the director wears too many hats. The lead could be reading his lines from someone yelling to him off side. Action actually not that bad, its the shot angles and editing that i found disjointed. All, the other stars probably saw this as a quick buck. It is painful to see these quality actor go through the motions. It all looks rushed as if to get in to DVD release asap.I feel bad for me and any other who see the preview, as that was all you need to see to not enjoy what little there is.
Sure, some of the action scenes are a bit rough around the edges, but the viewer can tell they were done with a lot of heart.
tarbosh2200014 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Bradley (Daniels) was a hitman, but he gave it all up. But a chance meeting on the streets of London with a prostitute named Anna Peel (Swain) slowly embroils him in the danger of the underworld once again.
Not only does he have to face the goons sent forth by the guy that used to run him, known only as The Executive (Roberts), but also a pair of evil SKIN TRAFFIKers named The Boss (Madsen) and Zhanna (Hannah) are wise to Bradley ruining all their operations. Teaming up with a mysterious diamond merchant named Jacob Andries (Fahey), the two men aim to find Anna's missing sister...and take down the baddies's operations forever. But what will Vogel (Rourke) have to say about all this? Find out when a HITMAN IN LONDON comes to your screen...
Thank goodness for Ara Paiaya. He's one of the few people out there delivering old school-style action movies for the fans. We saw the follow-up to Skin Traffik, Instant Death (2017), first, and really enjoyed it. But we liked Skin Traffik even more. It's very hard to lose when you put Gary Daniels in the main hero role and he goes around busting heads. Surround him with a top-notch cast of B-Movie regulars and you have a real winner on your hands.
The plot is sort of Urban Justice (2007) meets Taken (2008) meets the aforementioned Instant Death. Again, a very winning formula. The whole thing kicks off, quite literally, with Gary Daniels looking for the time-honored "Disk" just like in all the action movies of the old days.
The only difference now is he's asking Mickey Rourke, who is almost unrecognizable here. If it wasn't for his voice, we wouldn't have recognized him at all. Whatever happened to growing old gracefully? He looks like a cross between what happened to Kenny Rogers, Jocelyn Wildenstein, and an old Hollywood agent. Gary Daniels still looks good and seems vital because he doesn't go in for any of that superficial muck.
Fan favorite Madsen brings his classic charisma and his gravelly voice to the proceedings. It would have been nice to see him and Daryl Hannah in other settings besides just that one room, but we're still happy they're there. Same goes for Eric Roberts, who also puts in an enjoyable performance, but for most of it, it's a classic sit-down role. To be fair, he does get up later, however. The whole rest of the cast is fantastic and we're very happy they all agreed to be in this low-budget DTV action movie.
Sure, some of the action scenes are a bit rough around the edges, but the viewer can tell they were done with a lot of heart. The sped-up action and the CGI were not even needed. For a true old-school feel, they should have been eschewed, especially with Gary Daniels at the helm. But, on the whole, those are minor quibbles and we really enjoyed Skin Traffik immensely.
You can tell that Paiaya and his compatriots really cared about what they were doing, and that shines through to us, the viewer. If he chooses to continue down this road of action filmmaking, which he clearly has a lot of affection for, the sky's the limit for what he can do in the future. We wholeheartedly recommend Skin Traffik.
Not only does he have to face the goons sent forth by the guy that used to run him, known only as The Executive (Roberts), but also a pair of evil SKIN TRAFFIKers named The Boss (Madsen) and Zhanna (Hannah) are wise to Bradley ruining all their operations. Teaming up with a mysterious diamond merchant named Jacob Andries (Fahey), the two men aim to find Anna's missing sister...and take down the baddies's operations forever. But what will Vogel (Rourke) have to say about all this? Find out when a HITMAN IN LONDON comes to your screen...
Thank goodness for Ara Paiaya. He's one of the few people out there delivering old school-style action movies for the fans. We saw the follow-up to Skin Traffik, Instant Death (2017), first, and really enjoyed it. But we liked Skin Traffik even more. It's very hard to lose when you put Gary Daniels in the main hero role and he goes around busting heads. Surround him with a top-notch cast of B-Movie regulars and you have a real winner on your hands.
The plot is sort of Urban Justice (2007) meets Taken (2008) meets the aforementioned Instant Death. Again, a very winning formula. The whole thing kicks off, quite literally, with Gary Daniels looking for the time-honored "Disk" just like in all the action movies of the old days.
The only difference now is he's asking Mickey Rourke, who is almost unrecognizable here. If it wasn't for his voice, we wouldn't have recognized him at all. Whatever happened to growing old gracefully? He looks like a cross between what happened to Kenny Rogers, Jocelyn Wildenstein, and an old Hollywood agent. Gary Daniels still looks good and seems vital because he doesn't go in for any of that superficial muck.
Fan favorite Madsen brings his classic charisma and his gravelly voice to the proceedings. It would have been nice to see him and Daryl Hannah in other settings besides just that one room, but we're still happy they're there. Same goes for Eric Roberts, who also puts in an enjoyable performance, but for most of it, it's a classic sit-down role. To be fair, he does get up later, however. The whole rest of the cast is fantastic and we're very happy they all agreed to be in this low-budget DTV action movie.
Sure, some of the action scenes are a bit rough around the edges, but the viewer can tell they were done with a lot of heart. The sped-up action and the CGI were not even needed. For a true old-school feel, they should have been eschewed, especially with Gary Daniels at the helm. But, on the whole, those are minor quibbles and we really enjoyed Skin Traffik immensely.
You can tell that Paiaya and his compatriots really cared about what they were doing, and that shines through to us, the viewer. If he chooses to continue down this road of action filmmaking, which he clearly has a lot of affection for, the sky's the limit for what he can do in the future. We wholeheartedly recommend Skin Traffik.
What was that?!
Maleplatypus5 February 2020
Great part of the cast at their lowest moments. It's sad to see once great actors to fall so low and behave like a piece of wood in a Z-class movie. Only the camera man shows some effort to do his job, alas!, in vain. 38 minutes watching and I can't bear it any more. It's simply awful, cheap, amateurish piece of c**p. And if any of the participants in this abomination is banned from the industry for good after this, justice will be done, although nobody will notice. I also guess high ratings here were heavily influenced by a shotgun pointed to the head. No one has such a low taste.
Like a throw back to the 80's
s-733261 May 2016
Most definitely a guy's movie. It has a very nice retro feel to it. Like a throw back to the 80's. Classic cast of Hollywood veterans seen for the first time all together. Blood, guts and a lot of action from the start to the end. The best part is Gary Daniels he has never looked better and finally the fight scenes are done right with a Hong Kong flavor and in a Hollywood movie. He gives the proper intensity and he's back to his best performance ever!. Damn he looks good for 50 years + old! Essentially it's an all star cast movie about a hit man who kills hundreds of bad men to avenge a dead hooker and save her little sister from human trafficking. Prepare to watch the hero engage in hand-to-hand combat, then shoot, one person after another, non-stop, for the entire 97 minute run time of this movie. Every scene has a famous face in it and it's one for the action movie collection especially for fans of all these Hollywood legends.
"Before I do a job, I always ask why"
The_Phantom_Projectionist16 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Ara Paiaya is a veteran of low-budget filmmaking who's even achieved some underground acclaim with his DUBBED AND DANGEROUS series. He breaks into the slightly more mainstream arena of action cinema with SKIN TRAFFIK – a vehicle for Gary Daniels that addresses the very real problem of sex trafficking. Bringing a slew of cult costars and his own set of strengths and weaknesses to the production, Paiaya succeeds in making an entertaining but thoroughly flawed adventure that's nevertheless worth the price for most of Daniels' fans.
The story: A guilt-ridden hit man (Daniels) seeks to regain his humanity by rescuing a young girl from the clutches of sex slavers.
The film's biggest selling point is its cast, which constitutes a fine collection of veterans: Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, Alan Ford, and Jeff Fahey comprise a pretty sweet lineup for any film, direct-to-video or not. However, the way these actors are utilized and how well they perform is another matter: few of them appear in more than a few isolated scenes, and even fewer of them get in on any of the action. Roberts and Fahey are the most rounded and integrated characters, while Rourke ad-libs awkwardly and Hannah does her best to speak her lines in an undertone. Luckily, Gary Daniels is growing as an actor, and he carries the picture well enough. Overall, the dramatic content is passable, though it's clear that most of these stars have been cast solely for their names on the poster.
Director Paiayah may have overspent on this marketing move, for while the film usually looks professional enough, there are surprising dips in technical quality that briefly make it look like Ara's no-budget outings of yesteryear. However, the movie remembers itself promptly enough, and it certainly sobers up for its fight scenes. These too are imperfect, but do more things right than not. Ara edits the brawls a lot looser than I expected and often does not utilize sound effects to signify strikes, but the fights possess a level of energy that I haven't seen in a Daniels vehicle in well over a decade. While Gary's one-on-one dream matchups (against Ron Smoorenburg and Paiaya himself, respectively) disappoint, the mass brawls are an athletic delight. This marks the first time in Gary's later career that the action of one of his films was designed by a younger stunt team with a more modern take on fight choreography, and I'm happy to say that Gary holds his own throughout.
With the movie's human trafficking theme, Gary joins a slew of fellow action heroes starring in pictures of the same topic. While I'm pleased that awareness of this crime is being treated as more than window dressing, I am critical about the proliferation of male heroes in this setting. Sex slavery is something that predominantly affects girls and women, but in this film, their trials exist only to fuel the righteous indignation of Daniels' character. (SPOILER) It doesn't do much for the tone of the picture when the only featured victim (Dominique Swain) is killed off for shock value after being established as a main character. In this regard, consider this review a distress call to Cynthia Rothrock: we need you to put a female face on this particular subgenre.
Nevertheless, when viewed as nothing more than a cheap action flick, SKIN TRAFFIK delivers where it counts and most of its faults are overlookable as experimental touches. This one may divide general action fans and devotees of the more famous performers, but if watch this movie primarily for Gary Daniels' sake, you could definitely do worse. I hope that Gary continues to seek out ambitious projects like this, and that Ara Paiaya continues to hone his craft – he might yet become a good guy of the karate scene.
The story: A guilt-ridden hit man (Daniels) seeks to regain his humanity by rescuing a young girl from the clutches of sex slavers.
The film's biggest selling point is its cast, which constitutes a fine collection of veterans: Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Michael Madsen, Alan Ford, and Jeff Fahey comprise a pretty sweet lineup for any film, direct-to-video or not. However, the way these actors are utilized and how well they perform is another matter: few of them appear in more than a few isolated scenes, and even fewer of them get in on any of the action. Roberts and Fahey are the most rounded and integrated characters, while Rourke ad-libs awkwardly and Hannah does her best to speak her lines in an undertone. Luckily, Gary Daniels is growing as an actor, and he carries the picture well enough. Overall, the dramatic content is passable, though it's clear that most of these stars have been cast solely for their names on the poster.
Director Paiayah may have overspent on this marketing move, for while the film usually looks professional enough, there are surprising dips in technical quality that briefly make it look like Ara's no-budget outings of yesteryear. However, the movie remembers itself promptly enough, and it certainly sobers up for its fight scenes. These too are imperfect, but do more things right than not. Ara edits the brawls a lot looser than I expected and often does not utilize sound effects to signify strikes, but the fights possess a level of energy that I haven't seen in a Daniels vehicle in well over a decade. While Gary's one-on-one dream matchups (against Ron Smoorenburg and Paiaya himself, respectively) disappoint, the mass brawls are an athletic delight. This marks the first time in Gary's later career that the action of one of his films was designed by a younger stunt team with a more modern take on fight choreography, and I'm happy to say that Gary holds his own throughout.
With the movie's human trafficking theme, Gary joins a slew of fellow action heroes starring in pictures of the same topic. While I'm pleased that awareness of this crime is being treated as more than window dressing, I am critical about the proliferation of male heroes in this setting. Sex slavery is something that predominantly affects girls and women, but in this film, their trials exist only to fuel the righteous indignation of Daniels' character. (SPOILER) It doesn't do much for the tone of the picture when the only featured victim (Dominique Swain) is killed off for shock value after being established as a main character. In this regard, consider this review a distress call to Cynthia Rothrock: we need you to put a female face on this particular subgenre.
Nevertheless, when viewed as nothing more than a cheap action flick, SKIN TRAFFIK delivers where it counts and most of its faults are overlookable as experimental touches. This one may divide general action fans and devotees of the more famous performers, but if watch this movie primarily for Gary Daniels' sake, you could definitely do worse. I hope that Gary continues to seek out ambitious projects like this, and that Ara Paiaya continues to hone his craft – he might yet become a good guy of the karate scene.
The 90's called. Their want their direct to video movie back.
Cinemaniac19845 November 2016
This could have easily been a direct to video movie from the 1990's. Regardless of the era, this movie somehow found its way from the bottom of the barrel and made its way onto DVD. Even so, I thought I'd give it a go. Worst 10 minutes of my life.
The cast which is made up of actors that are well past their prime including Gary Daniels (Fist of the North Star), Mickey Rourke (Angel Heart), Eric Roberts (Runaway Train), Daryl Hannah (Wall Street), Dominique Swain (Face/Off), Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs), Jeff Fahey (The Lawnmower Man), and Alan Ford (Snatch). Although Mickey Rourke had his career resurrected with The Wrestler (2008), he must have been desperate for the money to appear in this crap. Eric Roberts and Michael Madsen certainly don't do their careers any favours here. Dominque Swain, who was on the pathway to being the "It" girl in the late 90's, looks like she will never get her career back.
The 90's called. Their want their direct to video movie back.
Don't waste your time and money with this garbage. You can find better entertainment elsewhere.
1/10.
The cast which is made up of actors that are well past their prime including Gary Daniels (Fist of the North Star), Mickey Rourke (Angel Heart), Eric Roberts (Runaway Train), Daryl Hannah (Wall Street), Dominique Swain (Face/Off), Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs), Jeff Fahey (The Lawnmower Man), and Alan Ford (Snatch). Although Mickey Rourke had his career resurrected with The Wrestler (2008), he must have been desperate for the money to appear in this crap. Eric Roberts and Michael Madsen certainly don't do their careers any favours here. Dominque Swain, who was on the pathway to being the "It" girl in the late 90's, looks like she will never get her career back.
The 90's called. Their want their direct to video movie back.
Don't waste your time and money with this garbage. You can find better entertainment elsewhere.
1/10.
Amazing cast and plenty of action
j-1177020 September 2015
Skin Traffik excels, unapologetically, at what it seeks to be: a fun, violent action romp, built upon a amazing cast and plenty of action where Bradley (Gary Daniels) kills mobsters, assassins and all the middlemen in between. As for the actual narrative: it's blessedly simplistic and unsophisticated, with no illusions of grandeur: Bradley's hit goes sideways with Vogal (Mickey Rourke) and his old employer (Eric Roberts) wants him dead. He drops out the game and is hiding out in London where he comes across a hooker (Dominique Swain) who needs help. He makes a promise to help her find her little sister and from that point everyone who gets in Bradley's (Gary Daniels) way as he makes his journey of vengeance ends up in a body bag. Simple. The invincible tough-guy archetype and action mixed with the amazing cast of EVERYONE!!!!! which include MICKEY ROURKE, ERIC ROBERTS, DARYL HANNAH, MICHAEL MADSEN, JEFF FAHEY, DOMINIQUE SWAIN, ALAN FORD ! This is an independent film written, produced, directed, filmed, edited, action, fight choreography and co-starring all by one man ARA PAIAYA. The action and cast are the most enjoyable aspects of the film. Paiaya creates both the visual and physical dimensions of the film it's no surprise that the director is able to put together some of the slickest action sequences seen in an independent film with such a high profile cast being a martial arts expert according to IMDb Trivia and looks to have starred in a bunch of low budget DTV chop socky flicks. Certainly a step up from the usual Hollywood shaky cam action fare. The action is very well executed, slick and polished in design. When the violence and action isn't taking place, some good production and set design plus some nice cinematography help keep the eye reasonably satisfied whenever things slow down. It's action, it's British and it has an all star cast not the greatest story in the world but it's a little action gem.
Remarkably Bad
packmanproductions31 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A hitman (Gary Daniels) accidently kills the daughter of one of his targets and feels remorseful. Five months later we find him in London where he is still on a guilt trip. He sees some thugs beating up some trafficked women and decides to end his vacation and do what he does best...kill people. The production values on this epic were noticeably bad. The audio levels fade in and out. The colorist for this film must have been out that week as face colors changed from tan on close-ups to washed out on wide shots. Eric Roberts smirks his way through as the main bad guy known as the Executive. He spends most of this movie sitting at his desk on the phone. Michael Madsen does his scenes in one location...a bar. He couldn't have done much less and still collect a paycheck. He finally gets to kill someone for no apparent reason. Daryl Hannah, looking so hideous as to being almost unrecognizable, spends her time in a bar before she mercifully makes a quick and permanent exit. Dominique Swain plays a hooker with the most bizarre accent I've ever heard. German? Russian? I'm not sure but it was even worse than her acting. Plenty of martial arts action and gunplay with a huge body count are at the forefront of this classic if that's your thing. The acting was horrible and the script was even worse. Just another head scratcher as to why this was ever made.
A promising cast, but totally disappointing
joerg-4126 September 2021
Bloody, but without fun. Awful scripting and editing. Did not catch me at all. Watch it to the end, but a friend and I were annoyed at the end, raised no emotions except anger. No new ideas, a dull and boring plot. The biggest faults filmmakers can do. In spite of a great cast it is not worth to watch this movie except if you love violence without thrill. Sad.
so bad it's embarrassing
firma_ment12 August 2023
Amateur hour. Looks like it was shot on an iPhone. Truly one of the worst films I've ever seen. The writing is horrendous. Dialogue is so bad it's embarrassing. A ten year old kid could write better dialogue. You can sense some of the actors, like Michael Madsen, wanting to squirm with embarrassment because it's so horrible.
This makes the average direct to video clunker from the 90s look like Citizen Kane. This has got to be a career low for Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, and Michael Madsen. They couldn't sink any lower than this. I guess the director/producer came up with enough money to make it worth their while. I don't know how that's possible, however. This director makes Ed Wood look like Fellini, Kurosawa, and Ingmar Bergman all rolled into one.
This film truly deserves 0 stars.
This makes the average direct to video clunker from the 90s look like Citizen Kane. This has got to be a career low for Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, and Michael Madsen. They couldn't sink any lower than this. I guess the director/producer came up with enough money to make it worth their while. I don't know how that's possible, however. This director makes Ed Wood look like Fellini, Kurosawa, and Ingmar Bergman all rolled into one.
This film truly deserves 0 stars.
What did I just watch?
rdamian19635 December 2023
Ok - it isn't the worst movie I have ever watched but it is definitely lacking. It has a reasonable cast but the acting varies so much that parts of the scenes are almost unbearable to watch. The action scenes also vary greatly scene to scene. Some are well choreographed while others are sloppy and camera angles make it difficult to see the action. One of the biggest problems with the movie is the poorly written script. Some of the dialogue just doesn't make any sense. At times the dialogue doesn't even fit the story line and other times it doesn't fit the character. Despite its many short comings, the movie does seem to have some thought behind it - keeping it from being a total loss.
Instantly Forgetful
talllwoood1319 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This movie started off pretty good I'll admit. The fight scenes were solid and although none of the actors were memorable aside from Mickey Rourke. However the longer this movie went on the more boring and forgetful it became. Our hero is trying to save a prostitutes sister. With some coincidence he's gone rogue from his agency and they want him dead at the same time. You've seen the plot a hundred other times in better movies.
By the 1 hour mark I was bored to tears, there were so many green screen scenes, the explosions and everything looks like something a kid in film school would put together.
What kills me though is by the end of the movie it didn't seem he found the prostitutes sister. He did become free from his former agency. That or I must have fallen asleep watching this at some point. Perhaps with a better director and or a more thought provoking script this could have worked. I'm just glad this was free to watch on youtube as of writing this or I would have walked out of this.
By the 1 hour mark I was bored to tears, there were so many green screen scenes, the explosions and everything looks like something a kid in film school would put together.
What kills me though is by the end of the movie it didn't seem he found the prostitutes sister. He did become free from his former agency. That or I must have fallen asleep watching this at some point. Perhaps with a better director and or a more thought provoking script this could have worked. I'm just glad this was free to watch on youtube as of writing this or I would have walked out of this.
"A" list cast in a "B" action blast!
DrMetal10 May 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I never even remotely heard of this movie prior to watching it. I was surprised by the star studded cast and decided to give it a go. If you are expecting some cross between Citizen Kane and Die Hard, then you will be sadly disappointed. However, if all you need is a "B" Grade Jason Statham pretender with all the qualities of a 80's straight-to-video production, then this movie is for you. The plot is totally cliché, but it's one that never gets old and is essential to action movies in general. The acting is sub par for the cast therein, but not so bad that they don't care at all. Does this film contain plot holes? It sure does! Does the movie contain any time line mistakes? You bet! Do you even care about these things? Most of us out there watching movies in the real world do care about these things - but not always. This movie is for that time when you don't really care about every little detail or even every other major detail for that matter. Skin Traffik will entertain you just enough to relax and finish the popcorn you started eating through the first 2 or 3 movies you rented on some rainy day.
Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts & Darryl Hannah - not the "Pope" reunion I was hoping for
lawsonlynn30 August 2022
When I realized a movie had come out in 2015 which counted as members of its cast- Rourke, Roberts & Hannah, I decided to go for it. I took a chance on a movie I had never heard of. This movie is about as different from "The Pope of Greenwich Village," as any film could be. The star of this movie is an actor I was not familiar with who plays the role of a hit man - so deluded that he believes his mission has been to do "good" in the world - at least until he began asking hard questions. You should take the title, "Skin Traffik," to mean exactly what you think it means. The main characters differ in how they relate to said, "traffik," and the varying degrees of moral relativism each of them possesses. A missed opportunity with this cast.
A low budget action movie with a lot of heart and a very clear intention.
jhpstrydom21 October 2016
Not many people will agree with me but SKIN TRAFFIK (a.k.a A Hit-man IN London) is from one perspective a film with a lot of heart. Given that Ara Paiaya is not only the producer and director but also the editor, Cinematographer and Fight Choreographer. Also what it sets out to be is a film that delivers action at a break neck pace and it delivers in spades.
The cast consist a bunch of familiar faces. Such as leading man Gary Daniels who despite being fifty isn't showing signs of slowing down. as well as Mickey Rourke, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Eric Roberts, Alan Ford, Dominique Swain and Jeff Fahey. All of which giving fine performances and adding their own special flavor.
In terms of plot progression the film picks up quickly and maintains its quick pace throughout. The action comes in large doses and remains thoroughly entertaining. The story line isn't the greatest but with this type of film that's pretty much a genre trademark.
The cast consist a bunch of familiar faces. Such as leading man Gary Daniels who despite being fifty isn't showing signs of slowing down. as well as Mickey Rourke, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Eric Roberts, Alan Ford, Dominique Swain and Jeff Fahey. All of which giving fine performances and adding their own special flavor.
In terms of plot progression the film picks up quickly and maintains its quick pace throughout. The action comes in large doses and remains thoroughly entertaining. The story line isn't the greatest but with this type of film that's pretty much a genre trademark.
Exactly what you wanted!
raylafave3 April 2021
First...to all the low ratings from supposed "cinephiles"...stop taking yourself so seriously.
This movie is a solid piece of B movie gold. That's all. NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS!. Enjoy the action and the fan service cameos.
Only critique I have is some of the edits. Sometimes to quick.
Other than that, enjoy the ride...have a drink and a good time!
This movie is a solid piece of B movie gold. That's all. NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS!. Enjoy the action and the fan service cameos.
Only critique I have is some of the edits. Sometimes to quick.
Other than that, enjoy the ride...have a drink and a good time!
Explosive!
TravisBickles26 July 2015
One of the best direct-to-video pieces starring Gary Daniels in recent years (another strong notable being the surprisingly excellent Tekken adaptation), Skin Traffik is an entertaining, fast paced thriller that delivers hard action. Daniels plays Bradley, a stoic yet rage-filled hit-man who is the best at what he does.
After an ordered job goes awry, the emotional trauma that results sidelines the former killer for hire into a quiet, subdued life in low-rent surroundings. One day, an aggressive pimp gets the idea that it might be a good idea to beat around his girls in front of Bradley, and chaos ensues. The power structure of the entire human trafficking ring is slowly targeted and lethally dismantled with cool, cruel efficiency.
Gary Daniels once again puts forward a physically believable character performance, fitting perfectly into the role of the remorse-filled reaper of death. His martial arts form looks as strong as ever, delivering his trademark roundhouse kicks with blurring speed, and a side dish of close-combat choreography to boot. Directed by Ara Paiaya, the camera work is quite adequate, and the story flows along at an extremely brisk ~96 minutes.
This necessitates a lot of quick camera work and a lack of exposition at times that leaves the viewer guessing as to how certain events may have played out in the interim, which is effective as a technique at times and somewhat distracting at others. Nonetheless, the decision to keep the film moving at a breakneck pace was a smart one, as the worst thing an action movie can be is boring. Viewers will certainly not be bored by the amount of fights and shoot-outs in the film.
It seemed that Bradley was a one-man killing machine throughout the entire running time which is gratifying for fans of the classic 80s-era action motif. Though some of the foley effects are a bit weak, at other times they are very effective, lending credibility and realism to an over-the-top premise. The acting is also fairly strong, particularly Daniels, Jeff Fahey, Michael Madsen, and Eric Roberts. Eric Roberts nearly steals the show as the soul-sucking Executive, countering Daniels perfectly as opposition. Also worthy of note would be the performance of Dominique Swain as Anna Peel, the first friendly face in Bradley's world in a long time.
A last yet excellent surprise was the narrative surrounding the character of Vogel, played by Mickey Rourke, again showing his chops in a light-hearted but ultimately dead-serious role that seems to flit in and out of our memory as Skin Traffik steams along. Fans of Gary Daniels and the other cast should not be disappointed by this rather modestly budgeted revenge film. The formula may be predictable but there is not much wasted screen time and Skin Traffik achieves exactly what it seeks to do — deliver hard-hitting action at a breakneck pace.
After an ordered job goes awry, the emotional trauma that results sidelines the former killer for hire into a quiet, subdued life in low-rent surroundings. One day, an aggressive pimp gets the idea that it might be a good idea to beat around his girls in front of Bradley, and chaos ensues. The power structure of the entire human trafficking ring is slowly targeted and lethally dismantled with cool, cruel efficiency.
Gary Daniels once again puts forward a physically believable character performance, fitting perfectly into the role of the remorse-filled reaper of death. His martial arts form looks as strong as ever, delivering his trademark roundhouse kicks with blurring speed, and a side dish of close-combat choreography to boot. Directed by Ara Paiaya, the camera work is quite adequate, and the story flows along at an extremely brisk ~96 minutes.
This necessitates a lot of quick camera work and a lack of exposition at times that leaves the viewer guessing as to how certain events may have played out in the interim, which is effective as a technique at times and somewhat distracting at others. Nonetheless, the decision to keep the film moving at a breakneck pace was a smart one, as the worst thing an action movie can be is boring. Viewers will certainly not be bored by the amount of fights and shoot-outs in the film.
It seemed that Bradley was a one-man killing machine throughout the entire running time which is gratifying for fans of the classic 80s-era action motif. Though some of the foley effects are a bit weak, at other times they are very effective, lending credibility and realism to an over-the-top premise. The acting is also fairly strong, particularly Daniels, Jeff Fahey, Michael Madsen, and Eric Roberts. Eric Roberts nearly steals the show as the soul-sucking Executive, countering Daniels perfectly as opposition. Also worthy of note would be the performance of Dominique Swain as Anna Peel, the first friendly face in Bradley's world in a long time.
A last yet excellent surprise was the narrative surrounding the character of Vogel, played by Mickey Rourke, again showing his chops in a light-hearted but ultimately dead-serious role that seems to flit in and out of our memory as Skin Traffik steams along. Fans of Gary Daniels and the other cast should not be disappointed by this rather modestly budgeted revenge film. The formula may be predictable but there is not much wasted screen time and Skin Traffik achieves exactly what it seeks to do — deliver hard-hitting action at a breakneck pace.
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