THREE KINDS OF HEAT is an independent action comedy thriller released by Cannon and directed by Leslie Stevens, the man who came up with THE OUTER LIMITS; it's a pity he didn't end his career on something more distinguished. This one's an international chase movie as a slumming-it Robert Ginty and his airhead companion Victoria Barrett pursue a criminal mastermind, played somewhat incredibly by TV's Doctor Who himself, Sylvester McCoy! The acting is excruciating all round, with no decent performances whatever; Shakti Chen is undoubtedly the worst offender here. The movie offers a variety of real-world locations for the action, including Harlem and London, as well as a random cameo for Samantha Fox, but the direction is insipid and the whole thing is instantly forgettable. Watch out for FRENZY's Barry Foster as a cop.
7 Reviews
Misfire
haildevilman3 May 2007
This is one of those action films you see on basic cable on Saturday afternoons. The announcer hypes it, but unless it's raining, no one notices.
Three different cops chase Asian criminals from America to London. That, my friends, is it for plot.
Shakti was the only one worth watching here. A tough Asian cop who isn't just eye candy or talking in fortune cookie phrases. She was one mean force. The other lass just didn't stay in the memory.
Robert Ginty has a lot of films like this on his resume. But this is one he can leave off from now on. He did as good a job as he could have. But the plot was just not cutting it.
And kudos to the late Barry Foster as the Brit chief.
Sucked? No. But it is miss-able.
Three different cops chase Asian criminals from America to London. That, my friends, is it for plot.
Shakti was the only one worth watching here. A tough Asian cop who isn't just eye candy or talking in fortune cookie phrases. She was one mean force. The other lass just didn't stay in the memory.
Robert Ginty has a lot of films like this on his resume. But this is one he can leave off from now on. He did as good a job as he could have. But the plot was just not cutting it.
And kudos to the late Barry Foster as the Brit chief.
Sucked? No. But it is miss-able.
An action film without the action!
gridoon10 August 2005
The only reason I was interested in watching "Three Kinds Of Heat" is that the cover promised two women in action roles. If your interests are similar, forget about it. The women shoot once or twice, and fight only once: this scene lasts only about a minute and is none-too-convincing (if not lame). Victoria Barrett can't act or fight very well, but at least she can pose; Shakti is a little better at fighting (she gets an extra 3 seconds of it near the start) and a little worse at acting. A likably laid-back Robert Ginty actually gives the best performance in the film! There is barely any action to be found (midway through, the heroes go from N.Y to London; after about 30 minutes of doing pretty much nothing there, they go back to N.Y), and the "big" set-piece at the end involves a lot of fireworks going off! Thrilling, eh? (*1/2)
Brainless corny action film!
drhannibal66614 November 2000
A trio of agents are summoned by Interpol to trail the villain Harry Pimm (Sylvester McCoy) in this low-budget spy feature. Elliot Cromwell (Robert Ginty), Sergeant Terry O'Shea (Victoria Barrett), and Major Shan (Shakti) combine forces to track down the international crime boss...BORING!
My Rating:1/10
My Rating:1/10
Ginty!
BandSAboutMovies25 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Leslie Stevens created The Outer Limits, directed Esperanto language Incubus and wrote est: The Steersman Handbook, a book of New Age philosophy. He also said, "There is nothing wrong with being a hack writer. I would point with pride to the inspired hacking of Shakespeare, Michelangelo-you can go through a big list."
This one stars Robert Ginty as U. S. Secret Agent Elliott Cromwell, who has been tasked with finding the mysterious terrorist known as Founder. He's joined by NYC airport cop Terry O'Shea (Victoria Barrett, who is in Cannon's Hot Resort, Hot Chili and America 3000) and Hong Kong cop Major Chan (Shakti, who married Stevens the year after this was made).
You also get a cast with Sylvester McCoy, the seventh Dr. Who, as well as Mary Tamm (who was Romana, a companion to the Tom Baker Dr. Who), Trevor Martin (who played Dr. Who on stage and man, this whole thing is seeming like a movie made inside the Tardis), Barry Foster (Hitchcock's Frenzy), Edwin Craig (who says "What's with that stupid grin?" before the Jack Nicholson Joker kills him in Tim Burton's Batman) and probably the best reason to watch this movie, Samantha Fox, who if you were a teenager alive in 1987 you completely knew. Perhaps onanismically, which is not a word.
This movie is violently not good, despite hopes that Ginty would bring it upward in quality. Instead, you have three different uniformed cops running about and a movie that just crawls to its conclusion, which at least has some stuff blow up real good.
This one stars Robert Ginty as U. S. Secret Agent Elliott Cromwell, who has been tasked with finding the mysterious terrorist known as Founder. He's joined by NYC airport cop Terry O'Shea (Victoria Barrett, who is in Cannon's Hot Resort, Hot Chili and America 3000) and Hong Kong cop Major Chan (Shakti, who married Stevens the year after this was made).
You also get a cast with Sylvester McCoy, the seventh Dr. Who, as well as Mary Tamm (who was Romana, a companion to the Tom Baker Dr. Who), Trevor Martin (who played Dr. Who on stage and man, this whole thing is seeming like a movie made inside the Tardis), Barry Foster (Hitchcock's Frenzy), Edwin Craig (who says "What's with that stupid grin?" before the Jack Nicholson Joker kills him in Tim Burton's Batman) and probably the best reason to watch this movie, Samantha Fox, who if you were a teenager alive in 1987 you completely knew. Perhaps onanismically, which is not a word.
This movie is violently not good, despite hopes that Ginty would bring it upward in quality. Instead, you have three different uniformed cops running about and a movie that just crawls to its conclusion, which at least has some stuff blow up real good.
Three Kinds of heat
startrekfan7229 September 2019
First off this is NOT a family film it is chalk full of violence and suggestive themes not for kids under 16 period they would not understand. This is an adult film in every way shape and form, it is 30 years old so the styles of dress and the lingo will catch you off guard, it is a well thought out film full of police work and international criminal elements, My favorite seen is in customs when the major walk in with gun drawn,,,,,
Great Film
Ephesians6019 March 2007
Again this is one of those 80,s films that did not quite make the big time but it is none the less a really enjoyable movies that might be in a dust covered jacket on your shelf but it is worth pulling out and taking a look at again and again. Do not pre judge because it is a old film or did not score the big box office scores but it is a good adult film I do not suggest letting the kids watch this one it has some violent action in it and some bad words. Do not chaulk it up to bad Hollywood antics it is a film that should be kept and watched time and again. Don,t let this one pass you buy.
Sean The Movie guy
Sean The Movie guy
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