Ara Paiaya lets rip with a proper budget for once in INSTANT DEATH, a familiar revenge-themed action flick starring the one and only Lou Ferrigno as a grieving grandfather out for justice against the drug dealing thugs who bumped off his granddaughter and seriously assaulted his daughter. I've enjoyed Paiaya's work, having seen all of it by now, although he was hampered by too-low budgets for the first decade of his career; this film's a lot better and his previous one, SKIN TRAFFIK, the best yet. INSTANT DEATH is more heavy on plot than most and there's not a huge amount of action until the second half; there's also less martial arts than you might expect from a Paiaya film. What we do get are a Colonel Trautman character, a horrific rape scene rivalling Winner's DEATH WISH, and lots and lots of shooting. It's not an amazing film, but given the budget it's not bad at all.
43 Reviews
Dear Oh Dear
ExiledRoyal1 March 2021
If you look in an encyclopedia for something along the lines for 'Writing a script in Kindergarten'... there's a picture of this film. The lines are delivered just like they're being read. The plot is thin. A poor excuse for some violence.
A man sees green
kosmasp31 July 2023
No pun intended - I really like Lou Ferrigno! He seems like a cool guy. Also while we don't have insane stunts here, they are quite solid and you can see that he does some stuff himself. He can move his hands and feet (looking at you Seagal - it's about that time to stop for you). Having said all that, maybe it wasn't the best idea to do that either - yes it plays a bit like Death Wish (I used the german title as summary line, though fans of Hulk or rather Lou will get a different kind of joke out of this too).
The bigger issue though is not the been there and done that part of it all! No it is that there seems a lack of acting ability for most involved. And while you won't watch this for that reason ... it would not have hurt if there was more gravitas to it. Not to mention that some of the violence is almost comical ... not in a good way. You really have to suspend your disbelief ... a lot.
The bigger issue though is not the been there and done that part of it all! No it is that there seems a lack of acting ability for most involved. And while you won't watch this for that reason ... it would not have hurt if there was more gravitas to it. Not to mention that some of the violence is almost comical ... not in a good way. You really have to suspend your disbelief ... a lot.
Hulk meets The Terminator!
j-117705 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Hulk meets The Terminator! At some point during the finale the bad guys just give up trying to shoot Lou. They basically run at him while he clotheslines them and beats them up Kung Fu style. It probably works in their favor because some of them don't get their necks broken and if they had tried to shoot him they would have been dead to rights.I enjoyed the simplicity of the film and the brutality that ensued was just what I was hoping for. Props to director Ara Paiaya for making an entertaining and worthy addition to the 'Old guy gets back into the killing game to get revenge for a friend or family member' sub-genre.
My question is this ...
discerningman2 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
How on earth did this absolute rubbish earn a 4.6 rating???
This guy,Lou Ferrigno, is ten times worse that Arnie EVER was and doesn't have a single catch-phrase.
To say that ANY part of this film is dreadful, would be to flatter it.
As for Jerry Anderson trying to be Ray Winstone? What a complete and utter joke! My 94yo mum is a harder man than pathetic Jerry!
Please, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!
This guy,Lou Ferrigno, is ten times worse that Arnie EVER was and doesn't have a single catch-phrase.
To say that ANY part of this film is dreadful, would be to flatter it.
As for Jerry Anderson trying to be Ray Winstone? What a complete and utter joke! My 94yo mum is a harder man than pathetic Jerry!
Please, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!
Dies an instant death.......
FlashCallahan25 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
A vicious gang war for drug dominance draws in Special Forces veteran John Bradley.
Trying to adjust to normal life and haunted by inner demons of a violent past, the underworld's retribution on his daughter and grandchild leads to a mild rampage of fury and violence that not even the brutality of gangland is prepared for.......
Yet another Taken knock off arrives, and this time it's Lou Ferrigno heading to the crime capital of...........Leeds, to visit his estranged family.
On the way he stumbles upon a pound stretcher Ray Winstone kill a small time crook, and they go after him. After a quick action sequence featuring some of the poorest choreographed fighting I've seen, he meets his family and acts like nothing has happened.
Then the bad guys attack his family, in the most foulest, abhorrent, pointless scene of violence I have seen, and this made me instantly hate the film.
What was the point of having this scene? It's nothing more than exploitation to enhance the revenge part of the film. And it's just so poorly executed, you wonder what was the rationale of the writer......titillation?
Then we get Ferrigno stumbling around various parts of Leeds performing poor action scenes, and spouting ridiculous lines until the predictable climax.
It's quite terrible, it's a very seedy film, which could have been a throwaway entertaining 90 minutes like Wrath, Tokarev, or even A Good Man.
But no, it decides to be a little bit different, and it ends up leaving a nasty taste in your mouth.
Obviously the high ratings are nothing more than plants.
A disgusting mess.
Trying to adjust to normal life and haunted by inner demons of a violent past, the underworld's retribution on his daughter and grandchild leads to a mild rampage of fury and violence that not even the brutality of gangland is prepared for.......
Yet another Taken knock off arrives, and this time it's Lou Ferrigno heading to the crime capital of...........Leeds, to visit his estranged family.
On the way he stumbles upon a pound stretcher Ray Winstone kill a small time crook, and they go after him. After a quick action sequence featuring some of the poorest choreographed fighting I've seen, he meets his family and acts like nothing has happened.
Then the bad guys attack his family, in the most foulest, abhorrent, pointless scene of violence I have seen, and this made me instantly hate the film.
What was the point of having this scene? It's nothing more than exploitation to enhance the revenge part of the film. And it's just so poorly executed, you wonder what was the rationale of the writer......titillation?
Then we get Ferrigno stumbling around various parts of Leeds performing poor action scenes, and spouting ridiculous lines until the predictable climax.
It's quite terrible, it's a very seedy film, which could have been a throwaway entertaining 90 minutes like Wrath, Tokarev, or even A Good Man.
But no, it decides to be a little bit different, and it ends up leaving a nasty taste in your mouth.
Obviously the high ratings are nothing more than plants.
A disgusting mess.
Laughable attempt
avstars-1728229 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This is the classic recycled story line that was written on a Saturday afternoon. There are no big names because the movie quite simply was awful. The choreography, cinematic sequences , screenplay were all very amateurish. Even if you remove the poor story line, plenty of clichés and terrible acting, the action sequences don't make up for it. The villains are seemingly fighting an immortal being that is not just impervious to harm but cannot be touched. The whole film is so surreal and unrealistic it's laughable.
The main enemy Razor (cliche name) is trying to be Ray Winstone a little too much and seems that Lou is trying to be Jason Stathom. The fact they try to copy the styles so poorly would suggest the director has never directed before and perhaps shouldn't again. I've seen a lot of movies in my life and this is just another one of those movies that will never really go any further than the discount section of Tesco.
I would not recommend people spend money on this movie. It's a straight to DVD release that will probably not ever be aired on TV and will be forgotten in a month.
The main enemy Razor (cliche name) is trying to be Ray Winstone a little too much and seems that Lou is trying to be Jason Stathom. The fact they try to copy the styles so poorly would suggest the director has never directed before and perhaps shouldn't again. I've seen a lot of movies in my life and this is just another one of those movies that will never really go any further than the discount section of Tesco.
I would not recommend people spend money on this movie. It's a straight to DVD release that will probably not ever be aired on TV and will be forgotten in a month.
Comedy Gold
thebogofeternalstench4 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Saw this joke of a movie on sky movies last night.
It's literally filmed with a cheap DSLR on a high shutter speed, giving it such a cheap look. It looks exactly like a student film. The editing had me in stitches. Theres a drone shot of the city and it's so quick that you barely see anything. Hahahaha.
The audio is faint and sound is not recorded properly. Is that any surprise when the video is just as bad? Hahahaha.
Now for the acting-every line uttered in this film sounds scripted. No one can act. It's worse than Eastenders and Coronation Street. Why would Lou do a film in England with such a bunch of amateurs? At least they got the chav on a moped yelling obscenities right. That was the only realistic thing in this whole film.
I was laughing throughout the film because its so bad. After his daughter gets raped and granddaughter get killed, he starts randomly beating up these military guys in the hospital and its comedy gold. It's illogical and stupid and hilarious. It comes out of nowhere and seems like satire.
And that rape scene was so out of place and stupid. There was more effort put into that one scene than the entire movie.
The bad guy comes off as an annoying Ray Winstone wannabe, and more like a mockney used car salesman with an attitude problem.
I've NO IDEA who thought this film would be a good idea to make, or why they bothered. This is as amateur as you can get. Watch if you want a good laugh.
It's literally filmed with a cheap DSLR on a high shutter speed, giving it such a cheap look. It looks exactly like a student film. The editing had me in stitches. Theres a drone shot of the city and it's so quick that you barely see anything. Hahahaha.
The audio is faint and sound is not recorded properly. Is that any surprise when the video is just as bad? Hahahaha.
Now for the acting-every line uttered in this film sounds scripted. No one can act. It's worse than Eastenders and Coronation Street. Why would Lou do a film in England with such a bunch of amateurs? At least they got the chav on a moped yelling obscenities right. That was the only realistic thing in this whole film.
I was laughing throughout the film because its so bad. After his daughter gets raped and granddaughter get killed, he starts randomly beating up these military guys in the hospital and its comedy gold. It's illogical and stupid and hilarious. It comes out of nowhere and seems like satire.
And that rape scene was so out of place and stupid. There was more effort put into that one scene than the entire movie.
The bad guy comes off as an annoying Ray Winstone wannabe, and more like a mockney used car salesman with an attitude problem.
I've NO IDEA who thought this film would be a good idea to make, or why they bothered. This is as amateur as you can get. Watch if you want a good laugh.
Obviously Jason And Ray Didn't Want To Appear In This Rubbish
Theo Robertson2 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
An ex=special forces soldier John Bradley visits his daughter in London who lives on a rundown estate. While there he witnesses a murder carried out by local thug Razor and Razor and his gang don't take kindly to witnesses
!!!! SUGGESTIVE SPOILERS !!!!
It's fairly obvious who Ara Paiya wanted in this movie . Jason Statham as John Bradley and Ray Winstone as Razor. It becomes fairly obvious why Statham and Winstone turned the film down because this is obviously straight to DVD fair with one of the most deranged screenplay's you will see. From the outset things fall apart very quickly with an opening scene set in a psychiatric hospital in America with Bradley discussing his life with a Doctor. It's painfully obvious the actor ( I use that word in its loosest term ) playing the Doctor is British due to his laughably bad accent. Then the action cuts to London . Okay it's not impossible an American special forces soldier has a daughter with a London who lives on an estate but seems unlikely. It's also not impossible a former American soldier just happens to be on first name terms with a British army Colonel since the British and American forces fought alongside one another in Iraq and Afghanistan. What is unlikely is every other plot turn like Bradley surviving an early murder attempt then nonchalantly turning up at his daughter's flat as if nothing has happened. Was it written as it went along ?
Did I mention the casting ? Since the production team couldn't get Statham and Winstone that hasn't stopped the director being naughty because I genuinely thought Ray Winstone had been cast as Razor from the trailer. That was in fact the main reason I watched INSTANT DEATH and wondered why his name didn't appear in the opening credits. In fact I was ready to alert the scientific community that cloning is now possible and Jerry Anderson has the exact same DNA as Ray Winstone but as I said no established name actor would want to appear in this. There's a few contenders for worst performer and my nomination goes to the bloke playing Colonel Neal who has never appeared in anything prior to this and has probably spent most of his life pointing at maps in his geography class
But despite the casting director scouring every group of carol singers in London don't kid yourselves this is some sort of good natured parody. INSTANT DEATH is mean and nasty. It involves anal rape , blinding and child murder. If it's entertaining in anyway it's entertaining for all the wrong reasons. You can understand Jason and Ray throwing the script in the bin and the DVD will soon be put in the same location
!!!! SUGGESTIVE SPOILERS !!!!
It's fairly obvious who Ara Paiya wanted in this movie . Jason Statham as John Bradley and Ray Winstone as Razor. It becomes fairly obvious why Statham and Winstone turned the film down because this is obviously straight to DVD fair with one of the most deranged screenplay's you will see. From the outset things fall apart very quickly with an opening scene set in a psychiatric hospital in America with Bradley discussing his life with a Doctor. It's painfully obvious the actor ( I use that word in its loosest term ) playing the Doctor is British due to his laughably bad accent. Then the action cuts to London . Okay it's not impossible an American special forces soldier has a daughter with a London who lives on an estate but seems unlikely. It's also not impossible a former American soldier just happens to be on first name terms with a British army Colonel since the British and American forces fought alongside one another in Iraq and Afghanistan. What is unlikely is every other plot turn like Bradley surviving an early murder attempt then nonchalantly turning up at his daughter's flat as if nothing has happened. Was it written as it went along ?
Did I mention the casting ? Since the production team couldn't get Statham and Winstone that hasn't stopped the director being naughty because I genuinely thought Ray Winstone had been cast as Razor from the trailer. That was in fact the main reason I watched INSTANT DEATH and wondered why his name didn't appear in the opening credits. In fact I was ready to alert the scientific community that cloning is now possible and Jerry Anderson has the exact same DNA as Ray Winstone but as I said no established name actor would want to appear in this. There's a few contenders for worst performer and my nomination goes to the bloke playing Colonel Neal who has never appeared in anything prior to this and has probably spent most of his life pointing at maps in his geography class
But despite the casting director scouring every group of carol singers in London don't kid yourselves this is some sort of good natured parody. INSTANT DEATH is mean and nasty. It involves anal rape , blinding and child murder. If it's entertaining in anyway it's entertaining for all the wrong reasons. You can understand Jason and Ray throwing the script in the bin and the DVD will soon be put in the same location
Gore, sadism and more gore.
oldvinyl10 June 2017
Ferrigno, (Special Forces fighter John Bradley) left the army six months ago, and is suffering PTSD. After travelling to the UK he's drawn into the world of Razor (Jerry Anderson), a drug dealer with a very sadistic nature. This is the usual trope that we see in these movies: Razor's henchmen rape Bradley's daughter on her dining room table, and commit other awful acts, which are meant to convince us viewers that what follows is perfectly justified.
There is no tongue-in-cheek humour in all this and I kept wondering how all this mayhem could be going on with no apparent police reaction.
I like watching action and war movies but frankly, this film was a bit too hardcore for me. If you like gore and sadism it'll be your kind of movie.
There is no tongue-in-cheek humour in all this and I kept wondering how all this mayhem could be going on with no apparent police reaction.
I like watching action and war movies but frankly, this film was a bit too hardcore for me. If you like gore and sadism it'll be your kind of movie.
What a shame
carlobath7 April 2021
This could have been great !!!! BUT Acting was awful, the editing was horrendous so many errors , the score levels were all wrong as well , apart from the odd action sequences which were ok , this has a very low budget feel , not a bad thing as I do like low budget movies if there done well, I thought that it went to far with the amount of deaths on the estate with the police not doing sod all unrealistic !!!! I thought the razor character was awesome very well acted . Apart from that . Disappointed.
Great action film, they should do a sequel.
barbosavive4 May 2017
This is a well made revenge action film, Its director Ara Paiaya, made a great job in the martial arts choreography that fitted well with Lou Ferrigno's talents. Ferrigno's acting was very good for an action centered film. They should do a sequel or at least a few more action films. This is not a high budget film but the story treatment and editing is more than adequate for its limitations money wise.
This should just be good start of a series of more Ferrigno action films.
This should just be good start of a series of more Ferrigno action films.
The Fury of Ferrigno!!!
zardoz-1310 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Sometimes, a guilty pleasure can be a lot of fun. Watching the straight-to-video, Lou Ferrigno, action DVD "Instant Death" revived memories of Charles Bronson's "Death Wish" movies, Liam Neeson's "Taken" trilogy, and the Sylvester Stallone "Rambo" franchise. If you haven't seen "Death Wish" (1974), you'll have a chance to watch Bruce Willis step into Bronson's shoes for the 2017 remake when it comes out later this year. Suffice to say, "Death Wish" dealt with a mild-mannered New York City architect who embarked on revenge binge after his wife's murder and his daughter's rape during a home invasion. The Charles Bronson hero meted out vigilante justice from the barrel of a revolver to a variety of low-life criminals that prowled the streets after sundown. Ironically, he never found the hoodlums who terrified his family. Nevertheless, while cleaning up the city streets, he evolved into an urban legend. "Death Wish" qualified as one of the notable examples of the revenge movie genre about a private citizen who avenged his relatives after the police proved ineffectual.
"Skin Traffik" director Ara Paiaya and scenarist Adam Davidson replicate the revenge movie formula without tampering with any of the usual clichés. Were it not for the steely presence of body-builder Lou Ferrigno, who rampaged on television as "The Incredible Hulk" from 1977 to 1982, "Instant Death" would constitute just another routine crime thriller. Indeed, Ferrigno is the star rather than merely a supporting character or an actor appearing in a cameo. The 66-year old Ferrigno performed all his stunts. Now, I know what you're thinking. Can Ferrigno act? Although he seems self-conscious around other actors, Ferrigno plays a flawed father figure hero who might behave in such an aloof manner. The personification of the Grim Reaper, Ferrigno's paterfamilias suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. The realistic, gritty action occurs primarily in contemporary London, and the filmmakers pit the former "Hulk" against a repellent Cockney mobster nicknamed 'Razor.' Jerry Anderson plays Razor, and he is a dead ringer for popular British tough-guy actor Ray Winstone. Anderson plays such a deranged dastard that the actor should think twice about strolling in public without bodyguards. Imaging what Ferrigno's revenge-minded father will do to Razor when they tangle heightens the suspense of "Instant Death."
Ferrigno plays veteran Special Forces fighter John Bradley. Although he has been out of combat for six months, Bradley hasn't recovered entirely from the untold horror. The lonely lifestyle that he describes to his sympathetic psychiatrist recalls the toxic activities that Robert De Niro's cabbie Travis Bickle indulged in throughout director Martin Scorsese's classic, urban shoot'em up "Taxi Driver" (1976). The psychiatrist recommends Bradley reconnect with his two surviving family members: his grown-up daughter Jane (Tania Staite of "Crossing Bridges") and his young granddaughter Wendy (newcomer Sophie Wembridge), who live in London, England. Bradley catches a flight out of New York City. After he lands and sets out to visit Jane and Wendy, Bradley witnesses a vicious gangland slaying. A ferocious underworld enforcer, Razor (Jerry Anderson), is eradicating all rival drug dealers in his domain. Anybody who peddles narcotics on Razor's turf won't die from old age. The desperate fools who buy those forbidden narcotics don't last long. Razor is torturing an independent drug dealer, Carnie (Sven Hopla of "The Foundling"), when Bradley sees the murder. Not only does Razor kill the rival drug dealer, but he kills another innocent bystander who walks in front of Bradley when Razor tries to shoot our hero. Razor dispatches his intimidating henchmen to liquidate Bradley. Before he eludes Razor's thugs, Bradley guns down two of them.
A furious Razor demands Bradley's head. A young street hoodlum locates Bradley after he shadows him to his daughter's apartment building. Naturally, Jane is ecstatic about finally seeing her dad again. Bradley rarely spent time around his family while he was in the service. He explains he must visit an old friend in town the next day. The old friend turns out to be Colonel Neal (newcomer Michael James MacMahon) who served with Bradley in the military. Essentially, Colonel Neal is comparable to Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna) from Sylvester Stallone's "Rambo" quartet. Trautman acted as the go-between Rambo and those who availed themselves at his combat skills. Predictably, Razor and his hooligans show up at Jane's door inquiring about Bradley. When Jane cannot tell them where her father has gone, Razor's henchmen rape her on the dining room table. Later, Razor brandishes a razor and carves up Jane's face. Before he leaves, Razor smothers helpless Wendy with a pillow. After Bradley learns about his family, he launches his own crusade of vengeance against Razor and his depraved crew.
"Instant Death" resorts to neither humor nor comic relief characters. The violence is staged with a sense of spontaneity, and our hero emerges as just as cold-blooded as his nemeses. For example, Bradley holds an arrogant British gangster at gunpoint, and the gangster proposes they negotiate. Our grief-stricken hero refuses, and the gangster's head vanishes in a bloody explosion. This could rate as the darkest movie that Lou Ferrigno has ever toplined, and he delivers a solemn performance as John Bradley. Paiaya produced the straightforward but violent "Instant Death" on the streets of London for added authenticity. He does a good job of establishing both the characters of Bradley and Razor before he turns them loose on each other. Part of the fun of watching "Instant Death" is that you can savor what the hero will do to his foes. Mind you, you won't find any gratuitous nudity in the unrated DVD version of "Instant Death," because it emphasizes blood, gore, and guys. The homicidal content and the casual depiction of murder and rape may appall the squeamish but appeal simultaneously to stout-hearted action junkie fans who can tolerate a little blood and gore. One of the chief virtues of "Instant Death" is British director Ara Paiaya doesn't let his efficient 84-minute melodrama wear out its welcome.
"Skin Traffik" director Ara Paiaya and scenarist Adam Davidson replicate the revenge movie formula without tampering with any of the usual clichés. Were it not for the steely presence of body-builder Lou Ferrigno, who rampaged on television as "The Incredible Hulk" from 1977 to 1982, "Instant Death" would constitute just another routine crime thriller. Indeed, Ferrigno is the star rather than merely a supporting character or an actor appearing in a cameo. The 66-year old Ferrigno performed all his stunts. Now, I know what you're thinking. Can Ferrigno act? Although he seems self-conscious around other actors, Ferrigno plays a flawed father figure hero who might behave in such an aloof manner. The personification of the Grim Reaper, Ferrigno's paterfamilias suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. The realistic, gritty action occurs primarily in contemporary London, and the filmmakers pit the former "Hulk" against a repellent Cockney mobster nicknamed 'Razor.' Jerry Anderson plays Razor, and he is a dead ringer for popular British tough-guy actor Ray Winstone. Anderson plays such a deranged dastard that the actor should think twice about strolling in public without bodyguards. Imaging what Ferrigno's revenge-minded father will do to Razor when they tangle heightens the suspense of "Instant Death."
Ferrigno plays veteran Special Forces fighter John Bradley. Although he has been out of combat for six months, Bradley hasn't recovered entirely from the untold horror. The lonely lifestyle that he describes to his sympathetic psychiatrist recalls the toxic activities that Robert De Niro's cabbie Travis Bickle indulged in throughout director Martin Scorsese's classic, urban shoot'em up "Taxi Driver" (1976). The psychiatrist recommends Bradley reconnect with his two surviving family members: his grown-up daughter Jane (Tania Staite of "Crossing Bridges") and his young granddaughter Wendy (newcomer Sophie Wembridge), who live in London, England. Bradley catches a flight out of New York City. After he lands and sets out to visit Jane and Wendy, Bradley witnesses a vicious gangland slaying. A ferocious underworld enforcer, Razor (Jerry Anderson), is eradicating all rival drug dealers in his domain. Anybody who peddles narcotics on Razor's turf won't die from old age. The desperate fools who buy those forbidden narcotics don't last long. Razor is torturing an independent drug dealer, Carnie (Sven Hopla of "The Foundling"), when Bradley sees the murder. Not only does Razor kill the rival drug dealer, but he kills another innocent bystander who walks in front of Bradley when Razor tries to shoot our hero. Razor dispatches his intimidating henchmen to liquidate Bradley. Before he eludes Razor's thugs, Bradley guns down two of them.
A furious Razor demands Bradley's head. A young street hoodlum locates Bradley after he shadows him to his daughter's apartment building. Naturally, Jane is ecstatic about finally seeing her dad again. Bradley rarely spent time around his family while he was in the service. He explains he must visit an old friend in town the next day. The old friend turns out to be Colonel Neal (newcomer Michael James MacMahon) who served with Bradley in the military. Essentially, Colonel Neal is comparable to Samuel Trautman (Richard Crenna) from Sylvester Stallone's "Rambo" quartet. Trautman acted as the go-between Rambo and those who availed themselves at his combat skills. Predictably, Razor and his hooligans show up at Jane's door inquiring about Bradley. When Jane cannot tell them where her father has gone, Razor's henchmen rape her on the dining room table. Later, Razor brandishes a razor and carves up Jane's face. Before he leaves, Razor smothers helpless Wendy with a pillow. After Bradley learns about his family, he launches his own crusade of vengeance against Razor and his depraved crew.
"Instant Death" resorts to neither humor nor comic relief characters. The violence is staged with a sense of spontaneity, and our hero emerges as just as cold-blooded as his nemeses. For example, Bradley holds an arrogant British gangster at gunpoint, and the gangster proposes they negotiate. Our grief-stricken hero refuses, and the gangster's head vanishes in a bloody explosion. This could rate as the darkest movie that Lou Ferrigno has ever toplined, and he delivers a solemn performance as John Bradley. Paiaya produced the straightforward but violent "Instant Death" on the streets of London for added authenticity. He does a good job of establishing both the characters of Bradley and Razor before he turns them loose on each other. Part of the fun of watching "Instant Death" is that you can savor what the hero will do to his foes. Mind you, you won't find any gratuitous nudity in the unrated DVD version of "Instant Death," because it emphasizes blood, gore, and guys. The homicidal content and the casual depiction of murder and rape may appall the squeamish but appeal simultaneously to stout-hearted action junkie fans who can tolerate a little blood and gore. One of the chief virtues of "Instant Death" is British director Ara Paiaya doesn't let his efficient 84-minute melodrama wear out its welcome.
Watching this made me wish for an Instant Coma...
KneelB4me29 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Unfortunately one of the worst movies I've seen. Unfortunate because I like Lou Ferrigno and this could have been a good movie. This movie tries to be 'Taken' and failed miserably. The bad-guy gratuitous violence was over the top - like the stupidly written and dated scenes in Death Wish 70s crap. The director and writing was crap (I see Paiaya did both). There's NO WAY the good reviews are real, don't an hour an 38 minutes of you life like I did. Oh, and Lou, buddy ...be more selective...
It's beautiful revenge!
FilmJunkie19805 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Once John puts on his leather jacket, he's ready to start killing all the bad guys. He works his way up from a couple of the foot soldiers before finding the main bad guy who is actually Razor's boss. Lou blasts away with pistols, shotguns, a massive Rambo knife (Yay!), and eventually puts enough people in the morgue to keep that poor sap working for a week straight. It's beautiful revenge!
don't waste time to watch
wmsyed8 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
i would like to give only 2 start, old story line with same revenge drama with action scenes without sense. poor screen play poor action sequences poor cast poor story line. in start i was really expecting some good action because of the strong character of villain shown in move but later on table turn around like we are watching a dream and hero start killing big gangsters like nothing without getting single wound from them.
So bad, that it's just plain bad.
rayjaymor-9198212 April 2020
Instant Death is your stock-standard "they hurt my family now I want revenge" movie that is pretty much a trope on it's own now. That in itself isn't a bad thing. I love that kind of movie.
These movies in general require a bit of leeway as far as script writing, acting, and general believability goes, and that is fair because these are not documentaries. But this movie really does abuse that leeway.
Razor as the "main bad guy" has about all the charisma of a cardboard box. But I do get the feeling that the actor playing him is doing everything he can with a script that feels like it might have been written by a 15 year old in between watching Death Wish, Taken and Rambo and deciding he can write better.
The fight scenes have no weight, I have honestly seen better fight choreography from uni student film projects. The plot is laughably bad and hard to believe even for a character as unhinged as "Razor".
The movie constantly dances on the line of being "so bad it's good" to straight up just "bad" but it finally bulldozes over that line with the incredibly underwhelming showdown with the main antagonist, which really felt like the 15 year old I mentioned earlier suddently realised he was going to run out of paper.
I talk a lot about the character of "Razor" because he is the only character you end up getting attached to. Even the main protaganist (John Bradley) is completely forgettable - an impressive feat of poor script writing considering it's Lou Ferrigno.
It's a movie that spends about an hour getting you ready for the ultimate ride of your life. But once the credits begin to roll, the movie will lie down, stretch out and smoke a cigaratte. You on the other hand will sneakily open your drawer and look for something else.
These movies in general require a bit of leeway as far as script writing, acting, and general believability goes, and that is fair because these are not documentaries. But this movie really does abuse that leeway.
Razor as the "main bad guy" has about all the charisma of a cardboard box. But I do get the feeling that the actor playing him is doing everything he can with a script that feels like it might have been written by a 15 year old in between watching Death Wish, Taken and Rambo and deciding he can write better.
The fight scenes have no weight, I have honestly seen better fight choreography from uni student film projects. The plot is laughably bad and hard to believe even for a character as unhinged as "Razor".
The movie constantly dances on the line of being "so bad it's good" to straight up just "bad" but it finally bulldozes over that line with the incredibly underwhelming showdown with the main antagonist, which really felt like the 15 year old I mentioned earlier suddently realised he was going to run out of paper.
I talk a lot about the character of "Razor" because he is the only character you end up getting attached to. Even the main protaganist (John Bradley) is completely forgettable - an impressive feat of poor script writing considering it's Lou Ferrigno.
It's a movie that spends about an hour getting you ready for the ultimate ride of your life. But once the credits begin to roll, the movie will lie down, stretch out and smoke a cigaratte. You on the other hand will sneakily open your drawer and look for something else.
I don't think I could give it less
rmallan22 January 2024
I love a no brain action revenge movie
The problem is this has such bad wooden acting and poor fighting
/shooting scenes it is near the level of the latest Steven Segal movies for credibility. It's appalling from start to finish. I have watched some rubbish but this is absolutely appalling and not even partly believable. I actually started fast forwarding in 10 second intervals just to get to the end.
In one scene so much shooting takes place that how do the guards just up the stairs don't hear it and are just standing waiting to be shot.
If there is a plot I've missed it. This is time spent that I cannot get back again.
I'm not sure who cast the colonel but seriously this was the least convincing role and worthy of the wooden plank award for being the worst actor in this entire sorry excuse for a film.
In one scene so much shooting takes place that how do the guards just up the stairs don't hear it and are just standing waiting to be shot.
If there is a plot I've missed it. This is time spent that I cannot get back again.
I'm not sure who cast the colonel but seriously this was the least convincing role and worthy of the wooden plank award for being the worst actor in this entire sorry excuse for a film.
Cringe
callmedawkins6 February 2023
This is pretty bad. Tries to be "John Wick" but without the budget. Or cinematography. Or fight choreography. Or editing. If you somehow stick around through this collage of imitation scenes that we've all seen somewhere before, you'll notice that director Ara Paiaya generously credits himself as the DP, editor, visual effects supervisor, action director, fight choreographer, Lou Ferrigno's martial arts instructor, music supervisor, and colourist. I like this, because it makes it easy to know who to blame for how horrible this movie is; Paiaya clearly doesn't know much about how to do any of those jobs, and doesn't care to spend the budget to get people with real experience to handle them. I like this as well, since trying to do high octane action on the budget of a production meeting means we get some truly unintentionally hilarious stuff. I guess what I'm saying is that while I enjoyed watching this movie, I can only recommend it to other masochists, so it's gonna get a 4/10. Eh, make that a 3.
Great film for those who appreciate the genre!
prendj015 June 2017
All the money went to Lou and Razor but that's not to say it's to the detriment of your overall enjoyment. While the rest of the actors range from poor moderate or simply OK, and just a few are occasionally good
Lou and Razor do a fine job, Razor's heartless bastard performance actually convinces. The movie itself moves at a reasonable pace, first 5 minutes aside. It reminds you of the 51st state with slightly lower production values.
Personal take
This is the sort of film of which reviewers who should not leave a review because they do not embrace the genre will say things about like, "just wasted a half hour of my life".
In my case, I feel fans of Indie Brit flicks with that American twist will enjoy it, or anyone who just wants to see Jerry Anderson doing his best Ray Winstone impersonation. If you want a deeper plot or high production values with a perfect script then this may not be for you. For the former group there are some sadistic scenes and some reasonable action to be had (given Lou's getting on a bit).
High art this is not, but a guilty pleasure for some maybe!
Overall, I enjoyed it.
Personal take
This is the sort of film of which reviewers who should not leave a review because they do not embrace the genre will say things about like, "just wasted a half hour of my life".
In my case, I feel fans of Indie Brit flicks with that American twist will enjoy it, or anyone who just wants to see Jerry Anderson doing his best Ray Winstone impersonation. If you want a deeper plot or high production values with a perfect script then this may not be for you. For the former group there are some sadistic scenes and some reasonable action to be had (given Lou's getting on a bit).
High art this is not, but a guilty pleasure for some maybe!
Overall, I enjoyed it.
Charles Bronson-style revenge!
j-436955 May 2017
One of the hottest things in the action genre over the past decade or so is the 'Old guy gets back into the killing game to get revenge for a friend or family member'. Any actor over the age of 55 has pretty much done this movie. Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, Sly Stallone, Clint Eastwood, and most recently, Keanu Reeves has gotten into the game. Now, it appears that even bodybuilding legend and former Incredible Hulk Lou Ferrigno has decided to knock the dust off of his old leather jacket and get some sweet Charles Bronson-style revenge! This film delivers in every way the action, the soundtrack, the ultra violence, girls, sweet revenge and lots of kills! The choreography is brilliant and Ara Paiaya makes Lou look amazing at fight scenes and shoot outs. Lou Ferrigno is 65! and moves like a 30 year old in this film. The Director obviously taught him a lot looking at his previous action films. One can only hope for more of the same! A must buy.
Is what it is
jasonoldacre-674-66948721 February 2021
Lou ferrigno is pretty likeable, acting isn't the worse. it's nice and violent and lou is still a beast. My pet hate as a member of armed forces is the old guy who plays the colonel, I have NEVER in all my life seen somebody do a worse impression of a military person in my life,its definitely worth a watch.
We applaud director Paiaya and the rest of the cast and crew for carrying this movie off.
tarbosh220009 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Finally in civilian life after a lifetime in the military, vet John Bradley (Ferrigno) is having a hard time adjusting after leaving the Special Forces. He feels reconnecting with his daughter and his granddaughter would do him a world of good towards that end, so he flies from New York to the UK to be with them.
Unfortunately, Bradley was in the wrong place at the wrong time, as he inadvertently witnesses some of the bad dealings of uber-baddie Razor (Anderson) and his drug gang. In order to get to him, Razor sadistically goes after certain members of the Bradley family in some truly horrible ways (we won't give anything away).
Now on a no-holds-barred mission of revenge, John Bradley reverts to his old ways - fighting is the only thing he knows. Thankfully, he knows it well and he's using his "particular set of skills" to take out the trash of London's underworld. With the police and military after him as well as the gangster baddies, will John Bradley be able to deliver INSTANT DEATH?
Thank goodness for Taken (2008). Not only is it a fantastic movie in its own right, it single-handedly made it acceptable for aging stars to return to - or join for the first time - the action fray. The term "GeriAction" seems to have been coined shortly after the release of The Expendables (2010), and everyone from Liam Neeson to Clint Eastwood to Sean Penn have been showing young whippersnappers that with age comes experience...fighting experience!
With that in mind, it was only a matter of time before Lou Ferrigno became involved. Instant Death has a lot going for it: a simple and effective revenge plot that unfolds quickly over its 80-minute running time, Lou puts on a revenge outfit and proceeds to decimate the entire baddie population, and Razor is a really bad baddie. All the ingredients are there. But why - why - must they use so much CGI?
If they were going for a gritty 80's vibe, why not use squibs, practical effects, and real fire? That would have been so much cooler! Correct us if we're wrong, but did we see a CGI train? The movie already has a low-budget, down n' dirty look (which is completely fine by us and not at all a criticism), but the CGI effects were a wet blanket for us. Not so much that we didn't enjoy the movie on the whole, but we couldn't help but think it would have been more satisfying for the viewers without it.
Much like how Robert Rusler saved Air Strike (2002), Lou Ferrigno does the same thing here. (That must be why you read this site; you're not going to see a sentence like that anywhere else). Sure, the fight choreography came off as a little stiff at times, but undoubtedly this is a career-best performance from Lou. He must have been thrilled to get the call to be in this movie, and he really gives it his all. It was a joy to watch his lumbering, Schwarzenegger-esque fighting and line deliveries.
Let's face it, the idea of Lou Ferrigno in a revenge movie against London gangsters is pure gold. We're super happy this was made.
Despite our anti-CGI stance, we applaud director Paiaya and the rest of the cast and crew for carrying this movie off. You could tell they were striving for something good and Instant Death overall is a satisfying watch.
Unfortunately, Bradley was in the wrong place at the wrong time, as he inadvertently witnesses some of the bad dealings of uber-baddie Razor (Anderson) and his drug gang. In order to get to him, Razor sadistically goes after certain members of the Bradley family in some truly horrible ways (we won't give anything away).
Now on a no-holds-barred mission of revenge, John Bradley reverts to his old ways - fighting is the only thing he knows. Thankfully, he knows it well and he's using his "particular set of skills" to take out the trash of London's underworld. With the police and military after him as well as the gangster baddies, will John Bradley be able to deliver INSTANT DEATH?
Thank goodness for Taken (2008). Not only is it a fantastic movie in its own right, it single-handedly made it acceptable for aging stars to return to - or join for the first time - the action fray. The term "GeriAction" seems to have been coined shortly after the release of The Expendables (2010), and everyone from Liam Neeson to Clint Eastwood to Sean Penn have been showing young whippersnappers that with age comes experience...fighting experience!
With that in mind, it was only a matter of time before Lou Ferrigno became involved. Instant Death has a lot going for it: a simple and effective revenge plot that unfolds quickly over its 80-minute running time, Lou puts on a revenge outfit and proceeds to decimate the entire baddie population, and Razor is a really bad baddie. All the ingredients are there. But why - why - must they use so much CGI?
If they were going for a gritty 80's vibe, why not use squibs, practical effects, and real fire? That would have been so much cooler! Correct us if we're wrong, but did we see a CGI train? The movie already has a low-budget, down n' dirty look (which is completely fine by us and not at all a criticism), but the CGI effects were a wet blanket for us. Not so much that we didn't enjoy the movie on the whole, but we couldn't help but think it would have been more satisfying for the viewers without it.
Much like how Robert Rusler saved Air Strike (2002), Lou Ferrigno does the same thing here. (That must be why you read this site; you're not going to see a sentence like that anywhere else). Sure, the fight choreography came off as a little stiff at times, but undoubtedly this is a career-best performance from Lou. He must have been thrilled to get the call to be in this movie, and he really gives it his all. It was a joy to watch his lumbering, Schwarzenegger-esque fighting and line deliveries.
Let's face it, the idea of Lou Ferrigno in a revenge movie against London gangsters is pure gold. We're super happy this was made.
Despite our anti-CGI stance, we applaud director Paiaya and the rest of the cast and crew for carrying this movie off. You could tell they were striving for something good and Instant Death overall is a satisfying watch.
DTV at it's best!
t-799635 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
It goes without saying that John Bradley has a couple of contacts no matter where he goes in this film. He hooks up with his old buddy Colonel Neal and gets the type of guns and resources that a man intent on killing a lot of people might need. John's relationship with Neal reminded me a lot of the John Rambo/ Col. Trautman relationship in First Blood. That is a very good thing to be said for any movie! Ferrigno has found the fountain of youth. The man has bulging muscles straight out of a comic book the guy is in fantastic shape for a man who gets a Social Security check each month. Director Ara Paiaya brings us a fantastic addition to the rape revenge genre. This is like Death Wish crossed with The Hulk. The action is superb and the filming and editing style gives us a very gritty feel that fits this style of movie perfectly. If you like Commando, Death Wish, First Blood and The Hulk. This is the perfect mix and top class action revenge movie by a very talented filmmaker. The soundtrack is very 80's and is a must watch.
See also
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