Dead Bang (1989)

**Last action antihero**

Although the title evokes a B-movie production, this independent film is an excellent example of how the hand of a great director and a dynamic, effective script can make a mediocre actor shine.

Here, Don Johnson embodies the quintessential antihero: a sharp-tongued and brilliant city detective whose chaotic personal life has cost him the respect of those around him. So far, nothing new under the sun. However, everything changes when he becomes obsessed with a case that drags him across North America from coast to coast on the trail of a fascist cult—a journey in which he will find much more than answers. Ultimately, it is a police road movie as underrated as it is brilliant, gifting us the best performance remembered from its leading man.

I haven't seen this before.

A cop with a dead partner, sure, I have seen that. A scumbag FBI agent, yeah, I've seen that too. I've also seen a widow that want's revenge.

BUT, from there it veers off and we have a group of skinhead white supremacists on a racist rampage and you have Mr. Miami Vice himself, in 1989, dressed like could care less about how he looks and, I haven't seen that before either.

The plot takes you from LA to small town America with all the shoot outs in between. The cop is a screw up and one that seems to only get by because he's seen it all before, not because he is particularly good at what he does.

It all boils down to a unique film and one that is exceptionally well put together.

The only thing that would make it a better film, would make it more unique, is if the white supremacists were as deeply and disturbingly family orientated as they are in the documentaries about the KKK. But, instead, you have them as the cliched psychopaths, which is somehow LESS disturbing.

But, it's a small cliche for a movie that you likely haven't seen before and certainly won't see again, at least not without the protagonist being a super buff ex-Navy SEAL with all the special effects to back it up.