Tag Line: The system gave him a raw deal. Nobody gives him a raw deal.
Directed by John Irvin
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Darren McGavin, and Robert Davi
THE KILL:
RAW DEAL may be one of the least known and least seen Schwarzenegger action movies out there (besides RED SONJA), and for good reason. It doesn’t feature amazing special effects or elaborate action sequences, Schwarzenegger doesn’t parade around quipping off memorable one-liners, nor does it push the limits of the mob-movie genre. In fact, I’d say it plays out more like a Steven Seagal movie than anything else. Same hair style, same cheap wardrobe, same setting (Chicago)… if made 5 years later, this definitely would have been a Seagal movie!!!
So why a spot in the REEL ACTION, you say? While it isn’t Schwarzenegger’s finest, it’s just as classic as COMMANDO, featuring many signature Schwarzenegger moves throughout, including: riding a motorcycle away from a giant explosion; smoking lots of cigars; a sequence of him loading up his arsenal for battle; laying on the charm to the ladies; being so damn likable with his dry sense of humor; and spouting off one-liners like it was the 80s (albeit, not very memorable or worth repeating… but one-liners none-the-less). Add those elements up, and you have yourself one fine entry in the Schwarzenegger film collection!
Not to say that RAW DEAL is fine film-making, or the best action film ever made—because it’s not. For starters, it features Schwarzenegger as a small town Sheriff turned FBI agent going undercover to infiltrate the mob. Seriously? The guy sticks out like a sore thumb… who were they kidding? It also features Schwarzenegger walking stiffly (and I mean stiffly) through each scene, sporting greased-back hair and a variety of expensive suits, barking off each line as if he were reciting from a script. It may be early in the guy’s career, but with COMMANDO, CONAN, and THE TERMINATOR under his belt, you’d figure he’d be a bit smoother. Luckily he got this out of his system before he made PREDATOR the following year.
The supporting cast is nothing special either, as the mob guys aren’t extraordinary, but actually quite amateur; Schwarzenegger’s ‘girlfriend’ is kind of a biotch with money issues; and FBI Chief Shannon seems more like a whiny little kid than an FBI agent. But I will give it to Robert Davi as Max, mostly because he was THE bad guy in the 80s (ACTION JACKSON, DIE HARD, LICENSE TO KILL, GOONIES), and he did a decent job playing a dick here too.
With all this ‘bad’, where’s the good? The last 20 minutes. If you can wait that long, the last 20 minutes takes a wild turn from the rest of the movie. Schwarzenegger goes from a small town Sheriff playing undercover FBI agent, who beats the crap out of bad guys but never kills anyone, to playing one lean, mean, killing machine in the blink of an eye. You could say THE TERMINATOR shows up in the end, switching gears dramatically from the rest of the picture. This turn of events actually makes the ending more brutal and over the top than if the flick featured lots of bloody action throughout. Schwarzenegger goes from expensive suites to a wife beater and a (cheap) leather jacket in one swift cut, showcasing a scene that highlights his transition from law enforcer to killing machine by loading up a suitcase full of guns and ammo. It’s the 80s, and it doesn’t get much better than this!
Coupled with a rockin’ soundtrack (featuring, in true 80s fashion, an electric guitar and a synthesizer) and a body count that goes from 0 to 27 in the final 20 minutes and you have yourself one of the most violent endings in Schwarzenegger film history. That’s right, violent. I wouldn’t even call it action, just plain violent… and there ain’t nothing wrong with that! So while it won’t win any awards or be the recipient of some elaborate Special Edition DVD anytime soon, RAW DEAL delivers when it comes to raw action, raw violence, and raw Schwarzenegger! If you haven’t seen it before, you owe it to yourself to experience what happens when you pull a RAW DEAL on the wrong guy.
TOP DEATH: The head mob boss’s shotgun blast to the back. How he’s killed is nothing special, but what Schwarzenegger does to him afterwards is f*cking hilarious!
TOP ACTION SCENE: While the final gun battle is awesome, my favorite scene is when Schwarzenegger drives through the rock quarry in his convertible, blaring The Rolling Stones and his arsenal of automatic weapons!
TOP HOMOEROTIC MOMENT: In true Schwarzenegger fashion, the guy goes shirtless a few times… but that’s about it.
FEMALE EXPLOITATION: Schwarzenegger and Max go to a club to shake some dude for money. There appears to be a chick stripping on stage… we later find out the club’s actually for transsexuals and that chick was more than likely a dude. Damn it!
TOP LINE/DIALOGUE:
“You should not drink and bake.”
DRINKING GAME: Take a shot every time Schwarzenegger misses a beat, or delivers a line a little too stiff… then again, if you do that, you might pass out before the fun begins.
TRIVIA:
Schwarzenegger’s real life pal Sven-Ole Thorsen makes an appearance in the end as a bearded body guard. The guy also appeared in both CONAN films, PREDATOR, THE RUNNING MAN, RED HEAT, TWINS, LAST ACTION HERO, ERASER, END OF DAYS, and COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
The beers Schwarzenegger and FBI Chief Shannon drink at Shannon’s apartment is Miller High Life. Miller High Life is my all-time favorite beer.