Product Description

A homeless man, recruited as a guide by a band of wealthy hunters, winds up the hunted instead. Starring Ice-T, Rutger Hauer and Gary Busey.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14286 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-12-21
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 96 minutes

Amazon.com
One more time around for the storyline of The Most Dangerous Game, except this one's refitted with explosions, big guns, and a flood of testosterone. Ice-T plays Mason, a homeless man shanghaied from the streets of Los Angeles to work as a guide and all-around man Friday for a hunting party. What the down-on-his-luck fellow soon finds out is that he is the quarry, and has to rely on his own resourcefulness to stay one step ahead of his tormentors. Laden with atrocious dialogue and narrative implausibilities, this is still a fun action movie if seen only for its own merits and nothing more. The fine cast (Gary Busey, Charles Dutton, F. Murray Abraham, John C. McGinley) chews the script until practically frothing at the mouth while trying to out-maniac each other. Busey is the head macho lunatic, but the twitchy McGinley nearly steals the show as he turns the knob on the weirdo meter up to eleven, then breaks it off and throws it away. Ice-T, on the other hand, puts his coping skills to the test as the hapless human prey. Most of director Ernest R. Dickerson's resumé has consisted of cinematography work (for Spike Lee, among others), and it shows with the film's competent, almost glossy look. Don't watch Surviving the Game expecting any great statements or overarching agendas, and you'll be surprised by an untentionally goofy action picture with preposterous situations and wide-open-throttle performances. Plus, chances are you've never seen a foot-wide pine tree chopped down with a shotgun (we kid you not). --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Reviews

Tries Too Hard...But Does the Job
This movie is worth seeing for Ice T alone. He's brilliant. As an actor, he's not technically skilled...but he definitely gets himself into his role and does a lot more with his natural ability than many actors could do after years and years of training. As a modern day adaptation of "The Most Dangerous Game" (which is a truly phenomenal film -- if you watched this one, you should check that earlier film out -- you will be amazed for several reasons), this film shoots itself in the foot by giving the "game" away in the opening titles. But it makes up for that by developing the story of the central character played by Ice T and using that character as a more deeply imagined hero. As Mason, a way down and out homeless man, Ice T is very convincing. He seems to have been driven nearly wild even as the film opens...living on the streets surviving like an animal. Willing to stop at little or nothing to stay alive. But then life turns dramatically sour even for Mason and he wants a way out. Ready to kill himself, he is pulled back from the brink and offered a chance to get on his feet. Mason is a fighter and he accepts the offer. Grudgingly...but with the appreciation that this could be his only chance. He is then brought to a wilderness cabin thinking he will act as a hunting guide. The crew of actors who play the hunting group are amazing -- all of them have made careers out of being wonderful sociopaths. And at times, things get a little hammy but director Ernest Dickerson -- making a very interesting choice of projects here -- keeps things from going too far over the top. In no time at all, the hunt is on and Mason realizes what his role is in it. He must survive the challenge using his wits and his will. From that point on, the movie runs at a breakneck pace -- pausing shortly to catch its breath. Toward the end, there is one major continuity goof (night in the wilderness lasts only about 10 minutes and then the sun appears again approaching midday)...but you can ignore it and pay attention to the action. That's what films like this are about afterall. Enjoy the ride and don't examine it too much.

Above-average action-thriller
This movie may not win any awards, but if you want to see a decent action-thriller movie, this is one to consider. I liked the twist it had and there was some good acting by Rutger Hauer, Gary Busey, and John McGinley. Depending on your personality, it can be an edge-of-your-seat thriller, or predictable "bad guys vs. singular good guy". But, overall, I liked it. (What does that say of my personality?)

Underrated action-thriller
This is a moderately suspenseful action film with a stellar cast, some breathtaking mountain cinematography and a great musical score. In terms of dramatic tension and scripting, it is by no means in the same league as the likes of "Deliverance", "Southern Comfort", or even John Woo's more stylish rendering of virtually the same theme, "Hard Target", with Jean-Claude Van Damme. I do feel, however, that critics and audiences alike have been too severe in dismissing it, since it is a tale that affords plenty of entertainment and amusement.