One of the more memorable scenes in the brisk action-thriller Third World Cop, is when Capone (Paul Campbell) initiates a staring contest with two gang members in an adjacent car while sitting at a red light.
Capone's partner Wonie (Carl Bradshaw) nervously asks what he is trying to do. Get them both killed.
Capone casually replies, "I'm scared."
"Scared?" Wonie asks.
"I'm scared of what I'll do to them," Capone replies.
Capone's comment sets the tone for this predictable, but watchable cops and robbers action flick filmed in the tradition of the original Dirty Harry and Lethal Weapon with a pulse-thumping reggae beat.
Capone lives the ultimate male fantasy in this digital tape-to-film running gun battle. Capone is in constant conflict with his superiors, makes love and kills in the same afternoon, carries two 9. mm guns in his waistband with the authority reminiscent of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp cleaning up Tombstone , and he shoots first. Shoots deadly. Shoots again. And then asks questions.
However, Capone does hesitate from killing bad guys by the bushel when he suspects his best friend Ratty (Mark Danvers) might be involved with the gun runners.
A word of warning to American audiences, each Third World Cop action figure comes equipped with a thick Jamaican accent that adds color and authenticity to the flick. So the filmmakers felt subtitles were needed, which admittedly helps the viewer through the first 10 minutes of the film. However, savvy audiences adapt rather quickly to the accents and the subtitles could have been dropped after a time.
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