BREAKING POINT is a fine action movie, cleverly directed by the late, great Bob Clark. It's uncommonly moody and tense for the genre, with several moments of jarring violence and some suspense sequences that look like they're out of a horror movie (Clark cut his teeth on horror pictures, and made some great ones, e.g. DEATHDREAM and BLACK CHRISTMAS).
Bo Svenson, giving an effective and likable performance, stars as a family man who, while out walking down a dark, snowy street at night with his stepson, encounters two gangsters beating a man to death. He gets involved, and chases the gangsters away, but it's too late, as their victim succumbs to his injuries. A police detective (Robert Culp, who's always dependable) convinces Svenson to testify against the gangsters in court, and promises to put him into witness protection. Svenson and his family are relocated, but when the case against the gangsters falls apart, Svenson is wanted by the gangsters' vengeful boss. Eventually, Svenson must decide if he wants to keep running with his family in tow, or go after the crime boss himself.
The film is a relatively low budget Canadian production, so you won't get expensive-looking car chases or city blocks exploding, but the tension is palpable throughout, and the action scenes on parade (few as they are) are expertly handled and have an unusual amount of impact, owing to an uncommonly high amount of character development (it's very easy to be concerned about the Svenson character's well-being) and a deliberate - but effective - pace.
As of this writing, the Fox Video DVD (which was available in the early '00s, for a shockingly short amount of time) is long gone, and fetches sizable prices in the online used market. However, it is worth tracking down for action fans, especially those who hold Svenson's turn as Buford Pusser in the WALKING TALL sequels in high regard (BREAKING POINT is a far more accomplished film). It is an action movie that is in dire need of re-release, and rediscovery.
Bo Svenson, giving an effective and likable performance, stars as a family man who, while out walking down a dark, snowy street at night with his stepson, encounters two gangsters beating a man to death. He gets involved, and chases the gangsters away, but it's too late, as their victim succumbs to his injuries. A police detective (Robert Culp, who's always dependable) convinces Svenson to testify against the gangsters in court, and promises to put him into witness protection. Svenson and his family are relocated, but when the case against the gangsters falls apart, Svenson is wanted by the gangsters' vengeful boss. Eventually, Svenson must decide if he wants to keep running with his family in tow, or go after the crime boss himself.
The film is a relatively low budget Canadian production, so you won't get expensive-looking car chases or city blocks exploding, but the tension is palpable throughout, and the action scenes on parade (few as they are) are expertly handled and have an unusual amount of impact, owing to an uncommonly high amount of character development (it's very easy to be concerned about the Svenson character's well-being) and a deliberate - but effective - pace.
As of this writing, the Fox Video DVD (which was available in the early '00s, for a shockingly short amount of time) is long gone, and fetches sizable prices in the online used market. However, it is worth tracking down for action fans, especially those who hold Svenson's turn as Buford Pusser in the WALKING TALL sequels in high regard (BREAKING POINT is a far more accomplished film). It is an action movie that is in dire need of re-release, and rediscovery.