There's just something about Sandra Hess. Full stop. All the men in this film seem to go gaga over her and have trouble keeping their eyes off her. Not hard to see why. From opening to close, she ends up centre of attention. Virtually at every turn in the company of someone new and finding herself caught in a dangerously bizarre chain of events.
"ENDANGERED" (aka "THE HUNTED") is a considerably well-shot, taut B-grade fight for survival revenge outing that keeps to the basics. No surprises in how it's filmed, or in what direction in wants to go. Well, that's what you tend to think, until it decides to shake things up. This story is cluttered with forceful twists and turns, yet it does a good job disguising them. It sure does make it much more interesting and suspenseful.
The plot follows a young couple hiking in the wilderness when they come across four psychotic boneheaded drug runners who have their eyes on Kate (an excellently feisty Sandra Hass) for some 'fun', but she manages to escape, to only bump into another hiker (Richard Hench). Earlier these same four, unknowingly killed an off duty police officer from a nearby town and the local sheriff (Rick Aiello) decides not to wait around heading out on the trail of these murderers. Then throw in a mysterious stranger (Martin Kove), who seems to be tracking the sheriff. Is this the guy the drug runners are meant to meet up with in the valley for their business deal?
During the early scenes there seems to be a couple suspicious looking characters that you know are going to play a bigger part in the scheme of things, as the story progresses. Kove is the pick of the lot, although his character doesn't utter a word within the first hour and spends most time playing hide and seek. Hench's philosophical character is just an obsessive weirdo that you just know there's something not quite right. As for Aiello's sheriff, he slowly grows into the live-wire part. One thing though, every one of these men (including the four reckless thugs) learn they are in for a fight.
Hess' character has got a real mean kick on her, and they literally find that out. After playing the victim and sick of running, the screws are finally turned. By becoming resourceful, making booby traps in such a quick matter of time, you'll be amazed by how much she gets done. Even how far she would go to manipulatively prove a point will most likely have you raising an eyebrow. All of this doesn't really occur until the brutal third act, as before that you got to deal with a lot of wandering through the woods, along with the cardsharp plot's regular reveals. Still there are small pockets, like the intense first encounter when the drug runners come across the skinny dipping couple (which Hess does again later on), while the rugged mountainous terrain adds another risky element.
In the end it was more excessive, than studious watching Hess breaking out the shackles, going Rambo to stick it to 'em.
"ENDANGERED" (aka "THE HUNTED") is a considerably well-shot, taut B-grade fight for survival revenge outing that keeps to the basics. No surprises in how it's filmed, or in what direction in wants to go. Well, that's what you tend to think, until it decides to shake things up. This story is cluttered with forceful twists and turns, yet it does a good job disguising them. It sure does make it much more interesting and suspenseful.
The plot follows a young couple hiking in the wilderness when they come across four psychotic boneheaded drug runners who have their eyes on Kate (an excellently feisty Sandra Hass) for some 'fun', but she manages to escape, to only bump into another hiker (Richard Hench). Earlier these same four, unknowingly killed an off duty police officer from a nearby town and the local sheriff (Rick Aiello) decides not to wait around heading out on the trail of these murderers. Then throw in a mysterious stranger (Martin Kove), who seems to be tracking the sheriff. Is this the guy the drug runners are meant to meet up with in the valley for their business deal?
During the early scenes there seems to be a couple suspicious looking characters that you know are going to play a bigger part in the scheme of things, as the story progresses. Kove is the pick of the lot, although his character doesn't utter a word within the first hour and spends most time playing hide and seek. Hench's philosophical character is just an obsessive weirdo that you just know there's something not quite right. As for Aiello's sheriff, he slowly grows into the live-wire part. One thing though, every one of these men (including the four reckless thugs) learn they are in for a fight.
Hess' character has got a real mean kick on her, and they literally find that out. After playing the victim and sick of running, the screws are finally turned. By becoming resourceful, making booby traps in such a quick matter of time, you'll be amazed by how much she gets done. Even how far she would go to manipulatively prove a point will most likely have you raising an eyebrow. All of this doesn't really occur until the brutal third act, as before that you got to deal with a lot of wandering through the woods, along with the cardsharp plot's regular reveals. Still there are small pockets, like the intense first encounter when the drug runners come across the skinny dipping couple (which Hess does again later on), while the rugged mountainous terrain adds another risky element.
In the end it was more excessive, than studious watching Hess breaking out the shackles, going Rambo to stick it to 'em.
