Target Practice (II) (2008) User Reviews

Indie version of Southern Comfort

[Tyutchev · 4/10 · 24 June 2013]

*** May contain spoilers ****Definitely contains criticism****

I won't go into the specifics of the movie, as several other reviewers have done a good job of that already. The film work was OK, but the dialogue and plot needed some serious work on it, because a lot of it doesn't make sense.

For a start, there was no tactical reason for the terrorists to target the group. None of them were near the camp, and a simple Road Closed sign, along with a couple of trees across the road would have sufficed to deter casual travelers. Killing 5 men has a very high risk of discovery - yet they engaged them nonetheless. Not very tactical. And are we to believe that 'secret' training camps have well established gravel roads leading to them ?

Although they're being hunted, all the characters gob off like they are in a busy Starbucks, instead of being in a valley where sound will carry for miles.

One of the survivors, showing complete unfamiliarity around firearms (and common sense), is still able to kill several trained terrorists. Despite telling the CIA agent he doesn't trust him, he continues to keep him around, instead of taking the gun, and then leaving him behind. Why ? It just doesn't make sense.

I'm not sure what point the director was trying to make, but two of the three survivors are so obnoxious in the first 5 minutes (and continued to be), I was disappointed they weren't killed in the initial ambush. In fact, the lack of empathy for the characters and their plight gave me little reason to finish watching this movie. I really could not care less if any of them survived or not. In the end, I turned it off because I could not suspend disbelief long enough to persevere.

I appreciate I may not be the target audience (excuse the pun) but if you have a love for indie films, and can tolerate poor dialogue, leading characters who are whiny morons, and can see gems where others see flaws, you may enjoy this because the film work is decent, even if the script needs some vigorous polishing.

Hearkens back to '70s B Movie Greatness

[DrScore · 17 July 2011]

Directorial Debut of Rich Riedel is a winner. A minuscule budget doesn't hamper the fun as a group of friends head out to the woods for a little r & r and run into the unexpected. Yeah, we've seen this type of story played out before in the action and horror genres (this one , strictly action), but Riedel's version puts a fresh twist on it. He keeps you guessing as the woods seem to be more populated with friends turned enemies turned friends then one would imagine.

For a group of unknowns, the actors deliver believable performances. The camera is always in the right place and Riedel ratchets up the tension effectively.

It seems like these type of straight ahead action pieces are a thing of the past, what with everyone trying to blend genres and "Tarantino" the story lines and dialog (often with unwatchable results). In many ways, Target Practice is a valentine to the action films of yore. He doesn't try to reshape the genre, he just hits all the right beats at the right times. A blast.

Slow low budget B-action

[zaphold · 3/10 · 22 December 2010]

I feel sorry for the makers of this movie for what I am about to write. Better luck next time.

I watch a lot of indie movies, and I don't think a big budget necessarily makes a good movie. However, the action genre is probably not the place you'd want to start out in with a super-low budget, and I must say that it was sub-par to most other indie flicks I've seen. The only thing that stands out in a good way is the gory parts with effects/makeup.

I have trouble deciding if the poor acting was due to bad directing, scripting, bad actors but probably a combination of all. Only the Al-Qaeda leader character was somewhat realistic. All other roles felt like a group of ten-year-old boys in grown-up bodies arguing with each other. Already in the first scenes I am asking myself "How are these people even friends?", because they behave like a dysfunctional family where nobody has any respect for each other whatsoever and will start shouting like crazy over nothing. This repeats throughout the movie. Not even the CIA agent can keep his cool (this is a person who is supposed to have had years of background checks and psyche evaluations?).

The unlikely group of people traveling together behave like if they want to get in trouble (kind of like in horror movies where half naked girls walk out in the forest alone shouting "is there anybody there?"). Very irrational. See a car at the side of the road with bullet holes? - don't walk into the woods.

Also not likely: * The homegrown terrorists are using Kalashnikovs(?) I don't think they are very easy to come by in northern America, and they have horrible accuracy. According to experts they are only an advantage when the enemy does not have a gun at all, or for shooting into crowds. Not something you would use for target practice, or be able to make those long range head shots. If you are making a movie about terrorists - at least know this much about them. * After the first shoot-out the terrorists simply give the unarmed civilians a 5 minute head start to run away and hide. * Nobody would in real life go back and fight 17 trained killers, when they have the option to flee and get help. Especially if you have no training yourself. This guy does not even know how to hold a rifle. Still he manages somehow to outs-shoot all of the terrorists.

(Footnote: I took interest in this movie after reading the existing reviews on IMDb (12/21 2010) (all positive), but after watching the movie I must say they were in my opinion most probably strongly biased (written in promotional fashion and 9/10 score). Everyone have the right to their own opinion in a review, but at least be genuine. IMDb admins - feel free to remove this foot note if you disagree.)

Extremely Poor Movie

[imdb-932-279398 · 1/10 · 24 December 2010]

It is rare that I actually register on a website to leave a review on a movie. This is that movie. It was by far the worst film I have ever seen. I want 90 minutes of my life back.

While the premise is sound, the execution was horrible. The acting was bad, the directing was bad, the script was bad, the editing was bad, even the sound engineering was bad. I could find nothing good at all in this film.

It seems like the whole movie was shot with one hand-held camera in shaky-cam/random-zoom mode. In one scene, the camera was not even focused on the actor that was speaking.

I was surprised by the 'good' reviews that this movie seems to have everywhere. They are not deserved. Do not waste your time on this movie.

Gritty and Impressive!

[pope-eclipse · 8/10 · 6 March 2010]

Rich Riedel's TARGET PRACTICE has a simple premise - after leaving for a weekend trip to the mountains, five friends find themselves the unfortunate prey of an unknown predator. However, despite the seeming familiarity, thanks to superb characterization and execution, the story feels refreshingly urgent and, most importantly, human.

Particular credit must be given to Riedel. He worked as a literal one-man-band, covering all the key crew positions in addition to directing and writing the film. With all these responsibilities falling squarely on one person's shoulders, the film could have easily felt like a backyard home movie. While it is a little rough around the edges at points, Riedel reigns over the proceedings with such a sure hand that it never feels anything less than visceral.

The cast is equally as strong, giving excellent performances that help to round out the characters and propel the events forward at breakneck speed.

In short, TARGET PRACTICE is truly independent film-making at its finest.

bad as (s) action flick

[exiphen · 10/10 · 13 February 2010]

all you Indies out there i would recommend seeing this one. tight editing and good cam work produces a nice action flick. saw it at Burbank and then again last month at a screening. goes to show what can be done with a smaller budget and some talent! if you dig Indies, like action, or you are becoming a filmmaker i would highly recommend seeing this film. for fun or education... good flick. i am glad to see that they are getting a good festival push. latest i heard the film is screening in two festivals Georgia and Honolulu... so good luck to them on those. keep an eye out for one of the stars, good guy and future action star Joey Lanai who has a good performance... director has got a good future in front of him.. hope to see him do some more action films.

A terrific picture

[zikzhongwa · 14 February 2010]

This is a terrific picture with great action, suspense, and atmosphere.

Director Rich Riedel not only understands the impact of flashy, noisy gun play, he also gets the importance of silence as an almost unbearable agent of tension. Excellent performances by all of the cast. And a brilliant use of location where he transforms the great outdoors into Hell.

I first saw this picture as an Executive Board member for one of the many festivals that screened it. Board enthusiasm for TARGET PRACTICE was robust and unanimous, and the film was a huge audience favorite. See it!

Fun Film? I don't think so

[gkrayden · 9/10 · 14 October 2009]

I saw this movie 2 times, at a film festival in Hollywood and then another one in Burbank. I really liked it but I sure wouldn't call it "fun," it's just really intense and suspenseful and actually pretty scary at parts. Almost like a horror movie. People were covering their eyes! I wasn't expecting that.

I really liked the story, the whole idea about these terrorist camps in the woods. There's a lot of news reports on these places. I'm surprised some big studio didn't make a movie like this already. I'm also pretty surprised the FBI or whatever isn't doing more about the real camps.

It starts out with these guys going on a fishing trip in the mountains. They almost hit a car that someone left in the middle of the road and they decide to go back and see if someone needed help or something. Bad call! Next thing you know, somebody's using them for target practice. See? Only it's like a LOT of somebody's, they're getting shot at from unseen snipers in the trees and the bullets are coming from every direction.

Rest of the movie shows the guys fighting for survival, but there's a lot of twists and turns that I don't want to give away because I don't want to set off the Spoiler Police! But it's just a really good, really suspenseful little movie that I liked so much the first time, I took some more people the second time and they really liked it, too. It sure isn't "fun," though!

worth every minute

[lakingsol · 10/10 · 3 February 2011]

I heard allot about this movie and decided to check it out and I must say it was rather refreshing compared to all the mainstream big Hollywood money machine productions that are so hard to get into now a days. I was captured by this films intensity and storyline from the very beginning. It was believable. The actors were believable. The directing and camera work kept me on the edge of my seat. Even the dialog was original and witty. This movie Target Practice moves along with a gritty and precise determination leading to the climax., it is quite obvious someone knew what they were doing. I would recommend this movie to anyone with a thirst for something different. With a bigger budget, I would be very inclined to see what else these young film makers can accomplish.

Smart, exceptionally suspenseful bit of filmmaking

[D-Hillman75 · 8/10 · 3 January 2011]

I can see why this one divides people. No robots, massive explosions, or big-name stars. Just relentless mounting tension and a surprisingly intelligent script dealing with the scary topic of terrorist training camps in our own backyards. A group of friends head off into the mountains on a weekend fishing trip, already at odds with each other over a variety of issues, ranging from mundane things like stopping for bathroom breaks to more serious arguments over racial prejudice. When they almost run into a vehicle that's been left on the side of a mountain road, the argument becomes whether they should stop to see if anyone needs their help or just keep going.

They end up doing the good samaritan thing and it costs them big time; minutes after stopping, they find themselves the targets of a bloody ambush and the survivors are running for their lives through the forest. From that point on, the characters are battling for survival, trying to figure out who's hunting them down, and why, and facing a series of increasingly nerve-wracking, horrific discoveries. The level of suspense that the film generates is, at times, staggering.

The camera-work may be off-putting to some. It's not herky-jerky as in the Bourne movies, but it moves restlessly, picking out a subtle hand movement here, a nervous flitter of someone's eye there. And for the most part, the actors are previously undiscovered newcomers, which is to be expected in an ultra-independent film like this (ala "Blair Witch" or "Paranormal Activity"), but they're all very good. A couple of them are excellent, and there are some unexpectedly touching moments of genuine emotion between them.

If you need your toys to have lots of noisy whistles and blinking lights and to come in big boxes with shiny red ribbons, this one probably isn't for you. If you like your action films to be a little more well-developed, edgy, and thought-provoking, you'll really appreciate this tense little trip into the woods.

Great Indie Action Flick

[randallc61 · 8/10 · 5 January 2011]

A group of guys go into the woods for a boys weekend away and end up running for their lives from a homegrown terrorist operation they stumbled upon. The action starts early and doesn't let up.

I really liked this movie. It was a smart indie action film. It's not a big budget, Hollywood, Brangelina movie. So it's not for everyone. But if you want something exciting, new and well done, this is a great movie. I actually like the unpolished look and feel of it much like I like the original "Halloween" or "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". It's the "indieness" that helps keep the tension alive along with the smart writing and direction.

Can't wait to see what Riedel comes up with next.

A Powerful, Pumping, Powerhouse of a Movie

[jason_stewart · 8/10 · 15 January 2011]

I was lucky enough to see Target Practice some time ago and am very glad to know it is out in the wild for all to enjoy. A spiritual sibling of the great male-bonding gone way, way South movie "Deliverance", Target Practice moves the action into a post-9/11 world where the band of bro's out for a fishing trip are faced, not with sodomite hillbillies, but with home-grown terrorists training for all manner of nefarious acts.

Director Rich Riedel steers clear of Boorman's "men have lost touch with their caveman selves" pathos and, instead, focuses on the action. He knows how to frame a shot and edit the hell out of a scene to maximize the tension. The cast is professional across the board and relatively believable while doing all manner of violent acts. The picture is gorgeous to look at and the wilderness setting really pops in high def.

Do yourself a favor. Gather your closest male buddies, buy a couple cases of beer, fire up the BBQ, and watch Target Practice!

Gunfire ruins a fishing trip.

[michaelRokeefe · 8/10 · 20 April 2012]

This indy film directed by Richmond Riedel holds your attention pretty much from the get go. A car load of blue-collar buds are off to a weekend of fun-filled fishing until they pass an unattended car in the woods. The good Samaritan attempt is immediately interrupted by gunfire. A couple of the guys are shot dead and Paul(Joey Lanai), Mark(Eric Dean) with another survive to scurry to the woods to hide. They discover they are targets of a dangerous cell of terrorists trying to protect the location of their training camp. The injured and frightened city boys think they have been befriended by an undercover CIA agent that infiltrated the terrorists ...but they have been double crossed. Tension builds, adrenaline pumps and relentless violence keeps you flinching rifle fire. Good guys match intelligence with the bad guys making for an action-thriller. Also in the cast: Eltony Williams, Aaron Hawk, Solomon Hoilett, Sean Christopher, Richard DeGullio, Bryan Hanna and Myles McLane.

Suspenseful and thought-provoking

[michael-dunaway · 17 July 2011]

Rich Riedel's promising directorial debut should please action fans and art-house connisseurs alike.

Riedel's primary experience is in editing, and it shows. The story is paced expertly to build up the maximum tension possible.

The acting is a bit uneven but there are some very strong performances here, notably from Eltony Williams.

The indie film world doesn't produce a whole lot of action films, so it's important to recognize the talents that do emerge so that they find success. An action film world populated solely by directors who came up through the studio system isn't what anyone needs. Riedel has a bright future.