Le Contrat

Raw Deal was in the classic Arnie era, the era of one line classics and bad acting. How quality is this film, its just non-stop from start to finish. You've got the classic good guy joins the mobsters gang in order to bring them down - Arnie sports a classic lumberjack shirt in this film as he plays a small town sheriff (check out the car chase at the beginning). He rolls of classic line after classic line, there is one instance where him and his wife have a argument - she throws are cake at him after she has had a few drinks, he says "You shouldn't drink...and bake" how cool is that this looks surprisingly low budget for Arnie, but you have to watch it for its comedy value

This is a great film for what it purports to be. It's an action picture, but it also has curious storyline that keeps one interested in Joey P. Brenner's travails, and it's not all that predictable until the very end. Moreover, it does have a human element at times (plus we see a still-massive Arnold sporting a wife-beater). Granted, Arnold doesn't have much depth of dialogue, but it's not Shakespeare. I don't understand why everyone else dislikes "Raw Deal" to such an intense degree, as one must first understand where it is coming from. It is a fun film, one of the few Schwarzenegger films that is a must-have on dvd.

I was a teenager when "Raw Deal" first came out, and when it was released on video I remember renting it... and fast-forwarding through big chunks of it. More then twenty years later, I found it on DVD at my local video store, and not remembering anything about it, I decided to give it another chance. Well, I did not fast-forward through it this time... though I was sorely tempted to. It's no wonder that this movie has been mostly forgotten despite the presence of Schwarzenegger. It often has a cheap and tacky look to it, for one thing. Nobody on screen seems to be having that much fun, despite occasional stabs at humor. But the most surprising thing about it is that there is considerably less action than you might think. And the action, when it does come, isn't the least bit exciting. The most interesting thing about this movie is how closely it resembles the generic straight-to-DVD action movies of recent years.

Raw Deal sounds exactly as what you are gonna get: RAW ACTION. The kind of action Arnold Schwarzenegger got famous for in the eighties and nineties: action combined with good jokes. The "story": Arnold is a sheriff fighting bad guys. The good: the jokes AND the straightforward ACTION. This is a movie right after Arnold got famous with "The Terminator", Ingredients: action AND jokes. A wonderful combo! Directed by John Irvin, who is known for his raw spirited war movies. Any bad? Man, it's completely B-movie territory, meaning it's eighties dated looking, with silly shoot-outs, silly chases and silly jokes, BUT this B-movie is one of the better kind. Lovers of the eighties A-team and the sorts could enjoy this kind of action B-movie stuff. Heck everybody in the eighties with enough male testosterone in their bodies loved this B-movie stuff. Enjoy the eighties!

I own this movie. Well, I own most of Arnold's movies. But I've only watched this one 3 or 4 times over the last decade. It's not a great movie although I think I enjoy it a little bit more with each viewing. The flick does have its moments. I like the interplay between Max and Brenner. And Arnold plays a very cool Mafia-like guy. The ending -- if you could even call it that -- is terrible. Did the script say, "Insert ending here"? Nevertheless, I liked the action even if it was corny at times. And the style of the movie grows on you with each viewing. I give it a 6/10 for been slightly more enjoyable than average.

Arnold at his peak as a one-man wrecking crew as he demolishes a crime family single-handed. It reminds me of the Stallone film where Rambo takes on Russia in Afghanistan. This film has good acting though, and the ever-evil Robert Davi at his slimy best. The shoot-out at the gravel pit with "Satisfaction" playing is a classic. And don't forget the classic line :"You should not drink and bake"!

I have been soaking up a lot of vicarious aggression lately with Van Damme, Stallone, and Ahnuld. I bet a lot of Arnie's fans have missed this little gem. No, we don't look for quality here, but Schwarzenegger does a credible job of acting and he keeps throwing out these funny lines that keep you in stitches. Nothing original here - failed FBI agent, now small town Sheriff (think Bruce Willis in Hostage or Striking Distance, Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone, or many others who are out in the cold because of their screw-ups or someone's evil deed - called to infiltrate the mob and bring them down. You know Arnie's going to get the job done with muscle and firepower. He even manages a little romance - damn little - with Kathryn Harrold. Paybacks are hell!