Watchable enough, for various reasons: who doesn't like to think of putting holes in bad guys? Who is unamused to see Olympia Dukakis, Christopher Guest, Paul Dooley and The Fly in bit parts? Who can resist the obscene spectacle of Charles Bronson's rude hamburger face perched atop one of the most classically sculpted physiques in pre-Schwarzenegger stardom?

But ultimately it's a Michael Winner movie, so, eh. This wildly uneven director (MECHANIC and LAWMAN a little better than they oughtta be; NIGHTCOMERS just irresistibly awful; BIG SLEEP largely soporific) here demonstrates his inability to sustain mood and his lack of interest in coherence, both spatial and logical. Mostly he exemplifies a bland form of typical British salaciousness. The early rape scene involving Bronson's daughter is a pretty straight ripoff of the home invasion in CLOCKWORK ORANGE from a couple of years previous, but lacks the grandeur, morbid humor, and lasting chill of Kubrick's version.

Aside from the indifferent direction, there are numerous technical underachievements. Most annoying is Herbie Hancock's score, hugely derivative of Lalo Schifrin's cop movie music yet not ever quite interesting. Thank God these guys didn't get to do FRENCH CONNECTION.