Reviews (5) 
Has some fun moments
Gale force is not necessarily a great B flick, but it's entertaining, takes jabs at reality TV shows and their hosts), has recognizable actors in it that do a decent enough job, and is done well enough to be enjoyable (especially if you like the actors). Though a few scenes of footage are used from other movies (helicopters flying over jungle in Predator, some car stuff and opening concepts from Last Action Hero) such doesn't really bring the picture down. It's meant to be a fun romp, not a spectacular, or entirely original film. Special effects get the job done and aren't too hideous. The kind of movie you might see on a weekend on a miscellaneous cable channel. If you're a fellow Treat Williams fan, I strongly recommend DEEP RISING (a far better fantastic movie), but he's cool in Gale Force as has some fun moments. You might consider turning off Gale Force in the first ten minutes, but it picks up. All in all, a simple flick, with a simple 'who lives and who dies' plot, with some fun moments. It's worth it for the actors, and the jab at reality shows. Good movie to rent on the cheap, or buy in a discount bin somewhere.
SLOW WINDS A BLOWIN
GALE FORCE is another straight to video that suffers from its lack of creative intelligence. Obviously scenes were stolen from previous movies (see other reviews), and the opening scene does little than to establish Treat Williams as a loose cannon. I will say for Treat that even though he can do much better than films like this, he manages to exude a quiet strength that helps elevate his films. Michael Dudikoff as a villain is novel; Susan Walters needs acting lessons; you never know when Cliff deYoung and Tim Thomerson are going to turn up. The effects are sub par, the pacing erratic, but overall it's an entertaining 90 minutes or so.
Comedy 'Force!'
...Treat Williams sported a brown leather jacket, red shirt, blue jeans i.e. Jack Slater's wardrobe and his name was Jack, right? The first ten minutes of the movie will leave you disgusted and you'll probably shut it off immediately. But, the main reason to watch "Gale Force" is because of Michael Dudikoff. The American Ninja plays a bad guy for once and he takes care of business. Basically this movie makes fun of reality television shows especially "Survivor." "Treasure Hunt" has brought in a group of people to search for a pot full of ten million dollars. But, a group of pirates (ex-Navy Seals) are scavenging around the island taking down the contestants. That's enough plot. Too much thinking. Jerad (Dudikoff) asks the host, "You think we're ready for primetime?" and then surprises him with a blast! I was amazed to have seen clips of the helicopters flying around from "Predator" in this movie... This movie is horrible, but it can make anybody laugh. A lightning bolt struck two people at the same time, yes! Old Man Withers still has some fight in him. Way too windy for me, the winds looked pretty windy. Oh well, like I said comedy!
A horrible film that pokes fun at TV reality shows
Treat Williams has made some bad films, and "Gale Force" is another stinker to add to his filmography. This direct-to-video garbage stars Williams as a LAPD detective who is asked to sign up for a new TV reality show, "Treasure Hunt", after he is suspended from the police force. The film's director (supposedly it's Jay Andrews, not Jim Wynorski) decided to steal some footage and action sequences from other films, such as "Last Action Hero" and "Die Hard". I wonder how the makers of "Last Action Hero" feel about having its car chase sequence being digitally inserted into this film! Anyway, avoid this one at all costs, and pray that Treat Williams' new TV series will be better than this [one].
What Could Have Been...
What could have been a REALLY great B Flick with a very different plot ended up just another average B Flick. The plot:"Treasure Hunt" is tv's hottest new reality based show-$10 million dollars is buried on a remote island and it's between 8 contestants to find it and bring it home.(I can hear the idea being pitched now to a major tv studio to actually go through with this) Rogue theives have infiltrated the island and are also looking for the hidden cash but wait another disaster has beset these islanders: a violent tropical storm is heading towards them. Sounds good right?The Bad: Well the opening car chase scene is STOLEN from "Last Action Hero" it is the original scene but edited with Treat Williams in place of Arnold! (Look for the Slater 1 license plate on the car!) Even when the "house" where a hostage is held up blows up (STOLEN from Last Action Hero) it reeks of being from another movie.Didn't the director trust his production company or are B flicks that tight on a budget due to the economy? I thought I could overlook this flaw but alas another scene has a group of ex-Navy Seals flying in by helicopter to the island. This was lifted right from Predator!The somewhat Good:Overall I found it to be entertaining just to find the "borrowed" scenes from better action movies. I was disappointed in Michael Dudikoff playing a bad guy. (First Olivier Gruner in Extreme Honor and now Dudikoff for shame!) Its bad when B actors are playing bad guys instead of the usual "good guy" we see them play in countless other movies. What could have been will probably be when a Big Budget Movie Co. remakes this plot and releases it to a national audience. Bottom Line:Check it out just for a good laugh then check out the better produced movies they borrowed from.
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