User Reviews

Being from NZ there's always a fascination in seeing your home country on screen. At first a decidedly B movie script plays out. Judd Pierson (Cliff Robertson) and his best friend's son Casey Lane (Leif Garrett) find themselves doing car jumping shows in small towns in NZ for chump change after a promising NASCAR career was cut short by a fatal accident in the pits. Enter Dr Christine Ruben (Lisa Harrow) who works at a top secret army biological weapons research lab (housed weirdly under Larnach Castle in Dunedin). Her colleague is a CIA asset and persuades her to smuggle out a vial of dangerous formulae to his CIA handlers in Queenstown. Having seen Judd's skills at the wheel of his modified Pontiac Transam, she hires Judd to drive her at top speed to her rendezvous. What ensues is a most spectacular chase across the beautiful scenery of NZ from Dunedin to Queenstown to the port of Picton, across Cook Strait, around Wellington to a most extraordinary and dramatic final ending! The highly implausible plot is subsumed by the drama of the elongated chase and the great scenery.

The fact that the NZ Army doesn't do that kind of research, never had grey space suit like uniforms, never had a fleet of shadowy black vehicles to chase people or sinister spy type officers who direct operations from a helicopter in a suit would be lost on most audiences. Being unable to seal off roads out of Wellington (a city built on hilly terrain with few access points) is incompetence also lost on non kiwi audiences.

Ironically Cliff Robertson and Leif Garrett play characters down on their luck that mirrored their careers in the early 1980's. This period was a low point on Roberson's career and for Leif Garrett, the child actor who became a global teen heartthrob singer in the late '70's, was trying to resurrect his former acting career having lost his adolescent golden locks and baby face good looks after years of hard partying and drug abuse. Roberson was able to get better roles as he aged but Garrett, despite being a halfway decent actor, could not and spent years in a drug addicted hole. Of final note was the nostalgic look at life in NZ in the early 80's, the cars, the Shona Lang gig in the pub and the laid back lifestyle. A B grade movie well worth seeing

SHAKER RUN is a little-known addition to the high-velocity sub-genre of car chase movies that have been doing the rounds since the 1960s. The most interesting thing about it is that it was made in New Zealand, so the glorious landscapes and scenery add immeasurably to the standard car action, which is shot through in a low budget fashion. The direction is rather clunky but there's no denying the level of danger and enthusiasm which comes from the stunts and wrecks which are well staged for the cameras. The plot is slight and the performances slighter, although old-timer Cliff Robertson is obviously having fun and former Hammer man Shane Briant is a decent villain. The eye-dropping climax has to be seen to be believed; I saw similar in the trailer for the new FAST & FURIOUS flick, but here it's all done for real without CGI.

Seemingly the only reason for the movie "Shaker Run" to exist, is to prove now, beyond any doubt, the old adage: "real men wear pink." Judd Pierson (Robertson) is a down-on-his-luck stunt driver for the "Helldrivers Auto Circus". He's getting older, and he can't quite jump that long row of cars like he used to. The audiences are dwindling but luckily Pierson has a young and enthusiastic sidekick named Casey (Garrett). Being a passenger in speeding cars makes Casey ill, which really complicates the events about to transpire...

When scientist Dr. Christine Rubin (Harrow) approaches them to take "the box" (which is a lethal virus) from one side of New Zealand to the other, The Helldriver boys reluctantly accept. The only problem is, an endless supply of Australian baddies are hot on their trail and constantly trying to kill them. The leader of the cabal of goons is Paul Thoreau (Briant of "Moving Targets" fame) who is in a helicopter for most of the movie.

Can the Helldrivers and Dr. Rubin get "the box" to its destination before it is snatched away by Thoreau? "Shaker Run" is an undiscovered gem of a road movie. There are some impressive car chases and stunts. Just imagine a cross between "Vanishing Point", "Smokey & The Bandit", and "The Andromeda Strain". While the title: "Shaker Run" might not be fully explained, I suppose "Vanishing Smokey Strain" doesn't have a good ring to it. Robertson portrays the grizzled old driver who's "the best" with aplomb. He also has cool hat. It is not quite 10 gallon, more like 3-4 gallons. But it suits him perfectly.

Another good thing about "Run" is was made before political correctness and the "Budweiser" logo appears on cars and a simple chase that lasts for most of the movie is all you needed to get by.

One of the highlights is when our heroes are trapped on a boat. If you ever wanted to see Leif Garrett bash through a wall, here is your chance. Lastly, in a show of consideration, one of the credits at the end of the movie asks that you "please drive home safely." "Run" to go see "Shaker Run" tonight! For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

Cliff Robertson contributes one of his sturdy, pleasant, reassuring reliable old pro portrayals as Judd Pierson, a crusty, disillusioned crackerjack race car driver whose career has hit the skids. Despite the efforts of loyal, adoring, wide-eyed mechanic Casey (a likably relaxed performance by boyish, fluffy-haired 70's teen heartthrob Leif Garrett), Judd's feeling pretty lousy because he's stuck doing death-defying stunts for a third-rate crash and burn thrill show traveling across New Zealand. So when gutsy, dedicated germ warfare disease researcher Christine Ruben (lovely Lisa Harrow) promises to pay Judd $3,000 to drive her through some treacherous winding backroads, Casey persuades Judd to accept her offer. But unbeknownst to either Judd or Casey, Ruben takes along a sample of a deadly virus she's been working on; it's a top secret bug that the company she works for wants back by any means necessary. Naturally, a lethal team of assassins lead by the sublimely snooty slimeball Shane Briant give chase.

Director Bruce Morrison, abetted by a briskly efficient screenplay (said script Morrison co-wrote with James Kouf, Jr. and henry Fownes), Stephen McCurdy's jazzy, hard-blasting score, spirited acting by a fine cast, a sharp sense of dry, biting humor ("There's nothing in our contract about leading us into the valley of death and getting out butts shot off"), beauteous New Zealand countryside scenery, and Kevin Hayward's handsome, gleaming cinematography, pumps up the pace and maintains a neck-snappingly fast sense of constant momentum. The awesomely well-mounted chase sequences are staged with lip-smacking verve and a camera gets affixed to the side of the wildly careening automobiles, thereby infusing the rousing proceedings with a jangly, punchy, invigorating vitality. Sure, this honey doesn't cover any fresh chase/action thriller ground, but it certainly goes through the familiar motions in a most satisfyingly dynamic and straightforward manner. In fact, this solid, neatly executed number would make a swell double bill with the somewhat similar and equally kickin' "The Chain Reaction."