FILM FRENZY

Omid Zader and William Katt in Overrun (Photo: Turbo Panda Productions)

OVERRUN
★★ (out of four)
DIRECTED BY Josh Tessier
STARS Omid Zader, Johnny Messner

Overrun should satisfy those viewers who have never seen an action flick before (all three of them?). Everyone else will find the movie underdone and overly familiar.

Omid Zader, who probably landed the leading role because * checks production notes * he’s the film’s producer, delivers an awkward and mostly charm-free performance as Marcus Lombardi, a former extraction specialist who’s forced to do the bidding of ruthless mobster Ray Barren (Robert Miano) in order to secure the release of his kidnapped sister (Chelsey Goldsmith). Marcus is further framed by a dirty cop (William Katt) for the murder of the son (Nick Benseman) of a Russian kingpin (Bruce Dern, always a welcome sight), which means he has both the good cops (Johnny Messner and Chris Tallman) and the bad guys on his tail. A bounty is placed on his head (one million dead, two million alive), which leads to the introduction of a wacky assortment of professional assassins. Presumably, these mercenaries had gotten tired of chasing after John Wick.

The fight sequences are competently staged — no surprise, since both Zader and director Josh Tessier have spent years as stuntmen. These scuffles are far preferable to the film’s attempts at humor, primarily represented through the relationship between Marcus and his techie connection Auggy (Jack Griffo). Their banter is witless, as is the tired dialogue between the detectives. Messner delivers one of the film’s better performances, but Tallman is saddled with the groan-inducing role of the doofus cop who seems one loaded gun away from blowing off his own toes. And because few clichés are left untouched, there’s also the obligatory appearance by a doughnut. You know, because cops, doughnuts … oh, forget it.

(Overrun is available on Amazon Prime, Vudu, Fandango, and other streaming platforms.)