L.A. Bounty Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

L.A. Bounty Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 26, 2020

In the late 1980s, actress Sybil Danning was looking to change her career path. Typically employed in bombshell roles (“They’re Playing with Fire,” “Malibu Express”), Danning squeezed out of typecasting by taking more control over her employment options, portraying icier characters and ditching tight outfits. For 1989’s “L.A. Bounty,” Danning goes the extra mile, claiming a producing and a story credit for the picture, which introduces Ruger, a no-nonsense killer of men who prowls the Los Angeles area hunting for targets, cutting through the community in a ragged leather jacket and mom jeans. Danning presents herself as a royal punisher in “L.A. Bounty,” and she fits the “Terminator”-esque part, handling the endeavor’s level of violence and steely looks at cowardly targets. She’s fun in an entertaining VHS-era actioner, with director Worth Keeter (“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,” “Silk Stalkings”) keeping matters on the move with a basic tale of revenge and L.A.-based B-movie tourism.

Mayoral candidate Mike (Robert Hanley) is ready to celebrate with his wife, Kelly (Lenore Kasdorf), after a long time on the campaign trail. Returning home for a night of lovemaking, the marital adventure is rudely interrupted by armed thugs, who kidnap Mike while Kelly manages to hide, avoiding capture. Breaking up the violent event is Ruger (Sybil Danning), a tough bounty hunter who’s not interested in saving the politician, only pursuing Cavanaugh (Wings Hauser). A madman painter who also deals in cocaine and weapons, Cavanaugh ordered the kidnapping, holding Mike for a large ransom, trusting Kelly will pay anything to get her husband back. On the case is Chandler (Henry Darrow), a cop who works with a distraught Kelly, trying to find any possible leads, and Ruger pushes harder on Cavanaugh, disrupting his plans to the best of her ability as she seeks revenge for the murder of her L.A.P.D. partner, who was tortured by the villain long ago.

While Danning cooks up the story, screenwriter Michael W. Leighton (“The Genesis Code”) is tasked with creating multiple subplots to follow, including the crisis concerning the taking of Mike. On the verge winning power in Los Angeles, Mike is yanked out of his bedroom by armed goons, with the evening attack interrupted by Ruger, who casually enters the household and takes out a few of Cavanaugh’s men before they escape. The cops aren’t sure what’s going on, but Cavanaugh isn’t happy with the results, but he’s not exactly thrilled with anything besides his own insanity. Of course, with Hauser in the role, tremendous overacting is guaranteed, but the actor tries even harder to make himself seen in “L.A. Bounty,” treating the part like an audition for Tim Burton’s “Batman,” going all Joker-y with a character who’s written as a hyperactive man of art, spending his afternoons painting nude women, which gives him an orgasmic high. And he’s in charge of Gothic Imports, a company specializing in weird trinkets that, according to the climax, explode.

Cavanaugh is a lunatic, and one who’s prepared to let his private army die to protect his prize, keeping Mike in his warehouse while sending soldiers to assassinate Kelly, a witness to his brutality. “L.A. Bounty” serves up set pieces that explore dangers facing the innocent caught up in this mess, and Keeter keeps up with low-budget moviemaking traditions by staging such dangerous encounters in easily gettable locations, including a car chase inside of a parking garage. It’s a botched assassination attempt that’s all squealy tires and smashed vehicles, with Ruger stepping in to save the day, collecting Kelly to attract Cavanaugh’s attention. The production doesn’t have money to spend, but it offers some satisfactory stunt work, willing to smash metal and sending stunt people flying off buildings to summon thrills. It works with lowered expectations. More amusing is a sequence where Ruger lures more of Cavanaugh’s men out into the open, this time at a movie studio backlot, dueling with armed boobs on a western set. It’s this kind of cheekiness that gives “L.A. Bounty” a boost, avoiding camp to simply use what’s around, having fun with genre moods, especially with Danning’s performance, which giving off Eastwood vibes as she denies herself lines (barely speaking in the feature) to supply a more imposing presence of dark justice, even chomping on cigarillos to complete the look.

Another subplot highlights the current L.A. mayor and his growing paranoia that the city suspects him of orchestrating the kidnapping. It’s an interesting idea to follow, but Keeter isn’t too strong when it comes to planting red herrings, more assured with direct lines of intimidation as Cavanaugh steps up his game of death (even killing his own men, who appear to be in limitless supply), and Ruger’s backstory is gradually revealed, out to right a longstanding wrong after the system failed her. “L.A. Bounty” isn’t exactly a tightly braided study of corruption and villainy, but it delivers the basics for this type of entertainment, and Keeter keeps things involving by moving around the city, including a visit to the Griffith Park Observatory, where Ruger confronts a creep connected to Cavanaugh, pulling a massive gun on the criminal in broad daylight.

L.A. Bounty Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Billed as a release in "fabulous HD," the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is pulled from the MGM vault. A fresh scan hasn't been ordered for "L.A. Bounty," but what's here is passable, leading with decent colors that enjoy stylish lighting, especially for the climatic warehouse fight, which pumps up blues and reds. Daytime hues are secure, providing satisfying greenery and blue skies. Costuming explore period looks. Skintones are natural. Detail is adequate, offering softness due to age, but certain facial particulars are appreciable, surveying age and action hero intensity (Danning is covered with tight close-ups). Costuming has leathery and cottony textures, and interior decoration is open for survey. Delineation is acceptable. Grain has some chunkiness. Source is in decent shape, with some speckling.

L.A. Bounty Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix handles comfortably, delivering clear dialogue exchanges. Scoring cues provide more of a synth rumble, with heavier beats and stings, supporting the action comfortably. Sound effects explore shootouts and car chases, occasionally lacking expected emphasis.

L.A. Bounty Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this release.

L.A. Bounty Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"L.A. Bounty" makes an effort, which is more than this subgenre normally receives, finding cinematography Gary Graver attempting to infuse a little stylish lighting, helping Danning with the power poses she's eager to present. And the score from Howard Leese and John Sterling delivers a pleasant synth creep, offering driving beats to best support infiltration sequences. It's not a hospital corners production, but there's some level of craftsmanship helping the cause, including editorial offerings from Stewart Schill, who visually connects the dots with care. "L.A. Bounty" is meant to be Danning's big attempt to generate her own series, and while the film didn't inspire any sequels, she gets one reasonably engaging chapter to best explore her onscreen cold bloodedness. And she has Hauser to scowl at, pairing a silent eliminator with a chattery, overly indicating lunatic for maximum bottom shelf entertainment.