Review of Raw Deal (1986) by Steven1981 — 18 Mar 2020

John Irvin's action crime thriller, Raw Deal was made in 1986 by John Irvin who was on director duties. Raw Deal followed the year after Commando (1985) was made and Arnold Schwarzenegger returns but not as Matrix but some small town sheriff.

.. Raw Deal is a simple story that basically begins with some character named Kaminski having to resign from the FBI and is demoted to sheriff in a small town but a friend of his, FBI chief "Harry Shannon" played by Darren McGavin has his son killed after a witness is killed who was going to testify against some mob boss played by Sam Wanamaker.

Chief Harry Shannon (McGavin) wants revenge for his son so hires Kaminski (Schwarzenegger) to infiltrate the mob. Sheriff Kaminski (Schwarzenegger) fakes his own death at a petrol storage yard facility by causing a huge explosion and riding away on a motorbike leaving his police car blown sky high then sends his wife Amy (Blanche Baker) somewhere safe until the job is completed.

Kaminski stays in contact with Harry Shannon (McGavin) and looks like some business man with gelled hair as he roams the casino's and various buildings and meeting the criminal organisation run by mob boss Patrovita (Sam Wanamaker) who's responsible for the death of the police chiefs son.

Kaminski is hired into the criminal organisation by Rocca (Paul Shenar) and Kaminski also meets Max Keller (Robert Davi) who's not impressed with Kaminski walking around smoking a big cigar lol. Kaminski (Schwarzenegger) gets romantically involved with Monique (Kathryn Harold) but doesn't sleep with her.

Kaminski tears up Lamanski's (Steven Hil) business who's not liked by mob boss Patrovita (Wanamaker) and Raw Deal is a very intelligent movie and stylish and glamouros compared to most Schwarzenegger films and we see casino's, bars, a vending machine bombed at a Chicago police station because Patrovita wants his money and drugs back.

Anyway Raw Deal moves along very stylishly and feels well acted all the time but most of the action is at the end but we do see alleyway fights and a few other interesting scenes especially a car chase and Lamanski's death and guns going off.

Kathryn Harold who plays Monique is gorgeous and sexy but fails to seduce Kaminski (Schwarzenegger) in the movie which is pretty sad because that would have been great to see but nevermind. The criminal organisation and mob boss (Patrovita) find out Kaminski is not who he says he is at the end of Raw Deal because Joseph P.

Brenner is somewhere else probably in the Caribbean so Max Keller (Robert Davi) knows Schwarzenegger isn't who he says he is... Kaminski (Schwarzenegger) is lured to a cemetery by the criminal organisation and his friend, FBI chief Harry Shannon is shot so Kaminski (Schwarzenegger) kills the badguys including Max Keller (Robert Davi) and dresses in a black leather jacket, has a shower at a hotel, gets bags of shotguns, ammo, pistols and weapons out and kills the whole mob and criminal organisation following a shootout at a gravel pit then a bloodbath in a bar with bullets flying around and dead bodies and broken glass everywhere.

Mob boss Patrovita (Sam Wanamaker) is also killed but killed last. Then Monique is sent somewhere to start a new life and Kaminski (Schwarzenegger) gets his old job back at the FBI after accomplishing his mission to start a better life for him and his wife.

... Raw Deal has a great plot and storyline and is full of action, violence, blood, great acting, explosions, the odd humour and romance... One of Arnold Schwarzenegger's best movies. As far as action sequences go the action scenes in Raw Deal are between fairly decent to downright over violent and excellently done because it has some of the most decent and best action scenes ever in the history of film making.