You
would think the U.S. Secret Service would more likely deal with the Russian
Federal Protective Service (FSO) than the FSB, the cosmetically revamped
successor to the KGB, if it were tasked with protecting a top secret summit in
Moscow. However, the FSB needs more good press, so Russian D-minus-list action
star Alexander Nevsky duly plays a FSB agent in his latest outing. This time,
he gets to partner up with Kelly Hu, but she can’t redeem Andrzej Bartkowiak’s Maximum Impact (trailer here), which opens
today in select theaters.
Maxim
Kadurin is built like a tank, but he is actually a FSB computer jockey
supporting the deceptively small of stature Andrei Durov, a.k.a. “The Hammer
from Hell.” However, a concussion forces the agents to swap roles right before
the arrival of the American Secretary of State for a double-secret gab session
with his counterpart. However, Sec. Jacobs’ granddaughter Brittany manages to
stowaway on the State Department plane, so she can rendezvous with her internet
flirtation, a Russian boy band idol.
When
Kadurin foils an assassination attempt, the shticky pack of fedora wearing
villains fall back on an improvised plan B: kidnapping the granddaughter. Since
the two airheaded kids are weirdly competent at avoiding detection, it leads to
much certainty regarding her status and safety. Fearing the worst, Kadurin and
Secret Service Agent Kate Desmond to find and secure the wayward granddaughter
before their bosses know she is missing.
Nevsky
might be well-connected in Russia (he also represents the country in the
Hollywood Foreign Press Association), but his films just are not catching on
anywhere else. To be fair, Showdown in Manila is not terrible, but Black Rose was just a lifeless mess. He is not totally unlikable on-screen, but
comedy is clearly a challenge for him. That is a real problem, because the
jokes and gags are much higher in Impact’s
mix than it was for his prior films.
Kelly
Hu gets to do a lot of kick-boxing to the extent of almost eclipsing Nevsky as
the film’s primary action lead. On the other hand, she has to suffer the
indignity of a bleach blond bowl-cut disguise. However, that is nothing
compared to humiliating shtick forced on Mark Dacascos, playing Tony Lin, a
former Z-list TV star now fronting the gang of mercenaries. However, there is
plenty of additional embarrassment to go around, including Tom Arnold playing a
senior Secret Service agent obsessed with his prostate and Bai Ling as Scanlon,
the over-sexed Under-Secretary for Security. Only Eric Roberts seems to glide
through unfazed as Sec. Jacobs.
