Bullet Points: Raw Justice

Some things are just better raw. It is hard to beat the taste of wet and juicy fresh picked cherries. Then again some things are not better raw. If you stuck those cherries in between a crust I would rather have a nice slice of warm juicy pie. So which is better? This is what the experts like to call a conundrum. If you are like me and wonder if justice is better raw you will have to wonder no longer. Luckily, Hollywood has provided a perfect chance to end the confusion and find out if justice is better raw with the aptly titled Raw Justice. I just happen to have some Raw Justice Bullet Points so join me on a journey to the 1994 action thriller. If it is your first time reading I promise to be gentle.

• How to Start a Movie: When a movie opens with David Keith, playing bounty hunter and protagonist Mace, in drag you know you are in for a good time. Then we get to see Mace chase down a bounty (or trace a skip if you like) while still wearing women’s clothes. Did I mention that Mace paid a hooker named Sarah for the clothes? Well he did and when Mace runs off with the clothes, Sarah is left yelling in her underwear. Did I mention that Sarah is played by Pamela Anderson? Well she is, and if you enjoy the scene in her underwear stick around for more. We next meet our second hero Mitch (Robert Hayes) as he is dropping off Donna (April Bogenschutz) after a very unsuccessful date. How do we know it was unsuccessful? Donna immediately goes inside and takes very thorough shower. Donna is killed right after she walks out of the shower and Mitch is framed for the murder. We are less than ten minutes into the movie and Raw Justice has so much good time in it that I wouldn’t be upset if you stopped reading and immediately started watching. Phew, I am glad you kept reading.

• How to Introduce a Bad Guy: Donna is murdered by a hood hired by Deputy Mayor Jenkins (Stacy Keach) who immediately murders the murderer. Raw Justice doesn’t pussyfoot around a mystery of who is the bad guy. The audience knows upfront that Jenkins is the antagonist and Keach excels at playing the very creepy character. Did I mention why Jenkins has Donna killed? No. Why not? Because the reason is easily the weakest part of the story.  Donna is the daughter of Mayor Stiles (Charles Napier) and Jenkins wants to become Mayor. So instead of running against him in an election, Jenkins kills Donna and threatens Stiles with a book that Donna was writing. Why would this be threatening? Well, Donna used to date Mace before he got kicked off the police force for protecting the mayor’s dirty secrets. Jenkins tells Stiles that the book was going to be about those secrets. Like I said, not the best reason, but Jenkins does have Lt. Atkins (Leo Rossi) as a dirty cop that is helping him do his dirty work and Rossi plays one of the best characters that is easy to hate. What a weasel. Stiles then hires Mace to watch Mitch and poor Sarah gets mixed up with the pair and we are treated to justice in its rawest form so I can forgive the elementary plot points.

• How to Fill a Movie with Action: Raw Justice is an action packed ride that jams in as much action pieces to keep it moving. I already mentioned how it started with a chase in drag. There are also three different chases involving motorcycles, cars and fan boats. The motorcycle chase sticks out because part of it occurs inside of mall. Anyone look for action movie advice? Well even if you are not, it doesn’t get better than vehicles driving indoors. Raw Justice has plenty of shootouts and fist fights, but two memorable deaths include a man getting eaten by an alligator and another man getting impaled by a oversized novelty dart. What makes it a novelty? It killed a man, I just said that, pay attention. The ending is equally as exciting as the beginning, but it is a little bit more explosive! Looking for a different type of action? I teased more Pamela Anderson and even though her character Sarah is a hooker, she does a little pro bono work for both Mace and Mitch, if you know what I mean. Don’t know what I mean? All I can say is that if all the prostitutes in New Orleans (although much of the movie was filmed in Mobile, AL) look like 1994 Pamela Anderson, my next Bullet Points will be coming to you from The Crescent City. Laissez les bons temps rouler.

Raw Justice is the definitive movie on the justice is better raw side of the argument. It still can’t answer the question if justice is better raw or not, that is a decision for you to make. The only way you can decide is to watch it. I suggest watching multiple times and it can even be enjoyable while watching with multiple people at the same time. Raw Justice might be a little rough the first time you watch, but if you keep at it you will get great pleasure and might even become an expert. You are looking for more pleasure right now? Perfect timing because I have some Bonus Bullet Points to satiate your wishes.

• Good Movie Bad Titles: Raw Justice is also known as Good Cop Bad Cop which is different than the Lorenzo Lamas film Good Cop, Bad Cop aka Black Dawn. (Commas are stupid but important.) You might also find it as Skip-Tracer which is different than the Jackie Chan film Skiptrace.

• Justice Network: If you don’t like your justice raw, perhaps you will like Sweet Justice or Señorita Justice or Sworn to Justice or Extreme Justice or Brotherhood of Justice or American Justice or Hard Justice or Mission of Justice or Steele Justice. If those don’t do it for you just wait because there will be more.

• Game Name: While David Keith is an underrated action star, I was still a little disappointed that Keith David wasn’t in Raw Justice.

• Mace’s Drag: David Keith wrote music for Raw Justice, and one song plays almost every time that Mace appears in a scene.

• Prior Work: Raw Justice was written and directed by action maven David A. Prior. In 1994 alone, he had Raw Justice, Mutant Species, and Felony. All with Leo Rossi!