More than a myth. Less than a legend. And a bit too big for his boots
1986-05-30
N/A
100 min
Jake Speed (Wayne Crawford) is the lead character in some of the biggest page-turners of the 1940s. A chiseled, heroic action figure, Speed saves lives on paper, but when a young girl is kidnapped and her sister (Karen Kopins) begs the real-life Speed for help, he must find a way to be as gallant as the book hero whose creation he's inspired. Accompanied by the victim's sibling, Speed flies to Africa to see if he's up to the task.
Not a great pulp action-adventure flick with a lead actor with not a whole lot of charisma, still is harmless time-waster and at least had some passably entertaining moments with a comically fun turn by John Hurt as the villain. Clearly was hoping to be in the same vain as Raiders of the Lost Ark, just without the talent in front and behind the camera, but for what it is, it wasn't terrible, just nothing I'd really revisit. 2.5/5
