Hunt to Kill is a powerful film. A riveting look into the life of a father who must go to the extremes to save his daughters life. A normal man when pushed to the edge might turn tail and run, but Steve “Stone Cold “Austin is no normal man. He’s a man that hunts… hunts to kill.
Short nitty-gritty plot description from some guy on IMDb is as follows: Steve Austin stars as U.S. Border Patrol agent Jim Rhodes, a tough divorce mourning the loss of his murdered partner while struggling to raise his rebellious daughter in the mountains of Montana. But when a crew of trigger-happy fugitives takes Rhodes and his daughter hostage, a rugged wilderness will explode in all-terrain vengeance. Is there any wounded animal more dangerous than a lawman left for dead?
Steve “Stone Cold” Austin’s portrayal as Jim Rhodes, a U.S. Border patrol agent, goes above and beyond the call of duty. Instead of getting a man whose emotions are shown on screen, instead you get the hardened, grizzled and cold demeanour. One emotion is all that is needed and that emotion is a placid stare that pierces the soul. On the other side of the law is Banks, played by Gil Bellows. A ferocious monster whose screams of anger will send chills down your spine. Gil Bellows manages to turn Banks, a character that would seem lame on paper, into a maniac who teeters on the edge of insanity. When you hear him say lines like, “I don’t like her family” or,”all that will be left of him after the bears and the birds are done with him is the smell of disappointment”, you know he isn’t someone you would want to watch walking through the woods for an hour and a half. Marie Avgeropoulos, plays Jim Rhodes daughter, Kim Rhodes. If it wasn’t for her rebellious teen hijinks, which I throughly enjoyed, as you don’t see that type of role in these films that often, Steve “Stone Cold” Austin would never have had to hunt… hunt to kill. So a slow nodding of the head goes out to her Marie Avgeropoulos. Michael Eklund plays the computer wiz, you can tell he is a computer wiz ’cause he wears fingerless gloves and sunglasses at night. The only thing Michael Eklund’s character Geary does, is manage to strengthen the film with his witty lines, none of which unfortunately spring to mind. Gary Daniels, plays Jensen, a man with a british accent. Michael Hogan graces us with his presence and manages to make out with a hot blond (Emilie Ullerup, playing Dominika, a woman whose loyalty to her man is as thin as the hair on Steve “Stone Cold” Austin’s head). Finally, I must mention Eric Roberts character Lee Davis, a character absolutely critical to the plot. Without him, Jim Rhodes would have been lost in the woods and we wouldn’t have been able to see him hunt… hunt to kill.
One cannot review Hunt to Kill without mentioning the soundtrack. A constant reminder of the events that are unfolding, the music manages to keep going for an hour and a half. Even during scenes of important dialog, you won’t have to worry about missing out on the drums and guitars, as it will keep playing and playing.
Conclusion time! Steve “Stone Cold” Austin cat-walking a four wheeler in Canada, while uttering the lines, “I hunt.. hunt to kill”. Honestly, need I say more. Hunt to Kill is an experience that will leave your mouth wide open, your eyes watering and your heart almost at a standstill. Everyone must hunt… hunt to watch this masterpiece of cinematic enlightenment.
