Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Fatal Deviation

Days after screening this enthralling low-budget action flick from Ireland, I’m still undecided as to which bit was my favorite: Jimmy Bennett firing a gun with each hand whilst somehow standing atop a speeding motorcycle? The annual fight-to-the-death martial arts tournament presided over by a group of monks? The local mob boss shouting, “You killed my son! Now, I am going to kill you! Just like I killed your father!”? Magical moments all. Singling out any one of them feels like I’m doing the film a disservice. For in truth, every frame of Fatal Deviation has some level of entertainment value.

To get a sense of what an evening with actor/writer/producer/cinematographer/stunt man James P. Bennet is all about, try imagining a world in which Tommy Wiseau had directed The Karate Kid. Now, picture Daniel Larusso as a burly Irish lad fresh from a correctional institution and Mr. Miyagi as a deranged monk. Toss in a gigantic hit man named Seagul in place of Johnny and a rotund mob boss instead of the Cobra Kai sensei, and the incomparable experience of watching Fatal Deviation should begin to take shape in your mind.

Then again, such comparisons might be unfair to Fatal Deviation. For Miyagi’s wax on, wax off technique is nothing compared with the branches of fire that Jimmy must endure. And Daniel-san never wanted a drink as badly as Jimmy. Barred from the local pub by two mob-friendly bouncers, Jimmy feigns defeat and pretends to walk away. Suddenly, he turns on his heels, sprints toward the door, leaps into the air, and delivers a knockdown kick to each bouncer. Wow. I guess I do have a favorite scene. I wish I had a trophy to give away. You’re all right, Bennett!

by Thomas Scalzo   on 14 Feb 2012 6:08 PM   Source: DVD