Decoy (1995) User Reviews

Stupid but Funny

[merlin_steele · 6/10 · 12 June 2005]

I'm not really into movies that are stupid but funny, such as this one, but I didn't have anything else to do, so I watched it anyway. I didn't expect the humor, so that was good, and the times the humor wasn't as good, at least there was an attempt there.

If I'd started watching this movie seriously wanting something good, I'd have been greatly disappointed. But since I was just bored already, this movie was a slightly humorous distraction for me on a typical bored but restful Sunday. My advice is for anyone else to do the same, if they're going to watch this movie, not to take it seriously. Oh, btw, the girls were hot in this movie, too.

Action and nothing else

[wolfhell88 · 14 March 2002]

A lot of action and nothing else. What I really like about this movie is Charlotte Lewis as cool and sexy killer Lady. She looks a little bit like Lara Croft. Maybe she could have been the better Lara. This movie is not so bad. If you like action it is OK but I really hate how Charlotte ends up in this movie.

Charlotte was cool, but the movie's plot is poor

[paolo-condorelli · 2/10 · 29 April 2004]

Charlotte's deadly beauty and lethal kicks make the movie cooler than it'd be otherwise.The story is so poor and Charlotte's character dies in such a foolish way, that you wonder if this's the ending they had thought of for this movie. I wish somebody could tell that an alternative ending exists, but I fear it doesn't. As for the rest of the cst, well I'd say they simply didn't act very well; although the blame should be put on the poor script.This movie reminds me of Rush Hour 2 where Zhang Ziyi dies in absurd way, since she had been the only one who had stolen the show during the whole movie. I could give this movie 2/5

Forgettable

[refinedsugar · 2/10 · 21 January 2004]

You ever sit through a movie and after it's over it's like "why did I even bother!?" Welcome to Decoy.

Another straight to video action flick you can immediately forget about having watched or better yet don't watch it at all. Peter Weller and Robert Patrick star and are quickly wasted in this going nowhere fast mercenaries-for-hire double cross action dud. The story is pretty darn bad and the action is neither filmed well or exciting and what's the point of watching an action flick if the action isn't good?

Robert Patrick in particular hits a new low in an action sequence that has him firing a machine gun while standing on the hood of a moving school bus. Co-stars the ambient Charlotte Lewis and Canada's own Scott Hylands (of TV's Night Heat fame).

As a whole Decoy is mediocre.

[tarbosh22000 · 3/10 · 27 March 2013]

Travis (Patrick), a former government op, is hired by his old commanding officer, Wellington (Breck) to protect his daughter, Diana (Vogel, of Ring Of Steel, 1994 fame) for a temporary amount of time because bad guys are after him and his family. Travis agrees to the job, but only if he can bring in his buddy Baxter (Weller) to help out. Even though Baxter is a nutty guy, Wellington reluctantly agrees. What then follows is Travis, Baxter and Diana moving from place to place in the woods, as Katya (Lewis), Daniel (Kulich) and other baddies try killing them using various means, but usually shooting. Most of the rest of the movie is this cat-and-mouse game, but there are a few twists every now and again to try to keep the viewers' interest. Who is the real DECOY? Sure, Decoy may have some bigger names, like Robert Patrick and Peter Weller, and it may be shot well using picturesque Canadian locations (shot in Regina and La Ronge, Saskatchewan), but don't be fooled: this is just as dumb and run-of-the-mill as many other DTV productions out there. It was clearly trying to be more upper crust and be almost theater-quality, but ultimately doesn't get there and is a disappointment.

There are some cool killings, and the baddies have these futuristic wrist rockets that they use on their enemies, but that's really the only noteworthy invention here. And that doesn't a good movie make. There are some utterly stupid, time-wasting "romantic" elements between Baxter and Diana for a while, which don't need to be there. Diana is the clichéd "complaining woman dragged along into an adventure" we've seen so many times before. On the other end of the female spectrum is Charlotte Lewis, looking amazing with her outfits and high-powered weaponry. It's quite a change from her role in Men of War (1994). Robert Patrick puts in a personable enough performance, but it's hard not to compare this to the awesome Zero Tolerance (1994), which is Patrick at his absolute best. Weller puts in a "quirky" performance, with his pseudo-philosophical dialogue, and he's always good, but Decoy as a whole is mediocre, with tons of "pew-pew" gunfighting scenes that don't really add much.

Also on board as one of the baddies is Vladimir Kulich, who has played the "Eurotrash Bad Guy" in such movies as Crackerjack (1994), Red Scorpion 2 (1995), and Breach Of Trust (1995). We're definitely getting used to seeing him. There's also the prerequisite torture scene, but this time the movie opens with it and gets it out of the way. But the problem with Decoy is every time it starts to get good, it pulls back. It's almost like the movie has a fear of success.

Decoy is ultimately wasteful with what resources it has, and it never rises above your standard action premise.

For more action insanity, drop by: www.comeuppancereviews.com

Worthless

[darylmitchell · 3/10 · 3 June 2001]

A pointless movie with nothing but gratuitous violence. The only fun I had was playing "spot the location", as much of it was filmed in my home town of Regina, Saskatchewan. I like to support locally produced films but this one was a major disappointment.

A Decent Little B-movie With Two Great B-movie Stars.

[lukem-52760 · 7/10 · 7 March 2022]

"DECOY" is simply a nice 'n' easy watching experience, a fine late-night type flick & if you enjoy B-movie stuff & liked the video days than this fun little flick is perfect for you.

I grew up on these types of films so i probably like them & give them higher ratings than most do but hey i like what i like.

Decoy is the type of film that used to cover the shelves at Blockbuster video & i love that about it because i lived those great times, the 90's.

Decoy stars two great B-movie actors with Peter Weller (Robocop 1&2, Screamers) & Robert Patrick (The Faculty, Zero Tolerance, Last Gasp, From Dusk Till Dawn 2:Texas Blood Money, Terminator 2) who play Baxter (Weller) & Travis (Patrick) that are two tough & troubled Mercenaries who are hired to protect a millionaire's daughter after he is threatened by bad guys. That's the simplicity of the plot, it's a film that is low-budget & created for action fans & it works. Robert Patrick is one of my all-time favorite actors (loved him since Die Hard 2 & T2) & he makes a great athletic action hero here as troubled Travis. The start of this little flick was like Lethal Weapon (with the hung up torture stuff) & the Travis character is similar to Riggs from Lethal Weapon & Patrick does a great job of being crazy & very physical with the action stuff & there's plenty of wild, bullet flying action. Travis has a best friend & probably the only person he trusts in all the world, Baxter & it's another good performance from Peter Weller. Weller is just as dangerous as Travis but he's more centered like a trained Samurai or warrior master & is into all that ancient calming stuff & even has an awesome sword. Decoy is a buddy movie that is mixed into an all out action flick that's full of cool stuff (like villains hunting them through forests with cool looking Action figure type outfits & weapons) & some fun dialogue along the way. The direction is fine for what it is & the main thing is it's entertaining as an action B-movie & has lots of bloody violence, shootouts & fights to keep it going. Nothing spectacular but damn good for what it is & both leads make a good team.

If you liked this then checkout Robert Patrick's Action Classic ZERO TOLERANCE.

Read a book instead.

[presto-6 · 24 September 1999]

It's sad to see what some actors have to take after their careers are pass their zenith (as it were). This film is just plain bad. I haven't seem so many people shooting at each other at point blank range yet no one getting hit since the A-Team went off the air. At times you'd swear that they were going for camp, but then you come to the ugly realization that they were taking themselves quite seriously. And I like both Peter Weller and Robert "T1000" Patrick.