dvd digiview

Driven
Rating: **

When Sylvester Stallone writes and acts, you can be sure the result involves a lot of wham bam. Don't look for a story in this 2001 flick just released on DVD by Ultra.

The plot bustles from one death-defying car race to another. Burt Reynolds shows up as the wheelchair- bound despot who's mad about winning every contest. Speed is of the essence here. Suggested viewing for those obsessed with wheel power.

Den of Lions
Rating: **

This thriller is so complicated that  halfway down the line, you just quit trying to figure out the plot. This dark Euro-thriller has something to do with an FBI agent (Stephen Dorff) who goes undercover in Budapest to expose a Russian crime syndicate headed by a stout, French-bearded type (Bob Hoskins, very convincing as usual).

His daughter (Laura Fraser) is the femme fatale of the piece who drives a red sports car and attempts to look super glamorous which she doesn't. Plus, there are a thousand diversions including one about a helpless woman, an illegal immigrant, who is forced into becoming a lady of the night.

Every cliché in the movie book is on full display here. Save yourself the DVD rental money.

Rating:
Outstanding:*****
Very Good: ****
Good: ***
Average  **
Poor: *