''Critical Mass'' is a 2001

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

directed by

Fred Olen Ray Fred Olen Ray (born September 10, 1954) is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter of more than 200 low-to-medium-budget feature films in many genres, including Horror film, horror, science fiction, action film, action/adventure f ...

(credited as "Ed Raymond") and released

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...

. It stars

Treat Williams Richard Treat Williams (born December 1, 1951) is an American actor, writer and aviator who has appeared on film, stage and television in over 120 credits. He first became well known for his starring role in the 1979 musical film '' Hair'', and la ...

Lori Loughlin Lori Anne Loughlin (; born July 28, 1964) is an American actress. From 1988 to 1995, she played Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom ''Full House'', and reprised the role for its Netflix sequel '' Fuller House'' (2016–2018). Loughlin ...

, and

Udo Kier Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor, Kier has appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas. He h ...

. The film features scenes taken straight from other films such as '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' and '' Universal Soldier'' spliced into newly filmed scenes to make up its action sequences.

Plot

The film centers around a group of terrorists who take over a nuclear power plant and a security guard at the plant who tries to stop them.

Cast

as Mike Jeffers *

as Samson *

as Janine *

Blake Clark Blake Clark (born February 2, 1946) is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known as Chet Hunter on ''Boy Meets World'' and Harry "The Hardware Store Guy" on ''Home Improvement''. Clark has voiced Slinky Dog in the ''Toy Story'' f ...

as Sheriff Borden *

Doug McKeon Doug McKeon (born June 10, 1966) is an American actor who first achieved notability as a child actor. Early life and career McKeon was born on June 10, 1966, in Pompton Plains, New Jersey, and raised in Oakland, New Jersey, where he attended ...

as Breem *

Andrew Prine Andrew Lewis Prine (February 14, 1936 – October 31, 2022) was an American film, stage, and television actor. Early life and career Prine was born in Jennings, Florida. After graduation from Miami Jackson High School in Miami, Prine attended ...

as Sen. Cook *

Richard McGonagle Richard Francis McGonagle (born October 22, 1946) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his voice work in various video games, movies and television shows. He is also known for his work by voicing Colonel Taggart in ''Prototype'', O ...

as Alan Gould *

Shanna Moakler Shanna Lynn Moakler (; born March 28, 1975) is an American model, actress, and reality television star. She was the winner of the Miss New York USA pageant in 1995 and was the first runner-up at Miss USA 1995. After winner Chelsi Smith won the Mi ...

as Alexandra * T.J. Thyne as Karl Wendt *

Charles Cyphers Charles Cyphers (born July 28, 1939) is an American actor who is known in the horror movie community for his work in the films of John Carpenter, especially his role as Sheriff Leigh Brackett in Carpenter's 1978 movie ''Halloween''. He reprised ...

as Henderson *

Jack Betts Jack Fillmore Betts, also credited as Hunt Powers, is an American character actor and playwright. He has acted in film, on stage, and on television. Career Betts portrayed Chris Devlin in the CBS mystery series ''Checkmate'' (1960-1962). He a ...

as Atty. Gen. Ames

Reception

Website ''Cool Target'' called it "enjoyable action nonsense" and stated: "Recycled footage to this extent is just lazy and kind of insulting but if you can get past this, Critical Mass is an enjoyably amusing low rent shoot-em up." ''Moria.co'' gave the film only one star out of five, calling it "yet another version on

Die Hard ''Die Hard'' is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan, with a screenplay by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. Based on the 1979 novel '' Nothing Lasts Forever'', by Roderick Thorp, it stars Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Ale ...

(1988) and the basic plot template it created of a lone individualistic hero inside a large building/facility single-handedly fending off a terrorist plot." ''

References

External links

* 2000 films American action films 2000 action films 2000s English-language films Films directed by Fred Olen Ray 2000s American films {{action-film-stub