''The Protector'' is a 1997 American action film written by Jack Gill,

Dee McLachlan Dee McLachlan (born Duncan McLachlan; 4 March 1951) is a film director, producer and writer from Middle Park, Victoria. Under her assigned name, McLachlan directed such films as ''Scavengers'', ''The Double 0 Kid'', '' Running Wild'', '' Deadly ...

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, and Andrea Buck, and directed by Gill. It stars

Matt McColm Matt McColm (born January 31, 1965) is an American actor and stuntman, and former model. Biography Born in 1965, he has a twin brother named Mark. His family comes from Santa Barbara. He attended Bishop Garcia Diego High School. He has mode ...

as Kenneth James Conway, an ex-commando and a private detective investigating the disappearance of a virologist. Supporting cast includes

Ron Perlman Ronald Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–199 ...

John Rhys-Davies John Rhys-Davies (born 5 May 1944) is a Welsh actor best known for portraying Sallah in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise and Gimli in ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy. His other roles include Michael Malone in the 1993 series ''The Untoucha ...

, and

Carol Alt Carol Ann Alt (born December 1, 1960) is an American model and actress. Early life Alt was born in Flushing, Queens, New York, the daughter of Muriel, an airline employee and model, and Anthony Alt, a fire chief in the Bronx. She was noticed wai ...

Cast

as Kenneth James Conway *

as Dr. Ramsey Krago *

as Agent Monica McBride * Annabel Schofield as Marisa *

as Rasheed *

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as Sloane Matthews *

Clint Howard Clinton Engle Howard (born April 20, 1959) is an American actor. He is the second son born to American actors Rance and Jean Howard, and younger brother of actor and director Ron Howard. His 200-plus acting credits include feature films such as ...

as Hutch *

Michael Paul Chan Michael Paul Chan (born June 26, 1950) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Lieutenant Michael Tao on the TNT series ''The Closer'' and '' Major Crimes''. He also acted in '' U.S. Marshals'', playing an assassin. Biography Ch ...

as Dr. Anthony Mane * Rodger LaRue as Agent Leo Dumass * Jack Gill as Dr. Stanley Erhardt * Terrence Stone as Myles Vale *

Henry Kingi Henry Kingi (born December 2, 1943) is an American stuntman and actor. As a stuntman he has worked in films like ''Fast Five'' (2011). His acting roles include Goody in ''Car Wash'' (1976), Shell in '' Earth Star Voyager'' (1988), the mean Indian ...

as Van Driver *

Patrick St. Esprit Patrick St. Esprit (born May 18, 1954)"Patrick St. Esprit"
Retrieved 5 June 2015 is an American character actor ...

as Security Guard *

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as Guard

Production

In 1996, stuntman and actor Matt McColm has been labelled by ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' as "Hollywood's next-generation action star," following in the footsteps of

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

and

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...

. His previous entries in the action genre included ''

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'' (1994) and '' Subterfuge'' (1996). ''The Protector'' gave McColm a chance to impress the audiences with both his perfect musculature and martial-arts skills—since he has a black belt in

Kenpo Karate American Kenpo Karate (), also known as Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate, American Kenpo and Kenpo Karate, is an all-inclusive system of martial arts based on ancient martial arts methods applied to solve modern-day violent scenarios using logic and practi ...

. Prior to the filming director Jack Gill worked primarily as a stuntman, stunt coordinator, and second unit director.

Release

A-Pix Entertainment released the movie in the United States on VHS in 1997. The following year the film was released in Canada by Coscient Astral Distribution, under the title ''Conway''.

Reception

Douglas R. Pratt reviewed ''The Protector'' in his 2004 guide ''Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More!, Volume 1'', noting, "the story is an adequate backdrop for the gunfights, car crashes, and other activities this sort of movie can be depended upon to deliver." In a journal for ''Dammaged Goods''—a cinema-related website—''The Protector'' was called a "quasi exploitative action film" that "makes good use of its resources, has some fun in the process and doesn't try to be something it's not." Furthermore, the central performance is praised: "Stunt performer turned leading man Matt McColm plays Conway with rogue charm while flexing his muscles and martial-arts prowess. Ruggedly handsome, McColm doesn't take things too seriously and is a likeable enough hero." ''Yippee-ki-yay!'' editor Albert Nowicki complimented McColm in his leading role, calling his character a "convincing cinematic

tough guy The Tough Guy Competition was an endurance challenge that claims to be the world's most demanding one-day survival ordeal. First staged in 1987 and organised by Billy Wilson under the pseudonym of "Mr. Mouse", it is held on a 600-acre (2.42 sq ...

", with a "stunning musculature" and good magnetism. He went on to berate other cast members, though, and called Carol Alt an "expressionless beauty". Cinema.de provided a negative note, giving it one star out of five. ''Movies Room'' described the movie, along with ''Subterfuge'', as "tacky and second-class" but also "enjoyable".

References

Bibliography

* Pratt, Douglas R. (2004).
Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More!, Volume 1
'. 178–179. Harbor Electronic Publishing. .

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Protector, The 1997 action films 1997 films American action films Films about infectious diseases Films about scientists 1990s English-language films 1990s American films