Former football-player-turned-action-star Brian Bosworth starring in a DTV action movie from Phillippe Mora, the man who gave the world Howling 2 and 3? What could go wrong? Plenty!
The Boz stars as an ex-cop who now works as an auto mechanic. His former partner (Joe Torry) ropes him back into action, asking for his help on a big-time undercover sting operation. After a lot of rigmarole, they find themselves in a Shelby Cobra filled with heroin and have to find a way to outsmart the dirty cop villains.
Back in Business (which was passed off in some territories as a sequel to The Boz’s classic Stone Cold, even though they are completely unrelated) is scattershot at best and slipshod at worst. Things just sort of happen at random as the script feels more like it was recycled from parts of other (better) movies and Scotch-taped together. It’s disjointed, sure, but it’s sporadically amusing.
Most of the humor comes from Bosworth’s attempts to work on his anger issues. Throughout the film, he constantly calls a radio show therapist to discuss ways to apply his anger management techniques. Most of this isn’t exactly laugh-out-loud funny, but the scene where he smashes up a yuppie’s car for condescending to him is worthy of half a chuckle.
Bosworth looks like he’s having fun. You just wish he had better material to work with. He’s not bad during his solo scenes, but the movie doesn’t really work when he’s teamed with Joe Torry. I think they should’ve teamed The Boz up with former Yankee manager Joe Torre instead. Just think! It could’ve been a titanic pairing of two sports legends. Alas, it was not meant to be. We do get a scene where The Boz plays basketball with Torry in his boxer shorts, so… there’s that. However, this seemingly inconsequential scene goes on so long that you have to wonder if it was secretly a test pilot for a White Men Can’t Jump TV show.
Torry is more annoying than funny, unfortunately. He has a bit of chemistry with Boz, but again, his dialogue just isn’t sharp enough to elicit laughter from the audience. At least Brion James is on hand to essay the villain role, and we get a bit by a young Michael Clarke Duncan as a henchman.
AKA: Stone Cold 2: Heart of Stone. AKA: Heart of Stone.
I found Torry hilarious.
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