Wanted Dead or Alive

Based on the 1958 television series, Wanted Dead or Alive follows bounty hunter Nick Randall (Rutger Hauer) as he sets out to find and capture a notorious terrorist named Malak Al Rahim (Gene Simmons) – with Randall’s ongoing efforts complicated and stymied by the various cops also working the case. There’s little doubt that Wanted Dead or Alive fares best in its entertaining and fairly auspicious opening half hour, as filmmaker Gary Sherman does an effective job of initially establishing Hauer’s tough-as-nails protagonist and the seedy environs in which he resides – with the compelling vibe certainly heightened by Simmons’ often spellbinding work as the movie’s fearsome villain. It’s disappointing to note, then, that the picture slowly-but-surely loses its grip on the viewer as it progresses into its padded-out and mostly underwhelming midsection, as scripters Michael Patrick Goodman, Brian Taggert, and Sherman deliver a second act that emphasizes the rather tedious exploits of the various cops and criminals on the narrative’s periphery – to the extent that, by the time the climax rolls around, Hauer’s hero has essentially been relegated to supporting character status. (And it doesn’t help, certainly, that Sherman offers exceedingly little in the way of action within the movie’s prolonged second act.) The comparatively engrossing (and appreciatively violent) finale does little to alleviate the pervasively tiresome atmosphere, ultimately, which is a shame given the proliferation of appealing elements within Wanted Dead or Alive‘s early scenes (including a typically sterling performance by Hauer).

*1/2 out of ****