Plot: A new reality program, “Treasure Hunt,” features ordinary people trying to find a fortune in cash buried on a sunny island, but there’s a twist that even the network doesn’t know about. The host of the show has made a deal with some hired soldiers, led by Jared (Michael Dudikoff), in which they will steal the money before contestant Sam (Treat Williams) and his three teammates get to it. But the resourcefulness of the players is an unexpected surprise — as is some very dangerous weather.
Now, here’s a movie I totally forgot about until recently and it really deserves more love.
The first 10 minutes lifts from Last Action Hero with Treat Williams essentially playing Jack Slater in his red t-shirt and brown jacket. It features an awesome car chase with plenty of explosions and a cool shoot-out too.
He ends up foiling a kidnapping which ended up being faked by the mayor’s daughter. He is kicked off the force and ends up enjoying his life of beer and hot dogs until his ex-boss (Dave Hager) comes along and invites him to join a reality show called Treasure Hunt.
Things are not what they seem however, and what was meant to be a group of Navy SEALS hunting the contestants with paintball guns instead becomes a group of mercenaries (led by Michael Dudikoff) taking them out one by one so they can get the prize money for themselves. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, a huge storm hits the island with the weather being more violent than the mercs.
Treat Williams always had that everyman likeability which he just oozes in this movie, but the real highlight is having Michael Dudikoff as the main villain; he’s an effective antagonist too and there’s the added bonus of William Zabka as one of his henchmen, Rance.
The film is well paced with some awesome explosions, effects that still mostly hold up and a final fight between Williams and Dudikoff. I was only disappointed that Dudikoff actually wins the fight but still gets a satisfying enough comeuppance. I just prefer in my action movies that the hero wins the final showdown.
The music score was one of the major highlights with a cool main theme tune and it even samples Enigma too. The main vocal chant is from The Roundabout from the Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! Album.
The supporting cast includes the always awesome Tim Thomerson, Moonlighting’s Curtis Armstrong and a small role for underrated badass Paul Logan.
Overall, Gale Force is a lot of fun with a great cast and a show stealing turn from Michael Dudikoff as the villain. There’s plenty of action and it’s well paced making this an entertaining early 2000’s actioner.