Okay, rewind your minds with me. Picture this: browsing the action aisle at the local video store, fluorescent lights humming overhead, the scent of plastic cases and maybe slightly stale popcorn in the air. You stumble across a cover featuring a brooding Kiefer Sutherland and an intense Lou Diamond Phillips, promising shootouts, chases, and maybe a dash of something unexpected. That, my friends, is the magic portal to 1989's Renegades, a gritty, sometimes formulaic, but undeniably entertaining slice of late-80s action that hits that sweet spot between familiar thrills and a slightly off-kilter premise.
This wasn't your typical buddy-cop flick, though it certainly walked that path. It dared to mash up the concrete jungle of Philadelphia crime with Lakota Sioux spiritual tradition, a collision that provides the film's central, and most interesting, conflict. We've got Buster McHenry (Sutherland, fresh off his charismatic vampire turn in The Lost Boys (1987) and radiating that edgy energy he owned in the late 80s), an undercover cop deep in a diamond heist operation. When things go sideways – spectacularly, involving corrupt cops and stolen sacred artifacts – he finds himself hunted not just by the bad guys, but by Hank Storm (Phillips, riding high from La Bamba (1987) and Young Guns (1988)), a modern Lakota Sioux whose sacred ancestral spear was nabbed during the chaos.
When Worlds Collide (Violently)
The setup is pure action movie gold: two men from vastly different worlds forced together by circumstance, initially antagonistic but eventually finding common ground (mostly involving shooting at the same people). Director Jack Sholder, who terrified us with A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) and delivered the brilliant sci-fi/horror hybrid The Hidden (1987), brings a workmanlike efficiency to the proceedings. He knows how to stage a gritty, impactful action sequence, and Renegades delivers the goods in that classic, pre-CGI way we crave here at VHS Heaven.
Remember those car chases that felt like they were actually happening? Renegades features a doozy, particularly one involving a parking garage that feels genuinely dangerous. There's a visceral quality to the impacts, the screeching tires, the sheer kinetic energy that modern, often physics-defying sequences sometimes lack. This was the era of stunt performers earning their paychecks the hard way, putting themselves in real jeopardy for our entertainment. While the film primarily used Toronto to double for Philadelphia (a common cost-saving move back then, though some key Philly landmarks do make appearances), the sense of urban decay and blue-collar grit comes through effectively.
Action, Attitude, and Artifacts
The shootouts are equally robust. They're loud, chaotic, and feature those wonderfully over-the-top squib hits that felt so real on our fuzzy CRT screens. It’s not balletic John Woo gun-fu; it's messy, desperate, and feels grounded, even amidst the slightly heightened reality of an 80s actioner. Sutherland nails the part of the cynical, weary cop caught in something bigger than himself, while Phillips brings a stoic intensity to Hank Storm, burdened by tradition and duty. Their chemistry isn't instantaneous buddy-buddy stuff; there's friction, misunderstanding, and a slow burn towards mutual respect, which actually makes their eventual partnership more believable. Jami Gertz, often relegated to supportive girlfriend roles in this era, gets a bit more to do here as a veterinarian caught in the crossfire, adding another layer to the chaos.
Of course, it’s not without its 80s quirks. The plot, penned by David Rich, hits familiar beats – the corrupt boss, the double-crosses, the race against time. The depiction of Native American culture, while central to the plot, feels viewed through a distinctly Hollywood lens of the time. It's earnest, certainly, and Phillips brings dignity to the role, but modern audiences might find some aspects a bit simplistic. It’s a snapshot of how these themes were often handled back then – with good intentions, perhaps, but not always the deepest nuance.
That Sweet VHS Afterglow
Renegades wasn't a blockbuster smash upon release, pulling in around $9 million domestically against its budget (likely somewhere in the $15-20 million range). It found its true audience where many films of this type did – on home video. It became a reliable weekend rental, the kind of movie you’d grab knowing you were in for solid action, decent performances, and a story that held your attention for 100 minutes. The score pulses with that typical late-80s synth-and-percussion urgency, further cementing its time-capsule status.
Was it revolutionary? No. Did it redefine the genre? Not quite. But Renegades possesses a rugged charm and delivers its action payload with tangible, practical force. It's a testament to an era where stars had charisma, stunts felt real, and a slightly unusual premise could still get the green light.
Rating: 7/10
Why the 7? It earns solid points for its committed lead performances from Sutherland and Phillips at the height of their 80s fame, its genuinely impactful practical action sequences (especially that car chase!), and its somewhat unique cultural clash premise. It loses a few points for a predictable plot structure and some dated cultural depictions, but the overall execution and nostalgic thrill are undeniable for fans of the era.
Final Take: Renegades is a sturdy, satisfying blast of late-80s action filmmaking – the kind where the grit felt real, the stakes felt personal, and the explosions weren't rendered pixels, but good old-fashioned fireballs. Pop it in (metaphorically speaking) when you need a fix of raw, unpretentious, pre-digital mayhem. It holds up surprisingly well.