The Stabilizer (1986)

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

THE STABILIZER is a cheapjack Indonesian action thriller that feels like it wants to be the next Stallone movie a la COBRA. The hero of the piece is played by the inimitable Peter O'Brian, a man who would take Stallone imitations to the next level with his role in his subsequent production, THE INTRUDER, a straight RAMBO rip-off which has to be seen to be believed. THE STABILIZER isn't quite as bad/good as that movie, but it does have its moments.I suppose O'Brian does look a bit like Stallone if you squint very hard and ignore his height and his lean frame. Here, he plays a fuzzy-haired crime fighter with the titular moniker who spends the running time hunting for a drug smuggler with the unlikely name of Greg Rainmaker. Dana Christina, who had previously appeared in THE WARRIOR, plays a useful ally.What you get here is an exceptionally cheesy action film in the inimitable Indonesian style. It's not as over the top as much fun as the Barry Prima movies of the era, unfortunately, although the stunt scenes of O'Brian jumping his motorbike around are fun. There are a lot of shoot-outs utilising bloody squib hits, some laughable martial arts action, and hints at nudity. The dubbing is exceptionally bad but it's impossible to hate a film in which the hero has a framed photo of himself wielding a gun while wearing a fishnet top.

The acting is poor, the plot is thin, but who cares? "The Stabilizer" delivers non-stop action! In my estimation, at least 75 out of this movie's 90 minutes feature some form of action - vehicle chases, fight scenes, gymnastics, shootouts, explosions, crashing through walls and floors, etc. The action is outrageous, bloody, funny, destructive, and overall very enjoyable to watch. Peter O'Brian (probably one of the worst actors ever, but that's beside the point) is notable for his unorthodox fighting style, which can best be described as bull-in-a-china-shop. One of the things I really liked about this film is that it gives the women, and there are several of them, a significant part of the action, and they are almost equally as deadly as the men, with or without a gun in hand. If you enjoy Jackie Chan's Hong Kong movies but wish they were more R-rated, you'll probably like "The Stabilizer" as well. It's as unpretentious as an action movie can get. **1/2 out of 4.

Great Scott! – Here's a dementedly bad movie that even the mighty Godfrey Ho would be proud of! Witness explosions and gun fire galore, some hilariously rendered fight scenes, a healthy quota of breasts, some atrocious dubbing/voice over work including some priceless expletive filled awful dialogue, a death by garden strimmer(!) and best of all a hero who looks uncannily like Queen guitarist Brian May!!! (complete with tight permed mullet!) A completely OTT experience and essential viewing for all fellow bad movie connoisseurs! Seriously, what more could you want for in a film?!Note: Look out especially for the ingenious, bizarre shot of what at first appears to be a butt crack but is in actual fact the crease of a man's arm(!!!) Why was said scene included in the film in the first place? Your guess is as good as mine! Still, never let it be said that the director didn't have an artistic eye! erm......

What's the most violent movie of all time? Rambo III? Commando? Robocop? Add these three very violent together, and you still won't equal the carnage in The Stabilizer, the wildest, silliest, craziest action movie I have ever seen. For one hundred minutes things blow up and people die in dozens of strange ways. It will make you laugh and cheer, and when it's all over you'll be more than a little exhausted. This movie is a buried gem, a cult classic sadly lacking a cult.The Stabilizer is the nickname of our hero Peter Goldson (Peter O'Brian), a large oily man with a curly mullet. He arrives in Indonesia on the trail of the villainous and mean Greg Rainmaker. We know he is evil because he is only referred to by his full name ("I hate SCUM like Greg RAINmaker!") and utilizes a method of killing that is so horrible I can't even utter it here. Wait, yes I can. He steps on people in spiky shoes. Greg Rainmaker: Cleat Killer.When Greg Rainmaker isn't pouring alcohol on women for their sexual pleasure, he's kidnapping important professors and heading a huge underworld empire. It's up to Goldson (A Jewish action hero? Gevalt!) and his motley crew of sidekicks to stabilize the situation by killing everyone and blowing lots of stuff up. Maybe "stabilize" has a different meaning in Indonesia.And the violence, oh the violence. This is a film unwilling, nay, uncapable, of letting five minutes of screen time go by without some sort of explosion, knifing, car crash, or squib interrupting the dialogue. The violence is extreme; not graphic and bloody, just really weird. For example, The Stabilizer & company invade one of Rainmaker's warehouses (by driving through a solid concrete wall on a motorcycle, of course). When perched on the balcony, with heavy fire coming from below, The Stabilizer does the one thing he can do. He drives off the balcony into the guy's head, his front tire bouncing off it like a basketball. Astounding.From the overly-gratuitous love scenes (Both major female characters hop in the sack with the hero of their choice not two minutes after they speak to them alone for the first time) to the poorly dubbed dialogue ("Victor, you talented bastard!") The Stabilizer has it all. This is a film for the ages, right up there with Citizen Kane and Gymkata. It is not widely available in release. If you find it anywhere for any price, buy it and relish the insanity.