Cold Steel

A glimpse of a pre-stardom Sharon Stone in a state of undress may be the sole selling point for this routine police potboiler directed by Dorothy Ann Puzo, daughter of Godfather author Mario Puzo. Brad Davis stars as a tough cop who goes on the warpath to find the brutal hoodlum (Jonathan Banks) who murdered his father. An over-the-top Adam Ant and Eddie Egan, the former policeman whose career served as the basis for The French Connection, add some color, but the script by Puzo, producer Lisa M. Hansen, and Moe Quiqley (from a story by former Haunted Garage frontman Dukey Flyswatter!) is woefully wooden, and the frantic action and performances signify very little. Undiscerning action fans may find some diversion here; all others can disregard. --Paul Gaita