Critical Mass (film)

Critical Mass
Critical Mass
	Promotional release poster
Directed by	Fred Olen Ray (as Ed Raymond)
Written by	Sean McGinly
Produced by	Alison Semenza; Jim Wynorski;
Starring	Treat Williams; Udo Kier; Lori Loughlin; Blake Clark; Doug McKeon;
Cinematography	Theo Angell
Edited by	Randy Carter
Music by	Neal Acree
Production; companies	Mass Productions; Phoenician Entertainment;
Distributed by	Artisan Entertainment; New City Releasing; VCL Communications;
Release date	July 4, 2001; (Argentina)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Critical Mass is a 2001 action film directed by Fred Olen Ray (credited as "Ed Raymond") and released direct-to-video. It stars Treat Williams, Lori Loughlin, and Udo Kier. The film features scenes taken straight from other films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Universal Soldier spliced into newly filmed scenes to make up its action sequences.^[1]

Plot edit

The film centers around a group of terrorists who take over a nuclear power plant and a security guard at the plant who tries to stop them.

Cast edit

Treat Williams as Mike Jeffers
Udo Kier as Samson
Lori Loughlin as Janine
Blake Clark as Sheriff Borden
Doug McKeon as Breem
Andrew Prine as Sen. Cook
Richard McGonagle as Alan Gould
Shanna Moakler as Alexandra
T.J. Thyne as Karl Wendt
Charles Cyphers as Henderson
Jack Betts as Atty. Gen. Ames

Reception edit

Website Cool Target called it "enjoyable action nonsense" and stated: "Recycled footage to this extent is just lazy and kind of insulting but if you can get past this, Critical Mass is an enjoyably amusing low rent shoot-em up."^[2] Moria.co gave the film only one star out of five, calling it "yet another version on Die Hard (1988) and the basic plot template it created of a lone individualistic hero inside a large building/facility single-handedly fending off a terrorist plot."^[3]