Allan Ungar previously wrote and directed the film Tapped Out, which featured Cody Hackman as a Mixed Martial Artist. Ungar and Hackman reteam for Gridlocked, a fairly silly but hugely entertaining take on the action / supercop genre, which played to a rapturous reception at Toronto After Dark and hopefully will receive a release or platform distribution in the near future.

The film opens on Dominic Purcell, perhaps best known from Prison Break, and now playing Johnny Law, (his name in the film is David Hendrix, but whatever). The twist here is that Hendrix, a no-nonsense machine of a police officer is bizarrely teamed in a ride along with Brody Walker (Hackman), a former top actor turned flameout, who is introduced with his legal troubles through an eTalk segment, a nice nod to Canadiana, in a film largely free of it. (An extended segment appears at the end, but the point had already been made). The two go on a series of minot adventures, but the film picks up when the two team up with a secret squadron of supercops, who include the former wrestler Trish Stratus, playing, essentially, herself, and a couple of other sort of interchangeable types to fight a generic baddie.

The best part of Gridlocked is the familiar names that appear to chew the scenery, (Saul Rubinek! Connie Jones! Danny Glover, in a part that is clearly inspired by Lethal Weapon). Glover even gets in a variant of his “getting too old for this shit!” line.

Ungar’s Gridlocked generally makes for an entertaining experience. Keep an eye out for the film.

[star v=3]