Passable, unpretentiously B-level action from the tarnished-golden age of direct-to-VHS, Death Ring, from director Robert Kizer, principally distinguished itself with the brazen gimmick of casting main roles with actors from superstar-brand families: Mike Norris (brother of Chuck), Chad McQueen (son of Steve) and Don Swayze (brother of Patrick). If only Chris Lemmon (son of Jack), Dedee Pfeiffer (sister of Michelle), and Jim Hanks (brother of Tom) had participated, marquee value would have been even grander.
Otherwise, the plot is a familiar one, dating to the 1924 short-story thriller "The Most Dangerous Game." Bad guy Danton Vachs (Billy Drago) maintains an island off Mexico where carefully chosen kidnapping victims are hunted down like trophies by the wealthy/powerful/depraved (worst of the hunters turns out to be a prominent lawyer) for $100,000 sums. The last hunt was a disappointment, so Vachs selects as the new quarry extreme-sports champ/Vietnam veteran Matt Collins (Norris); he also abducts Collins' lover (Isabel Glasser) to make things more interesting. But in the fight of his life, Collins has secret allies, including an old war buddy (McQueen), and a survivalist holdout (Swayze) from the earlier homicidal safari.
Actors are serviceable in a much-rendered premise, and perhaps it would have made a scant difference if their more illustrious relatives were spouting this dialogue (sometimes clever; other times any savvy viewers can finish the cliched lines themselves). There are the standard topless love scenes, endearing lack of CGI polish to the low-budget stunts, and an end-credit exhortation to read the (nonexistent) novel, buy the (nonexistent) soundtrack and eat the (possibly actual) popcorn. None of this was obviously meant too seriously.
One wishes Code Red, the distributor behind the 2K restoration, had sprung for a commentary track—perhaps by Roger Clinton and Billy Bush. But lone disc extras are trailers for fellow grindhouse fare such as Toy Soldiers and Guyana: Cult of the Damned. Optional. Aud: P.