The Human Shield

Stars: Michael Dudikoff (American Ninja series, Avenging Force, River Of Death), Steve Inwood. Action star Michael Dudikoff is Doug Matthews, a U.S. Marine instructor on assignment to Iraq in 1985, who left a mark on his pupil--Iraqi Colonel Ali Dallal (Steve Inwood). When Dallal brutally kills innocent villagers, Doug adds a nasty scar to his face and a wish for revenge in his heart. Five years later, Doug's brother is arrested at the Baghdad airport, and our boy must return to Iraq. While Dudikoff is certainly no Clint Eastwood, he follows the basic code of a good action hero: namely, never speak when you can kick. Mixed into the primal stew of one-man-vs.-an-entire-country is a subplot involving Dallal's wife who--surprise!--was Doug's main squeeze years earlier. While director Ted Post (Hang 'Em High, Go Tell The Spartans, Good Guys Wear Black) has done much better work in the past, he does keep this low-budget flick moving. Audience: Okay for not-too-picky action fans.