Synopsis:

Choke Canyon was directed by Charles Bail (Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold). The screenplay for Choke Canyon was co-written by Ovidio G. Assonitis (Behind the Door) and Alfonso Brescia (Beast in Space). The cinematographer on Choke Canyon was Dante Spinotti, whose other notable films as a cinematographer includes Manhunter, The Quick and the Dead, Heat, L.A. Confidential and Public Enemies. The generic cliched 1980’s action film score for Choke Canyon was composed by Sylvester Levay. Some other films her wrote scores for include Body Rock, Cobra, Invaders from Mars and Stone Cold. An alternate title that Choke Canyon is also known by is On Dangerous Ground.

Even though the plot is your prototype 1980’s action fare, the picturesque cinematography and the performances from the entire cast take things up a notch. After the main players are established and the physicist’s world is disrupted is when things start to heat up. From here on out the plot moves along at a brisk pace that holds steady until the films finale. The film’s ending while necessary to the evolution of the physicist character it does take away some of the momentum that had been building up to that point. The two performances that standout are Bo Svenson (The Inglorious Bastards) as a character known as the captain and Stephen Collins in the film’s lead role of David Lowell the physicist. One of the film’s more entertaining aspects of Bo Svenson’s character the Captain is continually outsmarted by David Lowell the physicist. The most surprising aspect of this film was just how good Stephen Collins was in role of David Lowell the physicist. He more than holds his own during the films numerous action sequences even though the action genre is one that he has rarely worked in throughout his career. Ultimately Choke Canyon is a solid action film that features exceptional stunt work especially the aerial photography.