“Riot” is another entertaining action flick starring Gary Daniels (“Rage”, “City Hunter”). Sure, the production values are not great but the film features enough impressive action sequences to keep you happy. It feels like a fun mix of “Patriot Games”, “Escape From New York” and “Rumble In The Bronx”.

Major Shane Alcott (Daniels) is a S.A.S. man deployed to the United States to help train American soldiers. He sees on the news that riots are happening in the city despite it being Christmas. His services are called upon when his ex-girlfriend and daughter of the British ambassador is kidnapped by street thugs during the carnage. However, it turns out that the I.R.A. are masterminding this operation.

Daniels is still not a great actor but he’s believable in the role and his fighting skills are terrific. Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard appears as Major Williams, a friend and colleague of Alcott. Patrick Kilpatrick (“Minority Report”, “Death Warrant”) plays the main I.R.A. bad guy and he’s clearly having a lot of fun with the role. He’s ridiculous but I enjoyed the performance. Thom Barry (“Space Jam”, “Independence Day”) is okay as a simple family man living in the rough part of town that is seeing the worst of the violence.

Despite the fact that “Riot” is clearly a low-budget movie, it sure manages to pack a punch. We see Daniels fight with black gangs as well as the I.R.A. and we also have both an exploding helicopter and a car chase. Having Daniels sent alone into hostile territory did remind me a lot of “Escape From New York” and the whole Northern Irish angle definitely made me think of “Patriot Games”. It’s fair to say that this is not a completely original movie but it’s original in delivering this combination of ideas. It’s not a spectacular movie but if you just want a fun action flick then go and check it out.