In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

EVASIVE ACTION is nothing more than a cheap, B-movie rip-off of CON AIR, made by schlock producer Andrew Stevens who seemed to churn such efforts out with a monotonous regularity. However, there's little that's monotonous about this particular film, which proves to be a hoot through and through.A group of dangerous prisoners - and one decent one - are being transported to a new prison via train (after that incident when "the plane came down in Vegas", nudge nudge). Inevitably they break loose, leading to all manner of low-rent mayhem aboard the train. The direction is poor and the scriptwriting worse, with one exception: the genius creation of Hector the Director, a psychotic loon played to the hilt by B-movie icon Clint Howard. A manic cross between Malkovich's Cyrus the Virus and Hopkins's Hannibal the Cannibal, Hector only speaks in film quotes and is a delight to watch.The poverty-row budget is all too apparent in the dodgy staging of the action sequences; occasionally the film will cut away from the action altogether (such as a bomb blast) when they can't afford to show it. After a while, it becomes apparent that the money was blown on amassing a cast of B-movie stalwarts and familiar faces. Headlining them all is Roy Scheider as a grizzled Mafia don and long-time convict hell-bent on escape.Meanwhile, Dorian Harewood acquits himself well as a guy serving his term thanks to a miscarriage of justice, getting the viewer on side early on and coming across as a truly decent character. Elsewhere we get ROBOCOP's Ray Wise as a Sheriff and RED HEAT's Ed O'Ross as a prison warden. Patrick Swayze's brother Don even turns up as another bad guy, and you quickly realise why he never reached the stardom that his brother enjoyed. Most people will scoff at EVASIVE ACTION as a piece of trash, but this B-movie hound thoroughly enjoyed it!

Trains have been a popular aim for movie cameras, ever since the Lumière brothers in 1896. Take the 1903 Great Train Robbery, Keaton's General, La bête humaine, Under Siege 2, and many many more. I admit to have a special liking for them, and couldn't resist when I saw this one for €1.99 in the shop. Was it worth it? I'm undecided. I wouldn't call it good, nor bad.. let's call it middling? What I liked most were the beginning jail scenes - far from Shawshank Redemption or Green Mile, but quite nicely done. Hey, this is a "direct to video" on a low budget.. even B movies of old were made for the big screen!On the other hand, this little thing shows ambitions. Two scenes of jumping on the rushing train, from a collapsing helicopter and from a motorbike, were hinted at but not exactly shown (impossible to do? too expensive?) But then, in Mission Impossible you even had a helicopter chasing the train in the tunnel! The climax shows that the makers had watched Silver Streak (one of my favorite train movies), but couldn't afford a worthy remake. Most bizarre I found how the many people in L.A. Union Station seemed not to bother at all at the "catastrophe", just keeping wending their ways... or was it the desert the train was in, 9 minutes from LA?Lots of incontinuities. Where was Donner Pass (a famous rail location!) I kept hearing about? How silly can you misrepresent a railroad control room, and its screen display? And does California really have about ten policemen (or did the budget forbid using more)?And yet, it did have its charms. Even though it was very probably made by adults, now thinking more about it, this movie somehow exudes the embarrassing but fun experience of watching a high-school theater project. Reconsidering, I give it 7/10 - five for middling, but one bonus point each for being set on a train, and for the hilarious audacity of trying to do a much bigger show than the budget would allow... :) I haven't watched Con Air, so I can't compare. But if you like "train exploitation", this film may be worth US$3 to add to the collection, and 90 minutes to watch.

What film! I find throughout this picture that tension is cranked up by stealth. What acting! Drama was fully realised by face and walking. The expertise of act was fully realised by shark attack victim Roy Scheider through brilliant. My nerves surrounding trains were mechanically extrapolated through film- I was gripped by story, and my the action only helped prolong viewing time. Steel train was great name and reflected the true power of train, but Evasive Action is the facts because train cannot be embraced like goose. I think trains are not fully realised as story basis, though Under Siege thought train well and atomic train had battle train, but Evasive Action make steel train! I feel film was excellent and implore everyone who likes act, drama, film and train to watch.

This mess of movie is just a big Con Air Rip Off. The Story, The Names, The End. Like, Clint Howards character is named Hector "The Director" and his bald compare with Malkovich character the balded Cyrus "The Virus". Don't bother watch this movie unless you are like me fan of direct-to-video movies. And at last Don Swayze looks like a Ostrich in the movie.