Casino Raiders (1989)
Reviewed by: STSH on 2000-04-21
Summary: Muddled and bitter
The pacing of this film is, to say the least, choppy. The first half hour is slow, wordy and densely plotted. Then there's just a little action, then romance and buddie stuff, then a bit more action...
While this might sound well-balanced on paper, it's damn confusing to watch.
A sense of the story starts to emerge in the second hour, although the build-up to the inevitable (and a little disappointing) gambling play-off still follows an uneasy course.
On the upside, the male-bonding affection between Sam and Crab is convincing and well-played across the whole film.
The ending comes under the heading of clever but bitter. One of the characters, in avenging a death, betrays the trust of another who is close. It's a horrid end to a mixed-up film.

Overall, this is a moderately good gambling film, and a lot less nasty than its ridiculously violent sequel.
Reviewer Score: 5