Review of Cherry Bomb

Saucy spitfire stripper Cherry Bomb (a terrifically lively performance by gorgeous brunette stunner Julin Jean) gets brutally raped by a group of men. When the system fails to effectively handle the situation, Cherry decides to take matters into her own hands and exact a harsh vengeance on her own with the reluctant assistance of her estranged older brother Brandon (a fine and likable portrayal by John Gabriel Rodriguez). However, things get messy when ruthless and relentless hit-man Bull (fiercely essayed with impressively fearsome brio by hulking behemoth Allen Hackley) shows up to rub Cherry out. Director Kyle Day, working from a compact script by Garrett Hargrove, does a bang-up job of paying suitably rowdy homage to late 70's/early 80's down'n'dirty exploitation crime cinema: The brisk pace never flags for a minute, the colorful characters are drawn in delightfully broad strokes, the savage violence packs a pretty mean and bloody punch, the tone is every bit as tough and gritty as it ought to be, the engaging sense of sly tongue-in-cheek humor gives the picture an extra kick, there's a decent sprinkling of tasty gratuitous female nudity, the thrilling action set pieces are staged with rip-roaring skill and flair, and the strained relationship between Cherry and Brandon even provides some touching heart amidst all the frantic mayhem. Moreover, it's acted with real zest by an enthusiastic cast: Veteran porn stud Nick Manning almost steals the whole show with his superbly crafty work as smooth nightclub owner Ian Benedict, Denise Williamson makes a favorable impression as Cherry's sassy'n'sexy redhead best gal pal Sapphire, Jeremy James Norton positively oozes as despicable sleazeball Adam Berry, and Alan Martin pours on the slime as smarmy yuppie businessman Rick Lewis. M. Andrew Barrera's crisp widescreen cinematography gives the movie an appropriately grainy look. Both Jason Latimer's hard-throbbing score and the dynamic bluesy rock soundtrack hit the funky pulsating spot. A total blast.