This is by far the best DB film to date. It has good acting, a good story and martial arts isn't the star. Daniel plays David Benson, an ex-CIA operative who was falsely accused in the Contra scandal. David has found a sort of sanctuary in a no-name South American town where he spends his time drinking and gambling. After a fight with the locals he's thrown into jail and bailed out by a former friend and CIA operative. He's told there is work for him as a mercenary/body guard to the president of Santa Brava, a fictional city in South America. With nothing better to do he takes the job to lead a protection team for the President's next public address, where he and his team are joined by a captain in the federal police named David Ramirez. The two David's immediately clash and a rivalry ensues.
On the day the President is to give his speech Benson checks the position of his team and finds that his former CIA partner is about to assassinate the President. He tries to reach his former friend but not before he can pull the trigger. As the President lies dying in his wife's arms David finds himself being accused of the crime by the killer himself. With the police and members of his own team after him he hooks up with David Ramirez, who is also accused as an accomplice, and they both head for the jungle.
Once in the thick of the jungle they are captured by rebels and taken to their hideout. David learns that the head of the rebel force is a woman named Teresa, who also happens to be Ramirez's sister. Teresa tells Benson that the President's wife was behind her husband's death to gain the presidency for herself. She shows him her ragtag group of fighters and asks for his help to train the men to fight the new President. At first he refuses but sees that she and her men will fight with or without his help. With the help of Benson and her brother, Teresa and her men are taught to use guns and explosives and train in a military fashion. With a plan hatched by David they raid a military post and capture weapons needed to fight the new government.
During all of this Teresa and David fall in love which does not sit well with her brother. After the raid on the military post Ramirez confronts Benson and tells him to stay away from his sister. Of course Benson isn't going to take any of Ramirez's nonsense and they settle it with their fists. As the fight comes to a close (at a draw) they hear helicopters heading for their camp and race back. Upon their arrival they find friends and compatriots killed and Teresa taken prisoner. Together they hatch a plan to rescue Teresa and lead the men on a raid of the Presidential Palace where the wife of the assissinated President (and new President) is preparing a live television broadcast.
Once inside the Palace they rescue Teresa and a former minister who knows of the new President's true intentions to form a dictatorship. Benson confronts his former CIA partner and the true assassin on live TV where the nationwide veiwers hear first hand that he was responsible for the President's death and not Benson or the rebels, as had been reported. David finishes his accuser and nemesis in a fight to the death when the new President enters the studio. Unknowing to her the camera is on and she confesses to her husband's murder. This enrages the veiwers and the people of Santa Brava, who storm the Palace to seek revenge for their beloved dead President's murder.
The new President realizes that David has tricked her into confessing on live television and goes after him, but not before Teresa enters the studio. The new President shoots Teresa and she dies in David's arms. Just as the President is about to shoot David she is stopped by the rebels. David takes her outside to face the angry crowd and hands her over to them to be stoned and beaten to death.
Well...that wasn't a bad description of the movie, was it? And from memory too! As I said, I loved this movie. It was well directed, the script was good and the acting was terrific. This was the kind of movie I'd love to see Daniel in more often. The only thing that bothered me was Mario Ivan Martino's (the assassinated President) performance. He portrayed the President in such a whinning and righteous manner that I was glad to see him whacked! And Julieta Rosen's performance as an Evita wannabe was at times a bit over the top but effective. I give this one two very long thumb-nails up!
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