| The Protector | |
| Director: | Jack Gill |
| Producer: | Steven Paul |
| Music: | Mark Holden |
| Cinematography: | Robert Hayes |
| Editing: | Steve Mitchell Beebe |
| Released: | (United States) |
| Runtime: | 95 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $1 million |
The Protector is a 1997 American action film written by Jack Gill, Dee McLachlan, Stuart Beattie, and Andrea Buck, and directed by Gill. It stars Matt McColm as Kenneth James Conway, an ex-commando and a private detective investigating the disappearance of a virologist. Supporting cast includes Ron Perlman, John Rhys-Davies, and Carol Alt.
In 1996, stuntman and actor Matt McColm has been labelled by Los Angeles Times as "Hollywood's next-generation action star," following in the footsteps of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.[1] His previous entries in the action genre included Red Scorpion 2 (1994) and Subterfuge (1996). The Protector gave McColm a chance to impress the audiences with both his perfect musculature and martial-arts skills—since he has a black belt in Kenpo Karate.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Prior to the filming director Jack Gill worked primarily as a stuntman, stunt coordinator, and second unit director.[5]
A-Pix Entertainment released the movie in the United States on VHS in 1997.[7] The following year the film was released in Canada by Coscient Astral Distribution, under the title Conway.[8]
Douglas R. Pratt reviewed The Protector in his 2004 guide Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More!, Volume 1, noting, "the story is an adequate backdrop for the gunfights, car crashes, and other activities this sort of movie can be depended upon to deliver."[9] In a journal for Dammaged Goods—a cinema-related website—The Protector was called a "quasi exploitative action film" that "makes good use of its resources, has some fun in the process and doesn't try to be something it's not."[5] Furthermore, the central performance is praised: "Stunt performer turned leading man Matt McColm plays Conway with rogue charm while flexing his muscles and martial-arts prowess. Ruggedly handsome, McColm doesn't take things too seriously and is a likeable enough hero."[5] Yippee-ki-yay! editor Albert Nowicki complimented McColm in his leading role, calling his character a "convincing cinematic tough guy", with a "stunning musculature" and good magnetism. He went on to berate other cast members, though, and called Carol Alt an "expressionless beauty".[10]
Cinema.de provided a negative note, giving it one star out of five.[11] Movies Room described the movie, along with Subterfuge, as "tacky and second-class" but also "enjoyable".[12]