YMMV / Stone Cold

• Aluminum Christmas Trees: Many reviews have stated that the major plot point regarding the D.A. appealing a guilty verdict and demanding a harsher sentence is impossible and against the Fifth Amendment. However, even though the USA have an unusual law which prohibits the prosecution from appealing acquittals in criminal cases, the prosecution can still appeal guilty verdicts and demand harsher sentences. Such appeals are a common practice all over the world.
• Complete Monster: Chains Cooper is the leader of a ruthless white supremacist biker gang called the Brotherhood, who live under one creed: "God forgives, the Brotherhood doesn't." Chains sends his men on joyride killing sprees and enacts a plan to assassinate district attorney Brent Whipperton for trying to stop his wanton violence. Along the way, Chains gleefully murders two guardsmen who stop him and his men on the road, sends their bodies to Whipperton, and when one of his minions speaks out, Chains forces his hand through a running motorcycle wheel. Chains kills the man who gives the hero Joe Huff's location to him, then murders his own girlfriend Nancy simply to spite Joe. In the climax, Chains assassinates Whipperton, several other judges, and threatens to massacre a courtroom full of innocent people should he not be allowed free rein for further atrocity.
• Moment of Awesome: Whatever your views on the movie's quality, the stuntwork in the climax almost makes the movie worthwhile by itself.
• Nausea Fuel: Every single member of the Brotherhood, including Nancy, seems to be covered in grease, dirt, or sweat at all times. You can practically smell this film. Not to mention how despite their general filth, Chains tosses Nancy at Joe the first chance he gets, which implies she's been ridden like a bike by every guy initiated with the Brotherhood.
• Retroactive Recognition:
  • Renée O'Connor (credited as Rene O'Connor) plays Tinselteeth^note her character's name in the end credits the hostage in the convenience store holdup at the start.
  • AWOL is played by Gregory Cummins, better known now as Mac's overly-intense convict dad on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
• Serial Numbers Filed Off: It's debatable just how much the movie is ripping off Point Break (1991); it wouldn't come out until a few months after Stone Cold, but the script had been shopped around for some time, had gained buzz, and was almost adapted by Ridley Scott. The movie definitely does not, however, hide its Road House (1989) inspirations (see the scene at the topless bar), and the opening supermarket robbery steals from Cobra to the point that Sly could've sued for plagiarism.
• Special Effect Failure: While the film is stuffed to bursting with practical effects, many of them are rife with technical issues. The most egregious example being a shot of a semi truck crashing into a gas station where both explode well before the truck actually hits the pumps.
  • There is also a really terrible attempt at Gorn at about the end of the first act. Chains sends his men out to go collect extortion money, but a rival gang spies them working their turf and throw a grenade at the guy. He survives, but his face is badly mangled. The prosthetics that they put on the actor to try to make it look like he's been disfigured looks as if it should be on the set of a Mel Brooks comedy. It looks nothing like someone blown through a plate glass window by a damn grenade.
• Unintentional Period Piece: Joe's bizarre attire in particular, as well as the faux-heavy metal/hard rock soundtrack, mark this film as an artifact of the early pre-grunge 90's. There are also lots of bandanas, poofy hair, acid washed jeans, and boxy men's suits.
• Unintentionally Unsympathetic: The film seems to try to be painting Nancy as a sympathetic character, but she willingly has been cavorting around with drug dealing white supremacists who kill gleefully every chance they get. She comes across as a whiny Damsel in Distress moreso than someone we feel Joe should go out of his way to help. It's possible the film realized this considering her fate: getting her head blown off by Chains.

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