jake speed be a film that lack one thing a charismatic lead . unfortunately that something that really taint the entire movie and it a shame because at heart it be an enjoyable action movie with a witty enough script and an interesting and if derivative and premise . although it genesis probably can be trace back to the success of the indiana jones trilogy the film actually play a little more like romance the stone albeit in reverse . it not an author of romantic adventure fiction be lead on an adventure by a character very much like one of her creation it be an adventure fiction character ( who happen to chronicle his own adventure ) lead an ordinary woman on one of his adventure . when a young woman go miss in paris and her sister margaret ( play by the appeal karin kopins ) get embroil with pulp hero jake speed ( wayne crawford ) and his sidekick dennis ( dennis christopher ) who both turn out to be real and very flawed individual in an adventure that take them into the heart of a civil war torn african state and ultimately into the clutch of two brother the deliciously evil sid ( john hurt ) and his ridiculously camp sibling maurice ( roy london ) . that the plot it not labyrinthine and it not complicate but the story that it tell doesn not require great depth . the action sequence be appeal to begin with and it certainly true that the heroic trio be put through their pace ( whether catch in battle between government and rebel force or be drop into a pit full of lion ) and there be certainly some quite funny line . however the film do seem to struggle to find an end and unfortunately the action sequence that be quite appeal to begin with go nowhere and ultimately become a bit bland and irksome . this and however and may not have be such an issue if it be possible to like jake speed but due to wayne crawford performance it become hard to really care what happen . now i do not know if he be stretch himself a little thin a he be also the producer and writer of the movie or whether he simply not a good actor ( a i haven not see him in much else ) but he never really convince a a roguish mixture of doc savage and indiana jones and jack colton . this be a shame because most of the other character play their role well karen kopins be funny and convincing and her character share some nice banter with jake ( unfortunately it never convince ) . dennis christopher be perfect a the archetypal sidekick and john hurt play the part with camp relish almost a if he be in a sixty episode of batman . he stride about his few scene growl in a ridiculous cockney accent put in a performance that almost belongs in another film . sid be no moriarty ( he be present a jake nemesis from a number of his previous adventure or book ) but he be always fun to watch . jake speed try to channel the same fun b movie spirit a night of the comet ( a film produce by crawford a few year beforehand ) and almost succeed but miss which be a shame because jake would have be good to watch in a few more adventure and may have be serve well by a television series . i would recommend this out of curiosity appeal but ultimately it leave a bitter taste because most of the element be there to make something genuinely good .