Console
best movie i've ever seen.
Fairaher
The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
Cristal
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
Paul Andrews
Federal protection starts in Illinois in Chicago where car thief Frank 'Chop Chop' Carbone (Armand Assante) is double crossed by his partner Pasquale 'Patsy' Dilepsi (Tony Clabretta) who has lead two mob hit men (one played by director Anthony Hickox) to his garage, however Carbone survives the attempt on his life & becomes a witness for the state against mob boss Jospeh Pagnozzi (Mark Camacho) in return for federal protection. Crabone is given a new name Howard Akers & is moved to a nice little suburban house in the town of Little Rock in Arkansas where his sexy neighbour Leigh Kirkendale (Angela Featherstone) recognises him & they both fall in love with each other. Word gets around that the mob has put a one million dollar price on Carbone's head & Leigh's greedy sister Bootsie (Dina Meyer) & her cheating husband Denny (David Lipper) try to contact the mob to collect the reward & once the mob find out where Carbone is they send hit men out to kill him...Directed by Anthony Hickox one has to say this reasonable yet unspectacular thriller has a few nice moments but overall it can't really distinguish itself from the crowd, an adequate time waster I would struggle to describe it as anything else to be honest. The script is a fairly routine comedy thriller about the mob trying to find someone in hiding & that someone in hiding trying to stay hidden. Funnily enough Carbone barely does anything for the majority of the film except have a soap opera style relationship with his neighbour Leigh which happens far too fast for me to totally buy it & most of the fun to be had with Federal Protection is with Bootsie & Lenny's plan to get a million from the mob & turn Carbone in which is oblivious to Carbone until the end. There's an amusing part in a hotel room as two mob goons burst in on Bootsie & Lenny playing S&M games although there's a really stupid bit here where goon number one opens a window & threatens to throw them both out of it but then decides to stand with his back to them facing the window & actually leaning out of it. I mean what did he expect them to do exactly other than push him out of it first? The plan Bootsie comes up with to get the money by making the drop in the middle of a police convention is also quite cool but apart from one or two moments Federal Protection is quite routine & bland. The relationship between Carbone & Leigh just suddenly happens rather than develops & the happy ending is a little too neatly wrapped up & convenient for me. At about 90 odd minutes long Federal Protection is fairly watchable although there are times it can drag.Another disappointing aspect of Federal Protection is the action, or rather the lack of it. There are a couple of bloody shootings & a scene set in a junkyard where a few trashed cars get blown up but nothing else of note. There are a couple of kinky S&M scenes although they are tame to say the least & are more funny & playful than anything else. There is a fair amount of profanity & the infrequent violence is quite bloody so it deserves it's 'R' rating but only just. Filmed with no great style Federal Protection looks alright if a little plain.The IMDb says that Federal Protection had a budget of about $6,000,000 which I find very hard to believe, sure there's a decent cast with familiar faces but little action. Although set in Chicago & Arkansa like many low budget films this was actually filmed in Québec in Canada. Armand Assante barely does anything until the last five minutes while the sexy Dina Meyer looks to be having fun as the vampish Bootsie.Federal Protection is a comedy thriller that isn't particularly funny or thrilling to be honest, I have seen better but then again I have seen worse. If you catch it on telly for free you might make it through o the end happily enough but I'd advise spending money on it.
ghostman16
Jesus Christ this film was boring an hour and a half seemed like 5 hours and a half.Armand Assante plays Frank Carbone a chop shop worker working for the mob. but when the mob wants Frank dead Frank is put into federal protection. the thing that got me annoyed with federal protection was that it was completely boring.Armand Assante is first billed yet you hardly really see him in the film Dina Meyer steals most of the film as an annoying smart ass character. i admit the fist 15 minutes of the film where quite good but after that i struggled to keep watching it. luckily this was on television so i didn't waste any money buying it.but word of advise if anyone is thinking of buying this film don't you'll want your time and money back. 2 out of 10.
blueboyns
This movie is utter cliché, but also an example how one actor can make it worth watching. Dina Meyer is completely carrying this movie. Even though she doesn't have leading role her scenes are only advantage of this film. Talented actress and stunning beauty. (man, did she look good in that latex dominatrix costume :) )Sure Assante was cool as always but his scenes were kind of boring. But when story gave attention to Dina this movie was actually interesting.Movie is complete no brainier, predictable as it can get, but has some charm and is fun watch if you don't expect too much, and especially if you're Dina Meyer fan!
George Parker
"Federal Protection", a vanilla middle-of-the-road action/drama with the feel of tv direct production, tells of a swaggering chop shop racketeer (Assante) from Chicago who is ensconced in the federal witness protection program in the burbs of Little Rock, AR where he is too easily recognized by his neighbors one of whom he falls for while the others try to extort money from the mob for giving him up. Obvious, predictable, contrived, and generic with some bloody shootouts, almost no sex, no nudity, and very little chemistry, "FP" is strictly nominal no-brainer entertainment. Keep expectations low and enjoy.
