No, Steven Seagal does not star in this, somewhat shockingly. As he’s transitioned to a career in acting, ex-wrestler Steve Austin has tried to branch out a bit, without much success. Hunt to Kill, however, is a meat-and-potatoes ass-kicker, with all the lack of subtlety and nuance that its title implies.

The plot here finds U.S. Border Patrol agent Jim Rhodes (Austin), a divorced single dad still mourning the loss of his partner (Eric Roberts) in a meth lab shootout, going about his business, trying to corral the headstrong instincts of his spitfire, know-it-all teenage daughter Kim (Marie Avgeropoulos). When a crew of trigger-happy fugitives led by the psychotic Banks (a scruffy-faced Gil Bellows, menacingly nursing suckers and toothpicks) takes Rhodes and his daughter hostage, the rugged wilderness of Montana serves as a backdrop for beat-downs and vengeance.

Scripted by Frank Hannah and directed by Keoni Waxman (The Keeper), Hunt to Kill is a steady-as-she-goes programmer, through and through. Brows are furrowed, threats exchanged, and bones snapped, but one never feels terribly invested in the proceedings, mostly because the characterizations are so thin and the dialogue so lame. Stunt coordinator Lauro Chartrand comes up with some scenarios that help generally spotlight Austin’s rugged physicality, but Waxman doesn’t exactly set imaginations on fire with
his yawning slow-motion stagings, as well as editing that occasionally works against the artful balleticism that informs wrestling’s hand-to-hand combat.

Housed in a regular plastic Amaray case in turn stored in a cardboard slipcover, Hunt to Kill comes to DVD presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, with an English language Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound audio track. Bonus features include a feature-length audio commentary track with Waxman
and actor Michael Eklund, as well as a short behind-the-scenes featurette with a couple cast and crew interview snippets. To purchase the DVD via Amazon, click here. C- (Movie) C (Disc)