Latin American terrorists abduct the President of the United States while he is on a state trip in Toronto. The Secret Service have to devise a plan to get him back alive.

This Canadian political thriller features Captain Kirk - I mean William Shatner - in a starring role as the head of the American Secret Service. It's always kind of fun watching him in contemporary roles and in this one he even gets to utter an f-bomb which was a bonus. He's pretty good value here and the main reason I am guessing anyone would actively seek this one out. Starring alongside him is one of those reliable 70's stalwarts, Hal Holbrook, who gets to play the President. The film itself really starts out pretty well and by the half-way point it has set in motion a pretty intriguing scenario. It would only be fair to say though that in the second half it kind of peters out a bit and the varied action and events of the set-up culminate with a situation that can best be described as a man in a van. Still, it ultimately is decent enough fare and the Toronto setting I quite liked. It certainly had the potential to be better though.

When the government was helping create a film industry here in Canada, it followed this pattern b film with a named actor. This time the name actor is William Shatner, and the b action film is about terrorist grabbing the president. Unbelievable at the time, but after 9/11 James Bond plots become more believable every week. It is entertaining, and I like Shatner in it, I forgotten abit of the ending. Entertaining, but a B film. 5/10

Crazed and ruthless South American revolutionary Roberto Assanti (excellently played with fierce intensity by Miguel Fernandez) abducts folksy American President Adam Scott (a typically fine performance by Hal Holbrook) and holds him hostage in an armored truck that's wired with explosives for a hundred million dollar ransom. It's up to hard-nosed secret agent Jerry O'Connor (the almighty William Shatner in peak rugged form) to rescue the president before things get too out of hand. Director George Mendeluk, working from a tight and absorbing script by Richard Murphy, relates the gripping story at a steady pace and builds a sizable amount of tension. The good acting from a bang-up cast constitutes as a major asset: the usually hammy Shatner shows some restraint for once, Holbrook brings a winning blend of wry humor and amiable dignity to his juicy role as chief executive, and Elizabeth Sheperd adds some class as the loyal, concerned first lady Joan Scott, plus there are nice supporting turns by Van Johnson as wishy-washy vice president Ethan Richards, Ava Gardner as Ethan's bitchy, overbearing wife Beth, Cindy Girling as Assanti's faithful confederate Linda Steiner, Maury Chaykin as bumbling terrorist Harvey Cannon, Michael J. Reynolds as ramrod Canadian police chief MacKenzie, and Gary Reineke as smarmy jerk CIA agent Deitrich. Mike Molloy's slick cinematography makes inspired occasional use of hand-held camera-work and gives the picture an attractive glossy work. Paul Zaza's shivery, rousing score further enhances the suspense and offers a few nifty variations on "Hail to the Chief." A neat little flick.