They work well together,but understand Weller is TOO intense.Love Sam,though.Corrupt cops nearly get away with it all,both heroes only just escape death.Weller is a real nerd here,Sam his usual cool dude.Great support all around,even if I rooted for the cops to fail.They did,all were pretty sleazy.Especially loved when Mr Porsche got his for his role in losing evidence.

"Shakedown" seems to fancy itself a buddy movie even though its public defender and police officer heroes work separately for most of it. And it dances between courtroom drama and cop action movie (with an emphasis on eyebrow-raising stunts), so tonally it's kind of all over the place. Yet, in the grand scheme of things, that ends up working for this movie because I liked the two leads. Peter Weller's legal angst, the overall '80s-ness and all of the macho dialogue come together into an entertaining movie. And it's a New York that you can almost feel, from the fashionable end to the Times Square cesspool. 7/10

Completely contrived police corruption plot but Sam Elliott and Peter Weller do the best that could be expected under the circumstances. This almost seems like the roller coaster scene and the plane finale were thought up, and then connected somehow with the cartoon like script. Character development beyond Elliott and Weller is sketchy. The entire cops on the drug dealers payroll scenario is exploited way beyond what might make sense. The night shots on 42nd street are terrific, but you simply cannot take "Shakedown" seriously, and with each passing scene things deteriorate as believability flies out the window. The movie has some entertainment value, but do not expect much beyond stunt work and crashes. - MERK

Director James Glickenhaus (The Soldiers, The Exterminator, McBain) has composed a reasonably well constructed thriller with the usual spectacular action sequences and an interesting plot. This time though, the strong performances from the lead stars help propel Shakedown above the usual mundane low budget films. Peter Weller (Robocop, Screamers) is excellent as Roland Dalton, a frustrated attorney who must help defend a troubled youth who has been accused of murdering a police officer. However, there is more to the scene of the crime than meets the eye...Sam Elliot (Road House) is grand as Richie Marks, a rogue police officer who is always at the wrong place at the right time. Marks and Dalton happen to form a "buddy-buddy" type bonding, and their investigation eventually leads knee deep into a conspiracy of corruption, deceit, and murder...Shakedown is a decent action flick with an intriguing plot with enthralling plot twists and top notch action sequences. The fist fight aboard a moving roller coaster is a highlight and the extended vehicle chase through the streets of Manhattan is another highlight.What makes Shakedown an exceptional thriller though, is the three dimensional performances. Peter Weller is definitely the performer worth watching in Shakedown. His convincing portrayal as a tough lawyer adds an extra depth of integrity to an otherwise standard "kill or be killed" actioner. Sam Elliot has his moments too as a cynical renegade cop who helps Weller expose corruption in the police department.Shakedown is worth watching just for the high caliber performances from both Weller and Elliot. The action scenes are worthwhile as well. The only setback though is these action sequences are used a little too sparesly. The lack of a breathtaking pace destroys an almost superior thriller. Otherwise, Shakedown is an adequate film. This movie would benefit greatly with a faster pace, but the acting from stars Weller and Elliot make Shakedown a film worth a look.RATING: **1/2 out of ****.