This film is an excellent example of the mantra that 'execution matters more than ideas' when it comes to telling good stories. You see, unlike the other three Andy Sidaris films I've reviewed so far, Picasso Trigger actually has a core concept that isn't fundamentally goofy. Sure, since this is an Andy Sidaris movie it ends up in goofy-town, but let's compare:
Malibu Express: secret agent hires private detective to investigate a crime she herself is about to commit
Savage Beach: "I have a katana!"
Hard Ticket to Hawaii: TOXIC SNAKE
Picasso Trigger: mob boss fakes his own death as part of a scheme to have his enemies (on both sides of the law) wipe each other out
Put that last concept in the hands of a competent writer and director, and you could actually get a good thriller or action movie out of it. Put it in Sidaris's hands, and you get ... well, you get boobs and bad dialogue, because that's what Sidaris does. In this case you also get a lot of remote-controlled model vehicles. Hard Ticket to Hawaii had diamond-smuggling via model helicopter, but this film takes it up a notch with model cars and planes being used as delivery systems for explosive surprises. I suspect that either Sidaris or a close friend was quite the fan of radio-controlled gizmos.
The movie also features a pacemaker-seeking missile. I did say it was goofy.
Let's be honest, I doubt anyone ever watched this movie for the plot. This is a film with six Playboy playmates on the cast, after all. The motivations for watching - especially in a pre-internet 1988 - are pretty obvious.
These days, unless you're an aficionado of truly trashy films, there is really little need to spend your time watching this. Especially since I already spoiled you on the existence of the pacemaker-seeking missile, thereby spoiling the best bit.
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