Dangerous Game, Department Store Carnage

Now that Amazon and other e-retailers have relegated American department stores to insignificant retail options, it is useful to look back a few decades to see these dinosaurs in action.  From Australia, we look at 1988's "Dangerous Game," directed by Stephen Hopkins.  Fortunately the gun and hunting departments in our featured department store will be heavily used by college babes in hunks in fighting a complete psychopath.

Officer Murphy (Steven Grives) is a real psycho.  His department knows it and is about to suspend him pending a complete psychological evaluation.  Blaming a bunch of college kids for his fall from grace, Murphy decides on a plot for revenge.  Our college kids?  The babe Kathryn (Kathryn Walker) has just begun romancing Jack (Marcus Graham).  Then, computer nerd David (Miles Buchanan) had just started romancing Ziggy (Sandie Lillingstone).  Oh yes, the fifth wheel, Tony (John Polson).  So cute...not to Murphy.  David impresses his friends...so he demonstrates his hacking ability.  Our nerd hacker hacks into Sydney's largest department store and opens their security doors at midnight.

Now our five college kids sneak into the store...and Murphy follows them.  Pre-marital sex will occur, and some other harmless fun.  Then Murphy begins hunting them.  Cutting off the phone lines and security systems...then re-locking all the doors, the kids are trapped inside.  Murphy finds hunting daggers, crossbows, shotguns, and more derangement.  Uh oh for Murphy...the kids also find firearms.  Bloodshed will follow and some neat chases.  Wedding displays will be annihilated, and a few dirt-bikes will be utilized in this thriller.  Not all the college kids will remain alive, and Murphy's insanity will constantly be revved up.

Will any of these college kids survive Murphy?  Is Murphy a metaphor for Amazon.com and its quest to drive all other retail outlets into extinction?  Is the lack of police response to the department store a metaphor for the bribed and incompetent U.S. Department of Justice's Anti-Trust Division?  This is a terrific action thriller in which Murphy steals the show.  For a war movie set in a department store, see "Dangerous Game."