‘WANTED’--A TAUT THRILLER WITH GORE

Nick Randall has all the tools of an ‘80s spy--everything from high-tech snooping gadgets and workout equipment to a space-age stereo, a combination office-firing range and an arsenal full of enough automatic weapons to run a secret war in Central America.

But the taciturn hero of “Wanted: Dead or Alive” (citywide) has soured on the CIA racket. Instead, he’s gotten into the bounty-hunter business, where he tracks down low-life criminals with a hefty price on their head.

When an old agency pal persuades Randall (Rutger Hauer) to help the CIA nab bloodthirsty terrorist Malak Al Rahim (Gene Simmons), our boy reluctantly goes back to work. It’s not a pleasant assignment, since he loathes the buttoned-down CIA brass almost as much as Al Rahim, a dangerous fanatic who’s crossed Uzis with Randall in the past. It’s this cutthroat alliance that transforms “Wanted” from a routine spy-versus-spy ambush into a taut, jagged-edged thriller with more twists and turns than a Ross Thomas mystery.

Director Gary Sherman (“Vice Squad”) slyly leads us into the labyrinthine world of intelligence intrigue, which is so full of edgy double-dealing that we never know whom to trust. Is Randall’s pal (Robert Guillaume) on the level? Or is Randall being used as bait and if so, by whom--the terrorist or his old CIA adversaries?

Be forewarned--violence is the ultimate equalizer in this world, and the film makers don’t shy away from giving us a front-row seat for the blood-letting. Randall’s interrogation techniques are right out of a Mike Hammer textbook--if he can’t get information by slugging someone in the stomach with a 7-iron, then he’s happy to run a knife along his chin. But Sherman is a savvy, visual director, who prefers to let us see a clue rather than hear about it. (When Randall discovers one of his prey’s hiding places, he sniffs a milk carton to see how fresh the trail is.)

“Wanted” is based on a clunky ‘50s Steve McQueen TV Western series of the same name (Randall is supposed to be the McQueen character’s great-grandson). But don’t let that throw you off--the connection is much clearer in the trailer than in the film itself. Sherman and young cinematographer Alex Nepomniaschy are much more fascinated by the icy amorality of today’s spy-scape, where the good guys are just as obsessive as their low-life adversaries.

The film makers emphasize this deadly intrigue by giving L.A. a moody, ‘80s film-noir look. They paint the town in cold, gray brush-strokes, finding fresh, offbeat locales, like a dingy San Pedro marina, while shooting scenes either through windows or with a telephoto lens, as if to emphasize the voyeuristic quality of the chase. The script is also loaded with delightfully perverse touches--when an Arab terrorist arrives in the United States, he comes disguised as a Hasidic rabbi.

As with many low-budget thrillers, the storyline holds up better than the acting. Hauer offers a solid, physical presence, but he lacks the world-weary charm of a bona fide noir hero. (Gene Simmons, as the terrorist, is merely a serviceable villain.) But Sherman and his scriptwriting crew have still managed to fashion a spellbinding thriller here, one that fills you with an uneasy mixture of excitement and dread.

‘WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE’ A New World Pictures presentation. Producer Robert C. Peters. Director Gary Sherman. Writers Michael Patrick Goodman, Brian Taggert and Gary Sherman. Camera Alex Nepomniaschy. Editor Ross Albert. Music Joseph Renzetti. Production Design Paul Eads. Costume Design Tom McKinley. With Rutger Hauer, Gene Simmons, Robert Guillaume, Mel Harris, William Russ, Susan McDonald, Jerry Hardin, Hugh Gillin and Joe Nasser.

Running time: 1 hour, 44 minutes.

MPAA rating: R (Under 17 requires an accompanying parent or adult guardian.)