Good start, but then it gets ruined

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

"Den Of Lions" has been sitting on the shelf for years. It finally came out in March 2006. I don't know why it took so long to release it straight to video. Maybe it had competition from all the Seagal flicks cluttering stores. The plot: Mike Varga is an FBI agent who goes undercover to infiltrate the Russian Mafia. The head boss is Darius (Hoskins) who, like all kingpins, lets him in his circle. Mike eventually falls in love with Darius' daughter (Laura Fraser).This is the junky version of "Donnie Brasco" which means there's a scene where Mike can't take the pressure and starts yelling and smashing things. It doesn't have much action until the end, but it's worth seeing for the performances of Dorff and Hoskins.For more insanity, please check out: comeuppancereviews.com

American B-movie favorite Steve Dorf plays a Hungarian-American FBI agent working undercover as a henchman to a Russian mob boss (a very fat Bob Hoskins) living in Budapest. The movie consists largely of Dorf and others tooling around Budapest, with several time outs so that Dorf can reassure Hoskins, who never leaves his study presumably because of his great girth, that he is not wearing a wire. The movie was shot on the cheap in Hungary, and like all such productions employs the typical mix of American, British and local actors. It is truly terrible. You will be kept waiting in vain for something to happen. This one of those films that depends on the actors to work without benefit of real direction. Even the best actor cannot work without a decent director. Just watch Hoskins stumble around throughout this.

Few movies offer the senseless violence and absence of artistic skill that is evident in this movie. Why anyone would want to spend the necessary hours/minutes viewing something so devoid of entertainment value as this presentation is beyond my sense of comprehension.Don't waste your positive energy and desire for entertainment on this one. Unless, of course, you are seeking misery, frustration and are bent on despondent expression of hopelessness. The sorrow that this film evoked was simply not worth the time it took to watch it.I, myself, will seek a film with plot, substance and creativity that is worth my time and expense of life energy.

Here's my theory. An accountant with connections managed to score directing a film, a dream he's had ever since he was so influenced by seeing Fate of the Dolphin III as a teenager. He then proceeded to stumble his way through the production and managed to put something together that, and I don't say this lightly, was a movie. Well, only just.Honestly. I've seen better production values on films shot with no budget whatsoever. I'm sure it had a low budget but it's no excuse for what they turned out. Absolutely no idea how to tell a story through the medium of film. Go back to filming birthday parties.Anyway, it gave me a good laugh. 0 out of 10.