Joe Pantoliano (Memento,The Matrix) gives a jolt to everything he's in, andDeadly Impactis no exception. Pantoliano plays a mad bomber called the Lion, who takes a personal relish in brutally punishing Tom Armstrong, a cop who gets too close (Sean Patrick Flanery of cult favoriteThe Boondock Saints). Tom goes to seed in Mexico, but an FBI agent (Carmen Serano,Breaking Bad) lures him to Albuquerque, where the Lion is pulling out all the stops.Deadly Impactis pretty generic, as the bland title might suggest, and Flanery doesn't provide much flavor. But Pantoliano drives the movie forward through sheer nerve. He never pushes or goes for flash (which is surprising, since most of the movie is bending over backward to be intense), yet he's compulsively watchable. Half the time you don't even see him, you just hear his nasal voice, insinuating and ruthless, tossing out threats with blithe efficiency. He's a scary guy precisely because he's not trying to be; he's just got things to do, and if Armstrong gets in his way… well that's too bad. Pantoliano injects everything he does with a sneaky sort of wit, like he's in on a joke that no one else gets.--Bret Fetzer