Wanted: Dead or Alive

On the sunbaked streets of Los Angeles Nick Randall makes his living as a hard edged bounty hunter who used to work for the CIA. When a former colleague ropes him into a mission to locate Malak Al Rahim, a ruthless terrorist, Randall thinks he is taking on another routine job. But Malak's own people shadow the pursuit, turning the hunt into a dangerous crossfire that could ignite wider conflict. The chase threads through crowded markets, docks, and smoky back rooms as both men push toward a confrontation that could tilt the balance of power in the city. The film keeps its focus tight on cat and mouse tactics, quick exchanges, and the uneasy loyalties that form under pressure.

Directed by Gary Sherman and released in 1987, Wanted: Dead or Alive pairs Rutger Hauer as Nick Randall with Gene Simmons as Malak Al Rahim. The screenplay is credited to Brian Taggert and Michael Patrick Goodman, with supporting turns by Eli Danker, Nick Faltas and Robert Guillaume.

Box office data for Wanted: Dead or Alive is not publicly documented, so no earnings figures can be cited here; it was released to a modest, genre audience and later found a small foothold on home video.

Among fans of 80s action thrillers the film is a lean entry that favors mood and performance over spectacular set pieces. Hauer brings a cool, controlled presence while Simmons injects menace as the villain, giving the waterfront pursuit a taut, uncompromising energy. The film's restraint and focus on character dynamics set it apart from bigger budget explosions and helped it become a talking point for those who study the era's genre shifts.

Reception has been guarded, with praise directed at the lead performances and brisk pacing rather than big budget spectacle. The film explores loyalty and personal betrayals, and shows the moral ambiguity of a bounty hunter who operates under the pressure of a shadowy past. The themes of duty versus conscience and the price of crossing lines echo classic 1980s action anxieties.