"Subterfuge” is one of those movies you see filling up bulk bins at Walmart and various video outlets -- starting bid one dollar; closing bid three dollars. Oh yeah. Generally there isn’t much to these films, which boast slick glossy covers, usually involving a busty woman cowering as a juiced-up bloke holds a large gun in the general direction of the camera. These films are designed to appeal to young males looking for cheap thrills in the form of violent action and scantily clad women. Sadly, most young males have gotten wise to the gimmick, understanding that these films rarely offer much much of anything, let alone satisfactory action or T&A. Poorly executed set pieces passed off as action, and women so trashy that you’ll swear you’ve seen them going much further in that porno you rented off of cable the night before -- that's what these films really offer. “Subterfuge” is in the same vein; ultimately forgettable for the most part, but the jovial chemistry between the three leads is undeniable, keeping the thing fairly light and easy-going and dare I say "watchable" even. First and foremost, “Subterfuge” is a medicore spy-thriller seemingly geared for family viewing, juding from its lack of nudity and screech-out violence.

          In the film’s opening minutes, an off-course American airliner is unexpectedly knocked out of the sky during a thunderstorm, and crashes into the Black Sea. Since Russia was clearly trying to help the plane land, as evidenced by some transmissions, the Americans find themselves grasping at straws – especially since nothing seems to add up. Now the Americans have a dilemma in that they want to get their hands on black box (and maybe something else on board the plane) before the Russians, while at the same time not drawing attention to themselves. They don’t want to incite a worldwide incident, now do they? So, of course, that’s when Uncle Sam turns to a pair of down and out beach bums running a surf shop in California. Don't laugh, that’s what we’re dealing with here. As it turns out, the bums are actually brothers, one of which, Jonathan Slade (Matt McColm), is a former CIA operative and a champion swimmer. By sheer coincidence, his brother, Alfie (Jason Gould), is a computer hacker of epic proportions, one that has been supplementing his income by hacking into people's bank accounts and stealing their money. And that’s the barrel the government has them over – suggesting that they will put Alfie away on computer fraud charges for a very long time unless the duo agree to help. After some reluctance, big brother Jonathan agrees, as long as Alfie can come along to assist. After a quick hop skip and a jump, the brother's are in Turkey, gearing up for a trip to the shark-infested Black Sea.

          A violent run in with some greedy drug dealers over a speed boat, culminates with Jonathan and Alfie being introduced to their CIA babysitter, the beautiful British agent Alex (Amanda Pays), who immediately takes a shine to them, despite Jonathan’s obvious reservations. His suspicions over her motivations and the increasing paranoia that they are being tracked seems somewhat warranted since, as he puts it, “Whenever you’re around, somebody tries to kill me.” Following a playful twenty or so minutes involving some hungry sharks, a horny killer whale, and lots of “beachside downtime”, the pair, Alex and Jonathan, soon conclude that they are on a wild goose chase. They decide to investigate on their own, so, after a quick excursion to a Russian radar installation, and a brief hacking of Pentagon's computers, Alfie begins to uncover a bizarre plot involving some rogue CIA operatives -- the same ones that they believe knocked the plane out of the sky. Will they be able to salvage what’s on the plane before the baddies? Will Jonathan and Alex sleep with each other? Will Alife ever have sex? Yes, these are some of the questions you’ll actually ask yourself while watching the final minutes of "Subterfuge" tick down.

          Since most of the action set pieces in “Subterfuge” come off as more laughable than thrilling, it’s hard to even call this a straight ahead ‘action flick’. Yes, there are plenty of shoot-outs, a couple of bare knuckle fist fights and even some cool chase sequences, one in a car, one on a motorcycle and one in a boat, but all of it is so poorly executed, it’s difficult to take any of it seriously or simply be awed. Even the worst directors with the broadest understanding of the genre could probably churn out something better than this. Herb Freed, famous for his 1981 film “Graduation Day” -- a horror movie that has garnered acclaim the world over as a genuine cult classic, seems to be spinning his wheels in a genre he has only a threadbare grasp on. The film lacks forward momentum, as evidenced by the characters, who seem more interested in catching rays and drinking. Gould's character, with his neverending ability as a hacker, seems capable of just about everything and is, in all seriousness, probably more dangerous than all of the CIA goons combined. He is undoubtably the greatest hacker in the world, if not the whole freaking universe. If you can buy into his ability to scare aquatic life, empty out bank accounts or hack into the Pentagon and the Russian military with simple key strokes, then you'll probably believe the that someone with his ability would be wasting away in a surf shop in SoCal. As Amanda Pays would say, "Not bloody likely."

          To be clear, the film does have some good things going for it, namely in the area of casting. Whomever decided to bring hulking stunt-man Matt McColm (2003’s “The Matrix Reloaded”), Jason Gould (1989’s “Listen to Me”), son of Barbara Streisand and Elliot Gould, and former model turned actress, Amanda Pays (2001’s “Ablaze”) together, should definitely be commended for taking such a gamble because it actually pays off. While McColm comes off as a big lug for the most part, he still seems to be having fun, especially with his co-stars. Matt and Jason as brothers might be a bit of a stretch, but they pull it off, somewhat. If anything, you get the sense that these two enjoy being in each other’s company. Amanda Pays seems to work well with both of the guys, and, at times, you kind of question which of the brothers she’ll ultimately end up with. Her chemistry opposite McColm feels more big brother/little sister-ish, but as it stands, it's at least pleasent. In the end, you’ll be rooting for them, even though the circumstances they find themselves in are utterly ridiculous. Richard Brake (2007’s “Hannibal Rising”) as the devious CIA agent Pierce Tencil overplays his part to such a degree that if you haven’t figured out that he’s bad guy within five minutes of him appearing on the screen, then you’re an idiot.

          Overall, this isn’t a film I’d recommend based on its implied promise of thrilling action sequences. However, if you want to have a good time watching some fairly likeable characters as they lounge on the beach, cavort with aquatic life and beat up sweaty overweight types who couldn't shoot to save their life, then this is just the flick for you.