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Lethal Tender

Lethal Tender

Money is the most explosive element.

199690 minRMidcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Director
John Bradshaw
Starring
Jeff Fahey, Kim Coates, Carrie-Anne Moss, Gary Busey

Bad guys are poisoning drinking water, and there is only one man who can stop them, Jeff Fahey.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Lethal Tender?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Lethal Tender on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Lethal Tender?

Lethal Tender earns 1 badge: Fun.

Reception

Is Lethal Tender worth watching?

Lethal Tender's Midcredits score is the 6th percentile of all films, from 528 ratings across 3 sources. 20% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

6th percentile

Better received than 6% of films

12th percentile among Action6th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)7th
Approval (how many liked it)9th

43 /100

7th percentile of all films

13th percentile among Action5th percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

Approval

How many liked it

20% liked it

9th percentile of all films

16th percentile among Action9th percentile among 1990s
20% rated it 7–1080% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

37th percentile

528 ratings across platforms

23rd percentile among Action30th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 17% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree Lethal Tender is a cheap, derivative Die Hard clone with intentionally/unintentionally funny villains and a weak hero.

Fans praised

  • Kim Coates' committed, humorous performance as the lead villain
  • unintentional comedy value from low-budget execution
  • amusing dialogue and campy one-liners

Detractors panned

  • Jeff Fahey's flat, wooden performance lacks urgency
  • derivative Die Hard clone with no tension or excitement
  • poor action scenes, villains inept, overlong runtime

What stands out

HumorDivisive65

intentional/unintentional comedic moments land for some

DialogueDivisive55

amusing one-liners but with cringey pop culture riffs

ActingDivisive48

Coates hams it up; Fahey wooden and charmless

Pacing40

overlong, anti-climactic final stretch

Plot and story35

derivative Die-Hard-in-a-water-plant, lacks urgency

Characters30

underdeveloped, stereotypical, with wacky code names

Tension20

hero never seems trapped; stakes feel contrived

Originality10

blatant Die Hard clone with no fresh ideas

Watch experience

What is Lethal Tender like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It never lets up, has a few laughs and leaves you entertained. Skip it when you want something with weight.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Very little.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
TenseAbsurd
Heaviest: late
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
Campy · 4% of filmsPlayful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its over-the-top material with a knowing wink, mixing hammy performances and intentional comedy with cheap action tropes, never taking itself seriously.
The rideThe film maintains a mix of action tension and goofy comedy throughout, with the heaviest action (and most absurd moments) concentrated in the climax.
StructureThe story follows a conventional linear structure: setup (takeover), confrontation (hero sneaks and fights), resolution (climax and escape).

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

The answer rests on this: FunFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you entertained by its campy, over-the-top antics, with a happy ending that satisfies despite the low production values.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe hero, a police detective, must stop a terrorist leader (Montesi) and a double-crossing mastermind (Turner) who have seized a water plant, making it a classic tyrant subtype where the villain holds power in a confined location.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsSurvival
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe hero must restore order and save hostages from a terrorist plot, while also fighting to stay alive inside the plant.
StanceThe film presents its hero and villains in a straightforward, formulaic manner, without interrogating or celebrating the theme of justice beyond the usual action-movie resolution.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalUrbanRealistic
Orchestral modernRockSupportive music · hybrid · Louis Natale
Settinga water purification plant in an unnamed city, likely Toronto, with some exterior city scenes
MusicThe score is typical for a low-budget action film, with a lone rock song over the end credits.

Cast and crew

Who is in Lethal Tender?

Cast

Jeff Fahey
as David Chase
Kim Coates
as Montesi
Carrie-Anne Moss
as Melissa Wilkins
Gary Busey
as Mr. Turner
David Mucci
as Wally
Denis Akiyama
as Det. Peter Ota
Martin Roach
as Sammy
Jonathan Potts
as Pogo
Karyn Dwyer
as Sparky
Chris Pickle
as Banjo

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Lethal Tender?

Movies like Lethal Tender include Passenger 57 (1992), City Hunter (1993) and The Ladykillers (2004). Of the 8 closest matches, two are heist films, and most are films about law enforcement.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 8 share its subject: justice. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Lethal Tender?

824 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: terrorist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.