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This cheap but cheerful, shabby but sunny action thriller sees Cuba Gooding Jr going through the paces as a tough but likeable FBI agent investigating some dodgy goings on down under on Australia’s sun drenched Gold Coast.

He teams up with lovely reporter Emmanuelle Vaugier as they investigate the shady dealings of her recently slain husband: a husband she thought had been dead for several years but had actually been living a secret life down under. This, of course, uncovers all kinds of shifty schemes connected to local corrupt businessmen who will stop at nothing to make sure the investigative duo are silenced. Non-surprisingly these slimy business types have a disposable supply of goons to send out to fight, bother and attempt to blow up our heroes with crappy CGI explosions!

Australian cult director and one time exploitation ace, Brian Trenchard-Smith (Turkey Shoot, Man from Hong Kong, Day of the Panther and BMX Bandits) delivers an often slick looking if run-of-the-mill thriller that benefits from the sparky chemistry of its two leads. There is nothing particularly new here and the budget does show its strain on a few occasions but Gooding Jr and Vaugier make for a couple of appealing investigative heroes and their banter is perhaps the main draw here. They bounce off each well and seem to be enjoying themselves running around sunny Australia and occasionally kicking bad guy ass.

Proceedings roll along nicely with a car chase here and a fisticuff there and though there could have been a bit more action, Absolute Deception reaches its predictable climax in an unfussy and unpretentious way. The cast and crew may have only be doing this for some quick pay but once the leads team up and get to investigating, Absolute Deception is a fun little action thriller romp.