Steven Millan’s review published on Letterboxd:
Gay Porn filmmaker Tim Kincaid spent the mid 80s lensing various mainstream genre films that appealed to the drive-in/grindhouse crowd,as in the case of this grimy and violent actioner that is heavily inspire by both DEATH WISH 3 and TENEMENT as a nightclub owner(John Hayden[THE SOCIAL NETWORK,CRAZY ON THE OUTSIDE]) returns from a stint in prison(after accidently choking out a guy to death[in his theater]) to resume his nightclub business,only to deal with the criminal meddlings of a local mobster(Michael Speero[HEARTS AND DIAMONDS,SHE'S BACK]) and his henchmen as they immediately enter the picture and wreck havoc(shooting up his nightclub[and gorily gunning down everyone inside of it{including Hayden's father}]) to the point that Hayden,his co-workers,and his elegantly dressed cop girlfriend(Kate Collins) team up to take on the bad guys,amid the title climatic brawl between various 42nd. Street citizens of every type(including suit clad yuppies and even tween kids[!!!]). RIOT ON 42ND. ST. happily goes out of its way to be as outrageous as it can get,complete with a wild beginning where various street prostitutes,gays,and gang members rough up anyone(including cops) that they see near their presences while on the outdoor daytime streets,with Kindcaid tossing in heapings of both nudity(during various nude female dancers in Hayden's nightclub) and splattery gore antics such as a guy who gets his throat slashed,followed by a gory decapitation and his head delivered to Hayden in a box,along with a henchman who pulls a bullet out of his gunshot arm with his teeth(and mouth),a spiked trap that gorily a young guy's head through his cheeks,and another guy who gets gorily impaled upon a street pole. Amid the great performances by the cast and Kincaid doing a decent directing job,RIOT ON 42ND. ST. features the sight of Jeff Fahey(fresh from his role in PSYCHO 3) in a small supporting role as Collins' cop partner,which looks as though his scenes were filmed in one whole day and that it eerily predicted the outcome of Fahey's latter future Straight-To-VHS video/DVD/Blu ray career. RIOT ON 42ND. ST. is pretty much Kincaid's most lively and exciting film to seek out and watch,for truly see it if you haven't gotten a chance to do so(since it is indeed that much of a major hoot). With LeeAnne Baker(NECROPOLIS,MUTANT HUNT),Frances Raines(DISCONNECTED,THE MUTILATOR),Rick Gianasi(FATAL FRAMES,POSED FOR MURDER),and martial artists Ron Van Clief(WAY OF THE BLACK DRAGON,KUNG FU FEVER). Collins later became a substitute co-host of the morning television series GOOD MORNING,AMERICA and acted on the 2011 season of the soap opera ALL MY CHILDREN.