I look at thee following criteria:

*How good is production value/get good locations and/or make good use of them

*If it is sci-fi/horror, how well are the FX pulled off? If action, how good are the explosion/fire FX if any?

*Does anyone try to act?

*On a low budget scale, is the action alright? There have been many DTV action films that had low budget, but decent action (Sniper sequels and Wake Of Death, for example). Bottom line is that through pace and smart filming, it isn’t boring. If you make a low budget action film, you have naked women, dumb jokes and other exploitation if you must, but don’t make it boring. Usually when an action film is boring, the filmmakers will throw in a few strippers. Guaranteed.

*How does it rate with other DTV director or star has done? Is there improvement? After “Mercenary For Justice” this is a step down for Seagal.

*Is the story good/does it make sense?

*Is there any ambition to make the film stand out? How far can they stretch the dollar?

I’m just curious because I can’t remember the last time I sat through a DTV.