Stiff Competition is no-frills porn the way it ought to be. At first glance there's not much to set this one apart from dozens of gay videos on the market -- an attractive but mostly familiar cast, simple settings, no story, competent camerawork and editing, instant sex. But where so many formula videos get boring after five minutes, Stiff Competition achieves a steamy chemistry that frequently sizzles.

Each of the four segments has something to recommend it. The opener, with Ted Cox and Jim Montana, has a vaguely infantile appeal that will please some viewers. The threeway that follows captures some amazing feats of virility on the part of big Glen Steers, who manages to satiate the normally insatiable Danny Brown as well as Danny's buddy Storm. Segment three features Michael Moore with Brett Winters, a relative newcomer so naively beautiful and always-up that I suspect he'll be quickly over-exposed; here he's definitely fresh and hot, popping off before he's supposed to. The capper features the already over-exposed Chris Stone in one of his better appearances, completely at the mercy of dirty-minded Neil Thomas.

This feature may lack the grand ambition and absolute polish of the very best in the field (some sloppy dubbing is particularly distracting), but it's a solid, satisfying production from start to finish.