December 27, 2006
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Pseudo-American madness.For someone who has a master's degree in chemical engineering and was once awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to MIT, Dolph Lundgren has certainly starred in his fair share of brain dead motion pictures, the majority of which may or may not have resulted in his gradual decline. After a short but snazzy career in the 80's, poor Dolph found himself slowly sinking into the direct-to-video cesspool with the other muscle-bound has-beens of his generation. A string of low-budget flops pretty much cemented that fact, and soon after our hero decided to pack up his career in order to spend more time with his family. As of 2002, Mr. Lundgren was no longer a working actor. The nation silently wept.
Two years later, Lundgren was suddenly back in the proverbial saddle, tossing out a handful of third-tier actioners that suggested his so-called "retirement" was nothing more than a hasty retreat from impending doom. As of this writing, the guy has quite a few straight-to-video flicks collecting dust on video store shelves across the globe, not to mention those currently in production. Like former action heroes Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, and Wesley Snipes, it seems that Dolph has finally found his niche amongst the fallen. Unlike his contemporaries, however, Lundgren's recent output actually has a bit more class than you may initially realize.
Take 2004's Direct Action, for example. It's not the best action vehicle the guy has ever lent his talents to, but it's certainly not the worst. Dolph stars as Frank Gannon, a good cop surrounded by a squadron of crooked bastards. They're so dirty, so utterly foul that ol' Frank is going to testify against them in a court of law. Bad idea. Our beloved hero soon finds himself knee-deep in bullet casings as he desperately tries to stay alive long enough to spill the beans about his co-workers and their seedy operations. With the help of a head-strong young rookie (Polly Shannon), Frank dives head-first into an all-out war with those who seek to silence him.
First off, let me just say that our boy Lundgren is in tip-top shape. Sure, he looks a bit sleepy and his face has its share of deep creases, but the guy's physique couldn't be better. He could easily pass for a guy half his age, that is, if you slipped a black bag over his head. Had he appeared more awake and alert, his turn in Sidney J. Furie's (The Entity, The Taking of Beverly Hills) super-charged kick-fest would have been career-defining. It's certainly the best thing I've seen him do in ages, including his superior version of The Punisher. Yeah, I said it. Superior.
The story itself is really nothing to write home about. Frank has to testify against his fellow members of the Direct Action Unit (DAU), an organization which, according to the opening crawler, is an untouchable division of the police force. Because he refuses to play by their rules, Frank spends the majority of the picture running around town, dodging bullets, and trying to get people to believe his story. Pretty basic stuff, really. Nothing ground-breaking here. Of course, I didn't pony up five whole dollars for a bunch of conversations and touchy-feely moments involving Dolph Lundgren and a stable of Canadian extras. Heavens, no. I want unadulterated, balls-to-the-wall action.
And action you'll get. A ton of it. Gun fights galore. More knife fights than you can shake a machete at. Dozens of people firing automatic weapons from moving automobiles. Explosions. Martial arts insanity. You want it, chances are Direct Action has at least one of them in-stock. There's certainly no shortage of broken bones, bloody gun shots, and dead bodies in this picture. No, sir. You're sure to walk away with at least some form of satisfaction coursing through your adrenaline-starved veins.
Problem is, the movie itself looks cheap, even for a Nu Image production. The cinematography is bland, the direction is stilted, and the fights could have been sharper. Much sharper. If one were to ask me to put an even finer point on it, I'd say it looks a lot like a low-budget Canadian action film. But wait! What's this printed beneath the credits on the back of the DVD? "Produced with the assistance of the Government of Ontario -- Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit." Bingo! That explains it. It also explains the bevvy of accents and nationalities present throughout the production. This is no slight to Canadian filmmakers, mind you; it just explains why I never felt like I was in an American city during the course of the picture. Because, you know, I wasn't, both literally and cinematically.
I know it sounds like I'm nit-picking, but I'm really not. The movie's production values are pretty poor in spots. It's most noticeable during the shoot-outs involving cars and what-not; most will speed away without a single bullet hole despite being blasted multiple times with a high-powered automatic weapon. These bullet-proof automobiles are present throughout, so get used to it.
All joking aside, Direct Action isn't that bad. In fact, it's a pretty good investment for one whole fiver. Though Dolph looks narcoleptic and a tad disheveled, it's still one of his best performances to-date. Even the Canadian extras do a fine job of getting shot and falling down, of which there are plenty of fine examples. It's not up-to-par with some of the direct-to-video releases from fellow fallen star Jean-Claude Van Damme, of course, but it does put every Seagal picture in the last six years to shame. I was bound to stumble across Lundgren's post-theatrical efforts sooner or later, and I'm glad I finally did. Hoorah for me! As soon as I order my very own copy of The Mechanik, you can expect me to gush all over it.
Hey, I wonder if there's a Canadian tax credit for such a thing?
Two years later, Lundgren was suddenly back in the proverbial saddle, tossing out a handful of third-tier actioners that suggested his so-called "retirement" was nothing more than a hasty retreat from impending doom. As of this writing, the guy has quite a few straight-to-video flicks collecting dust on video store shelves across the globe, not to mention those currently in production. Like former action heroes Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, and Wesley Snipes, it seems that Dolph has finally found his niche amongst the fallen. Unlike his contemporaries, however, Lundgren's recent output actually has a bit more class than you may initially realize.
Take 2004's Direct Action, for example. It's not the best action vehicle the guy has ever lent his talents to, but it's certainly not the worst. Dolph stars as Frank Gannon, a good cop surrounded by a squadron of crooked bastards. They're so dirty, so utterly foul that ol' Frank is going to testify against them in a court of law. Bad idea. Our beloved hero soon finds himself knee-deep in bullet casings as he desperately tries to stay alive long enough to spill the beans about his co-workers and their seedy operations. With the help of a head-strong young rookie (Polly Shannon), Frank dives head-first into an all-out war with those who seek to silence him.
First off, let me just say that our boy Lundgren is in tip-top shape. Sure, he looks a bit sleepy and his face has its share of deep creases, but the guy's physique couldn't be better. He could easily pass for a guy half his age, that is, if you slipped a black bag over his head. Had he appeared more awake and alert, his turn in Sidney J. Furie's (The Entity, The Taking of Beverly Hills) super-charged kick-fest would have been career-defining. It's certainly the best thing I've seen him do in ages, including his superior version of The Punisher. Yeah, I said it. Superior.
The story itself is really nothing to write home about. Frank has to testify against his fellow members of the Direct Action Unit (DAU), an organization which, according to the opening crawler, is an untouchable division of the police force. Because he refuses to play by their rules, Frank spends the majority of the picture running around town, dodging bullets, and trying to get people to believe his story. Pretty basic stuff, really. Nothing ground-breaking here. Of course, I didn't pony up five whole dollars for a bunch of conversations and touchy-feely moments involving Dolph Lundgren and a stable of Canadian extras. Heavens, no. I want unadulterated, balls-to-the-wall action.
And action you'll get. A ton of it. Gun fights galore. More knife fights than you can shake a machete at. Dozens of people firing automatic weapons from moving automobiles. Explosions. Martial arts insanity. You want it, chances are Direct Action has at least one of them in-stock. There's certainly no shortage of broken bones, bloody gun shots, and dead bodies in this picture. No, sir. You're sure to walk away with at least some form of satisfaction coursing through your adrenaline-starved veins.
Problem is, the movie itself looks cheap, even for a Nu Image production. The cinematography is bland, the direction is stilted, and the fights could have been sharper. Much sharper. If one were to ask me to put an even finer point on it, I'd say it looks a lot like a low-budget Canadian action film. But wait! What's this printed beneath the credits on the back of the DVD? "Produced with the assistance of the Government of Ontario -- Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit." Bingo! That explains it. It also explains the bevvy of accents and nationalities present throughout the production. This is no slight to Canadian filmmakers, mind you; it just explains why I never felt like I was in an American city during the course of the picture. Because, you know, I wasn't, both literally and cinematically.
I know it sounds like I'm nit-picking, but I'm really not. The movie's production values are pretty poor in spots. It's most noticeable during the shoot-outs involving cars and what-not; most will speed away without a single bullet hole despite being blasted multiple times with a high-powered automatic weapon. These bullet-proof automobiles are present throughout, so get used to it.
All joking aside, Direct Action isn't that bad. In fact, it's a pretty good investment for one whole fiver. Though Dolph looks narcoleptic and a tad disheveled, it's still one of his best performances to-date. Even the Canadian extras do a fine job of getting shot and falling down, of which there are plenty of fine examples. It's not up-to-par with some of the direct-to-video releases from fellow fallen star Jean-Claude Van Damme, of course, but it does put every Seagal picture in the last six years to shame. I was bound to stumble across Lundgren's post-theatrical efforts sooner or later, and I'm glad I finally did. Hoorah for me! As soon as I order my very own copy of The Mechanik, you can expect me to gush all over it.
Hey, I wonder if there's a Canadian tax credit for such a thing?
3 Spasms:
Hamper King thinks...
Dolph Lundgren is currently my favorite of the dtv action stars.. certainly streets ahead of Seagal and Snipes. 'The Mechanik' is one of those dtv films that helps keep the faith after dreck like 'Submerged' and 'Attack Force'... plus Lundgren and Van Damme don't look like they are phoning it in all the time and seem enthused and wind up with films that are worth more than a rental.
This is my first foray into the Dolph Lundgren direct-to-video pile, and I'm pretty happy with what I've seen. I honestly can't wait to see The Mechanik which, I just learned, is called The Russian Specialist in the States. Odd, that. Regardless, I'm anxious to see how Lundgren's production stacks up with him in the director's chair.
Ultimate Hot Dog...
..plus, I think 'The Mechanik' is the best 'Nu Image' film i've watched.. and the absence of hideous cgi effects is a big bonus too. Seagal's 'Shadow Man' was a humdrum film that I watched poker faced until that fake helicopter explosion towards the end and I cracked up. I do think Dolph's films made after leaving the scene for awhile are good entertainment and I truly sincerely hope that after Steven Seagal finishes touring his music for a few months he'll go back to making solid enjoyable films.
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