Return
to
Polar
Blair's
Den
Menu
Page(1985-present)
Back to "Action" Main Page
About These Films
Gallery
Masters of the Universe (1987)
Red Scorpion (1988)
The Punisher (1989)
I Come in Peace (1990)
Cover Up (1991)
Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991)
Universal Soldier (1992)
Joshua Tree (1993) [aka "Army of One"]
Pentathlon (1994)
Men of War (1994)
The Shooter (1995)
Silent Trigger (1996)
The Peacekeeper (1997)
Blackjack (1998 TV Movie)
The Minion (1998)
Sweepers (1998)
Bridge of Dragons (1999)
Storm Catcher (1999)
Jill Rips (2000)
The Last Patrol (2000)
Agent Red (2000)
Hidden Agenda (2001)
Detention (2003)
Direct Action (2004)
Retrograde (2004)
The Defender (2004)
The Mechanik (2005) [aka "The Russian Specialist"]
The Inquiry (2006)
Diamond Dogs (2007)
Missionary Man (2007)
Direct Contact (2009)
Command Performance (2009)
Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009)
The Killing Machine (2010)
In the Name of the King 2 (2011)
Other Dolph Appearances:
A View to a Kill (1985)
Rocky IV (1985)
Johnny Mnemonic (1995)
Fat Slags (2004)
The Expendables (2010)
Chuck (TV Series)- Chuck Versus the Anniversary (2010) (as Marco)
About These
Films: Dolph Lundgren is a pretty dependable action star;
one of my top favorites. I like seeing a big guy beat the hell
out of the irritating little bad guys. Dolph tears into them like
a buffalo!
Dolph generally stars in straight action movies, but even his fantasy/sci-fi efforts are more action-based. His first appearance was in the James Bond movie, "A View to a Kill" (1985). Blink and you'll miss it! The part that really got him noticed was as Captain Ivan Drago, the bad Russian in "Rocky IV" (1985). Drago still stands as one of Rocky's most menacing opponents.
When a live-action He-Man movie was in the works, the producers wanted someone that really wasn't a big name yet. Dolph Lundgren won out, and he WAS He-Man. This theatrically-released film was Dolph's first starring role. Sadly, the movie was not a great hit. Fortunately, Dolph made a good enough impression with audiences that he was marketable for other roles. It seems strange now, but "Masters of the Universe" is hard to consider a "Dolph Lundgren Movie" due to the fact that so much of his work is straight action.
"Red Scorpion" (1988) was the first film for Dolph that really struck a chord with audiences. It was a straight action film. I never liked it too much. I find "Red Scorpion" boring. At the time, though, a lot of people were talking about it.
In my opinion, "The Punisher" (1989) is the first, true Dolph Lundgren movie. A lot of work was put into this movie, and it was awesome! This was originally made for a theatrical release, but the powers-that-be deemed it unreleasable. It then became a direct-to-video movie. What happened with this film is that a lot of people actually liked it. "The Punisher" was pretty well-rented and well-bought. It was shown on cable fairly frequent throughout the 90s. The movie has since become a cult hit.
Lundgren's next film, "I Come in Peace" (1990), was a sci-fi/action hybrid. It was basically a cop action movie with a bad alien (Matthias Hues). Although not a great commercial hit at the time, this is another one of those movies that has since become a cult hit. It was made well, had a good cast, good action, and a generally good idea.
"Cover Up" (1991) was a cool re-pairing of Dolph with his "Punisher" colleague Louis Gossett, Jr., but the movie that really impressed me next was "Showdown in Little Tokyo" (1991). This film starred Dolph with Brandon Lee...an awesome team-up! I still think this was one of Brandon Lee's best movies. Dolph had some great one-liners starting with "The Punisher", then in "I Come in Peace". By the time "Showdown in Little Tokyo" came out he was a master with the witty retort. Lundgren and Lee played off each other very well.
"Universal Soldier" (1992) was interesting in a number of ways. It was the first time in a long time Dolph played a bad guy. In "Rocky IV" he was just a ruthless Russian boxer. In "Universal Soldier" he is a very distinct villain (opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme). The movie was a hit and inspired many sequels, with and without Van Damme and Lundgren. Dolph played good guys more often than bad guys, but his bad guy characters were in the biggest movies. If Dolph's most famous character in the 1980s was Ivan Drago, then his most famous character in the 1990s is Andrew Scott from "Universal Soldier".
"Johnny Mnemonic" (1995) presented another villain character for Dolph, called Street Preacher. The sci-fi movie is actually a starring feature for Keanu Reeves, but Dolph received second-billing in a lot of media. In reality, Dolph's role was small. He was one of many killers out to get Keanu's character. I think the movie's awesome (the box office didn't), but I don't consider it a "Dolph Lundgren Movie". Dolph was wanted for a villain in this movie because his villain in "Universal Soldier" (1992) was so well received. For a while, people expected Dolph to switch as a full-time "heavy". In interviews at the time, Dolph confessed that he liked playing villains better than heroes because the characters had more personality.
After "Universal Soldier", Dolph made a long string of just really cool action movies. "Men of War", "The Peacekeeper", "Blackjack", "The Minion", "Bridge of Dragons", and "Stormcatcher" are my favorites from this period.
"Agent Red" (2000) is the only Dolph Lundgren movie I've ever seen that's a deep dark dud. It's absolutely terrible in every regard. One of the worst movies I've ever seen. I can't believe he ever took part in it. This is probably the only movie of his I'd like to deny knowing about. I bought it on VHS when it first came out, on sheer principle, and was pretty disappointed. Fortunately, the rest of the 2000 decade went pretty well for Dolph. Some movies are better than others, but there are none as bad as "Agent Red".
Lundgren plugged along through the decade well enough to land a key part in Sylvester Stallone's ensemble cast action hit, "The Expendables" (2010). It came out after "The Killing Machine" and proved to be a huge hit. Big enough, it would seem, that mainstream interest has been once again directed to Mr. Lundgren. His character in "The Expendables" is rather interesting. He is a good guy that goes rogue, then reforms. All of his previous movies show him very clearly as a good guy or bad guy.
Dolph generally stars in straight action movies, but even his fantasy/sci-fi efforts are more action-based. His first appearance was in the James Bond movie, "A View to a Kill" (1985). Blink and you'll miss it! The part that really got him noticed was as Captain Ivan Drago, the bad Russian in "Rocky IV" (1985). Drago still stands as one of Rocky's most menacing opponents.
When a live-action He-Man movie was in the works, the producers wanted someone that really wasn't a big name yet. Dolph Lundgren won out, and he WAS He-Man. This theatrically-released film was Dolph's first starring role. Sadly, the movie was not a great hit. Fortunately, Dolph made a good enough impression with audiences that he was marketable for other roles. It seems strange now, but "Masters of the Universe" is hard to consider a "Dolph Lundgren Movie" due to the fact that so much of his work is straight action.
"Red Scorpion" (1988) was the first film for Dolph that really struck a chord with audiences. It was a straight action film. I never liked it too much. I find "Red Scorpion" boring. At the time, though, a lot of people were talking about it.
In my opinion, "The Punisher" (1989) is the first, true Dolph Lundgren movie. A lot of work was put into this movie, and it was awesome! This was originally made for a theatrical release, but the powers-that-be deemed it unreleasable. It then became a direct-to-video movie. What happened with this film is that a lot of people actually liked it. "The Punisher" was pretty well-rented and well-bought. It was shown on cable fairly frequent throughout the 90s. The movie has since become a cult hit.
Lundgren's next film, "I Come in Peace" (1990), was a sci-fi/action hybrid. It was basically a cop action movie with a bad alien (Matthias Hues). Although not a great commercial hit at the time, this is another one of those movies that has since become a cult hit. It was made well, had a good cast, good action, and a generally good idea.
"Cover Up" (1991) was a cool re-pairing of Dolph with his "Punisher" colleague Louis Gossett, Jr., but the movie that really impressed me next was "Showdown in Little Tokyo" (1991). This film starred Dolph with Brandon Lee...an awesome team-up! I still think this was one of Brandon Lee's best movies. Dolph had some great one-liners starting with "The Punisher", then in "I Come in Peace". By the time "Showdown in Little Tokyo" came out he was a master with the witty retort. Lundgren and Lee played off each other very well.
"Universal Soldier" (1992) was interesting in a number of ways. It was the first time in a long time Dolph played a bad guy. In "Rocky IV" he was just a ruthless Russian boxer. In "Universal Soldier" he is a very distinct villain (opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme). The movie was a hit and inspired many sequels, with and without Van Damme and Lundgren. Dolph played good guys more often than bad guys, but his bad guy characters were in the biggest movies. If Dolph's most famous character in the 1980s was Ivan Drago, then his most famous character in the 1990s is Andrew Scott from "Universal Soldier".
"Johnny Mnemonic" (1995) presented another villain character for Dolph, called Street Preacher. The sci-fi movie is actually a starring feature for Keanu Reeves, but Dolph received second-billing in a lot of media. In reality, Dolph's role was small. He was one of many killers out to get Keanu's character. I think the movie's awesome (the box office didn't), but I don't consider it a "Dolph Lundgren Movie". Dolph was wanted for a villain in this movie because his villain in "Universal Soldier" (1992) was so well received. For a while, people expected Dolph to switch as a full-time "heavy". In interviews at the time, Dolph confessed that he liked playing villains better than heroes because the characters had more personality.
After "Universal Soldier", Dolph made a long string of just really cool action movies. "Men of War", "The Peacekeeper", "Blackjack", "The Minion", "Bridge of Dragons", and "Stormcatcher" are my favorites from this period.
"Agent Red" (2000) is the only Dolph Lundgren movie I've ever seen that's a deep dark dud. It's absolutely terrible in every regard. One of the worst movies I've ever seen. I can't believe he ever took part in it. This is probably the only movie of his I'd like to deny knowing about. I bought it on VHS when it first came out, on sheer principle, and was pretty disappointed. Fortunately, the rest of the 2000 decade went pretty well for Dolph. Some movies are better than others, but there are none as bad as "Agent Red".
Lundgren plugged along through the decade well enough to land a key part in Sylvester Stallone's ensemble cast action hit, "The Expendables" (2010). It came out after "The Killing Machine" and proved to be a huge hit. Big enough, it would seem, that mainstream interest has been once again directed to Mr. Lundgren. His character in "The Expendables" is rather interesting. He is a good guy that goes rogue, then reforms. All of his previous movies show him very clearly as a good guy or bad guy.
Direct
Action (2004)- Just another cool Dolph Lundgren
movie. This isn't cutting edge stuff, just a fun little action
movie that shows Dolph doing what he does best: kicking a**.
Dolph plays a good cop named Frank Gannon that fights a bunch of
corrupt cops. Polly Shannon as Billie Ross, Frank's rookie cop
sidekick, was a very good thing for this movie. Ms. Shannon gives
the best acting performance in this movie. I enjoyed this
movie. It's not a thinker, it's not high-tech, just a straight-on
action movie with good fighting.
Cast:
Dolph Lundgren as Frank Gannon
Polly Shannon as Billie Ross
Conrad Dunn as Captain Stone
Daniel Kash as LoPresti the D.A.
Natacha La Ferriere as Adrianna
Elias Zarou as Old Cafe Owner
Alternate
Titles:
- Black
Scorpion [Japan; English title]
Fun
Facts:
- Dolph Lundgren performed all his own stunts in this movie.
- Early in the film, Dolph's character beats up a nameless thug in a cafe. This thug, standing on a table, is wearing a Punisher T-shirt (white skull on black). This was a tip-of-the-hat of sorts to Dolph, who played the Punisher hero in the original "The Punisher" film (1989).
- Polly Shannon's character, named Billie Ross in the movie, is spelled Billy Ross on the back of the DVD release.
- Ross does not reveal her first name to be Billie until the final moments of the movie.
Direct Contact (2009)- Not the
brightest movie I've ever seen, but still a decent action flick.
The most clever thing about the writing is the hidden motivation behind
Ana's "rescue". Everything else is pretty simple. The
dialogue isn't too snappy, either, but Dolph does say one cool thing
near the end. Right before Dolph kills Michael Pare's character,
Pare offers him more money. Dolph responds with, "You won't live
long enough.". The advantages of this movie are the action
sequences and the fact that it's pretty well-filmed.
Gina May is good in this movie, but she looks too young for Dolph. I know she was in her thirties here, but she looks like she's only in her early twenties.
One thing about this movie that doesn't sit right with me is the fact that a lot of innocent civilians were killed (always by the bad guys). It would seem this movie was about as killing many innocent people as possible just for cheap action thrills.
Dolph plays Mike Riggins, an imprisoned ex-Marine in Russia. He is offered freedom and a substantial amount of money if he rescues an abducted American woman named Ana Gale. Soon after freeing Ana, Mike realizes the kidnapping story was just a ruse. Mike now finds himself being pursued by vicious government, military, and criminal organizations who want him dead, but the girl alive for their own evil purposes. The only way Mike can keep himself alive and Ana safe is if he can uncover the truth and outlast his enemies.
Gina May is good in this movie, but she looks too young for Dolph. I know she was in her thirties here, but she looks like she's only in her early twenties.
One thing about this movie that doesn't sit right with me is the fact that a lot of innocent civilians were killed (always by the bad guys). It would seem this movie was about as killing many innocent people as possible just for cheap action thrills.
Dolph plays Mike Riggins, an imprisoned ex-Marine in Russia. He is offered freedom and a substantial amount of money if he rescues an abducted American woman named Ana Gale. Soon after freeing Ana, Mike realizes the kidnapping story was just a ruse. Mike now finds himself being pursued by vicious government, military, and criminal organizations who want him dead, but the girl alive for their own evil purposes. The only way Mike can keep himself alive and Ana safe is if he can uncover the truth and outlast his enemies.
Cast:
Dolph Lundgren as Mike Riggins
Gina May as Ana Gale
Michael Pare as Clive Connelly
Bashar Rahal as General Drago
James Chalke as Trent Robbins
Vladimir Vladimirov as Vlado
Director- Danny Lerner
Writer- Les Weldon
Alternate
Titles:
- Guardian
[Japan;
English title]
Fun
Facts:
- This movie was made on a budget of $6 million.
- This movie was filmed in Bulgaria.
- The
production company for this film was Nu Image (although it was
distributed by First Look Studios).
- "Direct Contact" was made in 2008, but not released until 2009.
- Although this is primarily a direct-to-DVD movie, it was released theatrically in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and China.
- It was first released on DVD in Thailand (March 19, 2009), then the United States (June 2, 2009).
- A lot
of the action footage was allegedly taken from several other films
including: "Operation Delta Force 4: Deep Fault" (1999), "U.S. Seals"
(2001), "Derailed" (2002), "Frogmen Operation Stormbringer" (2002),
"Special Forces" (2003), "Out for a Kill" (2003), and "Undisputed II:
Last Man Standing" (2006).