Before I start I gotta mention a filmgoer offered us tickets to this film and the 11pm film (but we already had tickets!). We couldn’t use them but it was a really nice gesture.
Cast/Crew: Directed by Mike Mendez, starring Dolph Lundgren
Plot: Ivan Drago here plays a demon hunter, who comes to a small Christian town to solve it’s recent spate of strange, connected murders.
Thoughts on the film:
• Ok, you’re here to see Dolph Lundgren kick ass! He swaggers like he’s in Centuries-old attire with stories of demonic possession, and (of course) is thrown out, until they realise he’s right. This is the funniest scene in the film, where he meets the FBI agent/Sheriff and although the deputies are trying to haul him out, he keeps coming back into the room (as he’s much bigger and stronger) to plead his case.
• Dolph talks with a thick accent and into his chest, making him difficult to understand. We actually could’ve used subtitles (or could’ve been the mixing)
• There’s a few nice laughs and the film is quite jokey in tone. Dolph convinces a guy to kill his (possessed) daughter within a few minutes of meeting him, by brewing up some fresh poison.
• Lundgren looks the part. I’m happy Lundgren didn’t have any plastic surgery. He looks great for his age and is believable (as opposed to Stallone, who’s turning into a cat person), and it fits with his ‘man out of time’ heavily gimmicked character in a small town.
• I like the twist that the possession takes place when you kill the currently-murderous host, so Lundgren pledges to ensnare the host with his net-throwing gun. It’s pretty cool.
• Evil/pious-ignorant Priest is always a cool gimmick, as is incapacitating him with a rubber bullet!
• There’s a scene in a motel room (because they were otherwise booked out) where injured Lundgren is attended to by a potential love interest/partner. It reminded me of Hulk’s motel scene in No Holds Barred!
• The film had a super low budget, it really could’ve used more money on gore & CGI effects – it finishes on an explosion which thuds quietly instead of bangs.
• A few parts are quite ridiculous to progress the plot, like how Dolph is unable to shoot his demon catcher because people keep getting shot & possessed. He’s not that slow mate!
• A prostitute demands payment the morning after with Dolph. Surely that’s just bad business! The gent that he is he still pays!
Overall: I’d love some action splatterfest (sure that’s why you’d pay to see Dolph Lundgren!) but as a really cheap film, from the writing to effects. Wish it had a bit of money but as is, bit of a bust. Never mind!