Jill Rips

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

Despite having no other major actors and having a regular Lundgren director,Jill Rips is Lundgren's most breakthrough film since Pentathlon ,after a decade spent starring in otherwise cheap,cliched fodder.The mystery/thriller element is immenently stronger than the action,which there really is virtually none of.Out the lot of them ,Dolph has always seemed the one most desperate to act rather than exploit his martial arts abilities than the likes of Van Damme,Seagal and Norris.The intricately wound plot is an inspired blend of Basic Instinct and the more recent Nicholas Cage thriller 8MM,in it's themes of S&M bondage and perverted deprivation.This is well worth seeing.Dolph doesn't look like he'll ever escape DTV movies ,and make another major film like Universal Soldier again,but all the same,and speaking of Van Damme,this is pretty much to Dolph's late career what Legionnaire was to the boasty Belgian.****

At first I thought, "What the hell is Dolph Lundgren doing upside down?" And then I watched the movie. This one really surprised me because of all the movies he could do he did this. But it was not at all what I had initially thought it to be. Yes there is bondage. Yes there is prostitution and yes there are moments you feel somewhat uncomfortable. (I did) But we have a man who comes home to the funeral of his newlywed brother and finds himself looking for answers and finds them in the strangest places and with the strangest people.

He is met with domination prostitutes, S and M clubs, a house of domination, and even a submissive that is anything but. In the end he does find who is responsible for the murder of his brother and the serial murders surrounding certain people. It just turns out to be the one person he doesn't want to see go to jail. On a side note: Lundgren further surprised me in one particular scene in which he is asked why he did something in his past and the answer he gives is one that made me stop and rewind.

He was brilliant.

His recollection of what had happened moved me and made me see what others may not and may never.

Dolph Lundgren can act.

When given well written material Lundgren can actually do something with it. This movie may not have made it to theaters but his performance made me realize that he's not a bad actor; he's just an actor that needs good material and a supporting cast that care about the craft.

So I'm writing this one up as a well-liked movie. Yes I own it and yes, I've seen it multiple times and I wish that he was given the chance to be just as brilliant in other movies as he was in this one. And no, not every scene was perfect but then again, not every movie has those and if we are honest, even the most well thought out and well received movie has flaws.

I must say, from the preview, it's interesting title you really expect this film to be an engrossing sort. It's a facade. This was one that ran short on just almost every level. Out of curiosity, I wanted to see this, just to see if Lundgren's acting has improved. A none too much improvement there. On a personal mission, of revenge, and of course a cop, he goes into the S and M world, none too sexy to find out who killed his brother who was into it. Based on a novel, sheerly here, the film hasn't done the book justice. The film kind of runs along the same line as the Get Shorty's, and watching Lundgren go through the motions, with his wooden clog acting, doesn't make for enthralling viewing. This film, no kidding, I was gyped, something made out to be much bigger than it really is.

The critique about this movie seems to be it doesn't have enough action in it. Which misses the point as this isn't an action movie. This is a police procedural which should be obvious within the first few minutes of the movie due to the lack of explosions.

Jill Rips is apparently based on a novel which makes sense because this feels more like a Patricia Cornwell serial killer hunt story. And the film actually fits well within this category and will be an enjoyable watch if that is your thing. It has all the hallmarks of these kinds of stories, an alcoholic ex-cop, some over the top gore, a plodding at times pace and strange sexual elements. Because in this movie, its apparent from the start that the alleged serial killer is a dominatrix. As per usual the fetish scenes in these movies are done pretty badly. So if that is your think look elsewhere.

There aren't many recognisable faces in this and its definitely a low budget movie. It has the production values of a TV movie or straight to video content. Dolph is his usual self, which isn't quite a good fit for the character. He is far too big and healthy looking for this role. He is also too big to be believably beat up by the men attacking him at various points. There is little in the way of mystery as you will likely guess the killer straight away. But the story resolves itself satisfyingly enough. Its an average movie for what it is, its just obvious that some Dolph fans have chosen to watch it assuming its another action movie so have downvoted it.

If you like police procedurals about serial killers with a sexual edge then this will likely be worthwhile. Lovers of extravagant martial arts punch ups and huge explosions will be disappointed.

Dolph stars in this thriller which delves in to the dark world of S&M and does a good job as the guy who's brother was killed after a session with a mystery female killer nicknamed Jill the Ripper. The films story is not too taxing on the brain but is far from simple and there are a few twists in the plot along the way as for the characters, there are a few engaging characters Dolph being one of them and there are a few who are not so engaging who in fact you really start to hope get killed off. Lundgrens performance is decent and he outshines the rest of the cast none of whom would be recognizable by name or face, the film is at times quite funny with some of the costumes and accessories that are on show. This is not a typical Dolph film and is a rare venture out of action for him and it is quite enjoyable i would give it 6/10