Command Performance

Directed and co-written by Dolph Lundgren, the straight-to-DVD "Command Performance" which also starred Lundgren is a basic, run-of-the-mill siege / hostage outing similar in vein to "Die Hard". No surprises and quite clichéd in nearly every development (characters, story and script), but remained dependable when it came to the action stakes and a laconic Lundgren is in good form. During a stadium concert held for the Russian president, a group of mercenaries sneak in and take the president and his daughter's hostage while the army watches on. But they didn't count on a survivor; a drummer / ex-biker with a shady past to spoil their plans. Yep Lundgren plays an aging rock-star who just happened to be smoking some weed in the bathroom when the all excitement was going on. Lundgren goes up against these Russian mercenaries in redemption of sorts, handing out violence with violence but he doesn't use a gun. Well more like he doesn't like to use one due to past events. After a slow get-up, it kicks into gear with some meaty and frenetic action encounters that are shot on video. Melissa Molinaro shows up as a popular US singer and David Legeno is fitting as the ruthless head honcho of the mercenaries. A cheap, but diverting action thriller.

"Don't ever tell me to shut up!"

When the Russian Premier is taken hostage at a rock concert in Moscow, it's up to a drummer, an ex-biker, to save him.

This movie has everything a good action movie should have... Minor plot holes, mostly physically plausible action, and some pretty good dialog, including some actually funny stuff.

Dolph is not the greatest actor, but he did a pretty well Job.

The surroundings are tight, claustrophobic, making the action quick, rough, frantic. When Dolph takes someone on in a fight, he goes in fast and hard, using any weapons he can at hands.

Once the action kicks in, the pace of cutting picks up as well. But more-so, the tightly editing helps hide the small budget. The lighting is natural. It enhances the production value of the film. The opening of the film really establishes the style of it brilliantly. It's well shot, and very well edited.

A must see for fans of good action-cinema!

Lundgren won't win any originality awards for the script he wrote for "Command Performance". As you probably guessed by just reading the plot description of the movie, this movie is a rip-off of "Die Hard". But there are also elements of the "Die Hard" rip-offs "Under Siege" and "Sudden Death" - making this movie a rip-off of rip-offs! Also, the climatic action scene rips off the climax of "Commando".

So this story of this movie isn't very original. But I was entertained neverless. For starters, the production values are very good. Although this was a low budget movie, it looks very glossy and expensive at times. Lundgren's direction of the movie is good as well. He gives a lot of the movie a cinema-verite look, making it feel like we are seeing something that is "live" instead of staged and rehearsed. As for the action, Lundgren delivers the goods in these scenes as well. A lot of blood gets squirted, there are some exciting moments, and there are a couple of deaths done in ways I've never seen in a movie before.

There are a few minor quibbles I have with the movie. Lundgren's character is somewhat thin, speaking very little and not revealing too much of his past. The accents of some of the foreign actors are thick at times and make their dialogue sometimes hard to make out. (And some of the actors are obviously dubbed.) But overall, if you are wanting to see this formula again, this movie does the formula in an above average manner.

I really enjoyed watching movies like Dark Angel, Red Scorpion and even He-Man ^^, but there are a lot of his movies which suck bad, mainly the new ones. So i wasn't really sure if I wanted to watch another one.

After watching the latest Universal Soldier, i thought i give him a chance and watched his Command Performance.

And what should i say more? I liked it. You don't have a Hollywood blockbuster but you have a decent action movie, with some good jokes and lots of action. I really liked the way they were going with violent scenes. Nice use of cuttings and blending.

10 is far to much but 5 is to less, so i go with 7 points.

Watch it on TV with your male friends.

'Command Performance' is not a very demanding movie, although saving the Russian President is a commanding act itself. No one expects some meaningful and profound movie when they sit down to watch a Dolph Lungren action movie. This movie is alright for a low budget straight to DVD action piece to spend an hour and a half with. Dolph is at his best, but the film itself is just not very original. Or anything special either. Only this time the savior of the day is a drummer with the combat skills of special ops soldier. The film is nicely paced and Dolph does a good job as a director. Some of the supporting actors seemed wooden, but that doesn't take away any attention from the main attraction - and that is Dolph Lundgren rocking and loading.

A ludicrous, but passable action flick that is quite enjoyable.