El justiciero implacable

Mike Riggins, an imprisoned ex-US Special forces operative in Eastern Europe, is offered his freedom and money to rescue an American woman, Ana Gale, who has been kidnapped by a ruthless warlord.

I just watched this movie last night. The story is good and Dolph does put in a good performance. There is a stupid love scene through in. The fight scenes are well choreographed and the action scene well worked. The director relys on to many methods used on films like Better tomorrow and the Killer and this is the films down fall because these methods sometimes shows how bad the other actors are and a lot of work has looked have gone into this movie. If you're looking for a quick buzz or a Friday night movie do check this out.

DIRECT CONTACT surely is a bad movie: the plot is generic, the direction is laughable, the editing sloppy, the acting aside from Lundgren terrible. Furthermore some scenes are taken from earlier Nu Image-movies like U.S.SEALS 1&3, OUT FOR A KILL or DERAILED. Despite these facts DIRECT CONTACT is a highly entertaining piece of B-movie as it manages to keep the pace high and fills 80 minutes with as much senseless action as any sucker for this kind of movie could hope for. Lundgren kicks ass, and anyone who was disappointed with the lack of solid action in MISSIONARY MAN can rejoice. Although the violence often looks ridiculous (blood spurting from hats, etc.)it's fun watching Dolph doing what he's best in, and despite his age he really delivers. Danny Lerner on the other hand should finally finish his attempts to be a director, in more competent hands this movie could have been a b-action-gem since the budget is moderate, the visuals nice, the score okay, unfortunately the many flaws make this movie just another case of trashy but at least amusing guilty pleasure.

The worst move ever shot in Bulgaria probably since I didn't watched many. Poor acting, poor stunt, poor effects many mistakes. Not very convincing story. Too much blood and unnecessary show of that. In that cheap movie you can see cars that you cannot see in this region from many years -like Trabant, Moskvich, Lada or GAZ. You can hear moaning in many languages like Russian, Bulgarian or some mix, but nothing sounds like real. I am sorry that I have spent so much time for that stupid film. There is really no point in that movie that I could like, sorry. Although I like good actions.... The only reason for watching this movie was the play of Dolph Lundgren. He act normally, not bad but that cannot compensate the lapse of a logical reasons for his hero's acts. The only real chance for some romance thread was missed in the worst not convincing way.

It is a mediocre B-category movie, nothing more... The plot lacks reality and is full of goofs, supposed moments, shootings at random and product placement (especially cars). Almost all the locals (incl. police) are blunt and bloodthirsty; the events take place clearly in Bulgaria, but the US Embassy is in Luka for some reason.

Lundgren looks tired and old already, May is just-another-thriller-chick, but Chalke as Trent Robbins is really awful. His lines are just for show, his character is not truthful (especially in final scenes).

Watchable for those fond of chases, explosions and shootings, but even Lundgren has starred in much better movies. If you have a choice, pick something else to watch.

A few things you should know about, "Direct Contact.":- 1) It is not very good at all. In fact, it's pretty dire. Don't believe all this stuff about it being, "action packed," as half of those sequences come from other movies anyway and are badly edited in.

2) It's badly made. The continuity in this film is all over the place, partly due to scenes from other films being shoe-horned in. I lost count of the number of times gun miraculously change from one make to another as characters walk through scenes. We get a helicopter hovering in a bright, cloudless sky that is in a snow storm any time there is a close-up, cars that rocket back and forth in condition during chases, and, best of all, a motorcycle chase that goes from sunny day, to ice covered road in the middle of nowhere, to sunny day in the middle of town in three, continuous cuts.

3) It's badly written and makes no sense whatsoever. The dialogue is like something a teenager who's seen too many bad action movies would churn out. The plot manages to be non-existent yet totally unfathomable at the same time (why hire Dolph to kidnap the girl when you have the general and his entire army guarding her in your pocket?) and it contains one of the worst excuses for a love scene ever committed to film. They literally go from not giving a stuff about each other to doing it in five seconds flat.

4) It's badly acted. It's saying something when Michael Pare puts in the best performance in the movie. Dolph lumbers around like he's only half-interested in what's going on and, at times, his movement is so laboured I was wondering if he was injured. By far and away though, the worst is, "Uncle Trent." He is so bad as to be hilarious and has the immortal (misread) line of, "What if he goes A.O.L?" A.O.L.??? 5) The director really does have something against roadside cafes. I counted no less than three that were trashed in three separate car chases. He does however love showing the same wall being hit with bullets and showing great gouts of blood erupt in slow motion from people when they are shot.

Not as bad as DTV Seagal.... but not by much!