Pentathlon

While at the Olympics, Eric Brogar (Dolph Lundgren) escapes communist West Germany & flees to America. But after hearing that the no-goodniks have killed his father, he starts on a downward spiral until Creese (Roger "T.C." Mosley), his burger manager, starts training him for the Olympics again. Then Mueller (David "Hutch" Soul), Eric's commie former-trainer shows up. Will Eric prevail and find true love with Julia (Renee "Evil leaper from Quantum Leap" Colemen)? This film was overall enjoyable to me for some reason. Not great, mind you, but enjoyable as a time-waister. The acting's servicable enough.

My Grade: C

Where i saw it: Showtime beyond

Once, a young athlete Eric Brogar lost a running competition. And then he mentally promised himself that he would continue to achieve victory at any cost and devoted his life to the pentathlon. It was only thanks to such perseverance and determination that he got into the German Olympic team. For Eric, sports became the meaning of life, he devoted himself to hard training. And now, unexpectedly for him, he found himself in a situation where he had to choose-an important victory or a free life. It happened after the tragic death of his father. Eric is simply convinced that the famous Stasi is behind this tragedy. At the same time, he has a serious conflict with the coach, which becomes the last straw...

After a brilliant victory at the Olympics, the athlete decides to take a desperate step - he runs to America. Teammates detain his pursuers and thereby give him a chance to escape. But once in the States, Eric realizes that he is not an Olympic champion here, but only an emigrant, of whom there are thousands here. The people who now surround him do not care about his past records and awards. Now he needs to learn how to survive in an alien world surrounded by indifferent people. Will he be able to rebuild his life without help and support?

Things got even more complicated when Eric was discovered being followed. He realized that he was being hunted, since his country does not intend to forgive such a betrayal. There are only two months left before the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the athlete is well aware of this. Will his champion skills help him save his own life?

****SPOILERS**** Insane movie about big time East German Olympic Gold Medal winner Eric Brogar, Dolph Lundgren, defecting to the west. This was after Eric took all the muck and insults that he could handle from his crazed and obnoxious coach Mueller, David Soul, but finds out that the free world is not what he thought it was.

Ending up at a greasy spoon in L.A as a short order cook Eric is very unhappy with his life until his boss Creese, Roger E. Molsey, checking in on Eric, one afternoon.Creese finds a load of newspaper clippings as well as his gold medal and gets the bright idea of having Eric train for the next Olympics.

Trying to be a "Rocky" clone the movie fails miserably since Lundgren is so powerful and intimidating in every scene that he's in, as well as him being a former Olympic Gold Medal winner, when he's competing that you feel more sympathy for his opponents then for him. Meanwhile back in East Germany with the communist government out of business Mueller forms a new Neo-Nazi organization to take over the country and bring back the "Good old Days" of German glory. Mueller now has other ideas on his former "friend" and fellow German Eric Brogar. Mueller also didn't forget Eric's betrayal and took time to pay his father Rodolph, Erik Holland, a visit and gave him a hard and strenuous workout that ends up killing him.

Eric finds love with his American girlfriend Julia, Renee Coleman, and is starting to get into shape for the Olympics when Mueller shows up in town to start an American chapter of his new Neo-Nazi organization. After failing to take out Eric who ended up hammering a number of Mueller's brown shirts Mueller has his gang storm Julia's home. With a couple of his Aryan Supermen Mueller beat the living hell out of Julia's 70 or so year-old father and shoot Creese who came over to have lunch.

Eric who came over later is beaten up and taken hostage by Mueller's goons who plan to blow up a German government "Never Again" rally that is against Mueller's Neo-Nazi party. Mueller is so crazy that he holds off the fireworks until he has a tape of him played on live TV. It's on the tape where he brags about his great ideas for the future of Germany and the world. This gives Eric enough time to escape and stop Mueller and his gang from doing any damage. With the help of the local police Eric finishes off Mueller's Nazi followers. Off-the-wall ending with Mueller getting blasted by Eric some time later when he tries to shoot him at a sporting event, where else, when the alert Julia spots Mueller and knocks the gun out of his hand.

Dopey movie with a very predictable plot and with big bad Dolph Lundgren given a little more meat in his role as the hero with some comedy and sensitive, as well as the usual action, scenes. You have to give the Academy Award to David Soul in one of the most insane as well as overblown and ham acting parts of his career. Soul made you realize why Hitler lost the Second World War. Proving what the saying "With friends like him you don't need enemies" really means.

I found this movie a big disappointment. This is sad because it has good actors, good production values and a fine plot. But after awhile it just becomes another dull thriller that runs out of ideas. Dolph is the German gold medalist in the pentathlon who flees to America to get away from his mad Nazi coach (David Soul). Some years later, his coach comes after him and the action starts. David Soul is very good as the coach, and plays the part menacingly and convincingly. Dolph is very good in his role too, and gives one of his best performances ever. There are some good action scenes, but apart from that the whole thing begins to go downhill. This was a pity considering it was released after the excellent Army Of One, which I think is Dolph's best movie by far. Pentathlon is still a good flick, just not as good as I expected. It's still a great movie to watch to kill time. Overall I would recommend you get Army Of One instead though, it's much better.

As someone who's seen almost 30 of Dolph's movies I have to say this is one of the standouts from his filmography. Most of the movies he makes are quite entertaining and simple, mostly existing for Dolph to kill a bunch of guys and save the day. This one is quite different as it's probably the most ridiculous movie he's ever made. It's even more ridiculous than Bridge of Dragons which exists in some weird alternate fantasy universe where all the countries in the world have merged. In Pentathlon Dolph is an Olympic athlete who competes for East Germany and after certain circumstances force his hand, he flees to America. However, despite him trying to get away from everything and start a new life his communist coach has other ideas in mind and tracks Dolph with the intent of killing him! If that doesn't sound amazing then you should skip this movie. But if it does sound great you should give it a watch as the movie gets even better later on, especially in the last act which is absolutely incredible in its absurdity.