Jill Rips

As a general rule I don't like martial arts movies and especially don't like Dolph Lundgren. But this isn't his typical fare and altho he still doesn't come off as an actor this film has a sort of interesting plot and our Dolph isn't the all powerful superhero.

He is an alcoholic ex-cop who has gotten involved in tracing what may be a serial killer for reasons of his own and almost displays some semblance of humanity. I say almost because although he tries our hero still has a lot of work to do, but this film is tolerable for the late nite audience.

Even though I am a Dolph Lundgren fan, I put off watching "Jill The Ripper" for a long time, namely because it was a Phoenician Entertainment production - they have made many cheap and shoddy movies. So I was surprised by the quality of this effort of theirs when I sat down to watch it. Although it is a low budget production, the movie looks fairly slick and professionally made. The snow-covered Toronto locations help to give this movie an appropriately dark and moody feel to it. Lundgren gives a pretty good performance, apparently not afraid to play a protagonist who does several unlikable things during the course of the movie. So there is some good stuff here. However, there are also a few disappointing aspects to the movie. Although running only 94 minutes, it feels a lot longer. The mystery aspect of the movie is somewhat confusing. In fact, there are several parts of the movie where it seems that footage is missing. And why the heck is the movie set in 1977? It could have easily been set in the present day with absolutely no changes to the script. Despite these and other flaws, the movie is still interesting, and will appeal to Lundgren fans who want to see him in a different genre and different kind of character for a change.

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.

Dolph Lundgren stars as a former cop/boxer who searches Boston's kinky scene to find out who killed his brother,who was well thought of in the community, however along the way he learns how his brother enjoyed kinky sex and that a serial killer is to blame. Dolph Lundgren is very good in this movie, in fact on the basis of his performance here, one would forget Lundgren's rise to fame involved action roles. That said the material gives Lundgren nothing to work with, in fact, Lundgren is completely left out to dry in a dreary thriller which is both predictable and incomprehensible. Co-Star Danielle Brett is also good, in fact the film works best when it centers around the chemistry of Lundgren and Brett, indeed had the film taken the time to explore their relationship the film would've been fairly decent. However the movie is lackluster, the action is non-existent, the plot not given enough exploration (Too much boring B.S around Lundgren's investigation of his brother's employer) and the film is needlessly gory and ridiculous. Once again, Lundgren is actually really good (As is newcomer Danielle Brett) but the film just lumbers from one sequence to the next, which makes this movie particularly disappointing. If anything else though, it shows how underrated Lundgren is, as an actor.

*1/2 Out Of 4-(Poor)

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.****