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Lundgren directs and stars, alongside Kelsey Grammer, in an action movie about a Californian cop who clashes with a drug cartel while recovering from injury

With seven films under his belt since 2000, Dolph Lundgren has quietly amassed a sizeable directorial portfolio of B-movie action flicks but this Mexico border jaunt is less fun than his 2021 buddy flick Castle Falls. It’s also an appalling advert for the Californian police force, with the Dolphster taking the role of Travis Johansen, a racist patrolman caught roughing up the Latino citizenry; an interesting decision by his boss, then, to send him to “fucking Mexico” on a diplomatic mission to repatriate a pair of prostitutes who are potential key witnesses in the murder of some undercover DEA agents.

Things go south in all senses, and Johansen – laid up with a gut wound – has to convalesce with the family of Rosa (Christina Villa), one of...

It doesn't take much to get Dolph Lundgren to put up his fists or pick up a gun. He follows the same formula in Wanted Man -- a brand-new action-thriller that Lundgren co-writes, produces, directs, and stars in. While fans might see this latest effort as a throwback to the '80s and all the testosterone-driven filmmaking of the era, it fails to deliver any real message or meaningful action. In fact, it might be the most forgettable film of Lundgren's illustrious career.

Wanted Man follows Lundgren's character Johansen, better known as Joe to his pals, like Kelsey Grammer's Brynner. Joe finds himself in deep trouble with the police force after footage of him roughing up a suspect and using racial slurs. To keep him out of the limelight, the captain sends Joe to Mexico to pick up two women who witnessed the murder of undercover DEA agents and...

Wanted Man Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Dolph Lundgren, Christina Villa, Kelsey Grammer

Director: Dolph Lundgren

Writers: Dolph Lundgren, Michael Worth, Hank Hugues

Wanted Man Movie Review Is Out! (Picture Credit: IMDb)

What’s Good: Lundgren delivers a commendable performance, taking bold risks with his unsympathetic character. The film skillfully maximizes its modest budget, offering compelling action sequences and impactful dramatic moments. The practical stunt work and use of blood squibs add a nostalgic charm. Christina Villa shines as the surviving witness, and the supporting cast, including Kelsey Grammer and Michael Pare, delivers versatile performances.

What’s Bad: The plot lacks significant twists, and the finale falls short with a brief shootout and a predictable reveal. The micro-budget constraints are noticeable, impacting the overall experience. The villains’ entrance is predictable, and the generic storytelling might not fully captivate all audiences.

Loo Break: Given the film’s concise 82-minute runtime, taking...

With the 2024 presidential election abuzz, nationwide issues like the border crisis remain hot topics. A new feature film directed by and starring Dolph Lundgren, alongside Kelsey Grammer fresh off his Frasier reboot, takes us to said border for an action thriller that sees a certain Maga-type detective turning a new leaf as he embraces Mexican culture for the sake of public safety. Wanted Man is straightforward, formulaic stuff that we've seen before, a sort of combination of all the racially charged cop films you've ever seen. But it's entertaining enough seeing Ivan Drago himself finally lean into his old age while trying to save the day.

Make America Learn — Again

Meet Johansen (Lundgren), an aging detective who is on his way out — not in life, but with his job. He's plagued by outdated policing methods that might just make you cringe in the first act. Watch as he rambles in...

Stars: Dolph Lundgren, Kelsey Grammer, Aaron McPherson, Michael Paré, Christina Villa, Daniela Soto-Brenner | Written by Dolph Lundgren, Hank Hugues, Michael Worth | Directed by Dolph Lundgren

The press release for Wanted Man describes writer/director/star Dolph Lundgren’s character like this, “Johansen is an ageing detective, whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem.” Those outdated methods include beating up a suspect while making what could be taken as racist remarks, all in full view of a news crew.

In case that isn’t enough to let us know what he thinks of his neighbours to the South, we get to see him hang out at a strip club with some buddies, including Brenner, Hilts and Tinelli trading comments about how disgusting Mexicans are. And to cap off the night, he has to be stopped from attacking another Mexican in the parking lot.

In light of this,...

Dolph Lundgren is back in the director's chair with Wanted Man, an action thriller exploring issues of immigration and racial prejudice in law enforcement. Lundgren stars as an aging police detective who finds himself on the run in Mexico with a prisoner, facing corrupt cops on both sides of the border. The movie showcases a talented ensemble cast, including Kelsey Grammer, Christina Villa, Michael Paré, Roger Cross, and Aaron McPherson.

Dolph Lundgren is back in the director's chair with Wanted Man. The action genre veteran stars in the new thriller as Travis Johansen, an aging police detective swimming in controversy after an arrest is revealed to have been conducted with excessive force in a racial prejudice rage. When a routine prisoner extradition in Mexico goes awry, Johansen finds himself on the run with the prisoner from corrupt cops on both sides of the border. He has to determine who to...

Jason Momoa may be leaving the Aquaman franchise due to concerns over the Amber Heard situation and its impact on the box office. Dolph Lundgren believes that sticking with the original script, which included a larger role for himself and Amber Heard, would have been a better choice. The Aquaman franchise is likely going to be rebooted with James Gunn's Dcu, and Momoa may be playing the character Lobo instead.

Action movie icon and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom star Dolph Lundgren has revealed that Jason Momoa “got spooked” with the “Amber Heard situation,” and believes that the Aquaman franchise is now over. In an exclusive interview with MovieWeb, Lundgren addressed the future of the Aquaman franchise and says he has heard “through somebody else” that Momoa wants to move on to other things.

"I don't know what's gonna happen with Aquaman. I've heard Jason Momoa thinks it's just his last one,...

In a world seemingly overrun by rising action stars, it's always refreshing to revisit work by the veteran players. That includes Dolph Lundgren, whom the characters of FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia once agreed is "the most underrated actor of all time." It also helps that the famed Swedish star, who rose to fame after playing Drago in Rocky IV, is still churning out popcorn movies to this day. Meet Johansen, the aging action hero in Wanted Man, which hits theaters, on demand, and digital platforms this week.

Lundgren's Johansen persona is seemingly stuck in his old ways and quickly sent to Mexico to track down the witness (Christina Villa) of the recent murders of two DEA agents. The Maga-type Johansen ultimately finds himself questioning his ways and the peers he thought he knew, as he protects the witness while navigating the border. We recently caught up with the actor again,...

Action icon Dolph Lundgren and Frasier himself Kelsey Grammer – who have actually worked together before, on The Expendables 3 – star in the upcoming action thriller Wanted Man, which is set to receive a theatrical, VOD, and digital release on January 19th. With that date just one month away, a trailer for Wanted Man has arrived online, and you can check it out in the embed above. A poster for the film has also been unveiled, and that can be found at the bottom of this article.

Lundgren also directed this film, working from a screenplay he wrote with Hank Hugues and Michael Worth. Here’s the synopsis: Johansen (Lundgren) is an aging detective, whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem. To save his job, he is sent to Mexico to extradite a female witness to the murders of two DEA agents. Once there, he finds...

"If you wanna fight with the wolves, you gotta be a wolf." Sure, why not, that kind of makes sense? Quiver Distribution has revealed an official trailer for Wanted Man, the latest action thriller film directed by the legendary Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren. This isn't his first time directing - he's made a few other action films over the last 20 years, most of which have already been forgotten. This new film follows a police officer who must retrieve an eyewitness from Mexico and escort her across the border after a cartel shooting leaves several DEA agents dead, then he must decide who to trust when they discover that the attack was executed by American forces. Lundgren also stars as Detective Johansen, with a cast including Kelsey Grammer, Michael Paré, Christina Villa, Roger Cross, and Bourke Floyd. Not sure why exactly Lundgren feels like he needs to tell this story in this way,...

Exclusive: Quiver Distribution has picked up North American rights to the action thriller Wanted Man, co-written, directed by and starring Dolph Lundgren, for release in select theaters and on VOD on January 19, 2024.

Also starring Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) and Christina Villa (The Wedding in the Hamptons), the film centers on Johansen (Lundgren), an aging detective whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem. To save his job, he is sent to Mexico to extradite a female witness (Villa) to the murders of two DEA agents. Once there, he finds not only his old opinions challenged, but that bad guys on both sides of the border are now gunning for him and his witness.

Writing the script with Lundgren was Michael Worth (Killing Cupid). Producers included Craig Baumgarten (Universal Soldier), Lundgren and Emma Krokdal, as well as Jeffrey Greenstein and Jonathan Yunger of Millennium Media. Exec producers...