User reviews

Once Mr. Dolph Lundgren began pursuing an acting career, it wasn't until he played He-Man in The Masters of the Universe (1987) that he began approximately putting out a movie per year. Next in that line up was this action film. It's also probably the last time Dolph Lundgren ever played a Russian character. Good thing too because being typecast as a certain character frequently doesn't give the viewer something more to look forward too. Here, he plays a devoted Russian soldier who is trained and highly skilled in the art of killing. But as the story continues, he realizes maybe he's not seeing the whole picture.

With a screenplay written by first timer Arne Olsen, it isn't great nor is it terrible. The story does contain some meaningful moments, but most of them are frequently overshadowed by scenes that are predictable enough that regular viewers could see it coming a mile away. There are also some points in the film that would make the viewer question "How does this pertain to the development of the character?". It can be far fetched at times. Like how is learning the way of a hunter open one's eyes to reality? Is it really that powerful of a activity?

That's not to say the actors perform badly though. Dolph Lundgren portraying a Russian is accurate. He's a blonde, large, hulking mass of muscle and can speak with the basic accent. Al White plays an African rebel leader who is also legitimate in his role. M. Emmet Walsh plays a an American reporter who accompanies Al White's character. My question is though, how did an American reporter get caught in the middle of this? Lastly, Brion James makes an appearance too, who would play the British character, Requin in Tango & Cash (1989) a year later. It's an alright cast for this movie.

However, the way the action is executed reminds me of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Commando (1985). There's lots of explosions and plenty of shootings. Just like Schwarzenegger, Lundgren runs around in war paint firing his machine gun without getting a scratch. But perhaps what helped this movie to excel further than Commando (1985) was the human aspect of it. Al White's character leads a bunch of poor followers who seek freedom from the Russian oppression. And when the audience sees them fall, it's hard to watch. Assisting those particular segments was Jay Chattaway's music to the film. In some places it worked but the rest didn't. It was an average listening experience.

At least, the film was directed by a competent person. Joseph Zito, the man behind Chuck Norris' Missing in Action (1984), Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) and The Prowler (1981) knew what he was doing. Also accompanying him is cinematographer João Fernandes who has also worked with Zito in the past. Fernandes was able to get nice shots of the arid terrain, which at least allows the audience to believe the place Lundgren was set in wasn't forgiving. In the end, it's not great or terrible. It's just average film making.

As Dolph Lundgren's last film to play a Russian character, it comes off as a better rip-off of Commando (1985) but doesn't take the story in any direction that hasn't been explored. Just average on the whole.

Russian agent named Nikolai (Dolph Lundgren) is a Spetsnaz , a perfect killer machine . The Soviet lieutenant journey to Africa where is the headquarter in which lives the Russian and Cuban militia (Carmen Argenziano , Brion James). He is assigned to infiltrate and to assassinate an adversarial anti-Communist black revolutionary named Sundate as leader of a rebel group who is assisted by Kallunda (Al White). Nikolai unexpectedly , commits a betrayal that enrages his Russian commandant as the General Vortez (T.P. McKenna), who orders his immediate punishment . In this case the nasty General is a genocide officer who uses his helicopter to cause mayhem and slaughter in minority communities. Making his getaway through the dangerous desert, Nikolai switches sides and join forces with the rebels, in the company of an American reporter (M. Emmet Walsh). Nikolai allies himself with a tribe of bushmen, and earning the nickname "Red Scorpion" . As Nikolai's new-found independence and switch allegiances with new friends . All of them , lead in his leadership of the rebels against his previous comrades .

This moving film contains thrills ,fiercy combats , tortures , lethal shootouts and lots of explosions and noisy action . From the beginning to the end the comic-book action-packed and extreme violence is continued and it's fast movement ; for that reason the picture is pretty entertaining , though contains some perfunctory scenes . Passable performance of Sweden Dolph Lundgren as Soviet agent par excellence trained in deep undercover job and finds himself drawn to the guerrillas' riot . This is a routine actioner with Karate expertise star Dolph Lundgren as the Soviet veteran resulting to be one of the best roles he'd made to date , as he's fine -though some wooden- as tough, cold , obstinate agent Nikolai. It provides some interesting background on Dolph Lundgren 's rocky relationship with communism and switching allies with spectacular final climax storming their headquarters in a no-quarter , deadly showdown . Poor acting abounds but packed with violence , bloodshed and exciting action scenes as when Lundgren shoots his machine gun , several explosions or scenes from spectacular helicopters similarly used in ¨Rambo III ¨ at Afghanistan. Catching musical score by Jay Chattaway and regular cinematography by cameraman Joao Fernandez , both of whom worked in the trilogy ¨Braddock's Missing in action ¨ who bears certain resemblance in some qualities to ¨Red Scorpion¨. The motion picture produced in average budget is professionally directed by Joseph Zito (Invasion USA, 13th Friday final chapter, Missing in action , The prowler). Rating : Acceptable, passable and amusing but violent . Although the movie has some aspects a little tough to take , this thrilling film still has its nice moments getting a bemusing atmosphere with agreeable results , furthermore grossed moderated success at the box office .

The most distinguishing feature of this is where it was filmed, and, linked to that, the fact that there are actual bush-men in it. Lundgren makes a good enough Rambo-type, one-man-army action flick protagonist, though one has to wonder why this passes on every single opportunity for a one-liner. I do not know enough about Russian to judge his accent or pronunciation, but going by the message boards, it's terrible. The acting is OK. I'm certain I'm not the only who wanted to strangle Walsh every time he opened his mouth; that's not his fault, it's how his role was written. The plot is sufficiently simple. Pacing is acceptable. The explosions, chases, shootouts and fights are reasonably done and entertaining enough, if nothing special. There's a lot of attempts at humor in this... however, only a select few are funny. More typically, it comes off as forced and trying too hard. This is by no means a great piece of work, and if was truly funded by pro-Apartheid military, it basically redefines the term "guilty pleasure". There is frequent strong language and a moderate amount of bloody, and occasionally gory, violence. The DVD contains a trailer for this, and one for Blue Jean Cop. I recommend this to fans of those who made it. 4/10

Anything "Red" out of Hollywood would be better dead.

The usual Cold War anti-Soviet/Russian propaganda.

The movie most likely takes place in Angola, as this was the only place where Soviet and Cuban troops were deployed in Africa in the 1980's.

The real history was that a Progressive Angolan government was overthrown by "freedom fighters"(UNITA) loyal to Ultra-Nationalists in South Africa and the US. UNITA was a terrorist organization which grew out of low level Civil War in the country which had raged well before any Soviet or Cuban troops arrived. Various factions supported by the European Powers as well as the regional South Africa were seeking to come to power. A government that would have stabilized the country did come to power, but it was not friendly to UNITA, and therefore an enemy of people like Jack Abramoff and the South African government. There was a regional ideological conflict and the Soviet Union was providing weapons to some of the local government friendly groups. But in reality the amount of Soviet troops in this country never exceeded 600, Cubans sent several 1,000. This war raged way after the fall of the USSR into 1994, when the South Africans went in to clean up the mess they started, fighting their own UNITA allies for control of oil supplies. By that time UNITA was busy shooting down airliners with Stinger missiles.

Anyway this conflict in the movie is simplified as "Russians evil, rebels 'good'." Of course Russians are the darkest form of evil in the movie, even a Russian does not want to be a Russian. There are many mistakes with uniforms and such where Soviet troops are shown without any kind of gear and in uniforms dating back to the 1930's. As well as the "Mi-24" in the movie has too many rocket pods on its "wings", there can only be a maximum of 4, there are 6.

Nowadays it seems to be thought that films in denunciation of other country's contemporary political beliefs and methodology is a bit out of place, that this matters should be discussed in the political sphere. That is, unless we are talking of action films. I won't criticize these anti-'certain political system' nor anti-Soviet in special movies for the sake of being directed this way, as a lot of quite interesting anti-American movies have been made in USSR: for example, we have not just Dovzhenko's 'Sumka dipkuryera' but his witty inconcluded satire 'Farewell, America'. But I wonder why low budget action films have amnesty to spread such demagogy as having the 1989 Soviet Union in a genocidal expansionist campaign all over Africa, in what is the most delirious portrait of the Gorbachovian USSR I have ran into.

About the film itself, I'll point out that to a certain extent it's a movie channeled by Zito with efficiency and a certain craftsmanship, working in a sober mood even in the most spectacular action scenes. As far as scenics carrying out goes there are some suggestive moments, and some performances, as Carmen Argenziano's turbulent but not histrionic Colonel Zayas are quite compelling. But the script is schematic, the characters developing horribly as relations vary in a trivial way as for resolving the movie in a silly carnival of settlings of scores; I thought the most ridiculous changing allegiances story was Del Ponte's libretto for Mozart's opera 'Die Zauberflöte', but this beats it up...

I feel that this movie's handicap is the horrible Robert Abramoff's script, which is a burden for any appealing carrying out of it. Though seeming sympathetic to a such banal script Joseph Zito gives expression to it in a quite imaginative way, but seems unable to do a scarcely convincing film out of such a horribly written script just by working efficiently. By shooting a more sophisticated and subtle one this would have been a quite interesting movie, but with a so gratuitous script 'Red scorpion' stands as a not just mediocre, but ridiculous anti-Soviet argument.

What was this monstrosity of a film? I had hopes for this movie I really did. The amazing part is that this movie actually spawned a sequel. Yet the sequel does not contain Ludgren. He must not have been stupid enough to do a sequel but he was sure still stupid enough to do the first.

The movie itself is about a Russian special forces soldier sent to Africa to assassinate a couple of innocent African tribes men only to defect and join the rebel's cause.

The movie is painfully slow from the beginning and the majority of the action is packed in to the final ten minutes, a syndrome which many action movie flops suffer from.

It will take you at least half the movie to get used to Ludgren's ridiculous hair which looks like a cross between Mr. T and Einstien. Well maybe not Einstien but you get the idea. It is only after he defects from the Russians where it appears that the tribes people must have stepped in and gave him a few fashion tips. It seems silly but it is very difficult to take him seriously with the hair and it absolutely does not suit his character.

The acting is low grade and it is often difficult to understand what the actors are saying in addition to trying to identify whether they are speaking in English, Russian or Swahili.

All in all this movie is deadly boring. Some bits just do not make any sense at all. Its as if Ludgren is trying to...trying to ummmm, I don't know what the hell he was trying to do but he was terrible at whatever it was.

The only good thing about this movie is the end portion oh yeah and the final credits too. The action scene right at the end was actually pretty good. And just when it starts with the entertainment the movie ends. I don't know about you, but I like big guys shooting people with big guns.

I think Ludgren is capable of much more its a pity that he his acting portfolio is not very impressive, no thanks to this movie. Stay away from Red Scorpion, I m giving it two thumbs down and the title of "Stinker Movie of the Month".

2.5/10

OK now I'm not going to try and say that this film is by any means a true classic, BUT it is a type of classic.

in so much as that it has the man Dolph, mostly half nude, and it has guns, and some really nasty ones at that. so the plot is really weak, nobody is going to buy into the fact that one guy can save a nation but thats not the point, its really just a vehicle for Dolph to do his thing, which is to look tough and sound funny in a monotone kinda way.

i really like the torture scene where the guy is sticking large needles through Dolphs anatomy, actually looks pretty realistic considering its not a big budget film, and also i like the scarification that Dolphs little tribesman friend does for him while he is drugged.

the highlight of the film for me is probably the goofy relationship that is forged between Dolphs character and the little bushman, its really fun. the language barrier is well played out but the writers and actors have enabled this element to flow very well and their means of communication is really very effective at translating the messages of the relationship for the film.

so do yourself a favor and go rent the DVD as it has at long last been released, and sit back and enjoy some cornball action for all its worth.

just don't expect any special features cause their isn't any.

1980ies saw various Cold War related films with titles beginning with Red: Red Dawn and Red Heat are most known, Red Scorpion has got somewhat less attention, but it is not bad at all. Many other action films contain much more clichés and Lundgren is less numb actor than e.g. Seagal, Dudikoff or Norris.

The only thing that really annoys me is letting Americans or Slavic emigrants to communicate in Russian - the result (= accent) is horrible, providing films undue undertones.

But still, both the script and Lundgren's performance have earned my 6 points; M. Emmet Walsh's part is even more catchy. Just forget the past black-and-white East-West collisions and enjoy it as a proper action film with constant (and at times complex) fight between good and evil, friendship and betrayal.

Red Scorpion was filmed and released in the final months of the Cold War when communism was soon to fall. The 1980s saw a whole range of anti-Soviet films (which, in their style, were technically propaganda) as well as films promoting peace between the United States and Soviet Union (the most odd example probably being Red Heat)

This is certainly of the former camp. Portraying Dolph Lundgren as a mindless automaton of Soviet-era Russia, he fights with dedication for his Soviet commanders, until he is thrown in jail for drunken behaviour. There he meets a resistance fighter, who the Soviet command have designated as a terrorist threat, and learns the "truth" about the Soviet presence.

Looking beyond the mindless action scenes (which, despite the countless guns and explosions), there is a good fable about the possibility of manipulating truth, and how appearance is not always truth. It's nothing deep, and won't have film academics breaking out in a sweat, but it does add some interesting twists to the story.

Dolph Lundgren's acting, as always, does leave a lot to be desired, but then this film does seem to be concentrating more on the storyline and action. His education by an African Bushman is particularly funny, even touching at times as you see the relationship between Nikolai and the Bushman develop. It's just a shame that more wasn't made of it.

All in all, the film does try to be what it isn't but doesn't suffer for it - indeed, at times, it even shows signs of succeeding.

This made in the late 80's action movie seems to be a lower budget clone of the Rambo movies. It is certainly a product of it's time , because you can smell the anti-Soviet propaganda without even watching the movie. Hollywood made quite a few movies about the evil Russians that were actually entertaining ("Rambo 2","Rambo 3" , "Rocky 4" ) and few that were painfully bad ("Red dawn" , "Invasion USA" ). This movie unfortunately belongs to the second category.

Let's start with the good things. The movie is set in Africa , which is actually an original background for action movie. Are they any other action movies set in Africa ? I don't know - only "Shaft in Africa" comes to my mind. This brings a touch of freshness to the movie.

"Red scorpion" also learns us that communism is evil (true) , war is bad (true) and sends a few messages - think for yourself, don't follow blindly the orders , truth might be manipulated and appearances might be deceiving . It's nothing spectacular , but at least it provides some depth to the whole movie.

The relationship between the main hero and the african bushman is silly , cute , funny and even touching at times. Probably the best part of the movie.

The problem with "Red scorpion" is the fact that for an action movie this is rather mundane & boring film. Im' all in for action movie that treats itself seriously , but it was poorly done. A lot of the running time is devoted to Lundgren wondering around as he develops a conscience. The Russians plan doesn't make any sense , just like their further decisions.

The action scenes are done badly. There is a car chase in style of "Raiders of the lost ark" that is ruined by annoying and inappropriate song by Little Richard. It was supposed to be funny - it wasn't. There is a really big shootout in the end , but it isn't exciting. All the bad guy's have terrible aim and can't shoot straight. There is very little blood and violence here. Hand to hand combat or fighting ? Forget it.

This bad movie was directed by Joseph Zito , an expert of making bad propaganda action movies ("Missing in action", "Invasion USA" - both with Chuck Norris).

Dolph Lundgren who plays the main hero Nikolai Rachenko (funny fact - after his breakthrough role of Ivan Drago in "Rocky 4" here he gets to play another Russian) is passable. M. Emmet Walsh (" Blade runner ") plays an American photographer and is terribly annoying and unfunny. Brion James (" Tango and Cash ") makes an appearance , but sadly disappears at the end of the movie without any explanation ! What a waste. Everybody else give poor performances.

I don't really recommend this movie. Not even for the action junkies . I rather recommend watching one of the Rambo movies. Still it's a little bit better than most of Lundgren movies. There was a sequel in the 90's , but it had very loose connection to this movie. I give it 4/10.

This movie was produced and written by none other than Jack Abramoff, recently in the news (and in the slammer) due to being convicted of illegal lobbying and fraud. Eventually, two White House officials (J. Steven Griles and David Safavian) and a congressman (Bob Ney) were also convicted in connection with his activities. You can get an accurate feeling for the "Rules? What Rules?" attitude of Abramoff and his cronies in the Bush White House by watching this bit o' dreck.

Although this movie was released during the Reagan Era, when the atmosphere was also "Rules? What Rules?" - see Iran/Contra, the October Surprise, etc. etc. - the Bush Administration has taken this to new and previously unimagined extremes. I am anxiously awaiting a movie (written by Scooter Libby- or maybe a sequel from Abramoff when he gets out) that captures the zeitgeist of stupidity and arrogance that only a true insider can really know. "Team America" comes close (America!! F*ck Yeah!!), but it is intended as a comedy. What we have experienced the last seven and a half years is no joke.

Red Scorpion - produced by Jack Abramoff, formerly one of the top lobbyists in Washington, now a convicted criminal behind bars. At one time, before he reaches his notoriety with his embezzling of Native Americans at their casinos, among many other things, he was into movies, and was also part of the 'Young Republicans', who were, basically, a bunch of right-wing nut-jobs exerting their influence at the tail-end of the Cold War. Also, they were interested in propping up dictators in Africa and elsewhere who happened to be vehemently anti-Communist (that they may have also been totally blood-thirsty maniacs, such as the one Abramoff helped out in Angola, wasn't as much of a concern). I mention this in part as background on this movie, funded by right-wing folks and African heavies, but also that this story- mentioned in the documentary Casino Jack- is much more fascinating than the film itself.

This didn't mean I was expecting something truly amazing action-wise, and chances are you aren't (or did not) expect it either. This is a Dolph Lundgren action flick where he comes in like an action figure (just off of playing action figures He-Man and about to be the Punisher) and tears it up where it may lay. It's quite stupid, though not incompetently made as an action movie. It's got a couple of decent character actors, both from Blade Runner, M. Emmett Walsh and Brion James. It's got lots of action, the kind that if you're still hankering for lots of s*** blowing up real good and the death count going past 100 before the 30-minute mark after the Expendables is good enough. Hell, even Lundgren gets to let his action-pecs fly, and it's entertaining in bits to see him do to (these bits are mostly at the climax).

But there's little of way of interest past it being a mundane action movie where a) because it's really funded by Americans and meant to be an anti-Commie screed, the Russian killing-machine will be changed after seeing th oppression his people wring on the African tribes, and fights back with them becoming... uh, an oppressor for African dictator rule! Morally the film is confused, unless you are so anti-Commie that you agree with the comic-book aesthetic. But even if one can go into it as a mindless action movie, certain moments (like when Lundgren escapes from the "prison" which is just one room) don't make sense, and the dialog takes itself too seriously. This should be a lot of fun, not something that makes us "think". Lots of crap does blow up real good, and at one point ol' Dolph lifts up a tank. That's about it.

A soviet soldier is sent to assassinate a troublesome African rebel who is causing (never explained)problems for soviets in an unnamed country. Along the way our lunkheaded hero sees the error of his ways and decides to blow up his former employers. Red Scorpion has managed to come up in discussion, due to it's connection to Jack Abramhoff however even the most curious are well advised to steer clear of this stinker. For one there is hardly any action and Dolph Lundgren's charisma-less perf is actually one of the film's better qualities. A neat action sequence at the end but the movie is too dull for even people like me. (Lovers of bad action cinema)

*1/2 stars out of 4-(Poor)

Well it is pure, unadulterated, conservative propaganda. And it doesn't make any excuses for it. At least, it's pure circa 80s conservative propaganda before everything just went insane.

However, unlike Red Dawn, which is also 80s conservative propaganda, Red Scorpion kind of really stinks.

It's too much, in literally every way, from too much politics, to too much near nudity, to too much dead lifting.

It makes for a weak action packed mess that is nearly unwatchable.

If there is something I connect to the 80's more than anything it's movies like this one. It came at the shivering end of the decade, when the cold war was nearly over. But it shows a technique honed through literally dozens of cold war action movies. A genre of it's own.

The Russian KGB-agent Nikolai (Dolph Lundgren) is sent to Africa to kill a native revolutionary. However he is betrayed by his own people and instead befriends the man he was to kill. Soon he exacts his vengeance on his deceitful commanders.

Dolph Lundgren is known from cold war epics like Rocky IV and Pentathlon. It seems his blonde Swedish looks are very Russian in the eyes of the American audience. Also his garbled accent might be appropriate as a substitute for real Russian. Here he shoots, explodes and slices half the Russian and Cuban armies in his quest for vengeance on the men who betrayed him. The machine of the communist party just needed one small deceit to see the error of his ways and instantly team up with natives and guerrillas to fight for their freedom.

A touching story if you don't think about it. So, you've seen Rambo II and III? You've seen Missing in action with Chuck Norris? You've seen dozens of other cold war action movies where Russians are killed in the hundreds and the hero hardly flinches when he is shot? Then you KNOW what this is about. And this might just be the best of the lot. This is simply 80's propaganda-action in it's most purified form. Entertaining to say the least. Rating is 1/10 for quality, 7/10 for entertainment and 10/10 for accents.