Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Aedonerre I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

Helloturia I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

Comeuppance Reviews Xander Ronson (Dolph)is an American ex-Green Beret laying low in Inner Mongolia, of all places. He's deeply in debt, and fights in...wait for it...illegal underground Punchfighting matches to make ends meet. Brought before a judge, it is determined he must finally pay all his debts or go to prison. Luckily - or perhaps not - this is just when snobbish jerkbag Chambers (Shriver) offers Ronson a lucrative job. He hires him to act as security as he travels with his team to go deep into uncharted territory to find something called the Tangka - a Buddhist tapestry said to be cursed. With few options at hand, Ronson reluctantly accepts. The beautiful Anika (Yu) is the stepdaughter to chambers, and following her is likely what truly entices Ronson. In addition to trying to get the Tangka and all the pitfalls they encounter along the way, another team of baddies is chasing them, and these guys will stop at nothing to get it. Who will end up with this sacred artifact? (Meaning the Tangka, not a DVD of Diamond Dogs).At the outset when we see Dolph somewhat down on his luck, and Punchfighting in another land, it immediately brings to mind Sweepers (1998), where similar things go on. Dolph, with his shaved head, looks especially grizzled here, and that's to his credit - he does a nice acting job, and with little flash. There's plenty of violence on show, leading the viewer to conclude this is a worthy Dolph adventure story, more or less.While this "Saturday afternoon adventure" falls somewhere between big-budget opuses like the Indiana Jones series and Direct-To-Video items like Skeleton Coast (1988) or Laser Mission (1989), it's reasonably well-made and has some impressive locations. It should also be noted that there's a reference to the Stallone classic Over the Top hidden in the movie somewhere. See if you can find it.Shriver, in his first credited movie role, plays the obnoxious, hate-able baddie whose hairstyle isn't just a ponytail - that wouldn't be irritating enough - it's actually some sort of ponytail bun, also does a noteworthy acting job, assuming his personality isn't really like that in real life. Ronson shows amazing patience with him - this movie would get five stars if after the thousandth snide, catty remark Chambers makes, Dolph just punches through his face, but alas, it's not to be. In a big budget version, we felt Kevin Spacey could have played Chambers.Although the film is called Diamond Dogs, neither diamonds, dogs, nor David Bowie are anywhere in sight. Interestingly, it can be surmised that the writers of the film are glam rock fans, judging by the title and the choice to name Dolph's character Ronson, presumably after Mick Ronson, who among other career achievements played with David Bowie. And seeing as there were supposedly production problems on this film, and a presumed sequel got axed, Bowie can never make a cameo in the future.Despite pockets of dullness that spring up throughout the film, Diamond Dogs is a decent Dolph outing. It won't blow your socks away, but for a later Dolph it's a good one-time watch.For more insanity, please drop by to: comeuppancereviews.com

winner55 They don't make them like these anymore - and I'm really glad they don't. I was truly shocked at how bad this is. I expected at least a mind-numbing time-waster - this wastes time but it doesn't numb the mind; throughout I was reminded how foolish I was for renting this. The composition and editing and design are pure '70s chop-socky, except without any real kung fu. Very amateurish production; plot that promises much and goes nowhere. An attempted Chinese-Canandian production that doesn't really know what it wants to accomplish. Stereotypical performances of stereotypical characters. There are some hints at something finer in the script but the poor direction and impoverished production subvert it. Big disappointment even for Lundgren fans.

harold_harcourt Judging by the comments here on IMDb, public opinion on this movie is divided into 2 distinct camps. Firstly you have the salivating fans for whom the mere presence of Lundgren is enough to make any film a work of cinematic genius. If that's all it takes to please you, then no comment on here will change your mind. That's fine, enjoy your Dolf - try not to drool on him. Then you have those who expect, nay DEMAND that any movie which features plot elements such as relics, temples and gunfights follow the big budget Hollywood formula of intricate death traps, load bearing treasure and near superhuman heroics which made the Indiana Jones movies, Mummy series and Tomb raider so successful. This is where I begin to have a problem. The aforementioned films derive most of their entertainment value from witty one liners, flashy special effects and slick choreography. Diamond Dogs on the other hand goes in the opposite direction, moving the focus of the film away from elaborate action and adventure, on to the characters and their survival. The majority of the film appears to have been shot on location and most of the characters (played well by a less than famous cast) lack the exaggerated personalities and convoluted motivations you'd find in a Hollywood blockbuster. The result of this shift is that the whole film feels more 'National Geographic' than 'National Treasure'. The sporadic action is fast and lethal, no fancy footwork and no coming back with multiple wounds for one last shot. The 'bad guys' are bad as opposed to villainous and the 'good guys' are played straight, behaving in a practical and decidedly un-heroic manner. I for one found the lack of comedy quipping a refreshing change. In fact the only thing that bothered me in the whole movie was William Shriver's portrayal of 'Chambers' which WAS admittedly slightly over the top toward the beginning of the film.All the above waffle basically boils down to this; You want an action adventure romp, packed with booby traps, wisecracks and villains? Go watch something else. If however you think you could appreciate something a bit different, with beautiful scenery, an unusual soundtrack and a sizable (but rarely flashy) body count, then you could do an awful lot worse than Diamond Dogs.

udar55 Former Green Beret and now professional fighter/gambler Xander Ronson (Dolph Lundgren) is hired by millionaire Chambers (William Shriver) to lead his group on a search in Mongolia for the Tangka, a Buddhist text missing since the Russian crackdown on religion in the region in the 1930s. Naturally, there is a sinister group after them looking to steal the Tangka once it is discovered. This Dolph vehicle was finished 2 years ago, but is finally seeing release in the US via Sony DVD. While not up to the level of his recent directorial efforts (THE DEFENDER, THE MECHANIK, MISSIONARY MAN), it is worth seeing for the gritty tone and tons of violence. It also features some great location photography in mainland China and the unknown supporting cast also helps out with the realism. Now if anyone can explain why it is called DIAMOND DOGS, please let me know. :)