Konterr Brilliant and touching

Inadvands Boring, over-political, tech fuzed mess

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

adonis98-743-186503 A Soviet Special Forces soldier is sent on a mission to infiltrate an African rebel army and assassinate its leader, but the war machine they trained starts to think for himself. If you loved movies like First Blood, First Blood Part II, Rambo III, Delta Force and my personal favorite, Commando you're going to have a very good time with Red Scorpion starring Dolph Lundgren. The plot is simple, the acting is not that bad and the special effects pretty great for their time plus Dolph by the end of this film goes into a full John Matrix type of hero and i loved it.. (9/10)

Leofwine_draca I found this to be one of Dolph Lundgren's most accessible movies. Now, I know that isn't saying much, but this film actually has a far-reaching story with some real issues to comment upon. These may only be superficial, but they certainly give the film a more realistic edge over the usual action fare that Lundgren has found himself in in the past decade. Of course, in the end the Soviets are still the blacker-than-black bad guys and the good guys (the rebels) win out in the end, but it still makes you think.As it was actually filmed in Africa, this film has some authentic and beautiful locations, especially in the desert scenes. I'm just a sucker for nice scenery but this film makes good use of it at every opportunity. It also has a slightly higher budget than most action fodder, as judged by the ridiculously high number of explosions we witness at the film's conclusion. Lundgren's minimalist style of acting actually fits the bill here as he plays the impassive soldier who gradually begins to realise that the side he is fighting for is the wrong side, and he makes a believable transition from baddie to rebel leader at the end.The American supporting cast is pretty forgettable, though. M. Emmet Walsh plays an obnoxious reporter who spends almost the entire movie swearing or shouting at somebody, so it's impossible to warm to his character. On the other hand, T.P. McKenna's Soviet bad guy barely registers apart from his over-the-top accent. Brion James also pops up in a minor role as a Russian sadist (what else?) but is sorely underused; halfway through the film his character just disappears never to be heard of again! However, many of the local African actors are very good, especially the guy playing the native who is, quite simply, excellent. Incidentally, the sub plot in which Lundgren turns native and grows to appreciate life out in the desert is brilliant, and I wish it could have lasted longer than twenty minutes.The action itself is mainly routine for most of the film and consists of the standard truck chases, shoot-outs, and occasional display of martial arts from Lundgren. However, at the very end this film turns into Rambo with Lundgren and his rebel pals taking on a Russian base and winning. Here, the death toll is high, and Lundgren beats up and knifes many a bad guy. In the sadistic highlight, he actually shoots the arm off a Cuban officer to prevent him throwing a grenade! Then everything blows up in a spectacular fashion that will leave you satisfied. While RED SCORPION is far from brilliant, it spins a believable and very different from the norm plot which had me interested throughout.

lost-in-limbo Joseph Zito is no stranger to noisy gun-ho, explosive action joints with films like semi 80s classics "Missing in Action" and "Invasion USA" under his belt. So you know what he would bring to the table and Zito doesn't disappoint. He goes big on nearly all fronts. An all-out assault on the senses with general mayhem. Now who to play an indestructible Russian Special Force soldier who must go undercover to infiltrate and assassinate an African rebel leader. Look no further than a stolid Dolph Lundgren. He's perfect for the role, as an instrument of war. The plot is typically laid-out; as a soldier goes in terminate a target to only realise he's expandable and left for dead by his superiors. This sees him sympathizing with the guerrillas' cause and leading them against his old comrades. It doesn't offer up much in its one-note story and the script can be a touch preachy, but the tough action is frenetic and well-staged even with some slow (the spiritual journey with the bushman), tired passages. The grimy atmosphere adds to its humid tempo. There are some colourful supporting cast with the live-wire Emmet Walsh, T.P McKenna as the evil Russian General, and sadistic glee from Carmen Argenziano as a Cuban Colonel. Also character actor Brion James shows up for a small part doing the standard bad guy shtick. A film that sticks to formula, but that's its strength and Zito knows it.

dworldeater I'm pumped that Synapse films gave this the proper treatment on bluray ( my first generation DVD is basically VHS quality ). Red Scorpion is a bit underrated in my opinion. It came out at the end of the cold war and around this time action movies were still in demand , but less than a few years previous . I love the action genre and while movies like Commando and Rambo First Blood pt.2 came first and are better films, this movie is similar and delivers . This is by no means a drama , just a pure action film with lots of one liners and a high body count. Dolf Lundren plays Soviet super soldier who switches sides and did a fine job in this one man army flick . M.Emmet Walsh is great in this and completely hilarious . Brion James is a great heavy and director Joe Zito blows up half of the continent of Africa. If the same movie came out in 1986 it would be much more popular , but if you want action this movie was made for you. Also, like Predator you get the music of Little Richard.