Red Scorpion

Rating:
Summary: Harlequins For Males
Review: * Every time I go strolling through the paperback section of the local
department store -- I do this mostly out of habit, since I lost
interest in novels a long time ago -- I notice one section is devoted
to what, for want of a better term, I would call "male Harlequins".
Women apparently like to read slushy romances; men, on the other hand,
like to read violent action novels.

These violent action books have titles like MIA HUNTER or SAIGON
COMMANDOS or whatever. There's a whole rack of 'em, and they're
usually numbered as elements of a series. Mind you, I'm not
criticizing these books. People write them and make a living. People
buy them and kill some time. Everyone's happy. Some may claim that
such books have a negative effect on the character of those who read
them, but as a concern that doesn't quite cross the edges of my
radarscope.

There are movies that seem to fall in this category as well, and there
I would solidly place RED SCORPION. In this film, Scandinavian hunk
Dolf Lundgren plays a Soviet SPETSNATZ commando, sent to some mythical
African nation (Mombassa or Mikubu or ... whatever, something like
that) to help suppress a rebellion. He eventually realizes that he's
fighting on the wrong side and helps the rebels.

"And?" you ask. "And what?" I reply. That's really all there is to
it. It's sort of like a WWII-vintage propaganda flic, with the
sadistic and brutal Russians and Cubans oppressing the noble African
freedom fighters. It's all pretty much by-the-numbers: violence,
combat, torture, fistfights; lots and lots of fiery explosions.

I didn't mind. I'd been feeling frustrated, and I wanted to park my
brains for a while before I blew a fuse and bit the mailman. I knew
what I was getting into and got exactly what I expected. RED SCORPION
has zero pretensions of being anything but what it is, and makes no
false claims in its advertising. Anybody who watches this movie
with high expectations will be disappointed, but I would have to say
that would be like picking up a paperback like DELTA FORCE RAIDERS and
expecting to read WAR AND PEACE. Still, it would be nice to see a
movie that I don't forget the instant it's over. [Minor update of
review from 1989.]

Rating:
Summary: If I did not Love the USA, I would join Spetznaz
Review: I can not say enough good things about this fine film. Dolph Lundgren really gets to flex his acting muscles in this piece because he can speak with his native accent. His acting performance was not as good in The Punisher due to his covering up of this accent. He has many great scenes in Red Scoprpion. It is hard to say which is his best work in the film. There are two scenes that I consider equally great. First is the scene early in the film where Dolph acts drunk and wanders around the Soviet camp. It reminds me of a time when I was similarly drunk in the back of my boys Honda on the way to Denny's. Dolph really convinces the Soviet Soldiers and the audience that he may indeed be inebriated. I do not think that Richard Harris, who is dead, could have pulled it off better. The other scene is when the bushman gets him drugged one night so that they can tattoo the scorpion on his chest. Dolph's acting is so intense that he is sweaty and greasy even though that the temperature in that part of the desert at night would be very cold. Dolph grimaces in pain and really sells the scene. The only performance in all of film that is nearly as good as that occurred in the Wrath of Kahn. The scene I am refferring to is when Kirk screams "Kahn" in the walkie talkie and Ricardo Montalban has a pleasurable grimace upon his face. Ricardo's scene was good, but Dolph's was better.

Another great aspect of this movie is the fact that they show the great skill of spetznaz commandoes. Dolph, for instance is able to shoot high power machine guns with precision, jog long distances in homemade bushman flip flops and pick up armored jeeps from ditches using only his strength and willpower. Also, Dolph spends a very long time in the desert with little food or drink yet he stays diesel and does not even grow any facial hair. This shows the mental strength of Spetznaz. He willed himself to stay diesel and hairless. It is amazing. I hope to one day learn that skill.