Red Scorpion (1989)

Version: Unrated Cut

Director: Joseph Zito

Cast: Dolph Lundgren, M. Emmett Walsh, Al White, Brion James, T. P. McKenna

Country: United States / South Africa

Red Scorpion is an action packed "one man army" film filled with sweaty Dolph Lundgren abs, gorey Tom Savini effects, and a body count that even John Rambo would be proud of. Directed by Joseph Zito, this excessive 80's film balances grand adventure with effective emotional beats as well. Dolph Lundgren's abs have never been bigger and his shorts have never been tighter. Read on to see how Dolph does in his own Dances With Wolves / Avatar type-story.

"I must break you."

Dolph Lundgren plays Soviet Spetsnaz Nikolai Petrovitch Radchenko (quite a mouthful). While in Africa with Soviet, Czech, and Cuban forces, Nikolai is sent on a mission to integrate into the African rebel forces and to kill their leader, Sundata. Along the way Nikolai makes friends with the hilarious Dewey Ferguson (M. Emmet Walsh), the noble Kallunda Kintash (Al White), and the silent Gau (Regopstaan). 

Much like Avatar and Dances With Wolves, Nikolai soon learns that he is working for the wrong side and ends up defecting to the African Rebels. Nikolai gets a scorpion tattoo, puts on some war paint, and wages an all out war on the Soviet forces in one of the best final shootouts I have ever seen.

This is officially the first Dolph Lundgren film that I have ever reviewed for the blog. For those who don't know, I consider Dolph to be one of the most notable action icons in all of American action cinema. However, I really feel that all of Dolph's films never quite strike that perfect cord with me the way that some of Arnold's or Stallone's do. While every action icon has their ups and downs, I feel that every Dolph film I have ever seen is either dreadful or sits somewhere in between disappointing and great. That is until I watched this unrated cut of Red Scorpion...

Rambo, eat your heart out.

Red Scorpion is easily the best Dolph Lundgren film I have ever seen. THIS is how you rip off something like Rambo: First Blood Part II or Rambo III and still make a solid and impressive low budget action film. Everything in this film just clicks together to create a definitive cult action film that is not ashamed of its inspirations (a truck chase through the desert is clearly taken from Raiders of the Lost Ark) or its over the top ness (Dolph hip firing LMG's). 

It's obvious that Red Scorpion takes many of its inspirations from the likes of Commando and Rambo III. Their heroes hip fire massive machine guns, show off their oily muscles, and throw on some war paint sometimes for good measure. Red Scorpion falls somewhere in between those two films. It has the serious drama of a Rambo film and the ridiculous "one many army" aspects of Commando. It also helps that the film doesn't scream that it is a clear rip off either. Even though you have seen elements of this film before, it still packs in a surprise or two or shakes up the elements enough to be a solid action film of its own. As far as the "one man army / man on a mission" sub-genre of action films goes, this is one of the very best and definitely the most underrated.

Dolph "The Stuntman" Lundgren.

The action scenes in this film are extremely impressive. After seeing some of Zito's previous Chuck Norris action efforts like Invasion U.S.A. and Missing In Action, I expected some low budget cheese, sloppy storytelling, and weak sound editing. Instead, Red Scorpion features very impressive stuntwork (by Dolph Lundgren himself in several scenes), a surprisingly emotional story, and one hell of an explosive soundtrack. One of the major deciding factors for why I love an action film is always the sound design and editing. Fortunately for an action fan like me, Red Scorpion features some first rate sound design. 

The film also does a good job at featuring a nice variety of action. I imagined that all of the action scenes would be straight shootouts. Instead, the film completely caught me off by guard by featuring a full blown car chase through the desert in the first 20 minutes. This scene is clearly a rip off of the famous car chase in Raiders of the Lost Ark but I loved every second of it. Its an extremely exciting scene.

The action scenes also benefit from some first rate gore effects by cult favorite Tom Savini. I am pretty sure this is the only action film I have ever seen that features Savini's trade mark gore effects. Even though most 80's action films feature the same type of bloody squibs, this film finds a way to sneak in some creative Savini-inspired gore.

Like shots like this.

The acting is pretty solid in this film too. Dolph Lundgren plays Dolph Lundgren, as usual. I don't mean to be rude to the guy but I feel that every character of his is essentially the same. It's fun to watch this film and think that Lundgren is essentially playing Ivan Drago again but after Rocky IV. I also enjoyed how the film chose to limit Lundgren's dialog. The character of Nikolai comes off as more realistic as he experiences a personal dilemma and culture clash when he is not blatantly describing what is happening to him.

All of the supporting cast are a blast too. M. Emmet Walsh is especially hilarious in this movie! I can't remember the last time an actor made cursing so funny, but Walsh sells it. He's a great character actor and I loved every second of him. Blade Runner's Brion James also pops up with bleach blonde eyes brows, ew.

It's also worth mentioning that this film pre-dates Dances With Wolves and yet contains that ever so popular storyline also found in Avatar. I am not sure where this story originated in film, but if anyone knows please let me know. I love reused plots like this and would love to get to the bottom of this one.

Would you believe that Dolph Lundgren is in another action film that also uses this plot? That's right! In 1994, Dolph Lundgren starred in Men of War, yet another action film where someone is sent to infiltrate a group and ends up joining their side instead. Men of War is much slower and drawn out than Red Scorpion though. I'd recommend the film only for die hard action fans. If you are craving action though, look up "Men of War Kill Count" on YouTube and get your small taste of the film there.

The Red Scorpion.

I'll keep this review short and sweet. Watch Red Scorpion uncut please. It's a blast, silly, and very entertaining. Dolph Lundgren and "one man army" films have never been better than they are right here. The film may suffer from some aged politics, much like Rambo III, but it makes up for it with its insanely high body count and varied action scenes. And Dolph's shorts.

Rating: 8/10 - Red Scorpion is highly recommended to all action fans. It's an extremely underrated film that deserves to see the light of day now that it has been released uncut on Blu Ray thanks to Synapse Films.

Best Kill / Beatdown: Dolph fills lots of bodies with lots of lead in this film. I could go with the originality of the Colonel's arm being blasted off with the grenade. However, the very final kill is so ridiculous but too good to spoil. Like I said, you've got to watch it.

Best Action Scene: The epic finale is just great. One of the best action scenes in all of American action cinema. 

Best Performance: M. Emett Walsh is too funny. I'm going with him.