Direct Action/Retrograde/Direct Contact [DVD]

Here's my review of each of the three films contained in this nicely priced set.Direct Action is a quintessential DTV action film. It's the classic story of a lone-wolf cop taking on a corrupt system. With well-staged/well-filmed hand to hand brawls, plenty of fire-power action, a likable lead, a good supporting cast, a running time that definitely doesn't over wear its welcome, and a direct and to-the-point plot, I really have nothing but good things to say about this film. Other than a scene that feels very tacked on at the end, this is an almost flawless DTV action film. If I'd seen it in a theater during a matinee I would've been perfectly satisfied.Direct Contact also has a lot going for it as a DTV action film. First of all, it starts out with Dolph's character getting into a prison fight and, well, ya known, that's one of the best ways you could start a DTV action film. Secondly, the action's pretty consistent. The story's a bit convoluted, but the filmmakers don't let it slow the action down much. This, like most DTV actions films, is an unapologetically R rated picture. The action, the language, and the sexuality are not toned down. Thirdly, Michael Pare plays the villain. Pare has a great on-screen presence and has been a star of the DTV market for sometime; he's probably still most well known for playing Eddie in Eddie and the Cruisers; Pare should've been more of a household name. In his older age he kind of reminds me of a younger Robert Forster, but, unlike Forster, Pare hasn't had someone of Tarantino's status come along to give his career another opportunity for wider notice. Lastly, in the pluses, the female lead is not too bad to look at; she's a real heart breaker. In the minuses, she could probably use some acting lessons. Further down the minuses column, this film falls into the pitfalls of stupidity and inconsistency that sometimes blight DTV releases. For example, during one of the car chases near the end you can clearly tell that the actors are simply in front of a green or blue screen; secondly, after about the mid way point the film sometimes loses your interest when the action is not happening, which is a common problem with genre films that are low on plot and rather reliant on getting from one action scene to the next. Also, it's a bit "hammy," which is fine, but sometimes the film attempts to convey a sense of tragedy and it feels completely misplaced in a DTV action picture where most of the time the actors seem to be smirking at each other. The nice thing about DTV action films, though, is that most of the time you feel like you're in on the joke, and, all things considered, this is a very good, well photographed, DTV action film. Sure there's a few unintended laughs, but that's all part of the fun. I mean it's a lot easier to laugh at a film's occasional flubs when it's still providing the goods and has an entire budget that is probably less than what most Hollywood A listers make for starring in one picture.The last film to review in this set is Retrograde. Retrograde should probably only be seen if it's part of a MST3K episode, or if you've acquired it as a part of this 3 movie set and, well, since you have it, you might as well watch it. Of course, that's my opinion. This film probably has its fans too.As a whole, this 3 pack is an excellent deal for DTV and Lundgren fans. Direct Action (definitely one of Lundgren's better DTV efforts) and Direct Contact are highly enjoyable DTV action films. If you can get these two films together at a low price and get an extra Lundgren vehicle as a sort of extra, it's a pretty good deal. The image and audio quality on all three films is clean and crisp and two out of three of the films have English subtitles, which is an option I always like. Direct Action does not have the English subtitles option, but it does have a couple good featurettes as special features.As an additional note: I purchased this item in late Sept. 2012, and I had no problems with this DVD set. All three films were included. So, this issue of having Direct Action on both sides of the first DVD seems to have been resolved.

For a DTV action movie starring Dolph Lundgren, "Direct Action" is pretty good. Lundgren's definitely made some better ones, but on the whole, his 26th starring outing is a solid vehicle. It's not as flashy or bombastic as I'd like it to be and the style of action isn't quite what I had hoped for, but in Dolph's case, no one can really complain if a movie of his surpasses the 'acceptable' mark. If you're already a fan, you can buy the film without much reservation, but newbies to Lundgren should start somewhere else.The story: Frank Gannon (Lundgren) is a police officer set to testify against the activities of the department's Direct Action unit - a coalition of veteran officers undertaking illegal operations for the sake of money. On the day before his visit to court, he's paired with a rookie officer (Polly Shannon, Men With Brooms) and is almost immediately caught up in a plot of the DA brotherhood to retire him permanently.It becomes quickly apparent that the film was shot under a small budget and minimal resources - few tripods, an unflexible lighting scheme, and loosely-choreographed action - but rather than letting this drag the movie down, director Sidney Furie (Iron Eagle) maintains excellent production values to turn the stripped-down look into the film's style without making it look fudged, turning technical deficiencies into the choice look of a gritty cop thriller. The only real production decisions that I can find fault with is the choice of soundtrack (a repetitious selection of grating rap and electronic music) and the rather noticeable goof that all of the cars being shot up display no bullet holes. Oh, and the special features - a rarity on any Lundgren DVD - aren't all that great.The action is good...for a DTV film. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the violence is that it's the most karate-friendly since Lundgren's Bridge of Dragons: Dolph bangs out the kicks, punches, and throws to a respectable extent, and this alone should make the film appeal to fans who feel that the Swedish Superman doesn't use his hand-to-hand talents nearly enough. It's a bit of a disappointment that all of his fights are relatively short and one-sided, but apparently that's the trade-off for seeing the big man throw roundhouse kicks at all these days. Surprisingly, the gunfights help make up for this: while the aforementioned no-holes snafu is evident most of the time and the shootouts themselves are nothing revolutionary, both Lundgren and the bad-guys put themselves out there and get shot up enough so that there's some actual excitement to be gained from these scenes, which there is no shortage of.There's not all too much to be said as far as the acting goes other than that nobody's awful: looking amazingly fit and powerful for a man approaching 50, Lundgren fits the role of veteran cop well, while Polly Shannon likewise does good with a few slip-ups, and miscellaneous co-stars Donald Burda (The Highwayman), Rothaford Gray (Max Payne), and Conrad Dunn (Silent Trigger) are generally passable in their roles as assorted good cops and bad cops. Not much to complain about, but nothing to roll out the red carpet for, either.On its own, "Direct Action" is unremarkable, but as a Lundgren action vehicle, it's a hopeful example that the man can still deliver. If expectations are kept low and the film is watched in the company of some popcorn or a hotdog or two, fans are likely to have a good time with it. Give it a try.

This was a terrific movie! It's a typical good guy against the system story. DL plays the good guy who reluctantly, but politely, is stuck having to train a rookie. Well, the rookie turns out to be a young, attractive, woman who is very nervous on her first day with the tenured cop, but she quickly proves herself very capable when he finds himself in one of many political jams within his own police department. She basically saves his hide on many occasions, proving himself wrong about his initial impressions of her. They forge a mutual respect for one another as the story progresses, and save the city and police department in the end. Who doesn't like a good ending? I liked that he was a gentleman all throughout, to both the good guys, and bad ones (even though he had to kick butt) and kept his emotions for her (the rookie) under wraps until the very end of the movie. Very well directed and played by all. Another great Dolph Lundgren action flick - check it out!