Direct Action
by Sidney J. Furie
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Conrad Dunn, Dolph Lundgren, Donald Burda, Polly Shannon, Rothaford GrayDirector: Sidney J. Furie
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 96 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-06-07
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: First Look Pictures
Movie Reviews of Direct Action
Movie Review: Not Exactly "Direct", But Still "Action"-Packed
Summary: 3 Stars
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 action isn't quite what I had been expecting, but in Dolph's case, no one can really complain. I'll say now that if you're already a fan, you can buy the film without much reservation, but newbies to Lundgren should start somewhere else.
Frank Gannon (Lundgren) is a police officer who is set to testify against the operations of the department's Direct Action unit - a coalition of veteran officers undertaking illegal action 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.
For starters, it becomes quickly apparent that the film was shot under a small budget and minimum resources - a lack of tripods, a consistent lighting scheme, and loosely-choreographed action - but rather than letting this drag the movie down by showing off deficiencies, director Sidney Furie ("Superman IV", "Iron Eagle") turns the stripped-down look into the film's style, meaning that the film looks as though it was supposed to be made with free-motion cameras, bare-bones brawls and shootouts, etc., without appearing half-tried or fudged.
The only real production decisions that I can find fault with is the choice of soundtrack - a rather grating selection of rap and electronic music that quickly gets tired - and the rather noticeable goof that even though many cars get shot up in the film, they display no bullet holes. Oh, and the special features are kind of meager: a handful of 20-second interview clips and some unfulfilling behind-the-scenes segments.
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" or even "Blackjack": Dolph bangs out the high 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 disappointment that most this results in one-sided encounters against guys who don't know kung fu, but apparently that's the trade-off. The gunfighting encounters help make up for this, though: while the aforementioned no-holes snafu is in-place 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 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: Lundgren fits the role of veteran cop well, Polly Shannon likewise does good with a few slip-ups, and miscellaneous co-stars Donald Burda ("The Highwayman"), Rothaford Gray ("Max Payne"), Conrad Dunn ("Silent Trigger"), Walter Alza, and Alex Karzis ("I Love A Man In Uniform") are generally more-than-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 step above decent. If expectations are kept from getting to high 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.
Summary of Direct Action
Frank gannon is a veteran cop in the direct action task force. When his fellow officers learn that hes blown the whistle on police corruption they implicate him in a deadly drug scam. Now hes got just one day to prove his innocence & see that justice is served .. If he can stay alive. Studio: First Look Home Entertain Release Date: 06/07/2005 Starring: Dolph Lundgren Conrad Dunn Run time: 97 minutes Rating: R Director: Sidney J FurieAction & Adventure DVD Video
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