Diamond Dogs (DVD)
Dolph Lundgren travels to China and kicks ass
Tags: Diamond Dogs (DVD) Categories: DVD/TV Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Apr 22nd, 2008
 |
I’m not sure what you’re expecting here – Diamond Dogs is a direct to DVD feature with Dolph Lundgren as the star. Frankly, if you don’t know who Dolph Lundgren is, then you most likely won’t appreciate the film for what it is.
Set (and filmed) in Inner Mongoloia, one of the more remote places left of the planet, Dolph Lundgren stars as an ex-military bad-ass who has settled into a new life. It may be hard to make ends meet, but he does alright. Okay, not really, but he sticks around anyway because he doesn’t have much else in the world. When the opportunity for a large job comes along, he takes it, and it turns out the job is just a little riskier than anticipated.
Does the fact that the treasure being sought after is a priceless Buddhist relic? Does it matter that a rival gang of thugs is also after it? Does it matter that Dolph Lundgren is the only recognizable name in the film? Let’s face it, if you pick this film up at the video store with either the intent to rent or purchase, that’s over half the battle right there. My recommendation is to go ahead and put it in your cart.
Diamond Dogs is not the best action film this year, and I don’t think it was trying to be. The plot isn’t the most intricate or original, and the biggest features of the film are Dolph Lundgren and the fact this was filmed on location. We get one decent action scene at the beginning of the film, then it is a while before Diamond Dogs gets to the real conflict that we all know is going to happen. Frankly, this didn’t bother me because it felt more natural. What did bother me was that when we do get into the action portion of the film, it is over too quickly. I guess Dolph Lundgren really is so much of a bad-ass that there is no stopping him – even fictionally.
The biggest problem Diamond Dogs has is the unrealization of its potential. Some more elaborate action sequences would have been nice. What Dolph does is highly realistic and works very well for his character, keeping the whole movie believable. I would have liked to have seen a bit more elaborate action sequences, sure, but perhaps the biggest disappointment is with the underground temple that the Buddhist artifact is housed. The whole sequence is over far too quickly – which seems a great shame as even an additional 5 minutes would have been enjoyable with a couple of the boobytraps that were mentioned.
The DVD cover is highly misrepresentative, as at no time does Dolph ever wear the bullet bandolier. Nor is there any sight of The Great Wall, which is seen exploding. Clearly the marketing department is trying to upsell the movie, which just winds up lying to potential viewers.
So, it may seem that Diamond Dogs is nothing but a disappointment, but that’s not the case. For those looking for a fun way to spend 90 minutes, Diamond Dogs delivers. This is a direct to DVD action film. If you are not familiar with the genre, then perhaps this isn’t the best one to start with. If, however, you know what you’re getting into, you’ll enjoy Diamond Dogs for what it is.
One last thing: The DVD comes with a “bonus digital copy” allowing owners to copy the film from the DVD to their PC or PlayStation 3. This would be great, but apparently according to the instructions it must be done before July 29 of this year. This isn’t much of a bonus if you buy the DVD on July 30.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
| + Solid story and action | 6.5 |
| What Doesn't | |
|
- Action sequences not as elaborate as one might want - Unrealized potential with regards to certian portions (such as the underground temple) |
|
| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| This is a direct to DVD action film starring Dolph Lundgren. What are you expecting? | |
[ Post the first comment | View related posts ]
Tags: Diamond Dogs (DVD)
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Apr 22nd, 2008 and is filed under DVD/TV Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
