MaximusXXX I do not kid when it comes to proclaiming films as heinously poor.One look at my ratings will tell you as such.What makes Direct Contact such a poor quality feature is the shoddy editing, overuse of stock footage, failed dialogue in both content and delivery and a plot riddled with unexplained and largely unnecessary nuances.The film will under most circumstance draw laughter that was surely not intended. I say this having shown the film to well over two dozen people who I felt had a wide range of tastes.This is literally an ideal reference for bad filming.The fact this feature apparently cost six million is astounding, that's 6 million in case you missed it. Naturally I am inclined to assume the majority of the budget went to Mr. Lundgren and severely overpaid crew. While some of the action sequences that were originally filmed were far from the worst I have witnessed in some other low quality action films, this did not raise the stock to a modest degree.Many may give this film a 1 but I gave it a 3 based on the following defaults:1. The video quality was satisfactory, albeit made for television. 2. Some of the original action sequences were somewhat spectacular. 3. Although the story was sub-par, it was not itself painfully horrendous.In my opinion, any feature length film with even the slightest effort that has a quantifiable beginning and end merits a 1, and in most cases a 2 due to adequate completion. By default due to some of the more expensive action sequences, I have it a 3.Rest assured however I will never recommend anyone see this film for positive entertainment unless it is for reference of failure or based off the pleasures to ridicule.

Comeuppance Reviews Mike Riggins (Dolph) is rotting away in a Balkans prison for supposedly smuggling weapons. Thankfully he can defend himself against his jailhouse assailants. When Clive Connelly (Pare), a government bigshot, comes to Mike and offers him a total of 200,000 dollars if he can find the kidnapped Ana Gale (May) and bring her back home, Mike agrees. But as it turns out, all is not as it seems, and thanks to some twists and turns, we see there is a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. Will Mike and Ana make it to safety?In one of the better Nu-Image movies we've seen of late, Direct Contact delivers the Dolph you want. Sure, as we've discussed before, he elevates all movies he's in. His presence means a lot, but here it's just enjoyable to watch him beat, shoot, pistol-whip and blow up everybody in sight. Even the squibs are entertaining, as baddies die unnecessarily bloody deaths, sometimes to humorous effect. However, it's not all good news, as some lame green screen and CGI effects hurt the movie. These things are just annoyances, nothing more, and it's puzzling why some filmmakers believe they are important to the movie. There's even some ridiculous sped-up chase footage where it seems like the "Yakety Sax" should be playing on the soundtrack. Somehow, the doofuses at Nu-Image don't seem to realize this is DOLPH LUNDGREN, not Benny Hill. But we suppose it's forgivable, because Direct Contact is an entertaining, if not that original, production where Dolph meets another titan of the genre: Michael Pare. Pare puts in a good performance and it's cool to see this "clash of the titans" as he faces off with Dolph. He doesn't seem to phone in his role, and that's certainly a good thing. Also it should be noted that there is a baddie in the movie named Drago (Rahal). He's such an ethnic stereotype, he gives Balki of Perfect Strangers fame a bad name. Perhaps they couldn't get Bronson Pinchot. That aside, in a "meta" move, it's Drago vs. Drago! Was this done on purpose, or are there no more generic Eastern-European names left to use? (To answer our own question, judging by the end credits of most DTV productions nowadays, which read like the Bulgarian phone book, no.) Also, even though it has been mentioned before, we can't not bring up the scene where a character actually says, "What if he goes AOL?" How this passed the director, the actor himself, the editing process, and any step in between without any notice and ended up in the final film is anybody's guess. But to answer the man's question, he'll get mail, news, messenger, and plenty of extras for only $9.99 a month. Someone find Mike Riggins!So aside from the aforementioned technical hiccups, Direct Contact (not to be confused with Direct Action, 2004), provides a solid night of Dolph fun.For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

Sharkanana If you enjoy watching action flicks and spotting hilarious goofs and completely ridiculous scenes, then this movie is for you! I love watching movies such as The Marine, and other Steven Seagal type movies that are just so bad, they end up being so funny because of the small things you find in them.If you cannot tolerate bad acting, horrible script writing, and terribly done action sequences, then by all means avoid this.The car chase scenes are especially terrible. Sometimes it seems as if Dolph is sleepwalking through his scenes.My advice is, watch it and try to notice all the goofs and such that happen, and you will have a great time.

julian kennedy Direct Contact: 6 out of 10: This is one of the most action packed movies I have ever seen. Keep in mind the action is not always good and the script certainly writes checks that the budget cannot cash. In addition, Dolph Lundgren gives the best performance in the film… However, one cannot deny that compare to those bloated (in more than one-way mind you) Segal films like Driven to Kill; this is a fit, fast and fun ride.Dolph starts the film in an eastern European prison but is released to rescue an American girl from a concentration camp located just east of a World War 2 film. (Direct Contact takes place in modern times but both the camp commander, and the camp victims, would not be out of place in Schindler's List as done by Full Moon Productions.) Bashar Rahal plays camp commandant General Drago with such a silly vigor, that when he shoots children in the head you just cannot help but laugh. Not to mention the fact that any character with the name General Drago belongs in a film with either Lightsabers or Dragons, not Fiddler on the Roof extras being mowed down by machine guns.Gina May plays the American girl, whom is much easier on the eyes than she is the ears. Her acting could have been improved with more nudity and less dialogue: much less dialogue. The rest of the cast is Michael Pare, random Bulgarians or James Chalke who gives the kind of horrible performance that makes one wonder if he financed the entire film.Now back to the reason to watch the film: the action. Dolph is in good shape and makes a surprisingly agile action star. Moreover, even though Bulgaria has no native word for continuity, it is a country that, for a couple of bucks, you can drive tanks through buildings downtown like some sort of Goldeneye road show.Overall, I enjoyed the film more than I should have. Lord knows it could have been better. However, as the good lord above also knows, it could have been a lot worse. Direct Contact may commit countless cinematic sins but it is never less than entertaining.