What's the difference between Dolph Lundgren and Arnold Schwarzenegger? Well, the one's Swedish and the other Austrian. Other than that, they both have had similar acting careers and have played similar type of roles, in which their physic is more important than the delivery of their lines. Both are therefore also indefinitely better playing action roles than any other type of roles really, including some more comedic type of work. It hadn't stopped Schwarzenegger from trying though and now it's Lundgren's turn to step into his shoes and appear in this late sequel to the 1990 Schwarzenegger original. A sequel that no one ever asked for though...
It sounds like an insanely stupid idea- and there's no way anyone could have ever thought that this movie was going to be a great one, not even those involved with making it. In that regard this movie really isn't half as bad or stupid as you would most likely expect it to be. It definitely is true that there are far worse comedies out there and this movie never feels like a cringy experience, with a ton load of cheap and lame recycled jokes, involving a bunch of young kids and a bulky, tough as nails, undercover cop. The movie as it is remains a watchable enough one but that's just about the biggest compliment I can give it.
The biggest problem with it is that it doesn't seem to know what audience it wants to appeal to. For adults the movie is a far too simplistic and childish one but for young kids it at the same time still remains a too complicated- and a not funny/cute enough one. kids aren't going to like the romance and cop-story-line, while the adults most likely won't like the childish humor and simplistic story approach of the movie. It's true that the story isn't very relevant at all for the movie but it of course still relies on developments happening in it and helps to move the movie and its characters forward. Never in a too interesting or surprising direction though of course.
Strangely enough none of it is Lundgrun's fault. He actually does a pretty decent job handling the comedy and his dialog. Nothing Oscar-worthy of course but he manages to play a likable enough character, that besides isn't as over-the-top as it so easily could have been. His accent still sticks out like a sore thumb but the movie has a solution to that; pick a villain with an even bigger accent. It's cheap, lame and ridicules but it's just one of those Hollywood things. You apparently can't have a movie in which the 'hero' has the biggest foreign accent of all, without fearing that audiences will disconnect themselves from him and loose sympathy.
Lundgren is just about the only really character in the movie though. The kids for instance are barely characters and basically just a bunch of walking, screaming and jumping stereotypes, who don't act like any real kids ever would. It's weird how the movie pretty much ignores the kid characters but at the same time it's also a good thing. After all, kids -especially very young ones- just aren't the best actors around. They so easily can ruin the flow and humor of a comedy but I'm thankful they didn't in this case.
All things considering, things could have been a lot worse for this movie. It's redundant and not particularly good either but it at least is a watchable one, that never annoys and manages to still bring some simple, lighthearted, entertainment.
5/10
Watch trailer
It sounds like an insanely stupid idea- and there's no way anyone could have ever thought that this movie was going to be a great one, not even those involved with making it. In that regard this movie really isn't half as bad or stupid as you would most likely expect it to be. It definitely is true that there are far worse comedies out there and this movie never feels like a cringy experience, with a ton load of cheap and lame recycled jokes, involving a bunch of young kids and a bulky, tough as nails, undercover cop. The movie as it is remains a watchable enough one but that's just about the biggest compliment I can give it.
The biggest problem with it is that it doesn't seem to know what audience it wants to appeal to. For adults the movie is a far too simplistic and childish one but for young kids it at the same time still remains a too complicated- and a not funny/cute enough one. kids aren't going to like the romance and cop-story-line, while the adults most likely won't like the childish humor and simplistic story approach of the movie. It's true that the story isn't very relevant at all for the movie but it of course still relies on developments happening in it and helps to move the movie and its characters forward. Never in a too interesting or surprising direction though of course.
Strangely enough none of it is Lundgrun's fault. He actually does a pretty decent job handling the comedy and his dialog. Nothing Oscar-worthy of course but he manages to play a likable enough character, that besides isn't as over-the-top as it so easily could have been. His accent still sticks out like a sore thumb but the movie has a solution to that; pick a villain with an even bigger accent. It's cheap, lame and ridicules but it's just one of those Hollywood things. You apparently can't have a movie in which the 'hero' has the biggest foreign accent of all, without fearing that audiences will disconnect themselves from him and loose sympathy.
Lundgren is just about the only really character in the movie though. The kids for instance are barely characters and basically just a bunch of walking, screaming and jumping stereotypes, who don't act like any real kids ever would. It's weird how the movie pretty much ignores the kid characters but at the same time it's also a good thing. After all, kids -especially very young ones- just aren't the best actors around. They so easily can ruin the flow and humor of a comedy but I'm thankful they didn't in this case.
All things considering, things could have been a lot worse for this movie. It's redundant and not particularly good either but it at least is a watchable one, that never annoys and manages to still bring some simple, lighthearted, entertainment.
5/10
Watch trailer
No comments: