Lundgren directs and stars, alongside Kelsey Grammer, in an action movie about a Californian cop who clashes with a drug cartel while recovering from injury
With seven films under his belt since 2000, Dolph Lundgren has quietly amassed a sizeable directorial portfolio of B-movie action flicks but this Mexico border jaunt is less fun than his 2021 buddy flick Castle Falls. It’s also an appalling advert for the Californian police force, with the Dolphster taking the role of Travis Johansen, a racist patrolman caught roughing up the Latino citizenry; an interesting decision by his boss, then, to send him to “fucking Mexico” on a diplomatic mission to repatriate a pair of prostitutes who are potential key witnesses in the murder of some undercover DEA agents.
Things go south in all senses, and Johansen – laid up with a gut wound – has to convalesce with the family of Rosa (Christina Villa), one of...
With seven films under his belt since 2000, Dolph Lundgren has quietly amassed a sizeable directorial portfolio of B-movie action flicks but this Mexico border jaunt is less fun than his 2021 buddy flick Castle Falls. It’s also an appalling advert for the Californian police force, with the Dolphster taking the role of Travis Johansen, a racist patrolman caught roughing up the Latino citizenry; an interesting decision by his boss, then, to send him to “fucking Mexico” on a diplomatic mission to repatriate a pair of prostitutes who are potential key witnesses in the murder of some undercover DEA agents.
Things go south in all senses, and Johansen – laid up with a gut wound – has to convalesce with the family of Rosa (Christina Villa), one of...
- 3/26/2024
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Wanted Man Movie Review Rating:
Star Cast: Dolph Lundgren, Christina Villa, Kelsey Grammer
Director: Dolph Lundgren
Writers: Dolph Lundgren, Michael Worth, Hank Hugues
Wanted Man Movie Review Is Out! (Picture Credit: IMDb)
What’s Good: Lundgren delivers a commendable performance, taking bold risks with his unsympathetic character. The film skillfully maximizes its modest budget, offering compelling action sequences and impactful dramatic moments. The practical stunt work and use of blood squibs add a nostalgic charm. Christina Villa shines as the surviving witness, and the supporting cast, including Kelsey Grammer and Michael Pare, delivers versatile performances.
What’s Bad: The plot lacks significant twists, and the finale falls short with a brief shootout and a predictable reveal. The micro-budget constraints are noticeable, impacting the overall experience. The villains’ entrance is predictable, and the generic storytelling might not fully captivate all audiences.
Loo Break: Given the film’s concise 82-minute runtime, taking...
Star Cast: Dolph Lundgren, Christina Villa, Kelsey Grammer
Director: Dolph Lundgren
Writers: Dolph Lundgren, Michael Worth, Hank Hugues
Wanted Man Movie Review Is Out! (Picture Credit: IMDb)
What’s Good: Lundgren delivers a commendable performance, taking bold risks with his unsympathetic character. The film skillfully maximizes its modest budget, offering compelling action sequences and impactful dramatic moments. The practical stunt work and use of blood squibs add a nostalgic charm. Christina Villa shines as the surviving witness, and the supporting cast, including Kelsey Grammer and Michael Pare, delivers versatile performances.
What’s Bad: The plot lacks significant twists, and the finale falls short with a brief shootout and a predictable reveal. The micro-budget constraints are noticeable, impacting the overall experience. The villains’ entrance is predictable, and the generic storytelling might not fully captivate all audiences.
Loo Break: Given the film’s concise 82-minute runtime, taking...
- 1/20/2024
- by Hari P N
- KoiMoi
Stars: Dolph Lundgren, Kelsey Grammer, Aaron McPherson, Michael Paré, Christina Villa, Daniela Soto-Brenner | Written by Dolph Lundgren, Hank Hugues, Michael Worth | Directed by Dolph Lundgren
The press release for Wanted Man describes writer/director/star Dolph Lundgren’s character like this, “Johansen is an ageing detective, whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem.” Those outdated methods include beating up a suspect while making what could be taken as racist remarks, all in full view of a news crew.
In case that isn’t enough to let us know what he thinks of his neighbours to the South, we get to see him hang out at a strip club with some buddies, including Brenner, Hilts and Tinelli trading comments about how disgusting Mexicans are. And to cap off the night, he has to be stopped from attacking another Mexican in the parking lot.
In light of this,...
The press release for Wanted Man describes writer/director/star Dolph Lundgren’s character like this, “Johansen is an ageing detective, whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem.” Those outdated methods include beating up a suspect while making what could be taken as racist remarks, all in full view of a news crew.
In case that isn’t enough to let us know what he thinks of his neighbours to the South, we get to see him hang out at a strip club with some buddies, including Brenner, Hilts and Tinelli trading comments about how disgusting Mexicans are. And to cap off the night, he has to be stopped from attacking another Mexican in the parking lot.
In light of this,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
Action icon Dolph Lundgren and Frasier himself Kelsey Grammer – who have actually worked together before, on The Expendables 3 – star in the upcoming action thriller Wanted Man, which is set to receive a theatrical, VOD, and digital release on January 19th. With that date just one month away, a trailer for Wanted Man has arrived online, and you can check it out in the embed above. A poster for the film has also been unveiled, and that can be found at the bottom of this article.
Lundgren also directed this film, working from a screenplay he wrote with Hank Hugues and Michael Worth. Here’s the synopsis: Johansen (Lundgren) is an aging detective, whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem. To save his job, he is sent to Mexico to extradite a female witness to the murders of two DEA agents. Once there, he finds...
Lundgren also directed this film, working from a screenplay he wrote with Hank Hugues and Michael Worth. Here’s the synopsis: Johansen (Lundgren) is an aging detective, whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem. To save his job, he is sent to Mexico to extradite a female witness to the murders of two DEA agents. Once there, he finds...
- 12/15/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
"If you wanna fight with the wolves, you gotta be a wolf." Sure, why not, that kind of makes sense? Quiver Distribution has revealed an official trailer for Wanted Man, the latest action thriller film directed by the legendary Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren. This isn't his first time directing - he's made a few other action films over the last 20 years, most of which have already been forgotten. This new film follows a police officer who must retrieve an eyewitness from Mexico and escort her across the border after a cartel shooting leaves several DEA agents dead, then he must decide who to trust when they discover that the attack was executed by American forces. Lundgren also stars as Detective Johansen, with a cast including Kelsey Grammer, Michael Paré, Christina Villa, Roger Cross, and Bourke Floyd. Not sure why exactly Lundgren feels like he needs to tell this story in this way,...
- 12/13/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: Quiver Distribution has picked up North American rights to the action thriller Wanted Man, co-written, directed by and starring Dolph Lundgren, for release in select theaters and on VOD on January 19, 2024.
Also starring Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) and Christina Villa (The Wedding in the Hamptons), the film centers on Johansen (Lundgren), an aging detective whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem. To save his job, he is sent to Mexico to extradite a female witness (Villa) to the murders of two DEA agents. Once there, he finds not only his old opinions challenged, but that bad guys on both sides of the border are now gunning for him and his witness.
Writing the script with Lundgren was Michael Worth (Killing Cupid). Producers included Craig Baumgarten (Universal Soldier), Lundgren and Emma Krokdal, as well as Jeffrey Greenstein and Jonathan Yunger of Millennium Media. Exec producers...
Also starring Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) and Christina Villa (The Wedding in the Hamptons), the film centers on Johansen (Lundgren), an aging detective whose outdated policing methods have given the department a recent public relations problem. To save his job, he is sent to Mexico to extradite a female witness (Villa) to the murders of two DEA agents. Once there, he finds not only his old opinions challenged, but that bad guys on both sides of the border are now gunning for him and his witness.
Writing the script with Lundgren was Michael Worth (Killing Cupid). Producers included Craig Baumgarten (Universal Soldier), Lundgren and Emma Krokdal, as well as Jeffrey Greenstein and Jonathan Yunger of Millennium Media. Exec producers...
- 11/29/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
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