FORMAT: DVD
Dolph Lundgren stars as a trucker wrongly accused of murder who takes off to the desert with a hostage (Kristian Alfonso) in tow. George Segal is the detective hunting him. Of course, we all know Dolph is innocent. Of course, we all know Segal is the one responsible. Of course, we all know Dolph is gonna make Segal and all the other crooked cops pay.
Army of One is your standard issue Wrongly Accused Man on the Run actioner that at least benefits from some decent desert location work and a solid supporting cast. Days of our Lives’ Alfonso is good as Dolph’s more than capable hostage. She also has shower and sex scenes but used a body double (porn star Crystal Breeze). Poor Dawn of the Dead’s Ken Foree doesn’t even make it past the five-minute mark as Dolph’s ill-fated friend. The Mamas and the Papas’ Michelle Phillips is pretty amusing as Segal’s shotgun toting wife, and Bert Remson and Geoffrey Lewis also show up playing crusty old sumbitches.
Directed by longtime stuntman Vic Armstrong, Army of One is formulaic and is never quite able to rise above its generic trappings. It also could’ve stood to be trimmed down as the one-hundred-and-six-minute running time doesn’t do it any favors. The film is also a little light on action in the first half, but the slow-mo packed, blood squib-heavy shootout in a chop shop is a winner. (The DVD I watched is the Unrated Version, which contains more blood and a slightly different ending.) I just wish the rest of the movie had that same kind of flair.
The presence of Dolph alone is enough to keep you invested. He gives a solid performance and although the picture isn’t exactly his best, it’s well suited to his strengths. I’d say the film gives you about what you’d expect. Maybe more. Maybe less, depending on what your expectations are for a Dolph Lundgren actioner.
AKA: Joshua Tree. AKA: Forced Vengeance.
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