WANTED MAN (Dolph Lundgren, 2023)

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Re: WANTED MAN (Dolph Lundgren, 2023)

Postby savagesketch on 12 May 2024, 06:29

Tom wrote:I wasn't overly keen on this one to be honest. If it were anyone else but Dolph directing I think I'd have dug it a little more but I feel like there's no growth from him as a filmmaker by doing a project like this that's so generic.

Yeah, it's better than 95% of the DTV action out there.
But it felt too dated for me. A lot of the drama is quite clunky, particularly in showing the growth of a character who borders on alt-right at the beginning, has a couple of enchiladas in Mexico and is cured.

It's not Dolph's best performance. Just in terms of the human side and the co-star, I preferred Castle Falls. Missionary Man and Icarus are both technically more flawed I'd say, and further away from what D envisioned, but I felt they were a little more interesting in what they were aspiring to be.

It's watchable, but probably my least favourite Dolph directorial effort. It feels too much like wanting to compete in a high jump competition and setting the bar at 2ft high. Distributors sadly dictate what he's able to do, but I'd much prefer Nordic Light, even knowing that's unlikely to ever get greenlit unless he has to make it under Steve Luke-level limitations.

I'd be curious if Dolph had aspirations to do something a little different, rather than repeating the modern western or revenge angle. Maybe more hi-concept, or artistic or dramatic. Showdown at the Grand is the type of the thing I'd like to see more of.


Well-stated, Tom. Like you, I was also pretty disappointed in the final product. I think it was probably due to the fact that I had been hearing about this film and its development for the better part of a decade. I had spoken with Michael Worth a couple times, and he had mentioned that this had over ten different drafts and scripts floating around. So I think I built it up to be something much better than what it really was. But in the end, this suffered from the fact that it was overly generic. Once the credits started rolling, I sat back and wondered, "They spent ten years writing this?" Maybe if it at least kept the transgender witness story angle intact, then that would have been an extra ingredient to help this one stand out. But as is, there was absolutely nothing about this one to help it stand above any of the other dozens of similar films. On the plus side, Dolph's acting was really quite good, as was the actress who played the witness. But overall, I left with a bit of a shrug. Sadly, despite the film only a few months old, it's already become quite forgotten... A sad casualty of so much free streaming content available.
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Re: WANTED MAN (Dolph Lundgren, 2023)

Postby Jox on 18 May 2024, 12:18

savagesketch wrote:I had spoken with Michael Worth a couple times, and he had mentioned that this had over ten different drafts and scripts floating around. So I think I built it up to be something much better than what it really was. But in the end, this suffered from the fact that it was overly generic.

I guess what tends to happen when a project gets too many rewrites and revisions (as with some of the bigger Hollywood movies), in the end it hurts the film more than it helps it. In the case of WANTED MAN, my assumption is that it was not necessarily rewrites per say but going back and forth with some of the ideas (upon some of the producers request?), and it seems that indeed the shooting script ended up being less bold than previous iterations.

And regarding the final confrontation which seems a bit anticlimactic, it seems production issues prevented it from being as strong as it probably was originally...



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Re: WANTED MAN (Dolph Lundgren, 2023)

Postby Jox on 20 May 2024, 19:54

10 Best Movies to Watch on Streaming Right Now (May 2024)
https://screenrant.com/best-movies-streaming-right-now/
Wanted Man, directed by and starring Dolph Lundgren, presents a gritty action-packed narrative with a classic touch. Lundgren portrays Johansen, an aging detective whose traditional methods clash with modern policing, leading to a high-stakes mission in Mexico. Tasked with extraditing a key witness linked to a violent crime, Johansen finds himself embroiled in a dangerous cross-border confrontation that challenges his old-school ideologies and tests his resolve. While the film may tread familiar ground within the action genre, it offers a commendable effort from Lundgren, both behind and in front of the camera.

Lundgren's portrayal of Johansen combines a hard-edged toughness with a nuanced vulnerability, reflecting the character's internal struggle and evolution amidst chaos. Wanted Man delivers a series of well-choreographed action sequences and maintains a brisk pace that keeps the viewer engaged. Despite its straightforward plot, the film successfully captures the essence of classic action thrillers, providing a satisfying if uncomplex viewing experience for fans of the genre. It's a solid addition to Lundgren’s directorial efforts, showcasing his enduring appeal in action cinema.
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Re: WANTED MAN (Dolph Lundgren, 2023)

Postby JuV on 02 Jun 2024, 00:21

I'd honestly forgotten that I hadn't seen this yet. But I finally watched it (got added to Amazon Prime here this past week, and is actually on the front page!). And this wasn't really what I was expecting.

Dolph's direction was good, with a few decent action scenes and solid performances. But how the story handles its topics (like police brutality, cancel culture, immigration, etc) was laughably bad. And completely squandered the movie for me.

I'm happy for Dolph that he finally managed to get this film made. But I honestly have no interest in ever seeing this again. It's not a badly made movie at all (and probably of higher quality than most other titles that released last year), but this just wasn't it for me...
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Re: WANTED MAN (Dolph Lundgren, 2023)

Postby Jox on 16 Jun 2024, 10:14

Dolph will present WM next week at the Filming Italy Film Festival in Sardegna
https://www.today.it/gossip/vip/dolph-l ... padre.html
https://www.filmingitalysardegnafestival.it/en
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Re: WANTED MAN (Dolph Lundgren, 2023)

Postby Jox on 20 Jun 2024, 13:54

Brie Larson, Bo Derek, Katie Holmes Among Hollywood Stars Headed to Filming Italy Sardegna
https://variety.com/2024/film/news/brie ... 236039798/
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Re: WANTED MAN (Dolph Lundgren, 2023)

Postby Jox on 05 Aug 2024, 10:35

If Google Translate is correct, WM is number #1 on Swedish platform ViaPlay
https://www.filmtopp.se/nyhet/dolph-lun ... pa-viaplay
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Re: WANTED MAN (Dolph Lundgren, 2023)

Postby Jox on 25 Sep 2024, 18:14

I hear WM is now on Hulu for those who have access to it.
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Re: WANTED MAN (Dolph Lundgren, 2023)

Postby Jox on 22 Oct 2024, 17:34

TV spot

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Re: WANTED MAN (Dolph Lundgren, 2023)

Postby Dida on 23 Oct 2024, 14:34

The Dutch release was post poned till October 23. Just ordered my bluray.
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