AMBUSHED (Giorgio Serafini, 2013)

[Tom]

So I've now seen the film. As expected it looks like it's been filmed very quickly. It doesn't look to bad actually, much slicker than in the (poor) trailer.
As you'd also expect, Dolph is more of a secondary character, as are all of the "established" cast. The lead in the film is Daniel Bonjour as a young drug pusher who wants to earn enough to get out of the game early. Gianni Capaldi plays his best friend and partner in the film.
Now my major gripe with this film, and a lot of DTV star vehicles these days, is the fact that we want to see a Dolph movie (or Randy, or Vinnie). The screen time rests largely on Bonjour and Capaldi, they're the protagonists who drive the plot. The trouble is they're not interesting and they're not likeable. In fact they're a bit annoying, particularly Capaldi.
Obviously we know the shoot was quick and Dolph, Randy and Vinny weren't there much. What this means is that they kind of just appear. They don't get much character development.

Dolph is decent, but he doesn't have much of a character to work with. He's kind of a straight down the middle cop. Actually in a strange kind of way when you watch this film you could almost think of it as a sequel to Direct Action. Seriously. That's how I look at it. It's Frank Gannon on his latest case. Dolph's kind of playing Gannon over again.

Vinnie plays Vinnie as usual and does it well, but the movie kind of ends abruptly and doesn't really bring to a close his part of the story.

Randy gives his best performance yet. He's kind of Van Damme in Until Death-Lite. He's got the best character in the film, but again, like Dolph and like Vinnie, there's not enough screentime given to him, nor enough development. We never get any depth to his character.

This looks nice. It's shot on Red so it looks very crisp and unlike some Digital cams, it looks a little closer to film. They've actually bothered lighting it too which helps. The action is okay, but there's not all that much. The major problem is that it's clear all the fight scenes were a little rushed.

This is better than Stash House, but not up to the level of Chamber or Package. Given the shooting schedule though it's efficiently made, but it just makes you long for more of Dolph, Randy and Vinnie. Blood Of Redemption should be better. It looks more interesting, Dolphs character appears a little more interesting too.

[Tom]

Oh and whether this is the case for the DVD, I'm pretty sure my screener DVD was 1.85, and not 2.35 as it was shot.

[Jox]

The trouble is they're not interesting and they're not likeable. In fact they're a bit annoying, particularly Capaldi.

Hummm I was expecting this, Capaldi is one of the main co-producers, must be wealthy enough to invest and give himself a starring role, or else he probably would not have had these parts in the three Serafini projects (with BOR and CERTAIN JUSTICE) in which we'll have to suffer him each time... If only these were real gems of indie thrillers but they don't seem to be. OK now it's time for some real projects, bring on A MAN WILL RISE, EXPENDABLES 3 and SKIN TRADE!

[Tom]

The trouble is they're not interesting and they're not likeable. In fact they're a bit annoying, particularly Capaldi.

Hummm I was expecting this, Capaldi is one of the main co-producers, must be wealthy enough to invest and give himself a starring role, or else he probably would not have had these parts in the three Serafini projects (with BOR and CERTAIN JUSTICE) in which we'll have to suffer him each time... If only these were real gems of indie thrillers but they don't seem to be. OK now it's time for some real projects, bring on A MAN WILL RISE, EXPENDABLES 3 and SKIN TRADE!

Yeah I've enjoyed Dolph bringing out a film every few months and doing a range of roles, but these kind of quickly made action movies are getting a bit tiresome now. Voltage pictures is a pretty weak studio IMO. I mean had he done a few more Millenium/Nu Image films in recent times (aside from Expendables) it may have been better.
Battle Of The Damned and Legendary seem at least like more interesting choices, though it would seem with BOTD that it'll be one of the lowest budgets Dolph's probably worked on.

I'm looking forward to Saf3 because it'll be interesting to see D on a TV series and the budget is reasonable too.

But yeah, from this point on I'd like to see him doing more interesting and personal projects. Quick paycheque jobs like he's done a lot of in the last couple of years aren't as interesting. Skin Trade followed by Nordic light would be good, with a few more like Man Will Rise in between.

[Jox]

Oh and whether this is the case for the DVD, I'm pretty sure my screener DVD was 1.85, and not 2.35 as it was shot.

It seems the same will happen with BOR according to the latest trailer...

[Nathan]

Can't say I'm massively surprised by your review Tom, at least you are honest though - you know there is no fooling us DTV afficionados!
That said, I didn't see much of Dolph in the trailer but I didn't expect him to play second fiddle. I guess it must be like Seagal in Maximum Conviction. DTV movies are getting much worse in general and I have little hope for this "sub-genre" for the future. I keep thinking that after Dolph's bigger projects his career will be revitalised a little and he wouldn't have to do stuff like Rush, but the only way that would happen is if Dolph was in charge of all his own projects. That would ensure consistent quality. Just a pipe dream though!

[Jox]

I keep thinking that after Dolph's bigger projects his career will be revitalised a little and he wouldn't have to do stuff like Rush, but the only way that would happen is if Dolph was in charge of all his own projects. That would ensure consistent quality. Just a pipe dream though!

What got in the way too was his divorce which he still seems to be paying for and why he took these roles. Thankfully next year he'll make himself available to take on projects that matter to him.

[Mosquito]

DTV movies are getting much worse in general and I have little hope for this "sub-genre" for the future.

We just shouldn't rent or buy this stuff or even grace it with a download. It's the only way to stop them. And we should pay for the good stuff. Only if they make money they will continue. That said I will not watch this movie. Seems like wasted time to me.

[Nathan]

It's a lose/lose situation M, if we don't buy or watch then they either stop making them completely or decrease the budgets/shooting time even more, and if we do buy them, they think that we are tolerating the crap and everything remains in status quo, or ultimately they decrease the budget anyway because if they can increase the profit margin and people will still buy it then, why the hell not basically.

[Jox]

Well right now illegal downloads are deciding for us so you don't need to boycott (which would be calling for more crap IMO), sales are declining, budgets and schedules limited, and TV offers seem more interesting to both Dolph (who was never really appealed by doing a TV series before) and JCVD so that means something...

[Mosquito]

Well but if we put our money into the better stuff they hopefully will make more. I've watched EX 1 twice on the big screen and then bought the Bluray. I used to buy every Dolph movie no matter how bad it was (even The Last Patrol!) but I will not buy shitty movies with five minutes of Dolph.

[Jox]

Well right now BATTLE OF THE DAMNED needs everybody's "financial" support! Buy it or VOD it whenever it gets released in your country.

[savagesketch]

Well but if we put our money into the better stuff they hopefully will make more. I've watched EX 1 twice on the big screen and then bought the Bluray. I used to buy every Dolph movie no matter how bad it was (even The Last Patrol!) but I will not buy shitty movies with five minutes of Dolph.

I used to be the same way and would buy whatever it was he starred in the day of its release... I have THE LAST PATROL and AGENT RED in my collection, which sadly, were purchased the day of release out of excitement. Unfortunately, now with his busy schedule, I've become a little more selective. While I did purchase US: DOR, I bypassed STASH HOUSE and SMALL APARTMENTS. I should have bypassed INOTK 2, but didn't... Sadly, while I'll give both BLOOD OF REDEMPTION and AMBUSHED a watch, I don't think I'll be purchasing them blindly like I've done in year's past. While I consider myself a Dolph film completist, it's not worth it on some his more recent titles...

[Tom]

There's a chance I might get a review quote on the UK cover.

[Jox]

There's a chance I might get a review quote on the UK cover.

Depends what you said in your review, not sure the above will get you a quote to sell the movie.

I see the title has been added (as AMBUSHED) to Anchor Bay's US website so they might release it before BATTLE OF THE DAMNED (which I don't get, why hold the oldest and best title of the two to push the less commercial?!)...
http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com/d ... ae527c3b65