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Audience Member I have to admit I was more excited to see this film when I thought the title was what was displayed on my DVR "Dolph Lundgren is The Killing Machine." That made me hope that Dolph was playing himself in a self deprecating meta sort of way, like what Jean Claude Van Damme did in "JCVD." However, this is a fairly standard direct-to-video quality of action film, though even by that standard the production values seemed sub par. Dolph plays a Soviet Union trained hitman who's trying to leave "the life" but then pushed to his limited and forced to go on a killing spree. Dolph actually directed this film and after I looked up his IMDB page learned that he's directed a number of his action films of late. He does a respectable job behind the camera and makes good use of some of the locations, but I was surprised at how cheap this film looked. Not that I expect top quality out of this sort of direct-to-video type of action film, but this film seemed closer to ultra cheap Spanish language TV-movie levels of production values. However, Dolph is still a solid screen presence and manages to stop the film from being zero star. Bo Svenson, who I didn't realize was still around, also appears in the film. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The plot and the acting was weak and not very believable. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Well aware of the standard for direct to DVD Dolph Lundgren films, I went into The Killing Machine simply in hopes of some good action. Shot on a low budget of only $5 million, The Killing Machine is not afraid to show it. It never really feels like a film, and more like simply an extended episode of some television series. The cinematography is essentially the breaking point for this because the entire film is shots in a similar style used to film the CBS television series Person of Interest. For a film, The Killing Machine never really has the feel of one and comes off as seeming really cheap. But then again, considering the $5 million budget and direct to DVD status of the film, it is in fact a cheap production. The cinematography is what constantly reminds viewers of that because everything is captured in such a cheap fashion, and it makes the action refrain from being that exciting because everything is shot way too close up, as well as the fact that it is shaky at times and has some unbearable moments where it makes use of thoroughly poor quality cinematography. The Killing Machine was a film I watched simply in hope of some good action scenes, but that simply was not what it delivered and so it is likely to be very insufficient in pleasuring fans. The story in The Killing Machine is thoroughly generic. It has been told so many times in countless other films that by this point it is very tiring and considering the fact that this time the project is burdened by a low budget, there is little more than can be done with it. The plot is cheaply conceived and the script is weak as well, jam packed full of cliche dialogue and predictable plot turns which seem all the more ridiculous this time around and ensure that the film fails to separate itself from any other film of its formula. Usually, Direct to DVD Dolph Lundgren films can come off as a guilty pleasure due to having some level of fun in the film. But with The Killing Machine, there is none because Dolph Lundgren takes it way too seriously as director. The plot is weak. But Dolph Lundgren's insistence on taking everything so seriously is of no benefit to the film. The fact that The Killing Machine never realises its limitations or focuses on reaching its minimal potential is what defies it, because Dolph Lundgren takes it as too much of a legitimate project while failing to realise his limitations and the extent of his abilities. Dolph Lundgren had low ambitions when directing The Killing Machine, but I made the mistake of setting them the slightest bit high and so my disappointment in the film is all too clear to me. The Killing Machine is nothing but the cheap and boring film everyone expected it to be, and it never makes use of Dolph Lundgren's abilities such as his muscular physique or his physical fighting skills. It just puts a pistol in his had and says "shoot everybody with a suit" and there are few people dressed that way. Yet even then, the film fails to capture this well at all. In short, The Killing Machine has little action and what little it has is of poor quality, so it is a low budget failure. Dolph Lundgren's leading performance is short on killing, but feels like a machine because he is thoroughly artificial without a hint of humour which can be found in his better cheap fun films. The film is reliant on what he can bring to the part on the basis simply of his legacy and hopes his fan base will draw in the crowds. But his fan base is limited, and they would arguably consider this one of the much more inferior films he has done. Dolly Lundgren makes use of none of his strengths in The Killing Machine because his actor is short on any humour and guys directing is poor, but worst of all you never see him using his large stature as a weapon or intimidation tactic. He relies solely on his suit, his pistol and his weak attempt at a bad guy persona. His failure is all too clear and he brings no fun to the part, so Dolph Lundgren really does nothing to help The Killing Machine get off it's already insufficient feet. So The Killing Machine refuses to transcend the standard of low budget direct to DVD action films, and instead packs itself with too many cliche story elements, too little action and a lack of fun from the involvement of Dolph Lundgren. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Made with the technical savvy of a 12-year old. Putting Dolph Lundgren in any situation where he has to try to act or even speak full sentences is also a really bad idea. I'm pretty sure the movie was about 60 minutes long and blown up by another 30 through completely unnecessary slo-mo shots. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member One of Dolph Lundgrens greatest films, lots of graphic violence and not bad acting either. If he keeps on a path like this he will be right up there with JCVD etc. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member It looks good and has a competent storyline and actors but so many of the scenes lack any spark of originality. The self narration and trench-coats attempt to ape Sin-City or a 40's detective drama but are misplaced in a modern action flick. The worst crime is they waste diverse locations for action scenes, filled with useful objects an unarmed killer might use to defend himself, that our antihero totally fails to exploit until the end of each fight when he notices a handy object for a finishing move.. you scream at the screen "Pick something up for god sake: you are in a kitchen.. pick up a knife. You are in a garage, pick up a hammer or something!" Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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