Movie Review: Dark Angel (1990, Blu-ray)

Dolph Lundgren has had a really nice little resurgence over the past couple of years with much more high profile projects. He was in both The Expendables I and II (and slated to return for the third!), the action flick The Package and the surprisingly good Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning. There was  time following his performance as "Ivan Drago" in Rocky IV where the Swedish born actor seemed be in get some roles in some enjoyable action pictures. One of those movies was the 1990 Sci-fi / Horror / Action hybrid from director Craig Baxley titled Dark Angel.

Originally released in the states and on video under the title I Come in Peace, Scream Factory has the Director's Cut available now on Blu-ray with some cool extra features and a nice high-definition makeover to boot.

While trying to foil a big drug deal by the city’s biggest criminals, “The White Boys”, Jack Caine (Lundgren) loses his partner. During the bust, he gets distracted by a bunch of robbers shooting up a convenience store nearby.  Caine soon has another problem that becomes an equally bad issue for the White Boys – a giant drug-dealing alien killing machine (Mathias Hues, Executive Target). This alien not only steals heroin, he shoots innocent people in the head with the smack using a large need-like device.

The Feds soon become involved, following a massacre of several of the White Boys that also perished with Caine’s partner during the failed bust. Much to his dismay, Caine must allow an FBI Agent (Brian Benben, Dream On) not only take care of the White Boys, but the drug-addicted alien behemoth. These guys are a true odd couple but they are forced to get it done for the sake of the city…and the world.

The stunts and FX are very impressive, and the biggest reason Dark Angel works even with much of its derivative aspects. I loved seeing so many practical stunts, minus the CGI that were all over this movie. One particularly awesome and extremely dangerous stunt has our lead alien baddie (Hues) running across a garage stepping on cars that explode right after he leaps from each vehicle. If you take into account his size (6'8) and the fact that he looks like a gazelle running it's all the more impressive. Hues may not say too much (other than “I come in peace.”) but he may have one of the best performances in picture.

Dark Angel has a few extras on the disc. The best being a featurette where we get to hear some recollections from Baxley, Benben and Dolph Lundgren. I particularly found one of Dolph's stories quite interesting. In the opening sequence while Dolph's character is taking care of some robbers at a convenience store he clocks one of the robbers with a kick to the face. Apparently the actor missed his mark and received a genuine boot to the noggin. Dolph is an excellent martial artist so I can only imagine how much the guy's head ached. Along with that neat string of interviews we also get an original theatrical trailer to round out the supplements.

Of all the titles now in the growing Scream Factory catalog, Dark Angel is one that I think has been a little under the radar of some fans with so many of the better known titles getting more attention. Dark Angel is a fun flick that showcases some amazing stunts and assorted B-movie mayhem that's sure to please all admirers of "The Big Swede".