Pentathlon (1994)

This is below standard, even for a straight-to-video Dolph Lundgren flick. PENTATHLON is an action thriller which offers up very little in the way of action - a couple of fights, a few chases, and of course the explosive finale aside - but instead seems to be some kind of "human drama". Long sequences show Lundgren training with his new boss, played by Roger E. Mosley. Now while I appreciate the introduction of a little bit of characterisation into a film - something so often lacking with these kind of flicks - this stuff takes up a full half an hour before we get back to the plot again. The film doesn't seem to know what it wants to be, and by introducing lame action scenes it just doesn't cut it. Perhaps if they had got rid of the action altogether and concentrated on the human relationships then it would have been easier to watch.Now, on the good side, at least the plot is fairly original and not just another DIE HARD clone - that counts for something. On the bad side we have Lundgren giving what has to be one of his worst, most wooden performances as the German athlete, failing to instil his character with any kind of respect or appreciation from the viewer. He's just wooden and blank. On to the other extreme, with a hammy David Soul playing a Neo Nazi with a terrible accent - this was the kind of stuff which helped to kill of Soul's "career", something which had been dwindling since the '70s. To be fair, his extremely amusing performance is one thing which makes this movie easier to watch. It always makes me laugh, the way that producers of these films manage to team up current actors with some old has-been from the '70s. Aside from these two, there's a likable turn from Mosley and an instantly forgettable role for the love interest, played by a bland Renee Coleman.Now, while the human side of the story may be okay and unexpected, this film has a big problem with pacing. Nothing much happens for an hour or so only to have the final showdown taking place in the space of 15 minutes - and feeling extremely rushed as a result of this. While the fight scenes are okay, the actual violence itself is very boring and predictable, with a couple of people getting shot in the chest and that's it. PENTATHLON gets a star each for the film and Dolph Lundgren, and an extra star for watching David Soul chew the scenery time after time.

A fun and very entertaining sports / action film that's truly underrated! Dolph Lundgren - star of a whole bunch of epic actioners from THE EXPENDABLES to RED SCORPION - is on fine performance as this Pentathlon player. Is there nothing this man can't do?! What we have here is a slightly different Lundgren vehicle - it's less about shooting up baddies and more about competing...with Nazis, naturally. Instead what we get is Dolph film in which his character is not only a powerful and strong bad-ass, but sensitive and very funny at time. PENTATHLON is a mighty fine sports film which is perfect for the Olympics fever that's spreading around with the build up to the 2012 event.Acting along side Dolphy is the brilliant Mr David Soul (from SALEM'S LOT, STARSKY AND HUTCH and the hilariously offensive JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA). His performance is equally great, in which he plays a cold, evil Nazi hell bent on winning at any cost. And I mean ANY cost! PENTATHLON is a fantastic film for any and every action and sports fan. The perfect piece of entertainment for the Olympics build-up too. The new Anchor Bay Blu-ray is presented in glorious high-def, this release is the best you'll ever see it!

How damned stupid could people be, to constitute Germans like in this movie. The Nazis and all Neonazis (not just in Germany) have nothing in common with the Stasi and the DDR. Its kind of an opposite! Do not watch this movie, it just crap and it tells you just crap. Maby Dolph Lundgren is the best thing in this movie and that means a lot! The story is so thin, you can watch trough it after the five minutes. The whole movie is pure waste of time. It's not even funny, like b-movies. Excepting the Nazi terrorists that come up with a rocket to shoot the German ambassador. By the way, David Drummond has the role of the German guy Hundt. Correctly it's spelled Hund and means dog.

****SPOILERS**** Insane movie about big time East German Olympic Gold Medal winner Eric Brogar, Dolph Lundgren, defecting to the west. This was after Eric took all the muck and insults that he could handle from his crazed and obnoxious coach Mueller, David Soul, but finds out that the free world is not what he thought it was. Ending up at a greasy spoon in L.A as a short order cook Eric is very unhappy with his life until his boss Creese, Roger E. Molsey, checking in on Eric, one afternoon.Creese finds a load of newspaper clippings as well as his gold medal and gets the bright idea of having Eric train for the next Olympics. Trying to be a "Rocky" clone the movie fails miserably since Lundgren is so powerful and intimidating in every scene that he's in, as well as him being a former Olympic Gold Medal winner, when he's competing that you feel more sympathy for his opponents then for him. Meanwhile back in East Germany with the communist government out of business Mueller forms a new Neo-Nazi organization to take over the country and bring back the "Good old Days" of German glory. Mueller now has other ideas on his former "friend" and fellow German Eric Brogar. Mueller also didn't forget Eric's betrayal and took time to pay his father Rodolph, Erik Holland, a visit and gave him a hard and strenuous workout that ends up killing him. Eric finds love with his American girlfriend Julia, Renee Coleman, and is starting to get into shape for the Olympics when Mueller shows up in town to start an American chapter of his new Neo-Nazi organization. After failing to take out Eric who ended up hammering a number of Mueller's brown shirts Mueller has his gang storm Julia's home. With a couple of his Aryan Supermen Mueller beat the living hell out of Julia's 70 or so year-old father and shoot Creese who came over to have lunch. Eric who came over later is beaten up and taken hostage by Mueller's goons who plan to blow up a German government "Never Again" rally that is against Mueller's Neo-Nazi party. Mueller is so crazy that he holds off the fireworks until he has a tape of him played on live TV. It's on the tape where he brags about his great ideas for the future of Germany and the world. This gives Eric enough time to escape and stop Mueller and his gang from doing any damage. With the help of the local police Eric finishes off Mueller's Nazi followers. Off-the-wall ending with Mueller getting blasted by Eric some time later when he tries to shoot him at a sporting event, where else, when the alert Julia spots Mueller and knocks the gun out of his hand. Dopey movie with a very predictable plot and with big bad Dolph Lundgren given a little more meat in his role as the hero with some comedy and sensitive, as well as the usual action, scenes. You have to give the Academy Award to David Soul in one of the most insane as well as overblown and ham acting parts of his career. Soul made you realize why Hitler lost the Second World War. Proving what the saying "With friends like him you don't need enemies" really means.