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Dolph Lundgren has directed seven films since 2000, building a significant collection of B-movie action films. However, his recent film set on the Mexican border, Castle Falls, is not as exciting. In fact, it portrays the Californian police force in a negative light, with the main character, Travis Johansen, being a racist officer who mistreats Latino citizens. Despite this, his boss assigns him to a diplomatic task to bring back two prostitutes who may hold important information about the murder of undercover DEA agents.
Everything goes wrong, and Johansen, injured in the stomach, has to recover with Rosa’s family. She is one of the people he is supposed to protect, but is now nervous about the ability of America’s best to keep her safe. Every time he tries to call his old friend Brynner, he is interrupted by more members of the cartel. Despite this, Johansen fails to realize or anticipate the obvious plot twist.
Lundgren showcases his directing talents with proficient use of atmosphere and action, incorporating breathtaking drone shots and intense gunfights. However, his performance as Johansen, who learns to empathize with the Mexican people, falls short. His deep, gravelly voice gives the impression he is speaking through a pipe, while his large head with gleaming teeth resembles a more intimidating version of Jean-Paul Belmondo. Grammer’s acting is not much better, and the seasoned actors are overshadowed by the spirited Villa and a noteworthy appearance from James Joseph Pulido as Johansen’s Mexican acquaintance.
It seems that Lundgren has limited flexibility in dealing with the content. The script, which has supposedly been in progress since 2006, reflects the cultural and racial beliefs of that time. Although an drama film portraying the transformation of a bigoted war veteran may have been made by Clint Eastwood, Lundgren only briefly explores or satirizes this character, which falls short even by action movie standards. At one point, he is handcuffed to a bed and made to watch TV with an elderly woman, and surprisingly becomes a critic for telenovelas. Perhaps Lundgren’s next project should be a film titled “Stop! or My Abuelita Will Shoot.”
Source: theguardian.com
