Dark Angel [Blu-ray]

This movie was always hard to find, and so it has a sort of mythological status to this day. I still remember clearly one of the other weird kids on the bus telling me about it in detail. I still haven't seen Dolph's Punisher movie...Scream Factory (Shout's sublabel I guess) did a good job on this release. The cover art is nicely arranged. There's an interview feature with Dolph, director Craig Baxley, and actor Brian Benben. Commentary would be cool, but this is basically all I need from a Blu-ray release. Sound is decent with 5.1 and 2 channel options. Picture quality is fine. Light-years better than my unwatchable laserdisc copy!

This is definitely a movie that was made for fans of cheesey B action movies. The acting is pretty bad, and there is no chemistry between the actors. But that's what fans like me are looking for. It is, however, very entertaining. You will find yourself getting sucked into this film and laughing thru out it. The "alien" dude is so great, and only says one line repeatedly thru out the movie. It is not very gory, but when the "alien" kills people and steals their serotonin(or whatever he is getting), it can get a little gory. But it is awesome to watch. I am a big fan of gore, so I would of liked a little more. Dolph Lundgren is so robotic with his acting, but he can give a beatdown baby. It's a must own only for fans of corny B movies. You know who you are. I love it.

I Come In Peace (released in foreign territories as Dark Angel) is a really fun 1990 sci-fi/action flick and it fits in quite nicely with other similar themed movies from that era like The Terminator and The Hidden. Maverick cop Jack Caine (Dolph Lundgren) is having a really bad day. While on stakeout to bust drug lord Victor Manning (Day Of The Dead‘s Howard Sherman) he is distracted by a liquor store robbery and it not only costs his undercover partner his life but, allows a third party to come in and steal the heroin that the drug dealers just stole themselves from federal evidence storage. Federal involvement gets Caine a new straight-arrow FBI agent for a partner (Brian Benben) and his investigation has a few too many mysteries for his liking. Worse still, this mysterious thief is using the heroin to kill and as Caine and Agent Smith continue to clash, the evidence starts to point to the possibility that there is something otherworldly going on here. Soon Caine and Smith find that not only are they targeted by Manning’s people, who think Caine has their dope but, they are caught in the middle of a battle between an alien drug dealer (Matthias Hues)… who is here to harvest human endorphins manufactured by injecting folks with the stolen heroin… and an alien cop (Jay Bilas) trying to stop him. Warring aliens, vengeful drug dealers, an uncooperative partner and an angry girlfriend (Betsy Brantley)… is there anyway Caine can get out of this alive? Under the guidance of former stunt coordinator and stuntman Craig R. Baxley, getting the answer to that question is a lot of fun. I Come In Peace is a very fast paced flick with numerous action scenes that are well staged and shot, nothing groundbreaking but, very effective and energetic. The science fiction aspects of the story are kept fairly grounded so the flick never gets too fantastic to lose our suspension of disbelief. And one of the reasons we go along with it is that Baxley takes the subject matter just serious enough to not make a joke out of it but, the tone is light enough so we have some fun… and he serves up enough of the action to keep us from thinking about things too much, just in case. He gets good work out of his cast. This is still one of Lundgren’s best and most relaxed roles. He seems to be having a good time and works well with Brian Benben as they clash and then slowly learn to trust each other and bond. David Ackroyd is appropriately slimy as Smith’s double crossing FBI boss Switzer and Betsy Brantley is cute and feisty as Caine’s coroner girlfriend. As the aliens, Matthius Hues is quite formidable and has a dangerous presence as the drug dealer who seems to say very little but, the title phrase and Jay Bilas is equally formidable yet, in his brief dialog scene comes across as an honorable alien lawman. Both aliens wisely have minimal make-up so their personalities come through without being buried in prosthetics. The Houston locations give the film a unique look as most flicks like this are set in L.A. or NYC and the FX, stunts and overall production value look good on a modest budget especially when presenting the carnage caused by the various alien weaponry. And the film is refreshingly CGI free. I Come In Peace has a cult following and it deserves it. It may not have gotten as much attention as some other similar flicks from the 80s… and while the movie was released in 1990 it is still so 80s with the hair, clothes and Jan Hammers electronic score… but, it is a really entertaining, fast moving, action packed flick that is just a good 90 minutes of escapist entertainment. Sure it has it’s flaws but, it doesn’t try to be anything more then it is and is very efficient at what it does. Baxley followed this up with the equally entertaining action flick Stone Cold with Brian Bosworth and Lance Henriksen. I Come In Peace would make a nice third feature along with a viewing of The Terminator and The Hidden!

Dolph is his usual self in this. If you're expecting some roundhouse kicks and some usual stunt work from him then you will find that and then some. His interview on the disc was very telling how he admits getting cast for these films before he knew what in the world he was doing. He literally took one acting class and was hired out of college where he was a biological scientist of some sort. So acting was really not supposed to be his calling.The stories plot is based around an alien who comes to earth with some bizarre cd shooting device. Ok they say it isn't cd's but clearly they are and they bounce around your surround sound and he brings a smile to your face when he announces "I come in peace". Which by the way, makes no sense. Lol. But, he comes here to harness our endorphins from us overdosing on heroin which is apparently a street drug in his world. The plot moves along well and there's nothing here surprising. It is a typical early 90's action film with a hero who seems to conquer a being that is unstoppable. They actually got two guys that are about 6'8" to play the aliens. Which makes the fights seem more even. The movie is for die hard people that enjoyed ridiculous movies like Ninja 3 from shout factory. This does however seem less comical. This is definitely more attempting seriousness although failing. Dolph does what he can with his acting chops but he was never known for being great. So why give the movie four stars? Cheese. Pure early 90's terminator rip offs kind of are my thing. I watched all the extras. Dolph still is great and honest about his acting realizing he isn't very good at it. But let's face facts. If you're reading this review you must have an interest here. This is a great group watch if you have movie night at your house like me. I am disabled and these films I buy maybe one a month to make me laugh and provide entertainment. If there were more Dolph roundhouse kicks I would have given it a five star rating. But as it stands four is a solid rating for this baby. Check it out if you liked the terminator, Rambo or the expendables movies. You'll enjoy it!

Dark Angel (I Come In Peace).Genre: Sci-Fi/Action.Certificate: 18/R.Running Time 87 Minutes.Pointless Trivia.1) The movie has also been retitled "I Come in Peace" for the U.S. market, where it was released last.2) A rewrite of the script was penned by writer/director David Koepp.3) Matthias Hues, who played the film's alien bad guy, performed all of his own stunts because there were no doubles who could match his size (Hues is 6-ft-5).4) The project was initially titled "Lethal Contact" Synopsis.Jack Caine is a Houston vice cop who's forgotten the rule book. His self-appointed mission is to stop the drugs trade & the number one supplier Victor Manning. Whilst involved in an undercover operation to entrap Manning, his partner gets killed & a sinister newcomer enters the scene...Reluctantly partnered with F.B.I. agent Lawrence Smith, the two investigate a spate of mysterious deaths; normal non-junkies dying of massive heroin overdoses which bearing the same horrific puncture marks on the forehead. This, coupled with Caine's own evidence, indicates an alien force is present on the streets of Houston, killing & gathering stocks of a rare drug found only in the human brain...Caine is used to fighting the toughest of criminals, but up to now they've all been human...Timelord Thoughts.Dolph Lundgren fighting a 6-ft-5 alien drug dealer who uses razor disc projectiles weapons & a canon which emits emence firepower who's going around Houston killing people for a rare drug found in the human brain, hell yeah I'm sold.'Dark Angel' or as it titled in US (I Come In Peace) is a awesome 90's sci-fi action flick that delivers plenty of explosive entertainment, this is your typical switch your brain off & go with it type of action flick which packs a lot into 87 minutes & features some amazingly polished R' rated action sequences by director Craig R.Baxley (Stone Cold, Action Jackson) despite it's small 3 million dollar budget the actions done old school by using practical effects which make the sequences featuring razor sharp projectiles look very impressive, Baxley paces action with character building while peppering in some hilarious moments of humour that eventually climaxes with a brilliant car chase & final fight between Caine & Talec.Dolph Lundgren is perfectly cast as Jack Caine who adds humour & charm to the character who teamed up reluctantly with FBI agent Smith (Brian Benben on smarmy form) who he shares a uneasy chemistry with while trying patch up his fractured relationship with on/off girlfriend Diane (Betsy Brantley) who is the coroner on this particular case, however it's Matthias Hues as Talec, the extraterrestrial drug dealer who steals the show & gives a menacing performance towering head & shoulders above Caine, whether Talecs killing humans for the drug, blowing stuff up with his explosive canon or unleashing his deflecting razor sharp discs which seek out there victim, Hues speaks very little dialogue ("I come in peace" is about your lot) but his physical actions speak volumes with his inhuman strength, towering size & intimidating presence make for a excellent advisory.The movies never dull & the plot moves along at a brisk enough pace setting up the story & character arcs,, yeah it's predictable fare but enjoyable, however that's not to say the films not without fault (it is) I felt very short changed that the story arc with drug boss Victor Manning (Sherman Howard) was left unresolved especially as Manning had Caines friend & partner Detective Ray Turner killed during a sting operation, the ending implies Caines going to catch up with Manning but surely his inclusion could've been added to the climatic third act & shown Caine find & kill him.Overall 'Dark Angel' is a fun packed bonkers but entertaining sci-fi action flick that's a Friday night beer & pizza switch your brain off type of movie, yeah it's utterly preposterous nonsense & the plots completely far fetched if you try to over analyse it but any movie were a alien drug dealer says "I come in peace" & Dolphs reply is "And you go in pieces" is surely a must watch movie.

This is a classic Dolph Lundgren movie, from 1990. Released in the UK as "Dark Angel", it was issued elsewhere as "I Come In Peace". I ordered the Blu-ray (US import) of this film, having not watched it in many years. The Blu-ray has fantastic picture quality - but, unfortunately, it only works on region 1 players.The film concerns an alien - who, in most respects, looks human (aside from his all-white eyes) - who has come to Earth to prey on humans ... he injects people with narcotics, creating a drug-induced state, and then proceeds to suck-out of his victims a chemical substance which - off in outer-space - is worth a fortune!A good alien comes along, to try and stop the villain. But the evil alien is too much for him ... so in steps Dolph Lundgren, a cop, to sort things out. With his own brand of humour and fighting skills, Lundgren saves the day!This is a cheesy sci-fi action film. The special effects are almost non-existent. But it's nonetheless a great deal of fun. I'm not sure if you had to be there, back in 1990, to appreciate the qualities of this movie ... but I'm sure it helps. Recommend if you're a fan of this sort of action flick.

Having already starred in a couple of cult action flicks, 'Red Scorpion' and 'The Punisher', big Dolph had joined the ranks of Seagal and Van Damme as a low budget action movie star and video rental favourite. 1990's 'Dark Angel' pretty much confirmed Lundgren's status and remains one of his most memorable efforts. In fact, I remember being at secondary school when this film came out for VHS rental and you were in danger of being socially ostracised if you hadn't seen it. It was a must see B-movie flick.This movie typifies it's time; a rugged, chisel-jawed hero, a token gesture love-interest, suit wearing yuppies with big hair, a jobsworth FBI agent, plenty of explosions and cheesy dialogue. What 'Dark Angel' throws into this standard mix is a drug dealing alien being chased by an alien cop, neat gadgets, a mainly night-time setting and a synth-driven Jan Hammer score. It makes for perfect Friday night, beer and pizza entertainment.What I like about the film is its pacing. It never lets up; so much so that the viewer doesn't have time to pick holes in the plot or the absurdity of it all. Dolph also gives his best performance to that point and works well with Brian Benben's sidekick character. He looks great and handles the action perfectly. It's also quite surprising that haircuts notwithstanding, the movie has aged quite well.If you're looking for an academy award winner, steer clear. However, if you want to put your brain in neutral and have a great time with a slick, tightly directed early nineties sci-fi action romp, with a big, buff action hero, look no further than 'Dark Angel'. It's great.

Enjoyable sci-fi/action flick from 1990 starring Dolph Lundgren. A rather human-looking extraterrestrial is killing off city folk with drug overdoses, and it's up to super cop Dolph (and his sidekick) to investigate. The aliens just aren't alien enough, I.E. Those contact lenses aren't fooling anyone, but this is a well written genre flick and here Lundgren almost has the material to match his abilities. As a movie star he had everything, but this was his first truly good movie since Rocky 4. It's not in the same league as say Predator, but I wasn't surprised to learn that hollywood's number 1 script writer David Keopp was behind this (albeit using the pseudonym Leonard Mass), as the writing is well above the usual for this type of fair. The film was called 'I Come in Peace' in the US, personally I don't like either title.

This is a classic Dolph Lundgren movie from 1990, a great action/sci-fi, the story is crazy but you could get away with anything in the 80's, an alien from another planet comes to earth and starts killing drug dealers or just anyone who has grade A drugs then using them to kill other people to drain another drug only found in human brains, meanwhile like terminator a good alien law enforcer is sent to stop him, even though we don't see much of his character in screen time, the cast is pretty decent all round, Lundgren is a cool action lead as always, Matthias Hues (martial arts champion)plays the villain very well, there is plenty of action in the form of old-school fights and explosions and car chases all good old fashioned practical effects too, if your a Lundgren fan its a must have of course.UK DVD has a decent picture quality, No features, 88-mins, 1990.Import Blu-ray is region A locked.