zardoz-13 Review of The Russian Specialist

The Russian Specialist (2005)

Tough, Gritty, Little B-Movie About Revenge and Abduction

[7/10 · 25 October 2010]

This standard-issue revenge, abduction thriller with rugged Dolph Lundgren in the lead is pretty sturdy stuff with lots of gunfire and gritty characters. Not only did Lundgren pen the story but he also staged the action and he's a rather capable action director based on the opening sequence that establishes him as a widower who loses both his son and wife in a deadly gunfight. "The Russian Specialist" is nothing but a B-movie with a menacing villain and surprise of surprises--Ben Cross playing a sympathetic good guy for a change. This is Dolph's second picture to helm and he does a good job keeping everybody straight and the action coherent. A tough former tank commander during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, Nick Cherenko wipes out most of the thugs that gunned down his wife and son and relocates illegally to Los Angeles. Seven years of quiet, peaceful living elapse and then he finds himself put in the awful position of having to return to mother Russia to rescue a kidnapped girl of a wealthy family from the slimy likes of the man who destroyed his family. Russian mobster Aleksandr 'Sasha' Popov (Ivan Petrushinov of "The Bride with the Most Beautiful Eyes") has abducted Julia Abramoff (newcomer Olivia Lee) and demands $5-million ransom. The catch is that the kidnapper is the same dastard that killed his family. Reluctantly, Nick leaves his job as a mechanic in L.A. to take care of this predicament. This low-budget but action-packed straight-to-video release is nothing sensational, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do: provide enough thrills and chills during its spare 94 minute running time to keep you engaged and cheering for the heroes.