It’s quite easy for people to wrap movies of their youth up in nostalgia. My generation (late 20’s/early 30’s) continues to have an almost manic appreciation for the bombastic and over the top action movies of the 80’s, and will defend said movies accordingly. Whether they are bad or not, nostalgia clouds genuine judgment. I say all this to preface that, as a kid of the 80’s, somehow I completely missed Red Scorpion. Having seen it for the first time as a 31-year old with no sense of childhood attachment, I can honestly say that I loved every minute of it.
Red Scorpion tells the story of Lt. Nikolai Rachenko (Dolph Lundgren) who is sent on a mission in Africa to take down a local spiritual leader that has received a mass following and is on the verge of starting an uprising. His journey leads him to befriend his target’s closest confidant, Kallunda (Al White) and a foul mouthed American journalist Dewey Ferguson (a scene chewing M. Emmet Walsh). Although Kallunda trusts Nikolai, especially after Nikolai helps take out a bunch of his fellow Soviets, Nikolai is still following orders and, despite their new found friendships, is ready to take down his target.
What follows for Nikolai is a mixture of failure and shame that segues into rebirth and redemption. Nikolai is forced to rethink everything he knows and comes to the realization that he has been fighting on the wrong side. This culminates in a final showdown that is everything one could want out of an 80’s action film. Gun fights, explosions, lost limbs and a dashing hero trying to set things right.
Directed by Joseph Zitto (The Prowler, Missing in Action), Red Scorpion is genuinely quite good. Of course it follows many action movie tropes, but it does so with an ease that never feels forced or hurried. Zitto himself brings a visual flair to the film that most action films of the time were severally lacking. Throw in some minimal but damn impressive effects work from Tom Savini and you’ve got a wonderful package already.
What seals the deal, though, is Dolph Lundgren. Fresh off of Rocky IV and Masters of the Universe, Dolph took on this role that should have only helped increase his rising star in Hollywood. Despite his good lucks and brawn, you get the sense that there’s more to the guy than just the usual meat-headed antics and one-liners. There’s seriousness to a few moments in the film, and Lundgren nails it. It makes me wonder what he could have done with some non-action star work.
What makes Red Scorpion even more impressive to me is when you discover how it almost completely fell apart. At one point, the primary funding was cut, leaving cast and crew in Johannesberg for three months with no work. Since the film was shot in South Africa, breaking a boycott tied into the country’s practice of apartheid, Warner Bros. pulled out of distributing the film. It’s not only amazing that the film was able to be finished, but that a film that seemingly no one wanted anything to do with over twenty years ago now has an incredibly strong home release with all the love that it deserves.
High-Def Transfer
Taking Red Scorpion’s age and budget into account, I honestly wasn’t expecting much out of the transfer. I can honestly say that I was blown away. Synapse has given this release a 1080p transfer with a MPEG4 AVC encode and it looks phenomenal. Daytime scenes are almost crystal clear with strong bits of detail , especially in hair, clothes and the often rugged terrain. Colors look natural, save for an odd skin tone here or there looking a bit warm, but that could easily be the print itself and honestly adds to the setting of the film. Despite what some others have said, the film does have some grain intact throughout the entire film.
While not quite as mind blowing as the transfer, the audio for Red Scorpion remains quite impressive. With a DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, Synapse has made the most out of what the film has to offer. With as impressive as every explosion and shootout looks, the sound that goes with them is just as perfect, filling channels and really immersing the viewer. As stated, the film did have quite a modest budget, so there isn’t much movement throughout the surrounds, but dialogue remains crystal clear and focused.
Beyond the Feature
Not content to rest solely on a great visual and audio package, Synapse has pulled out all the stops to give Red Scorpion and incredible supplements package. There’s an excellent Audio Commentary with Director Joseph Zito and Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson, as well as two great interviews: ‘Assignment: Africa’ with producer Jack Abramoff and ‘Scorpion Tales’ with make-up effects guru Tom Savini. The true highlight of the supplemental package is ‘Hath No Fury – Dolph Lundgren and the Path to Red Scorpion.’ This 25-minute interview with Dolph tracks his meteoric rise in Hollywood and all the good and bad that comes with it. It is a captivatingly honest interview that any fan will want to see.
Below is a complete listing of all special features included:
Audio Commentary with Director Joseph Zito and Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson
Hath No Fury – Dolph Lundgren and the Path to Red Scorpion (HD, 25 min)
Assignment: Africa (HD, 13 min)
Scorpion Tales (HD, 10 min)
Behind the Scenes footage (HD, 10 min)
Animated Still Gallery (HD, 7 min)
Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2 min)
TV Spots (HD, 3 min)
Booklet with Liner Notes
Reversible Artwork
With so much going against Red Scorpion, it had no business even being finished, let alone being pretty damn great. The big 80’s action and explosions mixed with a keen cinematic eye and Lundgren’s performance really make this a cut above most of the standard fare from the era. Combine this solid film with an absolutely gorgeous transfer and sharp sound package, then load it up with a ton of worthwhile special features, and you’re left with another wonderful release from Synapse fit for any movie fans collection. Highly recommended!
Red Scorpion Blu-ray Review
Red Scorpion tells the story of Lt. Nikolai Rachenko (Dolph Lundgren) who is sent on a mission in Africa to take down a local spiritual leader that has received a mass following and is on the verge of starting an uprising. His journey leads him to befriend his target’s closest confidant, Kallunda (Al White) and a foul mouthed American journalist Dewey Ferguson (a scene chewing M. Emmet Walsh). Although Kallunda trusts Nikolai, especially after Nikolai helps take out a bunch of his fellow Soviets, Nikolai is still following orders and, despite their new found friendships, is ready to take down his target.
What follows for Nikolai is a mixture of failure and shame that segues into rebirth and redemption. Nikolai is forced to rethink everything he knows and comes to the realization that he has been fighting on the wrong side. This culminates in a final showdown that is everything one could want out of an 80’s action film. Gun fights, explosions, lost limbs and a dashing hero trying to set things right.
Directed by Joseph Zitto (The Prowler, Missing in Action), Red Scorpion is genuinely quite good. Of course it follows many action movie tropes, but it does so with an ease that never feels forced or hurried. Zitto himself brings a visual flair to the film that most action films of the time were severally lacking. Throw in some minimal but damn impressive effects work from Tom Savini and you’ve got a wonderful package already.
What seals the deal, though, is Dolph Lundgren. Fresh off of Rocky IV and Masters of the Universe, Dolph took on this role that should have only helped increase his rising star in Hollywood. Despite his good lucks and brawn, you get the sense that there’s more to the guy than just the usual meat-headed antics and one-liners. There’s seriousness to a few moments in the film, and Lundgren nails it. It makes me wonder what he could have done with some non-action star work.
What makes Red Scorpion even more impressive to me is when you discover how it almost completely fell apart. At one point, the primary funding was cut, leaving cast and crew in Johannesberg for three months with no work. Since the film was shot in South Africa, breaking a boycott tied into the country’s practice of apartheid, Warner Bros. pulled out of distributing the film. It’s not only amazing that the film was able to be finished, but that a film that seemingly no one wanted anything to do with over twenty years ago now has an incredibly strong home release with all the love that it deserves.
High-Def Transfer
Taking Red Scorpion’s age and budget into account, I honestly wasn’t expecting much out of the transfer. I can honestly say that I was blown away. Synapse has given this release a 1080p transfer with a MPEG4 AVC encode and it looks phenomenal. Daytime scenes are almost crystal clear with strong bits of detail , especially in hair, clothes and the often rugged terrain. Colors look natural, save for an odd skin tone here or there looking a bit warm, but that could easily be the print itself and honestly adds to the setting of the film. Despite what some others have said, the film does have some grain intact throughout the entire film.
While not quite as mind blowing as the transfer, the audio for Red Scorpion remains quite impressive. With a DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, Synapse has made the most out of what the film has to offer. With as impressive as every explosion and shootout looks, the sound that goes with them is just as perfect, filling channels and really immersing the viewer. As stated, the film did have quite a modest budget, so there isn’t much movement throughout the surrounds, but dialogue remains crystal clear and focused.
Beyond the Feature
Not content to rest solely on a great visual and audio package, Synapse has pulled out all the stops to give Red Scorpion and incredible supplements package. There’s an excellent Audio Commentary with Director Joseph Zito and Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson, as well as two great interviews: ‘Assignment: Africa’ with producer Jack Abramoff and ‘Scorpion Tales’ with make-up effects guru Tom Savini. The true highlight of the supplemental package is ‘Hath No Fury – Dolph Lundgren and the Path to Red Scorpion.’ This 25-minute interview with Dolph tracks his meteoric rise in Hollywood and all the good and bad that comes with it. It is a captivatingly honest interview that any fan will want to see.
Below is a complete listing of all special features included:
With so much going against Red Scorpion, it had no business even being finished, let alone being pretty damn great. The big 80’s action and explosions mixed with a keen cinematic eye and Lundgren’s performance really make this a cut above most of the standard fare from the era. Combine this solid film with an absolutely gorgeous transfer and sharp sound package, then load it up with a ton of worthwhile special features, and you’re left with another wonderful release from Synapse fit for any movie fans collection. Highly recommended!
– Matt Hardeman
Click here to shop for Red Scorpion on Blu-ray for a discounted price at Amazon.com (June 12, 2012 release date).
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