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Some movies begin to slip from the memory as soon as the end credits roll. Others fade while actually viewing the movie, with each scene becoming increasingly harder to pay attention to. So it is with Blood of Redemption, a direct-to-video action flick so crushingly purposeless, it’s a challenge even following the by-the-numbers, cookie-cutter plot.
Dolph Lundren stars as Axel, an assistant and driver for the Forte crime family. The Forte patriarch, Serge (Robert Miano), is getting out of the business. His son Quinn (Billy Zane) is knee-deep in the organized crime world already, but his other son, Kurt (Gianni Capaldi), is an aspiring kickboxer. After Serge is gunned down, Axel gets caught up in a series of double and triple-crosses as he tries to figure out what’s really going on with Quinn and company. That element of confusion makes Axel at least somewhat sympathetic and relatable, because I could barely tell what was going on myself. Familiar tough guys Vinnie Jones and Robert Davi turn in uninspired supporting performances.
The action is awkwardly-staged and ineffectual (not to mention relatively sparse). The performances are uniformly uninteresting, with only the gorgeous Jelly Howie (as Axel’s girlfriend Loryn) sparking any real interest. She’s super sexy and gets naked a couple times (albeit briefly), which makes her all the more appealing in the role. Speaking of nudity, it should be mentioned that there’s a fair amount from some generic hotties in an after-hours club and a boudoir scene late in the film.
Entertainment One’s Blu-ray looks and sounds fine, with a serviceable, crisp 1080p presentation and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. Obviously the mix doesn’t pack the punch of a bigger budgeted film, but I doubt anyone will be left unsatisfied. As for special features, there’s a short EPK “making of” featurette. With all the other action movies out there, I’m not sure why anyone would choose this. But if you just can’t get enough Dolph Lundgren, maybe it’ll be worth a spin. Otherwise, avoid Blood of Redemption.
Dolph Lundren stars as Axel, an assistant and driver for the Forte crime family. The Forte patriarch, Serge (Robert Miano), is getting out of the business. His son Quinn (Billy Zane) is knee-deep in the organized crime world already, but his other son, Kurt (Gianni Capaldi), is an aspiring kickboxer. After Serge is gunned down, Axel gets caught up in a series of double and triple-crosses as he tries to figure out what’s really going on with Quinn and company. That element of confusion makes Axel at least somewhat sympathetic and relatable, because I could barely tell what was going on myself. Familiar tough guys Vinnie Jones and Robert Davi turn in uninspired supporting performances.
The action is awkwardly-staged and ineffectual (not to mention relatively sparse). The performances are uniformly uninteresting, with only the gorgeous Jelly Howie (as Axel’s girlfriend Loryn) sparking any real interest. She’s super sexy and gets naked a couple times (albeit briefly), which makes her all the more appealing in the role. Speaking of nudity, it should be mentioned that there’s a fair amount from some generic hotties in an after-hours club and a boudoir scene late in the film.
Entertainment One’s Blu-ray looks and sounds fine, with a serviceable, crisp 1080p presentation and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. Obviously the mix doesn’t pack the punch of a bigger budgeted film, but I doubt anyone will be left unsatisfied. As for special features, there’s a short EPK “making of” featurette. With all the other action movies out there, I’m not sure why anyone would choose this. But if you just can’t get enough Dolph Lundgren, maybe it’ll be worth a spin. Otherwise, avoid Blood of Redemption.
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