The Killing Machine

Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Bo Svenson,

Synopsis:

Edward Genn (Lundgren) is leading a double life – most know him as a successful international salesman, divorced and living with a woman half his age. However Edward is an ex-KGB sleeper agent, now working as a hitman for the Russian mob in the US, using his business travels as a cover for the hits he is tasked with. When Edward takes on “one last job” before retirement, he finds himself betrayed and targeted by the people he was working for. Now he is in a race against time to save his ex-wife and daughter, and to confront his past once and for all.

Yet another film to suffer from a name change, this has been released elsewhere as Icarus. By any name, it’s a classy dtv thriller. Whilst the concept of a hitman being betrayed after his last job isn’t new by any means, here it is given a lift by the fact that Edward isn’t the usual loner or social outcast, and is as much concerned for the safety of his family as he is getting revenge.

The film starts with events that occur near the end of the film, with Edward in apparent dire straits, then flashes back as we are shown how he ended up in that predicament. There’s a little bit of voice-over work from Lundgren which I’m not a fan of, but it does give an insight into his mind-set. Dolph is one of those guys who seems to get more handsome with age, like George Clooney, and is excellent here, looking very suave in his expensive suit.

Lundgren is becoming a dab hand at directing – this is his 6th film behind the camera and he obviously manages to connect with his fellow actors as everybody gives decent performances. There are signs though that the film had gone through a number of rewrites due to budget constraints. This is most apparent in the motivation behind Edward’s betrayal, and some hastily put together flashbacks to Edward’s past as a KGB agent.

The action is very well handled throughout. Edward is portrayed as someone who uses his brain as much as his brawn, setting up decoys and distractions to get past guards on the way to a hit. There are a number of tense scenes such as Edward being ambushed at a roadblock and his wife and new lover being abducted by mobsters posing as police.

What drives the film, and what separates it from others of its type, is Edward’s relationship to his wife and daughter. His wife had no idea of his secret life and there are some great scenes as she comes to terms with it and realises that she still loves him despite it all.

There is a great little epilogue at the end of the film, leaving the door open for a sequel while at the same time adding a sense of realism to Edward and his family’s plight. It’s a great note to finish on, showing that every silver lining has a cloud.

Verdict:

Dolph Lundgren isn’t just a killing machine , he’s the director and star of a decent DTV thriller, which adds quite a bit of meat to the usual hitman plot.

7 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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