Action films in the 80’s and 90’s had a certain magic to them. They didn’t need complex plots or huge budgets to be great. As long as you had a charismatic action hero, a memorable villain, some crazy violence and some great one-liners then you had a winner. Dark Angel (I Come in Peace) is a great example of this. It’s a great sci-fi action film from 1990 directed by Craig R. Baxley. It stars Dolph Lundgren as he takes on an alien drug dealer. What’s not to love?
Dolph Lundgren plays Jack Caine, a tough detective in Houston who is investigating a string of murders linked to a dangerous drug ring. However, things take a strange turn when he finds out the killer is not from round here. Talec (Matthias Hues) is a large alien who has come to earth to collect Endorphins from his victims. Caine teams up with FBI agent Larry Smith (Brian Benben) as they get involved with a deadly alien investigation involving deadly alien weapons, some ruthless criminals and plenty of explosions.
One of the main attractions to this film is Dolph Lundgren. He looks the part as an action hero with his dark hair which is similar to his look in The Punisher. But what makes him a joy to watch is how much personality he has. Caine is a tough detective who doesn’t care about the rules and Lundgren plays him perfectly. He also uses his martial arts skills throughout the film. In the beginning, there is a great fight scene in a convenience store where he lands a great roundhouse kick. I don’t see Lundgren use his kicking skills too much in his later films so it’s nice to see him use them here.
Another highlight is the chemistry between Lundgren and Brian Benben. Benben plays Larry Smith brilliantly. He adds lots of humour to the film. He doesn’t get overshadowed by Lundgren and plays well with him. Their personalities contrast well and provide a great buddy cop duo. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Smith. Benben brings lots of personality to the character. Their chemistry works so well and provides some great comedy moments.
Talec (Matthias Hues) is a great villain. He is even taller than Lundgren and has a very intimidating presence. His array of alien weapons make him very dangerous. The fact he can shoot razor sharp discs from his arm is hilarious but fits well with the sci-fi theme. There is also another alien chasing Talec, he’s an alien cop, which gives the film an interesting twist. Especially when he bites the dust.
The action in this film is great. There are some great shootouts, car chases, explosions and some great crazy alien fighting. Craig R. Baxley keeps the pace fast and provides some great practical action. I expect some greta things when I see Baxley attached to a project. Also, seeing Lundgren fight an alien makes me realise how great he could have been in a Predator movie. He has the presence of making all this Sci-fi, fighting aliens kinda gig on point and seeing him fight an alien hunter would have been amazing.
The final fight between Lundgren and Hues is a highlight. Seeing the two large actors fight is brilliant. It ends with a crazy over the top ending as Caine knocks his opponent into a metal spike. The famous line “I come in peace” is said by Talec and Caine replies with “And you go in pieces”. This is the kind of cheesy but brilliant one liner that made old school action films so memorable. I love this!
This film isn’t trying to do anything new with the action genre. It’s a simple buddy cop thriller with a crazy sci-fi twist. It has a great leading man, fun supporting cast and a memorable villain. It really brings back all the things I love about this era of action films. The practical effects, explosions and cheesy lines.
If you are a fan of Dolph Lundgren or old school sci-fi action then this is definitely worth watching. It’s a violent, crazy film that is full of entertainment. I’m giving this 4 solid stars as it shows sometimes all you need is Dolph Lundgren kicking alien ass.
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