Red Scorpion (1989)

Director:

Joseph Zito

Writers:

Jack Abramoff (story)
Robert Abramoff (story)

Release Date:

19 April 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Tagline:

He's a human killing machine. Taught to stalk. Trained to kill. Programmed to destroy. He's played by their rules... Until now.

Plot:

A Russian KGB agent is sent to Africa to kill an anti-Communist black revolutionary. However, he has...

Plot Keywords:

Russian | Agent | Tribe | Africa | Anti Communist

Cast

Dolph Lundgren	...	Lt. Nikolai Rachenko
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Dewey Ferguson
Al White	...	Kallunda Kintash
T.P. McKenna	...	General Vortek
Carmen Argenziano	...	Colonel Zayas
Alex Colon	...	Sgt. Mendez
Brion James	...	Krasnov
Ruben Nthodi	...	Ango Sundata
Vuzi Dibukwana	...	Guerilla Officer
James Mthoba	...	Guerilla Officer
Dinky Motsemme	...	Guerilla Officer
Ernest Ndhlovu	...	Guerilla Guard & Guerilla (as Ernest Ndlovu)
Thapelo Mofokeng	...	Guerilla (as Thapeld Mofokeng)
Mxolisi Hulana	...	Guerilla
Nicky Rebello	...	Occupation Officer (as Nicky Rebelo)

Also Known As:

Red Exterminator (Philippines: English title) (new title)

Runtime:

105 min | Germany:98 min (cut version)

Country:

South Africa | USA | Namibia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

West Germany:16 (heavily cut) | Germany:18 (DVD rating) (uncut) | West Germany:18 (cut) (video premiere) | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | France:U | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:NC-16 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Namibia

Company:

Abramoff Production

Trivia:

The film was shot in South Africa, thereby breaking an international boycott against the country for its practice of apartheid. At one point, funding for the film was pulled, leaving the cast and crew stuck in Johannesburg for three months while they waited for the film's budget to be reclaimed.

Quotes:

Colonel Zayas: [Menacing Nikolai with a grenade] This is such a small space... and this is such a very big grenade!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Resident Alien (1990)

Soundtrack:

Uyandibiza

this probably really was meant to be good but....

it was a good idea but everything was done poorly. Apart from the action scenes which is why it gets more than a one. But only barely. The story had no other surprises. The back of the video box basically told you the end, which i should have just read and then put the film good at the beginning, set in the dark explaining the mission. How ever after this it turns to bad. The acting is horribly bad, the American is the only person to deliver half decent lines. "I could kill for a bacon cheese burger" - that line was delivered classically. The action scenes after are good - until they start killing African villagers. Only Hollywood could imagine villagers having hugely armoured land rovers. The end battle is outstanding with the American again being the highlight. "son of a bitch!" after his car is hit was another classic line. all in all this is horrid but the occasional gun fight and car Chase and the American are highlights. but i would not recommend this film. Not one bit.