Blackjack (1998) (TV)

Director:

John Woo

Writer (WGA):

Peter Lance (written by)

Release Date:

12 May 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

He's just been dealt... a deadly hand.

Plot:

Dolph Lundgren plays Jack Devlin, a U.S Marshal who protects high-profile clients when it comes to a matter of security.

Plot Keywords:

Bodyguard | Phobia | Supermodel | Milk | Drug Addict

Cast

Dolph Lundgren	...	Jack Devlin
Kate Vernon	...	Dr. Rachel Stein
Phillip MacKenzie	...	Rory Gaines
Kam Heskin	...	Cinder James
Fred Williamson	...	Tim Hastings
Andrew Jackson	...	Don Tragle
Padraigin Murphy	...	Casey
Tony De Santis	...	Detective Trini
Albert Schultz	...	Derek Smythe
Janet Bailey	...	Connie Hastings
Saul Rubinek	...	Thomas
Peter Keleghan	...	Bobby Stern
Scott Nichol	...	Dealer
Géza Kovács	...	Kamenev (as Geza Kovacz)
Christie MacFadyen	...	Nicky Stern (as Christine MacFadyen)

Also Known As:

John Woo's Blackjack (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

Germany:108 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:M (video premiere) | France:U (video premiere) | Germany:18 (video premiere) | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | UK:18 (video premiere) | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Alliance Communications Corporation

Trivia:

Was intended to be the pilot (first episode) of a TV series centering on Dolph Lundgren's character.

Goofs:

Continuity: When we first see Jack's Jeep as he's driving Casey home, it has a license plate on the front. But as they pass through the gate, the license plate is missing.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Making of 'Blackjack' (1998) (V)

Stinks like a dead dog, but hey! It made me laugh.

I can only assume that this is the work of a completely different John Woo, i.e. some vodka-sodden squinting tramp by the same name who managed to get caught up in some kind of top-quality mistaken identity farce. If not, then Dolph Lundgren may as well throw himself out of a top floor window right now, because if not even John Woo can make you look cool, you don't stand a chance.

In fact, what's the exact opposite of 'cool'? That's the only way to describe this film. I saw it on TV, and I'd still have felt cheated if I hadn't been laughing so much. How my sides ached at the sight of Dolph Lundgren sitting in a big lake of milk, trying to look all serious and pained as another meaningless flashback kicked in to further the cause of the most hilariously stupid cinematic premise in the history of everything in the world ever. "Oh yes, I've got this phobia of white things, but only sometimes when the bullets stop flying and we need to stop the audience from changing channels." And even that doesn't work.

He looks old, as well. If they're going to do (snigger) Masters of the Universe II, they'd better (snort) hurry up and get on with it...

Ah, me. The only advice I can give you is this: if you don't start laughing within the first ten minutes of Blackjack, give it up.