Filmmaker Albert Pyun is certainly no stranger to B-movies, having worked in the industry since the early 1980s. He first emerged on the scene with the surprise hit The Sword and the Sorcerer in 1982. Despite receiving mostly negative films, the film made almost $40 million against a $4 million budget, eventually earning cult status. This led to him becoming a regular for Cannon Films, directing films like Dangerously Close, Alien from LA, and Cyborg. He also directed the ill-fated Captain America in 1990 that went unreleased for two years before being released direct-to-video. While working for Cannon Films, Pyun also directed Vicious Lips in 1986 for Charles Band’s Empire Pictures. After Empire’s fall and the rise of Full Moon Features, Band recruited Pyun to direct a few more movies. They were the 1993 sci-fi horror film Arcade and the 1991 sci-fi action film Dollman.
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On the far-off planet of Arturos, the tough-as-nails cop Brick Bardo (Tim Thomerson) stops a hostage situation while doing laundry. After getting home, he’s kidnapped and brought before the villainous Sprug (Frank Collison), who has stolen Bardo’s blaster. Fortunately, Bardo manages to retrieve his weapon, the Groger Blaster, and uses it to blow up Sprug’s henchmen. Sprug escapes into his ship, Bardo chases after him, and they both end up going through a wormhole. They land on Earth, specifically The Bronx, where it turns out they’re both roughly 13 inches tall. Bardo ends up meeting Debi (Kamala Lopez), a single mother who’s frustrated by the increasing crime rate in her city. Meanwhile, Sprug is discovered by local gang leader Braxton Red (Jackie Earle Haley), and they strike a deal. It’s intergalactic urban warfare as Bardo takes on Braxton and his gang and fights to clean the streets.
Much like Trancers, Tim Thomerson once again shows off just how awesomely charismatic and entertaining he can be. As Brick Bardo, he essentially acts as a parody of Dirty Harry, with his attitude, overpowered gun, and general recklessness. Kamala Lopez does a great job, playing a civilian who stands her ground against crime and corruption in the city. For a relatively silly film, Jackie Earle Haley easily steals the show, playing his character with intensity and manic energy. Albert Pyun’s direction is solid, perfectly capturing the grittiness of The Bronx and New York in the early 1990s. However, at least 40% of the film is comprised entirely of establishing shots of the city, which can be repetitive. Also, as much as I prefer in-camera effects, many of the miniatures and compositing have aged pretty poorly. Admittedly, these do add to the film’s charm as a fun, cheesy B-movie.
One thing that helps Dollman stand out is its themes of urban decay and people struggling to make ends meet. Granted, given that this is Full Moon, this might have been accidental, but that’s what I took away from it. Still, it’s pretty apparent with how Debi is struggling as a single mother whose husband was killed by street toughs. There’s a minor subplot about her trying to help the city and stop the crimewave despite an apathetic police chief. Admittedly, not much is done with this and it doesn’t lead to anything, but it’s still an interesting addition. Much like other Full Moon films, Dollman did return, first cameoing in Bad Channels and later fighting the Demonic Toys. We’ll get to that sequel, Dollman vs Demonic Toys, some other time, but for now, Dollman gets a strong recommendation. Overall, Dollman is a solidly entertaining film despite some minor flaws.
Buy Dollman from Full Moon Direct: https://bit.ly/2CtPomS
