Surprisingly incoherent and boring

best movie i've ever seen.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

This straight-to-DVD enterprise is quite a mindless parade of macho, bullets and blood in this same-old, same-old get-up that sees a professional KGB-trained assassin finding himself with a contract on his head. You can he trust, that's what it comes down to as his family find out he's living a lie. Being much more than just a businessman. Everything about this venture is heavily contrived, but outside some sluggish moments and the monotonous narrative filled with deep in- thought dialogues, but let's not also forget those stares. Dolph Lundgren who stars (in a methodical performance), but also directs keeps things rather repetitive, where it seems to be becoming a comfortable formula. He pumps up the screen with numerous slow-motion shots and frantic shot-on camera frames trying to give a personal touch. Talk about personal, Lundgren really gets up and personal when in conversation. What starts of immensely slow, gets better as it goes along where it eventually opens with blistering set-pieces of shootouts and brutal hand-to-hand combat with an ending that throws an ironic twist of fate. The plot tries to balance out its human dramas, but the pandering script is too heavy-handed and feels like a smokescreen as our man becomes a pawn in a much bigger game. Also making an appearance is Bo Svenson. While for me it might not have been as fun as some of Dolph's other recent outings. However while predictable and at times slow, "The Killing Machine" is a bold b-grade action joint."I guess today is your lucky day."

I'm surprised nobody else has pointed this out - but if you remove ALL the shots of Dolph Lundgren you'll be left with a 3 minute film. He's in EVERY damned shot - even when the camera should be on the other person, it lingers on Dolph! Aside from the fact that this film isn't even good in a bad way, it really is just one big ego-trip for Dolph... I mean that guy must really like looking at himself. Not only that - his 'love interest' looks to be barely 18 (and he looks like he's pushing 40 and then some...) I'm genuinely surprised at the positive comments here - This film looks very hurried, badly acted and poorly directed.

It makes sense for somebody whose a veteran actor of a specific genre to eventually be a producer, writer or director for said movie. Many a genre stalwart-Angela Bettis, Robert Englund, and Bruce Campbell have all taken a part of directing films, for better or for worse. So for someone like Dolph Lungren, it makes sense, as he's been a veteran of macho action films for a long time, and has already directed some titles in said genre. Which leads to this film, "The Killing Machine." Dolph stars as Edward Genn, a divorced father and investment broker, whose living a double life. You see, he also used to be a dangerous KGB assassin known as "Icarus." Well, the past comes back to haunt him in the Russian mob, and when they go after his family, it's time to strike back.As you can tell, "The Killing Machine" is pretty much your meat and potatoes style action/revenge movie. Thankfully, said meal isn't unappetizing, though it's certainly not spectacular. This comes from Anchor Bay, who at least seem to have an eye when it comes to direct to DVD action fair, in that said movies have good production values. It's also got enough bloody violence to satiate fans of mindless action fare, and it's all done with relish without feeling like overkill. Lundgren himself does a fine job as the former assassin, doing what he can with the rather basic material (though I had to turn on the subtitles whenever he delivered a monologue), and it's always fun to see Bo Svenson, here acting with a very unconvincing Russian accent. That's just fine though, as it adds to the escapist tone of the whole thing.If there are any problems, it's the direction and a few other performances. Sure, Lundgren will always be a convincing bad ass, but as a director, there isn't a whole lot about his style that sticks out (though it's nice to see someone not resort to hyperactive editing choices), as it's all done straightforward to the point of feeling a bit vanilla. Also, Stefanie Von Pfetten and Lindsay Maxwell deliver performances that could only be described as "unsatisfactory at best." They're really bad here, and kinda drag thing down whenever they show up, though they are pretty attractive.As a whole, "The Killing Machine" isn't bad for a weekend afternoon action movie. It's serviceable enough, though it's more passable than it is exciting to be honest.

Dolph Lundgren blows holes through everybody in sight in "The Killing Machine," a swiftly-paced account about a former KGB gunsel who flees to America and becomes a hired gun for the Russian mob. Lundgren wears two hats again as star and director and this trim 88-minute shoot'em up doesn't squander a second. The best thing about "Breach of Trust" scenarist Raul Inglis' screenplay is that things keep changing throughout and the film has book ends. The dialogue isn't exactly memorable, but our put-upon protagonist finds himself between a rock and a hard place after he quits the Russian mob and has to battle gunmen in his face until he dispatches all of them. Posing as an investment broker, Edward Genn (Dolph Lundgren of "Rocky IV") is in reality an assassin on the payroll who is incredibly good at what he does. Nevertheless, he believes that he has made some bad choices. One of those bad choices was helping a comrade escape Mother Russian and vanishing into obscurity into America. One day Edward gets a contract, but he is contract and he has to shoot it out with dozens of assailants. If this weren't enough for an action-oriented epic, Lundgren and Inglis raises the stakes by making our hero's little daughter and her mother Joey (Sefanie von Pfetten) bull's eye targets. Virtually everybody that Edward knows winds up betraying him until he has no friends. U.S. authorities save his wife and daughter and force him to kill his old friend, Vadim (Bo Svenson of "Inglorious Bastards") in return for safety. Lundgren delivers another stoic performance as the gun-wielding assassin who outsmarts most of his foes. Mind you, "The Killing Machine" qualifies as a low-budget, B-movie shoot'em up with some gunfights and fistfights capably staged by Lundgren and lenser Marc Windon captures all this gritty action with imaginative camera work and angles. The plot itself is strictly formula, but Lundgren energetic direction compensates for some of this familiarity.