Review: Dollman

This one sold me from the “trailer” on the Full Moon Prime Addon: a scene with Tim Thomerson confronting a floating head. But for a full description:

Brick Bardo (Tim Thomerson) is a traveler from outer space who is forced to land on Earth. Though regular-sized on his home planet, he is doll-sized here on Earth, as are the enemy forces that have landed as well. While Brick enlists the help of an impoverished girl and her son, the bad guys enlist the help of a local gang. When word leaks out as to his location, all hell breaks loose. Brick is besieged and he must protect the family who has helped him and get off the planet alive.

First of all, how damn cool is the name Brick Bardo? Nice to see Tim Thomerson again, and he’s freaking great as Brick — who, like his Trancers role, has a tragic past involving dead family that has made him a man on a mission. Unlike Trancers, he’s coming from a planet 10,000 light years away called Arturus. Fair enough.

“The elections are next week and I don’t want dead fat ladies on video screens all over the city.” — the douchebag mayor during a hilarious opening scene.

Brick is tough, suspended cop with an edgy sense of humor and little to no respect for the lives or due process of the criminals around him — so, pretty typical fare for a cop revenge flick from the time. The villain, Sprug, is also fairly typical. Most of the dialogue between Sprug and Brick is priceless, and when they end up on Earth, Sprug recruits a local gang — and they’re typical, over the top 1980s style douchebag villains. You know the ones I mean: they’re not just gang members, they’re lunatics who laugh or scream constantly.

The movie starts fast and never really slows down — it does what it sets out to do. It’s not as good as Trancers was, but it is still a damn entertaining movie. I never felt myself clock-watching during the movie. The acting is also pretty good for the main characters — including a young Jackie Earl Haley, who does everything he can with a somewhat limited role — but Thomerson is the center piece and that’s a good thing. He expertly delivers as the over-the-top cop.

All in all, a solid B-movie.

Running Time: One hour, twenty-one minutes and enough change to round up to twenty-two.
Acting: Average.
Effects: They accomplished a lot given the budget and time.
Violence: And how.
Gun Use: Over the top. The main weapon used is a future laser gun thing, so it gets a pass.
Gore: And how.
Creepy? Not even a little.
Monster Type? Douchebag 80s Gang members, mostly.
Funny? Absolutely, and intentionally.
Nudity: Nope.
Pacing: Decent.