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)

A black mark on John Woo's career

There's something about Dolph Lundgren that makes him a likable actor. It may be because of his (seemingly) clean personal life, or that he has never tried to portray himself greater than he is (unlike actors like Steven Seagal.) Here, Lundgren gives one of his better performances. He seems very comfortable and assured here, giving off more emotion than he has in other movies. And it's always fun to see Saul Rubinek and Fred Williamson in a movie, and their presence boosts things.

Other than the actors, all I can say in favor of this movie are that the production values aren't bad for a made-for-TV movie. This movie is a mess! Starting with the action scenes. Now, I know Woo was confined by TV censorship rules, but he clearly could still do a lot. Yet every action scene is horribly done - badly edited, improper use of slow-motion, and with the camera often in the wrong place and/or angle. You see the great potential in these scenes, yet Woo botches it each time. Seeing them, it's hard to believe this is the same guy who did the action scenes in HARD BOILED or THE KILLER.

There are plenty of plot holes as well. For example, how does Lundgren get in the fashion show near the end when it's supposedly been tightened up with security? Where is the villain getting all these people to help him? Why does the villain retreat back to his hideout after the secrecy of it was blown? And on and on. But the worst thing about the movie is that it's simply boring. It's slow-moving, and filled with a lot of unnecessary things that easily could have been edited out. Don't "bet" on this one should you see it in the video store - it's a "bust"!