Dark Angel (1990)

A Renegade Cop is forced to work with an FBI Agent in order to bring down a group of Drug Dealers with sinister plans.

Director:

Craig R. Baxley

Writers:

Jonathan Tydor, David Koepp (as Leonard Maas Jr.)

Stars:

Dolph Lundgren, Brian Benben, Betsy Brantley

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dolph Lundgren	...	Det. Jack Caine
Brian Benben	...	Special Agent Arwood 'Larry' Smith
Betsy Brantley	...	Diane Pallone
Matthias Hues	...	Bad Alien - Talec
Jay Bilas	...	Good Alien - Azeck
Jim Haynie	...	Captain Malone
David Ackroyd	...	Inspector Switzer
Sherman Howard	...	Victor Manning
Sam Anderson	...	Warren
Mark Lowenthal	...	Bruce the Scientist
Michael J. Pollard	...	Boner
Jesse Vint	...	McMurphy, Man in Mercedes
Alex Morris	...	Det. Ray Turner
Kevin Page	...	White Boy #1
Robert Prentiss	...	White Boy #2

Storyline

Jack Caine (Dolph Lundgren) is a Houston vice cop who's forgotten the rule book. His self-appointed mission is to stop the drugs trade and the number one supplier Victor Manning. Whilst involved in an undercover operation to entrap Victor Manning, his partner gets killed, and a sinister newcomer enters the scene... Along with F.B.I. agent Lawrence Smith, the two investigate a spate of mysterious deaths; normal non-junkies dying of massive heroin overdoses and bearing the same horrific puncture marks on the forehead. This, coupled with Caine's own evidence, indicates an alien force is present on the streets of Houston, killing and gathering stocks of a rare drug found only in the brain... Caine is used to fighting the toughest of criminals, but up to now they've all been human...

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Plot Keywords:

white eyes | alien gun | cd | automatic weapon | stiletto | 

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Taglines:

Jack Caine thought he'd busted every breed of crook on Earth...HE HAS.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lethal Contact

Filming Locations:

Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,912,421, 30 September 1990, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$4,348,368

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vision PDG, Epic Productions, Trans World Entertainment (TWE)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The shopping center where Caine pursues a stolen Houston Police squad car commandeered by the villain is the former Park Shops Shopping Mall originally built in 1985 in the east end of Downtown Houston. The Park Shops was renamed Houston Center in late 2003 right after the Toyota Center and Hilton Americas Hotel was completed, along with the expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center.

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Goofs

Diana's lipstick shade is completely different at the end of the scene in the autopsy room than at the beginning.

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Quotes

Jack Caine: Either you're Santa Claus or you're dead, pal.

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Connections

Referenced in Paul (2011)

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Soundtracks

Thumbs Up
Performed by Bardeux
Written by Todd
Produced by St. James and Michael Eckart
Published by French Lick Music (BMI)

User Reviews

An alien drug dealer?! You bet!

Big Dolph Lundgren tackles even bigger Matthias Hues in this fairly enjoyable sci-fi outing from 1990.

Our Dolph plays a tough cop who inadvertently becomes involved in a spot of alien trouble after a hulking interplanetary miscreant murders a group of bad guys Dolph was staking out (and high tales it with the haul of heroin they had in their possession). Why would an alien want heroin you may well ask? Well, it turns out that our alien bad boy has discovered a rather gruesome method of producing an even more powerful drug via it's utilisation.....he simply shoots up unwilling victims and then sucks out their resulting endorphin enriched cranial fluids which he intends to sell back home (where ever that may be)!!!

Hardly impressed with this, Dolph decides to investigate this grisly case but finds himself constantly undermined by a number of shady factions entering the fray.

Matters eventually come to a head when our two mighty leads battle it out in a factory setting (a popular location for action film finales) and Dolph gets to fire off the obligatory final quip before sending his alien nemesis into oblivion.

OK, despite the intriguing premise this is utterly ridden with clichés - the new cop partner, troubles with the girlfriend etc etc etc. Added to this Dolph's acting abilities are somewhat less than spectacular. However.....the film works despite it's many flaws and proves to serve as a fun ninety or so minutes.

At the end of the day, what more could you ask for? Check it out.