Sweepers (1998)

A humanitarian minesweeping operation in Angola uncovers a covert operation that is planting new and deadly mines.

Director:

Keoni Waxman (as Darby Black)

Writers:

Kevin Bernhardt (original screenplay), Kevin Bernhardt (story)

Stars:

Dolph Lundgren, Bruce Payne, Claire Stansfield

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dolph Lundgren	...	Christian Erickson
Bruce Payne	...	Dr. Cecil Hopper
Claire Stansfield	...	Michelle Flynn
Ian Roberts	...	Yager
Fats Bookholane	...	Old Mo
Sifiso Maphanga	...	Arthur
Ross Preller	...	Jack Trask
Nick Boraine	...	Mitch
Cecil Carter	...	Ray Gunn
David Dukas	...	Sweeper #4
Zukile Gqobose	...	Zukili (as Zukile Qobose)
Philip Notununu	...	Mercenary #1
Gabriel Mndaweni	...	Mercenary #2
Frank Pereira	...	Mercenary #3
Dave Ridley	...	Mercenary #4

Storyline

Torn from today's headlines "Sweepers" is a non-stop, action-packed thriller set in war ravaged Angola. Christian Erickson is a leader in the Humanitarian Order of Chivalry on assignment in Angola with his team of 'sweepers' who are attempting to clear land mines from around rural villages where villagers and children are being maimed and killed daily. During one sweeping operation, Christian's 11 year-old son Johnny follows his father to a mine field and during a rebel attack is killed when he steps on a land mine. Back in America, a terrorist attack at the home of a US senator utilizes a new super advanced A-6 land-mine smuggled in from Angola. Bomb squad expert Michelle Flynn, who watched her fiance die in the attack, is sent on a covert operation to Angola to recover an A-6 mine, so that the political intrigue behind its manufacture can be revealed. Michelle joins forces with two army mine sweepers, Jack Trask and Ray Gunn but their mission turns deadly when Jack and Ray are ...

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Plot Keywords:

kickboxing | angola | son | battle | terrorist | 

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Taglines:

A deadly new weapon... A race against time... And the clock has started ticking!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for nonstop brutal violence and some language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 February 1999 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

The Sweeper

Filming Locations:

Johannesburg, South Africa

Box Office

Budget:

$12,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Millennium Films, Nu World Services, Martien Holdings A.V.V.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dolph Lundgren was personally disappointed with the film and attributed its poor quality to director Keoni Waxman's inexperience with the action genre.

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Goofs

In the scene where Christian enters the train door and Dr. Cecil points one kind of gun at him, then a second later it is a different kind and a second later back to the first one.

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Quotes

Michelle Flynn: I don't get you... have you always been this much of an asshole or did you just take lessons?
Christian Erickson: Took leasons.

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Connections

Referenced in Soirée spéciale Dolph Lundgren: Le Doc (2000)

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Soundtracks

Querida Angola
Written by Waldemar Bastos
Performed Waldemar Bastos
Courtesy of Luakabop Records
by Special Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Good Grief! I've seen Berkeleyites with less naievite'

This movie's grasp of Angolan politics is about as informed as it's knowledge of landmines. In other words, it makes the Lethal Weapon movies look like sophisticated dramas. Even your average Berkeley protester, full of ideal but without a clue as to what is really going on, would be able to display a better grasp of the political situation than this movie. Fight coreography and direction is laughablly bad. Fanfilms on theForce.net tend to be better. Suddenly, 1/2 way through, Dolph becomes an Indianna Jones clone. During a rescue scene, when time is of the essence, he takes time to change clothes. The whole mine sequence reads like Steven Speilburg's rejects. The village scenes scream bogus as well. All these villagers have food and clothing, and running water and plumbing. And they're dumb enough to be playing football in the minefield just when "Our Hero" needs motivation. Overall, the film may have been made to advance a political agenda, but it failed. This is the lamest Dolph movie I've scene since... ever. The only one that comes close to being worse was the film where they actually stole footage from another Dolph movie! Using the Cranky scale (1-4 bombs, Dynamite, Nuke), This one is a dynamite!