When you hear the name Dolph Lundgren, you rarely think of quality films. I can't off the top of my head name one single good film I've seen him in. However, you can usually count on him being a good lead in the typical more-Braun-than-brain action-flick. This film is a tad bit uneven, but it doesn't deserve its low rating and bad rep. The plot is not original, but the twists are fairly good(I didn't see them coming, at least) and the pacing is above par for the genre. The acting is a bit below average in some scenes, but it's mostly satisfactory. The characters are pretty much one-note and underdeveloped. The cinematography is stylish, but there are times when it's a bit overdone(you know how, sometimes when you watch a film, you're wondering if the cameraman has fallen asleep? There were times during this where I wondered if the cameraman was sober). The director uses slow-motion a bit too often, particularly during action scenes. To counter that, however, there's some very good camera-movement in some of the action scenes as well. The one-liners get to be a bit over the top in some parts of the film. The action is usually intense, but a bit too often it's unrealistic, to the point where it becomes completely unbelievable(a goon's gun running out of ammo in a half a second burst, for example). The film managed to do something quite unusual for the genre, namely surprise me several times. I thought on more than one occasion that I had figured out exactly what was going to happen next, but the film surprised me. Something that bothered me(being a weapons enthusiast) was the amateurish way the guns were handled. Many silenced weapons made the sounds of non-silenced guns of a completely different type. Of course, that probably won't impact the viewing experience for anyone who isn't interested in weapons. All in all, good for a single viewing, if you can catch it for free. I recommend it to fans of the typical action-flick and/or Dolph Lundgren. Not particularly good, but you could do a lot worse. 5/10
34 Reviews
Average, but still entertaining
Enchorde30 October 2004
Warning: Spoilers
** HERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS **
Jack Holloway (Lundgren) leads a flight team testing and developing a new type of stealth aircraft, intended to be used in possible covert operations and warfare. However, the aircraft get stolen and Holloway is set up to take the blame. And then the real terrorists try to kill him, and when he escapes tries to kill him and his family. As he cannot turn to police or the military he decides to track down the terrorists himself, with help from good friend Sparks (Clark), and the track leads inside the military.
As expected, this is no great movie, but it is not bad either. It is good action without trying to complicate matters. By keeping it simple it manages, with few exceptions, to avoid really bad scenes. The cast does a good job, and the story is interesting and fast paced enough to keep at least my interest up. Unfortunately it lacks some parts and pieces to climb up the credit ladder. So, average but entertaining.
5/10
Jack Holloway (Lundgren) leads a flight team testing and developing a new type of stealth aircraft, intended to be used in possible covert operations and warfare. However, the aircraft get stolen and Holloway is set up to take the blame. And then the real terrorists try to kill him, and when he escapes tries to kill him and his family. As he cannot turn to police or the military he decides to track down the terrorists himself, with help from good friend Sparks (Clark), and the track leads inside the military.
As expected, this is no great movie, but it is not bad either. It is good action without trying to complicate matters. By keeping it simple it manages, with few exceptions, to avoid really bad scenes. The cast does a good job, and the story is interesting and fast paced enough to keep at least my interest up. Unfortunately it lacks some parts and pieces to climb up the credit ladder. So, average but entertaining.
5/10
Slightly bellow average for its type, but still good enough to watch
wdllofzepia23 December 2013
It was on TV last night. I wasn't expecting anything since I knew nothing about it. There were some negative parts, plot gaps, action gaps, logic gaps, the use of what appears to be a F-117A as the new "mystery" super plane. If you took it seriously and you had any idea about military, then there is a good chance you will not like this at all. I have plenty of knowledge about military matters but I still enjoyed it. It reminded me a lot of one of those war movies from the 80's, with lower budget and not much time given to film or edit it.
If you used to enjoy those films and you are willing to turn down your thinking for the duration of this movie, you can enjoy it. The action sequences are OK enough, Dolph has the best performance among the other actors and the whole thing is ridiculous enough to be interesting to watch to see what is going to happen next.
Not sure if I am ever going to buy the DVD of it, but I do not regret at all watching it last night.
If you used to enjoy those films and you are willing to turn down your thinking for the duration of this movie, you can enjoy it. The action sequences are OK enough, Dolph has the best performance among the other actors and the whole thing is ridiculous enough to be interesting to watch to see what is going to happen next.
Not sure if I am ever going to buy the DVD of it, but I do not regret at all watching it last night.
Even the director admits how bad it is in his commentary
CuriosityKilledShawn3 July 2000
Quite bad indeed. Why on earth Dolph agreed to do this I'll never know. Maybe he just had some spare time. But he could have done something more worthwhile than this bore.
The story focuses on Jack Holloway who test flies a top secret plane (stock footage of a real plane that is not called Storm Catcher) and is framed for stealing it and hiding it in a hut out in the desert...or something. The way the story develops is VERY clichéd although I never did see the "twist" coming so it kind of did succeed there.
There are a few redeeming features, such as Mystro Clark as "Sparks" (desperately trying to add some black jive to the movie) and there are two oddball special agents who crop up every now and again but serve no real purpose other than to look like Hugo Weaving from The Matrix. I tell ya, the resemblance is uncanny. The woman who plays Holloways wife is badly miscast (and has found it difficult to get work since admitting her fondness of anal sex on the Howard Stern show) although the kid playing his daughter is a rather good actress.
Director (and Hugo Weaving lookalike) Anthony Hickox insists on using hand-held cameras in scenes that don't them and steadicam on scenes that do. I don't know what his method or technique of film-making is but it sucks.
The tagline is totally wrong too and gives you the impression that the story is going to build to a more satisfying climax. But it doesn't. Dolph is neither convicted nor is he sentenced so that is a huge lie.
Watch this movie on TV but do NOT rent it and do NOT buy it like I did. Save your money for Dolph's best movie...Joshua Tree.
The story focuses on Jack Holloway who test flies a top secret plane (stock footage of a real plane that is not called Storm Catcher) and is framed for stealing it and hiding it in a hut out in the desert...or something. The way the story develops is VERY clichéd although I never did see the "twist" coming so it kind of did succeed there.
There are a few redeeming features, such as Mystro Clark as "Sparks" (desperately trying to add some black jive to the movie) and there are two oddball special agents who crop up every now and again but serve no real purpose other than to look like Hugo Weaving from The Matrix. I tell ya, the resemblance is uncanny. The woman who plays Holloways wife is badly miscast (and has found it difficult to get work since admitting her fondness of anal sex on the Howard Stern show) although the kid playing his daughter is a rather good actress.
Director (and Hugo Weaving lookalike) Anthony Hickox insists on using hand-held cameras in scenes that don't them and steadicam on scenes that do. I don't know what his method or technique of film-making is but it sucks.
The tagline is totally wrong too and gives you the impression that the story is going to build to a more satisfying climax. But it doesn't. Dolph is neither convicted nor is he sentenced so that is a huge lie.
Watch this movie on TV but do NOT rent it and do NOT buy it like I did. Save your money for Dolph's best movie...Joshua Tree.
Good effort considering the budget
The Watchers Apprentice22 June 2001
I have to say that this movie gets an "A" for effort for at least trying to be a good action movie. And although on some points it fails to deliver, it is still however an entertaining action movie. As a said above there are a few things that aren't that good about this movie. There are only really too things that stand out to me:
1- The needless graphic, and sometimes slow motion, violence. We don't need a closeup, slow-motion shot of a guy spitting blood just to make the movie better.
2- Some of the camera angles- In some of the more "dramatic" scenes in the movie, the camera tends to have a life of its own and seem to shake quite violently. This is so bad that you can barely see what is happening in the scene and it ruins it. Another thing is the excessive use of slow-motion. Anthony Hickox, as you will notice, is no John Woo. Except for one scene I can think of, this type of filming doesn't work in the movie.
Apart from that this movie is rather entertaining and, aside from the usual B-Movie plot-holes and bad acting, can provide a decent nights entertainment. I give a 6/10 purely on entertainment value alone.
PS: Notice how in one shot of the StormCatcher, one of the control panels looks somewhat like a control panel from The Enterprise? See if you can spot it at the beginning of the film.
1- The needless graphic, and sometimes slow motion, violence. We don't need a closeup, slow-motion shot of a guy spitting blood just to make the movie better.
2- Some of the camera angles- In some of the more "dramatic" scenes in the movie, the camera tends to have a life of its own and seem to shake quite violently. This is so bad that you can barely see what is happening in the scene and it ruins it. Another thing is the excessive use of slow-motion. Anthony Hickox, as you will notice, is no John Woo. Except for one scene I can think of, this type of filming doesn't work in the movie.
Apart from that this movie is rather entertaining and, aside from the usual B-Movie plot-holes and bad acting, can provide a decent nights entertainment. I give a 6/10 purely on entertainment value alone.
PS: Notice how in one shot of the StormCatcher, one of the control panels looks somewhat like a control panel from The Enterprise? See if you can spot it at the beginning of the film.
Flying With Dolph
refinedsugar21 October 2001
Okay yet another mediocre Dolph movie. I hear ya, but at least it's not Fallen Knight (AKA: The Minion). This time around Lundgren turns in a good, but predictable performance as a run of the mill character Major Jack Holloway. Who's a test pilot for the military's top secret warplane "The Storm Catcher" hence the movie's title.
What happens to the plane? Well of course it's stolen and he's framed for everything. Is there a conspiracy theory lodged somewhere in Storm Catcher? Yep. Do they use his wife and daughter as leverage to get him to do what they want? Yep. That itself isn't so bad they are typical clichés of the genre. It's the general inept story and more stupid characters than I'd like to count. Like two CIA agents named Lock & Load.
Storm Catcher is yet another undistinguishable action flick with predictability written all over it. It's a cheapie thru and thru (check out the usual assortment of stock footage), but somehow comes out looking half decent. Lundgren is decent here, but that doesn't allow it to rise over the giant heap of mediocre action flicks on the market as it is. You've seen this before, you've probably seen it done better.
What happens to the plane? Well of course it's stolen and he's framed for everything. Is there a conspiracy theory lodged somewhere in Storm Catcher? Yep. Do they use his wife and daughter as leverage to get him to do what they want? Yep. That itself isn't so bad they are typical clichés of the genre. It's the general inept story and more stupid characters than I'd like to count. Like two CIA agents named Lock & Load.
Storm Catcher is yet another undistinguishable action flick with predictability written all over it. It's a cheapie thru and thru (check out the usual assortment of stock footage), but somehow comes out looking half decent. Lundgren is decent here, but that doesn't allow it to rise over the giant heap of mediocre action flicks on the market as it is. You've seen this before, you've probably seen it done better.
sensitive family scenes ruin the movie
diggler_inc16 May 2000
This movies had decent parts but making luvable big lug Dolph act like a loving,sensitive,middle-aged family man just looked silly. Dolph needs to play a emotionless killing machine,which is what he does best. Tony Hickox's directing was pretty good even though it was a little over the top at times. The film looks higher quality than you'd expect but the story and the dialogue are lacking. Mystro Clark is horrible and should have been replaced with Louis Gossett,Jr. For a much better recent Dolph flick, check out Bridge of Dragons.
Rubber guns bending in slow motion
tcordes9 April 2002
Need I say more? In several of the slow-mo gun fighting scenes you can actually see the silencers on the guns bend and wobble! In slo-mo! Close-up! What were they thinking when they decided that not only were those scenes to remain in the film, but that they should slow them down to make it easier to see the gaffes!
Add to that extremely bad (painful!) acting, a thin plot, and some highly implausible physics (continuing to fly the plane after ejecting one of the seats!), and you get a really bad movie.
It wasn't bad enough to just switch off, mind you, but then again I'll watch practically any movie.
The only saving grace, that gets this movie a 2 instead of a 1, was the rather cool footage of the stealth bomber.
Add to that extremely bad (painful!) acting, a thin plot, and some highly implausible physics (continuing to fly the plane after ejecting one of the seats!), and you get a really bad movie.
It wasn't bad enough to just switch off, mind you, but then again I'll watch practically any movie.
The only saving grace, that gets this movie a 2 instead of a 1, was the rather cool footage of the stealth bomber.
Can Anyone Make Any Sense Of Any Of This?
sddavis6324 September 2002
This is dismal. A very weak cast offers predictably poor performances, and a very weak story about some sort of military conspiracy by a secret Special Operations force against the US Government simply serves to confuse the viewer, because it's impossible to really sort any of this out. Obviously recognizing the inherent (and huge) flaws in all of this, the writers choose to inundate us with extreme violence, mega shootouts, stabbings, etc., but it all just adds up to a dreadful movie and a waste of time for anyone who makes the mistake of watching it.
1/10
1/10
I Like This Movie
italian_angel_8231 May 2009
On the final stages of testing a military top secret stealth bomber, Air Force pilot Major Jack Holloway ( Dolph Lundgren ) is accused of stealing the aircraft and being part of a conspiracy. On his way to prison Major Jack Holloway is captured by a military special forces unit called the "Serpent Killers".
With his life on the line, Major Jack Holloway ( Dolph Lundgren ) must do everything he can to escape their captured and find out who they are and what their plans are with the stolen military stealth aircraft bomber. With no one to turn except his friend Sparks, both must find out the "Serpent Killers" true intentions with the Storm Catcher.
I really liked this movie, it's got great military stock footage, which is very well put together with the movie. The story is simple but it will keep you guessing till the end of the movie. It's got great action moments both in the ground and in the air, which i quite enjoyed.
The only negative thing i did not like in this movie was some of the acting by some actors, which was really poor. Dolph Lundgren was the better actor from all the cast and Robert Miano was also good playing the General. In the end if you like action a little bit of drama and a twist in the end of the movie, then you will like this movie.
With his life on the line, Major Jack Holloway ( Dolph Lundgren ) must do everything he can to escape their captured and find out who they are and what their plans are with the stolen military stealth aircraft bomber. With no one to turn except his friend Sparks, both must find out the "Serpent Killers" true intentions with the Storm Catcher.
I really liked this movie, it's got great military stock footage, which is very well put together with the movie. The story is simple but it will keep you guessing till the end of the movie. It's got great action moments both in the ground and in the air, which i quite enjoyed.
The only negative thing i did not like in this movie was some of the acting by some actors, which was really poor. Dolph Lundgren was the better actor from all the cast and Robert Miano was also good playing the General. In the end if you like action a little bit of drama and a twist in the end of the movie, then you will like this movie.
Better watch Top gun"
Maziun28 December 2014
Or Blue thunder". Or "Iron Eagle" . Every one of this movies is far more entertaining than this poor B-class movie. Sometimes B-class movies are fun. Unfortunately this isn't one of them.
This is a poor action thriller. The story is very thin and predictable. The characters are bland (there is even stereotypical "funny black guy sidekick") and the villains are lame. The whole conspiracy thing here is lame and has been done million times in the past and much better. I don't really know what's going on here – a sign of bad writing. If you're looking for action you won't find it here. There's a cool flipping truck stunt but nothing else. Director Anthony Hickox tries to make this movie look stylish like a John Woo movie , but fails terribly. In several of the slow-mo gun fighting scenes you can actually see the silencers on the guns bend and wobble. The plane scenes are weak and unsatisfying. "Storm catcher" is very lifeless and badly directed movie.
The acting is painfully bad. Even Lundgren seems bored here and barely puts any effort.
This movie was filmed in 18 days and it shows. It really looks and feels low budget. Avoid it. I give it 1/10.
This is a poor action thriller. The story is very thin and predictable. The characters are bland (there is even stereotypical "funny black guy sidekick") and the villains are lame. The whole conspiracy thing here is lame and has been done million times in the past and much better. I don't really know what's going on here – a sign of bad writing. If you're looking for action you won't find it here. There's a cool flipping truck stunt but nothing else. Director Anthony Hickox tries to make this movie look stylish like a John Woo movie , but fails terribly. In several of the slow-mo gun fighting scenes you can actually see the silencers on the guns bend and wobble. The plane scenes are weak and unsatisfying. "Storm catcher" is very lifeless and badly directed movie.
The acting is painfully bad. Even Lundgren seems bored here and barely puts any effort.
This movie was filmed in 18 days and it shows. It really looks and feels low budget. Avoid it. I give it 1/10.
Feel free to catch this storm tonight!
tarbosh2200011 June 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Jack Holloway (Dolph) truly has it all. As a proud member of the U. S. Air Force, he gets to live his dream of flying a radical stealth bomber called the Storm Catcher, serving under General William Jacobs (Miano). When he's not off going Mach 3 Turbo before it was a shaving razor, he spends time with his loving wife Jessica (Bax), and as a devoted football coach to a girls little league team featuring his daughter Nicole (Zima). However, the skies become less than friendly when someone dressed as Holloway kills a bunch of people, and, naturally, Holloway becomes the prime suspect. Breaking out of custody, Holloway and his buddy Captain "Sparks" Johnson (Clark) try to clear his name. But things get really real when Jessica is assaulted and Nicole is kidnapped. Realizing he's in a race against time against an evil cabal of baddies intent on misusing the Storm Catcher for their own evil ends, will Holloway be able to stop the madness? Storm Catcher is really a lot better than you probably think it is. Sure, it seems like another plane/guys-sitting-at-radar-monitors-giving-coordinates slog, and, to be fair, there are elements of that scourge of the later 90's, but it manages to rise above the others, much like Holloway's beloved stealth bomber. It's certainly better than Freedom Strike (1998), and that had Tone-Loc. Tone-Loc. So there was a lot to prove. Out of the movies from the "Dolph hitting the skids" period of his career, this one is the best. Unfortunately, things would sink back down after this brief high (no plane puns intended) when Dolph re-teamed with director Hickox the next year for the dreary Jill the Ripper (2000). So enjoy the small pleasures of Storm Catcher while they last, and there is plenty to enjoy here.
We see what the movie was trying to do. It was trying to go for that "theater-ready" vibe, what with the big-sounding score, the fact that it was shot well, and it includes some prescient dialogue that seems to apply more to today's political situation than ever before. It even includes some classic action bits like people running away from an explosion, and plenty of people get shot/beat up/blown up. But no matter how hard they may have tried, alas, it was destined for the video store shelf. Hickox never seemed to accept that he was a DTV director; at least for the first half of his career, notably with Full Eclipse (1993), he certainly tried to imbue his films with a professional, mainstream feel. Dolph probably liked his role as Holloway because he got to be the action hero as always, but he showed a sensitive side with the little league football scenes. Our guess is he would jump at the chance to do a Ladybugs (1992)-type movie, because he likes showing he's more than just an action guy. That will probably never happen in our overly-PC world, where kids are discouraged from football, especially girls, and especially with no helmets. Dolph was probably miffed that footage from this movie was nonsensically and lazily edited into the abomination that was Agent Red (2000).
Robert Miano again proves he's one of the more underrated actors out there, and the Storm Catcher plane is so technologically advanced, you can voice-text things you want to say (much like the Dragon program whose ads are constantly on TV), and it has minidisc abilities. It would probably be nothing without its minidisc player. Once again, Dolph delivers the goods against all odds. Feel free to catch this storm tonight.
We see what the movie was trying to do. It was trying to go for that "theater-ready" vibe, what with the big-sounding score, the fact that it was shot well, and it includes some prescient dialogue that seems to apply more to today's political situation than ever before. It even includes some classic action bits like people running away from an explosion, and plenty of people get shot/beat up/blown up. But no matter how hard they may have tried, alas, it was destined for the video store shelf. Hickox never seemed to accept that he was a DTV director; at least for the first half of his career, notably with Full Eclipse (1993), he certainly tried to imbue his films with a professional, mainstream feel. Dolph probably liked his role as Holloway because he got to be the action hero as always, but he showed a sensitive side with the little league football scenes. Our guess is he would jump at the chance to do a Ladybugs (1992)-type movie, because he likes showing he's more than just an action guy. That will probably never happen in our overly-PC world, where kids are discouraged from football, especially girls, and especially with no helmets. Dolph was probably miffed that footage from this movie was nonsensically and lazily edited into the abomination that was Agent Red (2000).
Robert Miano again proves he's one of the more underrated actors out there, and the Storm Catcher plane is so technologically advanced, you can voice-text things you want to say (much like the Dragon program whose ads are constantly on TV), and it has minidisc abilities. It would probably be nothing without its minidisc player. Once again, Dolph delivers the goods against all odds. Feel free to catch this storm tonight.
Internal enemy
OMTR21 April 2022
Poor even by Lundgren's low standards.
bob the moo22 June 2003
Major Jack Holloway is the pilot of a revolutionary new fighter jet that is totally invisible to all forms of radar when it goes into stealth mode. When ever someone steals the jet, they frame him for the crime and kidnap his family in order to force him to fly it (he being the only person able to). However Holloway escapes from the group and enlists the help of technical wizard Sparks Johnson to out smart the group.
I'm not a big Lundgren fan but I'll always give his movies a go when they come on TV as I tend to hope that they will at least give me some cheap thrills as an average action movie. This film was a major disappointment in many ways. First of all the plot is not exactly clever but it hasn't been developed well enough to make it plausible, it feels like they wrote it with 8 key scenes in mind but were unable to make good links between them hence we have bad guys simply bursting into Holloway's home etc. It all feels very bitty and this also affects any excitement or tension it may have been able to have it simply doesn't flow as a film. In fact it is hardly developed at all when the climax occurs I had to wonder about the extent of the chief villain's plan, his claims were grand on a global scale but we had seen no evidence of the might he would need to pull it off, all I'd seen was a few guys who had been mostly dispatched by Holloway!
However a bad plot and poor development could easily describe many average action movie filling up the late night TV schedules, but this one has other flaws. The direction is indicative of the whole film rushed, untidy and uncaring. The camera swings around wildly, but not like is the fashion with NYPD Blue or H:LOTS but really wildly so that the mildest scenes are supposed to feel exciting and frantic they don't. The production values feel cheap with few special effects and al aerial stuff clearly stock footage. The most laughable thing (spotted as well by another reviewer) was when the unit came for Holloway's family and burst through his windows you could see the fake silencers on the toy guns bending all over the place! This is one example but it was full of cheap touches that gave me the overall impression that they just wanted to get the film finished and damn the quality.
The acting is poor at best. Lundgren is poor as he clearly has no character and has been given no direction and is thus not involved with his character. Therefore he seems relaxed in the plane (despite the seriousness of the situation on the ground) and also doesn't even convince when cheering his daughter on at a football game. Only in the fight scenes (of which there are few) does he seem to be trying and even then it's temporary. Clark is a typical `comedy black sidekick' and just exactly what he has seen done in other films before and just mugs his way through. Bax is annoyingly wooden as Holloway's wife and has a grating cut glass English accent which I can only assume the casting crew thought would `add colour' to the film. Miano is a really poor villain and never gets even to the standard of average thrillers. His character has no teeth and I never really saw his plan as realistic or something that couldn't be easily overcome his failure to be a threat really knocked whatever small amount of interest I still had out of me.
Overall even people who look forward to the next Lundgren film will be disappointed with this. In every area it feels cheap and rushed it is a product rather than a film. I had to wonder why I was bothering to watch this when it was so clear that everyone involved had put so little effort into this. Poor even by Lundgren's low standards.
I'm not a big Lundgren fan but I'll always give his movies a go when they come on TV as I tend to hope that they will at least give me some cheap thrills as an average action movie. This film was a major disappointment in many ways. First of all the plot is not exactly clever but it hasn't been developed well enough to make it plausible, it feels like they wrote it with 8 key scenes in mind but were unable to make good links between them hence we have bad guys simply bursting into Holloway's home etc. It all feels very bitty and this also affects any excitement or tension it may have been able to have it simply doesn't flow as a film. In fact it is hardly developed at all when the climax occurs I had to wonder about the extent of the chief villain's plan, his claims were grand on a global scale but we had seen no evidence of the might he would need to pull it off, all I'd seen was a few guys who had been mostly dispatched by Holloway!
However a bad plot and poor development could easily describe many average action movie filling up the late night TV schedules, but this one has other flaws. The direction is indicative of the whole film rushed, untidy and uncaring. The camera swings around wildly, but not like is the fashion with NYPD Blue or H:LOTS but really wildly so that the mildest scenes are supposed to feel exciting and frantic they don't. The production values feel cheap with few special effects and al aerial stuff clearly stock footage. The most laughable thing (spotted as well by another reviewer) was when the unit came for Holloway's family and burst through his windows you could see the fake silencers on the toy guns bending all over the place! This is one example but it was full of cheap touches that gave me the overall impression that they just wanted to get the film finished and damn the quality.
The acting is poor at best. Lundgren is poor as he clearly has no character and has been given no direction and is thus not involved with his character. Therefore he seems relaxed in the plane (despite the seriousness of the situation on the ground) and also doesn't even convince when cheering his daughter on at a football game. Only in the fight scenes (of which there are few) does he seem to be trying and even then it's temporary. Clark is a typical `comedy black sidekick' and just exactly what he has seen done in other films before and just mugs his way through. Bax is annoyingly wooden as Holloway's wife and has a grating cut glass English accent which I can only assume the casting crew thought would `add colour' to the film. Miano is a really poor villain and never gets even to the standard of average thrillers. His character has no teeth and I never really saw his plan as realistic or something that couldn't be easily overcome his failure to be a threat really knocked whatever small amount of interest I still had out of me.
Overall even people who look forward to the next Lundgren film will be disappointed with this. In every area it feels cheap and rushed it is a product rather than a film. I had to wonder why I was bothering to watch this when it was so clear that everyone involved had put so little effort into this. Poor even by Lundgren's low standards.
Not worth watching
baeckw28 September 2002
I would definitely not have bought this video if I had known ahead what it was like. Yet I'm being pushed by my girl to still rate this movie a 3 out of 10, because it had at least some of the action I was hoping for, and there was also a plot twist that was not 100% predictable. Can't complain about Dolph's performance either, he does the best he can , but he deserved a better movie to be in. I went on a Dolph Lundgren video shopping spree after seeing Silent Trigger, which was excellent. Let's hope those other videos are better than this.
Avoid at all cost
LarsGottlieb16 May 2003
This is a treat, if you're very heavily into actors who don't, fictious techno-talk and a storyline that must be a new record in implausibility.
If you really have nothing else to do for the duration, maybe you should consider reading the manual for your tv instead; it's certain to be more entertaining ...
If you really have nothing else to do for the duration, maybe you should consider reading the manual for your tv instead; it's certain to be more entertaining ...
A lengthly, boring, movie
Peke-513 August 1999
There is not so much to comment on this film. I personally like Dolph Lundgren - not because he is such a great actor - but he played in some decent fight movies.
Storm Catcher is not even a movie with decent fights. Just a lengthly, boring movie about a so-called conspiration, family scenes, stupid CIA agents, stupid "Special Forces" agents (killed with one gun or bare handed by Dolph which is a pilot for a test-plane called Storm Catcher). Linear story, linear actions, stupid actors.
The worst movie I've seen this year. Too bad you can't give a score of '0' on Imdb voting pool.
Storm Catcher is not even a movie with decent fights. Just a lengthly, boring movie about a so-called conspiration, family scenes, stupid CIA agents, stupid "Special Forces" agents (killed with one gun or bare handed by Dolph which is a pilot for a test-plane called Storm Catcher). Linear story, linear actions, stupid actors.
The worst movie I've seen this year. Too bad you can't give a score of '0' on Imdb voting pool.
God-awful
StoutMastaFLexx13 June 2008
Probably one of the worst movies you will ever see. Terribly predictable plot line with even worse acting. It is obvious that the actors had recently memorized their 2 to 3 lines prior to filming their scenes, and seem to read them off of cue cards. The acting will actually make this more of a comedy if you attempt to take this seriously, though the wife was so bad I started to cry...
The music is your generic 80's synthesizer military music, with little or no change to help with the mood of the scene.
Overall, Pray to God that you never even come across this piece of garbage while surfing late-night....I'm still amazed how some movies get onto television.
The music is your generic 80's synthesizer military music, with little or no change to help with the mood of the scene.
Overall, Pray to God that you never even come across this piece of garbage while surfing late-night....I'm still amazed how some movies get onto television.
Boring Dolph Lundgren action film, one of his worst.
poolandrews3 April 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Storm Catcher starts as Major Jack Holloway (Dolph Lundgren) & his co-pilot Captain Lucas (John Pennell) take a top secret Stealth bomber called the Phoenix that can become totally invisible to radar on a test flight (nothing like Broken Arrow (1996) then) which goes well. Then Captain Lucas steals the Phoenix Stealth jet (like I said, nothing like Broken Arrow) & leaves a trail of evidence that points to his co-pilot Major Holloway who ends up taking the wrap, however Holloway manages to escape custody of the US military & the bad guy's. Holloway sets out to clear his name with help from his mate Sparks (Mystro Clark) but discovers that the web of betrayal & treachery goes far deeper into the US military than Holloway could have imagined & it's up to him to stop a plan that could tear the American way of life apart...
Directed by Anthony Hickox who also has a small role as CIA Agent Load this is a pretty poor attempt at an action thriller that has very few thrills & little in the way of action & any resemblance to Broken Arrow is purely coincidental, honestly. The fact that the ever awful Jim Wynorski acted as a producer is a bad sign & my fears were realised with a sloppy, limp, lifeless & dull action thriller. At 90 odd minutes in length Storm Catcher goes on for too long, it's boring & predictable & feels padded. The main plot is the often used enemy from within scenario but it's unfurled here without any imagination & everything is easy to see coming, there's just no attempt at any surprises & the whole thing feels routine. The action is poor, a few shoot-outs & a truck that flips over is all we get, the film takes itself too seriously & is a chore to sit through. The character's are all poor, Lundgren isn't a bad action film star when he's beating people up, spouting off one-liners or blowing things up but he gets very little screen time here doing anything other than looking bored, he has a cute daughter & a wife who are threatened, an annoying side-kick & the bad guy is bland & has little to no motivation. The entire film takes place in about three or four locations, it feels small scale, almost as if the script was written around some stock footage & the fact the makers knew they had a limited budget.
The one thing that Storm Catcher has going for it as far as I am concerned is that it features the gorgeous Kimberley Davies who I used to have a massive crush on while she was in Neighbours, she was, is & probably still is a total babe. Period. While I would have given Storm Catcher an extra star for having Davies in a tight mini skirt that extra star is revoked for killing her off before the hour mark, I can't believe they killed the single best thing about Storm Catcher off like they did. Bad show guy's. Davies plays Agent Lock so that means we have a pair of CIA Agents named Lock and Load, enough said. The action is dull, there are a few shoot-outs many of which are in slow motion just to prolong the pain. There's a cool flipping truck stunt but nothing else. According to the IMDb parts of Storm Catcher were edited from Top Gun (1986) while another Lundgren action turkey Agent Red (2000) stole footage from this to edit into itself.
Filmed in Los Angeles apparently this looks bland & more like something made for telly, to be honest there's nothing memorable about Storm Catcher at all. The acting is average, Lundgren is alright, Clark is annoying although Davies is super hot & almost makes this worth a watch on her own, almost.
Storm Catcher is a poor action thriller that has no action or thrills to speak of & wastes Lundgren who can be a decent action film star with the right material & direction. One to avoid, watch the similar Broken Arrow again instead.
Directed by Anthony Hickox who also has a small role as CIA Agent Load this is a pretty poor attempt at an action thriller that has very few thrills & little in the way of action & any resemblance to Broken Arrow is purely coincidental, honestly. The fact that the ever awful Jim Wynorski acted as a producer is a bad sign & my fears were realised with a sloppy, limp, lifeless & dull action thriller. At 90 odd minutes in length Storm Catcher goes on for too long, it's boring & predictable & feels padded. The main plot is the often used enemy from within scenario but it's unfurled here without any imagination & everything is easy to see coming, there's just no attempt at any surprises & the whole thing feels routine. The action is poor, a few shoot-outs & a truck that flips over is all we get, the film takes itself too seriously & is a chore to sit through. The character's are all poor, Lundgren isn't a bad action film star when he's beating people up, spouting off one-liners or blowing things up but he gets very little screen time here doing anything other than looking bored, he has a cute daughter & a wife who are threatened, an annoying side-kick & the bad guy is bland & has little to no motivation. The entire film takes place in about three or four locations, it feels small scale, almost as if the script was written around some stock footage & the fact the makers knew they had a limited budget.
The one thing that Storm Catcher has going for it as far as I am concerned is that it features the gorgeous Kimberley Davies who I used to have a massive crush on while she was in Neighbours, she was, is & probably still is a total babe. Period. While I would have given Storm Catcher an extra star for having Davies in a tight mini skirt that extra star is revoked for killing her off before the hour mark, I can't believe they killed the single best thing about Storm Catcher off like they did. Bad show guy's. Davies plays Agent Lock so that means we have a pair of CIA Agents named Lock and Load, enough said. The action is dull, there are a few shoot-outs many of which are in slow motion just to prolong the pain. There's a cool flipping truck stunt but nothing else. According to the IMDb parts of Storm Catcher were edited from Top Gun (1986) while another Lundgren action turkey Agent Red (2000) stole footage from this to edit into itself.
Filmed in Los Angeles apparently this looks bland & more like something made for telly, to be honest there's nothing memorable about Storm Catcher at all. The acting is average, Lundgren is alright, Clark is annoying although Davies is super hot & almost makes this worth a watch on her own, almost.
Storm Catcher is a poor action thriller that has no action or thrills to speak of & wastes Lundgren who can be a decent action film star with the right material & direction. One to avoid, watch the similar Broken Arrow again instead.
Entertaining Little Flick, With A Great Performance From Lundgren!
callanvass30 March 2005
This an entertaining little flick, with a great performance from Lundgren!. it's always entertaining, with a good low budget cast, and an exciting finale. The effects are pretty good, and for a low budget, it was awesome especially the flying scenes!. i liked most of the characters, and it had 2 strong leads, plus i was able to root for all of the good guys since they were likable as a family unit. It started off a little slowly but then picks up soon, and becomes an action packed adventure, and it was great to see Lundgren do his thing!. The Direction is very good. Anthnoy Hicox does a very good job here, with some wicked camera angles, some really neat shots, and he keeps the film at a very good pace for the most part!. There is quite a bit of blood and violence. We get LOTS of very bloody gunshot wounds, knife in the back, with blood spurting,bloody stabbings, and a severed hand. The Acting is excellent!. Dolph Lundgren is AMAZING as always, and gives an awesome performance here, he is on top of things, kicks that ass, has good chemistry with Kylie Bax and was extremely likable! (Lundgren Rules!). Mystro Clark is very good here, as the comic relief and was very likable.Jon Pennell, is decent as one of the main villains. Robert Miano, is good as the main villain, and was fairly menacing. Yvonne Zima was cute, and does fine as the daughter, and was actually likable!. Kylie Bax is beautiful, and does fine as Lundgren's wife. Overall highly recommended! ***1/2 out of 5
Riding the storm out...
fmarkland324 September 2010
Dolph Lundgren stars as Air Force pilot ace Jack Halloway, a family man and all around tough guy who finds himself involved in a conspiracy which involves a stealth plane that can tip the scales in the arms race and such has been stolen, not by a foreign competitor but by American War mongers who have been passed up for promotions and ignored by their country in this deadly boring Lundgren flick. Dolph Lundgren has made some fun B.movies but Storm Catcher isn't one of them. Starting with the lack of action, not much happens and the majority of such takes place on an air plane. Such would be acceptable if the dogfights were fun (Via Top Gun, Iron Eagle, Blue Thunder etc) but these are woefully boring. The story is completely boring and clichéd with bland villains and lame conspiracy subplots that go nowhere. As for Lundgren he clearly looks bored here, he refuses to act and barely puts any effort in filming his fight sequences. The best thing one can say is that there is some graphic violence that threatens to make the movie sort of interesting (usually because of it being hokey) but this is just a dull movie all around. With Lundgren's resurgence on the big screen, one can look at this movie as a personal low in Lundgren's career. Indeed something like The Punisher, Showdown In Little Tokyo and Universal Soldier were ridiculous movies, but they were fun. Storm Catcher on the other hand is just ridiculous.
* out of 4-(Bad)
* out of 4-(Bad)
Dolph puts together in this little known film
ftnava4 March 2003
This was one of the better Lungren movies that I have seen in quite some time. It seems that since Rocky, Masters, Universal Soldier, and Red Scorpian, Dolph has taken the more independent movie route, which I don't mind, but you don't always get a a well rounded film in the process. This was a little closer to being a well rounded film. It was a little more straight forward then most of his recent films. Despite some of the bad acting(his wife in the movie) the film had a nice flow, some plot twists, good action sequences and a good ending. I would recommend this film to true action movie buffs.
More holes than a wheel of Swiss cheese.
killjoy220 September 1999
This movie was not what I expected of a movie with Dolph Lundgren. He must have needed the money pretty bad to do a film this poorly written. I have absolutely no idea what Anthony Hickox was thinking allowing some of the effects that were used. Bullets that go completely through one person (and punch them back several feet) are conveniently stopped by by a body so Dolph doesn't get shot. Stock footage that doesn't match the current scene, unless the White House and surrounding area have been relocated nearer to Utah and Nevada. And what in the world was up with the sergeant threatening to shoot the only person capable of flying the plane and delivering the weapon. While he is on board with him no less!. I will leave the wonderful thermal imaging and radar tracking for some one else to rip apart. This wasn't even good 'B' entertainment.
A good catch
wellthatswhatithinkanyway29 December 2000
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs
Strangely reminiscent of his earlier feature The Peacekeeper in a way,Storm Catcher is Dolph Lundgren's most solid,effective film of late.Directed with assured self style by Warlock helmer Anthony Hickox (who also stars inspiringly enough),this involvingly blends in impressive action scenes,character development and story telling to culminate into a thouroughly entertaining whole.The good,clean fun element of the story however,is ruined by some wanternly unnecessary bad language and bloodshed,which provide cactus stings in the back.Another funny query is if the bad guys went around America stealing company vans to perform their deeds.We see them in an ice cream van and what looks like a furniture company van.Why on earth would members of the milatary need to get themselves mobile in them?Still,it's near impossible to find an action film that doesn't have at least a trace of implausibilaty and weirdness in it.And speaking of which ,look out for Neighbour's Annalese Kimberly Davies as one of two extremely weird FBI agents who follow all the important characters around.***
Strangely reminiscent of his earlier feature The Peacekeeper in a way,Storm Catcher is Dolph Lundgren's most solid,effective film of late.Directed with assured self style by Warlock helmer Anthony Hickox (who also stars inspiringly enough),this involvingly blends in impressive action scenes,character development and story telling to culminate into a thouroughly entertaining whole.The good,clean fun element of the story however,is ruined by some wanternly unnecessary bad language and bloodshed,which provide cactus stings in the back.Another funny query is if the bad guys went around America stealing company vans to perform their deeds.We see them in an ice cream van and what looks like a furniture company van.Why on earth would members of the milatary need to get themselves mobile in them?Still,it's near impossible to find an action film that doesn't have at least a trace of implausibilaty and weirdness in it.And speaking of which ,look out for Neighbour's Annalese Kimberly Davies as one of two extremely weird FBI agents who follow all the important characters around.***
Filmed in 18 days?
telf-223 August 2007
Filmed in 18 days? It shows. The acting is mediocre, the soundtrack is reminiscent of an 80s movie, and the plot is full of holes. This COULD have been a good film, as the overall topic is good, and the filmography is excellent. This movie should have been a lot longer, to fill the holes. The acting and movie truly sucks, and can be blamed on the writing and directing. The actors seem to have done the best under the circumstances.
This movie is best watched on a boring night with a LOT of beer. This movie is billed as "Action/Adventure", but you need to view it almost as a comedy/action. It is, however, somewhat lacking in the comedy element. The humour is rather dry, and must be viewed as such. If you're patient, the movie offers a satisfying ending, and an easy, low-stress, viewing.
This movie is best watched on a boring night with a LOT of beer. This movie is billed as "Action/Adventure", but you need to view it almost as a comedy/action. It is, however, somewhat lacking in the comedy element. The humour is rather dry, and must be viewed as such. If you're patient, the movie offers a satisfying ending, and an easy, low-stress, viewing.
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