Castle Falls (2021) Poster

(2021)

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5/10
Lundgren returns to direction aft 11 years n we shud enjoy this movie with a wink.
Fella_shibby20 December 2021
Nowhere in the entire movie I saw the character of Lundgren wearing sunglasses, so how come in the poster he got one.

The plot has been done countless no of times before, none of the fights are brutal n the end a big piece of cake.

But still I enjoyed it cos of Lundgren n Adkins.
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5/10
Watchable, but ultimately a generic action thriller...
paul_haakonsen26 December 2021
Granted, I hadn't even heard about the 2021 action thriller "Castle Falls" prior to sitting down and watching it. But I figured that since the movie had the likes of Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren in the lead roles, then chances were that I would be in for a fair enough movie. And I will also say that the movie's cover/poster was actually interesting enough.

And now that I have seen "Castle Falls", I will say that it was watchable. But that was also about it. For an action movie, then writer Andrew Knauer just didn't really deliver anything outstanding or memorable. Everything in "Castle Falls" was essentially something that had been seen and done in a lot of other similar movies, and often better done.

It should be said that the action sequences in the movie were nice, and there were a fair amount of action sequences, so that definitely make up somewhat for the lack of originality in storyline and script. But, of course, there is only so much that pure action can do for a movie.

It was actually fun to watch Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren on the screen together in this movie, and they certainly made the movie bearable to sit through. And I will say that this 2021 movie definitely outranks a lot of Dolph Lundgren's previous low budget action movies, so a step in the right direction.

If you enjoy action movies, then by all means give "Castle Falls" a chance. Just don't set your expectations high.

My rating of director Dolph Lundgren's 2021 action thriller lands on a mediocre five out of ten stars.
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6/10
Good Action Thriller
BOOKSMART13 December 2021
Castle Falls is tightly scripted and efficiently directed film features Adkins and Dolph Lundgren. It is impressive to see these two martial arts action legends work together and play off of each other's strengths; both give strong performances. As for the action; the film does not disappoint it has well choreographed impressive fight scenes. It delivers solid entertainment, thrilling action sequences, some nail-biting tension broken up with some comic moments. Castle Falls won't please everyone as some will surely complain that it is slow at first but I feel that it was needed to set up the actions of the characters and make the audience care for the outcome. This is a smaller budgeted affair so don't go in expecting huge action set pieces.
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3/10
Cheap garbage
olegmaluhin7 December 2021
80% of the movie is sluggish mess of terrible camera work, primitive dialogue, bare bones stereotype story and very bad acting. Don't expect much action either. Beside a little scuffle at the beginning the first clash starts half way through the movie. There are few ok fights thanks to Scott Adkins but even those are far cry from his best work. Movie looks like it was shot, edited and colored with a phone and script was thought out on a spot. Essentially this is one of those films you can usually find on youtube since even right holders don't care about them.
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7/10
Nobody will talk about or remember this. But I'm glad I saw it.
Safetylight8 December 2021
This was an actual modern martial arts film. -Probably the first I've seen where the fights are based on what we currently know to be the most effective and real approach to hand to hand combat.

And it wasn't overdone. -It wasn't a bunch of guys from the gym deciding to make a movie. The story came first, and the fights made sense, the skills baked into the story rather than the story being an excuse for them. That's competence, right there. Competent scripting.

As for the realism... I mean, the moves were all recognized and real MMA tactics. Nobody walks away without getting hurt. Nobody flies through the air. And no 100 pound girls bring down man bears. (The film did feature a girl, and she fought like a girl. She was a mean b****, and you wouldn't want to run into her in a dark ally, but she was a girl and the script and action dealt with her very believably.)

And best of all.., it was a solid story featuring Good Guys and Bad Guys, and some grey guys in between. But the hero was.., heroic! Damn! How often do you see that?)

It was mid-budget, nothing fancy, nothing to mark it as a Block Buster or make it stick out in the culture swirl. Sadly, it won't be remembered. It didn't look like 'money', but it was competent and engaging and satisfying. Nothing about it was stupid. (Though, I was making "Hurry Up" motions with my hands at the hero when he found the money. "Get out! Go Go Go! Stop being.., a regular guy who isn't used to this kind of world and who is taking a moment to deal with a 3 Million Dollar windfall... Okay, I get it, but still... GO!")

But seriously. Competent. Engaging. Satisfying. Nothing stupid.

Those are pretty rock solid hashtags. In today's insane media landscape? Yes.

Recommended!
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1/10
Castle Falls Flatter than a pancake!
jscott-311681 January 2022
How on earth has this movie got such high ratings. Weak acting, weak plot, weak filming. It has nothing. It is awful. It's embarrassing.

There really is nothing positive to say. Enough said.
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7/10
You like Dolph Lundgren and Scott Adkins, do not complain! Enjoy!
frank-liesenborgs21 December 2021
Dolph Lundgren and Scott Adkins make a great couple in this action film. Not only as actors, also as producers. And Dolph directing! Do not expect a movie filled with needless action and fight scenes. This movie actually has a very good plot and the dialogues are well written (and executed....). This is a great action movie with a twist and suspense until the very end. The ageing hulk is on prime form, managing his directorial duties with acting. And again an excellent acting performance from Scott Adkins. He must be one of the most underrated actors. In this movie he clearly shows that he can do more than just kick ass. You like Dolph Lundgren and Scott Adkins, do not complain. Enjoy!
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2/10
Not worth it
kawasakikeith29 December 2021
2021 and they are still making these rubbish films. Terrible acting and dialogues. The only good part of the film was that it ended. I thought it would be nice to see Dolph in a new film but.....
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6/10
Ahh brek yu
Top_Dawg_Critic20 December 2021
Dolph Lundgren should just stick to acting, because his directing was terrible. Many scenes were too long, bad angles, with lots of amateur mistakes. For example, how did Lundgren's eyeglasses stay on everytime he got punched in the face lol? Even the scene cuts were bad and were missing the pro elements an experienced director would know. He also didn't direct his cast properly, as some actors seemed lost, while others where just too overbearing. The fight scenes were too long and poorly choreographed for the most part, although the action was good. The 90 min runtime felt much longer with the slow pacing, and there was just too much filler and very little substance. The entire cat and mouse chases were dragged out and boring - up some stairs, down some stairs, in a room, out of a room... repeat. However the premise of the story by novice writer Andrew Knauer was actually very creative and enjoyable. I just wish it had more substance, and it needed some plot-issues tuning. The casting and acting were decent (albeit lacking direction), and Lundgren's acting was spot on. But the star here was Scott Adkins, who pretty much carried the entire film. The score wasn't bad for a B film, and the cinematography was good. Had this film been directed by a seasoned filmmaker, it would've been a hit. If you're a fan of Lundgren and/or Adkins, you'll enjoy this one. It's a 6/10 from me.
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5/10
You don't have the killer instinct
nogodnomasters23 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Mike Wade (Scott Adkins) is a has-been fighter working construction, tearing down a building working for Lundgren Construction. Ericson (Dolph Lundgren) is a prison guard whose daughter has cancer and he doesn't have the money to pay for her treatments. Castle Falls is the building being torn down. It has 3 million in stolen money hidden in it. Scott finds it and then goes back for it at the same time the drug dealers are after it as is Ericson who finds out about the money from a prisoner. We end up in a three way fight.

Predictable with no twists.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
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8/10
Excellent Old School Style Action Thriller & Scott Adkins Is The Most Underrated Action Star Ever!!!
lukem-5276011 January 2022
Castle Falls, an action thriller crafted in the old school 80's & 90's action style. Think of walter Hill's Trespass (1992) & Carpenter's They Live (1988) for style & setting with its abandoned building/hospital setting & two guys after some hidden loot with a gang there to hunt them & with it's blue collar construction working average-joe heroe's especially Scott Adkins. Definitely Adkins character from his outfit/wardrobe to him punching in & working as a drifter construction worker is inspired by Carpenter's Cult movie hero Nada played by Roddy Piper in They Live. Adkins is a huge fan of They Live in real life. Here the excellent Scott Adkins, who i consider to be the most underrated actor & action star working today!!!, plays an ex-MMA fighter, Mike who is down-on-his-luck & takes a job as part of a Demolition crew at a huge abandoned hospital scheduled to be demolished very soon. Adkins is such a likeable actor & here he's got his British accent which is Awesome & he steals the film of course & delivers his finest performance. Now, director & star Dolph Lundgren has used Adkins probably the best I've seen him, he's allowed to act with emotions but still does kick-ass the way he does & how we love.

Adkins discovers some bags of cash (about 3 million dollars) hidden within the hospital & comes back to get them but in that time we get more characters entering the abandoned building for that some money. The money was hidden there some time ago by drug dealing scum who want it back & also we get a struggling father who is there for that money to pay for his daughters cancer treatment. Legendary action star Dolph Lundgren is Richard, a desperate father & prison warden & fits into the role nicely & proves he's a fine actor as well as an action star. Of course Adkins' blue-collar worker & Lundgren's desperate father team-up to take out the drug dealers & keep the money & what we get is a stripped-down & old school style action thriller made on a small-budget but packs a big punch. Dolph Lundgren has given us character we really like & care about with real reasons for their actions & a huge building to play in. Films like this show that you do not need a ridiculous mega "Hollywood" budget to make a good action film. Dolph Lundgren should be very proud of his movie what he & his crew have pulled off with limited funds & restrictions.

The building is Awesome, a huge place full of floors & elevator shafts for our heroes to do action. The setting was a real location so it came with it's realistic gritty look & natural screen presence. Dolph has directed a damn good & entertaining little action thriller & i loved it's one place, contained setting & thrilling brutal fight scenes as said before, Dolph really knows how to use Adkins on screen & the two have worked together many times before (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, Legendary, Expendables 2) & also Dolph shows he's a decent action director that has sprinkled his movie with drama & feeling. Yes Castle Falls is a low-budget B-movie really but a damn good one & it never out stays it's welcome with it's short running time, so yeah a damn good movie in my opinion. The look is of course pretty sharp looking as filmed with modern cameras but the story, style & characters feel old school.

I grew up watching & loving the action genre & consider Van Damme my favourite action star & think that Scott Adkins is pretty much the British version in some ways but of course he's his own Awesome action star in his own kick-ass right. Adkins would make the best Punisher or Batman ever.
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7/10
Castle Falls (2021) Was Worth The Wait.
tkdlifemagazine3 December 2021
Castle Falls (2021) Was Worth The Wait. When Taekwondo Life Magazine spoke to Scott Adkins in June, 2020 the production of Castle Falls had come to a halt as the world shut down during the height of the Global Coronavirus Pandemic. Earlier this year production on the film resumed, and it is set to hit theaters on Friday 3, 2021. Castle Falls was worth the wait-it is very good.

The tightly scripted and efficiently directed film features Adkins and fellow martial artist and action star Dolph Lundgren. As both "down and out" men's paths cross in their quest for $3 million hidden in an abandoned hospital they find themselves having to elude a ruthless gang in search of the money. The situation is accelerated by the near imminent demolition of the hospital where the quest is underway forcing an alliance in order to survive.

While this film does not have the same humor and chemistry of Adkins' Debt Collector buddy films, it is still impressive to see these two martial arts action legends work together and play off of each other's strengths. They both do a good job individually, and together, in demonstrating their acting and action skills. This is a small film with a big heart.

As for the action; the film does not disappoint. There is plenty of action and well choreographed fighting, including the great scenes where Adkins and Lundgren face off against each other. For a 90 minute film the audience is treated to a great sampling of Scott Adkins' martial arts and Taekwondo acumen. He is one of the most fun action stars to watch, on the scene today.

Lundgren is the film's Director, and he does a very good job. The film is visually accessible, past faced, and fun to watch. I applaud Lundgren for his direct approach to the story, the action, and the fight choreography. The abandoned hospital provides a visually interesting setting for the majority of the film's action. This film balances the action and the drama for a highly watchable end product.
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4/10
Just another action movie
carlos-pires12 December 2021
Castle Falls is just another action movie, based on a paper-thin plot with idiotic characters with zero backstory and highly questionable decisions.

It is worth the watch, if you're a fan of Lundgren and Atkins, which by my standard you should!

But let's face it: as a movie, this is pretty thin.
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4/10
Just weak
roxlerookie7 December 2021
This was just weak. I love the personal life story of Dolph Lundgren, and so I thought I'd watch his movie. While not bad, there was nothing new, fresh, smart, or visually special. Nothing was overly stupid but we've literally seen it all before. The execution was pretty decent, but couldn't we produce better stories and scripts? Uninspiring from A to Z.
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7/10
Delivers On The Action
stevendbeard5 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I saw Castle Falls, starring Scott Adkins-Doctor Strange, The Expendables 2; Dolph Lundgren-Aquaman, The Expendables movies; Scott Hunter-The Accountant, Army Wives_tv and Ida Lundgren-Command Performance is her only other movie so this is her second one.

This is an action movie that delivers on the action and it's directed by one of it's stars, Dolph Lundgren. Scott A. Plays an MMA fighter that is down on his luck-he is still good, just down on his luck. He can't get a fight because of previous injuries and he is living out of his car. He finds a job as a day laborer cleaning out Castle Heights Hospital of any salvageable materials before it is to be demolished. Dolph plays a prison guard with a sick daughter, Ida-his real life daughter, by the way-and needs lots of money for her cancer treatments when he hears about a drug dealer that hid $3 million in a hospital that is going to be torn down. You want to guess which hospital? Scott H. Plays the bad guy that just wants his drug money. While cleaning out the hospital, Scott A. Finds the money and then all the players converge on the same goal of getting their hands on the $3 million before the Castle Falls. Of course, there is a 90 minute time clock ticking away before the building is to be flattened so...... If you like martial arts action, you should be satisfied-I do and I was.

It's not rated but it has violence and language and has a running time of 1 hour & 27 minutes.

I enjoyed it and would buy it on DVD.
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Castle Falls (Fails)
lakes-490684 December 2021
Contrary to other reviews.. Most folks have gotten used to crappy Movies so this one MAY, seem good.. BUT NO this is another,Weak Script,Poor Acting (Including the Lead), sound quality is Low,story line has too many jumps,bringing in more crap actors,resulting in a.jumbled story...leading to "Beam me Up Scotty"...get me out of here and a Big NO !!!!
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1/10
Another worst action film! Full of boring conversation, and annoying overuse scene! Not recommended!
kwenchow29 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This film start with two man fighting, and the flashbacks of earlier scene! As turnout, this film is about two men(Mike, and Richard need to retrieve the money inside a hospital, and survive from the killing of the people who own it, before the hospital been blow up! Entire film full of boring conversation, and annoying overuse scene! Such as, overuse of the walking scene, overuse of the searching scene, overuse of the arguing scene, overuse of the calling names scene, overuse of the staring scene, overuse of the flashbacks scene, overuse of the punching card scene, overuse of the running scene, overuse of the song playing at the background scene, overuse of the throwing things scene, overuse of the hiding scene, overuse of the driving scene, and overuse of the talking on the phone scene! Make the film unwatchable! All the action scene have blood at certain point, but overall portray by sideways, long angle, and occur in too short of time! Make the film frustrated to watch! At the end, Mike split the money with Richard! Richard capture the man "Damien" for the prisoner who tip him the money hidden place at the very end! That's it! Wasting time to watch!
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7/10
Better than expected (I watched Apex before this one!)
rxprtgama10 December 2021
Yes, I watched that Apex abomination from Bruce Willis and I wondered how bad can this low budget ($1.5m) be, from our friends Lundgren and Adkins.

I was ready for a disaster and it did start slow and emotional, kind of depressing, but then it changed gears up and up, it got action, humor, blood, tears, in a more rounded package than the usual action movies.

The fights were violent and dirty, the way a street fight should be.

The ending was cooler than a big truck doing donuts at the golf course (on Bruce Willis retirement home) and then rolling coal on Bruce Willis! :D The lesson is that when underdogs get a windfall, it never comes in a silver plate, nope, it comes chained to two big raging bulldogs and it will take a lot of guts and blood to get it.
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5/10
At the top end of rubbish
staunton-gary31 December 2021
Low budget, or amateur production, whatever, it's an average movie with nothing exciting going on. Some of the action felt a little slow. With a bigger budget, better pace and better choreography, this may have got above average. Shame that Scott Adkins can't score a good movie role. I'd recommend it, just don't expect much.
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7/10
Not bad, worth a watch
leeangus-0935827 December 2021
So I watched two movies over the holidays, the new matrix movie and Castle Falls. I lasted 40 minutes with the Matrix before I walked out of the Cinema, it was that bad and boring. I watched the full Castle Falls movie. Was Castle Falls the best movie ever? No, but it had enough to keep me interested in watching. The plot was quite interesting, the action was good and the acting was all good, way better than the new Matrix. IT would be nice to see Scott and Dolph star in a movie that had the budget of the Matrix, I am sure it would be 100 times better than the drivel big budget films that Hollywood is producing at the moment.
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4/10
nah
batoolbaloonhead28 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Prior to sitting down and watching it. But I figured that since the movie had the likes of Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren in the lead roles, then chances were that I would be in for a fair enough movie. And I will also say that the movie's cover/poster was actually interesting enough.
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8/10
Satisfying with pporting skilled choreographed action sequences!
Robi19464 December 2021
At its heart, Castle Falls is an action thriller first and foremost, with Lundgren and Adkins emerging as veterans of the genre in unique, interesting ways. Keeping the budgetary constraints and the circumstances of the pandemic in mind, the resulting fight choreography sequences executed throughout Castle Falls are more than satisfactory, offering enthralling moments!
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7/10
Two legends adding yet another win to their careers!
derek-a-charette10011 December 2021
While Dolph has already proven himself worthy of legendary status after nearly 40 YEARS, Scott Adkins is well on his way of carving out his own legacy of greatness. Not only is he a really good actor, but his martial arts scenes are also the real deal. Scott is a machine!

How many movies can one person possibly produce each year? Not only is he a co-producer, but he is responsible for the lead acting role, in a film that is full of action and stunts, in which he is performing virtually all of the action scenes himself. He is beating up his body and injuring himself constantly, but he still keeps acting through the pain and exhaustion.

Adkins and Dolph both have the talent to bring emotional storylines to the action and build great characters as well. Therefore, I come to expect these qualities in their movies.

In general, most of the time, not even A-list high budget Hollywood action movies can capture my attention and not bore me to sleep. Both Adkins and Dolph seem to steer away from the typical annoying love stories that nearly all action movies lazily use to attempt to give some sort of substance and story behind the action.
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2/10
How much do get paid to give this more than 2 stars?
lars-andersson-253-3964365 December 2021
Weak story, bad plot, bad flow, incredibly bad - I mean really bad - acting. Sometimes so bad so I felt physically ill. Cannot think about anything that was good about this movie. I don't know what more to say, but I lost 1.5h of my life to this and should probably sue someone for that.
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3/10
Half baked. Half good. Just too many silly plot turns. It'll still do as a B-movie, because it has some good fights.
imseeg3 January 2022
Actor Dolph Lundgren directed this movie and together with actor Scot Adkins produced it as well. They both had full control to make something really decent, because they were paying for and directing this movie, but there still are way too many silly plot turns, that just completely ruin the litlle bit of suspense.

It is not meant to be a comedy, but these silly plot turns are so laughably bad. Such a shame...

Not any good? Well the fights are good. Dolph Lundgren and Scot Adkins are good.

If you dont mind silly plot turns and if you also dont mind a rather SLOW story, with not much fighting then this could be your pick.
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