Bullet Points: Puncture Wounds
In this edition of Bullet Points I take a look at the Cung Le/Dolph Lundgren film, Puncture Wounds. Or as it was originally titled A Certain Justice.
- The Premise: Cung Le plays John Nguyen, a soldier suffering from PTSD, who comes to the aid of a prostitute who is being harassed in the parking lot of the seedy motel he is staying at. Unbeknownst to John, the asses he is kicking belong to members of a gang of drug dealers and criminals led by Hollis (Dolph Lundgren). In classic “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” fashion, Hollis then has John’s family burnt alive which puts John on the fast track for vengeance.
- When He’s Bad He’s Better: I know I’ve said it before, but I prefer my Dolph Lundgren to be on the side of evil. He can play the hero effectively, but I think he’s at his best as the villain. In Puncture Wounds there is absolutely nothing redeeming about him. He is a scum bag. The greasy haired wig was a brilliant choice because it really gives him the look of a guy you know you don’t want to be anywhere near. And he’s also the kind of guy you want to see the hero thrash!
- Our Hero: I’ve only seen the work of Cung Le once before, that being in Dragon Eyes, and I can definitely see some progression from that movie to this one in terms of Le’s acting. I don’t think he’ll be competing for roles with Leonardo DiCaprio, but he’s progressing. One area where he needs no work is in the physicality department. Le looks the part of a guy who could take out an entire gang with his bare hands, because I’m pretty sure he can.
Puncture Wounds is currently streaming on Netflix and if you are looking for some action to heat up a cold winter’s night, this one will get the job done. It is the classic tale of vigilante justice, with John (and some help from his friend and fellow veteran, J.P.) taking matters into his own hands despite the police, specifically Sgt. Mitchell, offering to help. As they say, if you want the job done right you may as well do it yourself.
Here are a few more Puncture Wounds related Bullet Points…
- Flashback Fest?: When John Nguyen’s PTSD is quickly established in the film, I feared this movie would be another Flashback Fest like Dragon Eyes, but surprisingly the flashbacks were kept to a minimum.
- Happy Birthday Vinnie: If Cung Le and Dolph Lundgren aren’t enough action stars for you in one movie, Vinnie Jones has a small role in the film as well. Today is actually Vinnie’s birthday. So Happy Birthday to our favorite former English Football League player turned action star!
- Bruce Lee T-Shirts: At one point in the film, John and his boy J.P. (Jonathan Kowalsky) are sporting some pretty cool Bruce Lee t-shirts. Although I did find it strange that they were both wearing the exact same Bruce Lee T-shirt. Did they call each other?
