Bullet Points: Wanted Man (2024)
Dolph Lundgren holds the Bulletproof Action record for being the action star that has been covered the most times.
One Dolph project that has been on our radar for quite a while (and in development even longer) is 2024’s Wanted Man (now available on Digital and VOD). Wanted Man is a movie that is as Dolph as it gets! Dolph is the director, Dolph is one of the writers and Dolph is also the star of the movie…
- Turn Out the Lights: The movie begins near the California/Mexico border with a drug deal that is about to go horribly wrong. Two undercover DEA agents are about to make a buy from a fun loving drug dealer. This transaction is just as much a drug deal as it is a party… that is until some heavily armed masked guys in tactical gear storm into the warehouse. The DEA agents identify themselves and it appears one of the masked men even recognizes one of them… but the DEA agents are shot anyway as is everybody else in the warehouse… or should I say ALMOST everyone. Two hookers that were working the party, Rosa and Leticia end up escaping… the masked men go after them, but to no avail.
- Life’s a Beach: The opening credits begin and that’s where we see Mike Johansen doing his morning workout, which includes a run on the beach, hitting the heavy bag and some weight training. Mike then gets ready for work and flips on the news where the top story concerns citizens picketing the police station after video leaked of a blatant case of police brutality. We soon find out that Johansen was the cop that did the brutalizing of an illegal alien from Mexico. Johansen’s boss, Chief Hernandez (Roger Cross, 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown) has the bright idea that Johansen, who has been painted as a Mexican hating cop by the media, go down to Mexico and escort Rosa and Leticia to the United States to testify in the case of the slain DEA agents. Later that night Johansen debates his “trip” to Mexico while he’s hanging out at his favorite strip club with his cop buddy Hilts and two retired cops, Brynner (Kelsey Grammer, Money Plane) and Tinelli (Michael Paré, Merchant of Death)… all of Johansen’s friends try to talk him out of it, but Johansen is going to be a good solider and do what Hernandez has asked.
- South of the Border: Johansen arrives in Mexico, meets up with Officer De La Cruz and after going through necessary paperwork, the two lawmen pick up Rosa and Leticia from the correctional facility and make their way to the border. Things are going relatively smoothly, until a police car pulls up alongside them and the cop in the passenger seat shoots De La Cruz in the head… next up is a roadside shootout with Johansen taking out the two dirty cops, Leticia ending up dead and Johansen himself severely wounded. Things don’t look good for Johansen as he passes out on the pavement under the hot Mexican sun…. when he wakes up, he is handcuffed to a bed at Rosa’s cousin’s house, where he is being forced to rest after receiving medical attention. Meanwhile, the news is now reporting that Johansen is on the run with Rosa after killing the Federales!
- On the Mend: Rosa is willing to return to the United States with Johansen to testify and drops the bombshell that she believes the men that killed the DEA agents were dirty American cops! Johansen checks in with Hernandez, before having lunch with Rosa’s NOT on the take cop brother, Miguel. When Miguel learns about Rosa’s plans on returning to the United States to testify, he forbids it… until he can’t. Cartel members have tracked Rosa and Johansen down and that leads to a massive and bloody shootout. After the dust settles, it is obvious Mexico is not going to be a safe place for Rosa and Johansen, so Miguel relents that it’s probably for the best that they return to the United States after all. And Johansen has just the guy that can help make sure they get across the border safely, his main man Brynner… surely nothing could go wrong now… right?!?!
Last week it was The Beekeeper, this week it is Wanted Man… 2024 is off to a strong start where action movies are concerned. Watching Wanted Man you can tell that this story and the character of Johansen were near and dear to Dolph Lundgren’s heart, which makes a difference. This one probably won’t be anyone’s favorite Dolph Lundgren, but it stands out none the less.
After hearing about this movie for years, I felt like Wanted Man was worth the wait. And for those of you waiting for the Bonus Bullet Points, the wait is over…
- If You Ever: …wanted to see Dolph Lundgren watch some telenovelas, then Wanted Man is the movie for you.
- Millennium Media: Wanted Man was produced by Millennium Media which made it all the more special that the movie featured so many Nu Image/Millennium alumni. Obviously there is Dolph who starred in Bridge of Dragons and The Mechanik back in the Nu Image days… Kelsey Grammer joined Dolph in The Expendables 3... Michael Paré starred in Nu Image productions Merchant of Death and Lunarcop… And last but not least, there’s Michael Worth, who wrote the movie alongside Dolph, and starred in the #1 movie on our Ultimate Nu Image Countdown, U.S. Seals II.
- If You Ever: …wanted to see Dolph Lundgren fire a shotgun while he is handcuffed to a bed, then Wanted Man is the movie for you.
