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Pentathlon (film)

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Pentathlon
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBruce Malmuth
Written byWilliam Stadiem
Bruce Malmuth
Gary DeVore
Produced byMartin E. Caan
StarringDolph Lundgren
David Soul
CinematographyMisha Suslov
Edited byJoseph Gutowski
Richard Nord
Music byDavid Spear
Production
company
Red Orm Productions / Pentathlon Productions / PFG Entertainment
Distributed byLive Entertainment
Release dates
  • January 1, 1994 (1994-01-01) (Singapore[1])
  • July 8, 1994 (1994-07-08) (United States[1])
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
German
Korean
Budget$4 million[2]

Pentathlon is a 1994 American action thriller film directed by Bruce Malmuth, who also wrote the screenplay with Gary DeVore and William Stadiem. The film stars Dolph Lundgren as an East German Olympic gold medalist pentathlete on the run from a lethal coach (David Soul). This was the very final and last feature film of director Bruce Malmuth before his death on June 29, 2005.[1] The film was marketed with the tagline: "Play to win. If you lose, you die".

Plot

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After winning a gold medal for East Germany in the pentathlon in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, athlete Eric Brogar (Dolph Lundgren) flees from his abusive trainer, Heinrich Mueller (David Soul) and the Olympic team.

Eight years later, Mueller is no longer a trainer. He has become a neo-Nazi terrorist, responsible for a series of attacks on German government officials, and Mueller has discovered that Eric is in Los Angeles. Brogar had become a self-pitying boozehound until his talents were spotted by his diner-owning boss John Creese (Roger E. Mosley). Still smarting over Eric's defection, Mueller beats Eric's father Rudolph Brogar (Erik Holland) to death before flying to Los Angeles. While Eric reunites with his former girlfriend Julia Davis (Renee Coleman), who hones his endurance skills at her dad's woodland retreat, Mueller joins forces with neo-Nazi sympathizers including Eric's former rival Rhinehardt (Daniel Riordan).

At a peace rally, Mueller and his thugs plot to assassinate a rabbi and an ambassador while spreading a hate message on cable television. After viciously beating up Julia's father Vic Davis (Philip Bruns) and shooting Creese, Mueller and his thugs kidnap Eric, who retaliates by wiping out most of the neo-Nazis. Later, at another Olympic pentathlon finals, Eric not only triumphs, but he also ends up shooting Mueller dead in self-defense at the end when Mueller tries to kill him at the finish line.

Cast

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Release

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Theatrical

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In Singapore, this film was officially premiered on New Year's Day 1994 by Singapore Broadcasting Corporation.[1] In United States this film was officially premiered on July 8, 1994.[1] and in Indonesia, this film was officially very first and final last premiered on tenth day of Ramadhan 1425 Hijriah (24 October) 2004 by RCTI.[1]

Reception

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Critical response

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Eoin Friel from The Action Elite gave Pentathlon 3.5 out of five stars. He praised for its originality, concluding: "Overall, If it’s wall to wall action you’re looking for then Pentathlon isn’t for you but if you’re willing to watch Dolph try something very different then it’s definitely worth a look."[3] David Brook from Blue Print: Review gave the film three out of five stars, stating: "So, if you're a fan of cheesy 80's/90's action curios you'll probably find yourself buying into this film like I did, but if your mind ever stops to think about what you're watching you will see it for the ridiculous trash that it is."[4] Anthony Nield from The Digital Fix gave "Pentathlon" 5 out 10, saying: "Pentathlon is an awful piece of filmmaking but that’s not to say it doesn’t entertain."[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f PENTATHLON Full Movie | Dolph Lundgren | Action Movies | The Midnight Screening
  2. ^ "Budget". IMDB. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  3. ^ Friel, Eoin (21 May 2014). "Pentathlon (1994)". The Action Elite. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  4. ^ Brook, David (27 July 2012). "Pentathlon". Blue Print: Review.
  5. ^ Nield, Anthony. "Pentathlon". The Digital Fix. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
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