Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.5

Dollman Blu-ray Movie Review

Dollman doles out justice.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 17, 2015

If big things come in small packages, then Brick Bardo must be one heck of a guy. Dollman follows the pint-sized alien cop's exploits on Earth in a fun, if not hugely campy, 1991 flick directed by Albert Pyun (Cyborg, Captain America), a love-him-or-hate-him sort of filmmaker known, primarily, for lower budget cheese (though Cyborg, in this reviewer's opinion, is an excellent example of style and acting on a budget saving a movie from disaster). Dollman is classic Pyun, a movie that's small in scope and stature but fairly big on style, if not somewhat corny and goofy at times. The movie stretches its resources further than they should reasonably go, which is both classic Pyun and classic Full Moon. Theirs is a collaboration, then, that makes a lot of sense in the context of Pyun's career peak and Full Moon's heyday. Dollman could have benefited from a larger budget (not to mention modern digital technology) but the movie is surprisingly robust and convincing considering all of the limitations surrounding it. The result is a movie that, aside from a few unconvincing optical effects and a godawful 90s-style "bad guy" musical refrain that plays over, and over...and over, holds up well and proves enjoyably entertaining while remaining fairly novel to boot.

Lil Deth.

Brick Bardo (Tim Thomerson) is a hard-nosed cop from the planet Arturos. His methods aren't pretty, but he and his overpowered handgun get results. When Bardo is forced to confront his most dangerous enemy -- a man by the name of Sprug (Frank Collison) who has literally been reduced to nothing but a functioning head -- he kills a couple of thugs but is forced into an interstellar pursuit. Both ships enter a slip in space and wind up crash-landing on Earth where Bardo discovers he's a fraction of the size of the world's normal human inhabitants. He's picked up by a do-gooder named Debbie (Kamala Lopez-Dawson) who lives only to raise her son right and clean up her city's crime-infested streets. Meanwhile, Sprug is collected by a couple of street thugs whom the alien uses as tools in a quest to conquer the world. Now, Bardo finds himself caught in the middle of both a street war and an intergalactic conflict in which the fate of the universe hangs in the balance.

Dollman manages to bring together a blend of grit and style that serves the story well. It's limited in scope and often feels stuck and confined in what are obviously some low-rent locations -- even those that pass for an alien world that were likely filmed in the same vicinity as the Earth-based second and third acts -- but they look the part, particularly in conjunction with a number of supportive pieces that make the movie feel a little larger and play a bit smarter. While the story is nothing new, really, the dynamic is fairly novel, and the performances are good enough to mask what is otherwise a cramped, straightforward movie and allow it to breathe. The movie, like other, better lower budget affairs, is built around the budget. Never does Dollman feel like it's pushing too hard or stretching beyond its means. Pyun finds a satisfying middle ground in which the penny pinching and skimping are obvious -- such as shooting in those nondescript locations and not trying to be overly fancy on the alien world -- but never to the absolute detriment of the story. Add in some good performances, particularly from reliable Full Moon veteran Tim Thomerson, and it's easy to see why the movie works as well as it does, even with quite a bit going against it.

It's too bad that Dollman's title and poster tagline essentially give the movie's gag away, because it would have made for a terrific twist to start the second act. There's something to be said for going into a movie blind, and the twist here is strong enough to warrant something more of a surprise. Still, it all works relatively well, and the movie gets a good bit of mileage out of the gag, whether it's simple things like Debbie's ability to essentially carry around Bardo's spacecraft to more complex ideas like the notion that Bardo's blaster can literally rip someone his size to pieces but that only wounds, and rarely kills, folks on Earth. The film manages to sell the idea of large-versus-small with a convincing feel. It doesn't often resort to special effects but instead smart editing and perspective to show and tell the story, with only some muddy optical effects thrown in to reinforce the idea when necessary. Generally, however, it's juxtaposition and careful set design that make the movie work more so than raw visuals, though it would certainly be fun to see Dollman reborn in the digital age where a more seamless exploration of the concept could really work (and it's already been tested in movies like Little Man).

Dollman Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dollman's 1080p transfer generally satisfies, and frequently looks quite good, but it's plagued by some smaller issues that detract rather considerably from the overall experience. When it's on, the movie looks great. The film elements are presented with a moderately heavy grain structure that helps accentuate details but that does give way to a somewhat pastier and cleaner appearance in spots, almost entirely early on in the first act. Once the action shifts to Earth, the image tightens up considerably with a more flattering filmic texture and better accentuated details, evident particularly in human faces and bits of rubble and debris. Indeed, close-ups are strikingly rich and filled with little detail, with special emphasis on Sprug's grimy head and rotting teeth. Colors are flat in the film's open, but again as the action moves to Earth the palette brightens up a bit and produces clothing and terrain hues with commendable accuracy. Black levels, however, aren't perfect, ranging from lightly pale and purple to slightly crushed but generally finding an acceptable middle ground. Skin tones don't appear problematic. The image suffers from a number of speckles, pops, and a couple of stray vertical lines. It wobbles to excess in several places, particularly early on when Bardo confronts the hostage-taker on his home world. It's as if the telecine machine was operated on top of a waterbed considering how badly the picture moves in waves. Still, the good outweighs the bad. There's a strong transfer in here but one that's lessened by some annoyances that aren't often overtly problematic in the moment but that do add up over time.

Dollman Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dollman lacks a lossless audio option; this Blu-ray features only a Dolby Digital 5.1 track (in addition to a 2-channel Dolby Digital offering). The film opens with a nicely presented musical intro, with wide, healthy spacing and a firm, constant surround support. Clarity and weight are impressive, though the midrange can sound a little muddy. Music that plays later in the film often feels a bit less sturdy and aggressive, often playing underneath rather than on top while lacking the width and depth of the opening title score. Gunfire and explosions enjoy adequate oomph and good clarity, particularly the laser blast sound effects that play with each trigger pull on Bardo's high-powered pistol. There's not much in the way of immersive ambient effects and the front-and-center action stays largely up across the front end of the stage. Dialogue does come through cleanly and efficiently from the center. This is a decent enough track but one that may leave more discerning listeners wanting something a little juicier.

Dollman Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Dollman contains a vintage featurette, a new sit-down, and a large assortment of trailers.

• Videozone (480i, 7:41): A brief making-of that features a story recap and cast and interviews that offer a look at special effects, a discussion on the process of acting to the size differences, characters, and Bardo's powerful weapon.
• Tim Thomerson & Charles Band Video July 2013 (1080p, 5:44): The film's writer and its lead actor sit down to discuss some news from the Full Moon universe in celebration of the Dollman Blu-ray release.
• Lost Pulse Pounders 1988 Promo (480i, 1:20): A montage trailer for several Full Moon pictures.
• Original Dollman Trailer (480i, 1:17).
• Trancers Trailers (480i): 1 (2:50), 2 (3:04), 3 (3:15), 4 (1:54), and 5 (1:25).
• Full Moon Trailers (1080p/1080i): Unlucky Charms, Ooga Booga, Puppet Master X, Reel Evil, Castle Freak, Subspecies, Puppet Master 3, and Grindhouse Promo.

Dollman Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dollman is a rock-solid entertainer, simply yet smartly constructed with its limitations in mind. What could have been a disaster on a low budget is instead a fun little example of smart filmmaking and simple design mastering a clear lack of resources. While the film's pedestrian sets and filming locations leave a bit to be desired (even if they do satisfy core movie requirements) and some of the optical effects look pretty bad, the overall feel and flow is excellent thanks to a tight script, an interesting idea, good pacing, and strong lead performances. It's not a movie that will change the world, but Sci-Fi fans will find plenty to like in this entertaining little slice of moviemaking that is, literally, all about the little guy overcoming big odds. Full Moon's Blu-ray release of Dollman could have been improved with a deeper collection of supplements, a more carefully presented video transfer, and a lossless audio track, but it's still a good value for fans and newcomers alike, provided a low price point. Recommended.