I’d have liked to have been a fly on the wall at the production meeting where the idea of ‘Dolph Lundgren, zombies and killer robots’ was first mooted.

But here it is, Battle Of The Damned, a breakneck 90-minute action romp that features – you’ve guessed it – Dolph, zombies and killer robots.

The end result is certainly not a great film, but it sure as hell is entertaining.

Lundgren plays Max Gatling, a major sent in to an unnamed Asian city that has been quarantined after the outbreak of a deadly virus.

His mission is to locate and rescue the missing daughter of a rich businessman, who bankrolls Gatling and his crew’s efforts.

That all sounds fairly routine, but the catch is that the virus has turned the inhabitants of the city into a ravenous horde in the vein of 28 Days Later.

Gatling does indeed find daughter Jude (Melanie Zanetti), but only after his other soldiers have been wiped out – forcing the major to join forces with a ragtag bunch that have survived within the city’s walls, led by Duke (David Field).

Things don’t look great for the gang, only for a further twist with the arrival of a troop of killer robots, who set about wiping the streets clean of the zombie menace, offering Gatling and co the chance to make their break for freedom.

It’s all incredibly fast-paced stuff, with the film quickly moving from one set piece to another.

Dolph doesn’t try to do too much – indeed more is made of him getting on a bit, from scenes of him whipping out a pair of glasses to study a map, to struggling painfully in scenes that require him to run.

But he still has the charisma, and certainly carries the film a whole lot better than some of the sluggish efforts he’s turned out recently.

Zanetti makes for a feisty female lead, while there is solid support from the likes of Matt Doran and Jen Sung.

The action is key here though, with plenty of violence on offer – from gunfights to machete slicing to killer robot mowdowns.

It’s all enjoyable stuff, and clocking in at just 88 minutes Battle Of The Damned most definitely holds the attention.

And if you don’t expect too much, you’ll probably find yourself having a good time.

EXTRAS: None

About The Author

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Simon is a journalism tutor in London, who also just happens to be a movie fanatic, with a craving for the darker side of cinema. He has written three books - on the horror films of director Bob Clark (2014), the history of the character Norman Bates (2015) and the work of British exploitation director Pete Walker (2017). He is currently working with director Richard Loncraine to explore all avenues in a bid to orchestrate the re-release of 1978 Mia Farrow chiller Full Circle