10 Best Action Movies Where Dolph Lundgren Is The Hero

Summary Lundgren excelled in both hero and villain roles, showcasing his versatility as an action star.

Despite narrative weaknesses, "Castle Falls" delivered on intense action sequences led by Lundgren.

Lundgren's portrayal of He-Man in "Masters of the Universe" solidified his status as a cult classic action hero.

The action star Dolph Lundgren was most known for his villain roles, but he’s played an action hero in plenty of instances. Although readily associated with Ivan Drago from Rocky IV or Sgt. Andrew Scott in Universal Solider, Lundgren was just as adept at saving the day and fighting for what was right. As a writer, director, and performer, Lundgren has had many fantastic roles in B-movie action films, direct-to-video smashes, and several beloved cult classics that, although some flopped upon release, have been since reappraised as underappreciated gems.

While he often struggled with being typecast in villainous roles, some of Lundgren’s strongest characters had him cast as the hero. For the past 45 years, Lundgren has carved out his place as an action movie legend, and it's important to recognize his many successes as a compelling onscreen hero and not focus primarily on his incredible skill at portraying a villain. Some of the greatest Lundgren movies had him playing the hero who saved the day.

10 Castle Falls (2021)

Dolph Lundgren as Richard Ericson

Castle Falls Where to Watch *Availability in US stream

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buy Not available Not available Not available Director Dolph Lundgren Release Date December 3, 2021 Writers Andrew Knauer Cast Kim DeLonghi , Kevin Wayne , Scott Hunter , Dolph Lundgren , Luke Hawx , Scott Adkins , Jim E. Chandler Runtime 87 minutes Expand

Dolph Lundgren’s Castle Falls was a well-crafted action thriller that, unfortunately, lacked narrative clarity. Directed by and starring Lundgren, this story about two broken men in a race against time featured intense and well-choreographed action sequences but lost points for a weak and muddled storyline. Castle Falls explored rival gangs who sought millions of dollars hidden in a hospital due for demolition, and the men who came for the man who found the loot.

Lundgren brought emotional stakes and depth to his role of Richard Ericson in an otherwise lackluster narrative as he posed as a prison guard and sought the money to pay for his daughter’s cancer treatment. While this plotline acted as Ericson’s motivation, Castle Falls was an action-thriller first and foremost, delivering on shootouts, hand-to-hand combat, and goons who met end by falling through elevator shafts. Despite some narrative flaws, Castle Falls was an enjoyable late-career action film from Lundgren.

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9 Masters of the Universe (1987)

Dolph Lundgren as He-Man

Masters of the Universe (1987) Masters of the Universe is the first live-action movie based on Mattel's iconic 5.5-inch action figure line. The movie was released in 1987 and starred Dolph Lundgren. Despite the toys and animated series still being very popular in the late '80s, the live-action film received largely negative reviews and was a disappointment at the box office for The Cannon Group, Inc. Director Gary Goddard Release Date August 7, 1987 Studio(s) The Cannon Group, Inc. Distributor(s) The Cannon Group, Inc. Writers David Odell Cast Dolph Lundgren , Frank Langella , Courteney Cox , James Tolkan , Christina Pickles , Meg Foster , Robert Duncan McNeill Runtime 106 Minutes Franchise(s) Masters of the Universe Budget $22 Million Expand

Dolph Lundgren truly embodied the Mattel hero He-Man in the 1987 fantasy action movie Masters of the Universe. As the most powerful man in the universe, Lundgren played the iconic character to perfection in a B-movie fun-filled adventure that co-starred Frank Langella as the sinister warlord Skeletor. While Masters of the Universe was a flop at the time of its release, in the years since, it has developed a reputation as an underappreciated cult classic.

As Lundgren’s first leading role following the success of Rocky IV, Masters of the Universe was Lundgren’s chance to prove his leading-man potential. A sequel had been planned, but following the failure of Masters of the Universe and other movies such as Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and Lifeforce, the company Cannon Films was bought out (via LA Times.) The costumes and sets made for the Masters of the Universe sequel were then repurposed for Jean-Claude Van Damme's 1989 sci-fi film Cyborg (via CBR.)

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Related New Live-Action Masters Of The Universe Movie Is Flipping A Huge Part Of Dolph Lundgren's 1987 Disaster The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie is flipping the biggest problem with the 1987 version – but it might still suffer for it.

8 Bridge of Dragons (1999)

Dolph Lundgren as Warchild

Bridge of Dragons (1999) The tough and cold mercenary Warchild, is working for the man who took care of his war training and upbringing, the greedy General Ruechang. Ruechang is planning to take over the country by marrying Princess Halo. But Halo discovers that Ruechang killed her father to gain more power than he had working for the King, so she decides to run away. Warchild is the one who has to bring her back to Ruechang, but the one thing no one counted on happens... Warchild and Halo falls in love, and together they take on the forces of Ruechang...

Dolph Lundgren had an opportunity to show off his action-hero side in Bridge of Dragons, a story about a tough mercenary torn between loyalty to his general and saving the woman he loved. With high-intensity action, plenty of gunfights, and a take-no-prisoners attitude, Lundgren played Warchild, a man raised to be violent by the greedy General Ruechang. Ruechang sought to take over a country by marrying Princess Halo, but she ran away. Warchild was then tasked with retrieving her, although one thing he never expected to find was romance.

While Bridge of Dragons won’t go down in history as the greatest action movie of all time, it was a lot of fun and delivered on its promise of outrageous, action-packed thrills. Set in a post-apocalyptic feudal world where everybody's armed with machine guns, Lundgren continually kicked ass as he racked up an impressive body count. While there were no dragons in sight and very few bridges, Bridge of Dragons will certainly please B-movie action lovers.

7 Skin Trade (2014)

Dolph Lundgren as Detective Nick Cassidy

Skin Trade (2014) Skin Trade is an action thriller directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham, featuring Dolph Lundgren and Tony Jaa. The film follows a New York City detective's quest for vengeance against a Serbian gang, leading him to team up with a Thai detective. Together, they aim to dismantle a human trafficking ring. Also starring Ron Perlman and Michael Jai White, Skin Trade explores themes of justice and retribution. Director Ekachai Uekrongtham Release Date November 7, 2014 Studio(s) Thorbak , Baumgarten Management and Productions (BMP) , SC Films International , SC International Pictures , Thor Pictures Writers Gabriel Dowrick , Dolph Lundgren , John Hyams Cast Dolph Lundgren , tony jaa , Ron Perlman , celina jade , Michael Jai White Runtime 96 Minutes Budget 10000000.0 Main Genre Thriller Expand

The thriller Skin Trade featured an action-movie dream team combination of Dolph Lundgren and martial arts star Tony Jaa. With non-stop action and a script co-written by Lundgren, Skin Trade highlighted human trafficking in Southeast Asia as a New York City detective teamed up with a Thai officer and sought revenge on the human trafficking syndicate responsible for the death of his family. Ron Perlman played a Serbian mob boss, Viktor Dragović, which added to an already impressive cast.

Skin Trade delivered on its promise of non-stop action, and Lundgren was given a chance to play the hero Detective Nick Cassidy, but there were also so many action movie cliches and tropes throughout that it at times felt bordering on parody. With an overly complex plot and plenty of twists and turns, Skin Trade was enjoyable but failed to reach the highs of Lundgren’s best work. It’s one worth checking out for sure, as its spectacular action and stellar cast made up for its derivative qualities.

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6 Men Of War (1994)

Dolph Lundgren as Nick Gunar

Men of War (1994) Men of War is an action film directed by Perry Lang starring Dolph Lundgren as Nick Gunar, a mercenary hired to lead a team on a mission to an island in Southeast Asia. Their objective is to secure the island for a corporation seeking its rich resources. However, Gunar and his team face moral dilemmas and opposition from the island’s inhabitants as the mission progresses. Director Perry Lang Release Date September 3, 1994 Studio(s) MDP Worldwide , Pomarance Corporation , Signature Pictures , Dimension Films Writers John Sayles , Ethan Reiff , Cyrus Voris Cast Dolph Lundgren , Charlotte Lewis , BD Wong , Tim Guinee , Catherine Bell Runtime 103 Minutes Budget 8600000.0 Main Genre Action Expand

Men of War had everything audiences could ask for from a 1990s action movie starring Dolph Lundgren as the hero. With a story that followed an ex-Special Ops soldier drawn back into one last job on the South China Sea, Men of War was far better than the average direct-to-video action movie release. Lundgren played Nick Gunar, who initially led a group of mercenaries tasked with forcing Island natives to sign over their mining rights, but allegiances soon changed, and Gunar found himself fighting on the side of the Islanders.

With a noble cause at its core, Lundgren got to play against type as a man of honor, desperately fighting for what he believed was right. With countless gunfights and well-choreographed fight sequences, this fast-paced film featured an incredibly committed performance from Lundgren. With a screenplay co-written by two-time Acamedy Award-nominated writer John Sayles, Men of War was clever, insightful, and full of violence.

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5 Red Scorpion (1988)

Dolph Lundgren as Nikolai Petrovitch Rachenko

Red Scorpion (1988) A Spetsnaz commando is sent on a covert mission by his Soviet superiors to infiltrate a rebel army and assassinate its leader.

In an inversion of some of Dolph Lundgren’s best villain roles, Red Scorpion featured Lundgren as the Russian Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Petrovitch Rachenko, a special forces operative sent to assassinate an anti-communist rebel leader in Africa. However, as the film progressed, Rachenko realized he was not seeing the full picture and ended up siding with the rebels. This interesting perspective switch for Lundgren as his noble realization gave Red Scorpion more depth.

While Red Scorpion was full of cliches and paled compared to Lundgren’s best action movies, it still delivered a thrill-fueled good time. This was one of the few times after Rocky IV where Lundgren played a Russian, as it was important after that major success to avoid being typecast. Red Scorpion had a 1994 sequel, although Red Scorpion 2 did not include Lundgren and was mostly unrelated to the original.

4 Command Performance (2009)

Dolph Lundgren as Joe Reynolds

Command Performance (2009) Command Performance is an action thriller directed by and starring Dolph Lundgren. The film centers on a rock drummer who gets caught in a high-stakes situation when a concert in Russia is taken hostage by armed terrorists. Faced with life-and-death decisions, he must use his skills to protect the hostages and thwart the attackers. Director Dolph Lundgren Release Date July 18, 2009 Studio(s) Nu Image , Cat Burglar Productions , Millennium Media Writers Dolph Lundgren , Steve Latshaw Cast Dolph Lundgren , Melissa Molinaro , Hristo Shopov , Dave Legeno , Zahari Baharov Runtime 93 Minutes Main Genre Action Expand

Dolph Lundgren has normally played either a bloodthirsty villain or a noble man of the law, so it was unusual to see him portray a rock star in the action movie Command Performance. Lundgren played Joe Reynolds, a former biker turned drummer whose band was scheduled to play a rock concert in Moscow. Of course, things did not go as planned, and Joe was forced to take on Russian criminals after the concertgoers were taken hostage.

Command Performance was co-written and directed by Lundgren, and although its story of a lone hero in a location under siege has been continually ripped off since Die Hard, it had enough self-referential fun to pull it off. With plenty of takedowns of Russian mercenaries, some paper-thin political commentary, and a decent amount of humor, Command Performance was a chaotic mayhem that proved a movie doesn’t need to be a blockbuster to succeed. Command Performance won no originality awards, but it never set out to.

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3 Silent Trigger (1996)

Dolph Lundgren as Waxman "Shooter"

Silent Trigger (1996) Silent Trigger is a 1996 action thriller directed by Russell Mulcahy and starring Dolph Lundgren as a former hitman for a shadowy organization. Tasked with a high-stakes mission in a secluded location, he faces off against a fellow sniper while grappling with his conscience and past betrayals. The film explores themes of loyalty and redemption amid intense action sequences. Director Russell Mulcahy Release Date June 26, 1996 Studio(s) Newmarket Capital Group , Algonquin Productions Limited , Cine Grande Corporation , Conquistador Entertainment , Filmline International Writers Sergio Altieri Cast Dolph Lundgren , Gina Bellman , Conrad Dunn , Christopher Heyerdahl , Emma Stevens Runtime 93 Minutes Budget 15000000.0 Main Genre Drama Expand

From Highlander director Russell Mulchy, Silent Trigger stars Dolph Lundgren as a former Special Forces agent named Waxman, now working as an assassin for a top-secret government agency. After a covert mission went awry, Waxman and his female spotter, Clegg, soon found themselves the agency's primary targets. With an incredible stylistic aesthetic, a unique mood, and an interesting on-the-run plot, Silent Trigger exuded 1990s action movie charm made even better through Lundgren’s cold, calculated, and unnerving presence.

Silent Trigger added a female perspective to the kind of Die Hard-style action movie that has normally been incredibly male-focused. With great chemistry between Lundgren and his co-star Gina Bellman and a truly gritty feel, Silent Trigger did a great job of carving out its unique style. With an excellent rock music soundtrack, painfully dated CGI, and some cheesy performances, Silent Trigger felt like La Femme Nikita mixed with Blade Runner.

2 The Punisher (1989)

Dolph Lundgren as Frank Castle/The Punisher

The Punisher (1989) The Punisher is a 1989 action film directed by Mark Goldblatt and starring Dolph Lundgren as Frank Castle. Castle becomes a vigilante known as The Punisher after his family is murdered by a mafia syndicate. Fueled by vengeance, he launches a one-man war against organized crime in the city. Featuring Louis Gossett Jr. as his former police partner, the film brings a darker tone to the superhero genre. Director Mark Goldblatt Release Date October 5, 1989 Studio(s) New World Pictures , Robert Mark Kamen Productions , New World Writers Boaz Yakin Cast Dolph Lundgren , Louis Gossett Jr. , Jeroen Krabbé , Kim Miyori , Bryan Marshall Runtime 89 Minutes Budget 9000000.0 Main Genre Action Expand

Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced Jon Bernthal as Punisher in Netflix’s Daredevil, Dolph Lundgren was known for his take on The Punisher. Lundgren played Frank Castle in this early comic-book movie, a vigilante who decided to take the law into his own hands, ruthlessly kill the guilty, and take care of problems that the law could not. Punisher took out criminals, mobsters, and even the yakuza with signature knife throws in this action-packed culture classic.

While not the best The Punisher movie, and was dismissed as trash when it was released, its reputation continued growing over the years, as it can now be viewed alongside the rise of the superhero genre. Lundgren made an excellent Punisher, whose wayward animosity toward the world and powerful need for justice and vengeance shone through. While The Punisher was more about an anti-hero than an outright action hero, it was one of Lundgren’s most enjoyable leading roles.

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1 I Come in Peace (1990)

Dolph Lundgren as Detective Jack Caine

One forgotten Terminator rip-off audiences should check out was I Come in Peace, which told the story of renegade cop Detective Jack Caine (Dolph Lundgren.) Also known as Dark Angel in some regions, I Come in Peace involved an FBI plan to track down killer drug dealers from outer space. As an epic science fiction action movie, I Come in Peace did not break any new ground, but it was certainly a lot of fun.

Lundgren delivered some of his very best one-liners in I Come in Peace, such as the impressive quip that while he comes in peace, his enemies will “go in pieces.” With incredible action sequences, remarkable weaponry, and a healthy dose of self-aware humor, I Come in Peace was everything an action-lover could want from a 1990s sci-fi movie. I Come in Peace was classic action hero Dolph Lundgren at his best and should be enjoyed as pure, unadulterated fun.

Sources: LA Times, CBR