Lieutenant Nikolai Petrovitch Rachenko, a SovietSpetsnaz operative is sent to an African country in which Soviet, Czechoslovakian and Cuban forces are helping the government fight an anti-communistrebel movement. He is tasked with the mission to assassinate the rebel leader. Rachenko infiltrates the rebel movement and get within striking distance of his target, he stirs up trouble in the local bar and gets arrested for disorderly conduct. He is put in the same cell as a captured resistance commander and gains his trust in facilitating the escape. Upon finally reaching the rebel encampment, he is met with distrust by the rebels. During the night, he attempts to assassinate his target, but the distrustful rebels anticipate his actions. Disgraced and tortured by his commanding officers for failing his mission, he breaks out of the interrogation chamber and escapes to the desert, later to be found by native Bushmen. He soon learns about them and their culture, and after he receives a ceremonial burn scar in the form of a scorpion, he joins the rebels and leads an attack against the Soviet camp after a previous attack on the peaceful bushmen. Nikolai obtains an AO-63 assault rifle from the armory, confronts his corrupt officers and hunts down General Oleg Vortek, who attempts to escape in a Mil-24 Hind, only to be shot down after takeoff. Nikolai defeats and kills Vortek, as the rebels finally defeat the Soviet forces who were assisting the government.
Cast
Dolph Lundgren as Lieutenant Nikolai Petrovitch Rachenko
Al White as Kallunda Kintash
M. Emmet Walsh as Dewey Ferguson
T. P. McKenna as General Oleg Vortek
Carmen Argenziano as Colonel Zayas
Alex Colon as Sergeant Mendez
Brion James as Sergeant Krasnov
Ruben Nthodi as Ango Sundata
Production and controversy
After being denied the right to film in Swaziland and a search for other locations, the film was made in Namibia. Warner Bros., who had a negative pickup deal to release the picture, pulled out for the breach of their contract with the production. Artists and Athletes Against Apartheid then condemned the production for breaking the international boycott against South Africa. The film allegedly received help from the South African government as part of its propaganda efforts to undermine international sympathy for the African National Congress. With all the delays and productions issues, the film went over budget by 8-10 million dollars. Producer Jack Abramoff later claimed that he did not intend the film to contain so much violence and profanity, blaming the director. He established a short-lived "Committee for Traditional Jewish Values in Entertainment" to release films more in line with his values, but later abandoned the project, feeling it would be unfeasible.
Release
Red Scorpion screened at the 1988 MIFED film market, and was first released theatrically in South Korea in late December 1988, then the Philippines, West Germany, and Japan in January 1989, then in the United States on April 21, 1989. The movie was released theatrically worldwide except in the United Kingdom.
Critical reception
of the Los Angeles Times described it as "a numskull live-action comic book" that, despite showing Lundgren's charisma, is likely to hurt his career. Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote that Lundgren's physique is the film's true star, as it communicates more emotion than his acting.
