''Command Performance'' is a 2009 American

action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

starring and directed by

Dolph Lundgren Hans "Dolph" Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957) is a Swedish actor, filmmaker, and martial artist. Lundgren made his acting debut in 1985 with a cameo in the List of James Bond films, James Bond film ''A View to a Kill''. Also that year, he h ...

, also written with

Steve Latshaw Steve Latshaw (b. 1959) is an American screenwriter, producer and director. He has written a number of films for Jim Wynorski and Fred Olen Ray. He began his career working in television. He started making films with Fred Olen Ray in Florida. He ...

. The film co-stars Melissa Smith,

Hristo Shopov Hristo Naumov Shopov (, ; born 4 January 1964) is a Bulgarian actor. Shopov's father, Naum Shopov, was a famous Bulgarian actor as well. He is most noted for his 2004 portrayal of Pontius Pilate in Mel Gibson's ''The Passion of the Christ''. S ...

Dave Legeno Dave Legeno (12 October 1963 – 6 July 2014) was a British actor, mixed martial artist, and professional wrestler. Early life Legeno was born David Steven Murray in Marylebone, London, England. Career Legeno's first major film role was ...

, and Lundgren's real-life daughter Ida Lundgren in her feature film debut.

Plot

In August 1991, Communist military hard-liners attempted a coup against Soviet President

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...

. The coup failed, and all its members were arrested; from the ashes of the old Soviet Union, the modern Russian Federation was born. At the request of

Russian president The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the Federal State Council and the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian Armed Forces. I ...

Alexei Petrov, whose daughters Anna and Yana are fans, pop sensation Venus performs a concert in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. The concert turns bloody when armed men led by Oleg Kazov take the concertgoers hostage. It seems that Oleg has a personal vendetta against Petrov. Former biker gang member Joe, the drummer of CMF, the opening rock band, decides to fight the criminals. Back in the US, when Joe was still in the biker gang, Colombian drug dealers wanting to collect a debt went to Joe's apartment and fatally shot his brother. Joe hunted the men down and killed them, and ever since has tried to stay away from guns, because they remind him of his brother's murder. Most of the civilians and staff, including Venus's manager and brother Enzo, are killed by Oleg's men. The sole survivors are Joe, Venus, news reporter Ali Connor, American ambassador Jim Bradley, Presidential Security Service agent Mikhail Kapista, President Petrov, and his two daughters. It turns out that Oleg's father was Marshal Dmitri Kazov, a WWII hero in

Stalingrad Volgograd,. geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area o ...

, and former Soviet Minister of Defence, who led the failed coup against Gorbachev in 1991. Oleg was part of the coup as well. After the coup failed, special forces raided the Kazov house; in the chaos, Dmitri killed Oleg's mother and then himself. Oleg, then a captain in the Russian army, immigrated to the United States, where he got arrested for petty crimes, and ended up returning to Russia three weeks prior to the concert. The prosecutor of Marshal Dmitri Kazov, Oleg, and other coup members in 1991 was a young Alexei Petrov, before he became the president of Russia. Oleg thus organised the attack to seek revenge on Petrov, because he blames Petrov for the special forces raid that ended in his parents' deaths; Petrov ordered the raid and followed the troops into the Kazov house. It is up to Joe and Mikhail make their way through the arena, and bring down Oleg and his men.

Cast

as Joe Reynolds * Melissa Smith as Angie / Venus *

as President Alexei Petrov *

as Oleg Kazov *

Clement von Franckenstein Clement George ''Freiherr'' von und zu Franckenstein (28 May 1944 – 9 May 2019) was an English actor, best known for his film and television work in the United States. A member of the Franckenstein family, he was the only son of Austrian dipl ...

as Ambassador Jim Bradley * James Chalke as Vladimir * Zahary Baharov as Mikhail Kapista * Ivaylo Geraskov as Leonid Gordov * Shelly Varod as Ali Connor * Katarzyna Wolejnio as Maj. Pavlikova * Ida Lundgren as Anna Petrova * Robin Dobson as Yana Petrova *

Raicho Vasilev Raicho Vasilev () is a Bulgarian stuntman/actor best known for his role as Gladiator Gnaeus on the TV series '' Spartacus: Blood and Sand'' and its prequel '' Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.'' Biography Raicho started his professional career i ...

as Anton * Slavi Slavov as Capt. Simenov * Naum Shopov as Peter * Atanas Srebrev as Enzo * Vladimir Kolev as Nikolai * Harry Anichkin as Gen. Voroshilov * Nikolai Iliev as Aide * Anna Kulinova as Bartender * Darin Angelov as Cameraman * Dejan Kamenov as Vasily * Rene Shindarov as Young Oleg Kazov * Nadejda Ivanova as Pretty Woman * Nikolai Stanoev as Ali's Soundman *

Yulian Vergov Julian Emilianov Vergov (; born 15 July 1970) is a Bulgarian actor. He is best known for starring in the drama series '' Glass Home'' (2010–2012), and the medical drama '' Stolen Life'' (2017–2019). Vergov made his acting debut in theatre, ...

as Command Aide * Krasimir Todorov as D-2 Cmf * Yavor Alexandrov as D-2 Cmf * Alexander Obretenov as D-2 Cmf * Desislav Semerdjiev as D-2 Cmf * Dimitar Karnev as D-2 Cmf * Velislav Pavlov as Merc # 1 * Rosen Kovachev as Merc # 2 * Dimo Dimov as Merc # 3 * Tihomir Tenev as Merc # 4 * Lazar Nikolov as Merc # 5 * Goran Ganchev as Merc # 6 * Pasha as Suit # 1 * Mark Coolidge Johnson as Suit # 2 * Les Weldon as Suit # 3 * Ivaylo Spasimirov as Young President Petrov (uncredited) * Dimiter Doichinov as Terrorist (uncredited) *

Valentin Ganev Valentin Atanassov Ganev (; born 7 April 1956) is a Bulgarian theatre and film actor and theatre director. Career Born in Ruse, Bulgaria, Ganev graduated from the All Russian State Institute for Cinematography, Moscow (actor's classes of Sergey ...

as Secretary (uncredited) * Niki Iliev as Aide (uncredited) * Andrey Kovalev as 'Pilgrim' lead singer (uncredited) * Kathryn Le as Stage Manager (uncredited) * Roselbel Rafferr as Rock Girl (uncredited) * Irson Kudikova as Irson (uncredited)

Production

Filming took place between August and September 2008 in

Sofia, Bulgaria Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...

and

Moscow, Russia Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

wanted to use his drumming skills on-screen, and the story was inspired by a concert

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

did for Russian President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

. This movie features the songs "Breakdown" and "Girl" ("6" on the album version) from the band D2, ''Lost In Love'' from Melissa Smith, "Ne Gasite Svechu / Keep The Candle Burning" from Andrey Kovalev and "September Rain" from Irson Kudikova.

Release

The film premiered at the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival in Italy on July 18, 2009. It was released on

direct-to-DVD Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strateg ...

in the United States on November 3, 2009.

References

External links

* * *
''Command Performance''
Dolph: The Ultimate Guide. {{DEFAULTSORT:Command Performance 2009 films 2009 direct-to-video films 2009 action films American films about revenge American action films Films about singers Films about terrorism in Europe Films directed by Dolph Lundgren Films set in 1991 Films set in Moscow Films shot in Bulgaria Films shot in Moscow 2000s English-language films 2000s American films Films with screenplays by Dolph Lundgren English-language action films