Overall, a must-see for any Dolph fan, or any movie goer who likes intelligent, suspenseful films. The action and suspense were plentiful as were the twists and turns. He also got a nice performance out of Dolph who is usually constrained to one-sentence grunts and kicks. Marc Grenier, whose other films I have not yet seen, delivered a terrific looking film on what was clearly a limited budget. But it is the directing which stands out. The script is well-plotted and the writing crisp (I noticed it's the same writer, Les Welden, who wrote Van Damme's best recent-memory film, REPLICANT) with some nice one-liners delivered with tongue and cheek savoir-faire by Dolph. It is what MISSION IMPOSSIBLE I&II and ERASER aspired to, but failed to deliver. HIDDEN AGENDA is by far Dolph's most intelligent, and probably best, movie to date. Which is why I was so pleasantly surprised by his latest (and last? if rumors are to be believed) film. Dolph has not been immune to this trend as evidenced by some of his most recent outings. It's almost become a given that as action stars age, their movies become exponentially worse, and dumber. A likable film with a surprising Lundgren in the thick of it, Hidden Agenda is a slightly above average film that is good at killing an hour and a half! The methodology of the identification programs is very interesting and the conspiracy theories do well to keep the audience engaged to the end. The plot has fairly predictable twists and turns but they are entertaining enough. When I say intelligent, I'm not talking Oldboy, Eternal Sunshine or The Abyss, but that it is not just a case of blowing stuff up.
The plot is also a surprise as it is intelligent and builds up an atmosphere. The supporting cast is unspectacular and simply take a backward stance to allow Lundgren to perform. Maxim Roy as the love interest is sexy and puts in a good performance. As expected, in the action scenes, Dolph is brilliant and will keep his hardcore fans happy. I advise his doubters to see Hidden Agenda as he gives an understated (by his standards) performance and is charismatic and charming enough to pose as a smooth operating entrepreneur. I've always liked Dolph, but understand his critics as he has been massively typecast. After Johnny Mnemonic, almost every single Lundgren film has centred around him and in this effort, he proves a worthy centre piece.
The biggest effect this film had on me was the element of surprise at watching a Dolph Lundgren film where he doesn't possess a weapon bigger than his arm! Instead, what we see here is a more subtle Dolph, drinking champagne and smoking fine cigars.
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