Dick Dynamite: 1944 — Dick Dynamite: 1944 (Blu Ray)

Dick Dynamite: 1944 is an action/ comedy/ horror film originally released in 2023 by Scottish writer/ director Robbie Davidson (Radge Land and Vamplifier). Davidson is also a musician who has played in a number of different bands including The Exploited. The film stars Snars, a first time actor who takes on the titular role as Dick Dynamite, alongside Olly Bassi (Dead Among the Pines, Virtual Vendetta and Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break), Shaun Davidson (Vamplifier), Mark Burdett (Vamplifier and Sair Ane), Irvine Welsh (writer of Trainspotting, Filth and The Acid House) and former Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss bass player Nick Oliveri (Book of Shadows: Blair Witch Project 2, Project X and Sand Castle). 

In the final days of World War II, a group of Nazi scientists have initiated a plan to turn the residents of New York into flesh crazed zombies. However, they hadn’t reckoned on Dick Dynamite and ramshackle group of Nazi killing mercenaries, stepping up to the plate in an attempt to stop them, and that is pretty much the essence of the story.

This cheap-as-chips crowd-funded action/comedy/horror/sci-fi/war movie is a big old, action-packed, gore-drenched slice of fun. The acting is shockingly bad, but there is no attempt to make a high-quality serious action film here, the whole thing is played for laughs and as bad as it is, it’s still enormously fun. First time actor, Snars stars as the titular character, Dick Dynamite, the leader of the deadly half dozen a select group of unhinged special forces operatives who have been handpicked to stop the nazi scientists in their tracks. In a way he reminds me a lot of English action hero Jason Statham, his character is an overly serious macho stereotype who never smiles, much like many of Statham’s characters, however his awful European accent is obviously meant as an homage to Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jon Claude Van Dame, and he spends most of the film chewing on a big cigar much like Arnie’s character in Commando. One thing worth mentioning here is that whilst the film is far from serious and played for laughs, it’s very well shot, with good camera work and some well-crafted moments. The comedy works well in places, and the script provides some funny lines, but it’s no comic masterpiece.

Overall, Dick Dynamite: 1944  is a fun, gun-toting splatter comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’ve seen far worse big-budget films tackle this sort of storyline and fail miserably. Whilst it’s not going to change the world, it’s a fun waste of 95 minutes of anyone’s time. The Blu-ray from Epic Pictures features a director’s commentary, a making of documentary, interviews with cast and crew, a behind-the-scenes featurette and deleted scenes. You could do a lot worse than watch this film. Just as long as you know what you’re going into beforehand.