Mercenaria

A retired assassin crashes in Colombia and gets drawn into a conflict between corrupt cops and an innocent family.

There's little new in this story. However, it's done with such enthusiasm and enough little twists that I liked it. The first twist is Oksana Orlan herself. There just aren't that many women making kick-ass action movies. We get a good one every once in a while, but the classics are all from decades ago. Terminator 2, Aliens... even Mad Max: Fury Road was a decade ago.

Oksana's character, Dominique, is a classic anti-hero who has to be convinced to stick around and defend a family. You can see her humanity slowly returning as she hangs out with a loving family, though their antics annoy her. It was more characterization than was strictly necessary.

Oksana also seems to have more emotional range than some action heroes. When I put this movie on, I pessimistically expected everyone to sleepwalk through the movie and collect a quick buck. Instead, I think you can feel that Oksana really wanted to bring Dominique to life. It's a level of enthusiasm that action fans don't often get these days when taking chances on an independent action movie.

Her love interest and his family were likeable. I thought just the right amount of time was spent giving Dominique a reason to stick around and fight without making you wonder "when does the action start?". The pacing is good, and it the movie never gets bogged down with too much drama.

Eventually, the movie gets serious about its action. Dominique is basically a terminator, but she uses interesting strategies to give herself an edge. I was disappointed that she didn't keep it up throughout the movie, but the fights are more interesting than just watching her blow away bad guys with an automatic rifle. If there's a sequel, I hope they lean on this more.

The fight choreography wasn't bad, and I thought the stunts were also fine. Oksana pulled off being a badass pretty well. The biggest problem was that the bad guys died so easily that they felt kind of like stormtroopers after a while. If you're expecting something mind-blowing, you'll be disappointed.

The SFX were cheesy sometimes, but you can live with them if you're a fan of independent action movies. They generally kept things simple and didn't try to do crazy stuff outside of their budget. A rocket launcher shows up, which could have been disastrous, but they stick to mostly showing the aftermath.

If you enjoy Scott Adkins movies, you may want to check this out. It's got a similar independent vibe, though his movies have better choreography and stunts. I went in with very low expectations and had fun.

When I stumbled upon this 2024 action thriller titled "Dominique", I was intrigued. Sure, I had never heard about the movie, but there was just something about the cover that worked for me.

The storyline in the movie was pretty straightforward, sort of in the spirit of the action movies of the 1980s and 1990s, where it is one man, well in this case woman, against a large group of highly-trained professionals. I will say that writers Michael S. Ojeda and Oksana Orlan, with the latter also starring in the movie, actually put together an enjoyable and entertaining enough script. I was adequately entertained throughout the course of the 100 minutes that the movie ran for. Sure, the narrative was sort of predictable, up to the end, where director Michael S. Ojeda takes the movie and gives it a rather unforeseen twist. I liked that.

The acting performances in the movie were fair, but leading actress Oksana Orlan sort of put on a performances with a wooden face, showing little or no emotions. I hope that the character was written to be that way, otherwise it was a lousy acting performance. While I was not familiar with actors Maurice Compte and Sebastián Carvajal, they really spruced up the movie with their performances.

There is a good amount of action to supplement the rather basic and straightforward narrative, so that worked out well enough.

I have to say, though, that "Dominique" is a movie that certainly is watchable once, but it has absolutely zero replay vale to it. If you enjoy action thrillers, give director Michael S. Ojeda's 2024 movie "Dominique" a chance if you have the opportunity.

My rating of "Dominique" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Film Review: Dominique (2025)

Dominique is the kind of action thriller that doesn't shy away from its roots-it's loud, fast, and packed with the kind of relentless, no-frills action that will either have you grinning or groaning, depending on your expectations. This modestly-budgeted film promises exactly what it delivers: a barrage of bullets, an explosion of noise, and a plot as predictable as the sunrise. If you go in expecting a complex narrative or a twisty, cerebral story, you'll quickly be disappointed. But if you're after a no-holds-barred, action-packed ride, then Dominique is likely to satisfy.

The plot is familiar, perhaps even stale, featuring a lone hero seeking revenge in a city rife with crime and corruption. The characters are little more than one-dimensional stereotypes, and the dialogue isn't exactly destined for the history books. But let's be clear-Dominique isn't pretending to be anything it's not. It's a straightforward action film that never tries to reinvent the wheel, but certainly does its best to keep the wheel spinning at full speed.

Critics, as expected, have panned the film for being formulaic and predictable, with audiences on IMDb marking it down for exactly the same reasons: bullets, noise, and a lack of surprises. However, I find myself more generous in my assessment. In a genre that often seems weighed down by pretensions or overcomplicated storylines, Dominique feels like a breath of fresh air. It's unapologetically what it is, and for that, it deserves a little credit. If you're in the mood to turn your brain off for 90 minutes, watch some bullets fly, and enjoy some decent stunts, this film might just hit the spot.

Sure, the acting isn't award-winning, and the plot isn't going to make anyone think deeply, but if you're not expecting Citizen Kane and just want a bit of entertainment, Dominique delivers exactly that. If you happen to doze off halfway through, don't worry-you haven't missed much, but you'll still have had a decent, if unremarkable, time. A perfect choice for when you just need a quick, mindless action fix.

Rating: 6/10-A solid, if predictable, action movie that doesn't promise more than it can deliver.

I have just watched this!

And I want to tell you people!

If you like action packed movies and you can forgive low budget issues - you will be satisfied!

What is more important in this kind of movies is the main heroine.

This one is really good and fits perfectly.

Lots of blood - actually bloodbath.

Acting is not really perfect.

More to this there are very many poor quality stuff here...... Sound is poor.

Special effects not really fantastic.

Hand to hand combat....you name it...

YET IT IS SO DAMN FRESH!!!!

And more:

you know this kind of movies. You know what would happen yet you watch it with pleasure.

I think this is because of:

• script
• characters
• editing
• not pretending to be Hollywood stuff - just some cheap flick... with idea....

I loved this movie....

The main heroine is bad, mean and kicks ass. And is so sexy...... in her brutality.

Embroidered on the real drama of poor Colombians, this film bring some serious issues into question. It's half way between a B series banal and violent flick and a real tension filled, well done cinematic action movie. You may or may not want to watch it, but there's something else that must be noted: Oksana Orlan has a huge potential for dramatic roles. She is very expressive as an actress, it pays to have her in action movies but she can do so much more. The credibility of the story is forced beyond natural, in terms of physics, ballistics and tactical warfare, the human nature is touching the extremes but, hey, this is Columbia and all bets are off. Oksana stays somehow above all this and shines in a strange, promising way. Do they plan a sequel? She would better step on acting, with less shooting. I gave it a 6, in anticipation.