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.

Action/violence on the level of a movie from the franchise of "taken" or "john wick." I expected it would be one hand on the popcorn, the other on the fast forward button. But no. The crooked cops, the burned out soldier of fortune, finding a cause worth risking her life. There are twists, you won't see coming.

Fun. Worth giving it a shot. 6.5. It drops a little because its obviously not a big budget, slick Hollywood production. That was a negative, but after 15 minutes, that ceasaes to be an issue. When it ended, I actually wondered if this could find its way to Dominique II? Probably not....but think of all the crappy movies that have seen a 2nd iteration.

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.

Nothing in the movie mattered. You should go do anything else with your time. Literally anything else would be better than the time spent watching this. From beginning to end, nothing changed. Still don't know anything about the protagonist. People died. Nobody cared

There was no character growth. There was no progress. There was nothing worth watching here.

Stories are supposed to have a point. There was no point to this, other than dead bodies. I guess if one counted the bodies hitting the floor maybe there was a tiny point. But that's it.

Did any of the dialog matter? Nope. Did any of the action matter, except to further the body count? Nope.

Pointless violence with pointless death.

This movie is as poignant as it is violent. The action will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time while you become attached to the characters. The director really pulled that off. It does leave you wanting to know a lot more about Dominique and her past. I assume this was done to make us want a sequel! The actress is great. Her anger is so genuine that you feel it too. The landscape looked so good on film that I now want to visit Colombia. There are pivotal action scenes that made me wonder how the filming was done so well because I doubt there were tons of effects or cgi. Definitely worth a second watch.