OUTPOST III: RISE OF THE SPETSNAZ (2013) – On DVD from 31st March 2014

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OUTPOST III: RISE OF THE SPETSNAZ
Directed by Kieran Parker

Sergeant Dolokhov of the Russian Soviet army leads his team of Spetsnaz soldiers through the Eastern Front of Europe to infiltrate a Nazi base. After a raid on a passing Nazi convoy goes pear-shaped, Dolokhov and a few members of his squad are captured and taken back to the Nazis’ secret bunker, where the full extent of the secret Nazi experiments are revealed. Dolokhov and his team must fight their way out of the underground facility before the Nazis perfect and unleash their terrifying super soldier experiments.

For the third and final (I presume) Outpost film, producer Kieran Parker takes over as director and crafts Outpost III: Rise of the Spetsnaz as an origins story instead of continuing on the narrative from the second movie. I felt Outpost II severely lacked tension and a story to care about, but thankfully writer Rae Brunton takes the story back to a tight knit feeling akin to the first Outpost film. Despite knowing somewhat what lies ahead for Dolokhov and his men, the tension is still present as slowly, little by little, the Nazis experimental creatures are revealed.

The settings for the movie are split into two locations: woodland and the underground bunker. The woodland provides great intense chase sequences where the Russian soldiers run for cover from the Germans. After being taken to the bunker, everything becomes much more stealthier and acute, with Dolokhov and his team needing to execute their escape with expert precision if they are to survive. The bunker is one of my favourite set pieces of Outpost, right from the first film, and to see it here again is such a joy. I even grinned at the chess table that sits in one of the rooms, a nod to the original and keeping the theme for the future.

The cast are quite convincing as their characters, particularly Bryan Larkin as Dolokhov who’s strong physique is as powerful as his emotional presence. You’d find it hard not to believe this guy could tear your head off with ease. Michael McKell as Nazi SS commandant Strasser is also one of the film’s highlights. Quite slim in appearance, you wouldn’t deem Strasser as a powerful man, but what he lacks in bulk he makes up for in mind and the way he executes himself. He’s quite a calm and controlled character but can easily flip and become your worst nightmare. Even the way he delivers the dialogue will get under your skin and unnerve you. And when we mention SS officers, we can’t forget the franchise’s iconic character, The Breather played by Johnny Meres. Yes, he makes an appearance or two, but isn’t really given a part to play, but I thank director Kieran Parker for including him in it as it wouldn’t be an Outpost movie otherwise.

A combined effort of gore and action makes Outpost III: Rise of the Spetsnaz an exciting watch for boths fans of the series and newcomers. It doesn’t attempt to go all guns blazing in quite the fashion it did with Black Sun, instead opting for a much tighter, tense affair. The soldiers even embark on a bit of hand to hand combat. Throw a few knives into the equation and you have some pretty awesome close combat situations to gaze upon. The blood from the wounds is a curious brown colour, which I figured may have been used to get a lower age rating, but the film is still a BBFC certificate 18. Regardless of the reason, the brown blood still works as effectively as red and there’s plenty of it with entrails and torn flesh to boot.

A noticeable improvement from the second film and a welcomed, enjoyable send off for the franchise, Outpost III: Rise of the Spetsnaz is an action-packed story of war, just not as you know it.

Rating: ★★★½☆

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About Bat 4368 Articles
I love practical effects, stop-motion animation and gore, but most of all I love a good story! I adore B-movies and exploitation films in many of their guises and also have a soft spot for creature features. I review a wide range of media including movies, TV series, books and videogames. I'm a massive fan of author Hunter S. Thompson and I enjoy various genre of videogames with Kingdom Hearts and Harvest Moon two of my all time favs. Currently playing: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Yakuza Zero and Mafia III.

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