It’s hard to imagine how modern cinema would look without the influence of Quentin Tarantino. Love or hate him, there’s no denying he’s inspired countless filmmakers worldwide. With his love of drive-in films, he and Robert Rodriguez in 2007 delivered Grindhouse. It wasn’t financially successful, but it’s spawned hundreds of movies with a similar sensibility. It’s because they paved the way that Robbie Davidson was able to make a film like Dick Dynamite: 1944 (2023). It takes inspiration from things like Grindhouse, Inglourious Basterds (2009), and ’80s action flicks to deliver a blazing good time that’s completely self-funded and crowdfunded.
As World War II is nearing its final days, in a last-ditch effort, the Nazis come up with a plan to turn the citizens of New York in the undead. Dick Dynamite (Snars) is a one-of-a-kind soldier, and he might be the only hope we have left to stop them. He, along with his rag-tag group of mercenaries, are ready to plow through the Nazis, the ninjas, the zombies, and the Nazi zombies that Colonel Maximillian Schtacker (Olly Bassi) has amassed to try and push the Germans towards victory. Unfortunately for him, Dynamite has other plans, and things are about to get really bloody.
Dick Dynamite is chock full of childish humor, cheesy dialogue, and buckets of blood so if that’s all you’re in the mood for, then consider it mission accomplished. Any film that opens with zombie children being slaughtered certainly has my undivided attention. There’s just enough story to string sequences together and move from one bloody confrontation to the next.
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The film’s star, Snars, has the look of an action star, and it would be interesting to see him in a more traditional action film. There is tons of blood and gore, both practical and computer-generated. It reminded me of the style in Japanese films like The Machine Girl (2008) or RoboGeisha (2009) while drawing heavily from Tarantino’s playbook, who in turn borrowed from those before. Not all the humor lands but there’s a few solid one-liners to go along with all the slaughtered Nazis. Also of note, writer/director Davidson is the former guitarist for the legendary Scottish punk band The Exploited.
Epic Pictures has done a fine job with the disc. I wouldn’t say it’s loaded, but it does have some great features, including a director’s commentary, a making-of documentary, interviews, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and deleted scenes.
Dick Dynamite: 1944 is far from perfect, but it has a charm and sense of humor that’s infectious. Pair that with some crazy, over-the-top action, and we have something worth watching. It’s obviously geared towards a specific audience and that core will definitely appreciate what Davidson and his crew have done, and judging by the end, we haven’t seen the last of Dick Dynamite.
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