Hadrina
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
Lidia Draper
Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
Erica Derrick
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Comeuppance Reviews
Mike Anderson (Dolph) is an ex-Marine, now an investigative journalist based in L.A. He travels to Israel to try to get the story on some murders at a military base. A terrorist group called Black October is claiming responsibility, but is that the whole story? Anderson also is attempting to get to the truth through CIA operative Lou Jackson (Gossett Jr.) It seems Anderson is getting close, because several attempts are made on his life. He must uncover the conspiracy before it's too late. Can he do it? It seems Cover Up was an attempt by Dolph to do something a bit more "respectable". There's certainly nothing wrong with trying to change things up and attempting to break away from typecasting - it's just that Cover Up is kind of on the dour, dark and dry side. He's more than entitled to try something different, but it's just a shame that it's this - because it's still trying to keep one foot in the action world with some blow-ups, and maybe some mild shooting and fighting - but it's not entirely a straight drama either. Despite the more serious-minded tone of the film, Dolph still manages to appear shirtless for no apparent reason. Some things can't change, apparently.If Dolph really wanted to break away from the cycle of action movies he was doing at the time, he probably shouldn't have re-teamed with Louis Gossett Jr. after The Punisher (1989). Not that we mind, of course, they make a fine team, but what action remains in this movie is too close to his old work, yet not far enough away to separate himself from it. In Dolph's defense, it's a tough line to straddle. And he does look very cool with his cigar. It really makes you think Gossett was supposed to appear in The Peacekeeper (1997) to make a Dolph/Gossett trilogy, but instead Montel Williams of all people showed up to fill the role.A good example of how this is an atypical Dolph movie comes when there is a scene in a pool hall, and all they do is talk and play pool. In any other movie, punches, kicks and pool cues would be flying. But Mike Anderson is a reporter, you see, not a fighter. Although he is "ex-military" (classic cliché we all love). So what about that? Presumably it explains what fighting does occur later in the movie.The Israel locations are some of the highlights of the movie (and are shot very well by the cinematographer). The King David hotel, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, among other sites in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are on show. The climax during the religious procession also gets the local flavor very well. Cover Up may be lacking in overall excitement, but as a travelogue there's certainly something to see.To keep things in perspective, Cover Up is much better than The Last Warrior (2000), Agent Red (2000) and Detention (2003). Cover Up is really not even a bad movie, just a bit on the dull side. Dolph seemed to realize this, because he came roaring back into classic form with his next movie after this, Showdown In Little Tokyo (1991), one of his best and a Comeuppance Reviews favorite. Dolph fans will still appreciate Cover Up, and it makes a good one-time watch.
Frank Markland
Dolph Lundgren and Louis Gossett Jr reunite (I'm guessing because after The Punisher, there was a huge demand to see Ivan Drago team up with Chappy Sinclair to beat on more bad guys.)in Cover-Up a movie about a chemical weapon being taken by terrorists who then look to use this mysterious chemical to wipe out fifty thousand people during Good Friday. However there is a conspiracy in the works...in that conspiracy lies in the fact that for some unfathomable reason Louis Gossett Jr and Dolph Lundgren agreed to be in this lame thriller. Yes i'm saying this material is below even Dolph Lundgren. I had recently discussed this movie with E-Filmcritic writer David Corneilus who wrote an article about Oscar winners who should send back their gold statue, naming Louis Gossett Jr as a worthy contender for the fact that he was in Firewalker with Chuck Norris, The Punisher with Dolph Lundgren (Which even though how fun it is, it is beneath Gossett's talent), Iron Eagle (Likewise) and Toy Soldiers with Keith Coogan. I reminded him of this movie which I said he had actually worked twice with Dolph Lundgren. His reply was of "YIKES, forgot about that one, for good reason." Yes indeed.I had seen Cover-Up back when it came out, back when I was 18 and for the most part didn't remember it leaving much of an impression in one way or another. Now years later on rewatch, all one can say is how truly grotesque the movie is in it's ineptitude. Part of the problem is that it has Dolph Lundgren. I know someone might get the impression that am taking a swing on an obvious target but I do want to say that Lundgren has always been far more likable in presence than Seagal. Cover-Up has Lundgren basically run around wussified and not even once throwing a punch until near the end of the movie. It is nothing short of hilarious when Lundgren tries hard to convey emotion in which he flexes his eyebrows and speaks in the same monotone he did in any other movie he was in. Indeed Lundgren seems half asleep the whole time, even when being interrogated by Louis Gossett Jr and he won an Oscar for playing a drill instructor. Then of course there is Louis Gossett Jr who plays the role so by the numbers you could intertwine this with any other movie he has done. Although Gossett Jr manages to provide an unintentional laugh in how he goes off in a huge speech about "Not starting your own revolutions as you see FIT!" It is a parade of bad acting in which Gossett Jr comes off the best and Lundgren coming off second best. (Not good) The whole movie itself is just a bunch of useless talk about who is planning on killing whom, despite the fact we know all of this and in its content the movie fails to really come up with a credible reason of what is going on and what the bad guy truly wants to accomplish. In other words it is slow, dull and just plain bad. People rack on The Punisher that starred both Lundgren and Gossett but at least that movie moved. Cover-Up just remains inert in the moronic plot threads it weaves. The tag-line of this clunker says "If the lies don't kill you the truth will..." Well if the truth doesn't kill you, watching this movie will.* out of 4-(Bad)
Thomas Jolliffe (supertom-3)
This is a fairly well written and involving thriller. Unfortunately its good early work is slightly let down by either obvious or absurd twists in the final 15 minutes. Before the slightly disappointing ending the film moves along nicely, and the script is developing well, while there aren't too many B-movie cliches, such as the obligatory sex scene, between a recently widowed woman and the central character. This was Dolph Lundgrens first real move away from the action genre and he gives his first decent lead performance, he has more than 3 lines of dialogue as well, but he does fairly well. The film unfortunately looks very cheap but the direction from Manny Coto is functional and well paced, while the action scenes are good, including a trademark Vic Armstrong car chase. ***
bronsonskull72
Dolph Lundgren as Mike Anderson a L.A journalist who flocks to Israel to probe an attack on a U.S base where he finds a cover-up. Cover-Up is just an all around disappointment, the movie is simplistic, predictable and has hardly any action until the final 30 minutes. Considering that nobody has ever watched a Dolph Lundgren movie for anything but action only adds to the futile surroundings. However a suspenseful climax saves it from being a turkey.
