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I Come in Peace

I Come in Peace

Jack Caine. Houston cop. Human. What he's up against, isn't.

199091 minRMidcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Director
Craig R. Baxley
Starring
Dolph Lundgren, Brian Benben, Betsy Brantley, Matthias Hues

Jack Caine is a Houston vice cop who's forgotten the rule book. His self-appointed mission is to stop the drugs trade and the number one supplier Victor Manning. While involved in an undercover operation to entrap Victor Manning, his partner is killed, and a sinister newcomer enters the scene...

Where to watch

Where can I watch I Come in Peace?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists I Come in Peace streaming on Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about I Come in Peace?

I Come in Peace earns 4 badges, led by Box Office Flop and Fun.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is I Come in Peace worth watching?

I Come in Peace's Midcredits score is the 47th percentile of all films, from 33K ratings across 4 sources. 44% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

47th percentile

Better received than 47% of films

63rd percentile among Action50th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)50th
Approval (how many liked it)44th

62 /100

50th percentile of all films

67th percentile among Action54th percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.3 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

44% liked it

44th percentile of all films

58th percentile among Action46th percentile among 1990s
44% rated it 7–1056% rated it 1–6

Critics 40% · Audience 46%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

91st percentile

33K ratings across platforms

84th percentile among Action87th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 34% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$7M
Opening weekend$1.9M
Domestic gross$4.3M
Worldwide gross$4.3M

Returned 0.6× its budget — 49th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A fast-paced, cheesy sci-fi buddy-cop action movie that knows exactly what it is.

Fans praised

  • original alien-villain concept with drug-harvesting premise
  • entertaining buddy-cop chemistry between Lundgren and Benben
  • witty one-liners and quotable dialogue

Detractors panned

  • Lundgren's stiff acting and limited range
  • cliché-ridden plot and tired buddy-cop tropes
  • lame fight choreography and poorly-aimed alien weapons

What stands out

Pacing65

brisk 90-minute runtime, never boring

DialogueDivisive60

funny one-liners and quotable lines

OriginalityDivisive55

alien drug-harvesting premise fresh; otherwise derivative

HumorDivisive55

intentional self-aware cheese and one-liners

Effects and spectacleDivisive50

practical explosions and cool CD weapon; dated but charming

Plot and storyDivisive40

silly but original drug-from-brains alien idea; riddled with clichés

CharactersDivisive35

stock loner cop and by-the-book FBI agent; villain memorable

ActingDivisive30

Lundgren weak but charismatic; Benben fine as stiff sidekick

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 13 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is I Come in Peace like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It is intense and leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
TenseThrilling
Heaviest: late
Register
Adventurous · 11% of filmsPlayful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its ridiculous alien-drug premise with sincere action energy, playing the buddy cop dynamics straight without irony.
The rideThe pursuit of dangerous drug dealers creates sustained tension with thrilling action, likely culminating in a heavy final confrontation.
StructureThe narrative unfolds chronologically with a standard setup, investigation, and climax.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

The answer rests on this: FunRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film delivers satisfying action and a strong finale, leaving the viewer entertained and energized.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe story follows a renegade cop and an FBI agent as they pursue an alien drug dealer who extracts human endorphins, fitting the overcoming_the_monster archetype with a predator subtype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsLoyalty · 4% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on a cop determined to bring down drug dealers, exploring justice and the loyalty required to work with an unexpected partner.
StanceThe film presents justice as a goal worth pursuing through a determined duo, celebrating their efforts to protect the community from drug dealers.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanRealistic
ElectronicOrchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Jan Hammer
Settinga contemporary American city where a renegade cop and an FBI agent investigate drug dealers
MusicJan Hammer's electronic score reinforces the film's tense, action-heavy atmosphere.

Content guide

Is I Come in Peace okay for kids?

R

I Come in Peace is rated R. As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (87/100), sexual content at moderate (40/100), language at severe (82/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (46/100) and frightening material at moderate (60/100). Overall it is heavier than 69% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 6 other countries
  • UK18
  • Germany18
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland15
  • Netherlands16
  • SK18
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 82% of all filmsHeavier than 69% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 77%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 37%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 76%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 61%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 44%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does I Come in Peace have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in I Come in Peace?

Cast

Dolph Lundgren
as Det. Jack Caine
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Brian Benben
as Special Agent Arwood 'Larry' Smith
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Betsy Brantley
as Diane Pallone
Matthias Hues
as Bad Alien - Talec
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jay Bilas
as Good Alien - Azeck
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Jim Haynie
as Captain Malone
David Ackroyd
as Inspector Switzer
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Suzanne Savoy
as Patrolwoman
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Sherman Howard
as Victor Manning
Sam Anderson
as Warren
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like I Come in Peace?

Movies like I Come in Peace include Stone Cold (1991), The Glimmer Man (1996) and 2 Guns (2013). Of the 12 closest matches, several are stories about cops, and most are crime films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its world: law enforcement. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with I Come in Peace?

773 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: alien. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.