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REVIEW: ‘Blood: The Last Vampire’ (2009)

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

bloodthelastvampire-2
Korean superstar actress Jun Ji-Hyun (MY SASSY GIRL) undergoes a new Western name, Gianna Jun, in her English language debut in this live action adaptation of the popular anime which despite a few flaws, fares much better from some of the other adaptations released this year.

Saya (Jun) is a Halfling (half-human, half-demon) demon hunter who has been going after as many demons as possible with her ultimate goal being that of finding and destroying Onigen (Koyuki), the demon who killed her father. When she is hired by The Council, a top secret organization in charge of hiring Saya and cleaning her mess after her work, she goes undercover at a high school on a Tokyo air force base. When she learns that demons lurk around the campus, she finds herself protecting Air Force brat Alice (Alison Miller) from the demons. However, as Saya gets closer to Onigen, dark truths about herself begin to be revealed, forcing herself to choose her fate.

Based on the popular anime, this live action version may suffer from a few flaws here and there, but overall, it is not a bad adaptation. There have been worse adaptations of both anime titles and video games-turned-big screen failures that just don’t take the cake. However, with this film, the producers’ attempt to bring the anime to life is helped by the performances of its international cast. Originally to have been directed by Hong Kong’s Ronny Yu (THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR (1993)), the directing reigns have been given to Chris Nahon, who is best known for directing KISS OF THE DRAGON (2001) starring Jet Li, Bridget Fonda, and Cyril Raffaelli.

Gianna Jun is perhaps best known for her titular role in the Korean hit romantic comedy MY SASSY GIRL (2001). Jun brings the role of Saya to life with both her looks and her ability to perform the very rigorous action scenes. Jun brings the quietness of Saya when not involved directly into action. However, once she unsheathes her trusty sword, she practically becomes a one-woman army in the hunt of demons, or bloodsuckers as they are called in this film. Saya has both a sense of humanity alongside her dark path as a half-demon. At times, her eyes light up red when she is very angry and she becomes a “raging fury”.

Alison Miller brings out a fairly decent performance as Alice, a rebellious Air Force brat who feels alone due to her father’s inability to really raise her as a daughter. Her father, the general in charge of the air force base and puts his work ahead of his relationship with his daughter. Alice is also treated like some celebrities in high school are treated, more like an outsider. She soon finds Saya as her one true friend and Alice eventually goes to great lengths to help Saya.

Liam Cunningham plays Michael, the member of the Council who is the middleman between the Council and Saya. Despite working for the Council, Michael has nothing but respect for Saya and even feels for her as she has no family. In some essence Michael is like either a father figure or even a big brother to Saya. When things get tough, he tries to help her as much as he can. An annoying character in the film is that of Council agent Luke, played by J.J. Feild. He is the typical type of character who thinks he can do anything he pleases and goes to extremes to make sure he gets what he wants, even thinking of turning in Saya for his own personal gain.

Koyuki, coming off her Hollywood debut in THE LAST SAMURAI (2007) opposite Tom Cruise, plays the demon goddess Onigen. She brings a sense of slyness and charm yet at the same time, she brings pure evil to the role. With one touch from her finger, she kills. A shocking revelation comes during the final confrontation between Saya and Onigen and once that revelation is revealed, unless one has seen the anime, it turns out to be quite a twist. Despite coming in about halfway through the film, she still makes quite an impact. Even PUNISHER: WAR ZONE’s Colin Salmon and Masiela Lusha, best known for playing daughter Carmen on the hit sitcom GEORGE LOPEZ, get a little action in as demons disguised as a teacher and a bully student.

Corey Yuen, who worked with director Chris Nahon on KISS OF THE DRAGON (2001), takes the reigns again on action choreography. Here’s the highlight of the film. While adaptation of video games such as STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI (2009) and anime such as DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION (2009) seem to majorly fail in the action department, Yuen knows what he is working with here as this is an adaptation of a horror anime. While people may not like the wirework used in terms of Saya, people will learn that the reason Saya does what she does in terms of flying in the air at times is because she is, after all, a half-demon.

Despite a few too much quick cuts, the film makes up with a nice combination of swordplay and martial arts that are enhanced by some slow motion to show impact and some decent swordfighting on the part of legend Yasuaki Kurata (playing Saya’s martial arts mentor) in a flashback sequence taking on a band of demonic ninjas. Despite the obvious use of CG gore, the fights overall are not too bad. However, the only other flaw is that the finale pitting Saya and Onigen may seem at the first viewing, a little rushed to get a running of time of approximately 90 minutes.

Despite its flaws, BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE is quite a decent adaptation of the anime due to Gianna Jun’s performance, Chris Nahon’s direction, and Corey Yuen’s fantasy action sequence. It is definitely worth at least a rental.

REVIEW: ‘Dragon Fire’ (1993)

Monday, November 16th, 2009

First came Don “The Dragon” Wilson in BLOODFIST (1989). Then came Jerry Trimble in FULL CONTACT (1992) followed by the late Catya Sassoon in ANGEL FIST (1993). B-movie king Roger Corman re-teams with FULL CONTACT director Rick Jacobsen for another remake of the Wilson cult classic. This time around, the setting is a futuristic Los Angeles and it is another attempt to launch a new martial arts action star.

DRAGON FIRE (1993)

The year is 2050. Los Angeles has truly become the number one city for crime, prostitution, murder, and drugs. The biggest form of entertainment in this L.A. comes in the form of the Alley Fights. When Johnny Powers (Dennis Keiffer) wins the latest tournament, on his way home, he is attacked and murdered by a mysterious man. Johnny’s younger brother Laker (Dominic La Banca) arrives to find Johnny. Along the way, he gets in with local fighter and conman Eddie (Harold Hazeldine) and his sister Marta (Pamela Runo) but learns that Johnny has been killed after competing in the Alley Fights.

Laker soon meets the mysterious Slick (Kisu), who is willing to teach Laker how to fight for the upcoming Alley Fights. The heavy favorite in this tournament after Johnny’s death is Ahmed Mustafa (Michael Blanks). Of course, those who have seen BLOODFIST, FULL CONTACT, and ANGEL FIST know where this is going.

One can’t help but think that money is the only reason why Roger Corman tends to produce remakes to his very own movies within a few years of each other. While BLOODFIST set the standard as opposed to the remakes, DRAGON FIRE marks the third remake in the series, only to be the last in the 90’s until BLOODFIST 2050 (2005), which has Xtreme Martial Arts champion and current actor Matt Mullins in the lead role.

While BLOODFIST was shot in Manila, FULL CONTACT was set in Los Angeles and ANGEL FIST was a female version of the first film. DRAGON FIRE can be said to be the futuristic version of BLOODFIST. Set in 2050, Los Angeles is depicted as the worst crime-ridden city in the United States. The sets alone show the dark, gritty like atmosphere and while that may not be the element that people expect watching a film like this, it does help drive the film just a little.

The film also attempts to launch a new martial arts action star like its predecessors. Following in the “footsteps” of Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Jerry Trimble, and the late Catya Sassoon is a lesser known martial artist named Dominic La Banca. Not much is known about La Banca except that he had begun studying martial arts at ten years old and had been studying for fifteen years prior to DRAGON FIRE. Under the choreography of Kisu, who also plays Slick, La Banca is actually quite a nifty martial artist. La Banca’s style is a combination of American kickboxing and karate and uses them to good use here.

While some big martial arts champions have the tendency to rely on a choreographer who expects the basics, Kisu does a great job at showcasing the talents of the cast. One of Kisu’s real-life friends, Harold Hazeldine, proves to be a major step up from the likes of Michael Shaner and Raymond Storti, playing both the comic relief but is truly a better martial artist. Michael Blanks, Billy’s brother, lives up to his name as the “Kicking Machine” as heavy favorite Ahmed Mustafa. Blanks, like his brother, is definitely an amazing kicker and Kisu uses Blanks’ footwork to very good use here. Former kickboxing champion Dennis Keiffer looks quite good in the opening of the film as the doomed Johnny Powers.

Of course, there is no point mentioning the entire story because once you have seen BLOODFIST, you know what to expect. It is somewhat sad that lead actor Dominic La Banca never got to appear in the lead role of a martial arts film again. Perhaps it is because the hardcore fans were seeing a “dead horse beaten” when seeing this and while it would be his one shot as a lead action star, fans just felt he was just another re-hash of Don “The Dragon” Wilson. La Banca would go on to play more supporting roles in film and television, but nothing close to his achievement in this film.

So while it is safe to say that this is just another remake of BLOODFIST, DRAGON FIRE does have its advantage, mainly in the fight department and the talents of the martial artists in this film showcased under a competant fight choreographer in Kisu.

Kane Kosugi and ‘City of Violence’ duo are ‘Timeless’

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

American-born Japanese action star Kane Kosugi is teaming up with the duo behind the hit Korean action film THE CITY VIOLENCE, actor/action director Jung Doo-Hong and star/director Ryu Seung-Wan, for a new short film coming out this month to promote Motorola’s upcoming model, the MotoKlassic, on the Korean Motorola website.

kanekosugiTIMELESS, directed by Ryu stars Jung and Kosugi as an action director and his former student at a stunt school. When the action director reunites with his protege to shoot an action film, he is shocked to learn that his student is using devices such as CGI to replace his hard work. Angst ensues, followed by chaos on the set as people do get hurt.

A press screening will be held, followed by more trailers and then the full short film will be available to view on Korea’s Motorola website at http://www.motoklassic.com

In the meantime, Twitch has a video of a teaser trailer to TIMELESS.

UPDATE: TIMELESS is now available to view online as well as available for download. You can download the entire 20-minute short film HERE or view the film at http://www.motoklassic.com.

Donnie Yen to bring ‘The Legend of Chen Zhen’

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

In 1995, Hong Kong action star and filmmaker Donnie Yen played Chen Zhen, the role made famous by Bruce Lee, in a television series version of Lee’s classic martial arts film FIST OF FURY (1971). Wu-Jing.org has reported that Yen will return to the role in a proposed “sequel” of sorts to be helmed by Andrew Lau, best known for his work behind the cameras on the original STORM RIDERS (1998) and the INFERNAL AFFAIRS trilogy.

legendofchenzhenteaserFIST OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF CHEN ZHEN will be set seven years after the apparent death of Chen Zhen, who was shot after discovering who was reponsible for his teacher’s death in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. A mysterious stranger arrives from overseas and befriends a local mafia boss.

That man is a disguised Chen Zhen, who intends to infiltrate the mob when they form an alliance with the Japanese. Disguising himself as a caped fighter by night, Chen intends to take out everyone involved as well as get his hands on an assassination list prepared by the Japanese.

Reported to be co-starring in the film are Taiwanese-born international actress Shu Qi and veteran Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong. Gordon Chan, who helmed FIST OF LEGEND (1994), the film where Jet Li played Chen, is producing with Lau and co-wrote the script. Yen will also serve as the film’s action choreographer. Filming should begin very soon as Yen is currently at work on IP MAN 2.

FIST OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF CHEN ZHEN is scheduled for a 2010 release from Media Asia Films.

REVIEW: ‘Spirited Killer’ (1994)

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

SPIRITED KILLER (1994)

SPIRITED KILLER (1994)

Stuntmaster Panna Rittikrai (ONG BAK, BORN TO FIGHT) started out as the star in a low of lower-budgeted Thai films before gaining the reputation as the mentor of some of Thailand’s top action stars, notably Tony Jaa and Jeeja Yanin. In 1994, Rittikrai took the lead villain role in this horror-martial arts hybrid that can be described as a martial arts FRIDAY THE 13TH.

When a voodoo doctor, Duang, creates a potion to make the residents of a local village immortal, it is revealed that the potion acts more like a poison, killing off some of the locals. When Piak (Srifah Daranee) is the only one to survive Duang’s attacks, he warns the head of the village. Together, Piak, the village head, and some of the locals are able to off Duang. However, this is where the story only begins.

When a group of the villagers head back, they encounter a mysterious man who proceeds to nearly kill everyone in his sight with a barrage of martial arts and weaponry skills. Those who manage to escape do so very narrowly and inform the village head. Meanwhile, a group of traveling Japanese students and others enter the forest that leads to the village and are attacked constantly by the mysterious killer. It is up to the survivors to band together and stop the mysterious killer, who is proven to be more invincible and continues to fight and hack his way through anyone who gets in his way.

Originally released as PLOOK MUN KUEN MA NAH 4, the fourth installment in what looks to be a Thai film series combining the supernatural and martial arts, Rittikrai brings a menacing foremanner as the mysterious killing machine. He does not speak a word and it is not needed. Those seeing the film as well as those he encounters in the film knows that he means business. Rittikrai, who along with collaborator Banlu Srisaeng (who co-stars as a mute Japanese tourist), pull out all the stops with a nice combination of unarmed martial arts as well as intricate sword fighting with a dose of “slasher” mixed in. This is action in true classic Rittikrai form.

Despite the labeling on the recent DVD released in the United States, Tony Jaa does not “lead the pack”. However, he does appear in the film as a tourist who falls victim to the mysterious killer. Jaa’s fight against Rittikrai lasts quite a few minutes due to the fact that he fights then runs, fights, runs, until finally he ends up dead. However, that doesn’t take away some of the performances of some of Rittikrai’s other core stuntmen, including Banlu Srisaeng, Srifah Duranee (in the lead role of Piak), and Morakot Kaewthani to name a few. While Jaa will be known as the future action star, this is a chance to see Jaa in one of his earliest films.

While the character of Piak, played by Srifah Duranee, is considered the main hero of the fillm, he comes off as quite annoying sometimes. The reason is because he is trying to impress the village head’s daughter, Fah. He feels necessary to make himself look good towards everyone he comes across, but judging from how he fares against at first Duang, then the mysterious killer, he is not better than anyone else. Another flaw in the film comes in the form a musical number that comes in after the first group of killings from the mystery killer. One only wonder what is the point of having this musical number in the film. Perhaps, it is a ploy to break away from the serious tone of the film, but it seems to be quite unnecessary here.

While SPIRITED KILLER is not the best of a hybrid of horror and martial arts, those who are familiar with the likes of Tony Jaa and Panna Rittikrai cannot help but watch the film to check out Jaa before his breakthrough in ONG BAK (2003) and seeing Rittikrai in perhaps one of his creepiest roles.

REVIEW: ‘Fighter’ (2007)

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Directed by Danish-born helmer Natasha Arthy, FIGHTER can be described as a more seriously minded martial arts version of the Gurinder Chadha comedy BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM (2002), in which our protagonist must make a decision between staying loyal to her family’s traditional values and the one thing she loves more than anything.

fighter2007Aicha (Semra Turan) is a young Turkish high school student living in Denmark. Her parents expect the best of her in terms of education as they hope she follows in the footsteps of older brother Ali (Nima Nabipour) and become a doctor. However, Aicha has another passion and that is the art of Chinese kung fu. Having learned for three years, Aicha is kicked out of the school she has studied the art in after a scuffle with a cocky fighter. However, her teacher does see potential in Aicha and recommends her to try out another school.

Upon entering the Dragon Kung Fu club, Aicha meets the sifu (Xian Gao) and proves to be a worthy member of the team. Even more, Aicha catches the eyes of Danish fighter Emil (Cyron Melville), who begins to fall for her while they train for an upcoming tournament. However, there poses a problem. Ali is to be engaged to Turkish girl Jasmine (Ozlem Saglanmak), who catches Aicha with Emil and the rumors begin. Things get worse when Omar (Behruz Banissi), a new member at the Dragon Kung Fu school, is revealed to be the best friend of Jasmine’s brother Mehmet (Ertugrul Yilan). Jasmine soon learns that she is also failing in school. She discovers she must choose between her loyalty to her family and the one thing she feels makes her happy.

This Danish film is quite a look not only for the fact that it is a martial arts film, but it is more than just a martial arts film. It becomes a character study about a young woman who becomes conflicted when the one thing that makes her happy, martial arts, becomes a threat to her traditionalist Turkish family. The ideas of choosing between cultural traditions and happiness was done in a comical sense in the hit British comedy BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, in which a young woman felt conflicted between her traditional Indian family and her love of soccer.

Danish-based Turkish actress Semra Turan makes a very good debut performance as the conflicted Aicha. She plays Aicha as someone who has to deal with so many conflicts, from not only the family values and love for martial arts, but in an aspect, possibly finding love with a non-Muslim. While she tends to constantly deny it, she seems to have an attraction towards kung fu school classmate Emil, played by Cyron Melville. Yet, she puts her traditional values first when it comes to her relationship and at the same time, is somewhat disgusted when her mother tries to set her up with Turkish bad boy Mehmet, played by Ertugrul Yilan, who sports a combination of facial hair and sideburns that make him look like a terrible Wolverine clone.

There is a subplot in the film, one that revolves around Aicha’s older brother Ali. Ali, a successful doctor, has been in love with local Turkish girl Jasmine and their relationship is a solid subplot for the film. The reason behind this is because Aicha’s actions soon come out to somehow affect the relationship and not exactly in a good way. The rumors begin to fly about Aicha and Emil, and this causes the entire family, including Ali, to disown Aicha. However, something even more shocking awaits this lovely couple.

Xian Gao, a martial arts master who is perhaps best known as Master Bo in the Ang Lee wuxia film CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON plays the sifu of the Dragon Kung Fu school, who becomes somewhat of a second father figure to Aicha when her own father feels she is nothing more than a failure in his eyes. The sifu sees potential in Aicha and wants her to only do her best. In addition, Gao served as the film’s fight choreographer.

The film’s fight scenes are not too bad, despite the use of some minimal wirework for some flips mainly. However, one example of an exaggerated use of wirework is used for a dream sequence in which Aicha constantly finds herself at the mercy of an unknown assilant. This scene is shown a few times over the course of the film as it describes the obstacles in life Aicha must endure to succeed.

While Turan holds her own for some of the basic techniques, she is doubled for more complicated moves by the likes of stuntwomen Lauren Kim, Rieko Hata, and Song Ying. As for Cyron Melville, like Turan, he was doubled for some of the more complicated moves but holds his own in the basic department. Denmark-based martial artist Behruz Banissi nearly steals every one of his fight scenes as Aicha’s potential rival Omar, who is quite an amazing martial artist who unleashes some nifty taekwondo kicking in his scenes.

FIGHTER is definitely worth a watch as it is not just a typical martial arts film, but rather a look at someone conflicted to do what’s right in her heart and goes on a road to find herself.

The original ‘Power Rangers’ return in 2010

Friday, October 9th, 2009

After months of speculation, Disney and Bandai made an official announcement that the hit 1993 series MIGHTY MORPHIN’ POWER RANGERS will make its official return to television in January 2010.

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MIGHTY MORPHIN’ POWER RANGERS was the Americanized version of the 1992 Super Sentai Series KYORYU SENTAI ZYURANGER. The story of MMPR revolved around five teens from the fictional city of Angel Grove who gain the powers to become the Power Rangers in their quest against the evil Rita Repulsa.

The original series starred Austin St. John, the late Thuy Trang, David Yost, Walter Jones, and Amy Jo Johnson as the original Power Rangers, with upcoming mixed martial arts fighter Jason David Frank joining the cast mid-way through the first season as Tommy, the Green/White Ranger.

The original MMPR series, owned by Saban Entertainment, lasted from 1993 to 1996 on Fox Kids, followed by more Power Rangers series, which were in turned the Americanized versions of the previous year’s Super Sentai Series. Disney acquired the Power Rangers from Saban Entertainment in 2001 and began airing more Power Rangers series on the former Toon Disney/Jetix (now Disney XD).

The current Power Rangers series, POWER RANGERS RPM, looks to end its series run in either late December or early January on ABC Kids and will officially mark the end of the Power Rangers universe to begin the return of the series that started it all.

The return of the MIGHTY MORPHIN’ POWER RANGERS is being reshown to a new generation of fans who may have missed out on seeing the original series. This will give fans of the more recent series a look at the series that started it all as well as bring back a sense of nostalgia for fans who saw the original series back nearly seventeen years ago.

Meanwhile, Bandai, the toy company who have made all of the Power Rangers action figures, announced that they will unveil fifteen new action figures revolving around the original Power Rangers.

Furthermore, Bandai has begun a contest in which a Power Rangers “cliffhanger video” can be viewed online with customers getting a chance to make either a mini-movie or storyboard of how to end the cliffhanger. Details on the Power Rangers contest can be found on Bandai’s Official Blog.

REVIEW: ‘Power Kids’ (2009)

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

Thai stunt master Panna Rittikrai has the tendency to impress fans with his brand of martial arts choreography and stunt work. While ONG BAK (2003) launched Tony Jaa and CHOCOLATE (2008) launched Jeeja Yanin, this action film he co-produced may be the launching pad for the next generation of his team. After all, the protagonists are all played by teenagers.

powerkidsRaised in a Thai boxing school run by Master Lek (Arunya Pawilai), four teenagers and a pre-teen train in Muay Thai and at times, get themselves in trouble. Wut (Nantiwooti Boonrasap) is the eldest of the teens, doing his best to become a future kick boxer alongside Kat (Sasisa Jindamanee). Jib (Nawarat Techarathanaprasert) doesn’t practice much and instead, spends her time racing remote controlled cars. Then, there’s resident troublemaker Phong (Paytaai Wongkamlao), who always boasts about his father and gets not only himself, but the others in trouble.

The youngest of the five in Wun, Wut’s little brother, who has a heart condition and wishes to be like his big brother and spend more time with them outside of the school. When Wun receives a RC car for his birthday and races it the next day, he causes trouble with a local gang boss. While running away, Wun ends up having a heart attack and goes to the hospital. The kids and Master Lek learn that a young boy who passed away in another hospital has been able to donate his heart to Wun. Things, however, become chaotic when a band of terrorists take over the hospital where Wun’s new heart is located. Determined to help his brother, Wut leads the rest of the teens to the hospital in an attempt to get the heart to save Wun.

Directed by Krissanaporn Rachata, this latest film from producer Prachya Pinkaew and his Baa-Ram-Ewe film company with the assistance of Panna Rittikrai’s team is nothing short of a highlight reel for the next generation of stunt fighters. The film’s teen stars learned well from Rittkrai and his stunt team. While Rittikrai supervised the action himself, it is his longtime collaborator Banlu Srisaeng who took on the main choreography duties.

While two of the teen stars look very familiar, the lead actor, Nantiwooti Boonrasap, looks amazingly impressive and from the way he moves, it looks like Thailand may have found its next Tony Jaa or even Dan Chupong (star of Rittikrai’s 2004 film BORN TO FIGHT). When it comes to the story, Boonrasap displays some pretty good acting too as a brother determined to do anything to make sure his brother gets well. In the scene where he takes his brother to the hospital, Boonrasap displays such emotion that it is quite easy to show sympathy for him.

Boonrasap works well in the action department when he teams up with BORN TO FIGHT’s Sasisa Jindamanee, who has gone from a ten-year old junior Muay Thai champion to what could be the next Jeeja Yanin. After BORN TO FIGHT, Jindamanee continued her training with Rittikrai’s team, showcasing her skills in the recent action-comedy SOMTUM (2008) alongside Nawarat Techarathanaprasert, who co-stars in this film as race car expert Jib. Now at the age of fifteen, Jindamanee still shows that she hasn’t lost a step and does a great job in the action department.

The comic foil of the film comes in the form of the character of Phong, played by Paytaai Wongkamlao. If the last name looks familiar as well as his looks, it will come as no surprise. Wongkamlao is the real-life son of one of Thailand’s most beloved comic actors, Petchtai Wongkamlao. The elder is best known for his roles in ONG-BAK, THE BODYGUARD (2006) and THE BODYGUARD 2 (2007), and recently, a cameo in ONG-BAK 2 (2009). In fact, in the beginning of the film, Phong gets a letter from his dad and there are pictures of the elder Wongkamlao and Master Lek tells Phong that he does look exactly like his father. The younger Wongkamlao doesn’t fight much in the film like his fellow actors, but his comic relief is somewhat reminiscent of his father. He is definitely a chip off the old block.

The terrorists taking over the hospital have their own agenda as well. Known as the Teelaw, they are described as a minority in Thailand and go to extremes to get equal rights among the people of Thailand. Playing the lead terrorist in this film is Vietnamese-born martial arts actor and stuntman Johnny Nguyen. Coming off his first lead role in THE REBEL (2007), Nguyen had worked with Rittikrai’s team before, playing a villain in TOM YUM GOONG (aka THE PROTECTOR) (2005), opposite Tony Jaa. Nguyen doesn’t really shine action-wise until the climatic finale, where he pretty much unleashes his skills against the kids, notably Wut and Kat, who are obviously the best of the fighting teens.

Speaking of action, while fans love seeing Rittikrai’s style of action, here comes the only flaw of the film. The problem with the fight scenes is a little overdose of slow motion use and at times, the techniques seem too repetitive. The overuse of slow motion was also done in Rittikrai’s BORN TO FIGHT (2004). Overall, it does bring that style to good use coming from a young cast, yet the repetitiveness and slow motion overdose tends to be quite annoying after a while. Thankfully, the film only runs at approximately 75 minutes. Because of its running time, the first time seeing the moves repeated over and over again may seem annoying, but perhaps after a second viewing combined with the run time, it may end up being not too bad.

What can be pretty much described in a nutshell as 3 NINJAS meets DIE HARD, POWER KIDS is a decent effort from Pinkaew and Rittikrai. While it has somewhat of a decent storyline, it is like many other recent Thai action films, a highlight reel of stunts and martial arts action. However, we may have the next Tony Jaa and Jeeja Yanin in the forms of Nantiwooti Boonrasap and Sasisa Jindamanee. This is definitely worth at least a rental.

REVIEW: ‘Best of the Best 2′ (1992)

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Eric Roberts, Phillip Rhee, and Christopher Penn, as well as director Robert Radler, return from the 1989 martial arts cult classic in a standard tale of vengeance. However, despite its simplistic theme, Rhee’s performance drives the film in high gear as a pretty decent sequel.

bestofbest2After they have taken on the best fighters from Korea, martial artists Alex Grady (Roberts), Tommy Lee (Rhee), and Travis Brickley (Penn) have returned and have opened a martial arts school in Las Vegas. While Alex and Tommy continue to build on their friendship, Travis has been spending his nights competing in a high-stakes underground tournament known as the Coliseum. The Coliseum is run by Weldon (Wayne Newton), a nightclub owner who thrives on the rigors of fighting with his current champion Brakus (Ralf Moeller) believing in the theory of being a true warrior without the use of guns.

When Travis is practically forced to babysit Alex’s son Walter (Edan Gross), Travis takes Walter to the Coliseum, where he is set to take on Brakus. During the fight, Travis is bested by Brakus and as a result, gets his neck broken by the hulking giant, leaving him dead. Walter witnesses Travis’s death and attempts to tell Alex and Tommy. At first, Alex and Tommy are unsure until they find Travis’s body the next day at a nearby river. While the police rule Travis’s death an accident, Alex and Tommy are not convinced and an attempt to confront Brakus forces them to go on the lam.

Hiding out with Tommy’s adopted grandmother (Betty Carvalho) and recluse cousin James (Sonny Landham), Alex and Tommy, with the support of Walter, begin to endure training under James, who has been revealed to have taken on Brakus in the past, in hopes to eventually take on the giant. When Tommy finds himself kidnapped by Weldon’s goons, Alex and Walter narrowly escape with Alex needing assistance to rescue Tommy from a good old friend of theirs.

There is something when seeing the original BEST OF THE BEST (1989). While the general audience may have seen the film as just another martial arts film, the film actually proved to be more than just a martial arts action film. It was more of a dramatic film that revolved around the members of the U.S. Karate Team. You actually show both sympathy and empathy for the team members, specifically Alex and Tommy, who have gone through personal struggles to succeed.

However, for this sequel, it somehow reverts back into a basic martial arts action film with the theme of revenge. While it may be a delight to see Eric Roberts, Phillip Rhee, and Christopher Penn return to the spotlight, it may just be viewed as just a basic action film. However, there is just something that makes this just a tad more than a basic action film and that could be because there is just something there, and that something may in fact be director Robert Radler. With Max Strom and actor John Allen Nelson handling the screenplay for the film, Radler directs the film to bring a sense of emotion over the film’s characters, something that should be more or less a trademark of his, especially after seeing these two films and his follow-up, SHOWDOWN (1993).

While the first film highlights Alex and Tommy’s personal struggles, there is more than just revenge for a friend’s death that triggers the film. We learn that Alex has moved on since his wife’s passing and has found a girlfriend in sports anchor Sue, played by Meg Foster. Tommy has replaced one brother with another, as we learn that he is now close with the fighter who accidentally killed his brother. Simon Rhee, Phillip Rhee’s real-life brother, returns in this installment to a capacity as Dae-Han, as well as pulling off double duty as the film’s action director once again. Meanwhile, we learn Tommy has an extended family, yet struggles to have a relationship with his adopted cousin James, played by Sonny Landham. James is seen as a recluse who drinks because of past demons and once Tommy and Alex train under him, James’s demons begin to disappear and finds a spirit in them that he once had and in a way, feels a sense of redemption through his new “students”.

The film has two antagonists, Weldon and Brakus. Weldon is the brains of the operation and is played by Vegas’ veteran himself, Wayne Newton. Newton plays it off as if he is being himself but with a thirst of blood through fighting. Meanwhile, German-born powerhouse Ralf Moeller, coming off his roles in two Jean-Claude Van Damme films, CYBORG (1989) and UNIVERSAL SOLDIER (1992), looks menacing on the screen as Brakus. Despite his limited ability in the martial arts department, he does very well here under the tutelage of Simon Rhee. Moeller would go on to play Conan in the short lived television series from 1997 to 1998 and recently, tried his hand at comedy in the Broken Lizard film BEERFEST (2006).

As with the first film, Simon Rhee does not disappoint with the film’s fight sequences. He has the ability to make non-martial artists look good on screen and unlike other action directors, he rarely, if at all, needs the use of any wires or computer effects to show it. He has the willingness to show the limits of the cast when it comes to the action scenes. Eric Roberts and Christopher Penn look as if they continued their training after the first film and look good on-screen while Phillip Rhee is truly the highlight reel of the film, showcasing both his taekwondo kicking skills as well as some hapkido moves. As mentioned, Ralf Moeller looks quite believable, bringing a reminiscene of how Hong Kong-based Corey Yuen made another German-born powerhouse and at the time non-martial artist, Matthias Hues, look good in NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER 2: RAGING THUNDER (1987).

In the end, BEST OF THE BEST 2 may not be as good as the original due to its simplistic theme of revenge, but there is something with director Robert Radler’s style of emotional depth that makes this a worthy sequel.

Las Vegas Warrior (2002)

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

Another entry in the now sub-genre of “illegal fight movie” comes courtesy of director Nastasha Baron. The film, originally titled MU SA DO, is two stories interconnecting all revolving around an illegal underground ring operation in Sin City, Las Vegas.

lasvegaswarriorChase Somete (Laurie Hanley) is an investigative reporter for local news show Behind the Story. Her next assignment is professional martial arts fighting in Las Vegas. Showing a display of unenthusiasm, she takes her team of Jimmy (Earl Wadden) and Andre (Jason Simpson) to Vegas to see a bout between Iranian-born taekwondo champion Alexi Zarjampour (Alexi Zarjampour) and Korean-born fighter Suk Nam (Suk Woo Nam). When Suk kills Alexi, Chase and her team have found their story.

With the help of seafood deli owner and informant Gill (Nic Amoroso), Chase learns of an underground fight ring operating in Vegas with its star fighter being none other than Suk. However, Suk has a reason for his fighting. His father was killed by the organizers of the fight ring and had been raised since childhood as part of the “family”, owing a large debt to his uncle. Suk becomes torn as he wants to get out of the fight game once and for all. As Chase gets closer to her story, Suk must make a choice, one that will affect his life forever.

While the film can be pretty much summed as typical B-movie fare, it does hold up some character development in terms of one of its lead characters. While one of the two major plots that connect the film involve a no-nonsense investigative reporter trying to get her story on the Vegas illegal fight ring and its connection to a dead fighter in a professional bout, one can’t help but show a little empathy for the titular “warrior” of the film. As doomed fighter Suk Nam, Suk Woo Nam does his best to play a man who wants nothing more than to fight in order to pay his debt and live a free life once and for all. Going through flashbacks of witnessing his father’s murder as a child, Suk is determined to do anything not to end up like his father.

While the film begins to have its potential, one character in the film somewhat ruins the excitement of the overall production. Chase’s assistant Jimmy Olson (yes, named after the famous SUPERMAN character), played by Earl Wadden, is one of the most annoying characters ever seen on film. He only cares about living the high life just because he is part of a major news broadcast. While Chase and Andre don’t care about staying at a rat-infested place just to get their story on Suk, Jimmy whines about wanting to stay at a five-star. His constant whining can make someone want to go up to the screen, reach in there and smack him so many times.

Suk Woo Nam, an expert in Hapkido, not only co-stars in the film, but served as producer and fight choreographer. For a film about underground fighting, Nam did a decent job, showcasing some hapkido with a taste of wrestling, perhaps one of the early predecessors to today’s mixed martial arts fighting films. In some fights, some of them are marred by the usual close ups and quick cuts, while one fight scenes mainly is shot from overhead angle, showing more technique and impact, making it for a pretty decent fight scene. For this being Nam’s only film, it is quite a shame he hasn’t made any more films to date as he could have improved some more on fight choreography should he continue to make films.

From a decent beginning to a downward spiral full of annoyance and a somewhat disappointment of an ending, LAS VEGAS WARRIOR definitely holds rank as typical B-movie, but if Suk Woo Nam makes another film, perhaps he will have something a little better to work with, but overall, definitely worth at least a rental.

Trailer for Vietnamese action film ‘Clash’

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Twitch has unveiled the trailer and a link to the official site for the upcoming Vietnamese action film CLASH, starring real-life couple Johnny Tri Nguyen and Veronica Ngo, who co-starred in the acclaimed Vietnamese martial arts film THE REBEL.

TheClashCLASH, or BAY RONG in Vietnamese as it now officially called, is described as a somewhat-martial arts, action packed Vietnamese spin on MR. AND MRS. SMITH. The film, directed by Le Thanh Son, is set to be released in Vietnam in December with a longer director’s cut version to be released internationally sometime in 2010.

The official site, which is in Vietnamese only, can be found here. The trailer can be found at Twitch.

Update: An embed of the official trailer on Youtube has been added above.

Karate Warrior 2 (1988)

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

The inevitable had occurred when Italian schlockmaster Fabrizio de Angelis unleashed the 1987 KARATE KID-rehash that was KARATE WARRIOR, starring future Italian heartthrob Kim Rossi Stuart. Both return for this unprecedented sequel, which surprisingly is still cheesy, but offers just a little better in the fight department.

karatewarrior2bStuart returns as Anthony Scott, the hero from KARATE WARRIOR. After defeating his nemesis Quino in the Philippines, he has returned to Miami. He remembers Master Kimura’s training and had continued training on his own. However, Anthony is prepared for a new challenge: college. When he is offered a new car from his grandparents, Anthony heads to a new town, and soon, a new challenge.

On his way to his new place to live, Anthony runs afoul of a local gang known as the Tigers. Their leader, Dick Anderson (Christopher Alan), is very feared and a karate expert. Meanwhile, Anthony finds a new friend in wealthy braniac Luke (David Haynes), who warns Anthony of the Tigers and their use of martial arts to terrorize people. While Anthony tries to confront Dick and the Tigers for damages to his car, he defends himself but refuses to fight.

The reason behind Anthony refusing to fight Dick right away is clear. Before returning to Miami, Anthony made a promise to Master Kimura that he would not use his martial arts skills unless it was in a fair competition in a ring. When Anthony offers to face Dick in a fair competition, Dick accepts but plans to use dirty tactics to get an advantage over Anthony. When his tricks don’t work and Anthony wins, Dick has an ace in the hole. Tigers founder and karate expert Mark Sanders (Ted Prior) has been released from prison and is paid a sum of money to take on Anthony in a competition.

Where KARATE WARRIOR failed miserably, it seemed to somewhat look a tad bit better in this sequel. While lead actor Kim Rossi Stuart still fails here in the acting category, he works with a more competant stunt team this time around and looks a little better in the martial arts department, even though Stuart is not a real martial artist. It is obvious when one sees this film that there is going to not a drop of Oscar-worthy acting, but rather more some pretty ridiculous acting. What doesn’t help at all is the very atrocious dubbing used for the characters. Perhaps the most ridiculous dubbing comes from the character of love interest Patty, played by future Penthouse Pet Amy Lynn Baxter, in which she is given a Southern belle accent.

As with the previous entry, Master Kimura does return and arrives for the first time in America. This time around, Master Kimura is played by Leon Elaout. While Elaout has a small resemblance to original Kimura actor Ken Watanabe, his foremanner seems reminiscent of Miyagi’s Buddhist monk buddies in THE NEXT KARATE KID (1994). He just doesn’t have that brand of impact that Watanabe’s Kimura had which made the film barely watchable.

While the action scenes from the first film went beyond the utterly unwatchable, especially when it came to the very cheesy effects of the finishing technique, the action in this sequel is slightly better. Perhaps it is the fact that de Angelis gave himself a bigger budget and therefore, was able to shot the film in the United States and get a more competant stunt co-ordinator. Stuntman and martial artist Jeff Moldovan brought the action to a more faster pace and surprisingly makes Stuart look somewhat competent as if reminiscent of James Ryan in KILL OR BE KILLED. Thankfully, there is no cheesy blue-light effect when it comes to the so-called punishing “stroke of the dragon”. The film’s main two bouts featuring Stuart against Christopher Alan and B-movie legend Ted Prior (who would only a year later co-star with Hong Kong legend Carter Wong in the low budgeted HARDCASE AND FIST) make the first film’s action look like a real bad case of limburger cheese.

Stuart would depart the series after this installment and make a name for himself in the world of Italian television and cinema, obviously improving on his thespian skills. Meanwhile, Fabrizio de Angelis would make four more sequels from 1991 to 1993, with Ron Williams taking over as new “Golden Kimono Boy” Larry Jones.

While it will never compare to anything churning out of Hollywood or Hong Kong during its time era, KARATE WARRIOR 2 is a slightly better effort from Fabrizio de Angelis. While the acting is flat out rechid, the action here is surprising a little improved over its predecessor.

Karate Warrior (1987)

Monday, September 21st, 2009

In the wake of the success of the 1984 Hollywood hit THE KARATE KID, Italian schlockmaster Fabrizio de Angelis churns out his version of the two films and the result comes to an abysmal attempt to make a future Italian heartthrob an top action hero.

karatewarriorKim Rossi Stuart takes on the role of Anthony Scott, a young man visiting his father Paul (Jared Martin) in the Philippines. He runs afoul of a local gang run by Quino (Enrico Torralba). When Anthony witnesses a crime Quino and his gang commits, he gets beaten up and left for dead.

That is, until a mysterious master known as Kimura (Ken Watanabe, NOT the actor from BATMAN BEGINS and THE LAST SAMURAI) finds the beaten Anthony and nurses him back to health. When he learns about Quino, Kimura decides to teach Anthony the ways of martial arts. He even teaches Anthony a special technique known as the “Stroke of the Dragon”. When Quino enters a local tournament, Anthony is determined to defeat Quino and get even for his beating.

Fabrizio de Angelis can be considered the “Roger Corman of Italy”. For years, he has been known as one of the great B-movie filmmakers, perhaps known for his horror film DOCTOR BUTCHER, M.D. (1979), but using the pseudonym of “Larry Ludman”, gained a reputation in the action genre for his THUNDER WARRIOR trilogy, starring Italian-born Mark Gregory. Having been influenced by THE KARATE KID, de Angelis and screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti (using the pseudonym David Parker, Jr.) came up with a basic martial arts action film that revolves around a new student and a teacher.

To cut costs, de Angelis set the film in the Philippines. While the fish out of water schematic may be of interest to the plot, this was made at a time where lead actor Kim Rossi Stuart was just beginning to boost up his film career as a young man. The son of the late Italian B-movie actor Giacomo Rossi, Kim had the looks but still needed to polish up his acting skills when this was made. Aside from that, he had learned martial arts for the film from a local Filipino stunt team. Both of his acting and skills just are too sub-par for this and they make Ralph Macchio look like Chuck Norris when comparing the two.

Ken Watanabe plays the role of Master Kimura, the monk who would become Anthony’s master. He tends to have a little bit of sarcasm much like Pat Morita’s Miyagi. Kimura seems likable enough and is the only true watchable character of the film. Even the characters of Anthony’s parents, played by Jared Martin and Janet Agren, seem to fall flat here as is love interest Maria, played by Filipina actress Jannette Barretto.

The fight scenes are truly in the sense of ridiculous. It is a typical case of “hit you, hit me” and the so-called “Stroke of the Dragon” is an open-handed palm strike but with this, the filmmakers went beyond the ridiculous with showing the impact of the move by using a blue light. It looks to be beyond ridiculous, but is definitely worth its cheesy value, hence the extra half-star.

The film’s original title is THE BOY IN THE GOLDEN KIMONO (IL RAGAZZO DAL KIMONO D’ORO) and in other territories, the film is known as either FIST OF POWER and MASTER KIMURA. Fabrizio de Angelis would go on to spawn an unprecedented five sequel, with Kim Stuart returning for only the second installment and then being replaced by Ron Williams as Larry Jones for the rest of the series.

KARATE WARRIOR is definitely a terrible rehash of THE KARATE KID, but it’s so cheesy, it can be sometimes a guilty pleasure, depending on one’s taste.

Best of the Best (1989)

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

“A team is not a team if you don’t give a damn about one another” is the tagline for this underrated martial arts drama about five members of the United States karate team, who must endure both professional and personal obstacles to unite as they prepare for a competition with a team from Korea.

best_of_the_bestThe United States team consist of Virgil Keller (John Dye), a devout Buddhist; Sonny Grasso (David Agresta), a Detroit-based fighter who uses his Italian heritage to try to get women; Travis Brickley (Christopher Penn), the bigot of the bunch; Tommy Lee (Phillip Rhee), a taekwondo instructor; and Alex Grady (Eric Roberts), a former champion who is on the verge of making a comeback after suffering a career-threatening injury years ago.

Coached by the very tough Frank Couzo (James Earl Jones) with the help of spiritual coordinator Katherine Wade (Sally Kirkland), the five fighters spend three months in training and throughout the course, endure major encounters not only outside of their training, but internally as well. The most connected of the team are Alex and Tommy, who practically form a brotherly-type bond as both endure personal obstacles that they may or may not be able to overcome when it is time to go to Korea for the competition. Travis plays an intregal part of the plot as well. As the racist member of the bunch, he uses typical Asian stereotypes to try to tap into Tommy’s head without much success. He nearly gets everyone in trouble as well at a local bar when he is caught with someone else’s girlfriend and the fact he is a loudmouth doesn’t bode well with anyone he crosses.

Even though Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones, and Sally Kirkland received top billing for this film, it’s clear that Phillip Rhee is one of the true stars of the film. The character of Tommy is perhaps the most tortured of the team members. Rhee, who also came up with the story and produced the film, gives out a great performance as Tommy happens to be likable on the outside, but has a deep feeling of anger on the inside. When he learns that his opponent will be Korea’s team captain, Dae-Han Park, played by Phillip’s real-life brother Simon Rhee, he begins to have recurring nightmares when ten years ago, his brother David was killed by Dae-Han in a tournament held in Los Angeles. Tommy finds solace not only in Alex, but uses his martial arts as a way to handle the fear that he has to endure.

What helps boost the film not only in terms of the film’s dramatic element of understanding the fighters are the intense training each team endures. While the United States fighters rely on modern technology and weight training to get their bodies stronger, the Korean team resort to modern traditional methods such as praciticing during the snowy winters and running in the snow as well as hitting the trees while in the snow. Aside from Simon Rhee as Dae-Han, the film also features legends James Lew and Grandmaster Ho Sik-Pak as members of the Korean team with tae kwon do legend Hee Il Cho as the coach.

Most of the martial arts action takes place during the qualifiers for the team as well as the climatic tournament sequences. Simon Rhee made the stars look impressive and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Phillip helped his older brother train some of the more non-martial artists of the cast, such as Eric Roberts, Chris Penn, and John Dye. One standalone fight scene takes place at a bar in which the team takes on the likes of stuntman Kane Hodder and other stunt guys.

The tournament sequences are the highlight of the film as the Rhee brothers and film crew acknowledge the respect of tae kwon do as not only a martial art, but a sport as well. The film was made shortly after competitive tae kwon do was made into an official Olympic sport in the 1988 Seoul Games. As a matter of fact, the tournament takes place and is shot in the famous city. The finale of the film highlights a major twist that shows what kind of level makes a film of this caliber a success.

BEST OF THE BEST proved to be a hit film and Eric Roberts, Philip Rhee, and Chris Penn returned for BEST OF THE BEST 2 in 1992 with Rhee starring and directing in two more installments as Tommy Lee in 1995 and 1998, the latter also marking Rhee’s final film to date. Simon Rhee returned for an appearance in the second installment but helped little brother out as stunt coordinator and fight choreographer for all four films.

BEST OF THE BEST is perhaps one of the most underrated martial arts films to come out of the late 80’s, with its somewhat breakaway from the norm of the genre and some rousing performances from the ensemble cast.

Kickboxer 5: Redemption (1994)

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Just when people thought the KICKBOXER saga was dead after the very terrible fourth installment, a surprise comes in the form of this fifth installment, which in some ways lives up to its name. However, Sasha Mitchell is out and in comes the future “Chairman of Iron Chef America”, Mark Dacascos, leading the way plus a familiar face to martial arts film fans returns as well.

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For those who wonder what had become of the Sloan clan, the film opens in South Africa, where a ruthless ex-kickboxing champion, Negaal (James Ryan), has been trying to form his own organization with every champion in the world. When David Sloan refused to join the Negaal Kickboxing Federation, Negaal sends his henchmen to kill David. The opening credits sequence show a shadow-esque pictoral of David Sloan’s untimely death.

Back in Los Angeles, an old friend of David’s, Matt Reeves (Dacascos), has retired from competition and has become a teacher. That night, Matt heads to the local arena to see old friend Johnny Powers (Denney Pierce) compete for the U.S. Heavyweight Kickboxing Championship. When Johnny wins the title, he meets Negaal’s men and asks him to join his federation. When Johnny considers having a meeting with the trio, Matt learns that the same trio were around at the time of David Sloan’s demise. Matt realizes that Johnny will be killed and that is what happens. However, Matt is able to dispatch one of Negaal’s goons before they escape.

Negaal, frustrated about Matt’s interference, sends Paul Croft (Geoff Meed), a prisoner, to kill Matt. However, Paul doesn’t kill Matt and only accepted to do the job to go back home to South Africa. Matt, determined to find Negaal and seek revenge for the deaths of David and Johnny, heads to South Africa as well. Soon enough, Matt finds himself an unlikely ally in Paul as they are constantly pursued by Negaal and his goons.

After appearing in the capoeira film ONLY THE STRONG in 1993, it was fitting that martial artist Mark Dacascos take the mantle to complete the KICKBOXER after Sasha Mitchell’s departure from the series. Written by Rick Filon, instead of just having Dacascos play David Sloan, it was written off the bat that the Sloans’ youngest brother is killed off. Dacascos gets to showcase his talented skills as Matt Reeves, who has something in common with David Sloan. Both are former kickboxers who retired to become teachers. While Sloan would get back in the ring, Reeves settled for a life as a teacher.

It is somewhat of a shame that Dacascos never really got to make the big A-list of films as a lead actor in an action film. Along with ONLY THE STRONG, this has some of Mark’s best skills in both acting and martial arts. Both would come into play as he would be known today as the Chairman on the Food Network’s popular show IRON CHEF AMERICA.

However, the big surprise comes in the form of James Ryan. The South African born martial artist and actor is best known for two films made in his homeland, KILL OR BE KILLED (1977, released in 1980) and KILL AND KILL AGAIN (1981). While Ryan, an expert in karate, made some more lower budgeted fare after his South African martial arts films, this is a welcome return for Ryan to the martial arts action film genre. Ryan makes for a very good villain in Negaal. In one scene, Ryan uses his karate skills against a refusing German champion, played by Gavin Hood, who would direct the Academy Award-winning film TSOTSI and the recent blockbuster X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE.

Geoff Meed makes for a pretty good ally in the role of ex-prisoner Paul Croft. Meed, a practitioner of various martial arts, shows some pretty good martial arts moves. He may have somewhat of a villain look, but he truly shows his true colors as both an ally and friend to Matt. Meed and Dacascos recently reunited for the rip-off film I AM OMEGA, which Meed wrote the screenplay and played a villain while Dacascos played the hero of the film.

The fight choreography was done by Mark Dacascos and martial artist Burton Richardson, who makes an appearance as one of Negaal’s financial planners. What can be seen as laughable is Dacascos strutting a pose and whipping his arm before beginning to unleash his skills at times. However, there is one sequence that made absolutely no sense. Near the finale, which takes place in Negaal’s home, we are treated to a kung fu fighting casino dealer, played by martial artist June Castro. She wasn’t part of the intricate plot, so the question that still comes to mind is what is she doing beating the heck out of Negaal’s goons? That is something that remains a mystery to this day.

Despite this miscalculated flaw, REDEMPTION: KICKBOXER 5, lives up to its name as it puts an end to the martial arts saga on a decent note and it proved to be a bankable lead role for martial artist extraordinaire Mark Dacascos. Definitely worth at least a rental.

Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor (1993)

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

The martial arts saga revolving around the Sloan clan takes a major turn for the worse in the most unbelievable (and that is in a bad way) installment of the film series. While Sasha Mitchell returns, the absence of Dennis Chan as well as a new actor playing veteran series bad guy Tong Po makes this installment bad on all levels.

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The opening of the film alone becomes baffled as we see former kickboxing champion David Sloan in prison. He writes a letter to his wife Vicky (Deborah Mansy) and tells her about Tong Po and his brothers, as seen in flashbacks from the first two KICKBOXER films. Vicky finds herself kidnapped by Tong Po (Kamel Krifa), who has gone from being a kickboxer in Thailand to a drug dealer based in Mexico. Meanwhile, it was revealed that Tong Po had set David up and as a result, sent him to prison.

After making a deal with the Drug Enforcement Agency to get Tong Po and rescue his wife, David disguises himself as Jack, an up-and-coming brawler to compete in Tong Po’s Tournament of Champions, where the winner will receive a $1 million prize. As David draws closer into Tong Po’s organization, he soon learns he is being helped by DEA agent Lando Smith (Brad Thornton), whose brother was a student and eventual instructor at David’s school. David and Lando take a young female fighter, Megan (Michelle Krasnoo) under their wing as she gets herself in the tournament as well. However, what will happen if Tong Po learns that his one-time nemesis has entered the tournament and wants to seek revenge?

The film is horrendous on all levels. After faring well in KICKBOXER 2: THE ROAD BACK and KICKBOXER 3: THE ART OF WAR, it seemed as if the filmmakers tried to make Sasha Mitchell a really tough fighter, not to mention a hard-boiled prisoner for the first fifteen minutes. Mitchell just has a character that seems too likable and that was what helped make his character of David Sloan likable in the last two films. Here, Sloan just seems more tough and reckless. Perhaps it is the fact that they practically took out the third film as well as not even involve Xian Chow, Sloan’s mentor played by Hong Kong veteran Dennis Chan, in this film.

For fans of the previous KICKBOXER films, Dennis Chan’s Xian had that “comic relief” with his sense of sarcasm that made him a worthy mentor, first of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Kurt then Sasha Mitchell’s David. In some ways, one can say he drove the films to make them watchable. With his absence from this film, the film becomes more serious in tone, but it doesn’t have the drive necessary to make it a worthy sequel.

However, the one element that will get fans more riled up than anything is the return of Tong Po. While it may seem like that could sound like a good thing, in this case, it is anything but a good thing. Michel Qissi made the character of Tong Po a relentless kickboxer whose sole purpose was to hurt his opponents in the ring. Replaced here by martial artist and another of Van Damme’s friends, Kamel Krifa, it is as if we are dealing with a “doppelganger” of Tong Po, a crime lord who thrives on seeing bloodlust while having a more distinct use of the English language. While Qissi’s Tong Po had one line in KICKBOXER and KICKBOXER 2, Krifa’s Tong Po has more lines and tries to play it off like Qissi’s Tong Po. However, with a really terrible mask (you can even see the mask folds in the back of Krifa’s head at times), and this whole “drug dealer” angle, this is perhaps the worst of any veteran villain seen in film.

The only things worth seeing in this film, if anything, are the tournament sequences. Coming off like a rip-off of any tournament film made, there are many unique styles used in the film. There are stylists in Karate, Muay Thai, Capoeira, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Jeet Kune Do used in the film. While it is annoying at times to see Tong Po get all excited while seeing the mayhem, these are perhaps the only good things about the film worth seeing.

In some ways, it is a relief that Sasha Mitchell did depart after this installment to focus more on the television series STEP BY STEP. The next time Mitchell would get to showcase his martial arts skills again was in the 2000 film GANGLAND. KICKBOXER 4: THE AGGRESSOR is in essence, a pitiful sequel and major downfall of the series. Thankfully, the final installment lives up to its name with REDEMPTION: KICKBOXER 5 (1994), starring Mark Dacascos. However, this is truly one that may be worth a rental, but not exactly one to keep unless you are truly a die-hard KICKBOXER fan.