Review: Death Match (1994)

“Go ahead, if you and your friends want to look like Swiss cheese”

My opinion regarding kickboxer/actor/activist Ian Jacklin is a little more complicated than with most karate stars, but in a nutshell, I thought the guy was pretty cool until I realized that he spends his life promoting quackery to cancer patients. Nevertheless, I enjoy his acting career and see it as a microcosm of a successful B-movie trajectory, with Death Match being the climax. Created outside of the major video studios, it has an unambitious story but a good production with a huge amount of martial talent. It’s required watching for fans of the subgenre and easily the best of Jacklin’s film career.

The story: An ex-fighter (Jacklin) goes undercover in a deadly fighting circuit to rescue his kidnapped best friend (Nicholas Hill).

I need to emphasize the state of the production, even though it may seem odd to praise a film for looking average. Keep in mind how easy it is for indie movies to turn out like crud. By all rights, Death Match should’ve been interchangeable with a typical Cine Excel production (underpopulated vistas, dubbed dialogue, etc.) but it’s actually indistinguishable from most Pepin-Merhi or Shapiro-Glickenhaus actioneers. As a matter of fact, it would be pretty aspirant for a PM or SG production, given the impressive list of names in the cast. To be fair, we sometimes only get a little taste of them – cult stars Richard Lynch and Jorge Rivero have only one scene apiece as Mafia bosses – but the list of talent goes on. Martin Kove and Matthias Hues are good as the lead villains, with Kove supplying the drama and Hues most of the fighting. Steven Leigh, Eric Lee, and Benny Urquidez don’t have any fights but do well in their dramatic scenes. Michele Krasnoo, Butch Togisala, Randall Ideishi, Ed Neal and Peter Cunningham partake in some of the highlighted brawls, and many more show up elsewhere. If these names aren’t clicking, you haven’t been watching movies like this long enough. The sheer accumulation of performers with reputations in the genre is amazing, especially since your average PM production sometimes wouldn’t even spring for half.

Of course, presence isn’t as important as utilization. The real question is how good the 16 fight scenes are, and the answer is that they’re a mixed bag. On the bright side, there are no downright bad matches and the choreography is nicely varied – some street-fighting, some shoot boxing, and even a lone stick fight. There are some some surprisingly long shots highlighting lengthy exchanges, and a few performers have standout moments of action. (I really enjoyed the Matthias Hues-Dino Homsey bout.) However, for the most part, nobody performs the best work of their career. Michele Krasnoo is made the least of, being introduced as a fighter but then only engaging in half a match. I have the impression that the choreographers were simply stretched too thin by crafting this many fights on a limited schedule. If so, then I wish the number of brawls had been cut in half and the remaining ones given more flair.

Socially, the movie has good points and bad points. Where the latter is concerned, the fact that two women are cast in fighting roles is undermined by the female lead (Renee Allman) abandoning the sparks of characterization to play a formulaic love interest. Additionally, a sexual harasser (played by Bob Wyatt) is inexplicably made a
supporting character. However, I like that the movie seems to be championing an anti-capitalist message, using organized crime and fighting as metaphors. The villains trap fighters in a system that depends on their toil while devaluing their lives, and the same villains consider theft against them to be the single greatest crime. Threatening their income by refusing to fight by their rules is likewise punishable. The protagonist sets himself apart from this system by having abandoned organized fighting and claiming to compete solely “for the competition” – not exactly a fair outlook in light of all the pro fighters in real life who earn their income via competition, but it’s nevertheless a repudiation of the metaphorical wage slavery in the feature. Death Match isn’t The Godfather when it comes to allegory, but it’s effective in delivering its message.

There’s a moment in the film when Jacklin’s character is weirded out by Martin Kove’s belief in the supernatural powers of crystals. Retrospectively, it’s funny to see Jacklin in the role of the skeptic (even though crystal power seems to be one of the few areas of nonsense that Ian hasn’t stated a belief in), but I have to admit that he does well enough as the lead. He doesn’t have quite the charisma of, say, Don Wilson, but that’s not to say he wouldn’t have made a good star in the long run. Indeed, I wish he would’ve been handed another top role before the end of the martial arts genre’s video golden age. Nevertheless, his undisputed high point here is worth hunting down if you’re a collector. Death Match encapsulates many of the essentials seen in movies like this and adds just enough of an inspired touch earn a recommendation from me. Check it out wherever you can.

SOURCE

Death Match (1994)
Directed by Joe Coppoletta (The New Adventures of Robin Hood)
Written by Curtis Gleaves (story & screenplay), Bob Wyatt, Steve Tymon (Ring of Fire II: Blood and Steel)
Starring Ian Jacklin (Kickboxer 3), Martin Kove (The Karate Kid), Matthias Hues (Bounty Tracker), Renee Allman (The Stoned Age)
Cool costars: Martial arts regulars Steven Vincent Leigh (Sword of Honor) and Eric Lee (Ring of Fire) appear in acting roles but don’t fight. Similarly, kickboxing hall of famer Benny Urquidez (Wheels on Meals) is limited to a training montage but offers his Jet Center studio as a filming location. Sexy pro wrestler Stevie “Puppet” Lee appears as the arena gong beater. Richard Lynch (Puppet Master III) and Jorge Rivero (Centennial) have one scene apiece as non-fighting Mafiosos. Onscreen fighters include Nicholas Hill (Bloodsport II), Michele Krasnoo (Kickboxer 4), Ed Neal (Breathing Fire), Butch Togisala (Firepower), Dino Homsey (Deadly Bet), Randall Shiro Ideishi (Black Scorpion), Debra “Madusa” Miceli (Shootfighter II), Jamie Krasnoo (Full Contact), and Nick Koga (Red Sun Rising). A performer called Hector Pena appears in a stick fight, but I’m not sure whether he’s the actual Hector “Aztec Warrior” Peña, world champion fighter. Also, kickboxing legend Peter Cunningham is inexplicably credited as “Peter ‘Sugarfoot’ London” – leading to a snafu on IMDb where the film credit goes to porn actor Peter London.
Cool crew: Composer Marco Beltrani – who’d go on to earn two Oscar nominations for his work on The Hurt Locker (2008) and 3:10 to Yuma (2007) – makes his feature composition debut with this one. He is directly heard on the soundtrack playing guitar and keyboards.
Content warning: Group violence, violence against women, violence against children, sexual harassment, sexual assault, ableist dialogue, graphic description of an execution
Title refers to: Either the main attraction of the underground fight ring or the fights-to-the-death taking place at the end of the film. A “death match” also refers to a hardcore pro wrestling contest – a fact which may be relevant in light of stunt coordinator Brandon Pender’s history as a World Championship Wrestling producer.
Cover accuracy: Different covers exist, but the most widely-distributed one is dominated by an image of Matthias Hues. Hues is one of the two lead villains, but relegating leading man Ian Jacklin to a teeny-tiny graphic is misleading. Heck, Jacklin can’t even get top billing, with Hues and Martin Kove claiming the large print.
Number of full-length fight scenes: 16
Crazy credit: “No music by Giancomo Puccini was used in connection with this picture” – even though Richard Lynch’s character specifically mentions the composer’s works.
Copyright Horseplay Productions, Inc.

Review: Drifter TKD (2008)

“Taekwondo is not a corporation! It’s an art!”

SOURCE

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Does anyone else remember Ron Pohnel? He had that awesome ring match against Jean-Claude Van Damme in No Retreat, No Surrender (1986) – the one right before the finale. After that, he practically ceased to exist until IMDb informed us last decade that he was finally working on another movie. And not just any movie, but a full-blown vehicle for himself! I didn’t care that it was going to be a very low-budget effort – I just wanted to see the guy again. However, after waiting almost ten years for a release and then only accessing the film through Pohnel’s Youtube channel, my expectations steadied a little. Little did I know that even then I was in for disappointment. Drifter TKD is a micro action flick burdened by a terrible screenplay and the filmmakers’ failure to take advantage of what resources they have. It’s a poor directorial debut for Pohnel and really just a passion project gone awry.

The story: After giving up his taekwondo school to a greedy corporation, Master Harrison Luke (Pohnel) takes on the life of a destitute drifter. Settling in a homeless community, the master takes a stand for the disenfranchised against a golf club owner trying to intimidate them.

Tempting as it is, I’m not going to compare this to the other movie Pohnel did. However, even judging it on its own merits yields little praise. To be fair, there’s no sense bemoaning its lack of budget and shot-on-video presentation: given his limitations, director/producer/cameraman Ron does well enough. And while the fight scenes are definitely in trouble for being too short most of the time and questionably shot/edited, they reveal that Pohnel is still packing some moves. Nevertheless, the movie does everything else wrong. With the exception of ex-Power Ranger Blake Foster as Harrison’s student, none of the supporting martial stars engage in any of the action – not Mel Novak as the evil CEO, nor Ron Hall as his henchman, nor Leo Fong as Harris’ fellow master. The lighting is off in several scenes and the dialogue isn’t always audible over the soundtrack. The dialogue is weak, frequently sounding contrived and unnatural (“To be a CEO, your heart has to be cold and hard”) and with characters repeat their backstories multiple times. Some prominent characters are just outright unlikable, with David Fultz as Harrison’s bumpkin sidekick generating some particular vitriol in my notes.

Worst of all, the story ends up going absolutely nowhere. After almost 90 minutes of testing my patience with poor pacing, the movie resolves none of the problems it’s set up. Harrison remains a drifter, his loyal student returns to his heartless father, the corporation maintains a monopoly on local taekwondo schools, the homeless people remain homeless, and even though the leader of the local gang gets beaten up, both they and the evil club owner are left with no curb on their homeless-harassing and human-trafficking shenanigans. The film kind of addresses this with a last-second philosophy about going with the flow and making the best of a bad situation, but it just feels like a badly-planned story. The characters end up in almost exactly the same place they started, making me feel like I’ve wasted my time.

While I’m criticizing, I might as well also point out the film’s social failings as well, beginning with almost every non-white actor with a speaking role being cast as a villain. Also, at least two female characters are martial artists (Sohara Key and Charl Pohnel) but are also depicted as no match for their male aggressors, making their previous training scenes amount to nothing. One of them gets seriously creeped on by David Fultz’s character with no consequence. Seriously, he’s more harshly reprimanded for incorrectly throwing a kick during martial arts practice, which suggests that even in a movie where sex trafficking is a thing, disappointing your male teacher is a bigger faux pas than threatening women.

As eager as I am to promote indie cinema, it’s hard to recommend this one. It doesn’t take itself very seriously, but the grinding pace and lack of engaging content makes it a chore to sit through. Check it out if you really want to see what’s become of Ron Pohnel, but otherwise just skip to the end of No Retreat, No Surrender again.

THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER HAS MADE THIS TITLE AVAILABLE FOR FREE. YOU CAN FIND IT HERE.

SOURCE

Drifter TKD (2008)
Directed by Ron Pohnel
Written by Ron Pohnel, Charl Pohnel
Starring Ron Pohnel, Blake Foster, Solara Key (Thunderkick), Ron Encarnacion (Parts of the Same Circle)
Cool costars: Martial arts stars Mel Novak (Game of Death), Ron Hall (Bloodsport II), and Leo Fong (Low Blow) are here but don’t fight. Jacob Stiver, Charl Pohnel, and Omar Lizarranga do fight. Longtime TV actor Richard Pines plays the greedy golf club owner.
Content warning: Kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual harassment, homophobic dialogue
Title refers to: “Drifter” refers to the protagonist’s occupation. “TKD” – short for taekwondo – refers to the martial art featured most prominently in the film.
Cover accuracy: A close-up of Ron Pohnel with a wide shot of him (or possibly Blake Foster) walking in the background is appropriate. The billing refers to Charl Pohnel by her full name, Charlene Oka-Pohnel, in contrast to how it appears in the onscreen credits.
Number of full-length fight scenes: 5
Copyright Webgeeks Productions

Review: Circle of Pain (2010)

“Oh my god! What did I do?”

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For the longest time I actively avoided MMA-themed action movies, especially the direct-to-video features that began coming out in the 2000s. Overall, I wasn’t wrong to do so, and Circle of Pain is an example why. While rising above the sheer unpleasantness of Never Surrender (2009) – the crown jewel of terrible cage fighting movies – this particular flick is heavily flawed from surface to core and ticks off a lot of personal peeves. Poor writing and bad fight scenes ahead.

The story: An ex-fighter (Tony Schiena) is strong-armed into a high stakes match with a cold-hearted champion (Heath Herring) by a greedy promoter (Bai Ling).

I watched the movie twice in one day, the second time with the commentary track, and this definitely made me appreciate it more. The film was shot in 12 days and the studio meddled with the script, so I’m more forgiving of its more obvious limitations – the small scale and rushed feel. Director Daniel Zirilli shows that he can do a lot with a little, so I’m interested to see what he’d do with more resources and less interference.

…Kinda. Even with regard to its disadvantages, the production doesn’t carry a lot of promise. Foremost, it doesn’t do much with its cast. Aside from the fact that it oversells three of the four stars on its cover (Kimbo Slice, Frank Mir, and Roger Huerta have a combined total of six scenes), the only performer coming out of it relatively well is Heath Herring, who knows how to play an asshole villain. Tony Schiena has some moves and charisma, but he comes across as a blockhead and isn’t particularly likable. Bai Ling will get her own paragraph in a moment. TV’s Louis Herthum is sort of a poor man’s Geoffrey Lewis as the lead’s tough old trainer. And then there’s Dean Cain, playing Schiena’s wheelchair-riding sidekick and no doubt handling the role even better than a genuine disabled actor could… Yeah, right! (It’s not a great role, though: he spends the film living vicariously through the protagonist, and the writers never realize that this isn’t a particularly positive trait.)

The film’s most exploitative feature isn’t violence but sex and nudity. There’s the expected breast shots, and they’re followed up by two or three scenes that are straight up softcore porn. This is strikingly at odds with the rest of the movie’s tone, and for good reason. Zirilli candidly admits that these parts were demanded by producers and that he doesn’t like them, saying that he’d probably prefer the TV version of the film. My biggest gripe on the matter is how it affects Bai Ling, who plays the only substantive female role in the picture. Ling’s part was rewritten from a male role, and the imposed changes seem to mainly be sexing her up ridiculously. (I just can’t see her male counterpart screwing Heath Herring in the gym.) The character’s overt sexuality symbolizes her power, but it’s also meant to demean her, especially when she’s rebuffed. It’s a messy, ungainly dynamic that’s only here because a woman is playing the role. For an infinitely less sexual take on a woman playing a villainous promoter, check out the English language Hong Kong flick Extreme Challenge (2001).

The fight scenes could be better. For some reason, MMA-themed action always looks better in theatrical features than on video, and the same is true here. The fights are kept down-to-earth and realistic out of necessity, but even though they improve throughout the picture, they’re just not very fun. Tony Schiena is a legitimate karate champion, and when he shows off some powerful-looking forms, I couldn’t help but wish he were in a Bloodsport sequel instead of this muddy schlock. The pro fighters do well enough, but having seen Roger Huerta fight in Tekken (2010), I was disappointed that he didn’t get a proper brawl. (He’s Herring’s trainer.)

Again, you can do worse than Circle of Pain in the MMA video genre, but why even go there? It’s bearable if you go in with low expectations and enjoy seat-of-the-pants filmmaking, but c’mon – that’s not what you’re here for. You’re here to watch your favorite pro fighters headline a killer action movie, and that’s just not what happens. Leave it be.

Source

Circle of Pain (2010)

Directed by Daniel Zirilli (Crossing Point)

Written by Bobby Mort (Scorched Earth), Daniel Zirilli (story), Sean Patrick O’Reilly (story)

Starring Tony Schiena (Locked Down), Bai Ling (Game of Assassins), Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), Heath Herring (Chavez: Cage of Glory)

Cool costars: Louis Herthum (Westworld) as the trainer. The list of supporting fighters include Kimbo Slice (Blood and Bone), Frank Mir (Hell’s Chain), Roger Huerta (Tekken), Yves Edwards (Beatdown), Miguel Torres, Conner Brantley, and Carlo Prater.

Content warning: Sexual harassment, sexist & ableist dialogue, violence against the disabled

Title refers to: Literally, the caged ring which the fighters compete it…even though it’s not actually circular. Figuratively, it may refer to the destructive cycle of doubt and guilt that the protagonist deals with after paralyzing his best friend.

Cover accuracy: Slice, Mir, Huerta, and Herring certainly do appear in the movie, but their billing and promotion come at the expense of the actual leads. Also putting Slice ahead of Herring – both in billing and in placement – is a hard faux pas. The Tapout logo is better-placed, though, as it’s featured very prominently throughout.

Copyright Grindstone Entertainment Group / Lionsgate Home Entertainment

B-Movie Henchmen Graded

MATTHIAS HUES
Kickboxer 2: The Road Back (1991), Mission of Justice (1992), Fists of Iron (1995)

Huge German Viking-looking person from Germany whose soft little accent is enough to put a guy into the ground by itself. Occasionally crazy and liable to have his head turned by mild psychosis or dysfunctional programming (he’s an android, by the way), he’ll nevertheless see you through to the near-end of your nefarious scheme and will probably go down spectacularly just in time for your evil plans to blow up in your evil face. A tried & true choice.

Grade: 8.5/10

JAMES LEW
Red Sun Rising (1995), Balance of Power (1996), Outside the Law (2002)

Okay, if you’re going to spring for the grandmaster in the first place, drop the extra dime and make him your top henchman. Better yet, make him your partner! Anything less is like putting gold leaf on a Whopper. Make no mistake, he’s gonna fucking die, but he’s going to make the person who kills him look like so much more than a skinny dork pretending to fight. Give him a cape or a trench coat and he’ll throw in some lite supernatural feats. You’re really getting all the bang for your buck, here.

Grade: 9.5/10

RON YUAN
Ring of Fire (1993), Deadly Target (1994), White Tiger (1996)

No. Just stop it, you bastards. Stop being such fucking jerks. You know that choosing him’s going to spell humiliation for the poor guy. Like, whoever you put him up against is going to grab him by the wrists and make him start slapping himself. Stop it. I know you’re thinking of matching him against Gary Daniels again, and you guys are just mean. Listen: Ron Yuan puts his all into his henchman work and it’s not right that you laugh at him. He deserves some fucking respect.

Grade: A for effort, Ronny my baby

RON SMOORENBURG
Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (2013), Tekken: Kazuya’s Revenge (2014), Never Back Down: No Surrender (2016)

What’s the deal, Ron S.? Twenty years later and you’re still getting gigs based on how you beat up Jackie Chan that one time? Listen, dude: if you’re not going to even approach being that cool ever again, just let us know. People keep hiring you, and serviceable as you are, you know damn well we haven’t paid for plain serviceable. We’ve paid for Phantom of the Opera tickets and you’re putting on a damn puppet show. Not happy. You better shape up, mister, or I’m leaving you a bad review on Yelp.

Grade: Pending stern review

TORU TANAKA (aka CHARLES KALANI, JR.)
The Running Man (1987), Martial Law (1990), The Perfect Weapon (1991)

O-Oh! Oh my-! He’s…um…he’s rather big, isn’t he? Like, wide as car bumper. Chest you could fall asleep on… Arms that could calm a bear… I-I think if I asked, he’d pick me up and set me down someplace high. If he’s my bodyguard, he could physically shield me from morning to night, as close as possible. Just never let me out of his grasp… Good god, is it getting hot in here or what? Someone bring me some water before I pass out…!

Grade: 1,000,000/10

Review: The Man with the Iron Fists 2 (2015)

“You are mine”

Source

This
review is based on the unrated version of the film.

SPOILERS
AHEAD

The
Man with the Iron Fists had its
moments, but I don’t think it did nearly enough with its resources.
I wasn’t a fan, so my hopes weren’t high when its lower-budgeted
sequel was released.
As
a matter of fact, I didn’t bother checking it out at all. However,
having finally
seen it now, I realize it
wasn’t necessary for me to avoid
it. The Man with
the Iron Fists 2 is bereft
of most features
that defined its predecessor – a supergroup cast, the
wuxia influence, and a
general over-the-top style
– but this is actually what
makes it for me. More sober-minded and focused
on its characters,
this is a surprisingly worthwhile
adventure and
definitely the best action feature I’ve yet seen from director Roel
Reine.

The
story: En route to Wu Chi Temple to cleanse his soul, the blacksmith
Thaddeus (RZA) is embroiled in a
treacherous conflict
between a small mining village and the oppressive Beetle Clan.

The
most obvious way the film deviates from the original is the lack of
major names. With the
exception of the lead star, no one here’s been anywhere near top
billing for a major release in years. Nevertheless,
this one’s cast isn’t without cult charm, and they’re
all clearly acting their
butts off. Dustin Nguyen is the real star as the de facto leader of
the village, and Carl
Ng makes a surprisingly strong impression as the despicable villain.
Cary Tagawa is solid as the
wheelchair-driving mayor, while Eugenia Na does good work as an
archer and Nguyen’s onscreen wife. Action hero-in-the-making
Charlie Ruedpokanon enjoys the best role of his young career as
Nguyen’s brother, while action regulars Kazu Tang and Ocean Hou are
memorable enforcers.
Grace Huang and Andrew Lin reprise their roles as the Gemini Twins
for a flashback scene. RZA easily
slips back into his character
but reduces
his impact by not having much
to do with the first half of the movie.
While this
cast ultimately appeals
less to people used to
theatrical fare, I
love how the lack of name
emphasis requires the actors to focus on their characters all the
more. No award-winning
performances, but there are
some good exchanges that
elevate the otherwise humdrum plot.

Aesthetically,
I declare the film a complete triumph. Director/DP
Reine and production designer Lek
Chaiyan (Anna and the King)
create
an absolutely beautiful flick composed of exotic
on-location shots and
intricate costumes. At the
risk of comparing the film to its predecessor too often,
this one eschews the
original’s lavish style
and focuses on a more
realistic and detailed look, smoothly incorporates the local
countryside
for a sense of scope.
This organic style carries
over to the action content, which is considerably scaled back from
the predecessor’s wirework bonanza. The fighting is almost entirely
grounded and less reliant on special effects, and
this works well for the performers and the Thai stunt crew. Of
course, the results aren’t
perfect: over-editing works its way into more and more of the brawls,
and the mass battle scenes are one thing that the original film did
better. I was excited when Cary Tagawa unexpectedly became
a combatant in the 11^th
hour, but he’s stunt doubled to within an inch of his life.
Nevertheless, we get some
good matches in the Charlie Ruedpokanon/Ocean Hou and Dustin
Nguyen/Carl Ng encounters, so
the adrenaline department
gets an overall passing grade.

I’m
disappointed that the animal motifs are downplayed this time: RZA
mentions in the DVD’s special features that he sought to explore
insect themes, and while we get the Beetle Clan, everything else is
downplayed to the point that appears
incidental. (E.g. the miners as ants.) The overabundance
of gore ensures that executive producer Eli Roth got to eat for
another day, but the over-the-top violence isn’t very creative.
Again, die-hards of the
original won’t be happy about
these things, but
I find the faults forgivable.
With fewer resources at its
disposal, the sequel finds a harmonious balance much easier than its
richer
predecessor. It’s still a take-it-or-leave-it feature for casual
viewers, but it’s hard to
deny the effort and skill
that went into this. The Man with the Iron Fists 2
is utterly watchable on its
own merits, and if you’re like me and enjoy seeing small
productions succeed against all expectations, you’ll definitely
have fun. Rent it.

Source

The
Man with the Iron Fists 2
(2015)
Directed
by
Roel Reine (Hard
Target 2)
Written
by
RZA, John Jarrell (Romeo
Must Die)
Starring
RZA, Dustin Nguyen (Once
Upon a Time in Vietnam),
Carl
Ng (Point
of Entry),
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Cool
costars:
Grace Huang, Andrew Lin, Charlie Ruedpokanon (Ninja:
Shadow of a Tear),
Ocean Hou (The
Blood Bond),
Kazu Patrick Tang (Dragonwolf),
Eugenia Yuan (Jasmine).
Seigi Ozeki, who seems to have dropped from the leading man spectrum
following Muay
Thai Warriors,
plays a vengeful member of the Lion Clan. Sahajak
Boonthanakit (Zero
Tolerance)
is one of Thailand’s rising dramatic stars and plays one of the
featured minors. Simon Yin (Birth
of the Dragon)
is likewise memorable.
Content
warning:
Extreme
violence, group violence, lynching, childbirth, racist
dialogue
Copyright
Universal
Pictures Home Entertainment

Review: Showdown in Manila (2016)

“You know, I got international friends in low places…”

Source

It’s a shame that
the phenomenon of supergroup casting has grown old long before all of
its possibilities have been exhausted. The sad reality of filmmakers
regularly not making the most of all the names they can get under one
title is evident in Mark Dacascos’ freshman effort as a director,
which further depresses me by not making a strong case for
yesterday’s action heroes becoming filmmakers. Possibly the
greatest coming together of stars since the original Expendables
films,
Showdown in Manila nevertheless
feels like a forgettable
action-thriller featuring a bunch of nobodies.

The
story: Private investigators Nick Peyton (Alexander Nevsky) and
Charlie Benz (Casper Van Dien) track an assassination to an
international terrorist group. Eventually, they call in some comrades
to help capture its deadly leader (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa).

How
good the
movie is depends largely on
how well its big-name stars are utilized. Here’s my take on ‘em:

Alexander
Nevsky – This
huge bodybuilder seems to be more of a star in Russia than North
America,
and thus I question having
him lead
a movie filled
with more recognizable action guys.
Judged on his merits, he’s not terrible
–
he makes more of his physical
size
than Dolph Lundgren and does well enough in
action scenes –
but
he’s in
desperate
need of charisma. For all his good looks, Nevsky remains a virtual
stranger to me even after the credits
rolled.
I
wouldn’t mind seeing him improve, but I don’t predict many U.S.
producers will line
up to put him in another starring role.

Casper
Van Dien –
As probably the cheapest ex-
A-lister on the market right now, it doesn’t
surprise me
that
ol’ Casper’s present,
but it
sure irritates
me.
He’s
playing yet another womanizing jerk, albeit with more chagrin and
humility
than expected.
It
breaks my heart to admit it,
but
he’s
actually one of the best things about th4
film. He’s not the only cast member with genuine charisma and
acting ability, but he is
the one with the most scenes. For
better or worse, he keeps the film from sinking until the other big
names show up.

Cary-Hiroyuki
Tagawa – One
of the genre’s quintessential villain actors is well-placed
as the
bad guy, but he’s the first cast
member whose
presence is over-hyped. The number of scenes he’s in can be counted
on one hand, and while you can count on his considerable screen
presence whenever he’s on camera, he barely gets in on any of the
action. Also, for what could’ve
been a monumental B-movie, his character’s pretty weak and
comes to kind of a disappointing end.

Tia
Carrere – As
Carrere hasn’t
had much to do as an action hero since Relic
Hunter,
I
wasn’t expecting much of her and thus was delighted when she
briefly partakes in a quick fight scene! Honestly, though, there’s
no reason to get excited. Despite
being an important character, she
largely drops out of the film after the early scenes and is wasted as
a draw.

Mark
Dacascos –
Already
taking on the role of
director, it may have been wiser
for Mark to remain behind the camera entirely
and
not tease us with an early appearance. He has a single scene, and
while he manages to fit a brawl
in there, I
can’t help but miss him throughout the remaining runtime. His
character is the linchpin of the story but I would’ve preferred a
lesser-known actor in the role, as I wouldn’t have spent the rest
of the movie thinking about how much better it would
be if he were
still in it.

Matthias
Hues –
Hues
plays pretty much the same blonde enforcer he
always
has
but with a lot less screen time. Ironically, he has more lines in his
handful of scenes than he’s had in entire
vehicles.
He’s also in
the
only
dream match-up this film offers,
as he engages Casper Van Dien in a short and one-sided fistfight.
Afterwards,
Nevsky
takes him out with one punch.

Don
Wilson, Cythnia Rothrock, and Olivier Gruner –
I list these three as a unit because they arrive and leave the film
at the same time and share the same scenes. They comprise the group
that Nevsky calls in to storm Tagawa’s base (along with Dmitriy
Dyuzhev, an
acclaimed Russian actor who’s nevertheless unknown in the west) and
bring with them the majority of the action content. It’s what I’ve
come for, but the characters
feel tacked-on, as
though
they’re
indulging
a last-minute favor from Dacascos to appear in his movie. While
their segments remain the best in the picture, they
aren’t in
top form:
Gruner’s acting is somehow worse than usual, and weapons
specialist
Cynthia Rothrock inexplicably
looks like a complete amateur when handling a pair of batons.

With the utilization of this ultimate gathering of B-movie dragons
falling way short of hopes, do any other parts of the movie stack up?
Well, I’ve seen worse first-time directors than Dacascos, who
proves he can at least craft a professional-looking feature. The
problem is that his run-of-the-mill style works against a picture
whose adrenaline spikes never reach higher than “meh.” I would’ve
been more entertained by a big disasterpiece with an unpredictable
storyline and actors imploding under crazy direction. As is, Showdown
in Manila and its paint-by-the-numbers plot have nothing wrong
with them other than the disappointment they generate. I’d rather
have seen director Dacascos drop all his plates in spectacular
fashion than realize that, even with all he had going for him, the
best he could do was something I’ll have forgotten about in a week.

With literally nothing going for it other than the opportunity of
seeing some of its stars in the same action scene, I can’t
recommend this film with any kind of enthusiasm. As always, fans of
the stars might want to pick it up to complete their libraries, but
everyone else can treat it mildly.

Source

Showdown in
Manila
(2016)
Directed
by
Mark Dacascos
Written
by
Craig Hamann (Boogie
Boy),
Alexander Nevsky (story), Mark Dacascos (story)
Starring
Alexander Nevsky (Moscow
Heat),
Casper Van Dien (Starship
Troopers),
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal
Kombat),
Tia Carrere
Cool
costars:
Mark Dacascos, Matthias Hues (No
Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder),
Don Wilson (Bloodfist
series), Cynthia Rothrock (China
O’Brien series),
Olivier Gruner (Angel
Town),
Dmitriy Dyuzhev (The
Island).
World champion martial artist Emanuel Bettencourt (Kebab
Connection)
plays one of the lead villain’s bodyguards, as does Filipino action
star and Olympic taekwondoka Monsour Del Rosario (Bloodfist
II).
There’s
also a surprising amount of critically-acclaimed
Filipino stars in various supporting roles, including Iza Calzado
(Bliss),
Mon Confiado (Heneral
Luna),
and Jake Macapagal (Metro
Manila).
Content
warning:
Human trafficking, violence towards women
Copyright
Hollywood Storm / ITN Distribution

Foreign Film Review: Twin Dragon Encounter (1986)

“Confucius say:
when fighting truckers, nail the suckers!”

Source

Industry insiders
know Michael and Martin McNamara as the guys who sued Miramax for
copyright infringement over the release of Jackie Chan’s Twin
Dragons. Followers of the
Canadian
martial art scene know them for their ongoing struggle to legalize
kickboxing competition in
Ontario. Before now,
I knew them as the assassins who fight Billy Blanks in Back
in Action, and as of recently, I
also recognize
them as the stars of the first Canadian martial arts film here.
Thanks to that title, Twin Dragon Encounter
will always have something to brag about, but truly, the
movie’s nothing to go on
about. I love indie action flicks, but this poorly-planned,
micro-budgeted
adventure just isn’t worth the effort it takes to track down a VHS
copy.

The
story: Martial arts instructors Michael and Martin (McNamara) take
their girlfriends on a rural getaway, only to be accosted by a
violent group of mercenaries.

The
movie is a pretty hardcore vanity project, with the brothers being
presented as practically
heirs to Chuck Norris’ title of badassery. I’ve seen worse
self-aggrandizement, but it’s rare to see so much mustachioed
machismo stuffed into a 79-minute runtime, my favorite moment of
which being
when the McNamaras put off swimming with their girlfriends to saw
logs while shirtless.
It doesn’t help that everyone else falls over themselves to make
them
look good. The villains compose the biggest collection of boobs I’ve
ever seen, with not a single one able to stand against the brothers’
mighty kicks. Girlfriend Nancy McKenna (Death in Hollywood)
acquires some fighting skills after being
rescued early on, but it’s ultimately meaningless ‘cause the bros
repeatedly save her anyway.

The
movie’s also just poorly written. It ends on a cliffhanger, teasing
its Dragon Hunt sequel,
but does so after wasting a lot of time on throwaway scenes like the
lovers
getting chased into a tree house by a bear. The
plot is needlessly prolonged, to the point that our heroes can avoid
almost all of their
peril by practicing some common sense. Worst of all, the action
scenes leave
a lot to be desired. The film’s got more than its share of onscreen
karate, but I can’t
remember a single time I remarked
how cool a brawl is. The McNamaras – who also produced the movie –
have a bad habit of highlighting regular moves with slow motion, with
the effect that they actually become worse because you can now see
the
imperfections in the choreography.

I
will give the film credit for some unexpectedly decent visuals, no
doubt thanks to director Paul Dunlop’s background in
cinematography. Of course, this isn’t nearly enough to save the
show. Neither cool
enough as a regular action picture
nor exotic enough as a foreign curiosity, I can’t recommend Twin
Dragon Encounter.

Twin Dragon
Encounter
(1986)
Directed
by
Paul Dunlop (cinematographer for Blind
Eye)
Written
by
Gary Hart, Michael McNamara
Starring
Michael & Martin McNamara, B. Bob, Nancy McKenna
Cool
costars:
Kickboxing champ Karl Adhihetty appears as an enforcer.
Content
warning:
Violence against women, sexist dialogue, kidnapping, sexual assault
Copyright
Manesco Films / Vidmark Entertainment

Review: Boyka – Undisputed 4 (2016)

Photo source

When Boyka:
Undisputed 4 was released last
year, I decided not to see it
at once. Part of this decision is
attributable
to the hipster in me and the fact that it
would be a popular movie, but also because I just
wasn’t thrilled that it’d been made. I maintain that Undisputed
III: Redemption ended the Yuri
Boyka story as well as it could, giving the character an open-ended
conclusion and
raising
the bar for martial arts action in
the process. I thought that
further installments could
only be weak cash-ins,
ignoring
the standard that Scott Adkins and Isaac Florentine had set. And you
know what? I was right.
On its own, B:U4
is an okay adventure with above-average action, but as the successor
to one of the most defining martial arts features of our era, it’s
a major disappointment.

The
story: After unintentionally killing an
opponent in
the ring,
Yuri Boyka (Adkins) travels back to Russia to offer his condolences
to the fighter’s wife (Teodora Duhovnikova). Upon finding her under
the thumb of a local kingpin (Alon Aboutboul), he demands to fight in
an underground tournament in exchange for her freedom.

To
be fair, the movie is better than I expected in at least one
department.
Upon finding out that it
wouldn’t actually be directed by Florentine but Todor Chapkonov –
maker
of really horrible TV features – I expected a big
step down in style and technical quality, but I’m happy to say that
this isn’t the case. Chapkonov mimics Florentine’s spaghetti
western style to the point that I wouldn’t have guessed it was
anyone else behind the camera. Thematically,
however, the movie is trouble,
beginning with the premise of having Boyka out of prison. It’s
initially as odd as seeing Dr.
Lecter outside of the asylum in Hannibal,
but the movie
makes nothing of this.
There’s nothing to allude to Boyka’s incarceration, no
fish-out-of-water moments, and
no
acknowledgment that he’s irrevocably set apart from society.
Returning writers David White and Boaz Davidson had an
opportunity to expand the
character in unique ways, but instead
treat
the
movie
as they would any other story about a lone wolf tough-guy. What’s
the point?

Such
uninspired writing is the film’s biggest weakness. It really is but
another bland action yarn that just happens to be
part of
a revered franchise. Boyka does nothing
I didn’t expect of him
(beyond
uncharacteristically giving a darn about someone he’s killed),
and Alon Aboutboul’s villain is almost entirely predictable and
bland. Teodroa Duhovnikova’s
grieving widow is a sexy lamp. Without
spoiling, the movie has Boyka’s story not come
full circle so
much as regressing – essentially keeping him in a place where it’ll
be convenient to add on future installments.

The
film’s strongest aspect is its action content, which – as always
– is
primarily
hand-to-hand fighting. The fact that B:U4
might fail to
live
up to its predecessor isn’t that important, as I’m happy with the
general standard that Adkins & Co. have created.
I enjoyed the juicy role given to genre staple Brahim
Achabbakhe and
appreciate seeing him make an impression both dramatically and
physically. Emilien De Falco is
great as Boyka’s doomed opponent. Andreas Nguyen and fight
choreographer Tim Man steal the show with their two-on-one match.
Disappointingly, these
and almost all other
fighters come across as interchangeable, rarely fighting with
distinguishable styles and even looking very
similar.
Martyn Ford has
a decent couple of matches and is easily the most intimidating Big
Bad of the series, and yet he’s also the most boring for the
complete lack of substance given to his two-scene character. Again,
I like the action content as a whole, but it pales to Adkins’ past
effort in both style and substance.

The
strengths of the fight scenes make it impossible for me to not
recommend the movie at all, but know that they’re the
only thing
it has going for it. I
say the Undisputed
franchise should’ve ended
gracefully
eight years ago, but I also think this unwanted addition had
the potential to
be a lot better. Thus, unless you’re a Scott Adkins completionist
or a major fan of Yuri Boyka, treat this as a rental.

Photo source

Boyka:
Undisputed 4
(2016)

Directed
by
Todor
Chapkonov (True
Bloodthirst)

Written
by
Boaz Davidson (story), David N. White

Starring
Scott Adkins, Teodora
Duhovnikova (Corpse
Collector),
Alon Aboutboul (The
Dark Knight Rises),
Brahim
Achabbakhe (Dragonwolf)

Cool
costars:
Martyn
Ford (Accident
Man),
Emlien De Falco (Dragonquest),
Andreas Nguyen (Luc
Van Tien),
Tim
Man (Ninja: Shadow
of a Tear),
Trayan Milenov-Troy (Undisputed
2: Last Man Standing),
and
Velizar
Peev (Derailed)
all
play combatants. Bashar Rahal (Direct
Contact)
also appears but doesn’t get in on the action.

Content
warning:
Violence towards women, sexual assault

Copyright
Millennium Films / Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Mini Review: Acts of Vengeance (2017)

Photo source

Acts of Vengeance
is a ham-fisted but satisfying revenge thriller about a lawyer
(Antonio Banderas) searching for his family’s killer. With
this, director Isaac
Florentine continues to revert to his old style
of producing simple vehicles for any action hero he can get his hands
on. The simplicity
might just
be a matter of the movie
failing to
live
up to its artistic
aspirations, but the result is an enjoyable little brawler with a
touch
of class.

One
of the story’s
selling points is Banderas taking
a vow of silence for the
duration of his quest, but
this is undercut by (1) not happening until after the first 30
minutes and (2) him continuing to narrate the story throughout.
Nevertheless, our star
is well-utilized here, conveying intensity and performing amazingly
well in the fight scenes, particularly in
his showdown with Karl Urban.
Tim Man is quickly becoming
one of the best fight
choreographers in history, showing that he can make anybody look
their absolute best.

Socially,
the movie is very critical of cops. I don’t think this was the
makers’ intent, but the police are roundly portrayed as either
incompetent, apathetic, or murderously vindictive – justifying the
hero’s vigilante status. There’s also an attempt to paint
Banderas’ character as an immoral, get-anyone-off-at-any-cost
sort of attorney, but because this is only stated but not seen, the
balance the filmmakers sought just isn’t there. Personally, I don’t
mind.

Acts of Vengeance
is a worthy purchase
purchase for fans of early Florentine, before Scott Adkins became
his golden boy, and
also a strong initiation for Antonio Banderas into the martial arts
genre

Photo source

Acts of
Venegance
(2017)

Directed
by
Isaac Florentine (Undisputed
series)

Written
by
Matt Venne (White
Noise 2: The Light)

Starring
Antonio Banderas (El
Mariachi
series),
Paz Vega (Sex
and Lucia),
Karl Urban (Star
Trek
trilogy),
Johnathan Schaech (Legends
of Tomorrow)

Cool
costars:
Raicho Vasilev (Spartacus
series) plays a Russian
combatant,
while director Isaac Florentine and choreographer Tim Man play
martial art instructors.

Content
warning:
Police brutality, violence towards women, implied child murder,
implied
child sexual abuse

Copyright
Stoic Productions, Inc. / Lionsgate

Review: Never Back Down – No Surrender (2016)

“Believe me, they will know about this fight on Mars"

Photo source

For reasons I can’t
explain, I hadn’t thought to look into the Never Back Down
series before now
and thereby completely
overlooked
that Michael Jai White had
expanded from martial arts star to
filmmaker. This
movie
actually gives me some hope for the future, as it’s virtually the
only one I’ve seen
show an interest in actually
carrying on the legacy of
martial arts videos’ glory days. Don’t give me another boring
Dolph Lundgren production if White’s making films. Of course, Never
Back Down: No Surrender’s
not perfect – it’s
actually one of the few
movies of this sort where the problematic screenplay bothers me more
than any technical shortcomings. As
is, this one works best as a blueprint to improve on, but in
the meantime, it’s a very
watchable blueprint.

The story: Legendary
fighter Case Walker (Michael Jai White) travels to Thailand to train
his comrade Brody James (Josh Barnett) for a high-stakes title match,
but soon realizes that the promoter (Esai Morales) has shady
intentions.

NBD3
has so many real-life
influences that it’s practically
meta. There are numerous
connections
between Josh Barnett’s character and the actor’s
real-life competitive career,
many of them unflattering. Additionally,
the movie tackles the
ever-relevant issue of steroids in sports with
surprising zeal. Ironically,
this approach makes the
film’s frequent idealistic stances feel haphazard and naive, as
it presents
simplistic solutions to complex problems. Also, I didn’t like that
the story is full of unresolved issues: aside from the loose
thread of Casey taking on a couple of young proteges, it’s
uncomfortable that
the feature
allows
things like Brody’s blatant infidelity and the racism of some
supporting characters to
fade into the background. I also
didn’t like how a side-story regarding sexism towards a character
played by Jeeja Yanin is “resolved”
via sexism. Despite
all of this, the screenplay isn’t
weak: Case
Walker is likable enough,
and the story eschews
typical life-and-death setups in
favor of a political approach
that feels more suitable to
modern sports promotion. Not
every idea it has
pans out, but I can
appreciate a film for showing
me that it at least had thought behind
it.

How
much you enjoy the action content depends
on your tolerance of
unnecessary slow motion. Fight
choreographer Larnel Stovall delivers good stuff, but the fact that
only a couple of the eight fights
aren’t mucked about with
this editing technique
is disappointing.
Nevertheless, Michael Jai White remains one of the best performers in
modern martial arts films,
and this is apparent throughout the feature. Though he achieves
Hector Echavarria levels of self-glorification by including a scene
that puts him over a genuine MMA star
like Josh Barnett, he looks fantastic in whatever he does and
whoever he fights. He’s got
a great cast of supporting
kickers,
including Nathan Jones as the rival champion and genre
staples Brahim Achabbakhe,
Eoin
O’Brien, and Ron Smoorenburg as
various brawlers.
More impressive on paper but less so onscreen are the Thai stars: the
aforementioned Jeeja Yanin has a
single
fight and is barely a character, while Tony Jaa only shows up to make
a fool of himself in a comedy cameo. Seriously,
if
the poor quality and
infrequency of
Jaa’s most recent output
hasn’t
caused you to lose esteem for him, his buffoonish
scenes
here will do the trick.

Despite these disappointments, NBD3
is an enjoyable watch. Again, I’m pleased that MJW
chose
to be
a filmmaker: it’s good
knowing that the legacy of U.S. martial arts videos has a competent
torchbearer, and it’s important that the subgenre contains
perspectives other than those of white men.
The main problem remains
the movie’s screenplay, but
I’m hopeful that White will improve in that regard in
time. Even so, this one is
worth a look.

Photo source

Never Back
Down: No Surrender (2016)

Directed
by
Michael Jai White

Written
by
Chris Hauty (Never
Back Down 1
& 2), Michael Jai White

Starring
Michael Jai White, Josh Barnett (Absolution),
Gillian White (Bamboozled),
Esai Morales (NYPD
Blue)

Cool
costars:
Stephen Quadros (Sworn
to Justice),
Nathan Jones (Tom
Yum Goong),
Jeeja Yanin (Raging
Phoenix),
Brahim Achabbakhe (Dragonwolf),
Ron Smoorenburg (Who
Am I),
Damian Mavis (Kung
Fu Yoga),
Amarin Cholvibul (Hard
Target 2),
Eoin O’Brien (Kill
‘Em All),
and Creighton Mark Johnson (Risk
for Honor)
all appear in martial roles. Pro fighter Quinton Jackson cameos in a
little scene. Tony Jaa also cameos, but…I just can’t.

Content
warning:
Sexist
and racist dialogue, racially-motivated violence,
police brutality. There’s
also a scene where a transsexual prostitute is “humorously” outed
against her will.