This is surprisingly better than I expected and the fight choreography is excellent.
Now the film is as random as $#@% and a mess in parts. Beginning like a serious crime martial arts flick. Followed by an 80's teen camp movie and finally a Rocky but with martial arts rip off, with Karate Kid and Scrooge: A Christmas Carol scattered in for good measure.
A karate school run by Tom Stillwell (Timothy D. Baker) is attacked by thugs with henchman Ivan Kraschinsky the Russian (Jean-Claude Van Damme) showing him in prime condition. Tom flees with his son and main protagonist Jason (Kurt McKinney) to Seattle to start their new life.
Queue the teen camp portion of the movie without the gratuitous nudity. Entering Jason's friend R. J Madisson "Don't worry, R. J will provide," with his suspect dancing skills and his ability to shapeshift skin tone while break dancing shows he could be a magician (maybe he summoned Bruce Lee). We are also introduced to the teenage (I use teenage loosely) antagonists of Scott (Kent Lipham) and Dean Ramsey (Dale Jacobey), and Jason's girlfriend the stunning Kelly Reilly (Kathie Sileno).
Once Jason gets kicked around a few times we are introduced to Sensai Lee (Tae-Jeong Kim) and a plethora of brilliant training montagues not too far removed from Rocky IV, although this could of actually been filmed before Rocky's 4th installement with this film having the delayed release. In between each montague we are pampered with more plot building between break dancing, make up dancing and Jason's mother who appears out of thin air just after the hour mark and disappears again.
Finally we are taken to the Rocky section of the film as the Seattle Sidekicks with Dean, Frank Peters (Peter Cunningham) and their captain and national champion Ian Reilly (Tom Pohnel) take on the Manhattan Maulers. The Sidekicks who look like ballerina dancers with their pirouette skills are no match for the Manhattan team who enter like pro wrestling heels. Somehow if the evil New Yorkers win this contest they'll have total control of Seattle. Making out that the Karate clubs are in fact the true secret of power in America, holding sway over the local Senate and the local underworld. You learn something knew everyday.
The final finale Ivan vs Jason, will Jason save his girl, Seattle and his reputation.
Overall this full of cheese film is very fun and it flows, even with the horrible editing and the story most likely written on 15 separate napkins in which several where lost during production. The choreography is excellent and for yanks in the 80's it's hall of fame stuff. The acting is hit or miss but nothing to throw you off. It is a random all over the shop B-movie gem. I also have my suspicions it played a roll in influencing the Street Fighter franchise with the music and sone characters. If you like Kung Fu, Chopsocky or plain aul Beat 'Em Ups this is a must watch, if you love bad but good, also a must watch.
Kurt McKinney. Where the hell is his catalogue of martial art movies???
Cheese of the melt 17.5: keep and eye open for some of those body doubles. And the thought sequence when Tom Stillwell is in hospital.
I could rate this higher on a later watch 7*
Now the film is as random as $#@% and a mess in parts. Beginning like a serious crime martial arts flick. Followed by an 80's teen camp movie and finally a Rocky but with martial arts rip off, with Karate Kid and Scrooge: A Christmas Carol scattered in for good measure.
A karate school run by Tom Stillwell (Timothy D. Baker) is attacked by thugs with henchman Ivan Kraschinsky the Russian (Jean-Claude Van Damme) showing him in prime condition. Tom flees with his son and main protagonist Jason (Kurt McKinney) to Seattle to start their new life.
Queue the teen camp portion of the movie without the gratuitous nudity. Entering Jason's friend R. J Madisson "Don't worry, R. J will provide," with his suspect dancing skills and his ability to shapeshift skin tone while break dancing shows he could be a magician (maybe he summoned Bruce Lee). We are also introduced to the teenage (I use teenage loosely) antagonists of Scott (Kent Lipham) and Dean Ramsey (Dale Jacobey), and Jason's girlfriend the stunning Kelly Reilly (Kathie Sileno).
Once Jason gets kicked around a few times we are introduced to Sensai Lee (Tae-Jeong Kim) and a plethora of brilliant training montagues not too far removed from Rocky IV, although this could of actually been filmed before Rocky's 4th installement with this film having the delayed release. In between each montague we are pampered with more plot building between break dancing, make up dancing and Jason's mother who appears out of thin air just after the hour mark and disappears again.
Finally we are taken to the Rocky section of the film as the Seattle Sidekicks with Dean, Frank Peters (Peter Cunningham) and their captain and national champion Ian Reilly (Tom Pohnel) take on the Manhattan Maulers. The Sidekicks who look like ballerina dancers with their pirouette skills are no match for the Manhattan team who enter like pro wrestling heels. Somehow if the evil New Yorkers win this contest they'll have total control of Seattle. Making out that the Karate clubs are in fact the true secret of power in America, holding sway over the local Senate and the local underworld. You learn something knew everyday.
The final finale Ivan vs Jason, will Jason save his girl, Seattle and his reputation.
Overall this full of cheese film is very fun and it flows, even with the horrible editing and the story most likely written on 15 separate napkins in which several where lost during production. The choreography is excellent and for yanks in the 80's it's hall of fame stuff. The acting is hit or miss but nothing to throw you off. It is a random all over the shop B-movie gem. I also have my suspicions it played a roll in influencing the Street Fighter franchise with the music and sone characters. If you like Kung Fu, Chopsocky or plain aul Beat 'Em Ups this is a must watch, if you love bad but good, also a must watch.
Kurt McKinney. Where the hell is his catalogue of martial art movies???
Cheese of the melt 17.5: keep and eye open for some of those body doubles. And the thought sequence when Tom Stillwell is in hospital.
I could rate this higher on a later watch 7*