The King Of The Kickboxers (1990) - A Review

 

Another classic martial arts movie starring Loren Avedon.

The King Of The Kickboxers (also known as No Retreat, No Surrender 4 and Karate Tiger 5) is a Hong Kong/American martial arts movie released in 1990 starring Loren Avedon, Billy Blanks, Keith Cooke Hayabusa, Don Stroud, Richard Jaeckel, and Sherrie Rose. This movie was directed by Lucas Lo Yuen-Ming, with fight choreography by Tony Leung Siu-Hung.

From left: Prang (Keith Cooke Hayabusa), Jake (Loren Avedon), and Molly (Sherrie Rose).

In The King of The Kickboxers, Loren Avedon plays Jake Donahue, a cocky detective on the New York police force who has been chosen by Interpol to go undercover in Thailand to find the people involved in the making of snuff films. It seems foreigners are being killed in martial arts snuff films! At first, Jake is not that interested in the assignment, until he finds out that the killer of his brother is in the snuff films. Jake is now determined to find the killer.

Ten years earlier Jake's brother, a champion kickboxer, was killed by Khan (played by Billy Blanks) for winning a fight he was supposed to lose. Jake witnessed this (he was a kid at the time); and Khan even savagely beat him up, leaving him for dead. Jake wants revenge for his brother, so he goes to Thailand to go undercover and get hired to be in one of the snuff films Khan stars in. Jake finds out he is not strong enough to defeat Khan, so he asks a drunken former martial arts champion, Prang (played by Keith Cooke Hayabusa), to train him. After torturous training, meeting a woman (played by Sherrie Rose) who is wanted by Khan, and getting the attention of the talent agent, Jake finally gets his chance to avenge everyone Khan has hurt...

Billy Blanks as the undefeated Khan. Dee Jay from the Street Fighter games is based on this character!

The King Of The Kickboxers came out a year after Jean-Claude Van Damme's Kickboxer, and the influence is...noticeable. It's not a straight copy, though. Basically, this is Kickboxer with Hong Kong-style fight scenes. Loren Avedon plays the cockiest character yet in this movie. He has reason to be cocky, as he can defeat common thugs with ease, by himself in New York. When he gets to Thailand, he gets humbled in a fight by a Muay Thai fighter who admits to Jake that he is just an average fighter. That fighter tells him to find Prang, the man who almost defeated Khan. It is nice to see Jake go from cocky to humble and focused. When Jake finally faces Khan, you will definitely root for him to win.

Billy Blanks as Khan is one menacing dude! When I first watched this movie, I was shocked at how murderous his character was, as I had seen movies with Billy Blanks playing the hero previously. He is believable as the monster fighter that can't be defeated. Keith Cooke Hayabusa is great as the disgraced fighter Prang. When I first watched this, I thought it was weird that Prang was a master martial artist even though he was so young. Watching it again and really paying attention to everything, I understand the Prang character's circumstances more. Keith Cooke Hayabusa is another underrated martial arts actor who should've been in more movies. At least he played Reptile in the original Mortal Kombat movie and Sub-Zero in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation!

The King Of The Kickboxers has a lot of fight scenes, and they rock!

The fight scenes in The King Of The Kickboxers are fun and plentiful! It is cool that in the fight scenes before Jake meets Prang, Jake is not as precise in his moves as you would expect (if you've seen Loren Avedon in his movies previous to this one). Loren is great throughout, and once again proves why he is one of the most underappreciated and underrated martial arts action stars of the 80s and 90s. Once Prang makes his entrance, that Hong Kong greatness shines through. Keith Cooke Hayabusa has quite the introductory fight scene! He does so many awesome, precise kicks and he is really fast. Billy Blanks is awesome in King Of The Kickboxers as well. He is powerful, has awesome kicks, and he floats when doing some of his spinning jump kicks. He is awesome, and he should've been in way more martial arts movies! Of course, the final fight between Jake (Loren Avedon) and Khan (Billy Blanks) is amazing. Worth watching the movie just for that scene. The power, the speed, the accuracy, and the stakes of the fight are top notch. Loren Avedon and Billy Blanks are just awesome.

So, if you like movies like Kickboxer, you will definitely like (or at least appreciate) The King Of The Kickboxers. The story is basically the Hong Kong version of Kickboxer. You gets lots of fight scenes, torturous training scenes, some comedy, and a hero you can root for. What more could you want? Do I think The King Of The Kickboxers is better than Kickboxer? I like them equally, but for different reasons. Loren Avedon, Keith Cooke Hayabusa, Billy Blanks, and Tony Leung Siu-Hung make an unbeatable martial arts movie combo. I miss those days of action cinema.

Reviewed by David Williams

[Fight Scene Friday] The Three Shaolin Stooges - "The Last Slice"

 It's Friday, and that means pizza and a Fight Scene Friday™ post! This week's scene is from the Team Red Pro crew, and is inspired by Jackie Chan and the Three Stooges! I am a fan of both, so you know I enjoyed this one! Check it out! (I'm a Shemp guy, by the way.)

 

No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (1989/1990) - A Review

 

Really underrated martial arts action movie.

No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (also known as No Retreat, No Surrender 3, Kick-Boxer 2, and Karate Tiger 3) is a Hong Kong/American martial arts action movie released in 1990. It stars Loren Avedon, Keith Vitali, Rion Hunter, Luke Askew, Mark Russo, Joseph Campanella, and Wanda Acuna. No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers was directed by Lucas Lo Yuen-Ming, with martial arts choreography by Tony Leung Siu-Hung.

Loren Avedon (left) as Will and Keith Vitali as Casey. These brothers make quite the team.

In No Retreat, No Surrender 3, Loren Avedon plays Will Alexander, a martial arts instructor who has a strained relationship with his brother Casey Alexander (played by Keith Vitali) and father John Alexander (played by Joseph Campanella). Casey is a charismatic CIA agent, and John is retired from the CIA. Will is not cool with his family being in the CIA. Though John is retired, he is still tracking down Franco (played by Rion Hunter), a terrorist he was not able to capture before he retired. Unfortunately, John is killed by Franco at his home, and Will finds his dead body. Casey finds Will crying over their dead father's body, and Will vows to find their father's killer without his help.

Will and Casey then start their search for their father's killer in their own way. Will infiltrates Franco's terrorist group (with the help of his martial artist friends), while Casey uses his CIA colleagues and former lover, Maria (played by Wanda Acuna) to gain intel on where Franco is. Naturally, Will and Casey's paths cross, and they end up having to work together to get out of a huge international incident and to finally get Franco...

Rion Hunter as Franco is a great final boss!

Once again, No Retreat, No Surrender 3 is a stand-alone movie, not connected to the previous No Retreat, No Surrender movies. This time, the movie is about revenge with a bit of political intrigue. Family drama goes on throughout the movie as well. Loren Avedon plays the more conflicted, introspective Will; whereas Keith Vitali plays the charming and charismatic Casey. Both actors play their roles well and are believable as their characters. Loren gets to show off his dramatic acting skills while Keith gets to show off his more suave and comedic side. In fact, Casey is a bit of a James Bond type of character. Rion Hunter as Franco, the main villain, is pretty awesome. That guy is one pompous bad guy! Great performance from him! The plot is interesting enough, and there are some twists and turns in there that you won't expect. The soundtrack is also great, with Richard Yuen giving it that classic 80s/90s Hong Kong sound. [A bit of a warning, homophobic slurs are used in comedic fashion in one scene, which is unfortunate.]

The fight scenes are top tier!

The fight scenes in this movie are so good. Some of the best fight scenes in American movies at that time. Tony Leung Siu-Hung really needs more recognition as a fight choreographer! Loren Avedon kicks major butt in this! Will does a martial arts demonstration with his students where he totally destroys them. Later on, his friends greet him by attacking him at another martial arts school! He and his friends then stage a fight to get the attention of Bruno's secondhand man, and Will just destroys his friends in a bar! It's crazy! His fight against Mark Russo is amazing. They go hard with fast-paced punches and perfectly executed kicks. Keith Vitali has a rather violent fight scene at the beginning of the movie, and later on, a fight in a parking garage. Where Will destroys his opponents physically, Casey actually kills them. Highlights their difference in philosophies. Will and Casey do fight each other, but it is more comedic in nature. The final fight, though... One of the best American fight scenes ever! Rion Hunter as Franco is a monster in this scene. He is fast and powerful! Will and Casey have to pull out all the stops to defeat him... The choreography is superb! I used to watch the final fight so much back in the day. I just couldn't get enough of it!

In conclusion, No Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers is an entertaining action movie. I think you should see it, for the final fight alone! The plot may be a bit cliched and the acting not always excellent, but the action is top notch. One of Loren Avedon's and Keith Vitali's best! I am a bit biased, though. Back in the 90s, I recorded this movie off of the American cable TV channel TNT (remember when TNT showed a wide variety of movies, not just the same 8 to 10  movies every month?) and I watched it so much! I studied that final fight scene (along with the mall fight in Police Story) on an almost nightly basis. Watching it again, years later, it still holds up and the fight scenes blew me away again! This movie means a lot to me, and hopefully anyone who reads this review will end up enjoying the movie as much as I do!

Reviewed by David Williams

No Retreat, No Surrender 2 (1987) - A Review

 

The unexpected sequel to a martial arts classic. It goes in a very different direction!

No Retreat, No Surrender 2 (also known as No Retreat, No Surrender 2: Raging Thunder and Karate Tiger 2) is an American/Hong Kong martial arts action movie released in 1987. It stars Loren Avedon, Cynthia Rothrock, Max Thayer, Matthias Hues, and Hwang Jang-Lee. No Retreat, No Surrender 2 was directed by Corey Yuen Kwai, with martial arts choreography also by Yuen, and assisted by Mang Hoi, King Lee King-Chu, and Ma Chin-Ku.

Loren Avedon as Scott Wylde. Loren really kicks butt in this movie!

In No Retreat, No Surrender 2, Loren Avedon plays Scott Wylde, an American martial artist who goes to Vietnam to visit his fiancee Sulin (played by Patra Wanthivamod). Sulin comes from a wealthy family, and her father was involved in a war conflict. The night of their date, Sulin is kidnapped, and Scott finds out that he's been framed for her entire family's (except her father's) murders! He escapes custody and finds his friend and master  Mac Jarvis (played by Max Thayer), a Vietnam veteran and arms dealer. Together with his helicopter pilot Terry (played by Cynthia Rothrock), they go to Cambodia where Sulin is being held by Yuri (played by Matthias Hues), a Soviet General who leads an army of Vietnamese soldiers.

Cynthia Rothrock (as Terry) giving Matthias Hughes (Yuri) a piece of her mind!

As you could probably tell by the plot description, No Retreat, No Surrender 2 is a sequel in name only to the first movie. Kurt McKinney and Jean-Claude Van Damme were supposed to star in this, but Van Damme was concerned about the safety of filming in the Cambodian jungle. He persuaded McKinney to drop out of the movie as well. Schedules never lined up for McKinney and the filming, so he left the project. Loren Avedon was then hired to take on the lead role, and the script was changed accordingly (though it is said that this was originally supposed to be a totally different movie not related to the first No Retreat, No Surrender).

Whereas the first movie was like The Karate Kid or Rocky IV, this movie is more like Rambo or the Missing In Action movies. There is a lot of of military combat in this, in addition to the martial arts fight scenes. Loren Avedon does well in his debut film. His acting gets better as the movie goes on (though there is a lot of awkward dialogue he has to say), but his fight scenes are top-notch. He is a really underrated martial arts movie star. I called him the 'Caucasian Jackie Chan' back in the day. Cynthia Rothrock is also great in this; she gets a lot of dialogue and she gets to show how much of a butt kicker she is. Max Thayer as Mac Jarvis is great in this; best actor in the movie and he's pretty funny. Matthias Hues is properly menacing as the final boss, and you really hate him for the jerk he is! The story is kind of basic, but hey, we're here for the action, aren't we?

The fights in this are fast and hard-hitting!

The fight scenes in No Retreat, No Surrender 2 are the best thing about this movie. Then again, if you enjoy military combat, gunplay, and explosions, you'll be greatly satisfied. The action is a bit more violent than in the first movie, but it isn't graphically gory. Loren Avedon has some great fight scenes; the kidnapping scene is our first introduction to his prowess. A fight at the temple is also great! His final fight scene against Yuri is awesome as well. Yuri is a powerful monster, and Scott has to use everything he has to defeat him. Cynthia Rothrock has a fight against the legendary Korean superkicker, Hwang Jang-Lee. Though the fight is pretty short, it is awesome. Matthias Hues does well as the powerful Yuri, even though he is not a trained martial artist. That's the greatness of Hong Kong choreography back then, they make non-martial artists look credible without editing and camera tricks.

So, should you watch No Retreat, No Surrender 2? I would say, yes. It has the debut of the great, underappreciated Loren Avedon, it has Cynthia Rothrock kicking butt, it has crazy Hong Kong martial arts fight choreography, and it has lots of guns and explosions. It has something for everyone! Just remember, this movie has nothing to do with the first No Retreat, No Surrender. As an aside, it was nice to see this movie again after not having seen it since the late 1990s. It's better than I remembered!

Reviewed by David Williams

Mutant Ghost Wargirl (变种人：幽灵战姬) 2022 - Movie Trailer

 Check out the trailer for Mutant Ghost Wargirl, a Chinese movie coming out this year. It stars Muqi Miya, Li Mingxuan, and Liu Beige, among others. It is directed by Liu Binjie. I cannot find any information on this movie, but just check out the trailer. You will see why I'm quite excited to see this movie!

 

[Fight Scene Friday] Rope A Dope 2 - Wake, Fight, Repeat... AGAIN!

 It's Fight Scene Friday™, and this week's scene is, to me, the best scene Eric Jacobus and the Stuntpeople made. It's a sequel to the Rope-A-Dope short film, which is a sort of martial arts Groundhog Day. What can I say? The action in this is so good! Eric Jacobus and the Stuntpeople really outdid themselves with this one! I watched this every morning before going to my university classes to pump me up for the day! The music in this rocks, as well! I wonder if there will ever be a third Rope-A-Dope?

 

No Retreat, No Surrender (1985/1986) - A Review

 

Classic martial arts movie made fun of by non-martial arts movie fans.

No Retreat, No Surrender is a Hong Kong/American martial arts movie released in 1985, starring Kurt McKinney, J.W. Fails, Timothy D. Baker, Kim Tai-chung, Peter Cunningham, and Jean-Claude Van Damme in his first major film role. No Retreat, No Surrender was directed by Corey Yuen Kwai, with fight choreography also by him and Mang Hoi.

Kurt McKinney is great in this! So much potential as an action star.

In No Retreat, No Surrender, Kurt McKinney plays Jason Stillwell, a teenage martial artist who is a huge fan of Bruce Lee. His father, Tom Stillwell (played by Timothy D. Baker) owns a martial arts dojo, which the mob wants to take over. Tom refuses to give over the dojo, so their champion Russian fighter, Ivan Krachinsky (played by Jean-Claude Van Damme) is sent in to break his leg. Jason's family ditches their dojo in California and flee to Seattle, Washington.

Jason is the new kid in town, so he gets bullied by kids from the local martial arts school. He immediately befriends RJ (played by J.W. Fails), a very cool and understanding guy (who is also bullied by the kids at the martial arts school). After getting humiliated at a party and then at the local martial arts school, Jason gets into an argument with his father over getting into fights. Jason runs away and asks the spirit of Bruce Lee for guidance. Yes, the spirit of Bruce Lee (played by Kim Tai-chung)  comes to life and helps Jason learn Jeet Kune Do! Everything comes to a head when Jason goes to watch a martial arts tournament where Ivan Krachinsky is competing...

Jean-Claude Van Damme is an unstoppable monster in this!

No Retreat, No Surrender is basically the American version of the classic Hong Kong style of martial arts movies, like Snake In The Eagle's Shadow, Drunken Master, Magnificent Butcher, and countless other movies of that type. If you've seen those movies, you know what to expect. This movie has become infamous online for its..."cheesiness". Yes, some of the acting is over the top, and there are some...questionable comedic scenes, but that is how a lot of Hong Kong martial arts movies were back then. The broad acting and comedy is what was popular with audiences in Hong Kong back then, so I assume Corey Yuen (the director) wanted that for the actors' performances. I guess that doesn't really translate well with western audiences. When I watched this back in my younger days, I didn't even notice the over the top performances. I guess I first watched this movie at the right age; I see No Retreat, No Surrender as a classic martial arts movie as opposed to the joke it currently is online.

My friends were the ones who introduced me to this movie. You'd think they would be telling me about how awesome Jean-Claude Van Damme was in this, but no; they were raving about Kurt McKinney! They let me borrow their VHS tape, and yeah, Kurt McKinney lived up to the hype! Not only was he a great martial artist, but you really believed in him. You wanted to see Jason become a hero and overcome the odds. It's unfortunate that McKinney didn't do more martial arts movies, he was really good! He had a lot of potential as an action star. J.W. Fails as RJ plays the best friend you wish you had. He was totally cool, understanding, supportive, and the perfect wingman. His comedic scenes are sometimes awkward, I must admit! Of course, Jean-Claude Van Damme is awesome in this as the unbeatable Russian fighter. He doesn't have many lines, but his physical charisma is off the charts!

The fight scenes are fast and hard-hitting!

Corey Yuen and Mang Hoi brought that Hong Kong kickboxing style to the choreography in No Retreat, No Surrender. The fight scenes may not be as intricately choreographed as many of the Hong Kong movies out at that time, but it's got that rhythm, power, and perfect execution that makes Hong Kong fight scenes so great. Kurt McKinney is awesome in this. He has great skill, and the choreography lets him get to show it off. Jean-Claude Van Damme is amazing in this as well. You see the power and flexibility on full display in his fight scenes. It's also cool to see Van Damme in Hong Kong-style fight scenes. Peter Cunningham also has some fight scenes in this, and he is fast! Cunningham shows off his speed and power in his fight scenes. Most of the fight scenes are kind of quick, with the final battle taking the most time. The final sequence of fights are awesome and worth waiting for. Also, the training sequences are cool as well. If you're a Hong Kong martial arts movie fan, you'll recognize some of the training Jason goes through...

No Retreat, No Surrender is one of my favorite martial arts movies, so of course I recommend it. I will say, it is not the best ever movie, and the action is not the best ever, either; but I think it is very enjoyable. It is basically a family movie safe for all ages (well, maybe eleven and up), as the violence is not too graphic, and there are no bad words in it. A lot of people compare this movie to The Karate Kid, Rocky IV, and The Last Dragon, but those movies don't have the awesome fight scenes this movie has. Give it a chance, you may like it (even if for different reasons than mine).

Reviewed by David Williams

PROJECT WOLF HUNTING (2022) Official Movie Trailer

 Check out the trailer for Project Wolf Hunting, a Korean action movie starring Seo In-guk, Jang Dong-yoon, Sung Dong-il, and Jung So-min. Kim Hong-sun is the director. Here is the synopsis:

During transport from the Philippines to South Korea, a group of dangerous criminals unites to stage a coordinated escape attempt. As the jailbreak escalates into a bloody, all-out riot, the fugitives and their allies from the outside exact a brutal terror campaign against the special agents onboard the ship.

Project Wolf Hunting looks pretty cool! I hope to see this one soon! It comes out September 21, 2022 in South Korea and on October 7, 2022 in America (and internationally?).

 

[Fight Scene Friday] Jay Kwon Vs. Bryan Sloyer - Fight Practice | ANIME STYLE FIGHT SCENE | SWORD FIGHT | GUN FIGHT

 It's Fight Scene Friday™, and today's scene features Jay Kwon and Bryan Sloyer, two great martial artists, stuntmen, and choreographers going at it! This fight scene was directed, edited, and shot by Emmanuel Manzanares, so you know it's good! Check it out!

 

A Taxi Driver (2017) - A Review

 

This movie is excellent!

A Taxi Driver is a South Korean historical drama movie released in 2017, starring Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Yoo Hae-jin, Ryu Jun-yeol, and Choi Gwi-hwa. Jang Hoon directed A Taxi Driver, which is based on a true story.

Song Kang-ho as Kim Man-seob. What a performance!

Song Kang-ho plays Kim Man-seob, a humble taxi driver who lives in Seoul, South Korea in 1980. He is the single father of a young daughter, whom he loves very much. Kim is in debt to his landlord, which is not helped by taxi customers not being able to pay him their fares. One day, Kim overhears another taxi driver talking about being hired by a foreign client to go into Gwangju for the day and come back to Seoul before curfew. The amount the client is paying is the exact amount Kim needs to pay off his debt. Naturally, Kim sneaks off to pick up the client.

From left: Peter, Gu Jae-sik, and Kim.

The foreign client is Jürgen Hinzpeter, called Peter throughout the movie (played by Thomas Kretschmann), a West German journalist who has come into South Korea claiming to be a missionary. Unbeknownst to Kim, Peter is there to film the civil unrest happening in Gwangju. Things are icy between the two as they sneak into Gwangju and travel the eerily empty roads until they meet up with student protestors on the way. One of them, Gu Jae-sik (played by Ryu Jun-yeol), speaks fluent English (Kim can only speak basic English), so Peter asks him to be his interpreter.

Kim, at first, does not believe the military is attacking and killing innocent protestors, since he was in the military in his younger years, and he believes the military would never do that. It doesn't help that there is nothing but propaganda on the TV and radio blaming all of the violence on the protesters and gangs. As Kim, Peter, and Jae-sik go further into the city, they witness firsthand all of the violence and killing. Peter promises to bring the footage he captures out of South Korea and show the world what is really happening. Kim promises to help Peter with getting out of Gwangju and to the airport. Things go wrong, of course, and Kim just wants to go back to his daughter. Will Kim abandon Peter to go back to his daughter, and will he even be able to get back?

In the middle of the civil unrest.

A Taxi Driver takes place during the Gwangju Uprising in South Korea in 1980. This was an important moment in South Korea's history, and this movie focuses on two of the (many) people who helped make a difference during this time. We see the political turmoil through the eyes of Kim Man-seob, a humble taxi driver  and former Korean soldier who only cares about his daughter. We see him, as a former soldier, at first believe the propaganda on the news that the protestors and gangs are causing the violence; and be in disbelief that the police and military would be killing the protestors without provocation. As he goes through the city, helps random people, and meets protestors, eventually getting into life or death situations himself; Kim begins to side with the protestors. The change is gradual, but Kim is a good man throughout.

Song Kang-ho's portrayal of Kim Man-seob is so good. His acting is not over the top, it's more subtle and realistic. You want him to succeed and to stay safe throughout the movie. He also has some humorous scenes, and he is quite good at soccer (football). Yoo Hae-jin, who plays a Gwangju taxi driver is also very good. The character he plays is such a good person as well. Ryu Jun-yeol as Gu Jae-sik also has a great performance in a pivotal role in the film. Just great performances all around in this movie. The cinematography is good, and the movie is never boring. It moves along at a nice pace as well.

In conclusion, A Taxi Driver is an excellent movie that I think should be seen by as many people as possible. It is a historical drama, with some action (or more like violence), and some real emotion. It may even make you cry! The story becomes more tragic when you find out what happened to Kim and Peter in real life. Watch the movie first, then look up the real life story. A Taxi Driver is must see.

The real life Peter and Kim.

Reviewed by David Williams

[Fight Scene Friday] Manny Invades Toronto

 This week's Fight Scene Friday™ scene chronicles the time Emmanuel Manzanares visited Toronto, Canada. As you can imagine, he was not welcomed with open arms! Check out this fast and furious fight scene!

 

Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday (2022) - Movie Trailer

 Check out the trailer for Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday, the sequel to Accident Man (2018). Scott Adkins stars in this, as well as being producer and co-writer of the script for it. This movie was directed by the Kirby Brothers (George & Harry). Accident Man is based on a comic strip character created by Tony Skinner and Pat Mills. Here is the synopsis:

 The Accident Man (Scott Adkins) is back and this time he must best the top assassins in the world to protect the ungrateful son of a mafia boss, save the life of his only friend and rekindle his relationship with his maniacal father figure.

This movie looks amazing to me! I want to watch this so bad! I need to check out the first Accident Man movie first, though. Maybe a future review? We shall see... Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday comes out in theaters and on digital on October 14, 2022!

 

[Fight Scene Friday] Tony's Wrath

 It's Fight Scene Friday™, and this week's scene is a Vlad Rimburg joint! This stars Tony Chu, and he's a beast in it! He fights a who's who of independent action film making stars! I also appreciate the Police Story 2 theme during the end credits! Enough with the words from me; watch the action!