Another Z-grade straight-to-video travesty from prolific Filipino filmmaker Cirio H. Santiago, who here somehow managed to get a distribution deal with Roger Corman, meaning that this film is a lot easier to find in the shops than many of the other films in his long, long career. Basically this is a kickboxing flick with a non-existent plot and terrible production values that somehow manages to be entertaining despite the overwhelming majority of flaws. The main thrust of the plot concerns the activities of former world champion Jerry Trimble (THE MASTER) who attempts to save a woman getting raped and finds himself sent to an island prison for his troubles. The inmates are either bloated, racist, or Nazis and the evil warden and his guards aren't much better.
Much of the plot consists of Trimble fighting off multiple attacks from the various prison factions who attempt to get him killed. Basically, everybody hates him in this movie, which means that there is a wealth of action to be enjoyed. Trimble may be an awful actor - who makes Van Damme look like Orson Welles in comparison - but his high-kicking skills (he once had the fastest kick in the world, according to the box) are certainly impressive and make for some visually impressive fighting. Unfortunately the majority of his opponents are unskilled, aside from head guard Roland Dantes who also proves himself a force to be reckoned with come the finale.
Without a doubt, the story is weak in this movie and the scripting even weaker. Every twist in the plot can be seen coming a mile off and there is a definite short supply of surprises - instead we just get cliché after cliché. Santiago fails to fill his movie with any sex or nudity - despite including actress Laura Albert in his cast, a lady who had no qualms about stripping off in previous films - and the gore is kept to a minimum with only the odd geyser or blood or two to laugh at. The most surprising aspect of the film is a down-on-his-luck George Takei (STAR TREK) playing an inmate who seeks help from the human rights activists. It goes without saying that Takei gives the best performance but he still feels like a fish out of water here. B-film fans may spot Vic Diaz playing the warden, a Filipino actor of many many years who has appeared in the likes of RAW FORCE and many other cult classics. Despite the mind-numbing banality of the story and the poor efforts from the crew, LIVE BY THE FIST is a pacy and action-packed film that never gets boring. Instead, often it becomes so bad it's entertaining.
Much of the plot consists of Trimble fighting off multiple attacks from the various prison factions who attempt to get him killed. Basically, everybody hates him in this movie, which means that there is a wealth of action to be enjoyed. Trimble may be an awful actor - who makes Van Damme look like Orson Welles in comparison - but his high-kicking skills (he once had the fastest kick in the world, according to the box) are certainly impressive and make for some visually impressive fighting. Unfortunately the majority of his opponents are unskilled, aside from head guard Roland Dantes who also proves himself a force to be reckoned with come the finale.
Without a doubt, the story is weak in this movie and the scripting even weaker. Every twist in the plot can be seen coming a mile off and there is a definite short supply of surprises - instead we just get cliché after cliché. Santiago fails to fill his movie with any sex or nudity - despite including actress Laura Albert in his cast, a lady who had no qualms about stripping off in previous films - and the gore is kept to a minimum with only the odd geyser or blood or two to laugh at. The most surprising aspect of the film is a down-on-his-luck George Takei (STAR TREK) playing an inmate who seeks help from the human rights activists. It goes without saying that Takei gives the best performance but he still feels like a fish out of water here. B-film fans may spot Vic Diaz playing the warden, a Filipino actor of many many years who has appeared in the likes of RAW FORCE and many other cult classics. Despite the mind-numbing banality of the story and the poor efforts from the crew, LIVE BY THE FIST is a pacy and action-packed film that never gets boring. Instead, often it becomes so bad it's entertaining.