I say "possibly" because I still haven't seen "Pushed to the Limit", but I have seen "Streets of Rage" and "Personal Vendetta", and this film has two notable advantages over those two: a) although it's clearly a low-budget production, at least it is shot on film, not on video, and b) although the fight scenes are not numerous (no more than 4, to be exact), they are convincing and the last one in particular is outstanding: Mimi goes up against a big tough guy and has to use all her weapons, including some grappling moves, to take him down; the fight looks real and rough. The script gets draggy at times and some of the dialogue is poor, but in martial arts movies what counts more is the fight scenes, and there "Beyond Fear" delivers, if not in quantity, at least in quality. (**1/2)
7 Reviews
Beyond Comprehension
Zantara Xenophobe5 April 2001
Warning: Spoilers
ALERT: This review contains major SPOILERS. Do not read on if you plan to see this film.
Judging from the amount of votes this got (my vote was the fifth one) very few people know or care who Mimi Lesseos is. Well, back in the late 1980s, professional wrestling was pretty decent. An all-woman's federation called the Ladies Professional Wrestling Association opened. It was a great league, and Mimi Lesseos was one of the names on the roster. I always thought she was one of the best people the LPWA had in terms of ring skill and acting ability. Unfortunately, the LPWA closed down in the early 90s, so it only seemed natural for someone with as much talent as Mimi to start an acting career, right? But surely there was an alternative to stuff like this? This movie is really bad. As it was going along, I kept comparing it to an underrated movie called `Survivor Quest,' only this film lacks everything that made `Survivor Quest' enjoyable.
As I started the tape, I went to fast forward through the preview to get to the meat of the tape. At first, I wasn't paying much attention, but then I realized that the preview was for a movie starring Mimi Lesseos. `Oh,' I thought, `here's another movie featuring Mimi to look for.' But as the preview dragged on, I became aware that is was a preview for .'Beyond Fear!' You know you're in trouble when the only preview at the beginning features the movie you are about to watch! The plot of this thing is pretty standard. Lesseos plays an ex-kickboxer that is living with the guilt of injuring an opponent/friend, so she focuses herself on her second career which she shares with her friend Sammy: being a wilderness guide. On this particular occasion, she gets a troop of three couples. Two of the couples are just there to take up space. You think that one couple, a Caucasian husband and a Korean wife, will be explored, as an issue appears between them halfway through the film, but it is ignored in favor of repeated jokes about bears in the woods, which consistently scares the Korean wife. The joke is funny the first time you hear it, but it certainly isn't by the ninth time they do it. The third couple is just painful to watch: it consists of Mr. and Mrs. Page. They trade insults back and forth, and Mr. Page uses his video camera for the art of voyeurism when he's not busy playing cruel jokes on his portly wife .just like your typical American couple! Before the hike, Mr. Page is spying on two stupid guys and their prostitute. One of them accidentally kills the prostitute and finds out Mr. Page taped it. So begins the peril, as the two guys track the group on their trip, and we wait .and wait .and wait .and wait for them to finally do something. When they do, it's a fiasco.
You can't blame the cast. They try as hard as they can with the material they have to work with. The main culprit is director Robert F. Lyons, who needs to go back to playing bit parts and stay out of the director's chair. Lyons starts and stops scenes in such a sloppy, sudden matter that you start to think he was suffering from dyspepsia throughout the entire shoot. There's even one incompetent moment when a broad daylight scene with the thugs is slipped between some nighttime scenes. Then there is the sound department. The music and background noise completely overpower the dialogue so that you have to move your ear right next to your television's speaker. Don't bump your head on the screen! It isn't worth it to hear the poorly written lines. Speaking of poor writing, Lesseos gets some of the credit there as co-writer. The few interesting developments between characters are often abandoned for shots of the thugs or bad practical jokes. Early on, Lesseos knocks out a thug with a switchblade knife, so not once do you think they are in any danger from the two stupid thugs. When the crooks finally get their rear ends kicked by Lesseos in a well done and long fight, our cast all have a huge laugh together, despite the fact that one of them has been shot and is bleeding everywhere. Yes, everyone is happy in the end. Everyone except the poor souls witnessing the film, wishing for the good old glory days when Mimi performed in the wrestling ring. Zantara's score: 4 out of 10
Judging from the amount of votes this got (my vote was the fifth one) very few people know or care who Mimi Lesseos is. Well, back in the late 1980s, professional wrestling was pretty decent. An all-woman's federation called the Ladies Professional Wrestling Association opened. It was a great league, and Mimi Lesseos was one of the names on the roster. I always thought she was one of the best people the LPWA had in terms of ring skill and acting ability. Unfortunately, the LPWA closed down in the early 90s, so it only seemed natural for someone with as much talent as Mimi to start an acting career, right? But surely there was an alternative to stuff like this? This movie is really bad. As it was going along, I kept comparing it to an underrated movie called `Survivor Quest,' only this film lacks everything that made `Survivor Quest' enjoyable.
As I started the tape, I went to fast forward through the preview to get to the meat of the tape. At first, I wasn't paying much attention, but then I realized that the preview was for a movie starring Mimi Lesseos. `Oh,' I thought, `here's another movie featuring Mimi to look for.' But as the preview dragged on, I became aware that is was a preview for .'Beyond Fear!' You know you're in trouble when the only preview at the beginning features the movie you are about to watch! The plot of this thing is pretty standard. Lesseos plays an ex-kickboxer that is living with the guilt of injuring an opponent/friend, so she focuses herself on her second career which she shares with her friend Sammy: being a wilderness guide. On this particular occasion, she gets a troop of three couples. Two of the couples are just there to take up space. You think that one couple, a Caucasian husband and a Korean wife, will be explored, as an issue appears between them halfway through the film, but it is ignored in favor of repeated jokes about bears in the woods, which consistently scares the Korean wife. The joke is funny the first time you hear it, but it certainly isn't by the ninth time they do it. The third couple is just painful to watch: it consists of Mr. and Mrs. Page. They trade insults back and forth, and Mr. Page uses his video camera for the art of voyeurism when he's not busy playing cruel jokes on his portly wife .just like your typical American couple! Before the hike, Mr. Page is spying on two stupid guys and their prostitute. One of them accidentally kills the prostitute and finds out Mr. Page taped it. So begins the peril, as the two guys track the group on their trip, and we wait .and wait .and wait .and wait for them to finally do something. When they do, it's a fiasco.
You can't blame the cast. They try as hard as they can with the material they have to work with. The main culprit is director Robert F. Lyons, who needs to go back to playing bit parts and stay out of the director's chair. Lyons starts and stops scenes in such a sloppy, sudden matter that you start to think he was suffering from dyspepsia throughout the entire shoot. There's even one incompetent moment when a broad daylight scene with the thugs is slipped between some nighttime scenes. Then there is the sound department. The music and background noise completely overpower the dialogue so that you have to move your ear right next to your television's speaker. Don't bump your head on the screen! It isn't worth it to hear the poorly written lines. Speaking of poor writing, Lesseos gets some of the credit there as co-writer. The few interesting developments between characters are often abandoned for shots of the thugs or bad practical jokes. Early on, Lesseos knocks out a thug with a switchblade knife, so not once do you think they are in any danger from the two stupid thugs. When the crooks finally get their rear ends kicked by Lesseos in a well done and long fight, our cast all have a huge laugh together, despite the fact that one of them has been shot and is bleeding everywhere. Yes, everyone is happy in the end. Everyone except the poor souls witnessing the film, wishing for the good old glory days when Mimi performed in the wrestling ring. Zantara's score: 4 out of 10
Slow-Paced but worth watching!
HarryLags8 September 2022
Mimi Lesseos has a really warm and endearing screen presence and while the lack of action or much on the way of tension might turn off some viewers, I still really enjoyed it.
The story was kind of different and i enjoyed watching Mimi Lesseos display her martial arts prowess. If your looking for a fast action paced movie, this is not it. But if you give this movie a chance and follow the story, then you might like it..
The climax is a long fight, but the length of the fight and the combination of wrestling and martial arts moves reminded me of the legendary THEY LIVE alley fight, which is a big compliment. Mimi really gets into beating this guy down. Although its a bit slow through out, the last fight is worth all the soap opera it takes to get there...
Conclusion - Slow-Paced but worth watching for Mimi Lesseos!
Score - 6/10.
The story was kind of different and i enjoyed watching Mimi Lesseos display her martial arts prowess. If your looking for a fast action paced movie, this is not it. But if you give this movie a chance and follow the story, then you might like it..
The climax is a long fight, but the length of the fight and the combination of wrestling and martial arts moves reminded me of the legendary THEY LIVE alley fight, which is a big compliment. Mimi really gets into beating this guy down. Although its a bit slow through out, the last fight is worth all the soap opera it takes to get there...
Conclusion - Slow-Paced but worth watching for Mimi Lesseos!
Score - 6/10.
If you have to see a Mimi Lesseos film, this is the one!
rudy-3012 July 2001
I have seen Mimi's films, and finally this one has some depth to it. Forget Mimi, although she is cute. The real stars are Mr. and Mrs. Page, a bored couple trying to re-invigorate their marriage. They are a scream. And also, the villains in the film are not cartoonish. They make the film worthwhile. This film is a good one for a dark and stormy night during re-run season.
It's Camp Fire Fear, if that...
modspell31 March 2006
I really should give this stinker more credit that 1 star, because the film has so many eye-rolling lines that it's almost worth the price of the rental.
The acting, if you want to call it that, is so stilted and contrived that it makes Ed Wood's actors appear life like. "Sammy," the lone black character, must be Mimi's husband in real life because he appears in her other films, but he has zero acting ability. His lines are priceless due to his absurd delivery, though I suspect the intention was to create a sympathetic character. His old man make up in her other turkey ("Pushed To The Limit") is no-budget, junior high school quality, with cotton ball eyebrows and white spray painted hair.
I cannot fathom anyone actually buying this video, unless people like to throw their own Mystery Science Theater parties and need a copy of something like this on hand. It really is Beyond Fear-- it's actually Beyond Funny.
The acting, if you want to call it that, is so stilted and contrived that it makes Ed Wood's actors appear life like. "Sammy," the lone black character, must be Mimi's husband in real life because he appears in her other films, but he has zero acting ability. His lines are priceless due to his absurd delivery, though I suspect the intention was to create a sympathetic character. His old man make up in her other turkey ("Pushed To The Limit") is no-budget, junior high school quality, with cotton ball eyebrows and white spray painted hair.
I cannot fathom anyone actually buying this video, unless people like to throw their own Mystery Science Theater parties and need a copy of something like this on hand. It really is Beyond Fear-- it's actually Beyond Funny.
Slowest Action Movie, EVER
Droid_Gunner29 March 2016
I have no familiarity with Mimi or her movies, but I am a HUGE fan of the action genre, particularly low-budget DTV action movies. So even though I had no idea who this actress was, she seemed to have valid martial arts credentials, which is enough to get me interested. While she does manage to deliver a pretty decent (although terribly anticlimactic) fight scene at the end of the movie, the film simply stinks.
It stinks bad.
The main reason for this: NOTHING HAPPENS IN THE FIRST HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES! I don't know whose idea it was to have so much character set-up in the first and second act, but whoever it was needs to learn Low-Budget Action Screewriting 101: No one cares about character.
Sorry, they don't.
Never have I been watching a Don "The Dragon" Wilson movie and thought, "You know what would make this film better? Exposition and character development! MORE THAN AN HOUR'S WORTH!" This should've been nothing more than a goofy, non-stop kick-fest set in the woods. Instead, they aimed too high and failed miserably.
The film is streaming on Amazon Prime, which is how I stumbled across it. Even for free, I can't recommend the film -- even to fans of the genre.
Mimi, however, was pretty good and very likable. I'll probably be checking out more of her stuff.
It stinks bad.
The main reason for this: NOTHING HAPPENS IN THE FIRST HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES! I don't know whose idea it was to have so much character set-up in the first and second act, but whoever it was needs to learn Low-Budget Action Screewriting 101: No one cares about character.
Sorry, they don't.
Never have I been watching a Don "The Dragon" Wilson movie and thought, "You know what would make this film better? Exposition and character development! MORE THAN AN HOUR'S WORTH!" This should've been nothing more than a goofy, non-stop kick-fest set in the woods. Instead, they aimed too high and failed miserably.
The film is streaming on Amazon Prime, which is how I stumbled across it. Even for free, I can't recommend the film -- even to fans of the genre.
Mimi, however, was pretty good and very likable. I'll probably be checking out more of her stuff.
Dull, amateurish, slow-paced martial arts flick takes a beating.
Michael_Pilkington3 May 2003
A retired fighter turned wilderness guide (Mimi Lesseos, who also co-wrote/co-produced) tries to protect her tour group from a pair of lowlifes out to retrieve a videotape containing their senseless murder of a prostitute recorded by one of the tourists.
Dull, amateurish, slow-paced martial arts flick takes a beating. Poor writing, directing, acting, uninspired fight scenes, and unconvincing villains make this one a total bore. Most of the action occurs in the last fifteen minutes, but by then you may be asleep. The best part of this film has martial arts champ Lesseos sparring with a heavy bag during the opening and closing credits. My evaluation: (no stars).
Dull, amateurish, slow-paced martial arts flick takes a beating. Poor writing, directing, acting, uninspired fight scenes, and unconvincing villains make this one a total bore. Most of the action occurs in the last fifteen minutes, but by then you may be asleep. The best part of this film has martial arts champ Lesseos sparring with a heavy bag during the opening and closing credits. My evaluation: (no stars).
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