A typically mindless and plot-free STV martial arts flick, with plenty of cheap fighting and little else to recommend it. Like most STV flicks these days, there are the usual round of betrayals, glamorous locations, and various real-life fighters/champs lining up to be beaten by the hero. Said hero is Argentinian-born Hector Echavarria (who popped up briefly in CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE) who is hilariously made up to look exactly like Bruce Willis in DIE HARD – same build, same haircut, even wearing the same white vest in one scene. Echavarria is a pretty poor actor but a fast moving fighter, using some excellent roundhouse kicks on his opponents in the many action sequences of the movie. Sure, it looks cheap all the way through, but at least it moves fast with plenty of incident. My only complaint was that it wasn't very violent, instead having that TV-film gloss to it. More bone-breaking would have been cool.
Now, remember back in the good old days of action cinema and Van Damme's masterpiece, KICKBOXER? Remember the kick-ass baddie Tong Po, who was so good he came back in the sequel? Well, Tong Po is back, but this time his name's Kong Li! Just kidding, it is of course Michel Qissi hiding under a pseudonym. The best thing about this film is that Qissi dresses EXACTLY as Tong Po, right down to the bald head and ponytail, and similar style clothing, playing some kind of monk bodyguard to our hero. Well, truth be told, Qissi is the real hero here; I was cheering him on every second. Sure, Qissi is a little older shorter than we remembered a little bigger and perhaps has a few more wrinkles, but he still makes for an imposing presence. Not only that, he directed it too, and his direction isn't too bad at all. A shame that his son, Youssef, is cast as the baddie and is handsome but hopeless, but there you go. I noticed a couple of female Qissis also popped up as caterers, hmm nepotism anyone?
Other distinguishing features: an endless bar-room brawl which kicks ass; an obvious double-cross which we saw coming at the beginning; endless sweating in a sauna; the sexy, skimpy Playboy playmate Nikki Lemke, who doesn't even go topless, and a British-accented villain who looks just like the bad guy outta TURKEY SHOOT. Still, endless fist-fights and kicking, not brilliant but not bad, makes for a passable slice of lowest budget entertainment yet.
Now, remember back in the good old days of action cinema and Van Damme's masterpiece, KICKBOXER? Remember the kick-ass baddie Tong Po, who was so good he came back in the sequel? Well, Tong Po is back, but this time his name's Kong Li! Just kidding, it is of course Michel Qissi hiding under a pseudonym. The best thing about this film is that Qissi dresses EXACTLY as Tong Po, right down to the bald head and ponytail, and similar style clothing, playing some kind of monk bodyguard to our hero. Well, truth be told, Qissi is the real hero here; I was cheering him on every second. Sure, Qissi is a little older shorter than we remembered a little bigger and perhaps has a few more wrinkles, but he still makes for an imposing presence. Not only that, he directed it too, and his direction isn't too bad at all. A shame that his son, Youssef, is cast as the baddie and is handsome but hopeless, but there you go. I noticed a couple of female Qissis also popped up as caterers, hmm nepotism anyone?
Other distinguishing features: an endless bar-room brawl which kicks ass; an obvious double-cross which we saw coming at the beginning; endless sweating in a sauna; the sexy, skimpy Playboy playmate Nikki Lemke, who doesn't even go topless, and a British-accented villain who looks just like the bad guy outta TURKEY SHOOT. Still, endless fist-fights and kicking, not brilliant but not bad, makes for a passable slice of lowest budget entertainment yet.
