003: Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991)

Title: Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991)
Starring: Dolph Lundgren, Brandon Lee, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Directed By: Mark L. Lester

OK. First things first. I have to admit that I have kind of a soft spot in my heart for cheesy, over-the-top action movies. When reviewing a film of any kind, you have to first put it in its place before you can critique it. How does it compare to the best that genre has to offer? So when writing about films such as this, I will not be comparing apples to oranges. Is it fair to say this film is rubbish because it doesn't live up to the standard of quality set by Casablanca? No. Because that's not what you should be judging it against. It (and all action movies) should be compared to the best of its own kind. Movies like Die Hard, Rambo, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc. So know going in that in this case, a film is likely to be rewarded for certain cliches done right, instead of penalized for using cliches at all.

Now that that's out of the way, how's the movie? Amazing. Awful. But amazing. It throws every single action movie staple it can think of at you. Sometimes, in quick procession! Nearsighted henchmen? Check. Racist stereotypes? Check. Unnecessary gratuitous nudity? Check. Neverending ammo? Check. Unexplained explosions? Check. The whole movie is just one payoff after another for those of you looking for a little action-packed cheese on a movie night.

As a fan of the genre, I have NO IDEA why it took me so long to watch this. I think I've always seen the cover and thought that I saw it already. And in a lot of ways, I have. If you've ever seen and enjoyed an 80's action movie, then you know what's coming. You know. As you're being introduced to the characters and situations, you have no doubt what fate holds in store for them.

Performance wise, Dolph is solid but Brandon Lee really steals the show. I've always been a fan of both these guys and the two are definitely typecast here. You get EXACTLY what you expect from each of them. Also, besides the always aces Tagawa (as the main villain natch), I was quite impressed with the supporting cast. It was nice to see Tia Carrere (a year before her turn in Wayne's World), as well as cameos from some of the staples of the genre such as Philip Tan & Roger Yuan. The real surprise for me though, was seeing Toshiro Obata (aka Tatsu from 1990's live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie). It was double-entertaining for a nerd like me to see Brandon Lee fighting "Tatsu". Teehee.

Overall, this is a great "turn-off-your-brain-and-just-be-entertained" kind of a movie. Highly recommended if you like stereotypical action movies like this and haven't seen it yet. Or even if you have seen it and need to get away from real life for 80 min's. That is the point of movies like this, right?

Score: 8.5/10