Bloodfist V: Human Target

I have gone through and watched the first five BLOODFIST films and I must say this one might be my favourite of the bunch so far. If you have gotten this far in the series yourself you'll have guessed it; this movie has zippo to do with the others in the series. Other than it stars Don "The Dragon" Wilson.

Here you are thrown right into the action as you see Wilson with long hair being chased down by a group of thugs. He is shot while he tries to escape. He wakes up in the hospital with no memory of who he is. So the audience like Wilson learns about his past as we do. After he is told his name is Jim Stanton he pieces his life back together with a woman posing as his wife Candy (Denice Duff). Also starring Steve James in one of his last films before he passed away of cancer. Roger Corman executive produced and Wilson was associate producer.

Don Wilson and Steve James join forces to deliver one of the stupider entries of the series, this time Don has amnesia and so he has to find out who is trying to kill him and who is on his side, however being that he has mobsters and agents dogging him, he just beats them all up in the process. Bloodfist V is so amazingly awful it defies mere words. Literly this movie is so utterly brainless that you can actually feel your brain evaporate into a cloud of smoke. Well let's address the plot. Don Wilson is amnesiac in the first place due to being shot in the head, now i'm no expert on being shot in the head (Because i've never been shot in the head) but i'm guessing that memory loss from a gunshot would also include losing your coordination, ability to speak or walk and so on. Wilson is basically inhuman and for me it was dull to watch. Also for some reason the movie tries to provide twists that any viewer will see miles away, it is almost as if we too are one of the henchmen who know everything that Wilson doesn't but yet the movie goes on, as if we are clueless to the ridiculous approach. Worst of all is that it is never made clear whether Wilson was an undercover agent or if he was a bad guy. I for one didn't care after the 15 minute mark.

* out of 4-(Bad)

I watch most all of the Corman fare, and this film stands out. It's plot driven with great twists and turns. The last twenty minutes are top notch. This could easily have been a big studio picture. The characters have edge and attitude, and the female lead is strong from writing to performance. I definitely recommend buying this one.

The fifth "Bloodfist" entry, and the second one I've watched so far (after part "IV"). Playing an amnesiac is something of an "acting stretch" for Don "The Dragon" Wilson, but he admittedly does a pretty solid job in the role. He also receives good support from Steve James, Denice Duff and Michael Yama. The plot is interesting, it never stops moving and has lots of twists and turns, and the fight scenes are good, filmed in the same close-quarters, hard-hitting style of the previous "Bloodfist" entry, a style that is refreshing to see every once in a while. Of course, you shouldn't get your hopes up too high: this is only a very low-budget martial arts film, after all. But within its field, it's certainly better than you'd expect. (**)

I just watched the new DVD version of "Bloodfist V" and was completely surprised. I usually cringe at the thought of kickboxing flicks but this one has such a cool story that I was riveted to the screen. The acting, writing, directing, and production value were top notch. This one did not disappoint. Check it out on DVD if you can.