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..But that's not to say the movie is all-around great. It's a very typical low-budget action flick. The story is pretty cookie-cutter as far as action movies go. It isn't Shakespeare believe me. And the acting is substandard at best. But Jeff Speakman to his enormous credit is a very accomplished martial artist. And having studied Kenpo for many years I can safely say that it's one of the most faithful films to capture the art. And what is even more impressive is the way the film portrays how Kenpo works when compared to different styles (like Tae Kwon Do).

So despite some minor inadequacies it's pretty awesome in many other respects. So for that I give it major credit. And to be honest it's a fun, feel good flick. I would recommend it to any martial arts fan. It's a good time.

Jeff Speakman(The master of kempo) made his debut in The Perfect Weapon, in this he plays Jeff Sanders a construction worker/drifter who brings vengeance to the Korean mobsters responsible for his mentor(Mako)'s death, his cop brother Adam(John Dye) keeps trying to tell Jeff that there are proper procedures but Jeff proceeds to hunt and pulverize anybody who gets in his way. There was just something about martial arts movies that I loved, something to this day I can't put my finger on. The Perfect Weapon was made to rival Steven Seagal, as Warner Bros had Seagal under contract, so Paramount introduced us to Jeff Speakman. Speakman should have had a bigger career at least on the basis of this, The Perfect Weapon features everything you would expect from a martial arts action flick but also has a stronger narrative and a sharper pace. That being said there are a couple of slow moments but Speakman is always there to kick life into the movie and on this level The Perfect Weapon works as a great guilty pleasure. Also Professor Toru Tanaka makes for a great villain.

* *1/2 out of 4-(Pretty good)

Where can I learn to fight like that? This movie is fantastic. The fight scenes are choreographed perfectly and make Speakman out to be a good fighter, but not invincible(he does get hit a few times, quite nastily I might add). This is much better than a Steven Seagal film where he never suffers one blow from the bad guys. The way Speakman moves is breathtaking. Its almost hard to believe that what he's doing is actually a martial art. But it is. And he does it so well.

The plot in this movie is simple: its just another revenge flick. This makes the movie easier to watch because you don't have to really watch the plot, just the action. Its rather disappointing that after this and Street Knight, speakman was reduced to doing low-budget films. He deserves another big budget movie like this. Fantastic action, fantastic martial arts choreography make this a 10/10 movie. If you haven't seen it yet you must WATCH IT NOW.

The Perfect Weapon is my all time favorite martial arts 90's movie and it is the best off Jeff Speakman he ever did. This is the only movie I like the rest of the films Jeff Speakman did were just pure garbage. It is my favorite martial arts karate action movie. It is a style of one man army with no guns but with his bare hands using Kenpo karate martial arts skills to fight the evil on the streets. I love this film to death and I have watch it as a teen. I rented this movie on VHS in 2003 and I watched this movie with my mom. It is a bit underrated martial arts action film and my opinion and it is a good film.

The movie was directed by Mark DiSalle who also directed Kickboxer (1989) Jean-Claude Van Damme film and the music score and composer is Gary Chang who made music scores for other action movies and that really good such as: Dead Bang, Death Warrant (another Jean-Claude Van Damme movie), Under Siege, Sniper, Double Team and other movies.

"Full contact. No protection. No problem."

So the story tell about a young 11 year old boy Jeff (Micah Roberts) who loses his mom and he becomes a troublemaker. His father a police officer Capt. Carl Sanders (Beau Starr) want's to sent him to military school, so that Jeff will learn a hard discipline. Kim (Mako) friend of the family sends Jeff in to Kempo Karate school instead so that Jeff will learn the discipline on the hard way and control his anger and energy with a hard work. 6 years later a teen Jeff (Tom Hermann) becomes one of the best students and a martial arts expert in six degree black belt. But in the school in the football field Jeff get's in to an argument with one of the football players but when the football player punches his younger brother Adam (Justin Webb), Jeff uses his martial arts skills on the football player and kicks the living sh** out of him. Which he lands in the hospital. After that incident his father kick's him out of the house and throw's him out off his and his younger brother life away forever. Jeff goes on his own way but stay's in touch with Kim (Mako) as his father figure. Many years later Jeff is a now young man (Jeff Speakman) who practices his karate moves every day. When he hears his best friend Kim is in trouble he rushes back home to safe his friend from Korean mafia but he is too late, his best friend is killed. Now he goes on his own brand of justice for the killer with his martial arts skills without any back up or weapons he's "The Perfect Weapon."

This movie has everything it has a heart it has martial arts likable one man army martial arts expert Jeff Speakman. You mourn with the hero when he is kicked out of his home from his dad. It has full contact it has memorial bad guys James Hong and Professor Tanaka great fighting skills, great soundtrack and you can easily root for the good guy hero. The movie has a great action, great dialogues, great cast of actors, the acting from everyone is excellent. I love the setting of this movie, I love the final fights in the factory and it is filled with great action.

All tough to movie tagline say's: "No gun. No knife. No equal." Jeff uses a different kind of weapons by the end of the movie two oak stickers (Bo) and he does uses two knives on the end of the movie.

Great performance from Jeff Speakman I heard he had a throat cancer but he recover it. Wonderful performance from Mako and excellent performance from James Hong and Professor Tanaka. There is no wire, no fake, all real actions. The fight scenes are unbelievable, the story is good as well. In here they are real fights real practical effect no shaky cam no CGI everything is made for real. Watch the final fight with Jeff and Professor Tanaka on the end of the movie one of the best fighting scenes in the intier movie ever!!!

This movie is one of the reasons that I have signed in the Karate school training karate for 2 years and I have earn orange belt In the Shotokan karate. The only problem I have is with the director to actress Mariska Hargitay who play's Jeniffer (Jeff's childhood friend) she has nothing to do in this movie she doesn't have even any lines. She keeps appearing and disappearing I don't know why director put her in the screen and he didn't gave her nothing to do she is a great actress.

R.I.P. Mako, John Dye,Seth Sakai, Professor Toru Tanaka and my mom Jelka Jamar when she died in 2007 thank you my mom for paying all the karate lessons for me I love you and I miss you. This review is dedicated to my mom.

The Perfect Weapon get's by me a score B 7/10 a good underrated martial arts action movie.

The Perfect Weapon is a 1991 martial arts action film directed by Mark DiSalle and starring Jeff Speakman, Mako Iwamatsu, James Hong, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.

7/10 Grade: B Studio: Paramount Pictures Starring: Jeff Speakman, John Dye, Mako, James Hong, Mariska Hargitay, Dante Basco, Professor Tanaka Director: Mark DiSalle Producers: Pierre David, Mark DiSalle Writter: David C. Wilson Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 23 Mins. Budget: $10.000.000 Box Office: $14,061,361

When his mentor(Mako) is killed, Jeff(Jeff Speakman) plots revenge only to find Korean mobsters and hoodlums. Training at the hands of an instructor-master who trained him on lethal martial art skills and the combat in Kempo Karate . He must exact his own form of justice turning into the ¨perfect weapon¨. He's a new hero in Los Angeles , an avenger who woos to revenge against the murderers.Jeff naturally takes on multiple opponents , cleaning up nasties Koreans and he beats, punch, knocks, kicks and defies the gravity with bounds and leaps.

The film packs lots of violence,action-filled,thrills, and fierce combats with spectacular fighting.The story leave no cliché untouched, and the struggles are well staged.The movie is starred by Jeff Speakman, he's 6th degree blackbelt in American Kenpo Karate . He's director of American Kenpo , an International Kenpo Karate organization with more than 50 schools.This is his greatest hit but his career failed in ¨C grade¨ movies(Hot Boyz, Deadly outbreak,Memorial day), becoming himself a failed star.Secondary cast is formed by habitual oriental good guys: Mako,Clyde Kusatsu and bad guys played by ominous villainous with offensive racial stereotypes, such as Cary Hiroyuky Tagawa, James Hong and Professor Tanaka. The Professor was a wrestler who possessed incredible strength and was arguably the successor to Harold Sakata(the Chinese baddie in James Bond vs. Goldfinger) as the archetypal Asian Henchman. The motion picture is professionally directed by Mark DiSalle who tried repeat similar success to 'Kickboxer-Jean Claude Van Damme', but he didn't achieve. The movie is dedicated to Ed Parker and the spirit of Kenpo Karate. The result is a strong entry for action buffs and martial art enthusiastic.

As Steve Segal's career began to decline, Jeff Speakman's was on the rise. Of the various martial arts movies Speakman did,l this is by the far the best, although Lord knows it is no masterpiece. There is very little plot other than revenge, but the fight scenes are well done and plentiful. Many familiar faces (Mako, James Hong, Toru Tanaka) are on hand to support Speakman, who is about as good an actor as Segal, which is to say not particularly good. But he looks great in the fight scenes. A young and delectable Mariska Hargitay, later of L&O: SVU, is along for the ride. Speakman was one of several actors that Hollywood briefly employed to capitalize on Segal's success. None lasted all that long. It took the arrival of Jet Li to spark new interest in martial arts flicks.

Jeff Speakman was on the road to martial arts super-stardom since being a master of the Kenpo style of fighting; a fighting style that was new to Western audiences. However, The Perfect Weapon, is far from perfect. For starters, the script is full of sputtered dialog, leaving the characters, especially Speakman, as vapid shells with nothing to work with. The acting is equally OTT atrocious with inane, incompetent and uninspired, by-the-numbers direction. The material is nothing special to begin with as with the case of most martial arts movies (though some of them are technically polished and brilliant) of that era. But TPW is not all that bad though. Some of the fight scenes are impressive and the fact that Speakman gets beaten up and vulnerable(this could've lent Seagal more credibility) as well as the final fight between Speakman and the big guy was one of the only good things out of this film. Too bad the end product was more or less than the sum of its parts and Speakman, sadly, faded away into obscurity from the spotlight; possibly forever. A shame. He could've been the next best thing.

Jeff Speakman really shines in this early 90's beat em' up. He has a lot of charisma, good screen presence and great fighting skills. Directed by Mark DiSalle who made JCVD classics Bloodsport and Kickboxer previous to this. When his family friend Kim is harassed then murdered by the Korean crime syndicate, Jeff Speakman beats up many bad guys on his mission for justice. The pace is quick with much well choreographed martial arts action. The support cast is great with Mako, James Hong, Professor Toru Tanaka, James Lew as well as many Asian Hollywood regulars that worked during this period.If you like the Van Damme and Segal movies of the late 80's/early 90's you will most likely dig The Perfect Weapon. It is too bad Jeff Speakman did'nt make many films with a decent budget. If he had the chance to do more projects of the same caliber and quality as TPW, he would be a household name in the action genre.

Get your brewskies out and enjoy this flawed action flick. Speakman's considerable kempo skill (nice spin kicks, decent with the sticks - poor couch!) is the only redeeming quality of a movie that just cries bad acting. The plot isn't half bad; just executed pretty poorly. But if you're seeing this movie for anything other than martial arts, you're missing the boat entirely. And for a movie that is supposed to take place in Koreatown, way way too few Korean actors (even extras).

This is one of my all time favorite martial arts flicks. Is the acting going to win any awards? No. But what makes it great is that Speakman takes hits when he is fighting, a lot of hits and sometimes he goes down and other times he uses incorporates the hit into his attack but he isn't Superman and he does take a beating. This gives the fight scenes a realism missing from so many movies of this kind. Unfortunately in his small catalog of movies Speakman never had another of this level. As much as I want to like LWM (and part of me still loves the movie) I hate Chuck Norris too much to separate his nonsense from his characters. I know this statement will win me no love for this review but Jeff Speakman should have had that long, successful run over crazy old Chuck Norris.

Jeff Speakman is in peak form in this movie and it shows. His movements are quick and precise and the fight scenes are well made.

It's a movie that features his growth in the martial art of Kenpo, a type of Karate that specializes in quick strikes to precise areas of the human body. This is demonstrated in several of the films fight scenes.

The movie is populated by a pretty forgettable supporting cast, but the action scenes more than make up for it. Granted, the fight choreography sometimes feels a little too rehearsed, but is more often than not really fun.

The story is pretty formulaic and completely predictable, but it serves it's purpose in getting Jeff from Point A to B with as many fights as possible.

This may not be the best martial arts movie in the world (that honor belongs to "Enter the Dragon") or even the worst (undoubtedly "Gymkata"), but it at least makes a game attempt at making a star out of a man who at least has some charisma and can kick and chop with the best of them.

In "The Perfect Weapon", Jeff Speakman plays the weapon in question, a man whose talent at kenpo is put to the test when a local crime lord puts the squeeze on a business ran by a man (Mako) who is Speakman's oldest friend. And once said friend is killed, our favorite Weapon uses hands, feet, sticks and drop-kicks to get revenge the good old-fashioned way: the highest body count wins.

As I said before, Speakman has some charisma and is able to use his martial arts in a conceivably realistic manner. In fact, there are at least one or two good scenes for him (the fight in the antiques shop, the back alley attack by a group of thugs)and just about everybody involved including Mako, Hong, Dye, Tanaka and Kusatsu (except, maybe, for Hargitay, who gets little to do here and considerably less screen time).

In the end, it's a good effort but for all the other Seagals, VanDammes, Schwarzeneggers and Stallones out there, Speakman is just another seven-foot center who can make the three-point shot, so to speak.

Five stars for "The Perfect Weapon" - maybe not "Perfect", but indeed passable entertainment.

This is my favorite martial arts movie. The plot is easy to follow, which makes it good for non-martial arts viewers like me. Jeff has an easygoing personality and is very easy on the eyes. There are some elements of Asian-American meets Asian, and Jeff melts into that world almost effortlessly. The opening scene is memorable as Jeff shows us some of his martial arts moves in full condition, and has a good opening song. The film never drags. Great movie for couples to watch together as it isn't necessarily a "guy" film. Unfortunately, Jeff never followed through on the promise he showed in this, his best film. He later started doing mellow kind of dad movies. His time would have been better spent developing his acting abilities, which are rather wooden. But it's a good kind of b-grade acting.

The stage curtains open ...

At the height of martial arts action flicks during the early 90's (ie: Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Dolph Lundgren), we have this solid entry by Jeff Speakman - a black belt in American Kenpo. Jeff Sanders (Speakman) revisits his old stomping grounds where he had a difficult childhood, ending up estranged from his family and especially by his overbearing police officer father. While he is there, his mentor and friend, Kim (played by Mako) is murdered and all trails lead to a Korean Mafia head.

As Jeff endeavors to avenge his fallen friend, he fights his way through barriers, both on the home front and on the streets to bring Kim's killer down and justice to the forces behind it. Sharp, well executed martial arts sequences are the order of the day.

This was a fun film. It is a solid addition to the martial arts action genre and keeps the viewer engaged. The dialogue does seem a bit stilted and the acting something to be desired. But the point is, this is an action movie, and that is what you are watching it for. On that count, it delivers. The fight scenes were well choreographed and satisfying. The story is strong enough to support his reasons for being there, and the pacing is good. I really liked this movie and would not hesitate to recommend it.

Jeff Speakman is a student of the late Ed Parker. He is a serious martial artist. He also looks a lot like the late Elvis Presley. These factors should have aligned to make a dynamic American martial arts classic. Unfortunately, the film is not all that well paced. Aside from one choreographed music video-like sequence the fights and fight choreography are a little flat. This is the best of Speakman's projects but it was not enough to propel him from martial artist to movie star. Worth seeing but not terrific. Any Chuck Norris movie is better in my opinion.

There many great action movie that starring familiar face of the action genre like Arnie, Stallone, JCVD...... but there also some lesser-known but super good action star that thank to the power of Internet I finally found them first with Billy Blanks then Jeff Wincott and now Jeff Speakman. Aside from the beautiful showcase of Jeff Speakman impressive martial art talent and a young Dante Basco before his iconic role in Hook The Perfect Weapon also show me a picture of how Asian-American live back in the 90s that really reminded me of Showdown in Little Tokyo one of my all time favorite action movie ever

Being a fan of martial arts movies, and martial artist myself, I kinda liked this one. I have never heard of Jeff Speakman before, but I remember that I saw TV program and there was a martial art film "The Perfect Weapon", I missed it… but, thanks to internet today… I cached it. And I have to tell you… not bad. It's one of those good, old low budget action films, where you don't need to pay attention to absolutely nothing, just turn off your brain and enjoy some good early 90s action films.

Well, ladies and gentleman… may I present you Jeff Speakman, a master in American Kenpo and Goju-Ryu Karate. But, primarily, Kenpo is his style, which he constantly uses in his films and which he spreads around the world on his seminars. This films really turn Jeff into a low-budget star and I like how he kept his low profile during his film career, today he mostly holds Kenpo classes. What to say about Jeff Speakman regarding his acting? Well, he is not an expert in it… He did how much he could, I mean don't expect much acting in these kind of films. But, when it comes to Jeff image as martial artist on film, he had so much potential. He is really cool and has some unusual charisma. Other actors that were very recognizable (and I was pretty surprised by them here), Mako for example, good as always, but, he was type-casted as wise man to a leading character… Dante Basco, this was one of his earlier roles, but he always plays these irritating and annoying characters… I mean… he's washed up. We got James Hong as a villain, well, he is type-casted as Mako… being able to have that scary voice and presence, Toru Tanaka is also here, with his tank like presence, a fine bodyguard to a leading villain, we also have Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (yep, Shang Tsung himself) as a supporting villain Kai, to bad he didn't have more screen time, with his commanding and inspirational deliverance. Really good actor casting. To mention Leo Lee, James Lew, Philip Tan and Al Leong as fighters in the film (a real life hard hitters). And we also got Mariska Hargitay as a… well not directly, but as a somewhat potential love interest to Jeff.

Overall, it's a good action film, I recommend it. Try to relax, put your feet up and enjoy. I think you won't regret it.

A dated low budget action film starring a Noname who has real world martial arts experience. I really can not say anything more about the film. The villain is fun to watch for the 2 action scenes he has.

This is a perfect little action flick starring Jeff Speakman as a young delinquent Jeff Sanders, who was enrolled in a kenpo school. Years later, Jeff would put his kenpo moves into good use as he takes on a mafia gang to avenge his mentor's death. Caught in the mix is his detective brother, played by Touched by an Angel actor John Dye.

This is a fast-paced movie with a simple, but compelling revenge plot, with plenty of martial arts and gun-totting action. The acting was actually not too bad and the choreography was cleverly done. I particularly enjoyed seeing John Dye in an out-of-character role as the no-nonsense, gun-totting detective, versus his more tender and heavenly role in Touched by an Angel and fatherly roles in later made-for-TV movies.

Overall, it is not a bad action flick. You'll have a pretty good time watching it.

Grade B

In "The Perfect Weapon," the electrifying 1991 film debut of American Kenpo Karate expert Jeff Speakman, audience members do get a little something more than just the usual martial arts kick-'em-up, and that is a rather above-average acting performance from its lead actor, as well as some of the wisdom and philosophy of its star's chosen artform.

This is not to say that Speakman is a great actor and is not surrounded by an inexperienced cast or crew (who include a number of future big names in early roles, such as Mariska Hargitay, of TV's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"), but he carries himself nicely throughout the picture, an indication that "The Perfect Weapon" would be a promising debut and although Speakman never reached the heights of say a Norris, a Seagal or a Van Damme, he has become one of the most respected martial arts personalities out there, and a legendary cult figure in his own right. "The Perfect Weapon" remains the actor's most prominent - at least, in a mainstream Hollywood sense - film role to date.

Of course, for martial arts movie fans, "The Perfect Weapon" remains the only big-studio Hollywood picture to ever offer a straight-forward depiction of American Kenpo Karate, a relatively recent update of traditional Okinawan Karate that was developed by the late American Kenpo Karate Senior Grandmaster Ed Parker in the '40s and '50s, is based on modern-day street-fighting principles, and stresses lightning-fast strikes delivered in quick succession, "fluidity of motion," and learning to accurately anticipate an opponent's responses to lessen their chances of retaliation and being able to adapt to changing circumstances accordingly. (Consequently, Parker himself, who was also an instructor to Speakman, was instrumental in helping to get the film made, and passed away in December of 1990 - four months before the film was released - and it was dedicated to his memory and the "spirit of Kenpo.")

Written by David C. Wilson and directed by Mark DiSalle (who was also behind the productions on the early Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicles "Bloodsport," "Kickboxer," and "Death Warrant"), Speakman plays Jeff Sanders, a drifter who was introduced to American Kenpo Karate as a teenager by his mentor and family friend, Kim (the late Mako), and became extremely proficient at it. However, because his elderly sensei was unable to completely channel his anger and negative attitude into his training (Sanders's emotional anguish stemming from his mother's untimely passing when he was just 10-years-old) and following a football-field punch-up that led to a bull-headed jock's hospitalization, Sanders is forced to leave home by his stern cop-father and seek meaning in his life in his own way.

Now, years later as an adult, Jeff is back in town and seeking to reconnect with his old friend Kim in the Los Angeles Koreatown neighborhood. Kim is being harassed by members of the local Korean mafia and when Sanders intervenes, it unexpectedly leads to tragedy and him crossing paths with the towering, seemingly unstoppable mafia assassin Tanaka (Professor Toru Tanaka). He then teams up with his estranged younger brother Adam (John Dye, "Best of the Best"), now himself a detective with the L.A.P.D., and Jimmy (Dante Basco), a street-wise orphan whom he reluctantly accepts as his sidekick (namely because Jimmy reminds him of himself at that age).

Jeff Speakman, who was then a fourth-degree black belt in American Kenpo Karate, is astonishing in his film debut. Of course, in keeping up with a well-worn trend from action movies made around that time, Our Hero often appears shirtless and well-oiled - to show off his toned physique, obviously. And of course Jeff Speakman also delivers a capable acting performance; the key scene for me was watching a hospital scene between him and Adam and the emotional honesty between the two siblings was tangible and real - a rarity for a movie such as this. But he also delivers the goods in terms of hard-hitting American Kenpo Karate action and doing a lot of his own stunts, chiefly his three-on-one fight with three goons at a Tae Kwon Do school (highlighting a seeming clash of the cultures, and fighting styles), and his introductory scene as he practices his forms to "The Power" by Snap!

Just Try Him.

7/10

The Perfectly Stupid Weapon. I think the guys dancing at the beginning of one of Steven Segal's movies was intented to mock Jeff doing his forms to dance music at the beginning of this stupid movie. The plot is predictable, the fights were fair and Jeff acts about as well as the sofa he beats with some sort of weapon in one scene.