Bloodfist Fighter II - Tödliche Rache

Don 'The Dragon' Wilson stars as Dr. John Wu (No relation of course to Hong Kong legend John Woo) a doctor who falls in love with Julie (Maria Ford) John is Asian, Julie is white both their siblings run rival gangs and hence West Side Story is turned into a ridiculous martial arts clunker. For a movie called Ring Of Fire there sure is very little action, even Don Wilson doesn't get into the ring until the climax and while this fight sequence is admittedly well choreographed the rest of the movie is completely dulls-ville with a nauseating love story that never develops any spark and action sequences that lack the overall edge a Bloodsport or Kickboxer might. I still can't believe that somebody thought that putting Don Wilson and Maria Ford in a romance plot angle was a good idea. I also can't believe that Don Wilson didn't even fight until the climax. I also can't believe how bad this movie was.

* out of 4-(Bad)

Alright kids, we got a movie with Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Gary Daniels, Vince Murdocco, Eric Lee and many other badass guys, also, we have Maria Ford, we can expect 100 minutes of badass violence and probably get to see some boobs.

Yes, we get violence and boobs, but unfortunately we get too much romance, some of the fights are pretty cool, but the amount of "romance" pretty much ruins the movie (and sometimes, it gets boring), oh yeah, Don Wilson manages to kick some ass only in the last minutes.

I was going to give this movie a 5 out of 10 because of the fights, but i decided to add one extra star because of Maria Ford.

With a cast like this, i would make a proper action/martial arts film, but instead they decided to make a movie that would appeal the female audience.

While PM Entertainment – that glorious company of action and excess – had already made action movies featuring martial arts, RING OF FIRE is the studio's first genuine karate flick, as well as a triumph for martial arts of the B-movie scale. It's also a pretty unique vehicle for star Don Wilson – possibly one of his best, which is ironic given his limited input to the action content. As a genuinely exciting kickfest that's powered by a real plot and investable characters, I deem this a must-have for fans of low budget action and just about all of the performers involved.

The story: In the middle of a violent gang rivalry in Los Angeles, a doctor and cousin of the Asian gang's leader (Wilson) falls in love with the sister and fiancé of the Surfer gang's leaders (Maria Ford).

I believe this is the perfect role for Don Wilson, who I find enjoyable though not for the quality of his other movies. In an all-time low count for a feature advertised with his name, Wilson has only a single fight – the finale – and spends the rest of the film interacting with others in a dramatic way, opposed to a physical manner. Don is naturally likable and gives a smooth performance, all the while acting well with costar Maria Ford. Ford's acting ability is often underrated in favor of her sexuality, but here it is clearly at the forefront of her performance. Together, she and Wilson make a sound dramatic duo and a believable couple.

Thematically, the movie may not be particularly strong, but I say that it's as significant as the viewer allows for. It's obvious that this is a take on "Romeo & Juliet" with kickboxing, but it's also one of only a handful of films at the time that addressed interracial romance from an Asian perspective. Race relations would be a non-factor in most of Wilson's films to come, so it's all the more significant that he sets such a positive standard for a masculine Asian-American who perseveres for the sake of love. I haven't seen many western films wherein an Asian male is portrayed as desirable and romantic; Wilson makes the absolute most of the opportunity to be both, and delivers one of the best performances of his career.

The action content is both ample and solid, with approximately eight full-length matches providing a good stage for a supergroup of film fighters: Steven Vincent Leigh, Dale Jacoby, Vince Murdocco, Eric Lee, Gary Daniels, Ron Yuan… (And those are only the performers with additional acting scenes.) Admittedly, many of the matches are a bit too heavily edited for my taste, but the occasional creativeness of the choreography and the consistent athleticism of its performers shine through, making for a cumulatively enjoyable adrenaline package. Even the final showdown featuring Wilson (and even more editing) can be considered among Don's personal best, making it worth waiting for.

The film bounces along with an agreeable pace and hums with a level of energy that PM would frequently try to recapture and often fail at. It's enjoyable, and despite its imperfections, that is the most I can ask of a movie. If you know this is your kind of picture, I encourage you to check it out.

Despite the fact that this is just yet another mindless kung-fu action movie, isn't that part of the culture of the late 80s early 90s? It is a snapshot of American culture and dreams in that time era. The movie centers around two kick boxing gangs, what more do you want? Cheesy plot outline, mindless action that makes you wish you could fight like that, and a predictable ending with a cool training sequence. All of the ingredients that made us love movies like Rocky.

I think movie goers should lighten up and enjoy these kind of films more. Even though they aren't through provoking, not every movie can be, it still entertains you if you have a light heart going in.

'Ring of Fire' set me up to think it might be a cheesy fun b-movie. An oiled up guy working out then two quick matches in the ring within the first 5 minutes. Don 'The Dragon' Wilson is backed up by a few familiar faces in this PM Group flick from the 90's that features an underground fight tourney common for this genre. Dated racism fuels the story, but also bouts of boredom and not enough of the good stuff.

Johnny Woo (Wilson) is an ex fighter, doctor who's cousin Terry (Steven Vincent Leigh) is involved in unsanctioned bouts. Racial tenses flair between them and white meatheads led by Chuck (Vince Murdocco) & Brad (Dale Jacoby). Not helping matters is Chuck's fiancé Julie (Maria Ford) obvious attraction to Johnny. Per the title, a battle in the streets leads to the final confrontation.

Some of the camera work isn't up to the mark, but that fits with the low budget. A "masquerade ball" held in what looks like a high school gym with people hardly dressed the part is case in point. If a routine story - mixing cultures, training montages, dick cop - wasn't enough it's also slow to get to any real action. Only at the tail end does Wilson himself get down to fisticuffs. Watching a girl decide which guy she wants wastes time as it's obvious which way that's gonna go.

The positive word of mouth for 'Ring of Fire' isn't deserved. It doesn't even do any of the basics right. A lack of quality fighting is a deadly sin in a title like this. The romance subplot is a bore and the ending is a joke. I like a good dtv flick from time to time when it rises above or delivers the goods, 'Ring of Fire' simply does neither.