The Swordsman

The stage curtains open ...

"Two blades. Two men. One walks away."

Over 30 years ago, when I was in my early 20's, I was home alone one night with nothing to do. I had already watched the videos I'd rented, but I wasn't tired enough to go to sleep yet, I wanted to watch one more movie. I surfed the cable TV and came across HBO or Cinemax, or something like it, and this movie, "The Swordsman", was being advertised as coming up next. Sounded good, so I dimmed the lights back down and lost myself for a couple of hours.

It is the story of a clairvoyant cop, also an accomplished fencer, named Andrew Garrett (Lamas), who is assigned protective watch over a museum curator who witnessed the theft of a special sword - the actual sword said to have belonged to Alexander the Great. She has connections with a man named Stratos, who runs a fencing club - but more importantly, an underground swordplay ring where if you lose, you die. Troubled by visions and dreams of an unceratin future, Andrew follows Stratos into the depths of his exclusive fighting club in hopes of finding the answer behind the theft of the sword, as well as his clouded future.

I loved seeing Michael Champion take on a main charater's role in this film. I always remembered him in supporting roles in such films as "Total Recall", "Toy Soldiers", and "Pink Cadillac". I felt he did a good job as Stratos. Lorenzo Lamas was one of those actors I never really followed, but he had a good screen presence in this movie, and was convincing in his part. It had a made-for-tv feel to it, even though it did get a big screen release.

For the time I saw it, I loved the underground fighting aspect of it. However, it takes you on some dream sequences that were kind of weird, out of place, and hard to follow in parts. Overall, the story is pretty bland and serviceable at best. It is good for late night viewing when there is nothing else on, and nothing you'd want to rush out to buy, unless you are a huge Lamas fan. Not a recommend, but worth a watch.

Not one of Lorenzo Lamas' best movies, but watchable. Predictably fights joined together by story with sex thrown in. It could have been better. I wouldn't liken it to Highlander at all except that they both contain sword fights - although the fighting music made me think of HL. If you want to see the outtakes, watch the sequel 'Gladiator Cop' which seems to have been put together almost entirely from the cutting room floor. The story is different enough to separate this film from other such 'B' grade movies which struggle to have a story at all. Will it make you truly believe in re-incarnation (which always seems to be of the famous)? I doubt it.

Lorenzo Lamas stars as Andrew the reincarnation of "Alexander the Great" who receives visions to take on his long lost cousin Stratos (Michael Champion) in this stylish yet second rate knock off of Highlander. Some okay actionscenes but mainly it's a been there done that movie.

The legendary sword of Alexander The Great has just been unearthed. It is said to have been blessed by Apollo. Stolen before it can be made the focus of a museum exhibit it is now being used in illegal swordplay exhibitions and Det. Andrew Barrett is on the case. Det. Barrett has been having strange dreams and visions. Julie Wilkins the archaeologist who found the sword believes it is because he is the reincarnation of Alexander The Great. But can she convince Andrew before it is too late? Lorenzo Lamas makes both a believable haunted detective and a vengeful Alexander. A pre-Renegade Lamas is unbelievably masculine in straight black hair that hangs half way down his back. Michael Champion as the long lost cousin is the perfect foil for Lamas.

With the right cast where we don't just have Lorenzo and the pretty female lead this may have worked out better as the plot is enjoyable, not award winning by any means but I enjoyed this more than the Highlander movie with Sean Connery in it.

The whole time I'm watching this I kept wondering if Lorenzo's hair was as long as the character, if anything it kept giving me Samurai Cop type flashbacks. Though this is a far superior movie to that too.

One thing I didn't care for was the bad guy in it. It makes sense at the end but I felt they could have cast someone more menacing. If you're into low budget 90s films or martial arts films where the plot isn't complex and there's a decent amount of action you may enjoy this. At best this is a typical Lorenzo Lamas 5.5 out of 10.