Rapid Fire

It was a huge blow when the news of Brandon Lee's death made headlines in the mid 1990s. The fact that the guy never managed to fulfil his opportunities as a successful action movie star and follow in the footsteps of his dad in that particular sense was tragic, considering just how good he was on screen. Showdown In Little Tokyo was a C-list martial arts epic, whilst The Crow- Brandon's very last movie he had starred in, was a horror movie, which whilst his martial arts skills were relatively limited, he still manage to display his acting graft as well as to show that he can act, in addition to kicking arse.

Rapid Fire came out in 1992 amidst his previous effort, his collaboration with Dolph Lundgren entitled: 'Showdown in Little Tokyo', which was released the year before. In this movie, Brandon plays art student Jake Lo, who witnesses a murder and afterwards, finds himself on the run from a gang of evil drug lords, as well as a bunch of two-faced, backstabbing cops, of whom are enlisted and supposed to protect Jake but who turn out to be doing the dirty work for the bad guys. Thankfully, he has a good cop on his side and together, the pair, despite their dislike for one another, work together to bring them to justice.

American martial arts films tend to be rather forgettable, run-of-the mill type of movies compared to the Hong Kong, Kung Fu-based flicks, but Rapid Fire in contrast is one of the much better efforts. It is action-packed, explosive and Brandon is not that bad of a fighter. He is exceedingly good and manages to combine his late father's trademark moves and aggression with Jackie Chan's athleticism, and his fast and frenetic movements. Another leaf he has taken out of his text book is when he takes an object and smashes it on his opponents head, for example.

This is a good martial arts movie; alas, it is a glimpse of how great Brandon was and how great could have been and how far his career might have gone- had he still been alive today

Bruce's son gets the Hollywood B-movie treatment in this all-out action fest that stands as one of his better pictures, featuring a roguish yet charming Brandon fighting like his father in scenes that frankly appear out of place in an American action picture of its time. Thankfully, Brandon neglects the deadly stares and patriotic words of his father and offers us a totally different image altogether: Brandon is hip-talking, cool, equipped with an attractive physique and razor-sharp kung fu. He plays Jake Lo, a bike-riding Chinese-American who gets himself caught up in a plight to bring to justice a mighty drug trafficker after he witnesses him murder a client. Soon Jake is enlisted to be used as bait in the police's attempts to root out the drug lord. Throw in a load of gunfights and fisticuffs and we have quite a meaty actioner on our hands, complete with Hong Kong-style choreography supervised by Brandon himself (the best example being a classy little battle with midget-stuntman Al Leong). Rapid Fire did prove to be Brandon's big break, and it's through his uniquely charismatic and exciting performance here that makes us acknowledge his early death with an even greater tinge of sadness.

This was Brandon Lee's second american made movie (Showdown In Little Tokyo was the first) and the film where you could see Brandon was starting his ascent up the action hero ladder. With each film Brandon's martial arts skills improved and in this movie he really shines. Not to mention his acting ability as well. He proved in this movie that he had what it takes to be a star. He incorporated some Hong Kong style action similar to Jackie Chan's films into this movie. An example is a terrific sequence in a small apartment where Lee takes on several bad guys armed with guns and he takes them out with his hands, feet, kitchen utensils, refrigerator doors, etc. Powers Boothe also does a great job as tired cop and Nick Mancuso plays the main villain very superb. The Crow was Brandon Lee's best movie but Rapid Fire displays his fighting skills the best. Definitely a must for action fans!

We'll never know what Brandon Lee, who was the son of the late martial arts legend Bruce Lee, would be capable of in Hollywood since he, like his father, died before the peek of his fame, and subsequently a mass following has been built in his memory.

Bruce Lee died just weeks before the American premiere of his last completed film "Enter the Dragon" in 1973. Consequently, Lee had also been working on the "Game of Death" before his passing, which we would later see, meticulously reconstructed (as Lee had intended), in John Little's touching and poignant documentary "Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey."

Brandon was slain by a stunt gun while filming a scene in his last movie, 1994's "The Crow." Using careful CGI techniques, the filmmakers were able to successfully gather enough footage of Lee's performance to complete the film. Lee haunted every frame of Alex Proyas' dark and deeply affecting film, which was the adaptation of James O'Barr's popular comic book character.

Brandon, like his father, was also a talented performer - actor and martial artist. However, if one were looking for Brandon's acting talents, look at "The Crow," as you will not see much of him using martial arts. If one were looking to see him using those martial arts talents, and the best showcase for those talents, look no further than 1992's "Rapid Fire."

"Rapid Fire," from the beginning, has a very flimsy plot, as Lee plays a Chicago art student who witnesses the gangland murder of a South Asian drug lord by Italian mobsters. Lee can't trust anyone, as he's forced to go on the run from gangsters (Asian and Italian), cops, and other corrupt law enforcement officials. It seems that he can only find comfort and protection through his martial arts skills and an independent Chicago police unit headed by a grizzled cop (Powers Boothe).

As stated before, you should only watch "Rapid Fire" for Brandon Lee's martial arts skills, as this is really the best place to see them; you're not going to find them in "The Crow." Brandon did the best that he could with this role and just went with it.

Brandon, like his father, passed on before true success would reign in on him. Like Bruce and "Enter the Dragon," Brandon and his last film "The Crow," will be forever remembered by fans and cinema-goers alike in years to come.

I'm not really sure where "Rapid Fire" would stand in Brandon's short-lived career, other than it was a showcase for his fighting talents. "Rapid Fire" is decent, certainly not perfect, but very fun to watch nonetheless.

7/10

Rapid Fire was one of the three hollywood films that Brandon Lee starred in. The others being Showdown in Little Tokyo and the Crow. This was one of the best martial arts/action films I have ever seen and I never get tired watching it. The plot is pretty basic but this is solely a showcase for Brandon Lees martial arts. The fight in the hotel and the restaurant are some of the most entertaining I have seen. I think that it works that he doesn't come across as invincible but you know he is going to prevail. The fight scenes are frenetic but realistic and pack a real punch. Also the film had quite a few funny moments. Particularly from the mob boss played by Nick Mancuso - but also Lee as well that keep the film entertaining inbetween the action. There is also a bit of heart as well with Lees character mourning his dad. I always wondered whether he was chanelling the loss of his own father, particularly in the scene at the female detectives house. Overall this was an excellent action film that show Brandon Lee was a real talent and it's a tragedy he died so young. I think if he would have gone on he would have been a real superstar.