Only the Strong

When I say that I mean, the Bruce Lee flicks, the Chuck Norris flicks, The Karate Kid, Never Back Down, the various ninja movies, etc. Then I see this movie on HBO about Brazilian martial arts and was hooked from the beginning!

At first glance, you think it's a typical B-movie with a former or current Special Forces type going out to change the world. Then as you get into it, you see that there's some story to it! Yeah, it's predictable like some have said, but at least the writers attempted to make a watchable story. The Martial Arts choreography is great, especially if you haven't seen Brazilian Martial arts before!

Like someone also said, this is not Oscar material, but it's certainly entertaining. Whether it's Academy Award worthy or not, that's what a movie is supposed to be: ENTERTAINING. "Only the Strong" certainly delivers in entertainment and in my opinion should have it's place among Martial Arts movies!

You know whats going to happen to all the "bad" students as soon as you see them. But, this is still a very good movie. The style used is really amazing and fun to watch. The fights scenes are very good. Why this movie wasn't a big hit, I'll never know. It should have made Mark Dacascos a star.

ONLY THE STRONG

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Sound format: Dolby Stereo SR

A former Green Beret (Mark Dacascos) is employed by his local high school to rehabilitate some of its worst students by teaching them the art of capoeira (a form of martial arts from Brazil, using dance-like moves). But his work brings him into conflict with a local drug lord (Paco Christian Prieto), whose operations are threatened by Dacascos' interference...

Predictable B-movie, elevated above the routine by virtue of its slick presentation and interesting cast (including Geoffrey Lewis), under the assured direction of Sheldon Lettich (DOUBLE IMPACT). The capoeira sequences are exotic and colorful, which blunts the impact of some pretty heavy fight scenes, and the script is alternately naive and obvious. However, the virtues are considerable: Ultra-buff Dacascos flaunts his pumped-up torso through a variety of tight-fitting vests (drool! slobber!), while ultra-cute Stacey Travis (the romantic interest) hovers around the periphery just long enough to temper the film's relentless macho swagger. Good, catchy music score, too.

An exciting feel-good actioner from the director of Double Impact that demands very little from its audience other than the odd cry of adulation at the spectacular, slow-mo'-induced action scenes set before us. Capoeira, the rhythm-based Brazilian martial art / dance, is the movie's chosen subject, and its saving grace: flamboyant and effortlessly acrobatic, accurately pulled off by a cast of the style's best practitioners. Dacascos masters the art while stationed in Brazil working as a Green Beret, and returns to his old school in Miami to find the classes out of control, made up of petty criminals and drug dealers. He is chosen to teach these crazy kids some discipline (by means of Capoeira), and they seem to become pretty good at it. Prieto provides the beefcake villain element as a Brazilian master-criminal determined to sway one of our hero's prime students. All in all, this is an entertaining watch, a perfect showcase for Dacascos.

I really enjoy this movie and have shown it to most of my friends. Most of my friends and I gave it an eight out of ten and some even higher. I think that the capoeira scenes are great, plus it has good music, but the story and characters could've been presented a little better. If you like martial arts movies and don't care too much about character development, you'll probably like this movie.