Showdown in Little Tokyo

This is one of the action-movies i grew up with. Seeing it again on TV just brings back a lot of memories. And actually the movie itself is not all crap either! Kenner (Lundgren) and Murata (Lee) both have trouble keeping their partners. Now they team up together to fight the Yakuza in Los Angeles.

Buddy cop pictures are not the most uncommon movies to say the least. But this is a movie that has it all. Campy acting, the worst one-liners ever, nicely choreographed fighting, evil Asians and heroes that are always on each others case. Not to mention the super-evil villain played here by the legendary Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa who should be quite used to these kinds of roles by now.

So, this is not exactly quality and it's not exactly good. But still it contains all the elements that made it an instant classic when i saw it for the first time. Half-naked women, cool heroes and loads of action. So the rating is based more on the memories than the actual movie. But for me this will always be a 7/10.

It's not the best action movie or one of the top movies of the 90's or anything like that but hey, its a fun flick starring the macho Dolph Lundgren and the late great Brandon Lee.

They basically play two LA cops working on a case in LA's Little Tokyo involving Drug Lords that were linked to Lundgren's past. Dolph and Brandon give great kung fu performances as they utilize their martial arts skills and beat some serious crap outta the drug lords. Especially with the sword fight at the end end between Lundgren and the head drug lord.

The script is pretty cheesy though and the story not very original and I could name a bunch of things that aren't too realistic about this picture but the fun never lets up and their are some good one liners. Just as long as you don't take it serious its a good old fashion B-Movie martial arts flick.

Surely the rating should be higher? This is one of the better Dolph Lundgren-takes-on-all-comers movies, and its got Brandon Lee godamnit!

Ok, so it gets predictable, but isnt that why action movies are so well loved? Its got enough of a storyline not to resemble Red Scorpion in any way, but only just little enough to make it a totally enjoyable flick. I mean, for 1991, what were you expecting? Considering that this was the director who brought us Commando, this is the ultimate in bloke films. If you want to clear the women away, put either one of these films on and enjoy a mens night in!

So its not Minority Report, its not The Shawshank Redemption but its redemption at its best, feet first!

Oh, and Tia Carrare in a hot tub. Gets it at least one point. ;)

Reading some of these comments, it occurred to me no one seems to know how to have fun anymore. This movie is not meant to be a great movie. I don't think any of the actors had intention of trying for an oscar. It's simply a fun movie. The action sequences are pretty cool and the one liners are hysterical. Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee are a great action pair. The chemistry between them is amazing. If you just want to watch a movie that's going to make you laugh, and get some good action with it, I highly recommend Showdown.

Chaos, action, explosions and fun bad guys who look like they came out of a cartoon are what make this movie so much fun.

Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee are a fun duo that contributes to the atmosphere of the film and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is super fun as an evil villain. The plot is simple, the good guys clash with the bad ones and try to save the girl and clean up the city from crime along the way.

The action scenes are excellent, deliberately exaggerated and with a great deal of humor. The film has that unique spirit of that time and that's what makes it so much fun.

The bad guys are great, hilarious and outrageous. Yes, the characters are total caricatures and it works perfectly here, even giving the film an extra layer of humor.

From the very beginning, it is clear to us what kind of film this is, a film that does not take itself seriously and wants to fulfill the primary task of every film, and that is to entertain the viewer. And this is a film that certainly succeeds in that, no matter how many times you watch it, it's more and more fun every time. Guns, swords, vicious villains, constant action and plenty of humor.

Action scenes and violence are brutal and bloody, just the way they should be. When the shooting and swinging of swords starts, blood and body parts fly in all directions. An excellent combination of brutal action and humor.

Surprisingly entertaining action film with a dose of humor.