Aquila nera

It's imperative that you approach this film in a mood to be amused by a movie so bad, so clichéd, that it's quite funny. This film is the cinematic equivalent of a quattro formaggio pizza, literally dripping with cheese. Van Damme features very little in the movie and when he does, its in such a banal villain stereotype that one just has to chuckle. His death cry almost sounds like a cry of relief.

And as for the script, it's pure corny laughs throughout...

"The unidentified aircraft has turned out to sea" "Get me the police!"

The police? It's like one of those farcical multiple choice quizzes for imbeciles. An unidentified aircraft is encroaching on your sovereign airspace, do you (A) lock anti-aircraft missiles on the bogey, (B) scramble air force interceptors or (C) call the police. Yeah, police - good call. They've been itching for a chance to use those rocket powered jet skis!

Yes folks, this movie is jammed packed with the best of the worst. Great, grimacing camp fun. Enjoy!

It begins with one of the US Air Force's most modern tactical aircraft, an F-111 Aardvark with a new laser guidance system , down into the sea near Malta . Codename Black Eagle , Ken Tami (Sho Kosugi) , is summoned to Malta to thwart KGB plans to steal a sunken laser device and to salvage the system before it falls into enemy hands . To ensure his loyalty, they bring his two young little boys (Kane Kosugi , Shane Kosugi) to a nearby hotel on the island. There are no enemies. There is no glory. This fight is one on one. Two warriors meet...only one will survive!

So-so flick with more than a semblance of an embarrasing story without much sense , including thrills , chills , high body-count , spectacular fights and in which CIA and KGB agents race against time to recover innovative equipment in the Mediterranean . In spite of its violence , and adding some wholly as well as corny moments , in this is mediocre yarn there are some impressive combats and rousing confrontations . This thrilling film is jammed with several messy trappings , such as : barring sundry explosions , murders , fights , gadgets , plot twists , a subplot in which two children are kidnapped and a car chase through La Valleta streets . The main spectacle is to see how to fight the two greatest idols of the martial arts at the time, in the Eighties : Sho Kosugi as the best FBI secret agent , and , Jean Claude Van Damme as his tough opponent, KGB agent Andrei. It is a film that defies easy clasification , it's either a spy thriller without glamour or a martial arts movie with only two real fights . Here the authentic star is Sho Kosugi who shows his fighter skills playing an agent must outrace KGB agent in searching of super weapon lost in Mediterranean . While Jean Claude Van Damme proves his early and elegant martial arts manners as the KGB's balletic kung-fu king. The only difference between this one and countless other short-budget action films is that the main hero, Sho Kosugi, is not the typical macho man , as he's thin , doesn't screw around and even fails , at times, to defeat his implacable enemy : Jean Claude Van Damme.

Directed without flair-play by Eric Karson , an expert on thrillers and action movies . His debut theatrical feature film was in 1980 with "The Octagon" with Chuck Norris . Subsequently, he directed "Hell Camp" and "Angel Town" . Equally , he produced "Nemesis" and "Lionheart" with Van Damme in one of his best vehicles . Action addicts will give this one a passing grade , all others need not apply . If you're a Sho Kosugi and Jean Claude Van Damme fan , you'll appeal this movie , that's why it contains action enough and violence for enthusiastic of the chop-socky or kung-fu genre .

Granted, this is not a great movie by any measure. Its plot, acting and direction are enjoyable but not really memorable.

And I'm no expert in martial arts movies, so I can't review Sho Kosugi and Jean-Claude Van Damme fighting performances in this flick.

But I nevertheless find it to be an entertaining and refreshing movie because:

a) It is slow-paced compared to movies churned out by Hollywood nowadays. I can't stand shaky cam photography nor "frantic" editing. I find 1980s pop-corn flicks quite relaxing.

B) It is full of nice sights of Malta, a location you very rarely see in motion pictures. Its fortifications, distinctive architecture, sunny beaches, beautiful landscapes... It's quite refreshing to enjoy the beauties of an oft-overlooked location in movie-making. Malta is the real star of this picture.

C) Doran Clark. She's a beautiful woman and quite convincing as the CIA agent "babysitting" the two kids. Why we haven't seen her in more movies is beyond me.

Terry Plumeri's gripping score deserves a mention as well.

All in all, this flick is a guilty pleasure, but for good reasons.

Black Eagle was released a few months after Van Damme became a star with Bloodsport. The film could have made Van Damme a wash up but luckily he didn't. The martial arts chorography in the film is very sloppy and the fight scene between Sho Khogusi and Van Damme is weak. Skip this one.

this action movie staring Shô Kosugi and Jean-Claude Van Damme was not all that exciting,but it was watchable enough.there isn't really a lot of action in the movie.Van Damme plays one of the villains here and has two showdowns with Kosugi.both fight scenes are OK,but not thing spectacular and of very short duration.the movie itself wasn't boring,but it wasn't exactly exciting either.it's one of movies where you can take it or leave it.i doubt i would watch again anytime soon.it has a rating of 3.2 here on this site.i would rate it a bit higher than that,as i didn't find it awful,just underwhelming.for me,Black Eagle is a low 5/10