Day of the Panther

So what does a hot blond (Linda Megier) do when a pig is harassing you? Well, if you are a martial arts master, you take him out, especially if he is just some scumbag in a pig mask. This kinds of humorous things make this Australian chop sockey movie bearable.

Blade (Edward John Stazak) is trying to find out who killed his partner and break up a drug operation. He is using his considerable skills to provide several entertaining bouts against multiple bad guys. Two bumbling cops are tailing him and providing more humor.

Now, it is time for more humor as Blade works out while Paris Jefferson dances around the gym. Soon they are dancing under the sheets.

Blade manages to take out another group using a broom handle. Ouch, that has to hurt.

Of course, you have to have the final battle between Blade and the drug lord's (Michael Carman) henchman (Jim Richards).

There will be a part 2 (IT was filmed at the same time.).

Veteran genre filmmaker BTS revisits his earlier martial arts success with this vehicle starring Edward John Stazak as the indestructible cop Jason Blade, out to avenge the death of his partner. Familiar faces (and voices) Michael Carman and John Stanton feature in supporting roles in a generally fast-moving, colourful and exciting flick made for and of its time.

Garish Miami Vice style wardrobe (that's the pastel shirts and pleated trousers sans belts for the men, whilst the ladies live perpetually in bikinis) and synthesiser sounds paints the 80s excess well, even if it's all cliched. But it's the action sequences which standout, and BTS handles these with his usual flair, beginning with the rooftop foot-chase through the industrial estate, through to the rousing climax with Baxter the enforcer (Richards).

Nicely lit visuals of the Swan river and Perth surrounds, no-nonsense, functional dialogue that doesn't become sentimental nor melodramatic, there's even a half-dozen or so sweaty workout /aerobic dance sequences (including a montage that finishes with a roll in the hay) to keep the pulse-racing in between the well-choreographed roundhouses. It's no 'Man from Hong Kong', but as far as Oz-styled chop-socky goes, it's easy to enjoy matinee-grade material, good enough to go hand in hand with a simultaneously filmed sequel.

"Day of the Panther" begins with a young blonde chick taking on several masked thugs at an abandoned building (in a sequence that would have worked better if it wasn't intercut with other events happening elsewhere - a mistake that the director repeats at the end of the movie). She fights quite well, but she gets killed off (bummer!), and her partner, Jason Blade (Edward John Stazak) takes charge from then on. This guy has zero charisma, but I have to give credit where credit is due: when it comes to the martial arts he knows what he is doing, his execution is fast and smooth. The story is totally formulaic, and the cinematography has a cheap, overexposed look, as if the film stock was left out in the sun too long. (*1/2)

Very bland Australian action flick that really goes nowhere fast as Edward John Stazak's lifeless performance as high-kicking Jason Blade leaves little to distinguish it from other 80's kung-fu flicks. When Blade's partner is chased by thugs in goofy masks and eventually killed by a crimelord's second-hand man, Baxter, he flies back to Australia to seek revenge. Blade, his blonde female partner and her father were all trained Shaolin Monk style by the Panther sect of the Chinese Triad. Funny, I thought the Triads were bad guys too. Anyway Blade teams up with his departed partner's dad and his spandex wearing niece Gemma to take down Perth's underworld boss Damien Zukor whose biggest crime is his atrocious wardrobe. Two idiot detectives tail Blade and act as comic relief assuming you think stupid comments and terrible policework is amusing. Eventually Blade gains the trust of Zukor and goes undercover as one of his enforcers. From there it follows the same connect-the-dots formula that makes this a real snoozefest. There's little doubt that Mr. Stazak is a very capable martial artist which is clear during one of his many spins kicks however I'm not a twelve year old so it gets old real quick. The real mystery is the fact that this was immediately followed by the sequel "Strike of the Panther". Who exactly was demanding this? Another problem I had was the lack of boomerangs, marsupials, mates, or any other Australian stereotypes that we Yanks like so much. This panther doesn't pounce. It sleepwalks instead.

My review was written in November 1988 after watching the movie on Celebrity video cassette.

The Aussie-made action pic "Day of the Panther" is standard issue martial arts material, well-executed but strictly ho-hum.

Edward John Stazak is physically right as Jason Blade, trained by Chinese cult the Panthers, who heads from Hong Kong to Perth on a secret mission against local druglord Zukor (Michael Carman). His teammate Linda (Linda Megier) is killed and Blade teams up with her cousin Gemma (Paris Jefferson).

The local cops tolerate Blade's activities, later encouraging him when they finally see through his cover story as a mercenary killer and identify his mission. In typical genre format, pic builds to a bloody annual gladiatorial tournament held by Zukor, but oddly omits same, instead staging a climax of Blade one-on-one against Zukor's chief henchman Baxter (Jim Richards).

Fight scenes, staged by thesps Stazak and Richards, are effective and Jefferson makes a beautiful redheaded leading lady. Otherwise pic is perfunctory and ends abruptly with announcement of is sequel "Strike of the Panther", which was filmed back-to-back with this installment.