Thrilling and moving film by Mark L. Lester with the ordinary ingredients such as non-stop action , thrills, romance , and crossfire . Two L. A. cops, Sgt. Chris Kenner (Dolph Lundgren) and Johnny Murata (Brandon Lee) with opposing views on what is the best way to uphold the law have to work together to bring down the Yakuza led by Funekei Yoshida (Gary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), while trying to protect a beautiful singer (Tia Carrere). The deadliest vice-kingpin under the Rising Sun has just come to the City of Angels...where two angels of death are about to make him wish he'd stayed in Japan. One's a warrior. One's a wiseguy. They're two Los Angeles cops going after Japan's top mobster...Feet first.
Acceptable and passable action film about the Japanese Yazuka and American cops with an agreeable main and support cast. In the motion picture there are fights , thriller, chases, crossfire and being interesting enough. The plot results to be a little routine concerning the typical buddy movie and the ending has the usual violent confrontation with high body-count . The famous martial arts champion and now veteran actor Dolph Lundgren (Univerasl Soldier, Blackjack, Rocky IV, The expendables saga) forms an attractive film couple with the late actor Brandon Lee. Both are the real protagonists of this action movie that mixes the total excitement of martial arts with the reality of a secret and powerful organization: the Japanese yakuza. The kicks , punches and jinks are high in this jolly as well as violent martial arts film . The fight scenes are splendid , and though Lee lacks the animal grace of his father Bruce or the comical skills of Jackie Chan, he has timing , charming and cheerful. Brandon Lee trained practiced various martial arts , such as Wing Chun, Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do in preparation for his films. Lee hired Darryl Chan to train him for cosmetic impact in ¨Rapid Fire¨. Lee and Chan, also worked together in ¨Showdown in Little Tokyo¨. Being well starred by Brandon Lee , before the accidental gunshot wound from faulty prop revolver. Lee's first role in a feature film was "Legacy of Rage" (1986) for D. M. Films of Hong Kong, followed by a co-starring role in this ¨Showdown in Little Tokyo¨ (1991). He was also in ¨Rapid Fire¨ (1992), and ¨The Raven¨ (1994). He turned down offers to be in ¨Dragon, the Bruce Lee Story¨ (1993) stars Jason Scott Lee. Brandon died (while filming) at the age of 28, of what is to be believed, a brain hemorrhage on the set of ¨The Raven¨ (1994). A gun loaded with full power blanks and shot the scene, unaware that a bullet had become dislodged from a previous shot and had lodged itself in the barrel. Upon shooting of the scene the blank round forced the bullet out the barrel striking Brandon Lee. Dolph Lundgren and Brandon are well accompanied by a lot of familiar faces, such as : the usually baddie Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Tia Carrre, Philip Tan, Ernie Lively, Branscombe Richmond and brief appearance of Al Leong , an Asian American actor & stuntman has picked up a cult fan following based around his numerous appearances in high voltage action flicks from the mid-1980s onwards.
For quite some time, the so-called 'Yakuza films' have been considered a very popular genre in their native Japan, and some American films have also managed to portray this fascinating society of criminals, which is governed by its own codes of honor and revenge, among which is included the usual mutation of some finger on the hand. But what makes Little Tokyo different from others is that this is the first time that the Yakuza appears operating in a new territory, running riot: the United States. These film has got success enough, including the following: the best ¨The Yazuka¨ (1975) by Sidney Pollack with Robert Mitchum, ¨Black rain¨(1989) by Ridley Scott with Michael Douglas, ¨American Yakuza¨ (1993) by Frank Cappello with Viggo Mortensen, ¨No Way Back¨ (1995) by Frank Cappello with Russell Crowe.
The film was professionally written, produced and directed by MarK L. Lester though it has some flaws and gaps. Lester said that this film "takes a look at two cultures that constantly move towards each other". He's a cool director and producer-American World Pictures- of B movies , his greatest success was during the 80s, when he directed two big hits ¨Commando¨and ¨Class of 1984¨, adding other action films, such as: ¨Public enemies¨, ¨Double take¨, ¨Firestarter¨, ¨Extreme Justice¨, ¨The Base¨, ¨Pterodactyl¨, The ex¨, ¨Armed and dangerous¨, ¨The night of the running man¨ . Rating ¨Showdown in Little Tokio¨: 6/10. An entertaining action movie, essential and indispensable for Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee fans.
