The Sensei

This was one of the best movies of the decade as a drama. Well told, well written, beautifully acted, nice twist. An inspiring tale for many audiences and worth any persons time every second of the movie. The transformation of characters engages the audience as the script progresses. The martial arts in the scenes are well filmed and appear to be very realistic. Seeing a female Martial Arts Teacher is inspiring for women of all ages and breaking stereo-types on many levels of race, sex, and sexual orientation. The strength of the movie comes through on so many levels and is heartfelt. It is the type of movie that I would recommend to young and old alike.

I appreciate the thoughts behind this film. It makes points, if you can find them, that need to be seen and said and realized and remembered.

Following the story takes strong dedication as the numerous flashbacks injure the story and misdirect the message.

Diana Lee Inosanto and Michael O'Laskey II are good but not exactly convincing and they should be. Their fighting is more convincing than their acting.

Sab Shimono and Emily Kuroda delivered realistic performances but they were mostly in the background.

McClain's female friend needs acting lessons.

I admire the take on hate, ignorance, and discrimination.

This is definitely the opposite of a Hollywood movie, but that shouldn't kill it. Regardless of the flaws, it's worth watching two or three times to see what's happening. The ideas were worth making into a movie.

Thanks to my Roku, I have been discovering alot of older independent gay films. This movie is so good, minus the 80s Aids paranoia it's a really good story. they tackle some heavy issues very well. So glad I found this movie, putting it my favorites list

I found this movie surprisingly good,Some unexpected twists, rich story line, good acting. This is not a martial art movie, this is a good movie set in a martial art background. Its difficult to decide which is better diana lee's acting or her martial arts both are top grade. Louis Mandylor is quite touching with his role. Generally good acting from everyone. The fight scenes are the most realistic i have seen in a very long time. None of the one person beating up 20 people that has become tiresome this days in martial art movies.It also shows the rich character and morale fiber which is what the martial arts is about not just hammering people to a pulp like MMA tries to portray.

I highly recommend The Sensei. I was afraid at first that it would be a cheesy Karate Kid with a gay kid as the lead, but it was so much more than that. The movie dealt with many levels of prejudice, including sexual orientation, race, gender, religion, and HIV. It was touching while sending a powerful message. The depiction of the victimization endured by the lead character was realistic and horrific. Some parts of the film weren't quite as polished and smooth as a major production movie, but it is an independent film. For anyone who has dealt with any sort of prejudice or hatred, this is a movie that will make you feel strong and hopeful. For anyone who doesn't understand what GLBT youth have endured, be it 20 years ago or today, this is a movie that will open your eyes.