Confronto Mortal

Robert Clouse, Bolo Yeung and Richard Norton in the credits of working in the movie, what can go wrong? Well, the movie is in a desperate need for a better script and star. Do not get me wrong, Britton got the martial arts skills and believability to be a hero but the script and his acting are severely lacking to give the movie narrative thrust. The only characterization he has got is that he knows martial arts and that he is a cop which leaves us - the audience - with nothing much to root for. Even worse are the villains who are apparently just evil because the movie demands it.

Bolo Yeung and Richard Norton being in the movie should make it quite entertaining because both actors have been in bad movies where they outshine the stars of the bad movies. But they are barely utilized and we are instead stuck with a lot of other unknown actors who are equally as thinly characterized as our main character. Which is frustrating because the movie had potential to be good but it is severely handicapped with a badly written script and flat acting with equally flat characters. Not to mention the movie lacks any sort of tension or ambiance where the music just feels out of place. The plot is also just there where it feels like the writer and director just kind of forgot about it.

The only few good things about the movie is the cinematography, choreography and directing. It is not the worst I have seen but it is certainly a wasted potential.

Well, I have to admit that I was having a hard time seeing why fans of Bolo Yeung consider this a cult classic, because Bolo Yeung wasn't really in the movie for all that long. Yeah, he had very limited time on the screen, yet he was showcased on the movie's cover and was the only name on the cover as well. Guess it was because he was the only semi-famous performer in this 1992 movie.

The storyline in "Ironheart", as written by Lawrence Riggins, was a pretty archetypical early 1990s action martial arts screenplay, you know, where some law enforcement officer who knows martial arts takes matters into his own hands and goes postal on the bad guys. Talk about vigilante justice, huh?

It can't really be said that "Ironheart" was harboring a great many famous actors or actresses. I was familiar with Richard Norton (playing Milverstead) and of course Bolo Yeung (playing Ice), the latter whom had very limited time on the screen. The acting performances in "Ironheart" was as expected, I mean, this is an early 1990s action martial arts movie, so you're not exactly in for a Shakespearian performance of any sorts.

The martial arts sequences in the movie were fair enough, though you knew the outcome of the movie from the very beginning of each fight, and Britton K. Lee (playing John Keem) definitely had some martial arts skills, but there was just a lack of natural fluidity missing to it, as it felt somewhat scripted and rigid in its choreography.

Director Robert Clouse's 1992 movie "Ironheart" is not a movie that impressed me, and it is not a movie that I will be returning to watch a second time. Now, late in 2022, was actually the very first time I heard about it.

My rating of "Ironheart" lands on a four out of ten stars.

An LAPD cop goes after a powerful drug dealer, Richard Norton, following him to Portland, Oregon. The best part of this film is the cop has to face off with Norton's henchmen, the near-mute actor Bolo Yeung (the beefy villain from iconic martial arts classics ENTER THE DRAGON and BLOODSPORT). Watching this early 90s martial arts flick, I think I was most excited to realize it was filmed in Portland, Oregon when I spotted Mr. Hood in the background of one shot, which means Bolo Yeung and Richard Norton were in Oregon at some point! This is only one of two films that lead actor Britton K. Lee appeared in. He's a pretty terrible actor and martial artist, so I'm pretty sure he only got the part because he also served as a producer on the film. Director by Robert Clouse, director of the seminal Bruce Lee film ENTER THE DRAGON, I'd have hoped for better, though outside of that film, Clouse never made another descent film (unless you want to include GYMKATA, which needs to be seen to be believed! I will admit I'm a sucker for THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR though.). Although this film was made in the '90s, it has a strong 80s vibe to it, featuring Jazzercize, loads of synthesizer music, and some terrific 80s hairdos and fashion, which did add to the film's entertainment value, but overall this is a so-bad-it's-good type of action flick that I quite enjoyed, but probably only die-hard Bolo and Norton fans will be entertained by this one.

(1992) Ironheart ACTION

Misleading poster cover in which Bolo Yeung is not the star of this straight to rental movie, but it really stars Korean martial artist Britton K. Lee, as officer John Keem moving to LA to investigate the death of his partner. Who eventually uncover a human trafficking ring lead by Australian martial artist, Richard Norton as Milverstead.

Directed by Robert Clouse who was infamous for "Enter The Dragon" and a much cheerful movie called "The Big Brawl" starring a rather young Jackie Chan. This movie is a stinker with a much lower budget he had to handle, but at least Clouse had Enter the Dragon and The Big Brawl in his resume.

The acting was bad, and the plot, well i don't think there was one.

Some fat blonde chap who is always dressed in a dinner suit, kidnaps a sort from a nightclub, i think he then kills a copper. pointless fights then happen Kidnapped girl is put in cage on a boat, why? Tough uncompromising martial arts trained cop turns up, speaks bad english and does stuff that does not make sense. Its utter tripe. But he does have a nice car. christ on a bike, this film was a waste of 90 minutes.