La loi des arts martiaux

Despite her being all over the cover, she's barely in this. Instead you get sub-Joe Piscapo look a like Chad McQueen in a dorky jacket stumbling through fight scenes and looking like a goof. Nothing to see here.

I never thought I'd see another flick feature the Dim Mak "death touch" like 'Bloodsport', but it's here. 'Martial Law' is a b-movie through and through. The type of which I'm starting to have an appreciation for, but it can't be denied that the story on display is second rate. Carradine and Rothrock have their moments though in this standard beat 'em up.

Sean Thompson (Chad McQueen) is a cop that goes by the nickname "Martial Law". Yes, seriously. Crooks around town call him that. He spent a few years in Japan so of course he's a martial arts expert. After ridiculously busting up a hostage situation in the opening, he has to contend with his younger brother Michael who's gotten himself in too deep stealing cars for Dalton Rhodes (David Carradine). An all around bad dude dealing in a lot of shady stuff, owner of a martials arts studio and a badass himself. Lending Sean a hand is fellow cop, martial arts practitioner and part time lover Billie Blake (Cynthia Rothrock).

Carradine was no stranger to b-movie roles in the 80's and early 90's, but he puts in a sober performance here. Cynthia plays 2nd fiddle but still gets to display her chops. Chad McQueen - son to the legendary Steve McQueen - is another matter. He's not quite out of shape, but looks a little doughy for the hero tough-guy role he's supposed to be pulling off though his martial arts are on point. Oh and when your brother is arrested for GTA after hopping out of a Porsche 911 and feeds you the story he was just hitchhiking and you believe it - you're an idiot. What kind of Porsche owner gives random strangers a ride!?

'Martial Law' has some gunplay, the fisticuffs you expect, but you gotta contend with a few annoying characters and a few too many stupid moments in the story. Kill an informant right in front of the cops for instance. A step-up sequel followed a year later with Rothrock and Jeff Wincott taking on the Sean Thompson role and is a better package.

Now, I have been been a fan of Cynthia Rothrock, and I have always avoided her movies during my youth. But within the recent years, I have started to watch her movies, if I have had a chance to sit down and do so. Not that I am actively seeking out her movies, nor am I a fan of hers in any way, but since I haven't seen her movies before, I do so whenever I get a chance.

And thus I happened to come across the 1990 crime action movie "Martial Law" here in 2022. Sure, I knew about the movie by its title, but I had actually never seen it before now in 2022. Were I impressed? No, not really. Sure, "Martial Law" was a watchable enough movie, but it was a rather generic martial arts movie, so writer Richard Brandes and director Steve Cohen weren't exactly delivering gold here.

The acting in the movie was adequate, with the likes of Chad McQueen, Cynthia Rothrock, David Carradine and others on the cast list. While I still am not a converted fan of Cynthia Rothrock, I will say that she does know how to fight.

"Martial Law" had adequate martial arts and fighting sequences to it, which made the movie all the more bearable to watch, truth be told.

Having seen "Martial Law" now, for the first time, I am not particularly much a fan of the movie, and I doubt that I will ever return to watch it a second time.

My rating of "Martial Law" lands on a bland five out of ten stars.

Here's a martial art film I say is a real keeper. "Martial Law" is fine, fast, and running and it's full of great action. Chad McQueen(Steve's son) plays a cop who teams with Cynthia Rothrock who also can kick some serious butt. I like it when she does that over the head kick that's really stealthy. David Carradine plays the sinister crime boss, Dalton Rhodes. It was amazing when he does that lethal palm strike to the heart of that huge guy. When done right, it can kill. Unfortunately, Sean's brother Micheal(Andy McCutcheon) fell the powerful impact of it when he was working for Rhodes. I liked the scene where Sean(McQueen) and Billie(Rothrock) took on the thugs, and Billie does the split and did some repeated groin punches on one the thugs. That's enough to make Johnny Cage jealous! I also like the confrontation fight between Sean and Dalton. It was great to see Dalton get a taste of his own blow. That blow is only good for defense, not for fun among friends. This movie is a lot of fun, and it's a keeper in my book! 3 out of 5 stars!

Chad McQueen is perhaps one of Hollywood's most underappreciated actors. While his performance in Martial Law is not his best, it is one of the most tender, in that he plays a street-hardened cop torn by the death of his brother. McQueen brings together a fine blend of toe-jamming action and heart-wrenching drama. His sexy co-star Cynthia Rothrock, also comes from the "west coast" drama scene. An accomplished actress through out college and beyond, she lends her acting talents to this fine film. If you've never seen her in the off-Broadway production of "Hair" you haven't lived yet. This movie is a powerful blend of action and drama.