Shootfighter: Fight to the Death

If nothing else is true, there is at least one thing that martial arts flicks rather reliably have in common, especially those developed in the United States (or at least outside Hong Kong). For the most part, plot is light or thin, and little more than a pretense to spotlight honored disciplines. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this; these titles have a clear intention and surely know exactly what they are. 'Shootfighter: Fight to the death' certainly fits into that same category. There's a narrative, yes, but it's broadly unremarkable, and bears definite similarities to those of other pictures - and just as much to the point, the length is filled with scenes that quickly shift into fights, accentuating the thrust of the title. And with that: so long as you have no expectations otherwise, this is pretty decent, if unremarkable in the long run.

It's easy enough to highlight the movie's faults, or at least where it could have used a little more attention. The characters are pretty flat and standard: the hothead, the one with the troubled past who's trying to be better, the wise teacher with A History, the bad guys, the girlfriends. Most of the cast show glimmers of nuance in their performances that would surely sprout under the right circumstances, but a hardnosed fighting movie isn't that, and the restrictions are evident of what acting abilities they may possess. It's also noteworthy that the plot is even lighter than one may assume upon starting to watch, and I'd be lying if I said the climax didn't feel a little forced. Perhaps more substantively - if to a lesser extent than some of its brethren, 'Shootfighter' makes use of overzealous camerawork and editing in depicting some of the action scenes. There are too many times when, instead of plainly showcasing the genuine impact of each blow, the rapidity of the fundamental filmmaking is intended to heighten the thrills instead. In some instances this is important from a very real safety standpoint, especially in the last act, but overuse dampens some of the visceral stimulation that the film might have to offer.

On the other hand, while the presentation of martial arts is imperfect, it's better than not. Between the unmistakable skills of many of those assembled, and excellent choreography, the fight scenes are outstanding - tense, violent, exciting, and highly invigorating. Weirdly, 'Shootfighter' seems to be the only directorial credit for Patrick Alan, but in my mind it appears as though he demonstrates sufficient capability that I'm surprised he didn't make more movies. The action sequences are the chief draw of this title, and they make the viewing experience worthwhile - but there are, actually, other bits that are done well, too. If not terrific and essential, the score composed by Joel Goldsmith is gratifyingly dynamic and grabbing in no few instances, lending to the drama of the matches. The basic arrangement of every scene, including the whole environs of the tournament, feel suitably slimy and real. And while the screenplay at large merely serves its purpose - the utmost potential isn't teased out - we get peeks of character depth, their backgrounds and mentalities, that even unfulfilled is softly enticing.

Of course, one could him and haw about qualities and critiques all day. When all is said and done the only point of inquiry 'Shootfighter' cares about is the value of the fighting, and by that measure, this is pretty swell. Again, the martial arts violence illustrates flaws in action film-making, but is generally tight, fluid, and energizing; the picture is well made overall, and I do like it. It's just that unless one is an utmost fan of someone involved, there's no particular reason to seek out this specific production over another, and others unquestionably stand out more. (Also, despite Bolo Yeung's top billing, and the supporting part of Maryam d'Abo, neither have all that much screen time, so don't get your hopes up on their accounts.) Still, if you've somehow stumbled across 'Fight to the death' in the first place, chances are it's something that's going to be up your alley one way or another. Don't go out of your way to see this, but if you chance upon it, 'Shootfighter' satisfactorily scratches the itch for fighting fun.

Two young karate heads (Michael Bernardo and THE KARATE KID villain William Zabka) travel to Mexico and become seduced by the world of shootfighting, a deadly bloodsport type tournament. Hoping for a quick profit, our dudes stay to duke it out with a bunch of other fighters. Profit, however, is the least of the tournament organizer Mr. Lee's (Martin Kove) motives. Seems the boy's sensei Shingo (Bolo Yeung, in a rare good guy role) disgraced Lee in the past, leaving him with an arm forever in a brace. Seeing as how these are the prize pupils, Lee hopes to get the sensei to come to Mexico, setting the stage for and unscheduled rematch.

This was riding that post-BLOODSPORT wave (hell, they got Bolo) but perks it up a bit with some graphic violence (throat slashings, brain bashing, and even a heart ripped out). It was one of the few direct-to- video action titles back in the day to come out in R-rated and unrated offerings. The fight scenes are nothing new and the two leads (Bernardo looking like a muscle-bound Mickey Dolenz) are annoying. But you have to respect a film that casts Bolo as a docile sensei. There is even a bit where he shoots basketball with a young kid. You can't beat that type of anti-typecasting. Maryam d'Abo is the love interest and Eddie Albert also appears as a manager/gambler type (which he also did in FIST FIGHTER). The two karate kids and the sensei returned a few years later in SHOOTFIGHTER 2 (1996).

Okay, well I have had the 1993 movie "Shootfighter: Fight to the Death" on DVD laying around for several years before I actually got around to watching it. Having picked it up at a cost of next to nothing in the local thrift shop, I only got around to watching it after a friend said it was actually a good movie.

I had always put off the movie on two accounts, first and foremost because of the lousy title. I mean, "Shootfighter", come on. What does that even mean? It is just hands down one of the worst and most laughable titles I have seen to a movie. And I can't claim that I have been much of a fan of Bolo Yeung neither.

However, I must admit that "Shootfighter: Fight to the Death" was actually a good movie, it was somewhat reminiscent of the "Blood Sport" movie in many way, yet mixing in elements from other martial arts movies. But still, writers Judd Lynn, Larry Felix Jr., Peter Shaner and Robert Ginty managed to put together an enjoyable enough script for director Patrick Alan to bring to life on the screen. Sure, the storyline was pretty straight forward and somewhat generic for an early 1990s martial arts action movie, but isn't that what makes it all the more enjoyable?

Something that definitely surprised me about "Shootfighter: Fight to the Death" was the cast ensemble. They definitely had a lot of familiar faces on the cast list, with the likes of Bolo Yeung, William Zabka, Martin Kove, George Cheung and Gerald Okamura. I have to admit that "Shootfighter: Fight to the Death" was actually one of the better movies that I have seen Bolo Yeung in, aside from "Blood Sport". And it definitely was fun to have Martin Kove and William Zabka back on the screen together after having seen them in the movie "Karate Kid" and later again in the "Cobra Kai" series.

There was a good amount of display of martial arts in the movie, and let's just be honest here, that is why we watch these movies, isn't it? To see impressive martial arts and fight sequences. And "Shootfighter: Fight to the Death" definitely has that. Sure, some of the martial arts performers weren't really great actors, but they definitely knew their fighting well enough.

I found "Shootfighter: Fight to the Death" to be genuinely entertaining and enjoyable. It was a trip down memory lane and back to when I was a teenager, growing up with these martial arts movies. Just look beyond the laughably bad title, and you have a rather enjoyable movie on your hands.

My rating of "Shootfighter: Fight to the Death" lands on a six out of ten stars.

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Shootfighter; here's the breakdown of my ratings:

Story: 0.75 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.50 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.50

TOTAL: 6.25 out of 10.00

Once in a while, there comes a surprise in the Martial Arts movie genre. An original story. Shootfighter is not that surprise. The only astonishing thing about the story is that it required three writers to borrow the usual elements from other fight flicks.

We have a villain, Mr Lee, who makes an enemy out of Master Shingo when he kills one of his pupils and friend in the Shootfighting ring. Mr Lee believes shootfighting should ask for the ultimate sacrifice. Unluckily for him, nobody else believes people should die for the sport, so he is exiled from the country. It's not long before he opens the gates to his own Shootfighting arena in Mexico, where a fighter's death is commonplace. Enter Rubin (the angry one) and Nick (the normal one), martial arts experts looking to make a quick buck to pay off the shark's loan on their dojo. Being the champions they are, it doesn't take long for them to enter the arena of death. Except, they don't know the principal fights are fatal. Oh, and guess what - their Sensai is none other than Master Shingo. But hey, it's a good job that most audiences don't watch Martial Arts movies for the riveting storyline.

The fighting isn't the best you'll see in the genre. However, a few different styles are on offer, which will please most. Luckily for the viewer, director Patrick Alan does a respectable job filming the fight sequences. Every fight holds an element of tension and excitement, which is what you need, especially when the weapons come into play.

The reason I watched Shootfighter was purely for Bolo Yeung. The physic on this man is intimidating. But when he gets his game-face on, he's downright scary. His fighting style also comes across as one of the strongest. It was a shame that he was not in the film for long. Out of the two main characters, it's Michael Bernardo, as Nick, who comes across as the stronger fighter of the duo. However, his acting skills aren't as sharp as William Zabka's. Though it's Maryam D'Abo I felt sorry for her as, like Yeung, she has little to do in the film, which is a sin as she's a good actress.

All-in-all, Shootfighter is a passable fight flick to pass an hour and a half of your time enjoyably. The fights are well choreographed and engaging enough for genre fans and newbies alike to savour. Well worth a watch or two.

Please feel free to visit my Holding Out For A Hero list to see where I ranked Shootfighter.

Take Care & Stay Well.

"You-disgraced-the-art-of-shoot-fighting" This opening quote sets the tone for this lively beat-em-up starring the ever-lovable Bolo Yeung as Shingo.

The plot revolves around two buddies named Ruben and Nick played by Zabka and Michael Bernardo respectively. Yeung plays their mentor. There is the prerequisite montage where he teaches them to "shootfight" and also they play basketball with young black children and Shingo smiles in an oddly fatherly way. Before the shootfighting tournament, there is a fight in a grocery store a la "Cobra" (1986) where Bolo shows off both his fighting and his broken English skills.

You may remember Zabka as Johnny from "The Karate Kid" where he infamously swept his leg at Macchio. Apparently he couldn't get enough karate-chopping action, so he hooked up with director Patrick Allen to give birth to Allen's one and only cinematic baby.

Ruben and Nick get embroiled in an underground "Shootfighting" ring. They eventually have to shootfight each other...to the death, but not before battling an array of wacky baddies in the ring, such as "Boa", who acts like a snake (including the hisses) and Mongoose, who adopts a mongoose fighting style, whatever that means. Some fights have a surprising amount of gore (i.e. limbs and fingers being broken off in a bloody mess), and this provides unintentional laughter and it sustains the viewer's interest until the end.

Martin Kove plays the evil mastermind, inexplicably named "Mr. Lee", who is behind all the shootfighting, and in his villainous rage, slices a pineapple with a samurai sword.

What is "Shootfighting" you ask? Well, that question is never quite answered satisfactorily, but after doing some research we were able to determine (by reading the back of the VHS box) that it is a "forbidden sport so brutal it's banned from the civilized world".

Prepare to get uncivilized with this classic.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty & Brett

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