Bloodfist V: Human Target

I just watched the new DVD version of "Bloodfist V" and was completely surprised. I usually cringe at the thought of kickboxing flicks but this one has such a cool story that I was riveted to the screen. The acting, writing, directing, and production value were top notch. This one did not disappoint. Check it out on DVD if you can.

Given the nature of the Bloodfist series, it's easy to write them off before even reading the blurb on the back of the box, however, doing so with the fifth entry into this 'series' would be a big mistake for fans of action flicks.

Now, apart from the first two, all of the Bloodfist movies have nothing to do with one another, asides the presence of C-Grade action star Don 'The Dragon' Wilson. While this makes you wonder why they even bother calling the movies Bloodfist, it also means, on the plus side, that this has nothing to do with the 4, rather lame, movies that preceded it.

Here Wilson stars as a man who wakes up from a near fatal shooting, suffering from amnesia, when a hooker named Candy pretends to be his wife and checks him out of hospital. It then becomes clear that whoever he is, he is a wanted man, as Chinese black market goons and NSA agents are all pursuing him, in a plot involving some 'lost' plutonium missile cores.

Giving away much of the plot would be a damn shame, because this is easily one of the best written Direct-to-video action movies I've ever seen, and it's finally a flick Wilson can be proud of. He gets several chances to display his kick-boxing prowess, and the late Steve James shows up in a different, but well performed role.

If you like low budget action movies, I would greatly recommend giving this a chance, it may well be Wilson's best movie, and it's got a more exciting plot than most recent Hollywood attempts at an action flick.

I took a peculiar interested in Don "The Dragon" Wilson a few years ago and sat down and rented all of his movies (although I still haven't seen Bloodfist VIII), and this is IMHO the best. OK, let's admit what we already know about the Bloodfist series: Don is not the greatest actor, the fighting is more conventional (I suppose some might say real) than in Hong Kong pics, and the plot's are pretty thin -- especially since none of the Bloodfist movies are related except that Don Wilson stars in all of them. It's just that there's something so easygoing and likeable about "the Dragon" that you keep coming back for more!

This one at least has a decent plot with some nice twists as Don must recover his memory before getting snuffed by the cops, the mob...or both! The final twist is far-fetched but fun. Overall, a solid effort.

I watch most all of the Corman fare, and this film stands out. It's plot driven with great twists and turns. The last twenty minutes are top notch. This could easily have been a big studio picture. The characters have edge and attitude, and the female lead is strong from writing to performance. I definitely recommend buying this one.

Out of the first four Bloodfist movies, Part V is my favorite of them all. This one has plenty of twists and turns and the storyline gets very intense all the time. Don "The Dragon" Wilson plays an amnesiac fighter who seems to have a hard time trusting people. Someone he can trust, or someone to avoid. It hard to decide when your brain is like dice. He meets a young woman(Denice Duff) who helps him find out who not to trust and who he can trust. She has dual names, Candy and Michelle. And her character does get her into trouble when she was caught and tortured with some acupuncture needles. One to the cheek is minor, but the one under the left eye was too far! Jim(Wilson) rushes her to the hospital very frantic, and I liked the part where the doctor applied the pain-killer drops, and I know she'll be all right. Also this was one of the last films to actor Steve James(American Ninja 1,2,& 3). It was a shame that he played a heavy. Oh well, he did his part well. This movie has lots of action, twists and turns, and nothing was lost in the movie. Rating 4 out of 5 stars.