The Sensei

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.

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 just finished watching The Sensei starring Mike O'Laskey. It's a great movie with an amazing story! It tugged at all my heartstrings. Growing up in a super religious family, I related to so many emotions the character Mic portrayed. The montage at the end hit me the most. It's the part of the movie that I think Mic felt happiest. He has amazing personality traits I feel we share in common: nurturer, protector, kindred, and accepting. I used to work at a kids summer camp as camp counselor. I loved interacting with them and tried to be the best role model possible.

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.

This was a great movie, it really depicted the way things were in the 80's. The story was a amazing it is so easy to get lost in the script. The ending really does bring the movie together. It movie gets better every minute, you spend the whole time wanting to know the characters and what is going to happen to them. It is an amazing movie, I can't wait until the movie is out on DVD so I can have my own copy that I can watch whenever I want. It is truly an amazing film, it is defiantly one of the bet movies that I have seen in a long time. I would love for this movie to be show in the theaters in a wide release or at least in a limited release.