Twin Dragon Encounter (1986)

Twin Dragon Encounter (1986)-* * *1\2

Directed by: Paul Dunlop

Starring: Michael McNamara, Martin McNamara, and B.Bob

Now here’s a gem! Michael and Martin McNamara here play...Michael and Martin McNamara, two martial arts instructors on the mean streets of Canada. Tired of having to break up brawls in the park where middle-aged white men threaten to harm dogs if they’re not left alone, the two identical twins leave the big city for a week’s vacation on Twin Island, their own property in rural Pointe Au Baril, Canada. Once there, the men and their girlfriends have a grand old time swimming, boating, and avoiding bears by sleeping in a treehouse. We even get to see the twins’ prankster side. But there is a gang of “weekend warriors” trying to spoil their fun. A group called “The People’s Private Army”, led by the evil Jake (B.Bob, who else) is constantly terrorizing the couples. Eventually, the baddies kidnap the girls and the Twin Dragons must use every tool at their disposal and a fleet of vehicles hidden under leaves and twigs to rescue them. Will they be successful?

Yes, this is one of THOSE movies. You’ve heard of non-acting, now get prepared for non-directing as well. Sure, this is one notch above a home movie, but they got it released on Vidmark, and it presumably got distributed all over the world. You see, it’s not about budget or experienced actors and technicians, it’s about heart and soul. The McNamaras, and the project they built for themselves here, has that DIY spirit and they really achieved something here.

It should be noted that there is an on-screen crawl a la Star Wars to let us know we’re in for an epic experience (there’s also a brief post-movie crawl as well), and in it, among other claims, it is said that the McNamaras, and I quote, “know the meaning of life”. Far from being an exaggeration, and a weird one at that, the answer is clearly Billy Butt, the musician behind the oft-repeated tunes in this movie, “The Right to Fight” and “Faces”. These rockin’ and catchy songs, not to mention the artist’s name, must have some connection to the meaning of life.

The twins resemble Frank Zappa and have thick Canadian accents. They wear Karate outfits as daily wear, and there are many shots of their martial arts studio in Ontario, as well as their vans, emblazoned with the name, address and phone number of said studio.  Their fighting style is not bad at all, but most of the fight scenes have bizarre slow motion and wacky sound effects. Just check out the roadside diner fight, it’s really...one of a kind. 

The movie is 79 minutes long, and that includes 9 minutes of recap of what they felt were the best scenes, as well as some additional credits. That includes a credit letting us know the true independence of this movie. Kids could look up to the McNamaras, and surely in Canada, they do. The Vidmark box makes all kinds of hyperbolic claims about the classic status of this movie, and they seem to have pasted the heads of the two brothers on other people’s bodies.  But will this movie ever make it to DVD?

For a hilarious great time, check out martial arts Canada-style and Encounter this winner tonight!

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty