Ironheart (1992)

 Ironheart (1992)- * * *

Directed by: Robert Clouse

Starring: Britton K. Lee, Richard Norton, Karmen Kruschke, Meagan Hughes, David Mountain and Bolo Yeung

John Keem (Lee) is an integral part of the LAPD. Not only does he bust the baddies, but he also runs a Martial Arts training program at the police academy. When a woman named Cindy Kane (Hughes) goes missing - and his former partner Douglas (Mountain) does too - Keem hops in his Porsche and travels to Portland, Oregon to get answers. While there, he runs afoul of the criminal mastermind Milverstead (Norton) and his henchman Ice (Bolo). Keem must stop the human trafficking while finding time for love with Kristi (Kruschke). In the process of busting up Portland crime, he screams in an amusing manner and beats a lot of people up. But who will be the true IRONHEART in this situation?



Hot Flash Pizza. It's a great place to get a slice, especially if you're a nerdy sort of fellow and you're looking for a job. Or you could head on down to Up Front FX, the hottest nightclub in town. There's plenty to do in Portland besides get beat up by John Keem. Assuming you don't want to be beat up by John Keem.



Thankfully, there are numerous New Jack City (1991)-inspired dance club scenes, which we always like to see. Ironheart gets off to a bang with an extended one right from the jump, and the very catchy song, "If U Were Mine" by U-Krew plays continuously. Bobby Brown and Bell Biv Devoe were very hot at the time, and U-Krew is right in that vein. The clothing and occasionally synchronized dance moves are a joy to behold.

Now, even though there are several dance club scenes, an aerobics scene, a standout moment where Keem foils an attempted rape, all the songs are by U-Krew, and there's plenty of 90's charm on display, surprisingly, not much actually happens in Ironheart. At least in terms of plot or characters, which are why most people watch movies. There are major pacing issues throughout the film which slow things down for the viewer.



Director Robert Clouse, who was born in 1928, was a bit out of his depth on this one. He passed away in 1997, only five years after the release of Ironheart. Needless to say, it was his final film as director, but he had just come off a hot streak of Gymkata (1985), China O'Brien, and China O'Brien II (both 1990). By the time he got around to Ironheart, I think it's fair to say he was a bit unfocused, at least in terms of his directorial abilities.



While getting Richard Norton and Bolo Yeung to appear side by side was a good idea, the movie might have been more successful if there was a casting change-up: make Norton the hero and Bolo the main baddie, rather than just a goon. Britton K. Lee could have been his henchman. Or perhaps make Bolo the hero and Lee the main baddie, with Norton as the henchman. It's all very fluid, but it's pretty safe to say that only fans of Norton, Bolo, or 90's video-store action will be watching Ironheart in the first place.



In the U.S., Ironheart got what appears to be quite a limited release on VHS on the Imperial label. At least for us, it was never easy to find. Thankfully, MVD have rectified that situation with their Bloodfight/Ironheart Bolo double feature on DVD or Blu-ray. Now these movies are easier to access than ever before. In both films, Bolo is a scowling baddie that doesn't say much, if anything at all. But even going back to the VHS days, he was always front and center on the box art. He was, and remains, a fan favorite even if he doesn't always get the amount of screen time that he should.



In the end, Ironheart is not the slickest, most coherent, or most streamlined beat-em-up you'll ever see, but if you have an affinity for these sorts of things like we do, the nostalgia factor should carry you through at least one viewing.


Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Force: Five (1981)

 

Force: Five (1981)- * *1\2

Directed by: Robert Clouse

Starring: Richard Norton, Amanda Wyss, Bong Soo Han, Peter Maclean, Joe Lewis, Sonny Barnes, Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, Pam Huntington, and Mel Novak

Reverend Rhee (Han) is a cult leader who, along with his devoted disciples, is sequestered away on a remote island. When Senator Forrester (MacLean) wants to rescue his daughter from the cult, he calls in "The Best" - i.e., a team of five high-kickin' Martial Arts fighters comprised of Jim Martin (Lewis), Lockjaw (Barnes), Billy Ortega (Urquidez), Laurie (Huntington), and Ezekiel (Norton). Will our quintuplet of action heroes exfiltrate the girl? Or will they fall to the hands of a man known only as The Assassin (Novak)?


Coming hot on the heels of the Jim Jones Guyana tragedy, which occurred in November of 1978, Force: Five reimagines the tale if Benny the Jet, Richard Norton, and the rest of gang showed up at Jonestown and saved the day. It's also reminiscent of other newsworthy cults of the time, such as the Rajneesh group, which is what the Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country is all about. However, Force: Five also a comedy, complete with a Kill and Kill Again (1981) vibe, or a certain A-Team sensibility. Imdb.com even claims it's a remake of Hot Potato (1976). Which would explain why it reminded us so much of...Hot Potato.


While it's ostensibly rated R, it feels very PG in its execution. The triumph of the Robert Clouse standout Gymkata (1985) isn't exactly threatened here, because Force: Five contains more than enough stupidity, but the stuntwork is very good, and there are some amusing "classic 1981 drive-in" Kung-Fu fights along the way. But there are long stretches with actionless moments, which slow things down.


It was nice to see a young Richard Norton, who looks alarmingly like Matthew McConaughey from Dazed and Confused (1993) here. It really could be his doppelganger. Bob Schott as Carl is a classic meathead, and it was nice to see Amanda Wyss, no matter for how short a time, here as well. Wyss has been in an impressive number of 80's classics, including A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Better Off Dead (1985), and Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), among others. This was so early in her career, she was credited as Mandy Wyss. Interestingly, she was on the short-lived TV series Jessica Novak, and Force: Five has Mel Novak. Coincidence?


Anyway, Force: Five is a bit like a cross between Never Say Die (1994) and Catch the Heat (1987). The former for the cult aspect, and the latter for the "Karate Comedy" aspect. It all opens with a funky theme song and it's perfect for the drive-ins and grindhouses of the early 80's. It shouldn't be confused with Heroes Three (1983).


Also not to be confused with the 1975 TV movie Force Five (note the missing colon), this Force: Five was released on a Media tape during the golden era of VHS. Overall, it has some decent moments but there's really no "wow factor" here. The cast is good, and it's all very competent, but a little something extra really would have fleshed it all out.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Black Thunder (1998)

 

Black Thunder (1998)- * *

Directed by: Rick Jacobson 

Starring: Michael Dudikoff, Richard Norton, Gary Hudson, Frederic Forrest, Catherine Bell, and Marcus Aurelius

A man named Vince Conners (Dudikoff) is "The Best". Because he's a test pilot (and also the best), he is tasked with retrieving a stolen plane from the evil Libyans. But it's not just any plane. This one is so stealthy, it can actually disappear from the human eye. It's called the Nova (which is Spanish for "it doesn't go", which is why Chevy didn't sell many in Spanish-language countries). So he ventures into enemy territory with his partner Jannick (Hudson). When Jannick is captured, held hostage, and tortured, Vince has to go it alone. He eventually has to face his ultimate nemesis: "Ratch" Ratcher (Norton). Will Admiral Pendleton (Forrest) ever get his precious plane back? Why is there always an Admiral Pendleton? And what is the true meaning of BLACK THUNDER?

Well, here we go with another plane slog. Why did they keep making these? Why are there so damn many of them? Why are they all so similar and bland? Sure, they tried a couple times to spice up this mush with a bit of nudity, but it's not nearly enough. It was 1998, when DTV was in the doldrums. Director Jacobson worked a lot with Don "The Dragon" Wilson on numerous projects around this time for Corman. But when it came to Black Thunder - which is a title that would seem more at home for a 70's Blaxploitation film - and a meet-up with two of our favorite people, Dudikoff and Norton, it seems that Jacobson couldn't summon up the energy to give these two guys a platform they were worthy of. It's a shame and a missed opportunity for sure.

Once again, there is no character development so we as the audience can't possibly care about what's going on. Which isn't much of anything to begin with. Putting in endless scenes of snooze-inducing plane footage is not a substitute for good characterization, plotting, or anything else, really. Why they thought it would be remains a mystery. And not just for this particular slog. For all the countless others as well. 

Even Dudikoff's normally cool hair is tamed into something not as cool this time. His wardrobe suffers as well - he was given a bunch of puffy jackets and high-waisted pants that make him look fat. Why would anybody do that to Dudikoff? Was someone jealous of how cool he is so they tried to sabotage him? Well, it only ended up hurting us, the viewers of this muck.

There are a small handful of positives (man, we're really trying to be nice here): there are some decent shooting-and-blow-up scenes (which should have been at the beginning and not the end, so it doesn't seem like "too little too late"), the aforementioned nudity (it was Corman after all and that's in the contract), the 90's CD-ROM flight simulator stealth graphics (i.e. the "invisibility"), and there's a baddie named Stone that looks like a cross between Sinbad and Ice-T. Sin-T if you will. Or perhaps Icebad.

Because of the above-stated reasons, Black Thunder is, surprisingly, better than two other similar films we can name: Active Stealth (1999) and Air Rage (2001). Granted, that's not the highest bar you can aim to reach. Like many other Corman outings, he had the good sense to make this 85 minutes long. Any more than that would really be trying anyone's patience. It may not be the best thing we've ever seen, but at least it's the right running time. We'll give them points for that.

Needless to say, a confrontation between Dudikoff and Norton deserved a better stage than Black Thunder provides. A bit more behind-the-scenes effort could have raised this above the typical plane slog, but clearly the filmmakers couldn't be bothered. Consequently, the viewer doesn't have much of anything to grab on to, and it's ultimately condemned to eternal "shelf filler" status. We would say Black Thunder is for Dudikoff, Norton, or Frederic Forrest completists only.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Also check out a write-up from our buddy, DTVC!

Fight To Win (1987)

Fight To Win (1987)- * * *

Directed by: Leo Fong

Starring: George Chung, Hidy Ochiai, Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, Chuck Jeffreys, Juan Chapa, Richard Norton, Cynthia Rothrock, and Ronnie Lott

Ryan Kim (Chung) is an enthusiastic young Martial Artist that loves nothing more than training with his Sensei (Ochiai). One day after a tournament, the mysterious Armstrong (Norton) approaches them and offers Ryan the opportunity to fight Tankson (Superfoot). The reason for this is that Sensei has three ancient statues and the wealthy Armstrong wants them for his collection. When Tankson defeats Ryan, Sensei offers a “double or nothing” rematch, which the overconfident Armstrong can’t refuse. 

When Sensei is hospitalized after a heart attack, a new trainer is brought in – a woman named Lauren (Rothrock). At first, the immature and perhaps sexist Ryan doesn’t want to be trained by her. But after experiencing her brilliant skill, not only does he fall in line, he also falls in love. The stage is set for the ultimate showdown…and there’s even a raid on Armstrong’s compound that features Ryan’s buddies Michael (Jeffreys), Jerry (Chapa), and Randy (“All-pro football star Ronnie Lott”). It’s time for Ryan and the gang to FIGHT TO WIN!

From George Chung (not to be confused with one of the producers here, the prolific George Cheung), the mastermind behind Hawkeye (1988) and Kindergarten “Ninja” (1994), and director/fan favorite Leo Fong, comes Fight to Win, another wacky, screwball blend of Martial Arts, comedy, and an indefinable element that can only be found in the magical productions of the 80’s. If you’ve seen either of the aforementioned Chung outings, here you get more of the same (thankfully) – a low budget, but plenty of energy and upbeat attitude, silly dialogue and situations, and highly-skilled Martial Arts. The dialogue isn’t recorded very well so undoubtedly some of Chuck Jeffreys’s bon mots are missing in the mix, but the sense of fun is infectious, and the whole movie is imbued with a – dare we say – feeling of childlike wonder and whimsy.

It’s really impossible to dislike Fight to Win, and we feel sorry for anyone that does, as they probably have no heart or soul. The cast is killer: We have the aforementioned auteur George Chung, who gives his all here, Chuck Jeffreys, the Eddie Murphy of low-budget DTV Martial Arts movies, doing his usual stellar job, Troy Donahue in a blink-or-you’ll-miss-him cameo, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace as Armstrong’s tough-guy fighter, David Heavener lookalike Juan Chapa, Martial Arts legends Hidy Ochiai and Master Hee Il Cho, All-pro football star Ronnie Lott, and of course the teaming of Comeuppance hall of fame all-stars Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton, who do interact and have some fight scenes together. With Leo Fong as director, this cocktail can’t possibly fail, and it doesn’t. Rothrock is as charming as ever and Norton plays the baddie with aplomb. It’s a joy to watch everyone’s Martial Arts skill on display.

While there’s plenty of extensive training which the presence of Rothrock as the trainer helps to make more enjoyable, and some casually-racist Middle-Aged Punks (classic MAP’s), truly the showstopper is when the movie essentially stops so George Chung can have a one-man music video where he combines Martial Arts with razzle-dazzle dance moves. 

With this heady combination of Bruce Lee, Tae-Bo, Footloose, Flashdance, and Zumba, Chung – and thus the movie as a whole – truly shines. This dance element (which was foreshadowed earlier on during one of the tournament scenes) sets the movie apart and makes it stand out even more – and it was already a fairly odd duck to begin with. And we mean that in the best possible way, of course. Fight to Win is a delight from start to finish. Criminally, it never received a U.S. VHS release (and as of this writing has yet to receive a U.S. DVD or Blu-Ray release). The fact that just about everyone in America did NOT see this back in the day is painful to contemplate. Interestingly, it was released on video in Greece under the title “China O’Brian [sic] 3”, even though it came out three years before the other two sequels! At least they got to see it, however.

Well, there you have it. George Chung turns in another winner. They truly don’t make movies like this anymore, and in the self-serious modern era, Fight to Win just stands out that much more.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty 

Sword Of Bushido (1990)

Sword Of Bushido (1990)- * * *

Directed by: Adrian Carr

Starring: Richard Norton, Rochelle Ashana, Judy Green, and Toshishiro Obata









When Zac Connors (Norton), a Navy man trained in the deadly Japanese arts, decides to look into his family genealogy and history of military service, he discovers the whereabouts of an extremely valuable samurai sword that was lost towards the end of World War II. After enlisting the help of Navy Information Officer Billie (Green), Connors sets off to Thailand to recover the precious sword. He then gets help from local woman Suay (Ashana) and recovers the sword. 

The only downside: Evil Japanese gangster and fellow sword enthusiast Yamaguchi (Obata) wants the sword, and is willing to do anything to get it, including sending a melange of baddies, goons, and ninjas after Connors. After they kidnap Suay, Connors puts on his Revenge Outfit and prepares for the final showdown with Yamaguchi for ultimate swordisfaction. Who will chop and slice their way to justice?

Likable action star Richard Norton - as both us and other people have described him - remains likable for this particular outing, and his presence helps the movie out a lot. It’s a solid actioner with a nice 80’s vibe (gotta love those framed Reagan pictures on the wall in official buildings). It is overlong at 100 minutes and gets slow at times - the simple plot of ‘get the sword, the baddies want the sword’ is tough to maintain at such a length - but the non-frenetic, steady pace isn’t necessarily a bad thing and it does eventually deliver the goods, mainly thanks to Norton.

Villagers watch him intently as he practices his Sai techniques in the village square and clap for him when he’s done, he battles the local champion, a man named Chai, and he gets into a fruit-cart car chase with the baddies except he is riding a go-kart! We can’t say we’ve ever seen that before, and he did look like a 9-year-old kid in the process, which naturally recalled Kick Fighter (1989) - where he really DID play a 9-year-old kid! But all his trials, tribulations, and challenges are nothing when it comes to deciphering Yamaguchi’s - or should we say Toshishiro Obata’s - mega-thick accent. It’s literally impossible to tell if he’s speaking Japanese or broken English most of the time. His accent is SO thick, it was really funny. We give him props for trying, and the filmmakers for not having a problem with it. But everyone just ignores it. No one ever says “I can’t understand you”. They might do this in real life. I guess it’s all part of the fantasy world of ‘Bushido. For the record, no one yells out “BUSHIDOOOOOooooooo!!!!!” in this movie. Just an advance warning.

This was the only theatrical screenplay for writer James Wulf Simmonds, who otherwise exclusively worked in TV. Maybe that explains the pacing? Co-star Judy Green was in the rare Get the Terrorists (1987) and has a solid connection with Richard Norton - they went on to star together in Under the Gun (1995) and Mr. Nice Guy (1997), and then she became Mrs. Richard Norton in 1993. Maybe it was his skill with weapons or his witty one-liners, but no one can resist his charm.

Featuring some beautiful Thailand locations and the end-credits song “Until Now” by Michael Buday, Joe Repiscak and Jim Learned, Sword of Bushido could have been trimmed down for a leaner and meaner attack, but as it stands, it’s a competent and worthy addition to the Norton canon.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty 

Mission Terminate (1987)

Mission Terminate (1987)- * * *

AKA: Revenge\Return Of The Kickfighter

Directed by: Anthony Maharaj

Starring: Richard Norton, Bruce Le, Henry Strzalkowski, Nick Nicholson, Dick Wei, Willie Williams, and Rex Cutter











Col. Brad Cooper (Norton) is sent by Col. Ted Ryan (Cutter) to investigate the shady doings of a military unit who served in North Vietnam in 1970. It seems “Recon Team Charlie” were some very bad boys. They killed a bunch of innocent people and stole some gold. Now, in “Southeast Asia 1986” - naturally, some ninjas are upset about the missing gold. 

The head ninja is Quan Nhien (Le), and he’s not happy. He begins systematically killing members of Recon Team Charlie to get revenge. So, with a hearty “Anything for the Corps!”, Cooper embarks on his mission to stop the murders, stop the ninjas, and also get to the bottom of the story of the corrupt soldiers and the inevitable cover-up. Can he possibly do it?


The role of Col. Ryan is played by a man named Rex Cutter. This might be the greatest name of all time. Evidently, he was in Silk (1986), but why change his name to Ted Ryan, when he was born with the gold? The nameplate on his desk doesn’t want you to forget the name Ted Ryan, however. It’s unnaturally huge. Moving on, Mission Terminate is the directorial debut of Anthony Maharaj, who went on to work with Richard Norton again, notably on the very similar Cross Fire (1988) the next year. The movie is also known as Return of the Kickfighter, which would be a strange name for a debut film, especially as it’s unrelated to the later Norton/Maharaj vehicle Kick Fighter (1989). We know, it’s all very confusing, but here’s the important stuff to know: 


Mission Terminate does have the exploding huts, exploding helicopters, other blow-ups, gun-shooting, flamethrow’d villages, neck snaps, and bar-(in this case strip club) fights in the jungle we’ve all come to know and love. There are some slow moments that bog things down at times, but there are some very cool moments as well which kind of mitigate the duller passages and make you forget them, and you’re willing to give the movie the benefit of the doubt. A bearded Norton rides down a zipline and shoots some people. When we first meet him, he’s competing at the “Ryder Invitational Full Contact Karate Meet”. It took them a long time to paint the sign.

Of course, there are the prerequisite overdubbed funny voices blaring out of the characters’ mouths, but when they’re shouting racial epithets about, and we quote, “pesky Charlies”, and of course, “gooks”, it seems especially ridiculous, if not entertaining in an anti-PC way you would never see today. Besides the time-honored racial slurs, we get tidbits like this description of the elite Thai army’s abilities: they’re “trained to stare down a cobra!” If that doesn’t spell victory in war, what does?


The cast and crew are chock-full of Philippine-shot movie mainstays: the movie was written by Joe Mari Avellana, and stars, besides Norton and the majestic Rex Cutter - who gives Wynn Irwin a run for his money - Bruce Le, Nick Nicholson, Dick Wei, Willie Williams, and Henry Strzalkowski. And, as it was the 80’s after all, there is, of course, a ninja training camp. 


So, for a first go-round for Maharaj, Mission Terminate is pretty good, and Norton fans will want to see it, because he raises the level of pretty much everything he’s in. Outside of the slow moments, the movie is  solid and respectable, but most likely one-time watch for most.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett 

Millionaire's Express (1986)

Millionaire's Express (1986)- * * *1\2

Directed by: Sammo Hung

Starring: Sammo Hung, Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, and Yuen Biao










Hijinks ensue when a colorful cast of characters converge upon a newly-built train, and each has their own motives to use the train to potentially get money for themselves or their respective towns.

We’ve always been Sammo Hung fans, and here he turns in a high-energy, upbeat and lovable movie filled with humor, stunts, action, and overall wackiness. It truly is an “Eastern Western” as Hung crafted an homage to Sergio Leone and his Spaghetti Western ilk. But he interjected his own flavor and style to it all, and the Buster Keaton influence is clearly evident as well. The whole outing is very well-shot and has a professional sheen. Everything from the costumes to the sets were done lovingly, and audiences can’t help but respond positively to everything they’re seeing.

While fans of Hong Kong filmmaking are bound to see familiar faces in the cast, interestingly, this movie is the first team-up of Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton. So there’s some trivia for you. While they also starred together in The Magic Crystal (1986) the same year as Millionaire’s Express, this is credited as their first outing together. Both of their names in the movie are simply “Bandit”. 

We would have liked more screen time from both of them, but that’s how it is in these ensemble pieces. There’s not enough time for everyone - though Sammo clearly recognized Rothrock’s potential. Even though this is only her third-ever movie, she gets a really cool fight scene with Sammo himself. Their fight together is a movie highlight in an already enjoyable romp.

While it may seem that there are certain stretches in the film where Martial Arts isn’t the main focus (unless you count two brawling, pint-sized kids who use a technique called “Stealing Peaches”) - just you wait until the final brawl. Sammo pulls out all the stops and it’s extremely entertaining. Yet another memorable Golden Harvest production, Millionaire’s Express is filled with positives and essentially no negatives. If you get a chance to see it, see it.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett 

The Magic Crystal (1986)

The Magic Crystal (1986)- * * *

Directed by: Jing Wong

Starring: Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, Bin Bin, Sharla Cheung, and Andy Lau 







When a young boy named Pin Pin (Bin Bin) (yes, you read that correctly. Bin Bin plays Pin Pin. What did you expect?) befriends a green, glowing crystal that can communicate with humans by intercepting their brainwaves, a series of Martial Arts battles - as well as wacky comedy scenarios - ensue. The evil KGB want the crystal, and the nefarious Karov (Norton) is not messing around. Cindy Morgan (Rothrock) is battling him every step of the way. Andy (Lau) is a cop and the older cousin of Pin Pin, and along with Winnie Shen (Cheung) and Pancho (Jing) the three go on a series of misadventures, not the least of which takes them all the way to Greece where the ancient aliens (now seen on the History channel and on DVD) tried to rendezvous with human beings thousands of years ago. But are they done with us? Find out today!

The Magic Crystal is a fun and entertaining joyride that throws a little bit of everything at the viewer. It might not always make the most amount of sense, but it seems making sense wasn’t even in the top 100 of priorities for director Wong Jing. His mandate appears to have been to entertain audiences at all costs (even if coherency is one of those costs). He succeeded. One minute a little kid is chatting with a glowing chunk of goo, then there’s some wacky slapstick with some other characters, then there are some fast and furious Martial Arts fights. It’s definitely a cinematic smorgasbord, and who are we to say no?

Obviously, what we gravitated towards here were the fights. They have that fast, cool, inventive style Hong Kong was so great at, especially in the 80’s/early 90’s. You get not one, but two Rothrock/Norton fights, and throw Andy Lau into that mix, and you truly can’t lose. The fast pace keeps things lively and the whole outing has a cool ending. What’s not to love?

The fact that some of the action takes place in Greece gives things a different feel and look from the average “chop-socky” films of the time, and there’s a lot of cool 80’s style on display, from the music, to the phones, to the cool, pre-CGI effects which actually delight the eye rather than irritate it. There’s the time-honored warehouse fight, and a schoolyard bullying subplot that was very ahead of its time. Fan favorite Richard Norton plays the bearded baddie with aplomb. He’s a KGB man who inexplicably is also a Martial Arts master. This was the first of many Cynthia Rothrock/Richard Norton onscreen pairings, and, as they individually are two of our favorites, we were happy to see their relationship got off on the right foot.

You’ll likely have a smile on your face as big as the one on the 3-D poster of Donald Duck that Pin Pin has over his bed when you watch this “Gem” of a movie.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett 

Direct Hit (1994)

Direct Hit (1994)- * * *

Directed by: Joesph Merhi

Starring: William Forsythe, Jo Champa, Richard Norton, and George Segal










John Hatch (Forsythe) has had a long and storied career as a hitman (alternately called a “triggerman” or a “fingerman” by his associates) but is tired of the game and wants to retire. Unfortunately for him, his boss James Tronson (Segal) won’t allow it, cajoling him into the famous “One Last Job”. 

Hatch still is against the idea, because the target, a woman named Savannah (Champa), is innocent and has a young daughter to support. When Tronson hires rival fingerman Rogers (Norton) to complete the hit, Hatch enters the life saving business and protects Savannah and her daughter from the onslaught of their enemies. Seeing in Savannah his redemption from a life of killing and murder, Hatch vows to protect her at all costs - perhaps even his own life. Will it come to that? Find out today!

Direct Hit is standard-issue PM, but with a few quirks that make it stand out. Mainly it’s William Forsythe, finally in a starring role, who is the main focus. He is cool, tough, menacing, believable, and has an awesome voice. He’s an ideal choice for the role of a hitman with a heart of gold. George Segal chomps his cigar with aplomb, and we also thought veteran star of stage and screen Jerry Springer also could have played that role. Their voices are very similar. 

Fan favorite Richard Norton is of course here too - we always love seeing him, but in this role he doesn’t get to display his Martial Arts skill. Perhaps he was trying to branch out and show he could act without kicking various and sundry goons in the face. Luckily, the movie is largely well-acted and has a downbeat sort of feel to it, which adds to the overall vibe.

Some classic DTV action items are on display once again: the Prerequisite Torture of the hero, and the all-time classic “One Last Job”. Indeed, this whole movie revolves around the OLJ scenario. They even could have called the movie One Last Job, but the title Direct Hit is actually pretty clever because it contains a double meaning. 

Because this is, after all, a PM, it has plenty of gunplay, explosions, car chases/wrecks, and the time-honored “car blowing up in the middle of the street for barely any reason but thank goodness they’re doing it again” stunt. But it’s leavened with drama, the best scenes of which are the ones between Hatch and his father, which are actually effective.

While there are a few lulls during the course of Direct Hit, let’s not forget this is prime 1994 video store material: it has the seemingly-ubiquitous goons with ponytails and suits with colorful ties, and the casual racism you could never get away with today. It’s easy to see this sitting on the shelf of your local video store, vying for rental among its more popular competitors. 

But despite the aforementioned lulls, Direct Hit is an enjoyable action drama, largely due to Forsythe.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

China O'Brien 2 (1990)

China O'Brien 2 (1990)- * *1\2

Directed by: Robert Clouse

Starring: Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, Toshishiro Obata, Harlow Marks, Keith Cooke, and Billy Blanks









China (Rothrock), Matt Conroy (Norton) and Dakota (Cooke) are all back - and we’re definitely happy about that, but there’s a creeping suspicion that this sequel never really needed to exist. Famed director Clouse should have re-purposed the cast and settings into an all-new movie. But as it stands, it’s decent enough, as China and the gang fight an evildoer named Charlie Baskin (Marks) and his goons as they try to disrupt their idyllic small town life with their crime spree. That’s pretty much it for the plot. 

Technically, that’s all that’s really necessary to make a good Martial Arts movie, but this particular outing lacks intensity most of the time. Obviously the fights are the highlights of the film, and that is where everything clicks and comes together, but what surrounds it is kind of mushy, if that makes any sense.

China O’Brien 2 is “country Cynthia” - as opposed to City Cops (1989), we presume. She fights overweight bumpkins named Bubba while pedal steel music plays in the background. It shows her versatility. Plus the all-acid wash outfit she wears while fighting is awesome. Keith Cooke’s fighting style is quite dynamic, and he adds a lot of life to the proceedings. It’s hard to believe Billy Blanks went uncredited. His pants alone are worth a credit. His zebra print Zubaz, or ZPZ’s for short (you’d be surprised how often we need to abbreviate this) single him out and bring him to the forefront, so how dare they not credit him? Oh well, fans know it’s him, so, it doesn’t really matter in the end.

Toshishiro Obata, who has had an interesting career, having been in many movies covered on this site, from Ghost Warrior (1985) to fellow Rothrock/Norton vehicle Rage and Honor (1992), among others, stands out as well as “Man With Claws”, a goon who wears Wolverine/Freddy Krueger-like metal claws on his hands. There’s also a baddie who dresses like Indiana Jones and even brandishes a whip. So there are a few little standout things, but China O’Brien 2 isn’t really essential viewing, unless you’re a fan of Rothrock, Norton, or Blanks and need to see everything they’ve done. It’s not a bad movie at all, but the stuff in between the fight scenes is a bit lacking.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

Also check out a write-up from our buddy DTVC!-Thanks for the Billy Pic too!

Forced Vengance (1982)

Forced Vengeance (1982)- * * *

Directed by: James Fargo

Starring: Chuck Norris, Richard Norton, Michael Cavanaugh, Bob Minor, and Jimmy Shaw











Josh Randall (Norris) is a soft-spoken tough guy who’s used to being an enforcer. But he really gets in over his head when he travels to Hong Kong. Working for the boss of a popular casino, Randall notices something dangerous is afoot when heavies want to buy the casino but the management refuses. People start dying all around him, so he and his old ‘Nam buddy LeRoy Nicely (Minor) try to fight off the baddies while protecting the casino owner’s daughter. Evil gangster boss Stan Raimondi (Cavanaugh) is greedy and wants not just the casino money, but Randall’s blood. Meanwhile, Inspector Keck (Shaw) is trying to use his side of the law to figure out what’s going on. Will Josh and LeRoy get answers? Will they get justice? Find out today!

Forced Vengeance is classic 80’s Chuck. It was still when he had blonde hair and a blonde mustache. It seems Chuck movies can be broken up into two eras: blonde Chuck and red-head Chuck. At some point in time his hair turned a rusty, russet color, thus dividing his career into two halves. Not that one is better than the other, necessarily, but it makes his movies easily identifiable. This particular outing takes a while with its setup, and the pacing isn’t necessarily break-neck, but is solid and reliable. It’s like an old tank that just keeps rollin’ along at its own pace. You get your rewards, but it’s not instant gratification like the kids are used to today with their MTV and their e-lectronic gizmos.

Even though Golan and Globus had nothing to do with it, this whole film has a look and feel that is very Cannon-esque. From the opening slow-motion, silhouetted fight in front of the neon (much like the opening of one of Sho’s classic Cannons) to the way the rest of the film is shot, it will certainly put you in that Cannon frame of mind. The movie uses its Hong Kong locations to very nice effect, and the music by William Goldstein is so sweeping and dramatic, it helps the film rise to heights it might not necessarily have reached otherwise. The main theme is especially cool. Another soundtrack observation:  there is an excellent disco/muzak theme of “Super Freak” which is a lot of fun as well.

Chuck, who gets some suave line readings and wears tuxedos in this one, gets to channel his inner James Bond. Can you imagine him as an official Bond? We can only dream. Fan favorite Richard Norton is here too, but in a “Where’s Waldo”-esque cameo that defies you to spot him. 

Here’s a hint: with his blonde bowl haircut and matching mustache, he looks like he just stepped off the set doing stunt work for Chuck. (Indeed he did do stunt work on the film, along with John Barrett and Aaron Norris, among others). And he appears almost naked, wearing only a pair of tiny red shorts. Still and all, this movie could have used more Norton. The massive red flower Raimondi wears on his lapel is almost the same size as Norton’s shorts. Coincidence? Or a visual motif? 

In other wardrobe news, Chuck’s wide array of cowboy hats not only is impressive, but they almost become secondary characters in the movie, as at one point Chuck woefully decries “Why do they always pick on my hat?” Truly the eternal question.

When Forced Vengeance was originally released on VHS, it came in one of those awesome MGM silver big-boxes. The kind with the cover on a hinge and the cassette in a plastic tray. We love those. Now the film is on DVD of course, but for the coolness factor, you have to love the original packaging. So for some classic kicking and punching Chuck style, Forced Vengeance is a prime example of why everyone finds him so endearing.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Also check out write-ups by our buddies, Cool Target and The Video Vacuum! 

The Octagon (1980)

The Octagon (1980)-* *1\2

Directed by: Eric Karson

Starring: Chuck Norris, Karen Carlson, Ernie Hudson, Richard Norton, Mike Norris, Gerald Okamura, Tadashi Yamashita,  John Barrett, John Fujioka, and Lee Van Cleef










Scott James (Chuck) is a man who looks spiffy on the outside (he wears a pretty sweet tuxedo) but seems to have a lot of turmoil on the inside. Not only is he constantly flashing back to his childhood and his initial Martial Arts training (the young Scott is played by Mike Norris), but the voices in his head are overpowering and seem to tell him important things. All this is going to come in handy when Scott James faces off against perhaps the ultimate foe: terrorist ninjas. Yes, terrorist ninjas. 

While protecting a woman named Justine (Carlson) from said TerNin’s - which he does with the help of mentor McCarn (Van Cleef) - he realizes the true depth of what he’s up against. The nefarious group trains in an octagon-shaped facility, and their organization is named...The Octagon. Will Scott James triumph over these squares? Find out today!

While The Octagon contains no cage fighting, or Punchfighting of any kind, it is in fact a reasonable Chuck movie. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. By today’s standards, the pace might be too slow for some viewers, and at 104 minutes it’s certainly on the long side. But what else would you expect from director Karson, who later was responsible for Van Damme dud Black Eagle (1988)? But the cast perhaps makes up for it. Besides the aforementioned Norrises, and of course the legendary Lee Van Cleef, we have Tadashi Yamashita of Sword of Heaven (1985) fame, whose hair steals his own performance out from under him. 

The great Gerald Okamura has a brief role as a member of The Octagon, as does John Fujioka, and John Barrett does stunts as well as a small role. There’s even a young Ernie Hudson on board as a fighter. As is usual for a Chuck movie, Aaron Norris was stunt coordinator, and besides doing stunts, Richard Norton has a nice appearance as a baddie who gets in a fight with Chuck.

Norton’s hair and mustache combo look awesome, and his blonde bowl haircut is so bright, it actually lights an entire dark scene all on its own. But back to Chuck, this movie definitely belongs to the era in his acting career where his performances were noticeably, obviously wooden. Or, WoodChuck for short. But beyond the fact that this is a WoodChuck movie, at least you can hear his thoughts, which is enlightening. There’s a passing mention that Scott James was a Vietnam vet, and the baddies’ training camp is seems like a dry run for the later American Ninja (1985) - which would also reunite Norton, Yamashita and Fujioka.

The Octagon is competently-made early-80’s Chuck, but better was yet to come.

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Tough and Deadly (1995)

Tough and Deadly (1995)-* * *1\2

Directed by: Steve Cohen

Starring: Roddy Piper, Billy Blanks, Richard Norton, Sal Landi, Phil Morris, James Karen, and Lisa Stahl












Elmo Freech (Piper) is a rough-and-tumble Private Investigator and ex-cop who does things his way. He ends up teaming up with a mysterious man who has lost his memory, John Portland (Blanks). But Portland appears to be a trained fighter, and together the two men - who certainly don’t always see eye to eye - get deeper and deeper into a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. They’re going to have to work together and fight to get to the truth. Can they do it?

Tough and Deadly is classic 90’s fun at its best. One of its main strengths is its healthy dose of humor. So many movies out there, DTV actioners included, take themselves so seriously - finally, here’s a movie with the guts to not take itself so seriously, but also has some killer stunts and fights, which are taken seriously. So it strikes a near-perfect balance of tongue-in-cheek, well, cheekiness, with some nice bone-crunching action. It’s a surprisingly rare mix, so our hats go off to the filmmakers on this win.

The movie really gives you what you want: on top of the humor, the stunts, fights, etc., it has a very good pace and nice energy. You can actually SEE what’s going on. Nothing is shrouded in shadow. Considering there’s a barfight AND a poolhall fight, as well as a (completely inexplicable) training sequence followed by a montage, Tough and Deadly truly has it all. 

Let’s not forget the Billy Blanks and Richard Norton fight, which gets the movie off to an engaging beginning. There’s also the classic “I want to listen to country!” “I want to listen to rap!” CD player confrontation between Freech and Portland. Just the names of the characters are insane - Elmo Freech, Winston Briggers (Karen), Trekkler, and Freech’s assistant Maureen Peek (Stahl). Yet, the great Richard Norton plays...Agent Norton. Does he feel cheated that he didn’t get a wacky name? At least he’s on board. That’s all that counts. 

Naturally, it all ends in the time-honored abandoned warehouse. Also Elmo Freech has a poster in his house that simply says “Pasta Sauce”. For his interior decoration skills alone, you should see Tough and Deadly.

It’s easy to see why Piper and Blanks teamed up again after Back In Action (1993). Piper’s charm and Blanks’ woodenness make an excellent combination. It’s sad that they didn’t team up on any more movies after this. But at least we have two. While debate continues to rage as to who -  John Portland or Elmo Freech - is Tough and who is Deadly - there’s certainly no shortage of face-punching action in this prime example of what the 90’s Direct-To-Video era could do.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

Also check out write-ups by our buddies, DTVC and Cool Awesome Movies!

Fugitive X: Innocent Target (1996)

Fugitive X: Innocent Target (1996)-* *1\2

Directed by: David Heavener

Starring: David Heavener, Richard Norton,Clement Von Franckenstein, William Windom, Chris Mitchum, and Robert Z'Dar













Adam Trent (Heavener) is a mild-mannered ex-cop who is now a businessman. He thought he left the unpredictable and violent world of the streets behind him. It turns out he was wrong, because Trent becomes the unwitting and unwilling participant in something called “The Game”. He’s truly having the worst birthday ever - not only is he thinking about the troubles in his past, he now has to fight for his life. Run by the sinister Lindsay (Von Franckenstein of American Ninja V (1993) and Lionheart, 1990) and his son Winters (Norton), the two operate a betting parlor out of a castle in Hollywood. 

Patrons bet on how long “the target” will live, meanwhile goons are chasing after him with guns at every turn. They even have a serum they can inject into you to track your movements. But Trent proves too clever and outwits them, utilizing his favorite tactics, those of shooting, punching and kicking, and maybe a few blow-ups along the way. Will Adam Trent survive to drink one of his uncle Billy’s (Windom) fruit-and-beer milkshakes again?

Not to be confused with Hard Target (1993) - no, wait - TO be confused with Hard Target, Heavener has fashioned a cross between that movie and The Game (1997) even though Fugitive X pre-dated The Game by a year! We’re definitely fans of Mr. Heavener - we keep coming back to his movies  because we admire his talent - he acts in, writes, directs, produces and does the music for the majority of his movies. And this is one of the more professional-looking outings we’ve seen from him to date. 

Yes, there is some clunkiness here and there, what with awkward fight staging, odd-looking muzzle flashes and explosions and maybe a boom mic or two, but Heavener is basically single-handedly releasing decent-to-good direct-to-video B-movie product, and it is very impressive.

Fugitive X: Innocent Target could have been a UPN show in the 90’s like The Point Man, The Lazarus Man, or any number of their action-based shows. Although it is somewhat surprising that this came out in ‘96, it looks like it could have been released in ‘87 or earlier. 

It even pre-dates the online gambling craze, because that’s pretty much what people are doing in this movie. It should also be said that Fug X (as we call it) is highly repetitive, most of the running time is spent on baddies chasing Heavener, and Heavener eluding them. Even still, the goons have ample chances to shoot Trent, but fail constantly. They must have a fear of success. Heavener jumps on the “slicked-back hair” craze for action stars of the 90’s, unfortunately started by Steven Seagal, and wears a tuxedo for a large part of the movie. So there’s plenty of silliness to go around.

Robert Z’Dar is here looking even odder than usual with long hair and a homemade-looking shirt that says “Love Child”. Why they felt the need to put him in a shirt that says this is unknown. Also inexplicably, footage from his one scene ended up in the later Heavener movie Outlaw Prophet (2001). Chris Mitchum has a nothing role as a cop. Blink and you’ll miss him. As anyone who reads this site knows, we’re huge Richard Norton fans, and he does a decent job as Winters, but this isn’t the best Norton movie. It’s also kind of funny how Lindsay’s son is Australian but Lindsay isn’t. It’s nice to see all these B-movie names together, but Mitchum and Z’Dar needed more screen time, and Norton a meatier role.

Plus, similar to the infamous “He’s gone AOL” line from Direct Contact (2009), at one point Heavener says the line “is there a police station around here?” but he slurs his words and speaks quickly so it sounds like he says “Is there a PlayStation around here?” Either that, or that IS what he said. It was the mid-90’s after all. PlayStation 1 was huge. Maybe he wanted to play Crash Bandicoot to relieve some of his stress.

For an entertainingly dumb DTV outing using some of the favorite themes of the 90’s, Fugitive X: Innocent Target is more than watchable.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

Nautilus (2000)

Nautilus (2000)-* *

Directed by: Rodney McDonald

Starring: Richard Norton, Hannes Jaenicke, Miranda Wolfe, Victor Eschbach, and Christopher Kriesa












When a big new drilling station named Prometheus is set to open out in the middle of the ocean, its main developer, Basim (Eschbach) hires Jack Harris (Norton) to be its head of security. This is needed because an eco-terrorist group named Equinox is threatening violent tactics to shut it down because they believe it’s not environmentally friendly. Just as Harris is dealing with these troublemakers, they get a message from the future in the form of a Star Wars-like hologram. Captain Brin (Kriesa) and his daughter Ariel (Wolfe) are planning to travel back in time on their submarine, the Nautilus, to stop the drilling station. They believe it will start a chain of events that will lead to catastrophic destruction and basically the end of the world. The developers, along with Harris, are skeptical, but the future-people are insistent. What then follows is a battle of wills and ideologies. Who will prevail?

We can give you the bottom line on this one right away: the scenes with Richard Norton are worthwhile and entertaining. The scenes he does not appear in are boring and reach sloggish proportions. We could just end the review there, but we’ll provide a few more of our humble thoughts. While Nautilus is not fast-paced, and is fairly typical of the DTV dreck that cluttered up the 2000’s, it actually wasn’t quite as bad as we were expecting it to be. We thought is was going to be an out-and-out sub slog, and were pleasantly surprised to find out there are some other elements mixed in.

For example, the opening of the movie is decent, especially the introduction to Harris, Norton’s character. The movie has a few mildly interesting ideas, but sadly not enough to propel a 90 minute feature along like the cinematic sub that it is. As usual for the B-movies of this time, there are plenty of actors that look like bigger names (but aren’t), such as Brin, who looks like Sam Neill. There are scenes of actors calling out coordinates, which always make for thrilling viewing, and a nice dose of environmentalist claptrap along the way. And don’t forget the awkwardly-placed stock footage. But Richard Norton is charming as ever, and he singlehandedly keeps this movie from being a total flop. Take him out of the equation, and this movie would be unwatchably horrid. We do, however, give it credit for having the ORIGINAL Prometheus (2012).

Another name in the cast besides Norton would have helped...Don Swayze, Robert Davi, Matthias Hues, somebody. At least in his previous movie, Surface to Air (1998), director McDonald had Michael Madsen and Chad McQueen. Here, it’s just Norton. But the power of Norton keeps the movie afloat. Get it? Afloat? Meh, just don’t see it. (Unless you’re a really big Norton fan).

Comeuppance Review by: Brett and Ty

Lady Dragon (1992)

Lady Dragon (1992)-* * *

Directed by: David Worth

Starring: Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, Piet Burnama, Tanaka, H.I.M. Damsyik, Diaz Tangkilisan, and Robert Ginty












Kathy Gallagher (Rothrock) thought she had it made in life. She had a good job as a CIA agent, and was just married. Her world gets turned upside down when super-evil arms dealer and Martial Arts expert Ludwig Hauptman (Norton) kills her beloved husband. Now on a revenge mission to kill Hauptman, she’s living in Indonesia and earning her living as a Punchfighter for a ringleader named Chin (Damsyik). Just when she thinks she’s got him, the ever-sinister Hauptman rapes her and beats her within an inch of her life, then leaves her for dead on a country road. There she is nursed back to health by a young boy (Tangkilisan) and his kindly but mute grandfather (Burnama). She ends up forming a strong, even familial bond with them, and she trains there for the final showdown with Hauptman. After infiltrating his corporation, she finally gets that chance. Will Kathy succeed?

In the Cynthia Rothrock/Richard Norton team-ups of the past, they were on the same side, working together as good guys - think Rage and Honor (1992) and Rage and Honor 2 (1993). Here, they are mortal enemies and they’re fighting against each other. It’s an interesting change-up, but we prefer to see them join their forces. That said, they are two of our favorite action stars, so it’s great to see them both onscreen in any configuration. Richard Norton even gets to say “Show me the money!”, pre-dating Jerry Maguire (1996) by many years. But does he get any credit? Both of them get to display their Martial Arts prowess, the movie doesn’t skimp in that department. There’s other action as well, including your classic “Fruit Cart” chase.

Lady Dragon was directed by David Worth, the man behind Soldier’s Revenge (1984), Kickboxer (1989) and Chain of Command (1994) - and the plot here is very similar to his Kickboxer, what with all the rural training sequences. But Cynthia Rothrock has too much dignity to do a wacky dance in a roadside diner, that’s pure Van Damme. The film itself opens with a warrior crying out a mighty “YAAAaaaaaa!!!!!”, which is clearly the best way to start a movie. Another fan favorite, Robert Ginty, is also involved. Wearing a white sport coat and smoking a cigarette, he proves that smoking is cool. But notice he doesn’t get into any hand-to-hand fights. Plus he looks alarmingly like Paul McCartney (moreso as the movie goes along), so this might be the only chance to see “The Cute One” in an action movie setting.

The music played during the fighting and chases is that classic “rockin’ guitar” that is really the only choice for sequences like that. The end credits song, “Courage To Fight” by Susan Guterres, can proudly join the pantheon of great action movie songs, but it should have been played during at least one of Kathy’s many training sequences. As for the muzzle flashes and bullet hits, they’re not nearly as bad as Hangfire (1991), but they’re pretty ridiculous. And it should be noted that the front business that the evil Hauptmann works for is called Imperial Exports - and this VHS was released by Imperial Home Video. Coincidence? Or maybe Ludwig smuggled it?

Lady Dragon is more classic early-90’s action from fan favorites Rothrock and Norton. It’s a solid entry into their canon.

Also check out DTVC's review! 

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

CyberTracker (1994)

CyberTracker (1994)-* * *

Directed by: Richard Pepin

Starring: Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Richard Norton, John Aprea, Stacie Foster, Joseph Ruskin, and Steve Burton

In the Los Angeles of the future, crime is rampant. So to help clear up the overly clogged judicial system, Senator Dilly (Aprea) institutes the American Computerized Judicial System. This basically consists of a robot, or android, or cyborg, or whatever (actually called a Tracker), that metes out justice right there on the spot, which means he’s just going to shoot you. Dilly’s bodyguards are Phillips (Wilson) and Ross (Norton). An underground movement of anti-robot revolutionaries springs up named the Union for Human Rights, who protest all of Dilly’s ideas and plans. When Phillips falls in with this crew, Ross feels he knows too much and the former co-workers become mortal enemies on opposite sides of the issues. What will become the nature of justice in America? Find out by letting CyberTracker tell you today!

Here we have a cross between R.O.T.O.R (1988)., American Cyborg: Steel Warrior (1993), Abraxas (1990), and Future Force (1989), along with fellow PM vehicle Hologram Man (1995) and more mainstream fare such as Universal Soldier (1992), The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2 (1991) and Robocop (1987). But since it’s a PM, it has all the high-quality explosions and action/stunt setpieces they’re known for. And the movie as a whole is well-shot, in the PM style. So that prevents it from being your average sci-fi slog. But, falling into a common trap of low-budget future movies, everything is written in “future font”, so you KNOW you’re in the future. Just see David Heavener’s Twisted Justice (1990) for further proof.

That being said, the film drags once Phillips gets involved with the Union for Human Rights, but this is quickly corrected by the final fight between fan-favorites Richard Norton and Don the Dragon. Together at last, it’s really a fan’s dream to see them together. Their final fight is certainly worth seeing. Both Norton and Wilson show their prowess well in this movie, and it’s always fun to see that the many goons all think they can take down Don the Dragon.

As the bodyguard of Senator Silly...er...I mean DILLY, Wilson looks especially like Lou Diamond Phillips here. And his character’s name is Phillips? Could that possibly be a coincidence?

While the bald “judge jury and executioner” of the Tracker is a bit too ROTOR-y for its own good, it was played by Jim Maniaci of Timebomb (1991) and Cartel (1990) fame. Of the protestors, whose big gripe is that “Computers don’t have hearts”, Art Camacho appears. Wait until these people get a load of Apple. Hey-Oh! (to quote Ed McMahon). In another weird parallel, Phillips has a computerized companion in his apartment with a female voice named Agnes 1000. This is a lot like what Ed Marinaro has in The Protector (1999).

CyberTracker is a good chance to see two of the DTV genre’s leading lights in an offering by one of the top companies. Does it fulfill all the promise that description holds? Maybe not entirely, but you should probably see this anyway.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

Rage and Honor II: Hostile Takeover (1993)

Rage and Honor II: Hostile Takeover (1993)-* * *

Directed by: Guy Norris

Starring: Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, Patrick Muldoon, Ron Vreeken, Frans Tumbuan, and Tanaka

Rothrock and Norton reprise their roles as Kris Fairchild and Preston Michaels in this sequel that is superior to the original film.

Kris is now a CIA agent who is sent to Jakarta to go undercover in a bank to investigate the money laundering of Gerald Andrews (Soucy).  Meanwhile, Preston works in a run-down bar and does a lot of boxing on the side. For some unknown reason, he takes on a spoiled, unlikable, arrogant student, Tommy Andrews, the son of Gerald. As it turns out, Gerald is working closely with nefarious gangster Buntao (Tumbuan). There’s also a cache of diamonds at stake in the ensuing gangster wars, with Kris and Preston caught in the middle. They’ll have to use their teamwork and fighting skills to get out of this mess...

Rothrock and Norton are always pleasant to watch, both individually and together. There are some nice fights in this film, and, as always, you can actually see the action with no stupid tricks or fast cuts. There was some cool inventiveness as well, as Norton beat up a baddie with a raw fish, leading to perhaps the first “fish-fighting” scene in recent memory.  For as awesome as Rothrock and Norton are, Patrick Muldoon is as lame. Well, his character as a preppy jerk is pretty effective. Maybe it’s not Muldoon, it’s Tommy Andrews who the audience will not like. Buntao is more likable.

Also we have Ron Vreeken as the classic heavy/bodyguard, the man they call “Blondie”. I guess they couldn’t get Matthias Hues. Vreeken was last seen in the Norton vehicles Deathfight (1994) and Under the Gun (1995), so they must be buddies. He was also seen in Hurricane Smith (1992).

Director Guy Norris, presumably no relation to the Norris family that produced Chuck, Aaron and Mike, primarily is known for his stunt work, having been the stunt coordinator on countless films, including Day of the Panther (1988) and the aforementioned Hurricane Smith. It was a wise choice to put him in the director’s chair because he understands action and delivers plenty of it to the audience, leading to the rare improvement for a sequel.

You can rarely go wrong with Rothrock and/or Norton, as this golden-age-of-the-video-store action movie amply proves.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett