Tiger Heart (1996)

Tiger Heart (1996)- * * *

Directed by: Georges Chamchoum

Starring: Ted Jan Roberts, Timothy Williams, Art Camacho, Christopher Kriesa, Rance Howard, Jennifer Lyons, Matthias Hues, and Robert LaSardo










Eric Chase (Ted Jan) is a teenager who lives to practice Martial Arts at his local dojo. Even when his best buddy Brad (Williams) cajoles him into going to parties with bikini-clad babes, nothing can stop Eric from sparring with his local tots and his Sensei (Camacho - simply billed as “Sensei”). When Eric meets the beautiful Stephanie Simmons (Lyons) at the deli across from his beloved dojo, it seems first love may be in the air. 

Unfortunately, Nat (Kriesa) is your classic evil land developer, and he’s sending out squads of punks and/or goons to scare people out of their homes and businesses so he can build one of those despised malls on their property. Led by Paulo (LaSardo), the goons eventually end up at Mr. Johnson’s (Howard) deli - where Eric’s paramour Stephanie happens to work. Defending her honor, Eric uses his long-practiced Martial Arts skills on the goons - but can this one kid fight off the coming real estate war? Find out today!

Classic Ted Jan all the way. If you’re familiar with his work, such as the entertaining A Dangerous Place (1995), here is more of the same. Which is a good thing, because both movies have a youth-oriented, fun, upbeat feel. The likable Roberts did a lot of work for PM, but this may be the standout. His buddy Brad is the wacky sidekick. To him, the Haim/Feldman vehicle License To Drive (1988) is more than a movie. It’s a template to base your entire life upon. 

Even though Brad begs for his dad’s car keys and promises to eat his vegetables if he can have them, actor Timothy Williams was 29 years old at the time of filming! Let’s not forget this is a man/kid who wears a Hawaiian shirt with a Billy Joel “River of Dreams” T-shirt underneath - tucked in. Clearly this is a man who knows where he’s going in life. Interestingly, Ted Jan co-starred with Feldman in A Dangerous Place. Coincidence?

Once again, Roberts wears hugely oversized clothing, and his age is indeed in question. One minute his sister (McComas) says she has to babysit him, the next minute he’s driving and saying he’s going to college next year. But one thing is for certain: Eric can’t go out and fight evil land-developer punks unless he finishes his summer reading. That’s almost an exact quote from the movie. This indeed might be the first recorded instance of the term “summer reading” on film. What a first. 

But the movie is totally 90’s through and through, from the clothing to the dialogue. Robert LaSardo gets a lot of nice screentime here. Normally he’s relegated to the background, but he’s the main “street baddie”. His fellow punks walk around with boomboxes on their shoulders, so you know they’re evil, not to mention disruptive. The “save our community” plot was also done in fellow PM movie Private Wars, and some scenes feel very familiar.

The title song is a lot of fun too, and it even features the lyrics “power comes from discipline!” - you don’t hear that, lyrically, every day. Thank you John Gonzales and Derol Caraco for that. It’s hard to believe that this fast-paced romp was directed by the same guy who directed the abysmal Musketeers Forever (1998). This is so much better than that. The PM style is out in force, so it’s almost like, abstractly, PM itself directed the movie. Also, it should be noted that there is an uncredited cameo from Matthias Hues to watch out for.

Tiger Heart is an enjoyable “entry-level” action movie best suited for people who don’t take themselves so seriously.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

A Dangerous Place (1995)

A Dangerous Place (1995)-* * *1\2

Directed by: Jerry P. Jacobs

Starring: Ted Jan Roberts, Corey Feldman, Mako, Marshall R. Teague, William James Jones, Dean Cochran, Erin Gray, Tricia Vessey, and Dick Van Patten











Ethan (Roberts) is a young-looking and precocious high school Freshman. His passion is Martial Arts training with a team called The Lions, led by Sensei (Mako). Just Sensei, no name given. His brother Greg (Cochran) is also into Martial Arts, but is involved with a gang of ne’er-do-wells called The Scorpions, the leader of which is the smug jerk Taylor Dylan (Feldman). During a Scorpions-led home invasion, Greg ends up dead. The Scorpions make it look like a suicide. But Ethan knows better, and he goes undercover and joins The Scorpions to get the truth about his brother. There, he discovers what’s really going on at the dojo - and what evil Sensei Gavin Smith (Teague) is up to. 

With Principal (Van Patten) - just Principal - clearly a lot of time was given to character names here - sympathetic to him, but with pressure mounting from his parents, his Sensei, the cops, and potential love interest Kim (Vessey), Ethan’s going to discover that his L.A.-area neighborhood is indeed A DANGEROUS PLACE.

A Dangerous Place is yet another PM triumph, an amazingly fast-paced and entertaining film for high schoolers and older viewers alike. To state the obvious, yes, it’s clearly modeled on The Karate Kid (1984), but we really enjoy the mid-90’s PM vibe of this. Ted Jan Roberts is likable and charismatic as Ethan. He could have had a major Hollywood career, he’s certainly talented enough. Thanks to him, really, the movie works because you care about his plight. 

This was also the era of oversized clothing, and some of his shirts are gigantic. He looks like a size Small, but seems to be wearing XXXL T-shirts. They’re so big, you can see his whole collarbone. There are other inspired fashions in the movie as well - something to look out for.

That being said, Corey Feldman was an inspired choice as the baddie (or at least one of them). He seems hilariously scrawny to be a Kung-Fu master, and his belt-and-pants combos are pretty amazing. He adopts a curious Christian Slater-like drawl when he’s not wowing us with his Feldman-Fu. Keeping in mind this was the time when 90210 was huge, there are plenty of scenes at an L.A. school, his character’s last name is Dylan, he’s a 26-year-old high school student, and he has impressive sideburns.  His smarmy performance totally works, and he always seems right on the edge of breaking into a Michael Jackson impersonation, and only by sheer force of will is he holding himself back.

If only Dick Van Patten was the Principal for 90210. Van Patten has maybe two lines and seems confused. How - and WHY - they got him for this role is indeed pretty confusing. It’s a total sit-down role. William James Jones as Eddie - who later was a member of Saved By The Bell spinoff/knockoff California Dreams - does some great mugging for the camera with his outrageous facial expressions. 

But the man who steals the movie is Marshall Teague as the diabolical Sensei. (Sidebar: is it just me, or is there something really funny about the name “Sensei Gavin Smith”? Somehow it doesn’t have that ancient Asian feel to it). One of the reasons I personally never took Karate classes is because I was afraid of being just one of a gaggle of teens forced to do the bidding of an amoral, maniacal Sensei. And who’s laughing now?

Seeing as this is a PM movie, it wouldn’t be complete without some car stunts, especially a middle-of-the-street-flip-and-blow-up, and another one on a softball field that viewers of Night Of The Wilding (1990) may find curiously familiar. In all, we give a solid recommendation to this enjoyable movie. Good times.

Comeuppance Review by: Ty and Brett

The Power Within (1995)

The Power Within (1995)-* * *

Directed by: Art Camacho

Starring: Ted Jan Roberts, William Zabka, John O'Hurley, Gerald Okamura, P.J. Soles, and a Special Appearance by Don "The Dragon" Wilson










In this entertaining PM effort, Ted Jan Roberts, or, "TJ" as we like to call him, plays Stan Dryer, a shy 16-year-old kid who wants nothing more than to go to the prom with Sandy, but is too meek to ask. When an old man, Master Yung (Okamura), gives him half of a powerful ring that gives him confidence and excellent martial arts ability, his life changes for the better. The only problem is, the other half of the ring belongs to the dastardly Raymond Vonn (Zabka). Vonn desperately wants the other half of the ring so he can control the world. Will Stan defeat Vonn and make it to the prom? Find out today!

TJ has formidable martial arts ability. He does impressive kicks and can knock out many baddies at once. Before Stan gets the Power Within, he is failing all his classes in school. After he gets it, he begins to ace his classes and is quite knowledgeable about the cold war, easily discussing "Gorby" with style and aplomb. At the prom, in the vein of Corey Feldman, with whom he co-starred in A Dangerous Place (1995), Stan strikes a Michael Jackson-like pose. Maybe The Power Within isn't ALL good.

 Zabka as Vonn puts in a fun, over-the-top performance. He adds a lot of life and energy. He wears a blue kimono numerous times and chops cinderblocks with his hands. He has some memorable quotes, such as "If you keep pestering me, I'll send for your soul!", "Obey me or die!", and the strangely homoerotic "Remember me, Stan? The man of your dreams!" (Stan has weird dreams that feature Vonn, usually laughing maniacally). Also, one of Vonn's henchmen resembles Gene Simmons sans makeup. That is pretty intimidating.

Stan's brother Deke is the obnoxious little brat who likes to play his Game Boy and yell "Yeah!" He also admonishes his brother that he's "missing Magic Kid!" For those who don't know, Magic Kid (1993) and Magic Kid II (1994) both feature Ted Jan Roberts. How meta.

There is an inexplicable cameo by Don "The Dragon" Wilson. He is introduced, as himself, to a martial arts class. He gives Stan some life lessons. It's always nice to see the fan favorite, even if there is basically no reason to. He must have been on break from filming the PM vehicle CyberTracker (1994).

In all, The Power Within is a fun action/martial arts romp meant for teens. If you can find it, see it!

Comeuppance review by: Ty and Brett