Showdown in Little Tokyo

Reviews

John Chard
We've got a problem here. There are more bad guys than we've got bullets. It's a buddy buddy action movie, one that feels more 80s than 90s, with that it has all the pluses and minuses that comes with such genre staples. Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee pair up to take on The Yakuza, Dolph has a very personal reason for tracking and killing the Yakuza leader. They are an odd pair who must get over their initial differences to complete their mission. Sound familiar? Well it is, because it can be seen in a whole host of other action buddy buddy movies. The acting is sub-standard but the action is well constructed, which at the end of the day is what action fans require for a rollicking good time. Some of the dialogue is too cheese worthy to even pass as acceptable - and this in a genre that often demands it as a requisite, while the overt homoerotic undercurrents are either meant as tongue in cheek? Or an attempt by the makers to make some sort of action movie statement? Is it fun? Absolutely, and that's not just because of the ridiculous trousers Lundgren often wears (seriously, a leather jacket and Oxford bags?), while the colour photography is sparkling (Mark Irwin), but you have to have a taste for corn and cheese to get the most from this host. 5/10

GenerationofSwine
Yeeeeeahhhhh, this is a really horrible movie. I will not deny that. But, it's a still a really fun action movie. I mean, it is one of those cheap as hell action movies that studios used to make to pay for more expensive Oscar bait, and you never expect that much walking into them. The low expectations always help. But... it's fun. Like a lot of the really bad movies, it is fun. It takes itself just seriously enough that you suspend your disbelief, but no so serious it thinks it is something that it's not. And the result is entertainment. You remember that, entertainment, once upon a time that was the end goal of a movie. And this one ex-cells in that, it has nice action, a fun sense of humor, and knows when to dial it back.
Movie Recommendation
- Rapid Fire1992-08-21College student Jake Lo is pursued by smugglers, mobsters and crooked federal agents after he witnesses a murder by a Mafia kingpin.More...
- Men of War1994-09-03Nick Gunar is a burnt-out, jaded and hard-up former mercenary who is having a difficult time adjusting to civilian life. At the end of his rope, he is hired by the Nitro Mine Corporation to strong-arm the natives of a South China Sea island into giving up their rights to its valuable mineral resources. Nick loathes the thought of another mission, but this seemingly easy job will earn him enough money to get back with his estranged family. He recruits some of his former mercenary buddies to help him with the job. The island people refuse to give up their land and Nick decides to help them fight the greedy corporation that hired him. As greed and treachery begin to unravel, Nick's band of mercenaries choose sides.More...
- Smuggling Hendrix2019-04-18Caught between the mob and border patrol, washed-up musician Yiannis must put his plans to leave Cyprus on hold when his beloved dog escapes across the wall to the island's Turkish side.More...
- Tiger Cage1988-07-28Something fishy is going on in the anti-Drug Trafficking Unit of the HK Police, and only a few honest cops know that the corruption goes all the way to the top. However, they must prove their case quickly, and by unconventional means, after they are framed for murder and drug-trafficking themselves. Dodging bullets from cops and criminals alike, the race is on to clear their names, protect their loved ones, and bring their corrupt colleagues to justice.More...
- Stander2003-10-10The life and career of Andre Stander, a South African police officer turned bank robber.More...
- Hospitality2018-12-07A woman with a checkered past must protect her son when a man brings trouble to her isolated bed and breakfast.More...
- Necronomicon – The Book of Hell2018-03-01A librarian founds a copy of the fabled Necronomicon, only unleash hell on earth.More...
- The Russian Specialist2005-11-02A Russian ex-hit man is called back to Russia for one last job. This time against his former employees, the Russian mob.More...
- The Nurse1997-01-01A traumatized nurse plots revenge against a catatonic businessman whom she blames for the death of her family. By integrating herself as his personal nurse, she plots revenge by killing off his family members one by one.More...
- The Last Will2001-06-29After the death of a wealthy Croatian emigrant, it is discovered that he left his fortune to an unknown, illegitimate relative back in Croatia.More...
- White Coffin2016-07-21Virginia will do the impossible in order to rescue her little daughter who has been abducted. After a terrible accident, she has the chance to live one day more to save her. On her path, she will find out that there are worst thing than death.More...
- Legacy of Rage1986-12-20A man is framed for murder by his drug-dealing best friend who covets his girlfriend, leading to eight years in jail and a vow of revenge upon release.More...
- If Looks Could Kill1991-03-15Michael Corben, along with the rest of his high-school French class, sets out for a trip to France when he is mistaken for an agent of the same name. He is beseiged by both the good guys and the bad guys. British Intelligence outfits him with a series of James-Bond-like gizmos, and Steranko sends more would-be assassins after him. Can Michael stop the evil Steranko's plans for European domination?More...
- D.O.A.1988-03-18Dexter Cornell, an English Professor becomes embroiled in a series of murders involving people around him. Dexter has good reason to want to find the murderer but hasn't much time. He finds help and comfort from one of his student, Sydney Fuller.More...
- The Long Walk Home1990-12-21Two women, black and white, in 1955 Montgomery Alabama, must decide what they are going to do in response to the famous bus boycott led by Martin Luther King.More...
- The Hard Way2019-03-05After learning of his brother's death during a mission in Romania, a former soldier joins two allies to hunt down a mysterious enemy and take his revenge.More...
- Tarzan the Ape Man1932-04-02James Parker and Harry Holt are on an expedition in Africa in search of the elephant burial grounds that will provide enough ivory to make them rich. Parker's beautiful daughter Jane arrives unexpectedly to join them. Jane is terrified when Tarzan and his ape friends abduct her, but when she returns to her father's expedition she has second thoughts about leaving Tarzan.More...
- Slugs1988-02-05People are dying mysteriously and gruesomely, and nobody has a clue what the cause is. Only health worker Mike Brady has a possible solution, but his theory of killer slugs is laughed at by the authorities. Only when the body count begins to rise and a slug expert from England begins snooping around does it begin to look like Mike had the right idea after all.More...
- Delta Force 2: The Colombian Connection1990-08-24When DEA agents are taken captive by a ruthless South American kingpin, the Delta Force is reunited to rescue them in this sequel to the 1986 film.More...
- The Great Silence1968-11-22A mute gunslinger fights in the defense of a group of outlaws and a vengeful young widow, against a group of ruthless bounty hunters.More...
Similar Movies
Sonatine
1993-09-10Murakawa, an aging Tokyo yakuza tiring of gangster life, is sent by his boss to Okinawa along with a few of his henchmen to help end a gang war, supposedly as mediators between two warring clans. He finds that the dispute between the clans is insignificant and whilst wondering why he was sent to Okinawa at all, his group is attacked in an ambush. The survivors flee and make a decision to lay low at the beach while they await further instructions.Harsh Times
2005-09-11Jim Davis is an ex-Army Ranger who finds himself slipping back into his old life of petty crime after a job offer from the LAPD evaporates. His best friend is pressured by his girlfriend Sylvia to find a job, but Jim is more interested in hanging out and making cash from small heists, while trying to get a law enforcement job so he can marry his Mexican girlfriend.They Live
1988-11-04A lone drifter stumbles upon a unique pair of sunglasses that reveal aliens are systematically gaining control of the Earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission.Punch-Drunk Love
2002-10-11A socially awkward and volatile small business owner meets the love of his life after being threatened by a gang of scammers.Superbad
2007-08-17Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.The Kanto Region Is A...
1967-06-28A man who was released from prison wanders around the Kanto region and gets involved with the local yakuza.8MM
1999-02-26A small, seemingly innocuous plastic reel of film leads surveillance specialist Tom Welles down an increasingly dark and frightening path. With the help of the streetwise Max, he relentlessly follows a bizarre trail of evidence to determine the fate of a complete stranger. As his work turns into obsession, he drifts farther and farther away from his wife, family and simple life as a small-town PI.Devil in a Blue Dress...
1995-09-29In late 1940s Los Angeles, Easy Rawlins is an unemployed black World War II veteran with few job prospects. At a bar, Easy meets DeWitt Albright, a mysterious white man looking for someone to investigate the disappearance of a missing white woman named Daphne Monet, who he suspects is hiding out in one of the city's black jazz clubs. Strapped for money and facing house payments, Easy takes the job, but soon finds himself in over his head.Strange Days
1995-10-13Former policeman Lenny Nero has moved into a more lucrative trade: the illegal sale of virtual reality-like recordings that allow users to experience the emotions and past experiences of others. While they typically contain tawdry incidents, Nero is shocked when he receives one showing a murder.Barton Fink
1991-08-01A renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.Beverly Hills Cop III...
1994-05-24When his boss is killed, Detroit cop Axel Foley finds evidence that the murderer had ties to a California amusement park called Wonder World. Returning to sunny Beverly Hills once more, Foley reunites with Detective Billy Rosewood to solve the case. Along with Billy's new partner, Detective Jon Flint, they discover that Wonder World is being used as a front for a massive counterfeiting ring.True Romance
1993-09-09Clarence marries hooker Alabama, steals cocaine from her pimp, and tries to sell it in Hollywood, while the owners of the coke try to reclaim it.Brother
2000-12-13A Japanese Yakuza gangster's deadly existence in his homeland gets him exiled to Los Angeles, where he is taken in by his little brother and his brother's gang.Night on Earth
1991-12-12An anthology of 5 different cab drivers in 5 American and European cities and their remarkable fares on the same eventful night.The Viper Brothers an...
1975-03-01The last in the series. Sugawara runs into two mahjong cheaters (Ichiro Araki and Mako Midori + sidekick Takuzo Kawatani) whom he takes for friends in need as his naivety prevents him from seeing their true nature.The Viper Brothers: P...
1972-02-03Part 3 in a long running (8+1 films) action/comedy/melodrama series about a pair of short tempered, amoral, but not evil chinpira (Bunta Sugawara and Tamio Kawachi) thinking too big of themselves.Four Rooms
1995-12-09It's Ted the Bellhop's first night on the job...and the hotel's very unusual guests are about to place him in some outrageous predicaments. It seems that this evening's room service is serving up one unbelievable happening after another.Whipmaster: Ballad of...
1970-11-11Ryotatsu, the wayward Priest blinded by Shinkai, the Wicked Priest, has his own story in this ultra-violent tale from the era of the Meiji Reconstruction. When a woman leaves her blind son at the Monastery, Ryotatsu is forced to teach the boy how to cope as a blind person in old Japan. When he takes the child with him on the road to find the boy's mother, they run afoul of not only yakuza gangsters, but some corrupt army officers have been trying to sway public opinion against the Satsuma rebels by posing as members of Saigo Takamori's group. It's a bloody mistake for them to underestimate the strength of the Blind Priest, and he'll make them pay with their lives!Short Cuts
1993-10-01Many loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot accidentally runs into a boy with her car. Soon after walking away, the child lapses into a coma. While at the hospital, the boy's grandfather tells his son, Howard, about his past affairs. Meanwhile, a baker starts harassing the family when they fail to pick up the boy's birthday cake.Face/Off
1997-06-27In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.