Product Details

• Actors: Jeff Speakman, Mako, James Hong, Mariska Hargitay, Dante Basco
• Directors: Mark DiSalle
• Writers: David C. Wilson
• Format: NTSC, Color, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Olive Films
• DVD Release Date: February 14, 2012
• Run Time: 85 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B006A8XGVQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,277 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Martial-arts sensation Jeff Speakman plays a drifter who returns home only to find out that his old mentor and family friend is harassed and threatened daily by the Korean mafia. Days after his return, his mentor is murdered by the syndicate's top henchmen and assassin Tanaka (Toru Tanaka). Vowing revenge, he recruits the help of his long-estranged policeman brother, Adam (John Dye) and his old mentor's young apprentice, Jimmy Ho (Dante Basco). Caught between the arm of the law and his own code of honor, he heads toward a final showdown with the sadistic assassin and the Korean crime syndicate. Featuring Asian legends James Hong and Mako with future Law & Order star Mariska Hargitay.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Is there a problem here?" Master Speakman's Perfect Weapon December 7, 2011

By Tim

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

And so uttered Jeff as he comes upon a group of local goons standing over his old friend Kim (played by famous character actor Mako), when he drops by Kim's shop having returned home some years after being ostracised by his cop father.

The Perfect Weapon is my second favourite martial arts movie of all time, the first being Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. Whilst the revenge motive is a familiar storyline in martial arts films, what seperates Perfect Weapon from the rest is Jeff Speakman's brilliant Kenpo moves in the fight scenes. The underlying themes of the values of friendship and family, the positive life benefits of Kenpo training and of course good triumphing over evil add to the movie's experience.

I attended a seminar by Jeff Speakman in 2001 and can confirm that everything you see him do on screen he can also do in real life - no CGI, no cables, no trampolines! The Perfect Weapon is the movie that introduced a new generation to
Kenpo martial arts in 1991/92 when it was released in the cinemas and then on VHS. Jeff's own instructor Senior Grand Master Ed Parker was the technical advisor on the film and their collaboration resulted in one of the best martial arts movies ever made. Jeff has made many films since then but none have quite the impact of Perfect Weapon.

I concur with the first reviewer regarding the legitimacy of this DVD release and presume that Olive Films have obtained the rights from Paramount Pictures for Perfect Weapon's DVD production and distribution. Here's hoping there are lots of special features with contributions from Mr Speakman himself. I know the worldwide Kenpo family has been anticipating Perfect Weapon's DVD release for a long time. Enjoy!...

UPDATE: Mr Speakman has confirmed that the DVD is a legitimate release from Olive Films - just the movie though, no extras. Read more ›

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars nearly a perfect martial arts movie too March 10, 2007

By dominion_ruler

Format:VHS Tape

Desperately needing and deserving a dvd release, The Perfect Weapon takes itself pretty seriously, and is one of the highest quality B movies I have seen. Jeff Speakmen is a rare martial arts gem, appearing in only a few films, with this arguably being his best. The cast is pretty good, combining several familiar faces from various martial arts films. The story is about justice/revenge, but unlike most martial arts films, it is explored with more intrigue. The action, though not very plentiful, is top notch. The Perfect Weapon is one of the only movies I know of that also shows off the beautiful martial art, Kenpo.

The movie begins with a beautiful introduction of Kenpo, showcased by Speakman to the song "I've got the power". Though a cheesy scene, it really is beautiful. Following this are some flashbacks to Jeff's (Jeff Speakman's charcater name) childhood and development of Kenpo skills. In the present, Jeff's mentor Kim Kwan, is murdered by the Korean mafia, and thus the journey to find the killer begins. Interesting enough, we get to see the killer, but not the man who ordered the kill until much later.

The action, again is superb, and if there was more of it I'd give this 5 stars. There are 2 fight scenes that really stick out. First is early on in a gym, where Jeff takes on 3 men at once, one being played by James Lew (also appeared in Balance of Power, American Ninja 5, and several other martial arts films). The scene lasts a few minutes, but is exceptionally well done. The last is the final fight of the movi. Jeff takes on the huge bodyguard "Tanaka". The fight lasts about 3 minutes, and unfortunately, doesn't show off too much skills since Tanaka is just too big for flashy martial arts.... There is also a decent car chase scene in the movie, which is much better than most poorly executed chase scenes in B movies.

Overall, The Perfect Weapon is one of the best B movies ever made. Everything is on the money. Unlike most martial arts B movies, there is not an over-abundance of action. Though I do prefer that, this movie makes up for it with more of an effort in all the other areas. Read more ›

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The movie is C+, but contains GREAT American Kenpo . January 11, 1999

By [e-mail]

Format:VHS Tape

Although the movie gets a C- in acting and plot, this movie delivers some AMAZING American Kenpo action sequences, and does a competent job explaining the philosophy of a Kenpo martial artist in the beginning. It's apparent that Mr. Speakman is a talented martial artist FIRST and actor second, but he clearly and skillfully demonstrates the accuracy,usefulness, speed, and power of Kenpo. I mean, come on, he's a man of action in this movie, not a man of words.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Martial Arts must-see March 8, 1999

By A Customer

Format:VHS Tape

Jeff Speakman displays awesome speed in his fight scenes, indicative of the lightning-fast techniques used in Kenpo Karate. A tribute to this amazing and effective martial art as much as it is an action flick, Jeff's precise and powerful moves far outshine his acting abilities. The language used in this movie makes it (in my opinion) unsuitable for young children, but the action is stellar! The villains in this movie are a who's-who of recent martial arts movies, including actors who will be recognized from Mortal Kombat, Goldfinger, and Bloodsport II. Tanaka (Oddjob from Goldfinger) again plays an indestructable man-tank who smiles while shrugging off blows that would cripple any normal movie character. His martial techniques are more developed than in Goldfinger, but he is still portrayed as a lumbering monster. Tanaka is a highly-ranked practitioner of Judo in real life, and should be cast in roles which alow him to display his technique, rather than simply being a massive behemoth. Martial-arts megastar Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (I might be misspellng this), who most recently played Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat, plays a minor role as a Korean thug who has a few good lines but was underused as a martial artist. If you are a fan of martial arts movies, this is definitely on your to-see list!