Customer Reviews

Ring of Fire

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After almost 12 years of looking hopelessly for this edition of Ring of Fire on VHS and DVD, and even asking people online and searching the web to see if someone taped a copy off of TV, the real deal is finally here on DVD! If you don't know what I'm talking about, there was about 4 minutes of sex and nudity cut out of all versions of this movie on VHS and DVD and was only shown on premium channels back around 1991 or 1992. After almost 12 years they finally decided to release it with the nudity. Even if you already own a previous edition on DVD or VHS this is still a MUST BUY for Maria Ford fans. You won't be disappointed and the movie's (finally) great now!!

First movie was OK, Second movie was like watching a train wreck, you could not stop watching-hopeing it would get better, but didn't. Third one isn't a whole lot better. I didn't know that they had made a second and third movie, after watching I can see why. It does have some OK explosions. If your a Don "the dragon" Wilson fan, you might like, if not, save your money

I remember seeing this back in 1991 on video. Just like so many other people I searched for this on DVD. Pretty good movie, but not really an action movie, it was more driven by the plot (Romeo & Juliet). Anyways about the dvds. I own both versions. This version shown in the picture is the edited one, that had the nudity cut. The complete one has a slighty different cover. I would recommend either one because overall it was a good movie.

Isn't it ironic that one of the best Don Wilson films doesn't have a lot of Don Wilson in it? Hold on, I take that back: Don is indeed a starring character, but when it comes to the actual fighting, he takes a decidedly supporting role this time around. While this may be cause for disappointment among the Dragon's hardcore faithful, I think this makes for a much more enjoyable kickboxing movie for all the rest of us. Nothing against Wilson as a legitimate kickboxer and international champion, but when it comes to staging his physical talents in movies, you'd be hard-pressed to find somebody less convincing than ol' Don. With other star martial artists picking up the reins until the climatic finale, it's easier to enjoy the sheer cheesiness of one of the most defining '90s fight flicks that thinks it's still in the '80s.

The story: Los Angeles has become the battleground for two feuding factions of martial artists: the predominantly Caucasian union led by the disillusioned Chuck (Vince Murdocco, Kickboxer 2) and his dangerous best friend Brad (Dale Jacoby, No Retreat, No Surrender), and the Chinatown clan headed by star fighter Terry Woo (Steven Vincent Leigh, Sword of Honor), cousin of physician Dr. Johnny Woo (Wilson, Bloodfist series), who wants nothing to do with their violent hate antics. However, when he begins an unsuspecting relationship with Julie (Maria Ford, The Key to Sex) - Brad's sister and Chuck's fiancé - tensions between the warring factions rise to the point that they can only be resolved in the ring and permanently.

Yes, this is as close to a legitimate romance flick that Don would ever come, and that's probably for the best: while it's refreshing to see him exchanging tender words rather than devastating kicks, and while it's cool that the film examines something as modernly relevant as interracial relationships, his romance with B-movie queen Maria Ford is one of the silliest love stories I've ever seen put to the screen...although this may be on account of most scenes they have together being serenaded by a very syrupy soundtrack that attempts to explain their drama for them. Then again, most everything about the film is so painfully 1980s in style that it may as well be a cousin to that other gem out of another time, "No Retreat, No Surrender" - starting with alumni Dale Jacoby's atrocious dangly earrings.

While the martial arts content isn't quite up to par with the aforementioned classic, it's far more respectable than the lackluster fight scenes that Don's future movies would serve up. There are about six real fights among a peppering of smaller scuffles, and these not only feature the talents of the kickboxers I've already listed, but also predominantly Gary Daniels (Fist of the North Star), Ron Yuan (Deadly Target), and the amazing Master Eric Lee (Weapons of Death) as a literal drunken boxer. While occasionally gimmicky, the fights are technically sound, well-paced, and bloody, and therefore pretty fun to watch. Mind you, there's a bit of annoying quick-cut editing to all of them, but this isn't done to excess that it ruins them...that is, of course, until Don Wilson steps up. I really don't know why, but it seems that his presence alone keeps any fight from looking cool through a sudden reduction in quality choreography and camera angles. Seriously, his final two-on-one showdown isn't worth watching; you might as well stop the film five minutes before the end.

Then again, you get to see Don dress up as the phantom of the opera and utter such inspiring lines as "You can find hate everywhere, but the important thing is finding love", so in a way, I'm glad he's in the film. It could just as well have been made with someone more entertaining to watch, like Phillip Rhee or Robin Shou, but even back when the movie was released, fans of the Dragon had to take what they could get. It's good that every once in a while, even they get something as decent as this.

This is defenitely one of Don's best films that he has made in his earlier days. From watching this film I have started to watch other movies from his co-stars because I have considered them to be good martial artists also. The other actors are: Steven Vincent Leigh, Vince Murdocco, Dale Jacoby, Eric Lee, Ron Winston Yuan and Gary Daniels. This movie has good fight scenes with descent high kicks and good chereography involved. The movie is about Johnny an asian-american (Don 'The Dragon' Wilson), who has fallen in love with an american girl. The complications of the story arise when racial hatred surrounds their newfound relationship caused by the girls brother Brad (Dale Jacoby) and boyfriend Chuck (Vince Murdocco)who are both racial against asians. Brad challenges Johnnys brother who is also asian-american (Steven Vincent Leigh) to a no holds barred streetfight where Brad shows no mercy after overpowering Johnnys brother and kills him. Johnny is challenged next and is faced with a streak of vengeance for his brother death.

RING OF FIRE is one of Don "The Dragon" Wilson's best movies. It features also some of the biggest legends in professional kickboxing- Eric Lee (a frequent collaborator of Don's), Ron Yuan, Dale Jacoby, and Vince Murdocco(FLESH GORDON).

It is true that Don has only one major fight in the film. The rest of the time, he does a bit of sparring with his cousin and finds time to romance Maria Ford.

But his one fight in RING OF FIRE is still damn good, and by itself is worth the rent/buying price. Check it out.

Probably Dons best movie, with beautiful training scenes, better than rocky and hard hitting action scenes. The acting isn't horrible and the story carries well. This movie has lots of fight scenes with creative twists (Don takes on a gang of martial artists that wear glass on their fists.) the bad guy hammers nails into wood with his palms. I dont see why more of his movies arn't like this one.

This is one of the very few movies of dons that I like. It shows great fight scenes keeps the action pumping has good dialouge and the training sequnces really stick with you! It shows the true athletisism af the masters because dispite his performance in his other movies don is a phenominal fighter. this movie gives his name some meaning.

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Ring of Fire is more of a love story than a martial arts film, set in the cheesiest tradition of Romeo & Juliet. In L.A., the Chineese and Americans are constantly at each other's throats, fighitng both in and out of the ring. Don Wilson plays a doctor (Johnny) with martial arts skills, romancing the Maria Ford character (Julie), whose brother Brad (played by Dale Jacoby: Bloodmatch, No Retreat No Surrender) is obsessed with getting in the ring with Johhny's cousin - Terry (played by Steven Vincent Leigh: Deadly Bet, To Be The Best). Eventually, the 2 show off in a literal ring of fire, a short but good fight in the movie, fighting Thai style with broken glass (seen also in Kickboxer's 1 & 2). There is not a whole lot of fighting in the movie, but most of the fights are pretty good. Most of the move time is devoted to the building relationship between Johnny and Julie. Unfortunately, Don Wilson only has one fight in the movie, at the end. Other decent martial art stars featured in the film are Eric Lee and Vince Murdocco (Kickboxer 2, To Be The Best). One of the best lines of all time comes from this movie. Hands down to "I have some of Bruce Lee's favotie drink - WAAATAAAAH!
Overall, Ring of Fire is an average martial arts movie that throws in a decent love story, though very cheesy. There isn't a whole lot of action, but if you enjoy these on screen actors (for their skills of course), you will enjoy Ring of Fire. It is the best one in the trilogy.