2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"Here are the rules: In the ring, there are no rules", July 31, 2009
This review is from: Shootfighter: Fight to the Death [PAL] (DVD)
"Shootfighter" is among those movies included in a short list of films - among
No Retreat, No Surrender,
The King of the Kickboxers, and others - that are universally venerated among martial arts fans but that few folks have actually seen. Usually the films on this list live up to their legend and are worth paying the chunk of change they tend to go for nowadays, but in the case of this karate spectacle that mixes hand-to-hand combat with weapons, I'm not entirely convinced I got my money's worth. Sure, the fighting beats the crud out of many a modern Steven Seagal or Van Damme flick and there's a lot to be said for a film that accumulates such a large roster of legitimate kung fu talent, but as far as dynamism, utilization of resources, and actual fighting is concerned, I have seen better.
The story: Nick (Michael Bernardo, "WMAC Masters") and Ruben (William Zabka,
High Voltage) are two karate-practicing buddies who misguidedly fall into the world of illegal shootfighting via an underground tournament concocted by the evil Mr. Lee (Martin Kove,
The Karate Kid). Stuck in a circuit where the only way out is as champion or corpse, it's up to their teacher Shingo (Bolo Yeung,
Bloodsport) to save them...but doing so would involve facing the man who killed his best friend.
On the surface, "Shootfighter" appears to be a superior low-budget actioneer: the acting isn't great but is far from sucking, the premise ties into modern society's obsession with mixed martial arts, and - my goodness! - just look at that roster of fighters! In addition to Yeung, Kove, Bernardo, and Zabka, there's Hakim Alston and Chris Casamassa (
Mortal Kombat), John Barrett (
American Kickboxer 1), Erik Betts ("WMAC Masters"), Thunderwolf (
Bloodmatch), Kisu (
Dragon Fire)...and that's just considering the fighters that are given an introduction. Most of the guys are legitimate kung fu practitioners and could probably have put on the same show in real life as they did in the movie, but what's more impressive is their mastery of weapons: quarterstaffs, rattan sticks, sickles, spears, nunchukas, and swords are called forth to increase the level of violence, which occasionally peaks at gory levels which include a shredded throat, a snapped forearm, and a ripped-out heart.
With that being said, consider that the movie works better as a cumulative spectacle than as a collection of them. Of the 'round fifteen fights, no single one stands out in particular (with the possible exception of a weapons encounter featuring Kazja Patschull), due to the brawls being either too short, featuring too many pauses between the action, and/or the insistence on implied "realism" that take away much of the ebb and flow of the encounters. There are plenty of cool moves but these are generally limited to one or two per fight, and it's harder to appreciate these on their own than as of a well-rounded battle. Also, seeing as he's more or less the headlining name among the cast, it's particularly disappointing that Bolo Yeung has two of the worst fights of the movie, the second against Martin Kove.
During the end credits, Yeung is shown practicing tai chi on a beach, and this alone is prettier and more impressive than almost any fight in the movie as far as I'm concerned. When it comes to a film like this, all that matters is the action: simplistic storylines and bad acting can be forgiven if the kicks and punches are awesome, but even though this film was definitely an inspired feat, it has a lot to learn about just letting its fighters duke it out to the end. Give it a buy if you're an enthusiast, but otherwise, mainstream Hollywood has already surpassed "Shootfighter."
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
intense must-see martial arts action, August 18, 2006
This review is from: Shootfighter: Fight to the Death [PAL] (DVD)
Shootfighter is just about the best American-made martial arts movie ever. There is a decent story, good characters (2 from the Karate Kid movies), lots of action, and superb cage fighting - with weapons.
The movie begins in Hong Kong, with Shingo (played by Bolo Yeung) and Lee (played by Martin Kove) who are about to fight off in the Shootfighter finals. Before Lee makes it to Shingo, he is banned from Shootfighting for killing his prior opponent. Lee begins his own Shootfighting tournament in Mexico, with weapons in the final round. In order to regain his honor, Lee lures 2 of Shingo's students (William Zakba and Michael Bernardino) to participate in the tournament in hopes that Shingo will follow.
The fighting in the movie is extreme and intense, especially the weapons matches in the final round. There is plenty of blood and some gore, and the fights are lengthy, look real, and are evenly matched. There is also a lot of wonderful choreography. The finals alone last for about the final 30 minutes of the film. The scene for the tournament is in a pretty decent looking locale: an underground caged ring with a screaming dinner audience of betters.
As far as the characters go, the movie has a decent list. Most notable are Martin Kove and William Zakba from the Karate Kid movies. There are also a couple of good fighters from other movies, played by John Barret (American Kickboxer 1) and Thunderwolf (Bloodmatch). Most of the acting isn't too bad, but there are cheesy moments. Unfortunately, if you are a fan of Bolo Yeung, this is not his best role. He doesn't do the good guy much justice, especially with the plenty of dumb one-liners he has. He does get a chance to kick some butt pretty good in the end though.
Overall, Shootfighter is fast paced and above average quality as far as American-made martial art movies go. If you are looking for some of the most intense fights, look no further. This is easily an hour and half of enjoyable movie watching.
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