Romano Et Mano Jungle Jousts Gaines

Jungle Rats

(1987/USA/Philippines)

‘‘Sergeant Pete ‘Killer’ Rayo. His name does exactly what it says ! ’’

South Vietnam 1968. General Corad heads up a reconnaissance transport unit through the jungle border. His presence is felt by the Darth Vader of the Vietcong army, and soon the dark forces are upon him with a rebel yell. Poor old Mike Monty is the set upon General, once again in the wrong place at the wrong time but as ever perfectly cast. Corad and a few of his surviving men are taken captive and soon find themselves hostage to the Vietcong, deep within the man made tunnels in unforgiving territory.
The American military want their General back and immediately put together a crack team of five, all with experience of the terrain and particularly of the network of tunnels. Steely eyed Romano Kristoff is Lieutenant John Smith, who heads up the Tunnel Rat Team, with Jim Gaines as his sergeant at arms Pete ‘Killer’ Rayo. There is friction between the two main men from the outset, which proves to later compromise the mission as Rayo’s battle wearied character loses control over the team objective.
Lieutenant Smith leads his handful of men cautiously into the jungle region to track down General Corad but is soon beset by the Vietcong and some ineptitude from an inexperienced soldier within the ranks. The opposing faction are aware of a rescue mission and they act to move the abducted General to alternate incarceration. Smith and fellow mercenaries readily engage the enemy, as between them both bodies and foliage become peppered like blood splattered seasoning upon the indigenous jungle canvas.

This is low budget, high output mano et mano Action where the good guys cry havoc and unleash a whole heap of whoop ass upon the Vietcong, as they stamp out their intent to bring the General home. It’s by the numbers jungle Action, but the interesting hook here comes in the shape of usually regular good guy Jim Gaines, as his character Pete Rayo is a nasty piece of work with the soul intent of looking out for number one !. Gaines’ portrayal of a soldier descending into narcissistic self destruct is attention grabbing. From the outset he questions Lieutenant Smith’s leadership and soon defies orders, culminating in compromising the teams position. When he beats and rapes a Vietnamese village girl in the care of the team his mental stability is questioned by his fellow soldiers, but it is not until he is directly responsible for the loss of innocent lives that Lieutenant Smith fully realises that he is more of a liable threat than the Vietcong closing in around them. Smith has to square off against Rayo in order to preserve both the mission and his own life, as well as pulling it all together to storm the Vietcong holding place to rescue General Corad.
Good casting and another solid piece of Direction from the relatively fledgling movie making skills of Irvin Johnson make for another enjoyable jungle raid and rescue outing. By this time ‘B’ movie Action genre Directors like Johnson were churning out three or four movies a year and this is one that has the feel of a relatively quick shoot making use of re-used locations and sets, not to mention a reworked thematic script. Nevertheless, anything with the likes of Romano Kristoff, Jim Gaines and Mike Monty in are always plus points in attracting a viewing, and this is no exception. What Jungle Rats loses in originality it makes up for in the Action set pieces that are never too far apart.
Movie Rating: 5/10

Review Paul Cooke / Source Japanese NTSC VHS

Jungle Rats (1987)
Directed by Irvin Johnson
With Rom Kristoff, Jim Gaines,
Jerry Bailey, Michael Welborne,
Richard King & Mike Monty

Jungle Rodents Rage War

Battle Rats

(1989/Hong Kong)

‘‘These bastards are ingenious’’

A pernicious Vietcong commander hits at the heart of the American army, using all manner of employs to kill their soldiers on duty in Vietnam. Captain Rosenblatt’s division has one of the worst death rates in ‘Nam. He wants to bring an end to the terror reign, and flush the commander out of his subterranean network of tunnels. Under the commanders leadership the Vietcong have a lethal advantage as they strike and then vanish back beneath the ground. Those that follow in after them soon become just another statistic for the army to write home to their loved ones about !.

An elite force of tunnel rats is headed up by Captain Rosenblatt and they are immediately put through their suitability paces at Battle Rat boot camp. Jack Gilbert stands out as Sergeant Burns, and is soon alongside Captain Rosenblatt and fellow tunnel rats foraging for tunnel activity for real. An insidious entry point is beneath the village of innocent Vietnamese families, and they are as callously taken advantage of by the malicious Vietcong. It’s dark, dank and dangerous beneath the surface with intruder triggers lining the way, as the American soldiers discover to their detriment. Venomous snakes are coiled and poised to strike. Hairline wires are triggered to set off explosive grenades in close proximity. Underfoot traps pressure set to give way unveil a spiked demise, and lurking in the dark are the Vietcong readied to attack with their knives.
Those that fall are either killed or taken to the Vietcong commander, strung up before him and tortured. One particularly nasty scene sees the commander forcefully poke his two fingers into the eye sockets of a squealing soldier, and in a close up shot the eyes pop out with eyebrow raising disbelief. Not even spinach saves this ‘Popeye’ !.

Captain Rosenblatt continues to push his team back into action. Each time his soldiers strike fast and successfully on land where they are the dominant fighting unit, but each course of aggression is met doubly so when the Vietcong vanish back to their jungle holes. Despite the very heavy loses the American soldiers do learn of the commanders outside assistance, as operations aiding his brutal campaign point to fellow communist states Russia and China. These sympathisers and war mongers have a transportation trail that feeds through the intricate tunnel system. Having attained plans, and acquired information during their ill fated tours of duty into the labyrinths, Captain Rosenblatt leads his men on a do or die assault mission. Their objective is to flush out the commander and once inside, under his order, no one leaves until they blow the tunnel systems sky high !.


Captain Rosenblatt goes off on a one man mission to kill whilst Sergeant Burns locks and unloads with bloody abandon in order to just stay alive. It’s another explosive outcome delivering a barnstormer of a bullet ridden, blood and guts conclusion. With the commander and his multitude of loyal Vietcong subordinates well and truly flushed from their lair by the organised assault, the bowel of iniquity gets well and truly rear ended by an offensive enema directed to wipe them all out !. Time then for a rebel rousing Vietcong shish kebab, with spare ribs and plenty of red sauce to satisfy even the most ardent of Action fans.

Movie Rating: 7/10

Review Paul Cooke / Source Japanese NTSC VHS

Battle Rats (1989)

Director Briggs Benjamin, SR.

With Jack Gilbert, Corwyn Paul Sperry,

Mylene Nocum, Paul John,Louie Katana,

Tony Lao, David Geberson & Albert Dominguez

Filmark Get Set, Tomas Tango ...

Battle For The Treasure

(1988/Hong Kong/Thailand)

‘‘There’s only one way to deal with this situation, and that’s my way !’’

A priceless jade jewel, representing the imperial power of the Kamir Dynasty, is the National Treasure of Kampuchea and is sought by the Vietcong. The treasure must be returned to the Kampuchean Princess Yeung as it represents the life force of the Kampuchean people. An elite team of American special forces retrieve the gem and act to get it safely out of the country until after the war, to then return it to its rightful owner.

After an opening fracas, that sees the American force attacked by the Vietcong, the jade jewel is hidden away by one of the assisting Kampuchean fighters. The loyalist to the princess and the Kampuchean people is however taken prisoner, and tortured for information about the gems hiding place. Back in the urban city the surviving American soldiers seek help in the form of Roger Kane, the number one cop in the Kampuchean force. He is introduced James Bond style, as he assists the local police in staving off a hostage situation, entering the fray by jet pack. He’s a hero with a head for heights and a back pack that is kitted out with quick firing weaponry. The perfect man to assist in procuring the National Treasure and safeguarding the Kampuchean princess.

The Vietcong leader, known as Gibbs, holds prisoner the only man with knowledge of the jades whereabouts, and in order to get him to talk audaciously sends an under cover team to abduct Princess Yeung. Roger Kane and team are soon in the thick of it and find themselves having to immediately act to rescue the princess. Kane takes to the sky in a micro-light aeroplane, giving chase to the kidnappers escaping by train. The thrilling escapade gathers momentum as the chase continues both over land and water. Very well staged Action by the stunt coordinators, setting the stall out early for more of the same to come. The highlight of which is a multiple micro-light sky battle with guns, that extends down into a fully fledged ground battle involving hand combat, sword crossing, and a bullet ballet that includes a bad guy with a rocket launcher. At one point even a harpoon is deployed to stop dead in his tracks one of Gibbs right hand men. Now that really hit’s the spot !.

The frequent full on battles are the sustenance of the movie, as bazooka bearing baddies slug it out with kick ass girls with guns as well as the unflappable Roger Kane and crew, stealing thunder and striking like lightening against Gibbs and his organised bandits. This is most definitely your typical Action laden Tomas Tang produced shebang !.

Kane and his team align with the Special Action Group in order to rescue the princess and regain the National Treasure which has been uncovered by Gibbs dastardly means. The team set about infiltrating, and ultimately storming the Vietcong jungle base in order to achieve their objectives.

The inevitable all out final battle ensues, resulting in more crowd pleasing entertainment filled with gun Action, stunts aplenty, and some stylish slow motion sequences that showcase the on screen conflicts and mass destruction majestically. Jaws will drop and smiles will ensue as Roger Kane once again takes to the sky via a jet propulsion pack, kitted up with ammunition to spare as he strikes from above.

This is explosive entertainment all the way, and just when you are left breathless at all the on screen Action there’s a double dose to surprise at the end. It’s yet another highly enjoyable, silly excursion from the Filmark studio, and to top it all this one has a ‘‘You’ve got to be kidding’’ showdown, with an elephant against a helicopter !.

The names Tang, Tomas Tang !.

Movie Rating: 8/10

Review: Paul Cooke / Source Japanese NTSC VHS

Battle For The Treasure (1988)

Directed by Burt Peterson

With Joey Ryan, Randy Donner, Bert Brooks,

Stephene Mitchell, Norman Linn, Pat Carver,

Ted Evans & Tom Richards

Woo Woo Woo ... WOO

John Woo's RED CLIFF II

(2009/China)

Combined with the first part of this Epic motion picture event Red Cliff II more than carries its own weight in comparison. Indeed there is no need to compare the two. The entire picture is around four and a half hours in duration, shown in its intended vision. This would make for a superb weeks viewing on Television split over five nights. Without question though this is the very best way to enjoy Red Cliff. The complete and uncensored version of Director John Woo's greatest achievement on this scale, viewed in all its glory in High Definition Blu-ray.

Sure the film is split over two Blu-ray discs, but there is no escaping this in order to deliver up the entire movie at its most glorious. Perfect picture and sound, no compromising, and perfectly left at a conclusion point at the end of part one. Viewed back to back over the course of two evenings viewing is ideal to fully appreciate the magnificence of this period piece spectacular.

Red Cliff II picks up after the astounding battles of part one, initially enveloping its viewer into the mind set of both waring factions. The intelligence gathered by a spy in the camp of Prime Minister Cao Cao, and the deception of once friends, now on opposite sides at war. All of the strategic nous of Zhuge Liang (portrayed supremely by the quite excellent Takeshi Kaneshiro) and the defining leadership of Zhou Yu (Tony Leung), combined for the allies, conjoins the Action together in perfect harmony. Outnumbered by hundreds of thousands of men the allies not only have to overcome their obvious disadvantage, but also deploy ingenious ways of attaining ammunition to continue their stand against adversity. Zhuge Liang's composure under great pressure, carried out with an uplifting charm, is quite brilliant. When the allies realise that their supply of essential arrows is no where near what is required for the final battle ahead the method of acquiring one hundred thousand more is ingenious.


Honour, loyalty, brotherhood and fight to the death for the righteous cause bleeds throughout, along with the multitude of soldiers in battle. There is blood spillage aplenty, along with more limbs shorn just as was witnessed in Red Cliff part one. The almost super human expertise and honed abilities, imbued with the strength and agility of the outstanding generals of both armies, delivers moments of supreme blood letting and delirious fight sequences. To witness an impassioned leader lead his troops into battle, cutting a swathe before him is like unleashing a tornado against a hundred men knowing that the hundred will fall.
Prime Minister Cao Cao has the overwhelming advantage of soldiers but his weakness is the love of a woman. The woman in question just so happens to be the wife of his nemesis Zhou Yu. The beautiful Chiling Lin plays Zhou Yu's great love Xiao Qiao, in her first big screen role.
Xiao Qiao is not just a pretty trinket to adorn the background setting of the movie. The impressive location scenery delivers on that score unchallenged by any. As impassioned of her land and people as her husband she chooses to act with her own guile in assisting the cause. As the great final battle comes, she is within the camp of Prime Minister Cao Cao. Love and war go hand in hand !.

The conclusive battle in no way disappoints, in fact it is the defining point of excellence that the movies journey has undertaken to arrive at this finality. Pretty much the last hour of the film is all out breathtaking Action. The sheer grandeur and enormous scale of endeavour to pull this magnitude off is unimaginable. John Woo, and all involved have delivered an Epic of modern time that will stand out for generations to come as the likes of El Cid (1961), Ben Hur (1958) and Spartacus (1960) have done.
Absolutely Excellent involvement by all concerned, from cast to crew to special effects, locations, sound and most definitely Director John Woo. Without question Red Cliff is a major motion picture event Epic of our time. Recommended on every level of experience, edification and pure expansive entertainment.

RED CLIFF II (2009)

Director John Woo
Featuring: Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang, Chen Chang, Jun Hu, Shido Nakamura, Chiling Lin, Yong You, Dawei Tong, Yong Hou, Jia Song, Ba Sen Zha Bu, Jinsheng Zang, Shan Zhang, Hui Wang, Gang Xie, Chao Guo, and a cast of thousands of Extras

Woo Woo Woo

John Woo's RED CLIFF

(2008/China)

Forget the condensed International version, this is the real deal. John Woo's Incredible portrayal of an almighty battle, taken from the Three Kingdoms period set in 220 - 280 AD.

The sheer scale and eye melting lavishness of this Epic piece of Chinese cinema is so very, very Impressive !.

This then is the magnificent Chinese Blu-ray DVD, available as an All Region release and most definitely the preferred option to go for. The International version is available in both the United States and the UK in a condensed version, playing at both cinemas and now available on DVD. John Woo's Full and Fabulous vision of a legendary tale of courage, honour and strategy on the battle ground is most definitely best appreciated, and fully envisioned as it should be, in its un-condensed circa four hour version. Red Cliff is attainable via the Chinese International retailers in a two DVD release format. The preferred version to go for is the highly recommended Blu-ray discs. Both Parts One and Two are available to purchase.

With a cast list of highly accomplished stars from Asia, John Woo has returned to his home heritage roots and delivered a slice of Cinema that he built his reputation upon. Having tasted the Hollywood gloss, and had ridiculous amounts of money thrown at him to film Westernised Action flicks, bordering on the pretty darned good at best, Woo returns home to hit the Excellent highs of his golden era of film making at last.

The talent of John Woo is undoubted, but unrestrained by the money mongering producers outside of his home country, here John Woo is unshackled and free to serve a platter of pure unadulterated Action cinema at its very finest.

Red Cliff is without question a stunning piece of world cinema at its finest. The depth of characterisation is wondrous and brings back fond memories of the deliriously entertaining The Water Margin series from the Seventies. Comradely, heroism and brotherhood all intertwined for the common purpose of good overcoming evil. This is what Director John Woo excels at, along with his expansive vision for Action set pieces. Here he has a canvas so vast that even the great epics delivered by the mighty Shaw Brothers are excelled for sheer dynamic depth and expansiveness. Red Cliff is without question a modern day, old school styled instant cinematic Classic.

This is just Part One !!! ... looking so very much forward to nestling back in a comfortable armchair, lights out and sound turned up for the heavens to hear, to further the experience with Red Cliff Part Two, also in stunning Blu-ray. Picking up on where Part One finished, after an Epic encounter upon land, showcasing an astonishing battle of tactical tenacity. The re-enactment of battle formation scenes and intricate traps, with loss of limbs and life aplenty on display is just staggering.
Just enough time then to draw breath at the conclusion of Part One, to prepare for the onslaught of the tyrannical despot Cao Cao, Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, and his army of eight hundred thousand men arriving by sea upon a mighty fleet of ships, at the port of Red Cliff. It has been quite a while since the phrase To Be Continued has been so anxiously anticipated on the back of an Epic first part as this. Fabulous stuff.

Highly Recommended.

RED CLIFF (2008/2009)

Director John Woo
Featuring: Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang, Chen Chang, Jun Hu, Shido Nakamura, Chiling Lin, Yong You, Dawei Tong, Yong Hou, Jia Song, Ba Sen Zha Bu, Jinsheng Zang, Shan Zhang, Hui Wang, Gang Xie, Chao Guo, and a cast of thousands of Extras

This Aint No 'Rom' Com

Tough Cop

(1987 / Canada / Phillipines / USA)

‘‘Think like a man, move like a cat’’

 

Following tips and hunches Miami’s budget ball breakers Carpenter and Logan are the ‘B’ movie equivalents of Crockett and Tubbs from Miami Vice, with all the attitude of Dirty Harry. They constantly take down other departments jurisdictions against regulation to collar the heavily armed drug dealers. Chief Inspector Caruso has to regularly remind Carpenter that he is no longer in Vietnam and that there are rules to follow !.‘Fat Cat’ is the new big boss garnering a reputation amongst the dealers and street pushers. Whilst he eases out the opposition Carpenter and Logan squeeze his operation and Fat Cat takes note of Carpenter. His men pick up Carpenter and girlfriend Stella, bringing them blindfolded to their big boss who makes Carpenter an offer of great wealth to join him. Nick Carpenter is an honest cop but Fat Cat gives an ultimatum to work for him, or work for no one !. Carpenter is given five days to give the drug baron his answer, holding Stella against her will and making it perfectly clear what the implications of refusal will be !.

With his professional partner Pete at his side Nick Carpenter hit’s the streets for information as to Fat Cat’s whereabouts, and together the duo really kick into Action. Revving things up in a red Ford Mustang, Carpenter and Logan shake things down at a bar where a moment to talk with a drink soon turns into a brawl. Gang cronies try to call in a debt but do not cater for the Miami detectives calling out the shots, and pretty soon the two clean house well before last orders are taken.
Haunted by memories of Vietnam, war hero Nick Carpenter now patrols the urban jungle of Miami as a detective working for the law enforcement agency of Miami Special Branch. A survivor of the Vietcong torture camps he now fights to keep the streets clean of drug dealers. Along with his black police partner Pete Logan he still does things his own way to get results, constantly agitating his superior Chief Inspector John Caruso, played by the ubiquitous Mike Monty. Chief Caruso at one stage applicably verbalises to Carpenter ‘‘You’re a natural born killing machine, and a no good social worker’’.

When the governors young son is taken hostage for a $2 million ransom Carpenter and Logan again disregard the chiefs explicit order to stay out of it, and set about closing in on the heavily armed abductors in their own inimitable fashion. Holed up in an abandoned multi storied warehouse the gang of abductors are staked outside by the police but are more than prepared as they strike out with heavy artillery, including machine guns and a rocket launcher. The altercation soon turns into a fire powered frenetic free for all, but amidst the distraction Carpenter and Logan set about taking out the bad guys by surprise from within the warehouse. The Action for value exchange here is very rewarding.

All small crimes and drug dealings connect back to Fat Cat, and when Nick and Pete finally catch a guy with inside information as to the crime lords whereabouts the truly Explosive Action kicks into high gear. Employing a personal interpretation on methods of interrogation, used against himself and fellow soldiers in Vietnam, Carpenter employs a makeshift torture device to assure the lackey gives up the hideaway of Fat Cat. It proves to be a small island just off the coast of Miami. Carpenter and Logan waste no time in preparing themselves to go calling !.

Fat Cat, a Caucasian version of Barry White, with a line in suits likely picked out at the time by Ray Charles, revels in his king pin position and surrounds himself with a small army of well armed men. Nick and Pete are helicopter dropped into the waters just off shore of the island, kitted out mercenary style, armed to the hilt readied for Action. Two cops back in Action ‘Nam style, prepared to take the war to the drug war monger Fat Cat !.
Kenneth Peerless & Mike Monty

The two super cool cops soon discover that the island is a huge hording port for drugs and munitions. They set explosives to destroy the lot and set about delivering a personal message to Miami’s underworld. Armed with big guns, big explosives and big sunglasses, they storm the island on a mission intent on taking down Fat Cat and rescuing Stella.

The bullet laden explosive finale is gung ho greatness, and even has time for the odd moment of welcome wry humour. A nod to Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) sees a black clad, sword wielding Ninja, squaring up to Romano Kristoff and a gun. Kristoff’s reaction here, with an immediate response and delivery of dialogue, is classic.

This is Action packed, crowd rousing stuff which delivers entertainment in no small measure. How can you not be thrilled by a film that ends with Romano Kristoff audaciously squaring off against a helicopter ?. It takes a lot of bottle to stop Fat Cat getting the cream !

Movie Rating: 7/10

Review Paul Cooke / Source NTSC VHS Japan

Tough Cop (1987)
Director Dominic Elmo Smith
With Rom Kristoff, Jimi B Jnr, Anthony East,

Thomas 'Tinsel' Tang Treat

Ninja Condors

aka Ninja Condors 13

(1987/Hong Kong)

Filmark hit the ninja trail running full on like a quarter back in complete body kit, readied for the fray and prepared to get bruised. It’s Miller time folks, and this one goes down a treat. A Tomas Tang production that saves ten dollars on leaving the ‘H’ out of his name in the credits, to allow for a cut and paste free movie all of its own with the reinvested proceeds . Yes indeed, Ninja Condors is an entire film from start to glorious finish, and rendered to DVD in super Ninja wide screen vision with welcome relish. There’s no need for Richard Harrison to parade here with a head band decal stating Ninja, it’s clear what’s on offer and the Action show reels deliver the goods like Santa on smack.

Alexander Lou is Brian, who as a young boy witnesses the killing of his father in barbaric fashion. Hunted down, by the henchmen of a regional gang boss, he is tied and bound, stretched out by his four limbs, attached to revving motorcycles, and then ripped apart as the bikes tear off in different directions. Brian is left alone, but with a burning rage building within him as he grows into man hood, to take revenge upon his fathers murderers !.
Along with another youth Brian is raised in the ways of martial arts and the path of the Ninja, by a kindly master. Blinded by his desire to take revenge Brian falls in with an organisation that is steadily culling the region of its gangland tyranny, by replacing it with its own !. Now a man and honed in the skills of the Ninja Brian is known as White Eagle, and those that took his father from him are swooped down upon in remorseless retribution.
As the organisation garners absolute power, distributing its blades of death upon the drug cartels, prostitution racketeers, and gambling iniquities, with a lethal deftness attributable to the way of the Ninja, Brian questions his own path taken. When innocent bystanders and children are caught up in the distribution of death to those that are truly deserving he knows that the organisation has become as callous as those that it set out to bring down. Power has corrupted the head of the organisation, the one that Brian grew up with under the tutelage of the master, a man now calling himself Lucifer !.
When expected to kill a police officer who helped him when his father was slain, and his pregnant wife, Brian is compromised and his inner conflict prevails to the code of the Ninja. He rebels against the organisation, putting himself top of Lucifer’s list of priorities to deal with. The White Eagle goes in search of his master, and Lucifer’s Ninja follow in pursuit, ordered to kill !.
Brian runs into a larger than life, solid rock of a fighting man, at a bar. A big black dude named Eddie, who introduces himself by picking a fight with everyone in the bar and involving Brian to help him out. Eddie sticks around, even though Brian wants to journey alone, but with a path constantly beset by aggressive Ninjas looking to clip the White Eagles wings, Eddie’s groove grows on him. Together they play off each other like born brothers at arms, dishing out fist sandwiches with relish and whooping up a storm of Ninja magical mist to take out all that foolishly throw themselves at them. They are like the clones of Bruce Lee and Fred Williamson, brought together to beat down the bad guys and put the righteous brothas back where they belong.
With black garbed Ninjas springing out at them from everywhere, like Cato surprising Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther films, the rinky dink duo break bones, snap spines and spike heads in retaliation. There’s more Ninja nuttiness on display than a schizoid squirrel hoarding Snickers bars for winter. It’s tree flying, gravity defying, Ninja wizardry, vanishing into thin air following a puffing plume of multi coloured smoke, lethal steel star throwing acrobatics, and the deft dance of White Ninja Vs Black Ninja, swords of death style !.
Set piece scene stealers include a boat yard Ninja ho down and a Ninja duel on ice at a rink. Even though the movie manically jumps about like a leopard in a leotard, for shear entertainment value Ninja Condors knocks the spots off most Western made kung fu capers paws down.
The final showdown is a bring the house down classic as White Eagle squares off against Lucifer in one Hell of a round house Ninja riot. Brian and Eddie storm Lucifer’s stronghold hellacious coastal haven. Pop your corn and let your lady lick the lolly as the excitement value goes off the chart, Ninjaculation style. John Woo would be proud of the body count, and sheer amount of explosive Action on display at the finale, as the bullets fly and the grenades get launched. Blade upon blade sets the sparks flying, and a rapturous reality shift rounds proceedings off as sheer Ninja nonsense comes gleefully into play. For fruit loop frolics just add movie milk and Ninja nitrous to this scrumptious bowl of Ninja Condor goodness. This Tomas Tang treat tastes so very good.

Review Paul Cooke / Source Pal Region 2 DVD

Ninja Condors (1987)
Director James Wu
With Alexander Lou, Stuart Hugh, Eugene Thomas,
Timothy Johnson, Richard Phillips, Edward Douglas,
Mary Johnson, Mick Murray & Jay Forster

‘‘I’ll carve your ambitions on your tombstone’’

Bruce Le Black Spot

Hei Se Zou Lang
aka Black Spot

(1991/Hong Kong)

Kin Lung Huang, better known as Bruce Le, gets to step away from the countless Bruce Lee impersonator kung fu flicks and turn his attention to a serious portion of big budgetary Action. Here he plays Wong Lung, a former problem solver for an international organisation responsible for the manufacture and trafficking of drugs worldwide. He is a former criminal with a moral conscience, but once you are embroiled in the organisation they never let you go. The head of the trans national cartel wants Wong Lung to take out one of their Asian bosses and is not prepared to take no for an answer. Now settled in Paris France, and leading a comfortable lifestyle untroubled by anyone, word is leaked to the police and Wong Lung is picked up by them. They too offer him a deal, work with them to infiltrate the organisation and earn his freedom as a world citizen, with all past illegal activities stricken from his record. Lung has little choice but to take the deal but the passage back to Hong Kong has to be earned, and the organisation set him a mighty task in order to prove his worth and loyalty to them. He must fight a seven foot monster of a man in a barbed wire steel cage, last man standing walks free !.

One of the highlights of the movie is the fight scene in the cage match. A brutal and barbaric environment in a den of iniquity where the cage is the centre piece, surrounded by a ravenous crowd baying for the blood of the warring occupants fighting for their very lives. The king of the ring is an Asian ox of a man, with the mind of a simpleton but the strength of a bull. Able to pummel expert fighters to death with his relentless hammer like arms, and never shy to rip chunks of flesh from their battered bodies with his very teeth. He rips open a living sheep thrown to him as sustenance between bouts, tearing the creature apart and feeding off its entrails, and drinking of its gushing blood. Hung enters the ring like the mindless behemoths next lamb to the slaughter, but this is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Years of martial arts training, guile and cunning have served Hung well, and prepared him for even the most seemingly insurmountable. This is a classic Eighties styled bloody mismatch of grand proportions. Rules simply do not apply and in order to walk free Hung immediately has to resort to evasive manoeuvres, close quarter quick body attacks and eye gouging !. Blood splays the fevered crowd as Hung ferociously chops the man elk down to a twitching stump, leaving him a bloody pulp relieved of his unbeaten crown.

The organisation are satisfied that in Hung they still have the best man for the job in hand. He is given a briefcase of money for expenses and a ticket to Taiwan. His assignment to kill boss Tai Chin, and re-establish secure trade links across the infamous Golden Triangle to ensure that the organisations Opium trade continues to thrive.

Bruce Le clearly is afforded a great deal of influence in the production of this international extravaganza. The countries involved must have delighted in getting recognition on a global scale as no obvious regional embargo’s towards the film makers seems at all evident. The grand scale of the army resources providing a vast cast of real soldiers, replete with full uniforms and weaponry, along with the full military might of heavy machinery such as tanks and helicopters is staggering to behold up on the screen.

As Director and likely aware of his star stature Bruce Le even affords a degree of thought provoking ethic, in a strong message for the audience to ponder upon long after the movie finishes. He shows both sides of the drug trade, not just the addictive evil that envelopes the planet but startlingly the naivety of those involved in its early stages of productivity. Midway through the movie Wong Lung gets to witness how an entire village of hard labouring poor farmers grow the crop for the production of the opium. They truly believe they are cultivating a medicine that helps the outside world, and what they work for in exchange for food and bare essentials to live on is their duty. Their innocence tears at Lung’s ideals and causes him to contemplate on what will happen to these people when their community is destroyed. The principal of cause and effect here is powerfully touched upon.

Along with several showcase fight sequences, that display Bruce Le as a very fine martial artist in his own right, the grand scale sets are also an impressive part of the whole. The mass production facility for the heroin / opium is purified and packaged in a massive natural cave. It is very well lit to highlight its structure and the base level is bedecked with big machinery, productivity vats and electrical machinery, all just waiting to explode upon the arrival of the armed forces come the big finale.

Sure enough the ending plays out on a tumultuous Action high as Bruce Le takes down the Asian cartel, whilst outside two armies collide in spectacular fashion. The stunt coordinators earn triple time with the shear volume of explosions and bodies flying about. With the Thai army providing the real deal on the heavy artillery this really is a barn storming end event highlight. Throw in international agents of the female babes with guns variety, and Black Spot proves to be a destination for die hard Action seekers the world over.

Even when Bruce Le runs out of bullets he just fires up his fists and shoots from the hip with lethal kicks to opponents. The cataclysmic finale delivers a damning indictment on all fighting both for and against the production of drugs. A message for the masses and a real body punch conclusion to a grand scale Action epic.
Review by Paul Cooke / Source NTSC US VHS
NB: Original Language English Subtitled and

Semi Wide Screen, Likely Taken From An

Original Source Aprox 1:85:1 Ratio

Black Spot (1991)
Director Bruce Le
With Bruce Le, Rossieo Badin, Yu-Man Cheng,

Tao Chiang, Elizabeth Gordon, James Ha,

Fanny Hill & Lo Lieh

Flash Ming's Well

Trigon Fire
(1989/Philippines)

‘‘If I die I take you with me !’’

A somewhat initially neutered Sam Flash Gordon Jones, as a doctor of medicine, gets caught up in a global terror plot involving a super nuclear bomb. Known as the Trigon Factor, there are three separate parts to the mighty weapon safeguarded around the world. A plot is in action to bring the three ‘phases’, as they are referred to, together by the head of the Palestinian Revolutionary Front. Lots of guys dressed all in black with matching balaclavas, looking like a cost cutting grunge variation of Ninjas with no stealth, just brawn and a complete lack of colour coordinated fashion statement head band wear, steal away the three parts but keep them still separated. Headed up by a former defence minister named Abdul he instigates a bidding war to secure the Trigon. Libian backers come in way above the competition with an almighty $20billion.

The C.I.A are on immediate alert and place a bounty of $1 million on the head of one Sirian McCoy, known as The Irish Terror, wanted around the world and known to be directly involved with the organisation behind the multiple heist. A professional terrorist bounty hunter named Shield is hired to locate McCoy and learn of the whereabouts of the three Trigon phases. Due to a last minute identity change poor old Sam Jones gets mistaken for Shield and is soon dodging bullets. His character Doctor Ford, no not Doctor Zarkov !, is assisted by a local agent operative named Manuel. Masquerading undercover as a cab driver Manuel is equipped to protect Doctor Ford, initially believing him to be Shield. With the bad guys off his scent Shield benefits from the benefits of anonymity allowing him a little extra time to get a close look at his target McCoy, and learn about the incoming Trigon parts to the area.

Sam Jones is wastefully inept for the first part of the movie as his character truly is a regular guy. It is when his wife and child are repeatedly shot down in cold blood by the militant group that he is forced to adapt to a more recognised role as an aggressor and take up arms against the killers. Assisted by Manuel in double quick time to handle a weapon, and accepting Manuel’s help, the two men turn into a combined force that actually engage the enemy in pursuit of the Trigon themselves !. Almost like a cut down version of The A-Team they are joined by a female reporter, who herself is a mysterious government agent, who can handle herself extremely well but may not be all that she appears !?. Together the intrepid trio cause havoc amongst the inept forces guarding the Trigon Factor and incredibly manage to start securing the parts !. Not even ‘‘Howling Mad’’ Matt Murdock was this crazy !.

Though thankfully delivering a Flash of Action at the end, not even Sam Jones can save the world from this merciless ‘Ming’ atrocity !. Shield provides at least a semblance of what an Action hero should be, as he storms in with the cavalry just in time to at least raise viewing interest to some degree come closure.
The mind numbing banality of the movie is as wooden as Pinocchio’s carved flaccid pee shooter, and just as unlikely to stand up to a repeat showing.

Review by Paul Cooke / Source Japanese NTSC VHS
Trigon Fire (1989)
Director John Lloyd
With Sam Jones, Blueberry, David Light,
Jim Moss, Erwin Hahn, Jerry Beyer & Mike Monty

Time For Some Tasty 'Pino Pie ...

Firebird Conspiracy

(1987/Philippines)

‘‘If you fail, never come back !’’

Firebird, a microfilm containing indicting information of American forces corruption in Vietnam, and a damning document to shock the Whitehouse and embarrass the President of the United States Of America, is subject to conjecture as to existence and location toward the end of the Vietnam war. The Pentagon and the C.I.A want to recover the microfilm, even though the official word on the subject is that it is nothing more than a tool of propaganda.

A small detachment of American soldiers led by Captain Beck must baby sit an important Vietnamese chief diplomat, travelling with his young daughter and pet dog !. The chief being the man who may or may not just so happen to be transporting the Firebird microfilm !?. Along with a female reporter Captain Beck and his loyal men have their work cut out for them, particularly as their path to the border is through Vietcong jungle territory. This is where the rumble in the jungle takes no prisoners !.

It is not long before Beck’s convoy is set upon and what follows in quick succession are multiple incursions resulting in severed limbs, bloodied stumps, and casualties all about as mortar attacks fire in from all around. Helicopters swerve and weave to bring assistance to no great avail and the explosive Action quota fills the screen with realistic effect.

Fleeing the encroaching Vietcong force Captain Beck leads his party through the perilous jungle, which takes victims of its own as some fall prey to the multiple death traps along the way. Swinging spikes of death flail through surprised victims with lethal accuracy, with a resultant residue synonymous with the blood letting witnessed in the infamous earlier produced cannibal movies. Whenever the Action kicks into top gear the body count rises, and here the film makers spare no one as both women and children get caught up in the scenes of death deliverance along with male counterparts.

There is an unusually high quota of sexual soft core material here. The female form is displayed with little reservation, and the soldiers waste no time in raising their American flags !.

With the Vietcong hot on their heels Captain Beck and his now rag tag party of diminishing numbers meet up with a small unit of Navy Seals, sent in to retrieve them by the American military. It’s no plane sailing though as the ramshackle Vietnamese junk they attempt to flee by water to the border is little match for the might of the Vietcong resources. The odds against Captain Beck and those under his protection become overwhelming and the astonishing revelations surrounding the Firebird bring about even more testing situations to contend with.

This is forward thrusting film making at its most refreshingly entertaining. Well staged big Action scenes deliver the goods by the handful, and the level of realistic ‘NC17’ rated situations of death and adult themes make this stand out from the abundance of similarly themed genre movies. The conclusion to Firebird Conspiracy is a corker, and unravels a couple of original twists and turns to highlight the refreshing originality of this well made Asian Action Adventure flick.


Review Paul Cooke / Source Japanese NTSC VHS

Firebird Conspiracy
1987 F. Puzon Film Enterprises, Inc
Director Vittorio De Romero
With Warren Fleming, Bianca DeLorean, Stephen Douglas,
Patrick Burton, James Corman & Mike Monty