(1988) Directed by Eric Karson Starring Shô Kosugi, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Doran ClarkRating: ******
5/6
Sho Kosugi, The best man for the job, A CIA spy Who sometimes has to rob, Is awaiting a reunion With his two sons During the two weeks of summer He’ll work for no one, But the CIA needs him, And brings his two boys To the island of Malta, The optimal choice, Since its waters contain A sunken ship With a laser-guided Apparatus. Sho must retrieve it Before the Russians Who will stop at nothing To bring it to Russia. He’s not too thrilled That his boys are in danger. He had wanted a nice And safe vacation, But now he alone, And as the CIA’s best man, Would have to go up Against Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme plays a Russian Henchmen this time. Deadly and silent, He’s a perfect bad guy. The same can’t be said For Sho Kosugi this time. Instead of being silent, He’s given too many lines.
When he speaks in full sentences, The viewers look blank. He’s quite unintelligible. His delivery ranks Up there with Van Damme’s When he becomes too talkative. By the way, those were his Real-life kids. Their English is better Than Sho’s will ever be. It’s sharp and it’s clear, With good delivery. We can see that he’s taught them Some martial arts. They do some fighting, And they’re off to a good start. It’s a race against time For these two Superpowers To declare a winner, And then bask or glower. The thing that struck me As I watched this film Was how much was real, And really filmed. Almost nothing was accomplished In Postproduction, Save editing, And some credits production. Everything else Was handled in-camera. It’s not the CGI Extravaganza That we’re now used to seeing In every film. It’s a breath of fresh air To see this kind of film. The actors move in real time And are not slowed down. The fights are well edited. You can see what’s going down. All in all, It’s a nice little flick, Which is why it getting A five out of six.
