No Retreat, No Surrender (1986)
Directed by Coery Yuen
Written by See-Yuen Ng, Corey Yuen, Keith W. Strandberg
Starring Kurt McKinney, Jean-Claude Van Damme, J.W. Fails, Tai Chung Kim
Best. Movie. Ever. Ok, so it really isn’t but this was my favorite movie growing up (beating Critters by a smidge). This is an 80’s gem that needs to be seen. It was released by the now defunct New World Pictures (the same company that released Dead Heat) and features the first major role of Jean-Claude
Van Damme.
The plot revolves around the Stillwell family. Tom (the father) is owner and teacher of a karate school. His son Jason is a student who seems to learn more from Bruce Lee movies than his father. In comes some Mafioso who is trying to bully Tom into closing his school. When Tom resists the Mafioso unleashes Ivan (Van Damme) in the fight between Tom and Ivan, Tom’s leg is broken.
A few months later the Stillwell’s have moved to Seattle to start fresh. Jason has trouble making friends until he meets R.J. Madison (with full on jeri curl and Michael Jackson dance moves). From here on out the flick becomes a teen movie with Jason trying to fit in and failing. He still tries to practice karate but when his father finds out, he bans Jason from the sport. Jason runs away to an abandoned house where the ghost of Bruce Lee (Tai Chung Kim) offers to train him. Under Sensei Lee, Jason’s skills begin to blossom. At this point the training montage kicks in.
The film ends with a Karate exhibition with the US Karate Team, unfortunately the mafia with Ivan in tow crash the party. Ivan blows through the US team and challenges anyone in the audience. The new and improved Jason enters the ring to gain revenge and his father’s honor. Of course all of the training he received is put to the test in this fight. Jason holds his own until Ivan begins fighting dirty. As he starts to lose R.J. screams from the audience “Jason! No retreat, no Surrender!” (just typing those words give me goosebumps, it’s such an awesome (and random) moment ). Jason regains his strengt, defeats Ivan, and proves himself, not only to his father but also to everyone who doubted him.
The flick was directed by Coery Yuen who has done everything, from fight choreography to acting. He has become a prominent director with such films as “The Transporter” and “Legend of the Red Dragon”. Tai Chung Kim, playing Bruce Lee, actually doubled for Bruce Lee in “Game of Death”. Kurt McKinney, who plays Jason, is an accomplished kickboxer who has starred mainly in soap operas and made for TV movies.
Since this is a gem from my childhood I refuse to acknowledge any faults in it. I know that they are there but this flick takes me back to simpler times. I highly recommend it if only because of its kitsch value but it is one hell of an entertaining movie.
Magnificent Butcher (1979)
Directed by Yuen Woo-ping and Sammo Hung
Written by Dang Geng-san and Jing Wong
Kung-fu chaos, mistaken identities, brotherly love, drunken beggars, ham hocks… Magnificent Butcher has all this and so much more. Sammo Hung plays Butcher Wing (Lam Sai-wing) a student of the hero Wong Fei-hong who gains the wrath of the vicious 5 Dragon School lead by Master Kao, who has just mastered the mighty Cosmic Palm.
The plot is great but and features some great moments (most belonging to the Beggar played by Fan Mei-sheng). But this is a Kung-fu flick and I can honestly say, the fight scenes are worth the price of admission. Sammo Hung (who looks overweight but really isn’t) moves with such surprising grace and agility. Watching him switch styles and dance around his opponents is a sight to behold.
The flick is shot well and the production and costume design is just awesome. But who are we kidding, this movie is all about the fights and each one is infused with character and story (replacing words with punches and kicks). If you have any interest in kung-fu films, or if you think that anything Jet Li stars in (nothing against Jet Li, I think he’s great) is the height of kung-fu cinema, I suggest you check out Magnificent Butcher.
