Tekken Too

 

 (the movie database)

 

TEKKEN 2-KAZUYA'S REVENGE-2014-This is a sequel (actually a prequel) to the original (which I haven't seen) which is based on a video game. 

A martial artist Kazuya (Kane Kosugi) with amnesia is forcibly recruited to work as an assassin for a whispering, conceited rebel leader called The Minister (Rade Serbedzija). He puts an explosive device in Kazuya's chest for co-operation. When Kazuya falls in love with Laura (Paige Lindquist), he wants out. While trying to discover his real identity, he meets and fights his new target, Brian Fury (Gary Daniels; FIST OF THE NORTH STAR (1994)) who warns Kazuya to “walk away” after he beats him. Later, Kazuya teams up with the obnoxious Rhonda (Kelly Wenham) who kills the minister when Laura is kidnapped by The Gentek corporation. 

At the corporation Kazuya meets Mishima (Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa) “his father”, the man who “created” him, who says “Your body is a weapon your mind can't control”. It turns out Laura is an android too. After he kills Fury, Kazuya leaves to find Mishima who runs Tekken City and is waiting for Kazuya, setting up another sequel. 

Despite some high spots, this isn't very good but what can you expect from director Wych Kaos, the guy responsible for the insufferable BALLISTIC: ECKS VS. SEVER (2002)? 

No direct sequel was ever made.

Thanks for reading!

Sho Shows Them

 

 (imdb)

PRAY FOR DEATH-1985-In Japan, a black clad ninja fights some other ninjas and a guy in a demon mask but it's just a TV show called “The Black Ninja” being watched by the two sons of Japanese businessman Akira Saito (Sho Kosugi) and his American wife. He wants to start his own local business but she wants to move to the US. Saito doesn't seem to know any martial arts and his kids urge him to learn Karate. However, when Saito encounters an old man (actually his adopted father) in a temple, they have a sword fight which disproves Saito's lack of fighting skills. A flashback shows he kind of killed his brother, a red ninja, because he is actually a former ninja himself! No sooner do they get to America and have problems. Sam Greene (Parley Baer) sells them a restaurant in a bad neighborhood. They ran afoul of gangsters looking for a priceless necklace who beat up Greene and kill him in a fire. The kids (Kosugi's real life sons, Kane and Shane) run into older bullies but beat them up. 

The stupid gangsters think Saito has the necklace so they kidnap his son Tomo for a Mafioso boss (Michael Constantine). He has a sadistic henchman named Limehouse (James Booth; also the screenwriter). Saito goes to the police but 2 corrupt officers block his progress. After his wife and other son wind up in the hospital, he invades a mob yacht and beats up a lot of white guys. Stupidly, Limehouse kills Mrs. Saito and Saito prepares for revenge. Even one son gets into the act with a supped-up bike. Saito invades the mob mansion. He cuts them all to ribbons but Limehouse lams it. The finale where Limehouse uses an ax and a chainsaw to try and kill Saito is great. Limehouse's demise literally has him praying for death. If they thought America was violent then, they should be around today! Also with Robert Ito.  

The acting is not so good but action-packed direction by Gordon Hessler (SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN (1970)) saves it. Star Kosugi was already pretty well known for his appearances in ENTER THE NINJA (1981) and its sequels and the short-lived TV series THE MASTER (1984) starring Lee Van Cleef. 

Thanks for reading!

Dead On Release

D.O.A.: DEAD OR ALIVE-2006-This martial arts fantasy comedy drama is based on a popular video game. It's about a bunch of dorks who are invited to a martial arts tournament (D.O.A.). The three main characters are female: a pro-wrestler (Jamie Pressly), an assassin (Holly Valance) and a princess (Devon Aoki) who's looking for her brother (Collin Chou), said to have been killed in the last D.O.A. The guy who runs the thing is played by Eric Roberts. There's a lot of swordplay and fights using CGI and “Jet Li wires”. (The director Corey Yuen made several movies with Li) Kane Kosugi plays a friend of the princess and pro-wrestler Kevin Nash is in it. There's a lot of smart ass jokes and dialogue and most of the men getting beat up by the women. Robin Shou from the MORTAL KOMBAT movies appears briefly as a pirate. 

Thanks for reading!