Rapid Fire [DVD] [1992]

I stumbled upon this film by accident. As a martial arts enthusiast and a movie addict, I was curious about how much would be left of Brandon Lee without the story, setting and atmosphere "The Crow" provided. At first glance, this is your avarage 13-in-a-dozen martial arts film, following the likes of Van Damme. (and we all know that apart from a few good, he also made some awfully bad trash)

The story is thin (read the plot for yourself) and cliché, which is usually enough to write it off, if it weren't for Brandon, who holds up surprisingly well (this could very well have ended up in something that would make us all cringe.) Brandon, who plays Jake Lo (mostly referred to as "kid" by the other characters in the film) has got trip hammers for fists, feet that kick like David Beckham and the agility of a cat. Fans of good fight sequences will not be disappointed. For the ones who prefer collateral damage: plenty of cars get blown up along the way.

But this guy isn't just someone who kicks butt. During all the life endangering situations the main character continues to find him in (Lady Luck was as much on Jake's side as Brandon himself) Lee manages to throw in some emotions as well. From mixed anger and regret when he's forced to kill someone, to the glares that melt steel and makes glass wish it could go back to being sand, the guy's got it all. I think this makes him a superior actor than his father.

What also adds to the movie are Brandon's looks. With his reputation as a martial artist, his physical perfection was anticipated. The fact that he also has a handsome face was a nice surprise (all poudered up like a porcelain doll in "the crow" made it hard to see what he really looked like). The camera obviously loves him and he's got that 'something' in his eyes, comparable to actors like this generation's Jensen Ackles.

Conclusion: if none of the above reasons make it appealling to you, it's not for you. (that's some smart reasoning huh)
But if any of my rambles above attract your attention, get it now!
It's a golden opportunity for guys; this is one of the rare action movies your girlfriend probably won't have a problem with ;)

Again, all of it adds to the sadness of Brandon's passing. He would definitely made it big and it's tragic to see someone's blossoming career and life cut off at such a young age.

Brandon Lee plays Jake Lo, an art student who inadvertently witnesses a murderer shoot someone. Before long he is in danger even from people who were supposed to protect him, but finds salvation in the form of Ryan (Powers Boothe), an old officer who has been trying to catch the killer for many years.

Clichés aside, this is one enjoyable, if very violent, movie. Brandon shows not only charisma (whether or not being the son of Bruce Lee helped here is anyone's guess) but passable acting ability (he really seems scared when his character is being shot at) and, of course, great unarmed combat skills, which are demonstrated in some nicely-choreographed scraps. Some bits seem influenced by his father, and others have been influenced by classic Hong Kong Jackie Chan movies (many coming from 'Police Story', but I noticed a couple reminiscent of 'Dragons Forever'), but none really detract from the watchability of this role.

Action fans will love it; just don't expect anything too original.

Brandon Lee is Jake Lo, art student who witnesses a mob shooting, and his life is on the line. Brandon puts in a stunning performance in his first lead title film. The action is fast paced, the fight scenes superbly choreographed, and the humour is excellently delivered. A must see!!