By Drew Dietsch
| Revealed
The buddy cop sub-genre of motion films had peaked within the Nineteen Eighties nevertheless it continued to be a snug and welcome avenue for moviegoers into the ‘90s. Nevertheless, people had been prepared for brisker takes on the fabric and an old school buddy cop flick wanted to inject its personal specific taste into the combo. That’s how we obtained Showdown in Little Tokyo, a 1991 Los Angeles shoot-em-up that introduced collectively Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV, Common Solider) and rising motion star Brandon Lee, the son of cinema icon Bruce Lee.
Sadly, on account of a studio re-cut and dumping by none apart from Warner Bros. (they’re good at dumping films), Showdown in Little Tokyo ended up a forgotten and undesirable little film that has fortunately grown a cult following through the years. After watching it for the primary time, I understand simply how robbed we had been of a buddy cop franchise that would have spun out of this little deal with of a film.
Why Showdown in Little Tokyo Rocks
Showdown in Little Tokyo has Sergeant Chris Kenner (Lundgren), who was raised in Japan, getting a brand new companion, Detective Johnny Murata (Lee), an American with Japanese heritage. Nevertheless, Murata doesn’t care and even know a lot about Japanese tradition. In the meantime, Kenner lives his life in very conventional Japanese fashions. This cartoon setup permits for extra enjoyable than you’ll count on, particularly as a result of Lee and Lundgren even have some buffoonish however endearing chemistry.
Add to the combo Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat, The Phantom) as a really diabolical over-the-top Yakuza villain with a tie to Kenner’s previous and Showdown in Little Tokyo is the form of cliche cheese you both love or can’t abdomen. Sure, it has its “problematic” components nevertheless it’s additionally a product of its time. To not point out it’s so absurd and embraces that cartoon sensibility. It’s a Saturday morning foolish as you will get and shouldn’t be taken too critically so far as being the perfect illustration of Asian-American cinema.
As a substitute, benefit from the himbo camaraderie that blossoms quickly between Lundgren and Lee. Relish within the brisk and jam-packed 79-minute operating time – admittedly, ten minutes had been allegedly lower by Warner Bros. in accordance with director Mark L. Lester – that makes positive to maintain the heightened tone at most leisure. Go forward and watch the primary massive motion scene and inform me this doesn’t appear to be a popcorn good time:
If that doesn’t appear to be the form of film that might put a smile in your face, I don’t know if we may be associates.
The Franchise We By no means Received
Showdown in Little Tokyo was thrown into theaters again in August 1991 and opened within the #16 spot. Oof. It went on to scrape collectively somewhat over $2 million earlier than ending its field workplace run. Just a few years later, Brandon Lee would tragically lose his life after an accident on the set of The Crow. After his dying, his films gained extra reappraisal. Nonetheless, Showdown in Little Tokyo showcased an actual promise for each Lee and Lundgren as a buddy cop duo. Their lunkhead charms got here from a spot of goofy heat that comes by within the film.
It makes me want we may have seen at the very least yet another film with these two. Lundgren’s character is given extra of the main focus relating to backstory and perspective. A sequel would’ve given Lee an opportunity to dive into Johnny Murata’s historical past and the way that would strengthen his bond with Kenner. The concept of a collection of movies with these two cartoon chuckleheads feels prefer it exists in an alternate universe I desperately wish to go to.
Sadly, we solely have Showdown in Little Tokyo for this specific onscreen pairing. When you’ve by no means seen it, let its tacky goodness soften throughout you in much less time than it takes most trendy blockbuster motion films to get going. You can do so much worse with 79 minutes of your time.
