Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)

An officially "dead" cop is trained to become an extraordinarily unique assassin in service of the US president.

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writers:

Richard Sapir (novel), Warren Murphy (novel),

Stars:

Fred Ward, Joel Grey, Wilford Brimley

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fred Ward	...	Remo Williams
Joel Grey	...	Chiun
Wilford Brimley	...	Harold Smith
J.A. Preston	...	Conn MacCleary
George Coe	...	Gen. Scott Watson
Charles Cioffi	...	George Grove
Kate Mulgrew	...	Maj. Rayner Fleming
Patrick Kilpatrick	...	Stone
Michael Pataki	...	Jim Wilson
Davenia McFadden	...	N.Y. Traffic Control Cop
Cosie Costa	...	Pvt. Damico
J.P. Romano	...	Boomer #1
Joel Kramer	...	Boomer #2 (as Joel J. Kramer)
Frank Ferrara	...	Boomer #3
Marv Albert	...	Sports Announcer (voice)

Storyline

An NYPD cop is 'killed' in an accident. The death is faked, and he is inducted into the organization CURE, dedicated to preserving the constitution by working outside of it. Remo is to become the enforcement wing (assassin) of CURE, and learns an ancient Korean martial art from Chiun, the Master of Sinanju. Based on the popular pulp series "The Destroyer," by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy.

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Plot Keywords:

assassin | master | korean | military | sinanju | 

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Taglines:

A hero who doesn't exist must save America from an enemy we never knew we had.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 October 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Remo Williams and the Secret of Sinanju

Filming Locations:

Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 2,951,832 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dick Clark Productions, Orion Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Charitable organizations to which George S. Grove has donated, according to his tax return in the movie: The Boy Scouts of America, Maryknoll Missions, The Campfire Girls, The Policeman's Benevolent Fund, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

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Goofs

During the fight on the Statue of Liberty, as Remo falls from the plank bridge and grabs a nearby pole, the stunt man's safety cable is clearly visible.

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Quotes

Remo Williams: How old are you, Chiun. I mean really, you must be pretty old, right?
Chiun: For an apricot, yes. For a head of lettuce, even more so. For a mountain, I have not even begun. For a man, just right.

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Connections

References Nanook of the North (1922)

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Soundtracks

"Remo's Theme (What If)"
Performed by Tommy Shaw
Written by Tommy Shaw and Richie Cannata
Courtesy of A&M Records, Inc.

User Reviews

This movie has it all

This is a classic 80's action flick, with a twist. The two main characters are a kick to watch as the hardboiled New York cop is trained in the ways of the wise master of shinanju. The action scenes are awesome, and there are plenty of laughs as we watch our hero Remo struggle to overcome his fears and vices to become a master of shinanju. Fred Ward as Remo and Joel Grey as Chun really capitalize on the comedic opportunities here. The soundtrack is top-notch, perfectly blending a patriotic hero theme with graceful oriental influences. I highly recommend you take this one home and check it out - it's a lot of fun.