Cage (1989)

A GI in Vietnam saves his buddy's life, but in the process is shot in the head. The injury results in brain damage to the point where he basically has a child's brain in a (very large) ... See full summary »

Director:

Lang Elliott

Writer:

Hugh Kelley

Stars:

Lou Ferrigno, Reb Brown, Michael Dante

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lou Ferrigno	...	Billy Thomas
Reb Brown	...	Scott Monroe
Michael Dante	...	Tony Baccola
Mike Moroff	...	Mario
Marilyn Tokuda	...	Morgan Garrett
Al Leong	...	Tiger Joe
James Shigeta	...	Tin Lum Yin
Branscombe Richmond	...	Diablo
Tiger Chung Lee	...	Chang
Al Ruscio	...	Costello
Daniel Martine	...	Mono
Rion Hunter	...	Chao Tung
Dana Lee	...	Pang
Maggie Mae Miller	...	Meme
Paul Sorensen	...	Matt

Storyline

A GI in Vietnam saves his buddy's life, but in the process is shot in the head. The injury results in brain damage to the point where he basically has a child's brain in a (very large) man's body. When they get out of the army the two open up a bar together, but some local gangsters make things tough for them after they refuse to take part in brutal "cage" matches where fighters battle to the point of serious injury and/or death.

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Plot Keywords:

beefcake martial arts | martial arts | beefcake | chinatown los angeles | bare knuckle boxing | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Jaula da Morte

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$618,178 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cage Productions, Lang Elliott Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Billy Thomas: I'm smart too. I got three-seventy and five-forty on the Master-Blaster.
Mario: [Awestruck] Jeez.
Tony Baccola: Wait. Master-Blaster? What is that?
Mario: Its a video game, Tony!
Tony Baccola: Yeah, I should've known you'd know!

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Cannibal Holocaust (2011)

User Reviews

Cage is an entertaining action pic from the 80's.

Cage is an entertaining action pic from the 80's.

The plot: Billy (Ferrigno) is a 'Nam vet who tragically gets shot in the head on a mission. He survives but now is mentally challenged. He goes through a lot of grueling physical therapy and eventually becomes a productive member of society. He only has one friend, fellow vet Scott Monroe (Brown). Then slimy gangsters show up. They kidnap and brainwash Billy to go into the dangerous world of cage fighting. Scott must rescue his friend by going into the ring himself.

Cage is the only movie that delves deep into the idea of "Retard Strength". This politically incorrect idea would never be made today. The fight sequences are brutal and predate UFC by decades. Cage was ahead of its time. Another movie of this ilk is called "Shootfighter" it stars Bolo Yeoung. Lou Ferrigno puts in a sensitive performance as exemplified in his first fight scene when he jovially introduces himself to his mean opponent, with the now-immortal line "Hi!, I'm Billy!" Billy doesn't want to fight and he is a sweet-natured man. But the gangsters attempt to corrupt him to be a fighting machine. Let's not forget about Reb Brown and his classic yell. (e.g. "Strike Commando" and every movie Brown has been in.) "Cage" apparently had so many fans clamoring for more "Cagey" goodness a sequel was thankfully released 5 years later! Comeuppance Review by: Ty & Brett For more insanity, check out: comeuppancereviews.com