Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991)

Detective Chris Kenner was orphaned as a child as his father was in the service and was killed and lived in Japan. Now he is on the trail of ruthless Yakuza leader named Yoshido, who helped... See full summary »

Director:

Mark L. Lester

Writers:

Stephen Glantz, Caliope Brattlestreet

Stars:

Dolph Lundgren, Brandon Lee, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dolph Lundgren	...	Sgt. Chris Kenner
Brandon Lee	...	Johnny Murata
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa	...	Funekei Yoshida
Tia Carrere	...	Minako Okeya
Toshishiro Obata	...	Sato
Philip Tan	...	Tanaka
Rodney Kageyama	...	Eddie
Ernie Lively	...	Detective Nelson
Renee Allman	...	Angel Mueller (as Renee Griffin)
Reid Asato	...	Muto
Takayo Fischer	...	Mama Yamaguchi
Simon Rhee	...	Ito
Vernee Watson-Johnson	...	Nonnie Russell - Coroner
Lenny Imamura	...	Kickboxer #1
Roger Yuan	...	Kickboxer #2

Storyline

Detective Chris Kenner was orphaned as a child as his father was in the service and was killed and lived in Japan. Now he is on the trail of ruthless Yakuza leader named Yoshido, who helped establish a small Japanese area in Los Angeles and is now running a drug ring disguised as a brewery. However, Kenner must team up with a Japanese-American detective named Johnny Murata, and he also must protect a witness named Minako who would testify against Yoshido. But what Kenner will soon discover that he will be in a lot more than what he bargained for.

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Plot Keywords:

yakuza | drugs | little tokyo | tattoo | showdown | 

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Taglines:

One's a warrior. One's a wise guy. They're two L.A. cops going after a gang of drug lords. Feet first.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, and for language, sensuality and drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

23 August 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Yakuza

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$2,275,557 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Little Tokyo Productions, Original Pictures, Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

All of the swords used in the film were replicas, with the exception of the one used by Dolph Lundgren's character when he slices through bundles of bamboo: this was an authentic samurai sword.

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Goofs

When Kenner and Murata first enter the sushi bar you can see a naked blonde woman - her torso covered with sushi - lying at the foreground. But when you see her again seconds later (after Kenner says, "Sushi in the raw") her torso is almost bare.

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Quotes

Johnny Murata: You know all of that upper body strength really slows you down.
Chris Kenner: I'm not slow.
Johnny Murata: You didn't hit me.
Chris Kenner: If I did, you wouldn't be here.
Johnny Murata: Not arguing. But you didn't...

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Connections

References Seven Samurai (1954)

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Soundtracks

"The Woman in Me"
Written and Produced by Walter "Kandor" Khan
Performed by Natalie
Courtesy of Sunshine Entertainment and Scully Music Co.

User Reviews

What's The Problem?

People seem to be awful hard on this movie. I guess they must not be action fans. I mean, come on, this movie's only purpose is to entertain. And it does its job well. It moves at a very fast pace for its short 79 minutes, has lots of good action, and a good sense of humor. What more could you ask for in an action movie. I don't know about you,but thats all I ask for in a action movie. Its not art and its not supposed to be. 3 out of 4 stars.