The Perfect Weapon (1991)

An expert in "kenpo" karate avenges his Chinatown friend, slain by a mobster in Los Angeles.

Director:

Mark DiSalle

Writer:

David C. Wilson

Stars:

Jeff Speakman, John Dye, Mako

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Speakman	...	Jeff Sanders
John Dye	...	Det. Adam Sanders
Mako	...	Kim
James Hong	...	Yung
Mariska Hargitay	...	Jennifer
Dante Basco	...	Jimmy Ho
Beau Starr	...	Capt. Carl Sanders
Seth Sakai	...	Master Lo
Professor Toru Tanaka	...	Tanaka
Clyde Kusatsu	...	Detective Wong
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa	...	Kai
Tom Hermann	...	Jeff - Age 17
Micah Roberts	...	Jeff - Age 11
Ryan Bohannon	...	Adam - Age 6
Justin Webb	...	Adam - Age 12

Storyline

Jeff, a young delinquent, is enrolled by his father in a kenpo school, in the hopes of teaching the boy some self-discipline. Years later, Jeff's mentor, Kim, is being threatened by one of the Korean mafia families. Jeff tries to help his old friend, but is too late to prevent Kim's death at the hands of an unknown hitman. Vowing revenge, Jeff takes on all of the families, using his martial arts skills to find the man who killed his friend.

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Plot Keywords:

martial arts | martial artist | hit in the crotch | kung fu | cult film | 

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Taglines:

Just try him.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for martial arts violence and for some language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Star Jeff Speakman signed a multi-picture deal at Paramount. One of the two of the two planned movies was a sequel to this film, and another script Paramount optioned about a cop fighting a terrorist. After the Paramount deal fell through, that script went on to Twentieth Century Fox and became Speed (1994).

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Goofs

The Korean mafia bosses are called "Oyabun", which is a Japanese term for mafia boss.

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Quotes

[grabbing Yung by the neck]
Jeff: I really want to kill you, but you're not worth it.

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Crazy Credits

Before the credits there is the following line: 'This film is dedicated to Ed Parker and the spirit of Kenpo.'

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Alternate Versions

The TBS television airings also includes a scene of young Jeff skipping school at an arcade. It also shows an extended version of the scene of Jeff's first day at the Kenpo school.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Stuntmakers: Fantastic Fights (1991)

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Soundtracks

Asian Ceremony
Written by Jim Jacobsen

User Reviews

Probably the best Kenpo movie ever made.

..But that's not to say the movie is all-around great. It's a very typical low-budget action flick. The story is pretty cookie-cutter as far as action movies go. It isn't Shakespeare believe me. And the acting is substandard at best. But Jeff Speakman to his enormous credit is a very accomplished martial artist. And having studied Kenpo for many years I can safely say that it's one of the most faithful films to capture the art. And what is even more impressive is the way the film portrays how Kenpo works when compared to different styles (like Tae Kwon Do).

So despite some minor inadequacies it's pretty awesome in many other respects. So for that I give it major credit. And to be honest it's a fun, feel good flick. I would recommend it to any martial arts fan. It's a good time.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Korean

Release Date:

15 March 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Perfect Weapon

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,934,572, 17 March 1991

Gross USA:

$14,061,361

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,061,361

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 90 min (edited)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (4 channels)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1