The Perfect Weapon (1991)

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 ... See full summary »

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:

No gun. No knife. No equal.

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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

Four of the actors from this movie - Mako, Dante Basco, James Hong and Clyde Kusatsu - would work together again in Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Storm (2005), in which all four voiced characters.

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Goofs

when Jeff's fighting in the warehouse, he beats up about six people. One of them has a red bandanna on, which gets knocked off. In the next frame, the bandanna is back on the guy's head.

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Quotes

Jimmy: Everybody knows Yung killed Kim, dick...
[Jeff cuts him off with a harsh glare]
Jimmy: [finishing] ... Tracy.

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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

TV versions airing on TBS have two additional scenes in which Jennifer (Mariska Hargitay) has lines: one after Kim's funeral, in which she and Jeff catch up; and the other some days later, in which Jennifer and Jeff share a kiss before ninjas attack the two at the garden where she works. Theatrical and video versions have edited out any romance between Jennifer and Jeff in the story.

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Connections

Referenced in Twilight (1998)

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Soundtracks

Standing in the Shadows
Music by Gary Chang
Lyrics by Kent Houseman
Performed by Kent Houseman
Produced by Gary Chang

User Reviews

my favorite martial arts movie the best off Jeff Speakman he ever did

The Perfect Weapon is my all time favorite martial arts 90's movie and it is the best off Jeff Speakman he ever did. This is the only movie I like the rest of the films Jeff Speakman did were just pure garbage. It is my favorite martial arts karate action movie. It is a style of one man army with no guns but with his bare hands using Kenpo karate martial arts skills to fight the evil on the streets. I love this film to death and I have watch it as a teen. I rented this movie on VHS in 2003 and I watched this movie with my mom. It is a bit underrated martial arts action film and my opinion and it is a good film.

The movie was directed by Mark DiSalle who also directed Kickboxer (1989) Jean-Claude Van Damme film and the music score and composer is Gary Chang who made music scores for other action movies and that really good such as: Dead Bang, Death Warrant (another Jean-Claude Van Damme movie), Under Siege, Sniper, Double Team and other movies.

"Full contact. No protection. No problem."

So the story tell about a young 11 year old boy Jeff (Micah Roberts) who loses his mom and he becomes a troublemaker. His father a police officer Capt. Carl Sanders (Beau Starr) want's to sent him to military school, so that Jeff will learn a hard discipline. Kim (Mako) friend of the family sends Jeff in to Kempo Karate school instead so that Jeff will learn the discipline on the hard way and control his anger and energy with a hard work. 6 years later a teen Jeff (Tom Hermann) becomes one of the best students and a martial arts expert in six degree black belt. But in the school in the football field Jeff get's in to an argument with one of the football players but when the football player punches his younger brother Adam (Justin Webb), Jeff uses his martial arts skills on the football player and kicks the living sh** out of him. Which he lands in the hospital. After that incident his father kick's him out of the house and throw's him out off his and his younger brother life away forever. Jeff goes on his own way but stay's in touch with Kim (Mako) as his father figure. Many years later Jeff is a now young man (Jeff Speakman) who practices his karate moves every day. When he hears his best friend Kim is in trouble he rushes back home to safe his friend from Korean mafia but he is too late, his best friend is killed. Now he goes on his own brand of justice for the killer with his martial arts skills without any back up or weapons he's "The Perfect Weapon."

This movie has everything it has a heart it has martial arts likable one man army martial arts expert Jeff Speakman. You mourn with the hero when he is kicked out of his home from his dad. It has full contact it has memorial bad guys James Hong and Professor Tanaka great fighting skills, great soundtrack and you can easily root for the good guy hero. The movie has a great action, great dialogues, great cast of actors, the acting from everyone is excellent. I love the setting of this movie, I love the final fights in the factory and it is filled with great action.

All tough to movie tagline say's: "No gun. No knife. No equal." Jeff uses a different kind of weapons by the end of the movie two oak stickers (Bo) and he does uses two knives on the end of the movie.

Great performance from Jeff Speakman I heard he had a throat cancer but he recover it. Wonderful performance from Mako and excellent performance from James Hong and Professor Tanaka. There is no wire, no fake, all real actions. The fight scenes are unbelievable, the story is good as well. In here they are real fights real practical effect no shaky cam no CGI everything is made for real. Watch the final fight with Jeff and Professor Tanaka on the end of the movie one of the best fighting scenes in the intier movie ever!!!

This movie is one of the reasons that I have signed in the Karate school training karate for 2 years and I have earn orange belt In the Shotokan karate. The only problem I have is with the director to actress Mariska Hargitay who play's Jeniffer (Jeff's childhood friend) she has nothing to do in this movie she doesn't have even any lines. She keeps appearing and disappearing I don't know why director put her in the screen and he didn't gave her nothing to do she is a great actress.

R.I.P. Mako, John Dye,Seth Sakai, Professor Toru Tanaka and my mom Jelka Jamar when she died in 2007 thank you my mom for paying all the karate lessons for me I love you and I miss you. This review is dedicated to my mom.

The Perfect Weapon get's by me a score B 7/10 a good underrated martial arts action movie.

The Perfect Weapon is a 1991 martial arts action film directed by Mark DiSalle and starring Jeff Speakman, Mako Iwamatsu, James Hong, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.

7/10 Grade: B Studio: Paramount Pictures Starring: Jeff Speakman, John Dye, Mako, James Hong, Mariska Hargitay, Dante Basco, Professor Tanaka Director: Mark DiSalle Producers: Pierre David, Mark DiSalle Writter: David C. Wilson Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 23 Mins. Budget: $10.000.000 Box Office: $14,061,361

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