Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991)

Two L.A. cops with opposing views on what is the best way to uphold the law have to work together to bring down the Yakuza, while trying to protect a beautiful woman.

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	...	Nonnie Russell - Coroner (as Vernee Watson-Johnson)
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 | detective | japanese american | little tokyo | violence | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Uncredited rewrite by Gary DeVore.

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Goofs

At various points throughout the movie, some of the Yakuza tattoos are clearly ink on skin-colored shirts (i.e., you can see wrinkles in the fabric.)

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Quotes

Johnny Murata: That's perfect... I'm partnered with a homicidal maniac on a personal vendetta of family vengeance.

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Alternate Versions

The Australian R rated VHS and DVD releases are the unrated uncut version.

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Connections

Referenced in Workaholics: Wolves of Rancho (2016)

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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.
[plays in the background when Yoshida visits Minako in her dressing room]

User Reviews

A crack-up

You have to keep only one thing in mind: Dorf (oops--Dolph) Lundgren as someone who speaks fluent Japanese is no more ridiculous than Dolph Lundgren as someone who speaks fluent English. And the vision of Dolph Lundgren running around in a hakama, happi coat, and handband, while waving a katana in one hand, is so hysterical that it's worth the couple of bucks to rent the movie.

And great flubs, too, like the scene in which the evil villain is mashing someone up in an auto crusher, and we get a clear shot of the dummy's head in the car, between scenes of the potential victim yelling for help. Rarely to we get to see such blatantly bad film editing. Or the two nude scenes in which the body double has breasts four times the size of the heroine's, and they can't even make it look like it's the same woman. Or the point at which poor Brandon Lee has to compliment Dolph on the size of his, well, you just have to hear it.

Whoever choreographed the Japanese sword fight scene, however, needs to be spanked.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Warner Bros [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

23 August 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sgt. K.

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$455,192, 25 August 1991

Gross USA:

$2,275,557

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,275,557

Company Credits

Production Co:

Little Tokyo Productions, Original Pictures, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1