Im sure it wasnt the 1st of its kind, but I was really surprised of how much I saw reflected in later big budget hollywood movies throughout the 80's and 90's. The cinematography, fight sequences and script are not all too bad for the most part neither. I can see aspects of Blood sport, Karate Kid, Coimmando, Rambo and various Jonn Woo movies (particularly the score) in this production. As it was made in 1981 and nobody seems to have heard of it I thought Id give it a review to show my support.
9 Reviews
Neat-O low Budget Fun!!!
brando509219 January 2001
Yeah, We all have seen some of those real good modern martial arts movies and they are all well and good (Like things with Chow Yun-Fat or Jackie Chan) but we must not forget these types of movies--low budget laugh marathons...OK so not many people have seen this neat little Drive in second feature (as in the type of movie that would of played at the local drive in as a second feature for like 10 years...but would of never shown at a big movie theater chain)maybe it's because the acting is bad (it's really not Hepburn-Tracy if you get my drift) and the script is so first grade it makes you smile at times...or maybe because the music sounds like something lifted right off "Debbie Dose Dallas" (a.k.a--Porn music)..but this little revenge ditty had something more--A better feel...the effects are so late 70's--early 80's it's unreal...but it really works to the films advantage...like if you get a big movie with big stars you expect something more...with a low budget it's not expected...but this one delivers for some reason. Maybe it's all the low key, cheap acting and what seems to be a child written script that makes it one of the funniest (not intentionally...but enjoyable)movies that you can spend a night laughing at (especially "Jason")while still cheering for the "One-Armed Executioner" himself. The movie was released by Paragon and their the company who always had the same 2 or 3 trailers before each of their features which alone makes it worth the rental price (as in you can really get a good laugh at some of the movies someone bought the rights to and actually promoted)...I got mine for 2 dollars and it was worth every penny because when ever I need some real neat-o low budget fun I pop it in sit back and smile while at the same time cheer for Ortega...You've walked past it in the action section a million times...next time try picking it up...You may be surprised!!Happy Watching
The movie gets off to a bang, features plenty of fighting, shooting, and blow-ups
tarbosh220009 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Ramon Ortega (Guerrero) is an Interpol agent living in the Philippines. His professional and personal relationships have never been better, including his marriage to his hot blonde American wife Ann (Kay) - until one day tragedy strikes. A gang of super-evil baddies kill Ann, destroy his life, and, to add insult to injury, cut off one of his arms. Naturally, Ramon then spirals into alcoholism and depression. After threatening to kill all his assailants, his boss Wo-Chen (who can only be described as an Asian Tommy Lee Jones) states "you're not ready" (and insensitively warning "hands off"), and puts him on a grueling training regimen. Now back in fighting shape, Ramon sets off to make good on his promise of revenge. But will he complete his mission what with his handicap of having, you know, only one arm? Find out today! In our world, at least, The One Armed Executioner is a video-store classic. Producer/co-writer/director Suarez had previously lit up drive-in screens with gems like Cleopatra Wong (1978), but now he's firmly in the VHS era. He would follow that up with American Commandos (1986) to further reinforce that. TOAE was originally released on VHS in the U.S. on the great Paragon label. As great as that was, it's nice to have the Dark Sky DVD which offers a cleaned-up, widescreen version, and it's paired up with the aforementioned Cleopatra Wong as a double-feature. The tone of TOAE is much darker than the sprightly Wong, as befits the revenge movie style. Seeing as how revenge movies are among our personal favorite genres, this can proudly sit with the others in our revenge collections.
The movie gets off to a bang, features plenty of fighting, shooting, and blow-ups, and, of course, a classic, extended training sequence (in the woods, naturally). The music by Gene Kauer is killer and keeps you engaged. Even some guard towers get blown up, and this isn't even an Exploding Hut movie. As the baddies are attempting to flee in their speedboat towards the end of the movie, we see there's a swastika emblazoned on it. Apropos of nothing, as if the baddies weren't bad enough, we're now clearly shown they have a Nazi Boat. What follows is a helicopter-boat chase (Nazi Boat, specifically) - did you expect to chase it with another boat? But this isn't your average heli. It also has a large logo emblazoned on it, but it's not a swastika. Oh no, these are the good guys. Naturally, their logo reads "The Small Fry". It looks like the sign for a restaurant. Presumably all restaurants in the Philippines have their own attack helicopters. At least that's what we believe based on what we've seen of their country.
It truly was a different time, so do check out the Dark Sky DVD. You get two sides of Suarez: the fun side and the dark side. And you can hark back to the days of hunting down revenge movies on VHS, so it's a win-win.
The movie gets off to a bang, features plenty of fighting, shooting, and blow-ups, and, of course, a classic, extended training sequence (in the woods, naturally). The music by Gene Kauer is killer and keeps you engaged. Even some guard towers get blown up, and this isn't even an Exploding Hut movie. As the baddies are attempting to flee in their speedboat towards the end of the movie, we see there's a swastika emblazoned on it. Apropos of nothing, as if the baddies weren't bad enough, we're now clearly shown they have a Nazi Boat. What follows is a helicopter-boat chase (Nazi Boat, specifically) - did you expect to chase it with another boat? But this isn't your average heli. It also has a large logo emblazoned on it, but it's not a swastika. Oh no, these are the good guys. Naturally, their logo reads "The Small Fry". It looks like the sign for a restaurant. Presumably all restaurants in the Philippines have their own attack helicopters. At least that's what we believe based on what we've seen of their country.
It truly was a different time, so do check out the Dark Sky DVD. You get two sides of Suarez: the fun side and the dark side. And you can hark back to the days of hunting down revenge movies on VHS, so it's a win-win.
A one-armed army of one.
EyeAskance23 December 2003
Charmingly unpurified nonpareil evincing the titular "one armed executioner" character who is, surprisingly, the protagonist of the story. Between swallows of beer...hopefully lots of them...you'll be sounding off in ebullient support of his virulent vigilante mission...to destroy the evil mobsters responsible for stabbing his pretty wife to death and leaving him...well...erm...disarmed.
Are you hungry for a film which guiltlessly sacrifices the fine points of quality, integrity, and tact in order to bring you multifarious stripes of misconduct and a lion's share of karate-chopping action? If you answered "YES", then put on a bib and dig in. If you answered "NO", then here's a piece of gum, now get the Hell out of my kitchen.
Are you hungry for a film which guiltlessly sacrifices the fine points of quality, integrity, and tact in order to bring you multifarious stripes of misconduct and a lion's share of karate-chopping action? If you answered "YES", then put on a bib and dig in. If you answered "NO", then here's a piece of gum, now get the Hell out of my kitchen.
A farewell to arms.
Hey_Sweden12 April 2015
Franco Guerrero stars as Ramon Ortega, hotshot Interpol agent. He's getting too close to nefarious drug kingpin Edwards (Nigel Hogge), so the master criminal sends out his goons, led by the physically imposing Mike Jason (Pete Cooper). The bad guys subsequently murder Ramon's lovely blonde wife Ann (Jody Kay) and lop off Ramon's left arm. Ramon sinks into a pit of despair, self pity, and alcoholism, before being rescued by his associate Wo Chen, who trains him in the martial arts and to be able to operate without the use of a limb.
Admittedly, "The One Armed Executioner" is not a high quality production, but it's a great deal of fun. Co-writer / director Bobby A. Suarez ("American Commandos") is not the slickest of filmmakers when it comes to this genre, but he does alright, giving this amiable actioner decent pace and acceptable set pieces. As could be expected, the performances and dubbing aren't so hot, but that doesn't mean that they don't entertain. Guerrero is a passable hero, the briefly seen Kay is appealing as the loving wife, and Hogge and Cooper are decent bad guys. Cooper in particular is fun, given the way that he chortles nastily while doing his dirty deeds.
Location work is adequate, and the music is enjoyable. It's also nice to see that this was shot in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. People who favour the cheap and the cheesy are likely to have a reasonably good time watching this one.
Seven out of 10.
Admittedly, "The One Armed Executioner" is not a high quality production, but it's a great deal of fun. Co-writer / director Bobby A. Suarez ("American Commandos") is not the slickest of filmmakers when it comes to this genre, but he does alright, giving this amiable actioner decent pace and acceptable set pieces. As could be expected, the performances and dubbing aren't so hot, but that doesn't mean that they don't entertain. Guerrero is a passable hero, the briefly seen Kay is appealing as the loving wife, and Hogge and Cooper are decent bad guys. Cooper in particular is fun, given the way that he chortles nastily while doing his dirty deeds.
Location work is adequate, and the music is enjoyable. It's also nice to see that this was shot in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. People who favour the cheap and the cheesy are likely to have a reasonably good time watching this one.
Seven out of 10.
Quite an achievement for a low budget flick
robertoii_suarez23 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The movie "One Armed Executioner is a low budget flick that was theatrically released in North America and opened at No. 15. Quite an achievement for a Filipino film.
Visit the website of bavatuesdays 1983 was a great year for film on 42nd street
The movie has some flaws but there is no such thing as a perfect movie. Even in real life we have some regrets and no one can claim that he has lived a perfect life. So far the movie has received some positive feedback from people who have seen the movie. We of course cannot expect something real big from a modest film but what I have said earlier the film throughout the years has made a tremendous achievement. Even the most expensive movies did not escape the eyes of people who are really trying very hard to see something wrong in a movie.
Below is one to such an example:
www.fulldhamaal.com funny pictures the silly mistakes in Hollywood movies
Visit the website of bavatuesdays 1983 was a great year for film on 42nd street
The movie has some flaws but there is no such thing as a perfect movie. Even in real life we have some regrets and no one can claim that he has lived a perfect life. So far the movie has received some positive feedback from people who have seen the movie. We of course cannot expect something real big from a modest film but what I have said earlier the film throughout the years has made a tremendous achievement. Even the most expensive movies did not escape the eyes of people who are really trying very hard to see something wrong in a movie.
Below is one to such an example:
www.fulldhamaal.com funny pictures the silly mistakes in Hollywood movies
Schlock gauge
lotekguy-17 August 2022
No arms necessary
BandSAboutMovies15 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Interpol agent Ramon Ortega (Franco Guerrero) and his new blonde American children's book author wife Ann (Jody Kay, Death Screams) are back in the Philippines after a honeymoon in San Francisco. Within minutes, the drug dealer that our hero is after - Edwards (Christopher Mitchum) - has sent his men to kill Ann and chopped off his arm. And in case you're wondering if the drug dealer is evil, he has an evil Axis symbol on the side of his boat.
He spirals into depression and drinking, just trying to live out the rest of his life in pain when a new master named Wo Chen appears and teaches him how to fight with one hand and how to do gun fu, if you will, in which they have a gigantic training device with numbers. The master calls out the targets and Ortega gets better with each shot.
You feel for Ortega, as he found the right kind of woman, the one who sleeps with baby dolls and has sex in the shower with her shower cap on, the height of eroticism. But seriously, he really does hit rock bottom but this film pulls him up and gives him the chance to get revenge. This movie is an absolute blast from the beginning until the end, delivering the kind of weirdness and magical action that could only come from the Philippines and a master director like Bobby A. Suarez, who also directed American Commandos, The Bionic Boy, Cleopatra Wong and Warriors of the Apocalypse.
He spirals into depression and drinking, just trying to live out the rest of his life in pain when a new master named Wo Chen appears and teaches him how to fight with one hand and how to do gun fu, if you will, in which they have a gigantic training device with numbers. The master calls out the targets and Ortega gets better with each shot.
You feel for Ortega, as he found the right kind of woman, the one who sleeps with baby dolls and has sex in the shower with her shower cap on, the height of eroticism. But seriously, he really does hit rock bottom but this film pulls him up and gives him the chance to get revenge. This movie is an absolute blast from the beginning until the end, delivering the kind of weirdness and magical action that could only come from the Philippines and a master director like Bobby A. Suarez, who also directed American Commandos, The Bionic Boy, Cleopatra Wong and Warriors of the Apocalypse.
Entertaining Filipino action exploitation trash
Woodyanders18 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
A group of evil drug-dealing mobsters dismember Interpol agent Ramon Ortega (stolid wonder Franco Guerero) and kill his lovely wife Ann (fetching blonde Jody Kay). Ortega sinks into a grim morass of self-pity and alcoholism prior to undergoing extensive grueling martial arts training so he can exact a harsh revenge on the bad guys. Ineptly directed by Bobby A. Suarez, with an on and off plodding pace, clumsily staged action set pieces (the amazing crippled fu fight stuff is a hilariously tacky joy to behold!), a cruel tone, shoddy gore, startling moments of brutal violence (Ortega shoots one nasty hood right in the groin!), amusingly lousy dubbing, poor acting, and icky moments of cloying sentiment (the sappy flashbacks showing Ortega with his wife are sickeningly mushy), this flick overall sizes up as an enjoyably crummy hunk of rancid dime-store junk. Nigel Hogge hams it up shamelessly as Texas-accented main villain Edwards while Joe Zucchero contributes a funny turn as Edwards' obsequious smartaleck flunky Milo. Jun Pereira's widescreen cinematography offers several clunky zooms and makes occasional strained use of strenuous slow motion. Gene Kauer's get-down funky score hits the right-on groovy spot. Fun schlock.
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