This movie failed and died. The story line is cliche. The script is horrible. The acting by Jino Kang has to be one of THE worst performances for a lead in an action movie. The fight scenes are weak at best. So unless you just have time to waste pass on this movie.
7 Reviews
A clichéd throw back to the past of bad action B movies
nkasherov12 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
A typical story action movie about a close relative kidnapped and a father assassin going on a crazy killing spree against the bad guys.
Good about this movie - great to see real life Hapkido put in some use The protagonist acts well and is a convincing serious guy. The villain acts as good as is possible with the script given. That is about it
Bad, really everything else. Especially the annoying semi hard rock music typical for some 80s action trash movies. Also the sudden zoom ins just when the bad guys are to die. The bad guys cannot act even with the black masks put on.
Overall it is a low budget B movie with bad camera work, annoying soundtrack, clichéd script.
Good about this movie - great to see real life Hapkido put in some use The protagonist acts well and is a convincing serious guy. The villain acts as good as is possible with the script given. That is about it
Bad, really everything else. Especially the annoying semi hard rock music typical for some 80s action trash movies. Also the sudden zoom ins just when the bad guys are to die. The bad guys cannot act even with the black masks put on.
Overall it is a low budget B movie with bad camera work, annoying soundtrack, clichéd script.
Time Travel to the 1970s...
A_Different_Drummer10 February 2015
Ah, the good old 1970s...
When martial arts films seemed like the fighting was out of sync with the sound and the movie was out of sync with the audience.
By even 1970s standards it would be poorly rated...
By 2014 standards, after films like the Matrix and Ong Bak, it is positively dreadful.
Seems like it was produced on a shoestring, where the producer did not have enough budget for more than one take, since there was no more "breakable" furniture left in the minivan.
Not the worst movie ever made but really really really close.
I did like the casting. The hero is supposed to be chasing his daughter's kidnappers and for once he looks like he is old enough and scrawny enough to actually have an adult daughter. I am a member of AARP and approve of any enterprise that provides work for mature individuals.
Also looks like the star is also the writer and also the director, which may be one for the IMDb record books, but I'll let other reviewers do the CSI on that, Word to the wise. If you need your MA or MMA fix, watch ONG BAK again. You're welcome.
When martial arts films seemed like the fighting was out of sync with the sound and the movie was out of sync with the audience.
By even 1970s standards it would be poorly rated...
By 2014 standards, after films like the Matrix and Ong Bak, it is positively dreadful.
Seems like it was produced on a shoestring, where the producer did not have enough budget for more than one take, since there was no more "breakable" furniture left in the minivan.
Not the worst movie ever made but really really really close.
I did like the casting. The hero is supposed to be chasing his daughter's kidnappers and for once he looks like he is old enough and scrawny enough to actually have an adult daughter. I am a member of AARP and approve of any enterprise that provides work for mature individuals.
Also looks like the star is also the writer and also the director, which may be one for the IMDb record books, but I'll let other reviewers do the CSI on that, Word to the wise. If you need your MA or MMA fix, watch ONG BAK again. You're welcome.
Worthless
mchouihna12 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
well ..the plot similar to taken is one of my favorite when a pro assassin is saving his family from bad guys.. the Asian faces- esp when they are in the USA made me anticipate more realistic fighting scenes and some real martial arts!! BUT and thats a big BUT!! what the hell is that? the background music is stupid, the acting is miserable, the script is dull, and the fighting scene are way worse ..like that guy has never kicked in his life? please bring in a younger actor and change the plot to sister saving. However, i was able to watch till the scene when the daughter being kidnapped, may 15 minutes into it or such. i stopped and delete it. the worst girl kidnapping scene ever !! and thats that.
FAIL OR DIE
nogodnomasters20 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Jack Lee (Jino Kang) is the uninvited guest at a birthday party which leaves carnage in its wake. Six years later his niece (Kelly Lou Dennis) is kidnapped because his Brother-in-law who skimmed from the bad guys is not really dead. Toss in a woman cop who can't act or fight and I think you got the film.
The plot was not well developed. The acting was gross. The fighting was some of the worse choreographed stuff around, especially where the women were the fighters, it is apparent the men are holding back. The title comes from the fact Jack Lee is famous for turning the victims weapon upon themselves so it almost looks like a suicide except that didn't happen past the first two scenes. So once they drew my attention to the idea, and forced me to look for it, they couldn't deliver anymore.
Weapon of choice should not be your movie of choice.
F-bomb, sex, nudity (Katherine Celio)
The plot was not well developed. The acting was gross. The fighting was some of the worse choreographed stuff around, especially where the women were the fighters, it is apparent the men are holding back. The title comes from the fact Jack Lee is famous for turning the victims weapon upon themselves so it almost looks like a suicide except that didn't happen past the first two scenes. So once they drew my attention to the idea, and forced me to look for it, they couldn't deliver anymore.
Weapon of choice should not be your movie of choice.
F-bomb, sex, nudity (Katherine Celio)
Ambitious low budget action movie delivers the action.
mikepark315 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Jino Kang's follow-up to Fist2Fist does a good job of building on lessons learnt and providing some decent kick-ass action. What it doesn't provide, and cannot provide due to its budget constraints, is the sort of high-production polish that a lot of people seem to expect. I find a lot of low budget films being criticised for their lack of budget rather than being given credit where it's due.
Having said that, Weapon of Choice is a bigger production than its predecessor, with a larger cast, more locations, overhead aerial shots and more elaborate set-pieces.
Director Jino Kang stars as Jack Lee, a recently retired assassin whose speciality was to walk into a room unarmed and utilise the weapons of his opponents - as can be seen in the opening action sequence. Unfortunately for him, his old boss Banducci (Douglas Olssen) isn't going to let him retire so easily, and kidnaps his niece Jaime. This home-invasion scene is really well done with some nice little moments. For example, When Jack enters and sees these masked men abducting Jaime, he squares off against one of them, only for the masked man to turn and walk away. Why? because one of his henchmen is sneaking up behind Jack and he feels he doesn't need to waste his time on him.
The characters are well-fleshed out and given proper personalities. Douglas Olsson gives Banducci a wry sense of humour and Machiavellian business sense. You may think his plan is over- complicated to begin with (i.e. starting a feud with Jack whilst at the same time trying to sell his criminal empire to a third party) but it all makes sense later on in the film. Jaime (Kelly Lou Dennis) might have been a damsel in distress in other movies of this type, but here she is brave and resourceful with her own agency. Similarly jaded cop Ashlee Jordan (Katherine Celio) starts off a bit brash but comes into her own, especially with a brutal fight scene.
The action is well put together and Jino makes sure to make each encounter different. The film builds to a strong climax where Jack has to run a gauntlet of bad guys, each with different weapons - hand to hand, knives, swords, even assault rifles. My personal favourite part of this sequence is the sword fight. Jino Kang is a very experienced martial artist and pushes himself here with developing fight scenes utilising many different styles of combat.
For me, Weapon of Choice exceeds its budgetary limitations. Its an ambitious film which works a lot more often than it doesn't.
Having said that, Weapon of Choice is a bigger production than its predecessor, with a larger cast, more locations, overhead aerial shots and more elaborate set-pieces.
Director Jino Kang stars as Jack Lee, a recently retired assassin whose speciality was to walk into a room unarmed and utilise the weapons of his opponents - as can be seen in the opening action sequence. Unfortunately for him, his old boss Banducci (Douglas Olssen) isn't going to let him retire so easily, and kidnaps his niece Jaime. This home-invasion scene is really well done with some nice little moments. For example, When Jack enters and sees these masked men abducting Jaime, he squares off against one of them, only for the masked man to turn and walk away. Why? because one of his henchmen is sneaking up behind Jack and he feels he doesn't need to waste his time on him.
The characters are well-fleshed out and given proper personalities. Douglas Olsson gives Banducci a wry sense of humour and Machiavellian business sense. You may think his plan is over- complicated to begin with (i.e. starting a feud with Jack whilst at the same time trying to sell his criminal empire to a third party) but it all makes sense later on in the film. Jaime (Kelly Lou Dennis) might have been a damsel in distress in other movies of this type, but here she is brave and resourceful with her own agency. Similarly jaded cop Ashlee Jordan (Katherine Celio) starts off a bit brash but comes into her own, especially with a brutal fight scene.
The action is well put together and Jino makes sure to make each encounter different. The film builds to a strong climax where Jack has to run a gauntlet of bad guys, each with different weapons - hand to hand, knives, swords, even assault rifles. My personal favourite part of this sequence is the sword fight. Jino Kang is a very experienced martial artist and pushes himself here with developing fight scenes utilising many different styles of combat.
For me, Weapon of Choice exceeds its budgetary limitations. Its an ambitious film which works a lot more often than it doesn't.
In the context of being a small, straight-to-video action flick, Weapon of Choice delivers!
fifbeat19 August 2015
If you're willing to take a break from all the mundane action movies playing in theaters, look no further than Jino Kang's latest revenge thriller, Weapon of Choice. Also known as Fist 2 Fist 2 (a sequel by name only to 2011′s Fist 2 Fist), Weapon of Choice follows a retired assassin named Jack Lee (Jino Kang) who must rescue his "daughter" (Kelly Lou Dennis) from a notorious crime boss (Douglas Olsson) and his crew of gangster hit men. With a little help from a lovely rogue cop (Katherine Celio), Jack becomes a one-man kill squad who is determined to get his daughter back by any means necessary
Master Jino Kang – the film's star, co-director, writer and producer – reminds me of Hong Kong film legend Michael Chan Wai Man (Handcuff, Five Element Ninjas). Not only are the two built alike, they both have that hard-edged, stone-like facial structure. Like Chan Wai Man, I see Kang more as a heartless villain than a typical good guy. In Weapon of Choice, he essentially plays both – a contract killer at first, then a man who tries to pursue a normal life – which makes the character of Jack Lee a fitting role for him.
Despite its low budget, Weapon of Choice is a classy little flick. It shows off fancy cars, attractive women, sharp wardrobe attire and some magnificent aerial shots of San Francisco. It's apparent the most was made out of a limited budget by utilizing the backdrop of a beautiful city, as well as being resourceful with the flashy toys and props. But enough with the pretty visuals
It's during its finale that Weapon of Choice truly shines. To put it simply, Kang annihilates about 25+ men in a brutal 15-minute action sequence. It's a nonstop segment filled with kicking, punching, choking, breaking, slicing, slashing, stabbing and even some shooting. It's here that Kang delivers the goods to martial arts film junkies. Be on the look out for homages to both Fist of Fury and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. This should give you an example of the film's subtle humor throughout, even during its violent moments.
The film's action choreography – which showcases Wushu, Sanshou, Judo, Brazilian Jiu- Jitsu, Muay Thai, Hapkido and various MMA techniques – is tight, authentic and handled with grace and style; which shouldn't be a surprise, since Kang, who is also the film's fight choreographer, holds a black belt in Hapkido, Tae Kwon Do, Kyokoshin-Kai Karate and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Unfortunately, they're plagued with quick cuts/editing, which tarnishes their flow. Let's put it this way: As long as you're not expecting the awe- inspiring Ong-Bak, Ip Man or The Raid-type choreography – not to mention camera work – you'll be pleased with the way Kang presents his action sequences.
My main gripe with Weapon of Choice is that it has a good share of scenes that felt like they could have been edited more tightly (particularly its non-action, dialogue based moments). There's also a brief love scene that comes out of nowhere, which is a common pet peeve of mine. There have only been a few times, in the history of action films, where I felt a scene like this was necessary. To give Weapon of Choice some credit, it was at least done tastefully. Also, I don't care for CGI-blood, which is also becoming more and more common, even in big budget Hollywood movies (i.e. The Expendables, Machete Kills).
The bottom line: In the context of being a small, straight-to-video action flick, Weapon of Choice delivers.
Master Jino Kang – the film's star, co-director, writer and producer – reminds me of Hong Kong film legend Michael Chan Wai Man (Handcuff, Five Element Ninjas). Not only are the two built alike, they both have that hard-edged, stone-like facial structure. Like Chan Wai Man, I see Kang more as a heartless villain than a typical good guy. In Weapon of Choice, he essentially plays both – a contract killer at first, then a man who tries to pursue a normal life – which makes the character of Jack Lee a fitting role for him.
Despite its low budget, Weapon of Choice is a classy little flick. It shows off fancy cars, attractive women, sharp wardrobe attire and some magnificent aerial shots of San Francisco. It's apparent the most was made out of a limited budget by utilizing the backdrop of a beautiful city, as well as being resourceful with the flashy toys and props. But enough with the pretty visuals
It's during its finale that Weapon of Choice truly shines. To put it simply, Kang annihilates about 25+ men in a brutal 15-minute action sequence. It's a nonstop segment filled with kicking, punching, choking, breaking, slicing, slashing, stabbing and even some shooting. It's here that Kang delivers the goods to martial arts film junkies. Be on the look out for homages to both Fist of Fury and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. This should give you an example of the film's subtle humor throughout, even during its violent moments.
The film's action choreography – which showcases Wushu, Sanshou, Judo, Brazilian Jiu- Jitsu, Muay Thai, Hapkido and various MMA techniques – is tight, authentic and handled with grace and style; which shouldn't be a surprise, since Kang, who is also the film's fight choreographer, holds a black belt in Hapkido, Tae Kwon Do, Kyokoshin-Kai Karate and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Unfortunately, they're plagued with quick cuts/editing, which tarnishes their flow. Let's put it this way: As long as you're not expecting the awe- inspiring Ong-Bak, Ip Man or The Raid-type choreography – not to mention camera work – you'll be pleased with the way Kang presents his action sequences.
My main gripe with Weapon of Choice is that it has a good share of scenes that felt like they could have been edited more tightly (particularly its non-action, dialogue based moments). There's also a brief love scene that comes out of nowhere, which is a common pet peeve of mine. There have only been a few times, in the history of action films, where I felt a scene like this was necessary. To give Weapon of Choice some credit, it was at least done tastefully. Also, I don't care for CGI-blood, which is also becoming more and more common, even in big budget Hollywood movies (i.e. The Expendables, Machete Kills).
The bottom line: In the context of being a small, straight-to-video action flick, Weapon of Choice delivers.
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