Fulfills its purpose...and then some!!

Superficially, there's nothing about Showdown in Little Tokyo to get excited about. It comes across as a typical, silly, by-the-numbers action picture. Dig deeper, though, and you will find Showdown in Little Tokyo to be one of the best actioners of the 1990s - and, indeed, one of the best buddy cop action pictures in history (right behind Lethal Weapon). When it comes to action films, most are pretty disposable and undistinguished, yet Showdown in Little Tokyo is distinctly separated from its unremarkable brethren due to a number of things: an ideal pairing of actors, a top-notch script bursting with hilarious one-liners, technical competency, and absolutely no pretentions. It had modest ambitions of being a goofily watchable pure action film, and it surpassed them with aplomb.

The plot (or rather the excuse for this movie to exist) concerns the Japanese Yakuza organisation, which has moved into Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Leading them is vicious gangster Yoshida (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), who's manufacturing drugs and utilising a brewery as the distribution centre. LAPD detective Chris Kenner (Dolph Lundgren) has a personal score to settle with Yoshida, as the gangster slaughtered Chris' parents when Chris was just a small child. Meanwhile, Chris is given a youthful partner in the form of Jimmy Murata (Brandan Lee). In keeping with buddy cop action pictures of the 1980s, these two are an "odd couple" pairing due to their differing ideologies and backgrounds. They do have one thing in common, however: outstanding fighting ability. Thus, with excellent fighting skills and an arsenal of weapons on their side, the stage is set for an action-packed showdown between hundreds of armed Yakuza thugs (who are unable to shoot straight) and the two heroes. Oh, and Chris & Jimmy also endeavour to protect a girl named Minako (Tia Carrere).

Within the first 20 minutes of Showdown in Little Tokyo, shootouts unfold, Dolph Lundgren kicks serious butt, the comedic lines literally never stop, a big-breasted blonde shows up, and there are bare titties. Director Mark L. Lester (the genius behind Commando) refuses to allow this raucous energy and breakneck pace to relent for a single frame as the narrative continually throttles forward at full speed, leading to non-stop action sequences, sex scenes, and priceless interactions between Lundgren and Lee. A hackneyed revenge plot may lie at the film's core, but you'll be enjoying the fast-paced ride too much to care about the script flaws (of which there are a number). After all, action movies will always be marred by contrivances, wooden acting and clichés, so the film's quality depends on the ride. Fortunately, Showdown in Little Tokyo provides a pulse-pounding ride accentuated by an excellently intense score, and the film is inhabited by two heroes so likeable that you will never want the movie to end. Hell, there's even an '80s-style training montage thrown in for good measure!

The engaging Brandon Lee - son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee - made his American film debut with Showdown in Little Tokyo. Brandon, who died in a tragic accident on the set of The Crow, was an exceptional action star, and he's in top form here. He emanates charisma, and he managed to give his character a tremendous degree of personality. It's an added bonus that Lee is so talented during the fight scenes, all of which are outstanding. Thankfully, Dolph Lundgren is also great. His performance as Chris Kenner could be his finest work to date (it's inarguably his best role to date as well). Dolph's acting skills are usually ridiculed, and usually for good reason, but the Dolphster displays impressive acting skills in this movie. He delivers one-liners with the confidence and charisma of any '80s action icon at the pinnacle of their career. Placing Lundgren and Lee alongside each other was an excellent decision, as the two share genuine chemistry, exchange hilarious banter, and playfully bounce off one another. I defy you to find a better buddy cop pair-up outside of the Lethal Weapon movies.

If you approach Showdown in Little Tokyo with a critical mind, you're viewing it for all the wrong reasons. Even so, the film is not bad at all from a critical standpoint as it only rarely asks us to suspend our disbelief, and the dialogue is clever (there are at least 10 or 15 laugh-out-loud zingers here). All things considered, Showdown in Little Tokyo is an easy film to love. Mark L. Lester has crafted the movie with impressive zeal, and the action sequences as the result of his labours are exhilarating. Everything from the comedy to the fisticuffs, and the shootouts to the nudity hit all the right buttons. As an actioner, this movie fulfils its purpose...and then some. Action buffs owe it to themselves to check out this film, while casual movie-watchers seeking 75 minutes of easy entertainment should find this movie equally as satisfying.

8.5/10