Double Dragon (1994)

Just perfect...

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

The first thing you need to know is that 'Double Dragon' is based on a computer game. And, as any seasoned cinema-goer will know, any film based on a computer game is often not worth the celluloid it's made with. And, as with Streetfighter, Super Mario Bros and House of the Dead, Double Dragon is pretty bad. But not that bad… although certain conditions apply to that statement.I grew up in the eighties and played the original Double Dragon video game religiously, therefore I'm always going to look upon the film version through slightly rose-coloured spectacles. Secondly, I seem to have a mild appreciation for really 'so-bad-they're-good' films and this is so bad it's good.It's about brothers, Billy and Jimmy Lee, growing up after some sort of great earthquake in a rebuilt Los Angeles. The police struck a deal with the gangs that no 'gang warfare' or crime will take place during the day, putting a curfew in place at night where law-abiding citizens can hide away from the hooligans who rule the streets during the dark. They find half of a magic medallion which isn't really that magic. Although it would be if the other half was found. And the other half is in the possession of the leader of the gangs – the T1000 himself with a really bad haircut – Robert Patrick.I think one of the main reasons Double Dragon is widely regarded as such a flop is because it really didn't have the budget to be anything special. It kind of comes across as a 'made-for-TV' movie and the script is pretty awful. Even Robert Patrick (normally reliable in everything he does), struggles to bring anything to his role as 'generic bad-guy.' Plus the film is rated '12' yet I think that's a little strict. I'd say the primary audience for this film is eight-year-old boys who are watching this on a Saturday morning. A film based on fighting should at least have some violence in it, however all the fight scenes are almost comical with the heroes using everything from frying pans to random object to despatch their foes. Oh, that brings me onto the foes. The gangs Billy and Jimmy fight seem to be dressed in completely different uniforms to each other. It's like watching the two boys beat up the Village People. Seriously, you have one gang member in a bowler hat and suit, one dressed as a workman, one as a postman and so on.Unless you're like me and loved the computer game, or can appreciate camp rubbish films like this, you'll have to be a young boy to get anything out of this. I've now re-watched Double Dragon and, although it killed an hour and a half of my time, the fact that the two heroes spent much of their screen time screaming (supposedly) 'comically' into the camera even started to get on my nerves. But it was fun – silly fun. Pretty bad, but I've seen worse (House of the Dead – I'm looking at you!).

One of my favourite childhood games gets the typical nineties Hollywood makeover and only just entertains for all the wrong reasons!Set in the future, well, if our year of 2007 really turned out like this, in the city of New Angeles. With vehicles powered by burning rubbish, police curfews, buildings held up by jacks, and lots of colourful clothes and bad jeans, we enter the god awful world of James Yukich's Double Dragon.In a nutshell - Embarrassing acting from most cast members, all but Dacascos, Wolf and Nickson, that only adds to the unintentional humour, terrible make-up, costumes and direction. Its only saving grace is its two gorgeous leading men who give us some decent fight scenes and a number of funny enough one liners!In my opinion - Hollywood, oh Hollywood... For many years you have astounded us with your inability to chose directors that know what they are doing, that suit the project in action, or generally just can't stop ruining great things! Taking a documentary film maker and handing him one of the ultimate and most popular games of that time, should have been the first sign to the studio fat cats that this was going to be as much of a success as the previous years, Super Mario Bros.Haunted by that typical mid nineties costume department that helped make a lot of then films look naff, there is pretty much nothing in this 90 minutes of madness that stays true to the game. Every extra looks ridiculous and is annoying as hell, with most of it playing out like some bastard child from a Power Rangers episode!Is there anything good in Double Dragon I hear you ask? Well, yes if I'm honest. Both its leading men are absolutely gorgeous and perfect leading men material for such a film. They probably act the best out of everyone, and Scott manages to hold his own in the fight scenes alongside the always incredible Mark Dacascos. It is only a shame though that Hollywood executives thought this would be the best film to introduce Mark as a leading man, instead of his classic Crying Freeman which went unreleased in the US for many years!Double Dragon has its moments. It just makes me so angry to see such a great thing wasted, and another case of what could have been if it was in the right hands. In one scene, the spinach feeding scene, the actor in terrible make-up states, 'I'm not acting...'Never a truer word said.

Yes, during the 1990's is when the whole let's make video games into movies phase begun. I do believe "Super Mario Brothers" was the first, while "Mortal Kombat" was probably the most successful of the 90's. "Tomb Raider" and "Resident Evil" would have rather good success in the 2000's. This one is not a success, I mean Mario was not a huge success either, but it did manage to have a lot of hype to it and was a known movie, while this one kind of flew under the radar. However, this is not surprising, this one has the look of a movie that was direct to video with the only known actor being Robert Patrick and the only thing he was really noted for at the time was being the bad terminator in the film "Terminator II: Judgement Day". This film manages to take a rather simple plot of two brothers fighting through a bunch of gang members to rescue the girlfriend of one of them to some strange mystic medallion that really overly complicates things and makes for a rather bad movie that is almost unwatchable except for the occasional chuckle as you realize people wasted their time making this stinker. Seems they often make movies out of the video games that have virtually no plot during this time as Mario and Mortal Kombat also had very little substance to them. Yet games that do have some substance such as say "Legend of Zelda" and "Metroid" do not have a movie. Granted you would have to change some things here and there to make them movies and not just a live action video game, but there are good stories in them that I think would translate well to a film.

I give this movie at least a little credit, oh I know it was no masterpiece, but I think of the era this movie was made in and I think of the audience. This wasn't meant to be a gut busting, violent, beat 'em up shoot 'em up movie…and to be honest I find movies that are all about the blood and gore with no real foundation to be very morbid. This is a movie that doesn't contain nudity nor does it contain violence, though there is some martial arts, that's a given…this is Double Dragon! I thought the martial arts was well choreographed and not too violent. My nieces can sit down, enjoy this movie, and get a little chuckle from it just as well as my nephews and it doesn't send them into panic attacks like maybe...an overly violent movie would. It's a good baby sitting movie actually, there are the cute quirks and jokes. This movie does have foundation it does have rhythm it follows it's own original flow. It's not a chaotic movie, it's easy to follow and tells the story from beginning to end without being sporadic. It's one of those dance and jiggle movies, it's colorful, it's quirky, and it's so early 90's. If you are expecting Graphics like "War of the Worlds" you'll be disappointed. It is a simple and uniquely crafted story of two brothers trying to make it. Double Dragon is dynamic enough to be entertaining for folks of all ages and toned down enough so that you can sit and watch it with your kids. Over all, charming.