Only the Strong (1993)
Former Green Beret Louis Stevens returns to his hometown of Miami after completing military service in Brazil, only to learn that his old high school has become a haven for gangs and drug dealers. After Stevens uses his capoeira skills to kick several drug dealers off of the school property, Kerrigan, one of Stevens' old teachers, sees the impact that Stevens has on the students. Kerrigan gives him the task of teaching Capoeira to a handful of the worst at-risk students at the school.
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The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
I've seen some bad movies in my time, but this one is one of the worst.
The acting levels are not high and the film looks like it was shot on a hamstring in Miami locations. Still Only The Strong has a good bit of entertainment going with it. Martial Arts film fans should be happy with it.Geoffrey Lewis quite unofficially brings in former Special Forces captain Mark Dascascos for a karate program for some of his biggest challenges at an urban Miami high school he teaches at. Among those kids is Richard Coca, cousin of the neighborhood gang leader Paco Christian Prieto.Though film isn't exactly Citizen Kane, Prieto is such a menacing presence you will remember him long after the rest of the film. Especially next to white bread hero Mark Dascascos. Prieto doesn't like anyone telling the kids there's an alternative other than gang war for them. Especially when it involves Coca. Then it becomes downright personal.Martial Arts film fans will love Only The Strong and others will be entertained.
This is a must rent for any martial arts fan. The action is amazing and plenty. This is Marc Dacascos best film without a doubt. The stunts are awesome, the acting is better than usual for a sock em kick em flick, and the storyline is meaningful and entertaining. The Brazilian martial art is very rarely seen, so it makes the fight scenes fresh and interesting. Too bad Marc never made it big. After watching this, you'll be wondering, Why the hell didn't he become a superstar??? Dacascos rocks! It's a fun, feel good action film with a great lead and an awesome villain. There are some recognizable young faces in the film as well.
This movie proves that you don't need at huge budget, lots of well-known actors and all that to make a great movie. Even though it looks like this is made on a shoestring budget, they really managed to pull off a great martial arts movie here. They kept it easy and simple and focused on the fight scenes, and what fight scenes! They are very good, Marc Dacascos is great in it, and overall it was a very enjoyable experience from start to finish. The mix between martial art scenes and scenes progressing the feel-good story is perfect. Other action movies should take note of how this is done. Simple, standard, great action, you got it.