Hawkeye (1988)

Good concept, poorly executed.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Oh boy. Do you like Eddie Murphy? Do you wish he did some more police action-comedy films? Well, this fine movie might help fulfill your desire for more Murphy. Hawkeye is a pudgy Asian karate expert who comes from Texas, we learn that early and don't have a chance to forget it through the entire movie. His old buddy and partner gets killed during some drug deal, actually the worst drug deal ever. He gets a new partner much to his displeasure, we'll call him Neddy Gurphy. Hawk and Neddy are a couple of wild and racist guys that like to do whatever the hell they want. Early on, maybe before Neddy and Hawk join forces, the likes of which have never been seen, Hawkeye is at a dojo in the desert. He is getting qualified with the "best in the country" for some kind of certification. The dojo is more of an apartment building and the desert looks like the suburbs of Phoenix. He is there beating the crap out of people when he gets called to a bank robbery. A bank robbery, kind of a big deal right? Not this one. Hawk shows up, after changing clothes and is the first one there. In a big city, bank robbery goes out on the police radio (or the roller-rink announcer), husky Hawkeye gets it on his beeper, does a costume change and still arrives before any other cops. Impressive. What is even more impressive is the poor editing and miraculous shooting displayed while the cops (more do show up) break up the heist on the front steps of the bank. So Hawk gets a new partner, Neddy Gurphy, they but heads at first but then become good buddies. There is some good ol' 80's racism; black people like watermelon, Asian people can't drive...good stuff. There are some fun fight scenes, some random lines. They are after two bad guys, a white guy and an Asian guy. The white mafia bad guy has an interesting crew of muscle men that hang around. One of them likes to take his shirt off for some reason. At one point Hawk goes to a gay bar and has no idea the men hitting on him are gay...he keeps using this line about packing shit with his buddies, its very weird. Maybe it is a line they actually use in Texas, I've never heard it. He and Neddy basically wander around questioning the bad guys and stirring up trouble. Hawk has an ego as fat as his face and his partner follows suit. It gets a bit slow in the second half. The two different bad guys takes a lot of screen time. The white mobster seems to like unattractive women, there is a funny scene where he is sitting in bed engaged in some heavy-petting while talking to a couple of his henchmen. The police chief is always telling Hawk and Neddy they are on thin ice, and for some reason he seems to only travel with the Mayor and another guy. Eventually there is an ending, I think its the shootout on the strip...tough to tell. Good guys win though, that's for sure. Honestly, I could never quite get past the resemblance to Eddie Murphy...it's either a impressive and consistent impersonation or just a phenomenal likeness. You should watch this movie, it's funny. 3 out of 5 kamikaze t-shirts for Hawkeye

I really liked this film. Think the French Connection meets Chuck Norris in Code of Silence. Cheung is Gene Hackman-like in this modern Vegas set noir. The tension throughout the movie is held by an expertly written script and well choreograph action scenes. Cameos by Martin Balsam and Tobias Pahloosh were comic interludes that allowed the viewers to have a chuckle here and there.SPOILER ALERT!!!!! Look for Steven Seagal in a very funny scene involving a prostitute, a cab driver, and a little person. My only gripe was that the gunfights were a little too long in spots. The car chases were right out of Ronin, A!!Naomi Campbell was hot. Some of the sex scenes were a little too explicit for an R Rated movie especially given that they show actual penetration and digital manipulation of genitalia.

George Chung was among the big names of the 80s karate circuit, so it's no real surprise that he ended up making movies. The fact that his name is unknown to most contemporaries is due to the shortness of this second career and the questionable quality of the features he starred in. With that said, HAWKEYE (a.k.a. KARATE COPS) might be the best of Chung's three vehicles, and it's definitely of interest to B-movie aficionados. Though not nearly action-packed enough to make it an ironic masterpiece like "No Retreat, No Surrender", the feature boasts plenty of goofy fun and isn't half bad for forgiving viewers.The story: Two detectives – played by Chung and Chuck Jeffreys – investigate the murder of a policeman, and in the process uncover a treacherous underworld alliance.Chung directed this movie himself, and his particular directorial style is either the best or worst thing the film has going for it. Working within the confines of a limited budget, George plays fast and loose with a fairly straightforward storyline and indulges every spur-of-the-moment idea that comes into his head during filming. There are many, many instances wherein dialogue seems to have been ad-libbed and the performers just did what felt natural or seemed funny. They don't exactly do so gracefully, and combined with frequent bad acting and amateurish editing, it's easy to look at this movie as a misadventure. However, I find joy in the creative enlivening of what might otherwise have been a very boring movie, and I applaud any instance wherein a filmmaker's gusto is as clearly visible on the screen as it is here. The always-entertaining Chuck Jeffreys helps a lot, and his relationship with Chung's character (later remodeled in SHOWDOWN IN LITTLE TOKYO) can be very fun.Martial arts are prevalent throughout the picture, giving Chung and Jeffreys enough opportunities to show off their kicks, but there are very few substantial fights. This, more than anything, negatively affects my rating. There are only three brawls which last at least ten seconds, and among these, only two of them – George's randori and the karate school fight – are actually good. (SPOILER) Grandmaster Hidy Ochiai plays one of the two lead mafia bosses, and disappointingly, there's no showdown with him taking on the heroes. There's some gunfighting and a car chase, but overall, I'm dissatisfied with the action content. The tone of the picture gives us the impression that the next action scene is just around the corner, but even when this is the case, it more often than not is over within a moment.Nevertheless, there's a zaniness here that makes up for a lot of missed adrenaline. So many times, a character will do something or say something so inconsistent with our expectations of reality that it makes you take renewed notice – like when Chung's character threatens to kill a schoolchild and the teacher responds by hitting on him. It's very easy for unprepared viewers to walk away from this film with a negative experience – even I didn't care for the chauvinistic, homophobic detours the screenplay makes – but for the right audience, this film would have been worth owning a VCR for.

Another little gem in the all too brief filmography of martial arts movie star/writer/producer/director George Chung (Fight To Win, Kindergarden Ninjas).Structurally and technically a little crude (and not quite up to par with Chung's earlier masterpiece, FIGHT TO WIN), KARATE COPS (aka HAWKEYE) nonetheless remains a very enjoyable modern day martial arts film. Decidedly tongue-in-cheek, this extremely low budgeter (the editing especially has a homemade look to it) contains superb martial arts, snappy one-liners, and a knockout performance by co-star Chuck Jeffreys (Bloodmoon, Deathfight, Fight To Win), who, like Chung, warrants much more merit than he has ever received.Chung plays a cop from Texas who, against his will, is assigned a new partner, played by Jeffreys. Together the two crack down on a Japanese mobster and his henchmen. Years before RUSH HOUR, Chung and Jeffreys demonstrated a great rapport and talent for bicker and banter.Filled with situational comedy, fantastic martial arts, and even some surprisingly well done dramatic acting (from BOTH leads), KARATE COPS also features a first rate villain, the legendary Leo Fong (Blind Rage, Blood Street, Fight To Win).Memorable bits include Chung foiling a bank robbery by knocking out a female bystander and shooting around many hostages, Jeffreys taking a game of good cop/bad cop a little too seriously, Chung explaining that his martial arts instructor was just a fat guy at the Y, and a climactic game of high stakes roulette.A must-see for fans of American martial arts movies.Very fun!