The Perfect Weapon
The Perfect Weapon
R | 15 March 1991 (USA)
The Perfect Weapon Trailers

Jeff, a young delinquent, is enrolled by his father in a kenpo school, in the hopes of teaching the boy some self-discipline. Years later, Jeff's mentor, Kim, is being threatened by one of the Korean mafia families. Jeff tries to help his old friend, but is too late to prevent Kim's death at the hands of an unknown hitman. Vowing revenge, Jeff takes on all of the families, using his martial arts skills to find the man who killed his friend.

Reviews
Ensofter Overrated and overhyped
BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See
Acensbart Excellent but underrated film
Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
Leofwine_draca A typical actioner in the vein of an early Steven Seagal flick, this one marks the debut of stubbly Jeff Speakman, once marketed as the new action hero of the 1990s. The film is cheap but enlivened by plenty of fight sequences, executed with style and speed by the surprisingly impressive Speakman whose chop-socky skills could prove to be a fair match even for Seagal himself in his prime. The main problem the film has is that it's incredibly clichéd: right down from the "avenging the death of mentor" storyline to the street attack by a gang of thugs. Every plot twist is well choreographed in advance, so it's best to just concentrate on the plentiful action the film offers, from a stunt-packed car chase to plenty of one vs. many street battles. Speakman is typical as a martial arts actor, largely wooden but getting by on his skills alone and watching him fight dozens of bad guys dynamically is great stuff.Filling out the one-dimensional roles are plenty of notable faces. As the film takes place in a Korean district and is made in America, all of the staple Asian actors show their faces in various roles: Mako as the Kempo teacher, James Hong as the slimy villain, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as a henchman and my personal favourite, Professor Toru Tanaka. Tanaka has a great role here, stereotyped as a massive bodyguard who proves to be indestructible until the fiery climax, where he dies an impressive death. Perhaps a bigger budget would have resulted in some better locations and effects work, but THE PERFECT WEAPON works well as a perfectly serviceable B-movie full of action but no brain. My only complaint is the running time; clocking in at under eighty minutes I think I must have seen some truncated version.
ma-cortes When his mentor(Mako) is killed, Jeff(Jeff Speakman) plots revenge only to find Korean mobsters and hoodlums. Training at the hands of an instructor-master who trained him on lethal martial art skills and the combat in Kempo Karate . He must exact his own form of justice turning into the ¨perfect weapon¨. He's a new hero in Los Angeles , an avenger who woos to revenge against the murderers.Jeff naturally takes on multiple opponents , cleaning up nasties Koreans and he beats, punch, knocks, kicks and defies the gravity with bounds and leaps.The film packs lots of violence,action-filled,thrills, and fierce combats with spectacular fighting.The story leave no cliché untouched, and the struggles are well staged.The movie is starred by Jeff Speakman, he's 6th degree blackbelt in American Kenpo Karate . He's director of American Kenpo , an International Kenpo Karate organization with more than 50 schools.This is his greatest hit but his career failed in ¨C grade¨ movies(Hot Boyz, Deadly outbreak,Memorial day), becoming himself a failed star.Secondary cast is formed by habitual oriental good guys: Mako,Clyde Kusatsu and bad guys played by ominous villainous with offensive racial stereotypes, such as Cary Hiroyuky Tagawa, James Hong and Professor Tanaka. The Professor was a wrestler who possessed incredible strength and was arguably the successor to Harold Sakata(the Chinese baddie in James Bond vs. Goldfinger) as the archetypal Asian Henchman. The motion picture is professionally directed by Mark DiSalle who tried repeat similar success to 'Kickboxer-Jean Claude Van Damme', but he didn't achieve. The movie is dedicated to Ed Parker and the spirit of Kenpo Karate. The result is a strong entry for action buffs and martial art enthusiastic.
linuxlouis First, if anyone knows _when_ this is going to be released on DVD legitimately, please post on here or email me.Second. This movie is great! The first time in a long time that anyone brings some good, well choreographed fight scenes to the movies.We need more Kenpo experts to bring some more original movies to Hollywood. As any viewer of this movie can see, there are no duplicate scenes, like any of the VanDead movies, where they show the same damn kick from 12 different angles... I mean c'mon enough with the helicopter kick LOL.I think this movie really illustrates the deep content of the Kenpo system and removes it from the watered down "martial arts" of "Take My Do" that gives everybody and their sister a worthless black belt.This movie develops the plot well, has the necessary elements of a good story; captivates both males and females...Great movie! Last, "Jeff where are you and/or your students? We need some more good Kenpo representatives out there!"
Segal is Past His Prime Another great, B level action film. Speakman is a great martial artist. He can really rip up a group of Koreans in a club or on their own turf at their gyms. He uses a lot of punches which I like cause after a while guys look pretty silly flipping through the air with gravity defying kicks that level small country sides. It had a few plot twists which is rare for the caliber of movie it was, a deep history that needed resolution and a club scene with exotic Asians. Who could ask for more? Well OK maybe you could, but still this movie is pretty sweet. Especially when they bring in Tanaka, that really big guy that seems to dip his hand in every little karate or bond movie to come around his olfactory senses. The ending was a bit anti-climactic but Ill let you decide that.