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Just about serves it's purpose.

Showdown in Little Tokyo is set in Los Angeles where martial arts expert cop Sgt. Chris Kenner (Dolph Lundgren) is assigned a new partner, American born of Japanese descent Johnny Murata (Brandon Lee) who team up to take on the Yakuza moving into LA's Japanese district Little Tokyo. Sadistic Yakuza boss Funekei Yoshida (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) plans to flood the US with a new lethal drug & make lots of money, obviously. However Kenner & Murata get wind of Yoshida's plan to smuggle the drug in Red Dragon beer bottles & decide to stop it. The heat gets turned up even more when by a complete coincidence it turns out that Yoshida assassinated both of Kenner's parents when he was a young boy & when Kenner rescues night club singer Minako Okeya (Tia Carrere) who happens to be Yoshida's unwilling girlfriend it becomes personal on both sides in a fight to the death...Co-produced & directed Mark L. Lester this early 90's action film left me rather disappointed, I am usually a big sucker for these overblown action flicks but Showdown in Little Tokyo didn't do much for me at all. First of all the positives, at only 79 minutes it moves along like a rocket & to be is never boring & then there's the against expectation odd role reversal in the sense that you would expect the character played by Brandon Lee to be the Japanese warrior type with honour & a dab hand at using a samurai sword & the LA cop played by beefy Dolph Lundgren to provide the wise-cracking comedy & one-liners but no it's the opposite way around, the character's themselves are still clichéd & unoriginal but the makers cast against type or expectation. Showdown in Little Tokyo won't go down as either Lundgren's or Lee's finest hour & it doesn't even cut it as a fun 90's action film either. The jokes fall flat, some scenes are unintentionally funny (Lundgren jumping over a speeding a car coming towards him from a standing position springs to mind), neither Lundgren or Lee click & as such there's little or no on screen chemistry & I had a hard time caring for either of them, the token female is almost surplus to requirements & even the main villain isn't that memorable. The script has a disjointed feel too, it lumbers from one scene to another without much actually happening, there's also lots of nonsense about honour yet both Yoshida & Kenner seem perfectly happy to kill anyone else they meet but just not each other until the end.The film has some nice violence in it & some decent fights although they look a little comical at times. There's some gore too including a chopped off hand, a decapitated head, bloody gunshot wounds & stabbings. There's also some nudity with topless girls featured in various scenes. The action is alright but that's the best I can say for it, there's a few decent explosions at the end otherwise very little in the way of memorable action & the film resorts to boring shoot-outs too often where the bad guy's can't shoot straight & the good guy's never miss.Shot on location in Los Angeles the film looks good & has decent production values. The acting is not that good, no-one seems to have much heart or charisma here. The late Brandon Lee is alright while Lundgren is poor & looks daft in silly outfits & with greased hair. Tia Carrere barely has anything to do & is wasted.Showdown in Little Tokyo is a 90's action that I should like, I usually like these overblown silly action films but there was just something about this that I didn't like that much. It's watchable & it's short but I won't be in any hurry to see it again.

This is an action movie a woman can enjoy too

Im not one for 80s or early 90s action movies but i did really enjoy this one. Most action movies that have a woman being rescued etc. in it seem pretty cheesy cause the woman usually acts really fake. I admire Tia Carrere and I think she was pretty strong in this film. Who can forget her and dolph getting it on to? Not to be perverted or anything but that somewhat draws a woman into a action movie. I would defintely watch this movie again...and dont worry guys its not a sappy movie or anything but i would defintely watch it on a 2nd date...might get lucky!

Holy cow. Must be seen to be believed.

SPOILERS(BUT DONT WORRY THIS ONES ALREADY ROTTEN)Was lucky enough to catch this stinker on cable and Im telling you it had me transfixed in a hypnotic state, chanting to my girlfriend every minute or so- - "Is this real?" "Am I imagining this?". This jaw-droppingly awful flick has all the trappings of a B-grade buddy-cop rip-off, and then some- bad acting, bad script, choppy editing, and some truly improbable moments. Highlights include Dolf Lundgren getting shot point blank in the bare chest then proceding to challenge the shooter to a one-on-one sword fight, as well as Brandon delivering the line "You have the right to remain dead", just before torching a bad guy. This one must be seen to be believed.

really uncool woman scene

The scene with the woman and the bad guys, just couldn't watch it and, therefore, made the whole movie seem evil.

Guilty Pleasure is Written all over this

There is a Reason Dolph Lundgren has been around and it's not because of his incredible acting skills. The reason is that he is one of the icons of cheesy action films. So when you get an action comedy such as this it makes for a fun little trip for an hour and a half.

The story here is that Dolph Lundgren is police officer on the trail of the iron claw, a group of yakuza run by a man who murdered his parents when he was a child. He teams up with a wise cracking Brandon Lee and together along with a sexy Tia Carrea they take down the Sinister Drug Lord.


What makes the movie funny is that Dolph Lundgrens character is an america who is totally into the Japanese way of the Samurai while Brandon Lee grew up an American Mall Rat and is a fish out of water at some of the places that they go to search for these criminals.


Overall this is a simple early 90's action film that appeals to those who like to spend an afternoon hooting and hollering at bad guys getting their @$$ handed to them as well as the usual gratiouse nudity and one liner moments. Leathel Weapon this is not but for a good low price, you can't go wrong.

Hell sucked! We are back!

This film will not win any awards, but it would qualify as a guilty pleasure for those who like chop socky.Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee are partners. One was raised in Japan and the other in LA. Guess which knows Japanese culture and can speak the language? They join forces to fight the Yakuza in LA and there is plenty of action. Martial arts, lots of breasts, guns, naked women, explosions, hot sexual action, and a finale worth waiting for.Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (The Art of War, Planet of the Apes, Pearl Harbor) is the bad gut. Tia Carrere (Wayne's World, True Lies) is the damsel in distress.Not a lot of great acting, but there were some really good lines, and lots of action. Did I mention lots of breasts?

Cult classic starring Dolph and Brandon

Macho B-movie madness at its sublime best, this crazy action quickie is about as braindead as you can get: wooden acting, a terrible story and a script that truly sucks. But with all the mindless violence on offer who really cares. Gun battles, martial arts, Samurai sword slashing and gory deaths are the order of the day, not to mention plenty of beautiful ladies treated like playthings and shedding clothes at every opportunity. Despite the tits and guns, there is some kind of story: Kenner (Lundgren) is on a mission of vengeance. His parents were killed when he was ickle by crazy Yakuza thug Yoshida (Tagawa), an ice-cool super-villain now specialising in drug dealing and generally looking mean. Kenner, adept in the Samurai ways, grows to be a law-abiding copper who's now right on his tail. Male bonding ensues when policeman Johnny Murata (Lee, in his US debut), a hip-talking dude with street credentials, is assigned as Kenner's partner in crime, and all hell simply breaks loose. You could say that there's an artistic angle to all this fighting, shooting and banging, but then that would be a lie - Showdown in Little Tokyo is a classic in a completely different sense of the word.

Bottom of the Barrel Actioner

Summary: Two L.A. cops (Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee) vs the Yakuza (led by Carey-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the murderer of Lundgren's parents).

Dumbo martial-arts action movie is short and fast moving enough to end before we are bored. This movie is so forgettable that I forgot about it while I was still watching it. From the director of 'Class of 1984' and 'Commando'.

It's He-Man and the Crow in the same frame!

Martial arts masters Dolph Lundren and the late Brandon Lee, son of the equally late Bruce Lee, play mismatched cops on the trail of evil Japanese gangsters, AKA: The Yakuza - so technically this is the 2nd film that features He-Man fighting the Yakuza, the other being the 1989 Punisher adaptation. And the iron of it all is that big brawny blonde Lundgren actually knows more about Japanese culture than half-Japanese/half Caucasian Lee! Oh how hilarious! Mindless action film made worth the price of rental simply by virtue of the fact that if features He-Man (Lundgren) and the Crow (Lee) in the same frame, exchanging barbs, cracking wise and kicking ass.Hot, sexy Tia Carrere co-stars.

Rent it then forget about it

Movie critics often make the mistake of attempting to review martial arts films as serious pieces of work. So naturally they end up trashing the film because 'it' doesn't have the chops (no pun intended). But this 87-minute total rental is worth every penny. Park your brain at the door and enjoy the snappy cliche dialogue which actually has a lot of humour, the superb (for a low-budget American production) martial arts editing, and most of all the looks on the actors faces, most of whom look like they can't believe they did this film for the money.

You Get What You Pay For

I enjoyed this movie very much. I do not go to an action 90's movie
expecting to see Sir Laurence Olivier. Nor do I expect Lundgren to become
the Govenor of California. This movie is fantasy, if you pay your money
and expect Hamlet, you are guilty of a poor investment.

The movie is exactly what I thought it would and should be. Sure there
are disturbing segments, but no more so than an esoteric study such as
"The Hours". Honestly, is the genre and dialog any worse than "Lethal
Weapon"? Are the Asian slurs and stereotypes any different than "Black
Rain"

"You get what you pay for. . . ." and with this movie and the proper
release of reality, cinematic snobery and (yes) good taste, you will get
even more. Try not to enjoy it too much! Just remember not to take it
too seriously. After all, do we really know Luke Skywalker can operate
a futuristic X-wing fighter after quitting the dirt farmer profession?

showdown in little tokyo

Very good Dolph and Brandon make a good time nice moves and the bad guys you love to hate.

A Classic by Default

Starring the late Brandon Lee seals the deal on making Showdown in Little Tokyo a classic action movie. Yes, the story is terrible and a lot of the acting is worse. Much of the narrative is forced and much of the action sequence are not terrific, but pass. Still, for a 79 minute movie, with hardly any substance are development of characters, the movie is good. Don't expect much, this is a nice little action movie with a lot of gun shots, fire, explosions, sex and karate. What more can you ask for in a low budget action film? Showdown in Little Tokyo does justice in its cast. Many Japanese American actors played apart in this movie. If not as a supporting or lead role, many familiar Japanese / American actors played background extras in the movie. Actors from Gung Ho, Showgirl, Mr. Baseball, etc. turned out to be in the movie. Whether they were producing a quality big budget feature film, or a dime a dozen action movie, the Japanese / American acting community came out to support the production.

Give it a break!

Reading some of these comments, it occurred to me no one seems to know how to have fun anymore. This movie is not meant to be a great movie. I don't think any of the actors had intention of trying for an oscar. It's simply a fun movie. The action sequences are pretty cool and the one liners are hysterical. Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee are a great action pair. The chemistry between them is amazing. If you just want to watch a movie that's going to make you laugh, and get some good action with it, I highly recommend Showdown.

Another stalwart effort from the director of Commando

Surely the rating should be higher? This is one of the better Dolph Lundgren-takes-on-all-comers movies, and its got Brandon Lee godamnit!Ok, so it gets predictable, but isnt that why action movies are so well loved? Its got enough of a storyline not to resemble Red Scorpion in any way, but only just little enough to make it a totally enjoyable flick. I mean, for 1991, what were you expecting? Considering that this was the director who brought us Commando, this is the ultimate in bloke films. If you want to clear the women away, put either one of these films on and enjoy a mens night in!So its not Minority Report, its not The Shawshank Redemption but its redemption at its best, feet first!Oh, and Tia Carrare in a hot tub. Gets it at least one point. ;)

Nice action/martial arts movie to add to your collection

The keys to a great action/martial arts movie is you need a great villain and believable heros. This movie did it right. Unfortunately it isn't widescreen format.

Great Comedy - Unfortunately its Supposed to be an Action Movie

If this film were a comedy it would be hailed as one of the best ever made. Some of the lines Dolph and Brandon come out with are the funniest I've ever heard.The sad thing is that its not meant to be a comedy but an action movie and most of the parts that are hysterically funny are actually not supposed to be. As an action movie its terrible but will keep you entertained simply because you can't stop laughing at how bad it all is.Rating: 1/10

Good and funny * SPOILER * beware ;)

Brandon Lee is a great supporting actor with hilarious sayings and quick moves. The cheesy phrases that pop up in the best moments make the movie funny and easier to take not so seriously. The action scenes are well choreographed, but the mistakes made throughout the movie whether it be dummies in place of people in cars or clothes appearing out of nowhere on Lundgren (the hoody when they are on the hill), make it have a joke type theme in it. The movie is great but the fakeness makes it laughable and entertaining. The acting is excellent and brings the movie up a few ratings. There is an almost perfect blend of serious action type moments and wise cracking going on. By the way look out for those life like wounds... There is actually a plot which is cool and they stick to it the whole movie.

Little Showdown on DVD

I kinda loved this movie in the 80s for the martial arts scenes as it all new to me back in the 80s.Obviously, if you watch it now, fights are just slow and cheesy.But well, its good entertainment.

This DVD has no subtitles and basically just the movie.

I wont comment much of the movie because it is a straight forward martial arts movie.I was hoping I could get to see some behind the scenes or deleted scenes if any.

However, the picture quality is pretty vivid even though it is a almost 2 decades old and it does have Dolby stereo features.

Unless u loved the 80s or a fan of either Dolph Lundgren or Brandon Lee,you may want to miss this one.

expected more

Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee star as a cop duo in this action flick that attempts humor with some decent martial arts. In the end, Showdown is ok, an average movie with nothing too exciting that will make you want to watch it again anytime soon.

The coolest thing about the movie are the two stars. The late Brandon Lee (The Crow, Rapid Fire) displays a few scenes of some great martial arts skills, while Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV, Universal Soldier) is his usual physically overwhelming self, kicking butt wherever he goes. Unfortunately, these two guys have done better in some of their other films, but it is cool to see them together in one movie. Their chemistry, though, is a bit lacking, as is the cheesy humor that fails to be humurous. Maybe back in the good old day it might have been. The villain is played by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Kickboxer 2, Mortal Kombat) who is just downright dirty in this film. A sick villain, to say the least, as mentioned by another review here, that disturbing scene with the beheading of the blonde. In the end, Lundgren gets a swordfight against the Hiroyuki character, but unfortunately the scene is about over before it begins, and then the credits soon roll.

Showdown has very little story or plot. Most of the movie consists of pure action scenes and then some. The 2 cops chase the bad guys, and they chase them. Back and forth it goes. Acting, of course, is below par, as is with most action movies. I emphasive the R rating on this film as well, for there is scene after scene of naked women, cursing, and some gruesome events. Some of it just becomes annoying.

If you like Brandon Lee, Dolph Lundgren, and ok martial arts action, Showdown should be worth renting. Buying may not be necessary, its not as good as I had hoped.