Angelfist

Once again I fell victim to deceptive video box art. Even though actress Melissa Moore appears prominently on the cover brandishing a gun, there is no gunplay in this pathetic low budget martial arts action film. The biggest problem with this film about a female kick-boxing competition is that none of the girls can fight! The main actress, who is billed as a legitimate award winning martial artist, only exhibits a handful of different moves, and all of her semi-competent fight scenes are laughably performed by a male stunt double in drag! Another fine example of an American girl-fu film that completely misses the mark.

Filmmaker Cirio H. Santiago must have really liked his 1974 martial arts movie "T.N.T. Jackson", because he remade the same basic story in two more movies before his death, "Firecracker", and this movie. I didn't like the first two versions, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that I didn't like this version. It's technically inept, with poorly recorded (or dubbed) dialogue and sound effects. It's also very poorly made elsewhere, with fight sequences that are not only badly choreographed, but directed and edited in ways that suck the little life there is in the combat. As for Cat Sassoon, she doesn't come across well, not looking terribly beautiful (she has freckles all over her face and body), but also acts in a way that often doesn't make her character endearing. The only plus that the movie has is some gratuitous nudity, but it's not as frequent as it should be. Even those who love movies where women kick ass will be bored by this.

Its the fifth time i see this plot redone and never understood how it was so popular, if you saw blood fist all the other rip...remakes are extremely predictable and you spoiled yourself meaning your watching it for the fight scenes and in this case for the tits. In this take its women doing the fighting in gymnastic tights cause why not. As it feels very generic its at least goes back to its roots meaning its shot in Philipines, in a female karate tournament to please horny men as they watch women beat the living hell out of each other.

Not going to get into the plot as if you saw the other movies you pretty much know everything but if you don't my guess you saw this to get off watching women fighting and seeing them naked, the only character from the original is Baby and this time he is given a ridiculous name as well Alcatraz why...never explained but he gets the His butt kicked around most of the movie. Why would you watch this well i listed some people that would and there reasons if not well to say nostalgia?

Be my guest and look at another take on a story so redone that its most likely someone will use it now a days.

No one could be "fooled" by the box in which this film is marketed: it depicts martial arts chicks, flexing and fighting in their Spandex thongs, and that is exactly what it delivers. Cat Sassoon is even better here than in her previous masterpiece "Dance With Death" - when she fights off several ninjas wearing nothing but a pair of black bikini panties, any true fan of the genre should shudder in the grim knowledge that A) this is a truly cheesy film, and should be enjoyed as such, and B) Sassoon's are some of the fakest breasts in Hollywood, and that's saying a lot. Even during roundhouse kicks, they stand hard and fast, refusing to move. Now that's grade Z kung fu cinema. Grade: A-

Perhaps the main highlight of this film is the action and fighting-both on and off the mat. There is plenty of action during the kickboxing tournament sequences, and those are well done. There is also a fairly coherent plot-surprise!-as Cat Sasoon tries to avenge and get to the bottom of her sister's death. All in all, an adequate film with lots of action. See it for that and the lovely Cat Sasoon and gorgeous Melissa Moore.

** 1/2 out of ****