MVD’s Rewind Collection is offering another release, this
time the action adventure film BLACK EAGLE starring martial arts star Sho
Kosugi in the lead role and a then unknown martial arts actor named Jean-Claude
Van Damme as the bad guy’s henchman. Let me begin by saying that this series
from MVD is great for those of us who not only ran video stores back in the day
but frequented them as well. The slipcover for this release will bring back
those memories complete with the “Be Kind Please Rewind” stick to the category
sticker slight bent tearing off the cover itself.
When a US plane carrying a new laser tracking system is shot
down over the Mediterranean the country can’t afford having it fall into the
wrong hands. With some dastardly Russians led by Col. Vladimir Klimenko
(Vladimir Skomarovsky) nearby the CIA needs to get an operative to Malta fast.
Their second best man is already on his way but they need the best. They need
code name Black Eagle.
Ken Tani (Kosugi) aka Black Eagle, is already in the middle
of a mission but is pulled for this operation. He’s unwilling to go since his
agreement calls for him to have these two weeks free to be with his sons Brian
and Denny (Kosugi’s real life sons Kane and Shane). His handler Dean Rickert
(William Bassett) has already prepared for this having had agent Patricia
Parker (Doran Clark) pick the boys up and take them to Malta already. Tani
agrees and heads there as well. In addition to Tani and Parker Father Joseph
Bedelia (Bruce French), an ex-demolitions expert who once worked for Rickert
but is now a priest in Malta, is recruited as well.
Tani arrives and with the help of Bedelia is able to find
the sunken aircraft just as the Russian trawler pulls alongside their boat.
Helping Col. Klimenko is his personal aide and bodyguard Andrei (Van Damme).
Taking photos of Bedelia and Tani they feed them into their computer to find
out who they really are. Now the race is on to recover the tracking system
first.
Of course this will involve a face to face confrontation ala
James Bond between combatants where they act civil to one another. That ends
and with the gloves off they can now fight using any means necessary. And since
the kids are there why not use them as bargaining chips?
When Tani and Bedelia go after them to rescue them from a
seaside castle the bad guys are no match for Tani’s flying fists and swirling
kicks. As Bedelia helps rescue the kids and Parker who was captured as well,
Tani eventually faces off against Andrei. This is the fight we’ve been waiting
for as martial arts fans. But the fight, while well done, is short lived with
Tani leaping into the ocean to join his sons aboard Bedelia’s boat.
With no choice now but to see the mission through Tani sends
his sons to safety. He meditates, puts on camouflage makeup and sets out to
board the Russian ship to reclaim the stolen tracking system. And there is no
doubt that confrontation between Tani and Andrei will finally take place.
I remember seeing the movie when it was first released on
video actually having bought it for the store I owned. It was a decent movie
then and actually holds up fairly well today. It may not be the greatest of
action films but it delivers on all counts. There is story, combat skills,
explosions and gunshots enough for any film. It’s well shot too and the
locations are used to their full effect. Perhaps the weakest component here is
the acting abilities of Kosugi’s sons, much of which is due to their age.
A second weakness is also a problem with the MVD release and
that is no subtitles. Both Kosugi and Van Damme, having two distinctive and
thick accents, are a bit hard to understand at various points in the film. This
isn’t a poor reflection on either but it does make you miss some of the
dialogue. Perhaps it was decided that the dialogue didn’t matter as much as the
action. Still, they would have been nice.
As I said earlier the MVD Rewind Collection is showing to be
one worth picking up. The transfer of film to disc is impressive and well done.
And the extra included are some that will please fans of the old video stores.
To start with included in the disc is a mini poster for the movie, about the
size of those used to decorate the counters at many stores years ago. The
extras on the disc are enjoyable as well starting with the option of watching
the theatrical cut or an extended version with over 11 minutes’ worth of extra
footage. In addition to that option there is SHO KOSUGI: MARTIAL ARTS LEGEND a
featurette with interviews of both Sho and Shane Kosugi, THE MAKING OF BLACK
EAGLE with 2017 interviews with Kosugi, Clark, Shane, Dororta Puzio,
director/producer Eric Karson and screenwriter Michael Gonzalez, TALES OF
JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME featuring the cast and crew discussing the then unknown
who went on to bigger films, THE SCRIPT AND THE SCREENWRITERS featuring both
Karson and Gonzales, deleted scenes and the original theatrical trailer.
It’s not only a solid movie that can be enjoyed but the
extras are entertaining as well. And for fans of video stores you’ll enjoy
being able to find yet another of those movies that at one time could only be
discovered by making a trip to your local mom and pop store. The memories
generated by this release are enough alone to make it one worth picking up.
No comments:
Post a Comment