Holy. Shit. What the fuck? I have never seen trailer that just is more incoherent than the actual movie it is showcasing. I don’t even know what this movie is about judging solely from the trailer and that’s not a good thing. I guess they were just banking on the fact that teens would have recognized the name of the movie and then immediately think of the arcade game Double Dragon. Lord and the trailer music, what the hell is that? Geez, well you know me folks and my love of awesome movies and bad movies and this definitely falls between the two categories. Prepare for an onslaught of hyper colored 90s settings, decent action sequences, Alyssa Milano looking extra sexy and Robert Patrick with a hideous high top white hair cut.
Also Scott Wolf is an action star apparently.
In this futuristic martial arts drama based on a popular video game, Los Angeles has been transformed into a watery New Angeles after a long-threatened earthquake devastates the West Coast. Billy Lee (Scott Wolf) and his brother Jimmy (Mark Dacascos) are two martial arts experts who were raised by a woman named Satori (Julia Nickson) after the death of their parents. Satori has come into possession of one half of a magic amulet; if joined with the other half, it gives whomever possesses it remarkable powers. However, the other half of the charm is now held by Koga Shuko (Robert Patrick), a martial arts master and business tycoon who is obsessed with ruling New Angeles. Satori gives her half of the amulet to Billy and Jimmy, hoping they can keep it safe while trying to win the other half away from the unscrupulous Koga Shuko. In their adventures, the brothers encounter Marian (Alyssa Milano), the leader of a gang called “The Power Corps,” and Linda Lash (Kristina Malandro Wagner), Koga Shuko’s beautiful but deadly female bodyguard. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Riding the lovely wave of video game movies, Double Dragon really has nothing to do with the game at all, but that really didn’t matter to me when I saw this in 1994. I was just excited with all the fast action, vibrant colors and Alyssa Milano. It was a martial arts film that I could somewhat relate to a video game and that’s all that mattered to me. When I look back on this movie, it’s terrible, but in a good way. It’s that time capsule of a movie when you realized that everything in this movie is so campy that you just nod your head and smile. There was a story at it’s heart about some talisman with dragon like powers and how one part of the US was thrown into turmoil. It was up to Party of Five and Mark Dacascos to defeat evil 90s villain Robert Patrick as Kogo Shuko.
Looking back, I actually like the backdrop of a ravage Los Angeles and this technicolor world of elaborately dressed Warrior-like gangs and ruined, apocalyptic settings. It’s a pretty 90s based film, but it does have a life f its own with the rival gangs and hideouts that were pretty fucking sweet. The movie itself is just clunky and oddly paced, from bad acting and line delivery to just timing issues where things feel very rushed and no exposition given. I don’t care about the story, but I don’t mind being led along with some crumbs of information. The two leads of the film are enjoyable as the brothers in the movie, except you have to get over the fact that Bailey Salinger from Party of Five is some sort of martial arts hero. I mainly believe Mark Dacascos more since he has been in some action films and seems more natural. Robert Patrick as the villain is just hammy and good. He breaks the fourth wall, chews the scenery and wears the most godawful outfit and haircut ever.
There was also something else I was supposed to talk about. It had something to do with Alyssa Milano’s character and why I remember her so fondly in this kids, action adventure movie. Something, I just can’t put my finger on….
Maybe…I mean I was like in my early teens when I saw it so something…..
Anyways it will come back to me I guess.
Besides the campy nature of this movie, it’s a fun watch. You weren’t going to get anything deep from this movie other than surface story telling, wacky characters and villains, and also plenty of action scenes. It’s a fun movie to watch with little to no expectations. Think of it as like you are watching Street Fighter or even Mario Brothers. Speaking of which, Mario Bros. is next on my list of movie to talk about. Enjoy the fight scenes and interesting settings, but don’t expect anything more from this 90s video game movie adaptation.
