Starring
Scott Wolf, Mark Dacascos, Alyssa Milano, Robert Patrick, Julia
Nickson, Leon Russom, Kristina Wagner, George Hamilton, Vanna White.
Directed by James Yukich. (1994/96 min).
AVAILABLE
ON BLU-RAY FROM
Review
by Tiger the Terrible😸
1994's
Double Dragon is tacky, cheesy, badly acted and a strong
contender for the most "80s" movie that never came out in that decade. From the cast of B-list actors to the prerequisite
synthesizer soundtrack, it is, of course, a perfect film for MVD's ongoing Rewind
Collection.
This
Blu-ray release is also another instance where the bonus features are far more
entertaining than the movie itself. MVD has really outdone themselves
on this one. The vintage material is like stepping back in
time, but the real jewel is a brand new, feature-length retrospective
documentary. Revealing, comprehensive and sometimes very
funny, it tells a compelling story in its own right, especially since
the finished product wasn't quite what anyone had in-mind.
As
for that finished product, Double Dragon was of the first
films ever based on a video game, and if you think video game
adaptations are bad now, this one might redefine the word for you.
But
is it fun? Even at its own expense? Yeah, kind-of. If your childhood
weekends were spent stalking the aisles of Blockbuster, you might
have plucked this from the shelf on your way to the rental
counter. As such, there's some nostalgic value here. It's always
enjoyable to have a good chuckle at what used to pass for
awesome when you were little.
 |
| "Scream 'Allez Cuisine' one more time and I'll snap your neck." |
For
everyone else, the fun will probably begin to wear off after about 30
minutes. One would think an unholy mash-up of martial arts movies,
Escape from New York, The Karate Kid and Willy Wonka's
chocolate factory couldn't miss. But while Double Dragon is
certainly bad, it's not so ineptly made that it descends into
so-bad-it's-good territory. Considering the budget, the movie is
technically pretty competent. In a way, that ultimately makes it more
of a chore to endure.
Furthermore,
something kept gnawing at me while watching. One of the fighting Lee
brothers, Mark Dacascos, looked really familiar, but I couldn't place
where I'd seen him before. It wasn't until I checked iMDB that I
discovered he went on to become "The Chairman" on Iron Chef
(my favorite part of the show).
I wonder how Mark would have reacted back then if he were told his
greatest claim to fame would be screaming "Allez Cuisine!"
at the beginning of every episode.
As
for the rest of the cast, Robert Patrick and his hair come-off best,
while Alyssa Milano demonstrates why Commando was the
high-point of her movie career.
Whether
or not one shares my assessment of the movie itself, I think anybody
with an interest in the filmmaking process (including the business
side) still might want to pick this one up. Double Dragon is
an archaic and asinine product of its time, but the story behind it -
told by those who lived it - is fascinating.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
NEW:
"THE MAKING OF DOUBLE DRAGON" - An extensive and
hugely entertaining retrospective documentary, primarily featuring
screenwriters Michael Davis & Peter Gould, but also includes
interviews with co-stars Scott Wolf & Mark Dacascos and producer
Don Murphy.
NEW:
"DON MURPHY: PORTRAIT OF A PRODUCER" - A lengthy interview
with one of the producers, who's refreshingly candid about how the
film turned out.
VINTAGE
FEATURETTES - Making-of and behind-the-scenes.
DOUBLE
DRAGON PILOT EPISODE - The first episode from a 1995 animated
series that, quite frankly, I didn't even know existed. Even cheesier than the film.
STORYBOARD
GALLERY
PROMOTIONAL
PHOTO GALLERIES
THEATRICAL,
TV AND VHS TRAILERS
MINI
POSTER
DVD
COPY
KITTY CONSENSUS:
NOT BAD...FOR THE BONUS FEATURES ALONE.
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