Martial Law (1991) Westwind Productions/Action RT: 89 minutes Rated R (violence and language) Director: Steve Cohen Screenplay: Richard Brandes Music: Elliot Solomon Cinematography: John Huneck Release date: May 16, 1991 (US) Cast: Chad McQueen, Cynthia Rothrock, David Carradine, Andy McCutcheon, Philip Tan, Tony Longo, V.C. Dupree, Jim Malinda, Rick Walters, Patricia J. Wilson, Lars Lundgren, Professor Toru Tanaka, John Fujioka. Box Office: N/A
Rating: ***
The title Martial Law comes from the nickname bestowed on Officer Sean Thompson (McQueen, The Karate Kid) for his superior martial arts skills. Everybody calls him that. It’s no lie either. This guy kicks ass. In the film’s opening scene, he foils a jewelry store robbery by posing as a Domino’s Pizza delivery guy bringing sustenance to the hungry hoods. He delivers their pizza with a side order of beatdown, kicking one scumbag through the front window and smashing another’s head through a glass display case. When the owner starts whining, he says, “What? You’re insured.” He then drives off into the night for an opening credits roll set against a backdrop of nighttime L.A.
Directed by Steven Cohen (Devil in the Flesh), the direct-to-video actioner Martial Law co-stars the agile and attractive Cynthia Rothrock (China O’Brien) as Sean’s partner (on the street and in bed) Officer Billie Blake. Together, they attempt to take down crime kingpin Dalton Rhodes (Carradine, Lone Wolf McQuade). He mainly deals in stolen cars and illegal arms. He operates out of a karate school which is where he recruits his employees. One of them is Sean’s little brother Michael (McCutcheon), a troubled youth who hasn’t been the same since his dad died and big brother Sean went off to Hong Kong to up his martial arts game. His job is to steal cars. Great cop that he is, Sean has no idea Michael’s working for the guy he’s after until he catches him in the act.
There’s not a lot in the way of plot here. Sean and Billie get into a lot of fights during the course of their investigation. Sean keeps after Michael about his choices, telling him that he’s breaking their mother’s (Wilson, Demon Seed) heart. Carradine is a bad dude who deals with other bad dudes like the shady Chinese businessman (Fujioka, American Ninja) in the market for stolen luxury cars. You know the guy is shady because he has a hulking bodyguard played by none other than Professor Toru Tanaka (The Running Man). He also has dealings with an American colonel (Walters, Laserblast) looking to get his hands on some high-grade weapons. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. His signature move is something called the “Death Touch” which entails an open-handed blow to the chest. It kills instantly. I think this might be where QT got the idea for the deadly blow (“The Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique”) that takes down Carradine’s character in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004).
There are some interesting side characters in Martial Law. Dalton’s right-hand guy is Wu Han (Tan, Showdown in Little Tokyo). He’s Asian and speaks with a British accent. He smiles a lot. He has mad kung fu skills. Also, he’s a cold-blooded killer. Then there’s Faster Brown (Dupree, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan), a former employee of Dalton’s who keeps trying to get back into his good graces by bringing him information he thinks might be valuable. He never goes anywhere without his trusty nunchuks yet he still gets his ass kicked every time. Tony Longo (The Last Boy Scout), the go-to guy when directors needed a dumb gigantic imposing type, shows up as one of Dalton’s main henchmen. This is a guy who thinks the National Enquirer is great reading.
Cohen, working from a screenplay by Richard Brandes (The Nurse), fills Martial Law with cliched scenes like the training montage featuring Sean working out on a beach while jazzy sax music plays on the soundtrack. That’s classic 80s action movie stuff! That’s followed by Sean going undercover in Dalton’s organization to gather incriminating evidence of his misdeeds. Will he or won’t he be found out? We get a scene showing Michael rethinking his life after a close call with the law. There’s the sad scene where a cop shows up to deliver bad news during a birthday celebration for Sean and Michael’s mother. Then, of course, there’s the finale in which Sean and Dalton finally go head to head. Yes, the Death Touch figures into it. Is there any reason to think it wouldn’t?
The fight scenes in Martial Law are cool. The best has to be when Sean and Billie go to arrest Faster at a nightclub. He’s none too happy when Sean flashes his badge. Before you know it, the two cops are taking on multiple patrons while heavy metal band Tempest jams on stage. But before that happens, a sexy lady (Mary Reid) welcomes Sean to “The Rubber Club” with a deep kiss and the gift of a condom while Billie looks on in mild disapproval. The climactic battle between Sean and Dalton is fine, but I was more impressed by the simultaneous fight between Billie and Wu Han. It’s like something in a cheap kung fu import from the 70s. Rothrock has some mighty impressive moves.
What can I say about the acting that I haven’t said in regards to other DTV action flicks from the 90s? It’s not great, but it’s not exactly terrible either. It’s just right. McQueen, tooling around on a motorcycle and sporting early 90s fashions, is okay. He’s the son of old school action star Steve McQueen, the undisputed king of cool in the 60s and 70s. He’s a decent fighter, but he has nothing on martial artists like JCVD and Don “The Dragon” Wilson. Rothrock is a better actress and martial artist. She’s a true bad ass babe! Carradine is fine but unexceptional as the suave, stylish and sociopathic villain. Dupree overacts mightily as Faster, a wild-eyed psycho who delivers each line with relish. Tan is also great as Dalton’s assistant. McCutcheon leaves no impression whatsoever as younger brother Michael. Is it any wonder he never acted in another feature film after this?
Martial Law is basically trash. It’s the type of movie you rent when all the big titles are out. It’s flawed but enjoyable. It entertains even if it doesn’t completely satisfy.
