Bloodfist IV: Die Trying (1992) Concorde/Action RT: 86 minutes Rated R (violence and language) Director: Paul Ziller Screenplay: Rob Kerchner and Paul Ziller Music: David and Eric Hurst Cinematography: Christian Sebaldt Release date: November 18, 1992 (US) Cast: Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Cat Sassoon, Amanda Wyss, Kale Browne, Liz Torres, Dan Martin, James Tolkan, Herman Poppe, Heather Lauren Olson, Gary Daniels, Dino Homsey, Gene LeBell, Stephen James Carter, John LaMotta, Lenny Citrano, Dean Katalas, Alan Palo, Alexander Folk, Robert Noble, Michael James McDonald, David M. Parker, Mimi Savage. Box Office: N/A
Rating: ***
Less than a year after the previous installment, producer Roger Corman gave action junkies an early Christmas present with Bloodfist IV: Die Trying. As with number three and all the ones to follow, the fourth entry in the series has nothing to do with any of the other Bloodfist films. It’s merely a martial arts cheapie bearing the Bloodfist brand name. Hey, whatever gets people to rent it, right?
This time, series star Don “The Dragon” Wilson plays Danny Holt, a repo man who finds himself in deep you-know-what after he repossesses the wrong car. It contains property belonging to a very bad guy, a powerful arms dealer named Weiss (soap opera star Browne). He’s none too happy about the situation and goes down to the garage (with several of his guys) to lodge a complaint. When the boss (LaMotta, Ninja III: The Domination) fails to resolve the matter to his satisfaction, his assistants pull out automatic weapons and blow everybody away. Everybody except for Danny, that is. He was out getting lunch for everybody when Weiss dropped by. How convenient.
So what exactly is Weiss so keen on having returned? It’s a box of chocolates. What’s so special about it that he can’t just go out and buy another one? This particular box contains nuclear triggers that he intends to sell to Arab terrorists. You can’t get those at CVS. In any event, Weiss is looking in the wrong place. The box of sweets is in the possession of Carla (Savage, Inside Out), an employee who went home early to pack for her trip to Las Vegas with her girlfriend Shannon (Wyss, A Nightmare on Elm Street). By the time Danny makes it to her place, he’s too late to save her. However, he gets there just in time to beat the hell out of the two goons who killed her and take back what they came to retrieve.
In a move that couldn’t have been more telegraphed, Weiss arranges for Danny’s 10YO daughter Molly (Olson) to be kidnapped so he can use her as a bargaining chip. The single dad will stop at nothing to rescue his cute little progeny. It’s not just the bad guys that want Danny. He’s being pursued by cops and feds. The local police, led by Lt. Garcia (Torres, Gilmore Girls), think he’s responsible for murdering his co-workers. The FBI, represented by shady Agent Sterling (Tolkan, Back to the Future), want him to help them apprehend Weiss. There are also a couple of CIA guys with ill intentions. Yeah, Danny is pretty much screwed six ways to Sunday. If not for his fighting skills, it’d be all seven ways.
Directed by Paul Ziller (Pledge Night), Bloodfist IV: Die Trying is a definite improvement over Forced to Fight. It has more of a plot and a better sense of humor about itself. It doesn’t take itself seriously, not even for a minute. It’s silly and simple-minded. Ziller leans all the way into it giving us fight scene after fight scene. He hits the ground running by pitting Wilson against National Judo Champion Gene LeBell in the first few minutes. The two go at it when a red-haired LeBell tries to stop Danny from repossessing his car. It’s not an easy victory, but Danny prevails and drives away. Good father that he is, he heads straight home to drive little Molly to school. As it so happens, it’s her birthday and they have a date that night to celebrate it. This is the telegraphing I referred to earlier.
Danny’s next repo is the one that sets the plot in motion. Naturally, he has to fight somebody to get it, a mean-looking big fellow (Daniels, Ring of Fire) with long blonde hair. He bears a striking resemblance to Matthias Hues, the bad alien from I Come in Peace (1990). He’s a formidable opponent, but Danny once again emerges victorious. Unfortunately, he leaves behind paperwork that leads Weiss and his crew to the garage where all hell eventually breaks loose.
Danny isn’t alone in his efforts to save his daughter and clear his name. He gets help from Carla’s friend Shannon, a health food nut quick to believe his story despite not knowing him at all. She’s not the only dose of estrogen in Bloodfist IV: Die Trying. The late Cat Sassoon (daughter of famous hairstylist and businessman Vidal Sassoon) shows up as one of Weiss’ main henchmen. She’s the phony “substitute babysitter” Danny finds in his home when he goes to look for Molly. The real one is dead and hidden in the closet. She’s a bad one, this girl.
As has become customary for the Bloodfist series, the cast includes real-life martial artists with their accomplishments listed along with their names in the opening credits. Besides LeBell, we also get Dino Homsey (North American Kickboxing Champion) as one of Weiss’ men. Carolyn Raimondi (Women’s Taekwondo Champion) is listed in the credits too, but she’s nowhere to be found. Was her part cut or what? I can’t seem to find any info on it.
I enjoyed Bloodfist IV: Die Trying. It’s solid B-movie fun from Concorde, a studio that serves the same function as New World in the 70s and 80s. It has a cool cast. Wilson lightens up a bit here. He gets to show a softer side in his relationship with Molly. He still fights like a bad ass which is what really counts here. It’s always nice to see the ubiquitous James Tolkan who kept himself busy in the 80s and 90s with appearances in movies like Top Gun (1986), Masters of the Universe (1987), True Blood (1989), Dick Tracy (1990), Problem Child 2 (1991) and Boiling Point (1993). Wyss, who also co-starred in the quintessential 80s teen comedies Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and Better Off Dead (1985), adds an unconvincing romantic angle to the story.
Browne does a decent job as the main villain Weiss, but it’s Daniels who really stands out. He’s an imposing figure. His final fight with Wilson is awesome. Sassoon is also good as the cold and heartless female villain. Torres adds some comic relief as the kind of cop who has her dinner (pizza) delivered to the crime scene. BTW, she also played the Bunkers’ boarder Teresa in the seventh season of All in the Family (1976-77).
It’s predictable and formulaic. It looks and sounds cheap. Its IQ is firmly in the double-digits. It doesn’t redefine the action genre. Bloodfist IV: Die Trying is just a decent Saturday afternoon action movie that’s heavy on the action and kung fu fighting. In the end, that’s all the fans really care about. If you’re looking for something more, you’re definitely looking in the wrong place.
