This is a decent little martial arts flick very much in the Hong Kong mould – although it's an American movie, there's a lot of Chinese talent behind the scenes which means that the varied fight scenes are identical to the ones you'll find coming out of Hong Kong during the same period. The film this directly reminded me of was Yuen Biao's ABOVE THE LAW, for example. It's the third in a series of films that seem to get slightly better as they go along. The first was a fun take on the KARATE KID story, the second used a Rambo-era Vietnam backdrop for the action, and this one is just a stand alone action flick.
The first thing I noticed was that the acting is absolutely diabolical – the worst of the series, and among the worst I've seen even in this genre. Keith Vitali is a more than able fighter but his attempts at emoting are frankly atrocious – and it's little wonder that he didn't go on to star in much after this. Loren Avedon, returning from the last film, is better, but not on the level of a Van Damme or Seagal in their heyday. Not that it matters much – the supporting cast are bad enough to make Vitali and Avedon look good on occasion, with the exception of Rion Hunter, the weird-looking bad guy who plays this thing down to a tee. Wanda Acuna, in comparison, the Puerto Rican love interest, is awful.
But anyway – who watches these flicks for the acting? I certainly don't – it's all about the action, and that's where NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER 3: BLOOD BROTHERS triumphs. The fight scenes come thick and fast and are expertly choreographed to best show off the genuine skills of the participants. They can be funny (Avedon pretending to kill his brother) and they can be violent (the last, extended bout which doesn't disappoint at all) but the key thing is that they're all good – even the brief ones. They're also packed with stunts, from the usual 'guys smashing through windows' stuff to that effect I love, where somebody is kicked and spin around and around, incredibly fast, in the air before hitting the ground. Weapon play, shoot-outs, and the classic two-versus-one climax – I loved every bit of it.
Okay, so the story is pretty weak when it comes down to it, although the opening murder of the father was sufficiently violent to have me shocked and rooting for the good guys to kick some backside. The film meanders in places, and comes across as very dated in terms of the fashions, the haircuts, and the mannerisms, but hey, it was still the '80s when they filmed it. BLOOD BROTHERS is nothing more than a popcorn action flick and works very well for what it is.
The first thing I noticed was that the acting is absolutely diabolical – the worst of the series, and among the worst I've seen even in this genre. Keith Vitali is a more than able fighter but his attempts at emoting are frankly atrocious – and it's little wonder that he didn't go on to star in much after this. Loren Avedon, returning from the last film, is better, but not on the level of a Van Damme or Seagal in their heyday. Not that it matters much – the supporting cast are bad enough to make Vitali and Avedon look good on occasion, with the exception of Rion Hunter, the weird-looking bad guy who plays this thing down to a tee. Wanda Acuna, in comparison, the Puerto Rican love interest, is awful.
But anyway – who watches these flicks for the acting? I certainly don't – it's all about the action, and that's where NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER 3: BLOOD BROTHERS triumphs. The fight scenes come thick and fast and are expertly choreographed to best show off the genuine skills of the participants. They can be funny (Avedon pretending to kill his brother) and they can be violent (the last, extended bout which doesn't disappoint at all) but the key thing is that they're all good – even the brief ones. They're also packed with stunts, from the usual 'guys smashing through windows' stuff to that effect I love, where somebody is kicked and spin around and around, incredibly fast, in the air before hitting the ground. Weapon play, shoot-outs, and the classic two-versus-one climax – I loved every bit of it.
Okay, so the story is pretty weak when it comes down to it, although the opening murder of the father was sufficiently violent to have me shocked and rooting for the good guys to kick some backside. The film meanders in places, and comes across as very dated in terms of the fashions, the haircuts, and the mannerisms, but hey, it was still the '80s when they filmed it. BLOOD BROTHERS is nothing more than a popcorn action flick and works very well for what it is.