Only the Strong (1992) Review
May 18th 2010 20:34
The 80's were rife with martial arts mania, the combination of Kung Fu
Films as well as god-awful movies like “American Ninja” and such got people interested in martial arts. Sheldon Lettich was many of the film makers to cash in on this martial arts craze, giving us a number of martial arts films of note, like Kickboxer and Bloodsport. These weren't the goofy, flying swordsman wuxia films of the 70's they were brutal, realistic and had fairly interesting stories. Sheldon Lettich worked for realism in his films, giving us real American heroes, (Ironically played by a Jean Claude Van Damme, a Belgian). In 1991 he close to try and take his films in a new direction.
With the success of “The Karate Kid” and it's sequels, Lettich decided to try his hand at making a coming of age martial arts action film. Instead of going the Karate of Kung Fu Route, Lettich decided to go for something a bit unique. “Only the Strong” the story of Louis Stevens, a special forces soldier who spends time in Brazil, learning of the ways of Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that as much a dance as it is a fighting style. He retires from the military and returns to his native Miami Florida, where his skill is displayed when helping one of the students fight off a drug dealer at his old high school, which by this time is a crumbling inner-city cliché of gang bangers and assorted delinquents. His old teacher friend comes up with a plan to reform the school, the badest of the bad became Louis' students, and learn the art of Capoeira hoping to reform them. Of course, this angers some of the local gangs for various reasons, and awakes a rival coporista in the neighborhood, and Louis must fight for his students future.
While it's predecessor “The Karate Kid” was from the kid's point of view, “Only the Strong” focuses on the adult, though seeing the change he effects in the kid's life is indeed inspiring. Controversial martial arts figure Frank Dux choreographed the fight scenes (he also choreographed the battles in Bloodsport, Lionheart and Kickboxer) and made one of his only on-screen appearances, in a fight scene as a man in a welding mask in a garage fight scene. Capoeira is one of the unusual and visually stunning fighting styles I've ever seen, and despite not being trained in the art himself before production leading man Marc Dacascos (the chairman himself) does an excellent job. The fight scenes are a bit tame compared to other Letich films, but are nonetheless satisfying. While some of it is a bit too reminiscent of an after school special, it definitely has it's strong points. As cornball as it is, I find it satisfying to see a guy fighting back against drug dealers and gangsters who take advantage of his students, and beating them to an inch of their lives. While this kind of thing is a poor way to affect real social change, it makes for a great movie. Check out “Only the Strong” and you'll agree Capoeira is a real show stopper.
Music give me power too,
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