User Reviews

Albert Magnoli directed Purple Rain, American Anthem and took over for Andrei Konchalovsky - but was not named for his work - on Tango & Cash. It's the second lead for American Kenpo fighter Jeff Speakman, who was a direct to video regular.

Speakman plays Jeff Barrett, a former cop who once failed to save a hostage from a disturbed criminal and left the force in disgrace. Now, he repairs cars. He ends up in the middle of a gang war between the Latin Lords and Blades, which is really being instigate by a group of criminals who want to take over the gangs' business. Even worse, the criminals are corrupt cops led by James Franklin (Christopher Neame), so there's no one for Barrett to trust but himself.

If you're wondering, "Will our hero get put in the same exact situation that took his life down this dark path?" you have seen enough direct to video ex-cop movies.

This movie was also sold as The Perfect Weapon 2 after the first movie that Speakman played the lead in. It's been said that this film ruined his career but I didn't think it was all that bad.

This movie is dedicated to the united kenpo family and for gang truce everywhere.

Jeff Speakman returns as the chicken in a basket Van Damme after having a minor success with The Perfect Weapon.

Street Knight sees him as an ex-cop who quit the force following a botched hostage situation where he failed to rescue a young girl from the clutches of a token madman.

Ultimately, he's convinced to get back into the game when a damsel in distress asks for his help when a gangland attack finds a member of her family killed.

It's an atypical plot and narrative, but it's worth watching because it was Cannon films final production, and Speakmans last real chance at a cinematic career.

Let's just say that Speakman hasn't really been heard of in a very long time, and it's plain to see with this film, he cannot act for a toffee, and although he's a master of Ken-Po, he fights like a constipated water rat.

The Perfect Weapon worked because it had familiar faces from eighties action movies, and had a decent production value. This, is really cheap looking and feels rushed, the editing is pretty shocking in some scenes, and even though this comes from Cannon, the masters of eighties cheese and making Chuck Norris a household name, it's bad, even for them.

So the film consists of Speakman waking up with the sweats every other scene following night terrors of his incident, flash forward to a lethargic action scene, and him wafting his perfect mullet every couple of minutes.

It's pretty mundane for a Cannon film, there are no over the top elements that make their productions stand out for all the wrong reasons, it just plods along until the predictable finale.

It's a must for a Cannon completest, but others should avoid it like the plague.

In this hackneyed bargain bin action film, LA is a darkly lit place where a White ex-cop, his Black doctor pal, and a Latina love interest work together to help sort out gang rivalries. Along the way, we are treated to plenty of fuzzy racial themes we are accustomed to in our "urban" action films, and a vague can-do sense of civic pride. But the twist here is a new gang in town -- a vaguely European bunch with nefarious and poorly-explained motives -- who are fresh from jail, well trained and equipped to wreck re-treaded special-ops havoc. Its their professional mettle against the decent, plucky people of LA. Can you guess who prevails?

The audience can be forgiven for not caring what happens to any of these one-dimensional characters. The script writing is so unoriginal that the main character quotes Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous "hasta la vista" line, a reference so trite that I suspect even in 1993 it must have sent eyes rolling. If you're into stonewashed jeans and other markers of American "authenticity," and a White guy other than Van Damme or Chuck Norris doing karate kicks, you may be in for the summer action film of your life.

Renowned Kenpo (not to be confused with "Kickboxer" bad guy "Tong Po") expert Jeff Speakman stars in this cliché-ridden urban actioner.

In L.A. , The gangs The Latin Lords (Mexicans) and The Blades (Blacks) run the streets. Enter crazed ex-cop baddie Franklin (Christopher Neame) who is trying to incite a war between the two gangs. Unfortunately for them, Jake (Speakman) lives in their 'hood.

Jake was once a top cop on the beat until a hostage situation went sour. Now all he wants to do is fix cars in his garage, eat food from the local deli and mope around. However his scars from the past will never heal e.g. he has sad painful memories of that fateful day. He tries to make peace with the local toughs because he falls in love with a local nurse named Rebecca and agrees to help her and her cousin Carlos who looks like a very young Adam Carolla. Speakman enlists his old friend Raymond (Casey) who is a forensic pathologist, to do some work "off the books".

Will Speakman single-handedly broker a peace between rival factions or die trying? Will he defeat Franklin? Will Speakman's mullet do all the work?....spoiler alert....yes.

Every stereotype you can think of about gang warfare and the streets is in this movie. The Mexican gangs actually say "Andale!" The only likable character dies, leaving the audience with too much Speakman and Franklin, who is a dead ringer for Kelsey Grammar. Rebecca looks like figure skater Nancy Kerrigan but doesn't share her acting prowess.

Carlos spends most of his time looking through a telescope at the stars and hiding out in an abandoned shack in the woods to avoid gang life. Speakman shows up at this shack and promises "No more running". In the next scene, they are both running for their lives from Franklin and his minions driving a black van. Inexplicably, they both find a horse and then a van-horse chase ensues. A van has more horsepower then a horse, which has one power, they manage to elude capture.

After the chase, Jake is really teed off and utters "Now it's my turn". Whose turn was it before? Now, fired up with rage, Speakman finally does some cool stuff like slide under a closing garage door and hit a baddie with a wrench in the face. After some gunning and pummeling, he is too tired to think of a catchphrase, so he regurgitates the contemporary classic "Hasta la vista, Baby!" and everyone in the world groans in unison.

The movie would've been better if his name was Jake Street or Jake Knight...but it's not. Why the Latin Lords and the Blades would listen to some honky is not explained. The director Albert Magnoli also made the classics "Purple Rain" and "American Anthem" starring Mitch Gaylord.

This review "Is dedicated to the United Kenpo Family and for Gang truce everywhere!" cue the song from Todd Smallwood! Comeuppance Review by: Ty & Brett For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com