Stars: Dolph Lundgren, Brandon Lee, Tia Carrere, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Tia Carrere

Director: Mark L. Lester

Summary: Los Angeles has become a nightmare of murder and corruption and the police seem powerless to stop it. A martial arts expert and his partner join together to take on the big crimelord.

A hard-hitting, frequently funny story of criminality and culture clashes as these two martial arts experts crack heads as they crack down on a Japanese crack gang.

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Showdown in Little Tokyois a 1991 martial arts action comedy which, in pitting Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee as LA cops against Japanese drug dealers, plays like a B-movie Tango and Cashor Lethal Weapon 2(both released just two years before). Between career highs in Rocky IV(1985) and Universal Soldier(1992) it looked as if Lundgren might make it big at the box-office, and clearly wanting to be the new Schwarzenegger he is here directed by Mark L Lester, who had earlier helmed Arnie's Commando(1985). In the event both actor and director headed for straight-to-video territory. The 75-minute running time suggests the studio lost confidence and seriously cut the movie though, as the space between the action is filled with nothing but cringe-inducing dialogue, thriller clichés and Lundgren "romancing" Tia Carrere, it still makes sense. Basing its title on John Carpenter's 1986 fantasy-comedy Big Trouble in Little Chinaand anticipating Rush Hour(1998), Showdown in Little Tokyoalternates between crude tongue-in-cheek moments and action so ludicrous it's unintentionally hilarious . A camp disaster which simply defies belief, this is stupidly entertaining so-bad-its-good six-pack entertainment.

On the DVD:There are no extras other than the trailer. The anamorphically enhanced 1.77:1 image offers a good transfer of a grainy print. The stereo sound is clear but for a modern action film seriously lacks impact: gunshots sound like a paper bag popping. --Gary S Dalkin

Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Interactive Menus, Scene Access, Trailer
Subtitles:	Arabic, Bulgarian, English, Romanian
Year:	1991
Release Date:	June 18, 2001
Runtime:	75 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 012311
Keywords:	Martial, Little, Showdown, Wide, Screen, Tokyo, Arts
Genre:	Martial Arts