Street Warrior (2008) Movie Review, Trailer, Film Still and Poster

USA 2008
Director: David Jackson
Cast: Max Martini, Nick Chinlund, Valerie Cruz, Max Perlich, Jane Park Smith, Sidney S. Liufau, Danny Arroyo, Erin Cottrell
Rating: R
Release Date: 18 June 2008
Running Time: 1 hour 28 minutes

The Movie Review

Street Warrior film still 1


STREET WARRIOR
Storyline:
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Ending:
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There's just something about seeing a man beating the crap out of his opponent that appeals to most men or probably women alike. Probably it's the amount of action movies that contains fighting scenes aren't that much. And that's to say fighting scenes that are not over-the-top like. So once we get a good one, the excitement inevitably doubles. It's pretty easy actually to cook the formula for a movie like this, what it needs is a good title, good fights, good camerawork and a strong reason to root for the main hotshot. Fans usually know what they would get and don't demand more than that.

Street Warrior as the title suggests it, of course is nothing new. We all have watched many many titles with similar theme before, replayed it and finally even perhaps sold it or auctioned it for other moviegoers. Street Warriors revolves around Jack Campbell (Max Martini), in which the second scene kinda reminded me of the first Rambo (First Blood (1982)), with Jack coming home to a small town with a bus and shortly afterwards displays his martial arts skill to the local thugs (see how easy it is to guess the rest?). And so Jack finally arrives on his brother's house only to find that his sister-in-law informing him that Jack's brother, Joey, is now in a comma for having heavily beaten-up in a dogfight-like match tournament. What a brother Jack is, if he's not seeking the man behind this incident, especially with his exhaustive bad*ss records in the U.S. army. Hop he goes a la "Walking Tall" to find the bad guys. Of course his journey of revenge is going to fill with bloody noses and other bloody body parts.

It turns out that the illegal match for the rich people is organized by the local single mafia named Pope (Nick Chinlund) who constantly seeking for fighters to spill blood in his ring. Jack becomes one of them and finds out the man behind Joey's comma is the big strong champion, Isiah Griffin (Sidney S. Liufau). But to get to him Jack must fight the other contestants who have their own style of martial arts. Could Jack ever get his revenge?

You don't rent or buy this type of action Direct-to-video flick to see great acting and intricate plotline. You pop this film in to see some exhilarating fighting scenes. Fortunately, for those whose expectations are modest, you will get what you're hoping for. Easy to digest storyline, enjoyable but still creative camerawork and what's more important believable fight choreography. This action movie doesn't contain some delicate Steven Seagal-style moves but the fights are more like a brawl, but still with a technique. And it's actually not crucial to talk about acting capacity of the entire cast, but I sure am glad to have watched decent action performances from the leading actors. Especially Max Martini whose locked-up facial expression already guarantees to make a little boy cry, he's excellent to portray a really angry person. And the actresses are mostly present to be the eye-candies, they don't have many room to develop their characters. No nudity from the leading actresses though, but Valerie Cruz's romantic scene is sure enough as a sight for the sore eyes.

It's just too bad that the ending seems forced and the reasons to root for Jack Campbell is not that strong, we are not given the chance to feel utterly sympathetic to Jack and Joey's condition. And the fighting places could be much better, say...take the fighters to the street? Just like what the title stands for. Anyhow and anyway, it's enough entertainment for the fans and at some parts the intensity will absorb your attention. Good fights and entertaining eye candies are probably the main things that the fans are searching for, and it's absolutely much better than Ring of Death (2008). Street Warrior is a solid rent.