A brilliant masterpiece of the High Eighties! The director of the quintessential classic Commando (1985) comes back in full force with this amazing piece of action cinema. Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee are buddy cops as they take down a drug-dealing Yakuza gang led by Shang Tsung himself, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. What makes this film so brilliant is that, like Commando, Showdown in Little Tokyo is completely self-aware of the homosexual tendencies that are present in 80s action films and uses it to its advantage. In other 80s action films, you aren't always sure that each gun, knife, or bathhouse hose is phallic. In Showdown, you know. From Brandon's little eyebrow waggles and goofy grins to blatant man-to-man declarations like, "Despite myself, I like you!" Showdown in Little Tokyo hams it up hardcore. Speaking of hardcore, I forgot to mention the number of girls that get naked in this movie. A lot. An absolute must-see and crowning achievement of 80s action.
9/10
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