Geoffrey Lewis – Action Hero Movies

Only The Strong, starring Mark Dacascos, is a bit of a cult classic. Aside from massively promoting Capoeira in America and the rest of the English speaking world at a time when it was relatively unheard of, this movie also launched one of the most popular songs to be associated with Capoeira: Paranauê – named after the oldest city in Paraná state, in Brazil, known for its port.

While most of the technical and cultural aspects of the Capoeira depicted in this movie are accurate, it still tends to push a more aggressive and performance-oriented version of Capoeira rather than the more deeply beautiful, balanced and responsive Fine Art side of it which is what really makes it special and differentiates it from mere cardio kickboxing mixed with breakdancing and gymnastics. It even gets a bit silly with unrealism, doing things like jumping spinning kicks around machetes. Still, even Bruce Lee had a more showy version of his martial art for the big screen, and Dacascos is clearly still a talented actor, athlete and martial artist even though his more acrobatic moves appear to be done by stuntmen – his character still does plenty of nice moves at appropriate times throughout this movie even with the bias towards showy stuff that isn’t always efficient or finessed.

The school students that Mark’s character teaches are mostly a good 10 years older than they should be too. That’s not a good look so far as convincing acting goes. Maybe they had casting issues?

As bad as the acting is though, this movie still captures certain emotions quite well. It takes the classic case of lost-cause delinquents at school being turned around into model human beings, and turns it into a really captivating experience for the most part.

The main antagonist, the chief drug dealer in town, played by Paco Christian Prieto, is pretty good. You may recognise him as Van Damme’s tall pool-fight opponent in Lionheart (1990). The old school teacher, played by Geoffrey Lewis, is also pretty good here. You may recognise him as playing Van Damme’s adopted father in Double Impact (1991). Most of the acting in this movie is weak, mainly due to poor casting, but these guys and of course Mark Dacascos are alright.

This movie is hardly as jam-packed in script as the average Indiana Jones or James Bond movie for example, but it contains enough action and uplifting vibes to warrant a rating just as good, forgiving its weak plot and bad acting throughout. I give it a solid OK – no more, no less. The music is generally good throughout – you could almost call it a musical, but in a martial arts and college kids genre.

It’s an interesting basic concept but that’s pretty much all it is. This movie is quite one dimensional. Van Damme plays both twins separated when they were babies after their parents were killed. They meet up for the first time and eventually agree to go after their parents’ killers. That’s the entire plot in a nutshell.

Van Damme does a decent job acting, considering the script he’s got to work with. Both of his characters are convincing, which is impressive considering how different they are.

Philip Chan does alright as one of two bad bosses, and Bolo Yeung does alright as his main muscle man. Nice to see Bolo and Van Damme do another movie together, just 3 years after their classic Bloodsport. They both do many of their trademark moves and mannerisms in this movie.

Geoffrey Lewis does alright as the bodyguard of the parents who were killed, and the man who ended up raising one of the twins by himself.

Alan Scarfe does a satisfactory job, but doesn’t wow, as the other bad boss, and Corinna Everson does quite well as his main muscle man (or woman).

Alonna Shaw does a satisfactory job, but no more, as the girlfriend of one of the twins, who also works for Scarfe’s character – one of the two leaders of the bad guys – until she learns what they’re really about.

All in all it’s a OK movie, not too bad if you’ve not seen it in a long time. It’s got a few cool scenes and a few boring bits – especially tedious for re-watchers who have a rough idea what’s coming.