Kung Fu Reviews: No Retreat No Surrender

Kung Fu Reviews: No Retreat No Surrender

Reviewed by Ryan McLelland

For those who have never seen this classic, it is finally time to find a version or catch it on TV. Directed by Corey Yuen (Transporter, DOA: Dead or Alive - and one of my billion 'Yuen Brothers' to include Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Woo-Ping, and Jackie Chan) it was his first American film with a script that is so bad you would probably laugh the entire movie would it not be for the actors actually trying their best to make the most out of it.

With no budget and no stars No Retreat No Surrender follows young Jason Stillwell (Kurt McKinny of Guiding Light fame) as his family moves from LA to Seattle after his Dad closes his karate studio following a fight that saw his leg broken by Ivan (VAM DAMME!). Dad decides that fighting isn't the thing and the family moves away from where 'the syndicate' could get to him. Jason meets a friend right away in RJ, a black kid with soulglo in the curls and a BMX bike with a tiny boombox on it. He also makes an enemy with Scott (the EXCELLENT Kent Lipham) who is a larger bully type with an abhorrence for Bruce Lee.

The plot is then plagued with the karate-hating Scott getting beat up by Jason when he defends poor RJ at a burger joint. His next run-in with Scott is at a karate dojo where Scott is a member. Doesn't he hate Karate? It is of no matter - as we see that Scott is friends with everyone at the dojo including tough-guy Dean Ramsey. Jason sort-of stinks at karate and gets beat up at the dojo and his girlfriend's birthday party.

JASON GETS MAD and prays to Bruce Lee at his grave. So what is the sensible thing to happen? Bruce Lee's ghost comes to visit Jason and trains him for...EVERYONE! So when that final fight happens with Jean-Claude Van Damme we all know Jason will save the day.

The movie is filled with all those great eighties moments. Bad montages, bad clothes, bad hair, and some bad acting. However Corey Yuen can direct some great fight scenes, has some great actors in McKinney, Lipham, and (don't laugh) Van Damme, and is entertaining enough for you to watch twenty years later and keep you entertained.

My new bootleg DVD purchase has added scenes then my original VHS tape (the first I ever bought) had. These are more character building moments of some of the more minor characters that truly weren't needed in the movie, so it is understandable why they were originally cut. But as the movie is short enough and my love for this ultimate B-movie gem grows, I welcome whatever scenes are available.

I say bootleg DVD because as of this point (Feb 2010!) there isn't an official US DVD release. Why? Who knows but this film could use a nice Corey Yuen director's cut. The plot is pure cheese but who can beat having Bruce Lee come forth from the dead to train you? If it had been Yuen Biao instead of Kim Tai Chong (Chong and the famous Biao both doubled for Bruce Lee in the horrible Game of Death) this film would not only be a classic, I'd have the movie poster framed on my wall.

The film is followed by several sequels including the next film which is directed by Corey Yuen. It was said that Van Damme talked McKinney out of being in the sequel and thus the plot was changed to fit two new people and not follow any characters from the first film.

WHO CARES! Find this movie! Revel in great acting, bad acting, and Jean Claude's 'first' movie role (though I still love his bad dancing in the first Breakin'). It's never going to be Enter The Dragon, Dragons Forever, or Once Upon A Time in China, but it will still give you many great hours of viewing pleasure!