The Perfect Weapon (1991)

And so uttered Jeff as he comes upon a group of local goons standing over his old friend Kim (played by famous character actor Mako), when he drops by Kim's shop having returned home some years after being ostracised by his cop father.

The Perfect Weapon is my second favourite martial arts movie of all time, the first being Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. Whilst the revenge motive is a familiar storyline in martial arts films, what seperates Perfect Weapon from the rest is Jeff Speakman's brilliant Kenpo moves in the fight scenes. The underlying themes of the values of friendship and family, the positive life benefits of Kenpo training and of course good triumphing over evil add to the movie's experience.

I attended a seminar by Jeff Speakman in 2001 and can confirm that everything you see him do on screen he can also do in real life no CGI, no cables, no trampolines! The Perfect Weapon is the movie that introduced a new generation to

Kenpo martial arts in 1991/92 when it was released in the cinemas and then on VHS. Jeff's own instructor Senior Grand Master Ed Parker was the technical advisor on the film and their collaboration resulted in one of the best martial arts movies ever made. Jeff has made many films since then but none have quite the impact of Perfect Weapon.

I concur with the first reviewer regarding the legitimacy of this DVD release and presume that Olive Films have obtained the rights from Paramount Pictures for Perfect Weapon's DVD production and distribution. Here's hoping there are lots of special features with contributions from Mr Speakman himself. I know the worldwide Kenpo family has been anticipating Perfect Weapon's DVD release for a long time. Enjoy!

UPDATE: Mr Speakman has confirmed that the DVD is a legitimate release from Olive Films just the movie though, no extras.

Desperately needing and deserving a dvd release, The Perfect Weapon takes itself pretty seriously, and is one of the highest quality B movies I have seen. Jeff Speakmen is a rare martial arts gem, appearing in only a few films, with this arguably being his best. The cast is pretty good, combining several familiar faces from various martial arts films. The story is about justice/revenge, but unlike most martial arts films, it is explored with more intrigue. The action, though not very plentiful, is top notch. The Perfect Weapon is one of the only movies I know of that also shows off the beautiful martial art, Kenpo.

The movie begins with a beautiful introduction of Kenpo, showcased by Speakman to the song "I've got the power". Though a cheesy scene, it really is beautiful. Following this are some flashbacks to Jeff's (Jeff Speakman's charcater name) childhood and development of Kenpo skills. In the present, Jeff's mentor Kim Kwan, is murdered by the Korean mafia, and thus the journey to find the killer begins. Interesting enough, we get to see the killer, but not the man who ordered the kill until much later.

The action, again is superb, and if there was more of it I'd give this 5 stars. There are 2 fight scenes that really stick out. First is early on in a gym, where Jeff takes on 3 men at once, one being played by James Lew (also appeared in Balance of Power, American Ninja 5, and several other martial arts films). The scene lasts a few minutes, but is exceptionally well done. The last is the final fight of the movi. Jeff takes on the huge bodyguard "Tanaka". The fight lasts about 3 minutes, and unfortunately, doesn't show off too much skills since Tanaka is just too big for flashy martial arts. There is also a decent car chase scene in the movie, which is much better than most poorly executed chase scenes in B movies.

Overall, The Perfect Weapon is one of the best B movies ever made. Everything is on the money. Unlike most martial arts B movies, there is not an over-abundance of action. Though I do prefer that, this movie makes up for it with more of an effort in all the other areas.

Buy The Perfect Weapon (1991) Now

Although the movie gets a Cin acting and plot, this movie delivers some AMAZING American Kenpo action sequences, and does a competent job explaining the philosophy of a Kenpo martial artist in the beginning. It's apparent that Mr. Speakman is a talented martial artist FIRST and actor second, but he clearly and skillfully demonstrates the accuracy,usefulness, speed, and power of Kenpo. I mean, come on, he's a man of action in this movie, not a man of words.

Read Best Reviews of The Perfect Weapon (1991) Here

Background: I'm a former member of the IKKA and AKKI.

Short and dirty, if you wanna know something about American Kenpo and see it accurately demonstrated GET THIS MOVIE! Mr. Speakman was (if *I* remember correctly) a Fourth Degree Black Belt in the IKKA at the time this movie was made. The movie is, on the surface, a martial arts action film. But VERY close to that surface is the story of one boy's/man's journey in the ART of American Kenpo. Although it's not protrayed specifically as an American art, this IS Senior Grandmaster Edmund K. Parker's American Kenpo. Mr. Speakman and my instructor, Mr. Keith Gorham, both studied under Mr. Parker. Mr. Gorham recommended this film to us, his students. The Kenpo IS real not enhanced. A proficient Kenpo practioner at Mr. Speakman's level CAN and will perform at the speeds you'll see in the film.

I gave it four stars because it doesn't have "five-star" acting, but as a realistic martial arts film, it's VERY hard to beat. It clearly depicts the spirit of Ed Parker's Kenpo and, despite a few off-color words, I urged my own children to watch it when they were old enough.

As someone else said, I REALLY WISH this film was available on DVD. My VHS version is wearing out!

Want The Perfect Weapon (1991) Discount?

I had this film on VHS when it was released in late 91. The acting is fair, The script typical but the Martial Arts are top rate. The choreography with the American Kenpo and Korean Hardstyle is some of the best you will ever see. If you haven't seen the film and you are into the martial arts it is a must see! I wish Speakman did a few more films like this before leaving the business. As far as the blu-ray I was kind of disappointed with the film transfer. It is no better than the DVD. The sound is better than ever but the film is a little grainy. The improvement in sound however makes the movie about 70 percent better because you are feeling every punch and kick delivered. Turn up your surround system on this one! Some of those babies really feel nasty too. I was really bummed that there are no special features. I was hoping there was some behind-the-scenes footage or interviews or something but there's nothing. Damn! This is the one MA film more than any other put out in the last 25 years I would have really wanted to see information about! This is a 5 star Martial Arts film so I cant give it any less than 5 because I knew what to expect and that's what I got. no more, no less.

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