Back in Action Reviews

"I hate that karate shit!" declares pro-wrestler-turned-thespian "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in one of the better samples of no-frills dialogue in BACK IN ACTION, a disposable, direct-to-video action bloodbath from the creators of the substantively similiar TALONS OF THE EAGLE and TC-2000. The oft-shirtless Billy Blanks plays Billy, muscular former commando turned kung-fu cabbie in Los Angeles, where his bratty kid sister Tara (Kai Soremekun) defiantly carries on a torrid affair with drug thug Gantry (Damon D'Oliviera). He's genuinely in love with her, but crime baron Kasajian (Nigel Bennett, doing a zen Jack Palance) suspects Tara's an informant and orders her execution. While she hides, Billy--who hardly ever puts in any time behind the wheel of his taxi--punches, kicks, chops, and shoots Kasajian's syndicate to pieces in retaliation, while TV news gives the mystery vigilante supehero-scale media coverage. Rowdy Roddy shoulders the role of kung-fu LAPD Det. Frank Rossi, out to nail Kasajian despite the villain's army of lawyers. Rossi lets Billy do the job, intervening from time to time to help his civilian partner. Finally both heroes converge on the floating heroin factory where Kasajian holds Tara hostage; there are massive explosions, plunging knives, crunching bones and thudding cliches before Kasajian finally goes over the side. Rossi has an alarming habit of biting his foes, certainly one of the less admirable signatures among cinematic kung-fu cops, but Piper plays the character largely for laughs, while Blanks remains serious. Soremekun's spunk is wasted on a highly dislikable character who, by the fadeout, has apparently forgotten all about her beloved Gantry. One can well imagine the sequel possibilites inherent in Tara's future boyfriends. (Sexual situations, substance abuse, graphic violence, profanity.)