Remo Williams and the Secret of Sinanju

Along with 'Nick Carter - Killmaster', 'Kung Fu Master', 'The Executioner', and 'Black Samurai', 'The Destroyer' was a popular series of action books from the '70's and '80's. Written by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy, they told of the exploits of 'Remo Williams', a man brought back from the dead ( in the books, he was sent to the electric chair, but the movie has him as a cop almost killed in the line of duty ) to become an assassin for a U.S. organisation ( which officially does not exist ) known as CURE. Remo is trained in the art of Sinanju, an Eastern martial art that enables one to, amongst other things, dodge bullets and run across a beach without leaving footprints. This entertaining 1985 adaptation was intended as the first in a series. Unfortunately, the adventure began and ended here, though it later acquired a cult following and, even now, talk persists of a sequel/remake in the offing. It came too late to cash in on the cycle of martial arts pictures that came with 'Enter The Dragon' ( 1973 ), and too early to join the roster of superheroes inspired by the success of Tim Burton's 'Batman' ( 1989 ). Scriptwriter Christopher Wood also wrote two Bond films - 'The Spy Who Loved Me' and 'Moonraker' - while director Guy Hamilton helmed four Bond pictures, including what some might term the very best one -'Goldfinger'. There's none of the glamour from the Bond series here however. But a spoof - as some have termed it - it most definitely is not. Fred Ward is very good as 'Remo', as is Joel Grey as 'Chiun', his soap opera-loving Korean mentor. Some of the best film's scenes simply features these characters by themselves, particularly the training scenes. Chiun gets all the best lines - "you move like a pregnant yak!", he tells Remo at one point. He is a racial stereotype, of course, but thanks to excellent make-up and Grey's performance one is prepared to overlook this. Kate Mulgrew provides the only major female character - 'Major Rayner Fleming'. Less impressive are the villains; Grove ( Charles Cioffi ) is a millionaire arms dealer selling defective weaponry - including a fake 'Star Wars'-style satellite system ( a very topical touch for the time ) - to the U.S. Government. What was badly needed here was a foe of Bond's calibre, such as 'Dr.No' or 'Blofeld'. Great action, including a fight on the Statue of Liberty which showcases some eye-popping stunts. There's humour too, with Remo relentlessly chased by Dobermanns as he breaks into Grove's plant. Barbara Woodhouse must have had a hand in training these mutts! Retitled 'Remo - Unarmed & Dangerous' for the British market, this deserved to go on to become a franchise, a sort of 'Our Man Flint' for the '80's. It was not to be though, and an attempt to do a television version of 'Remo' ( starring Jeffrey Meek and Roddy McDowall ) in 1988 also flopped.

source: Remo Williams and the Secret of Sinanju

So what if the the total package is not up to blockbuster standards. We need these types of film to go and have a great afternoon at the movies where you don't have to think and you can eat a lot of popcorn. I dug the hell out of this movie because it didn't take itself too seriously. It looks like they had a fun time making it and God bless em' for it! You started to get a little idea of the outrageousness of it all when Chiun begins talking about all the other great martial arts as mere shadows compared with his fighting style. And then there's the water-walking or running toward the end of the film. And the super secret organization (with only 3 members!) answering only to the President. What a hoot! But every time I see it on the tube, I'm right there watching it if I can.

Since I was six years old, this has been one of my favorites. It's taken a lot of criticism over the years because of the way it develops. Many complain that it takes too long to get to the adventure that is promised in the title. Even though it does take a while to get there, it's a lot of fun to watch. Like most movies that spawn multiple sequels, this first installment spends much of the movie explaining Remo's origins. See, he was a cop who apparently died, and was then ressurected and recruited to work as an assassin for the president. He is then sent to training by a little Asian guy named Chiun. The biggest part of the film is spent on Remo's training. Oh, and did I mention that it's fun? As improbable as it is, the scenes are a blast. Remo is required to do a number of tasks such as run along the sides of a skyscraper, climb on the outside of a ferris wheel, and there's a nifty little segment where he dukes it out with a bunch of construction workers on the top of the Statue of Liberty (!). Fred Ward is perfect in the title role and Joel Grey nearly steals every scene as Chiun. His totally unPC one-liners will have you in stitches as well as his and Remo's constant bickering. Another thing that makes this movie great is the stunts. There's some pretty amazing stuff here and it all looks great. All in all, this was an extremely well made film that has only gotten better with time. Even though it never got the attention it deserved, it still has a strong cult following and the books that it was based on (the Destroyer series) has over one hundred titles to its credit. This only confuses me more as to why there were no sequels made. Highly Reccommended. I give it a 10 all the way.

I was just the right age when this came out to really enjoy it. Watching it again loses some of the wonder but none of the fun. A brilliant mix of espionage and Karate Kid with the master / pupil relationship played for both laughs and oriental mystique, this is a film to kick back to and simply enjoy. The Eighties were the decade for action comedies and this was one of the best (It was nominated for an Oscar, for goodness sakes)- watching it now brings back lots of great memories. Always liked Fred Ward - he's the actor Chuck Norris should have been here - and he and the others make this a winner. Fun movie and one that deserves a remake.

This is one of the most underrated action films ever. Despite, this the movie has some fine cracking dialog. I know some people will be turned off by an occidental actor playing a Korean, and a some of the dialog between Remo and Chuin are exchanges of insults, but Grey and Ward seem to be enjoying the verbal repartee of their characters. Even Remo's exchange with the horn blower and traffic cop are good, as is one exchange between Rayner and Chuin. It also has the alway good Wilford Brimley and the overlooked performance of Charles Chioffi as George Groves. Chioffi manges to put some genuine menace into a character into what could have been simply another hackneyed villain in an expensive suit.

"Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" (1985), this "movie" is actually based off a series of novels, which, are probably more entertaining than this "film"! But probably the most degrading part of this "movie" is: a hard-nosed retired Marine, now a cop, is killed in action and presumed dead. Later on, he is brought back to life and then renamed after a hospital bedpan company, I'm serious. That's one of the running gags throughout this "film", and it wears thin very fast. So, as you can likely imagine, the rest of this "film" is a huge disappointment to say the least. Cliched, yet boring story, embarrassing acting, and a lazy dull soundtrack that attempts to hold the diarrhea stain together. The story is your typical 1980's cheesy plot line with over the top elements that go absolutely nowhere. It's a shame, because the original story it's based off of (how original) sounds kind of interesting. But this "movie" is yet another poorly executed piece of trash. This "movie" is a special kind of bad, but the sad thing is that everything bad about the results of it could have been avoidable! Why? Because the story and concept behind this "film" had potential. It had all of the elements to be a great action comedy! But, some idiot in the studio was obviously high or drunk, because right before production began, they decided to make it more family-friendly and tried to tone down the violence. That can either make or break a movie, but unfortunately it breaks this one. To be honest, I did like it somewhat when I first watched it. Then I watched it a second time, and I thought: "eh." After the second viewing, it was all downhill from there. Now, I understand wanting it to be less violent to lower the film rating and lure in a bigger audience. But, you have to know what you're doing to achieve that, and it does not work here. Such a shame! The acting is overall a joke, from the majority of the cast. However, the only ones that seem to actually be trying are Remo Williams, played by Fred Ward and Chiun, played by Joel Grey. Now, that doesn't mean their performances are perfect, they are just hit and miss. As for the rest of the actors, they are dull and not memorable at all. Even the villain is lame! I forget the actor's name who played the villain. But, to be honest, I couldn't care less. Feel free to look it up if you're so inclined. Finally, the soundtrack is not memorable in the slightest. It's just as cheesy and cliched as the rest of this "movie". The only good elements I can salvage out of this "film" are the sets/locations and the special effects have surprisingly aged well. Probably my favorite set/location is the scaffolded Statue of Liberty. That scene is the only decent one in this "movie", every other set/location is just passable. Overall, "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" is a boring, dull and cringeworthy waste of film making. I'm giving this "film" only 2 out of 5 stars on my scale, which equates to 4 out of 10 IMDB stars. Stay away from this "movie"! You will be much better off flushing Remo Williams down the toilet!

Remo Williams is a very, very blatant attempt to cash in on two 80's movie sensations: James Bond and Indiana Jones, with some Karate Kid thrown in for good measure. In particular, "Remo's Theme" sounds so ripped off from Indy that I actually laughed out loud when it first played. This film was obviously intended to be the first of a series, as evidenced by the title, but how anyone could think this would become a classic is beyond me, as every single element of the plot and every character is a VERY blatant ripoff of something or other. What's left for this movie to be is just a lighthearted uncomplex action flick, and while it succeeds at times (mostly in the training sequences), it's mostly way too big on building up Remo into some sort of folk hero on the level of 007 or the aforementioned Indiana Jones. And a folk hero he is NOT. The plot is pretty damn silly and doesn't have the "cool" factor of any of the Indiana Jones films, and all too much time is spent on it. The one liners, except the ones from Remo's hilarious, albeit cliché, instructor, mostly fall flat. ("What've you got there?" "Oh, just a small matter... OF NATIONAL SECURITY!") In the end, it's way too corny to be a classic, and takes itself way too seriously for me to have been able to watch it with my brain turned off and just chuckle at it, I gave it a 4 out of 10, 2 of that just for the great character of his soap-opera watching korean martial arts instructor.

This movie inspires different reactions from people, depending on the expectations they bring to their first viewing. It's a semi-serious, semi-spoof Action/Comedy/Crime/Thriller/Martial Arts movie that doesn't fit neatly into any category. It is tremendously entertaining, as long as you aren't expecting something totally serious or totally comical. This movie is often misunderstood, and that, coupled with its somewhat-lower-than-average-budget look, may explain why there was no sequel to the movie, which was subtitled in the US "The Adventure Begins." It wasn't quite big-budget enough to satisfy people wanting to see a competitor for James Bond, and it wasn't quite like any other movie enough for people to "get it" right off. Taken at face value as an action movie, therefore, Remo Williams isn't all that noteworthy. However, viewed as an entertaining mixture of action and fun, the movie delivers quite well. Fred Ward does a fine job as Remo, especially in his scenes with Chiun, his Shinanju master played fantastically by Joel Grey. Some have argued that Ward was too old for the role, which would be debatable even if this were a straight-out action movie; given its true nature, Ward was an excellent choice, and the dynamic between him and Grey makes for some of the most entertaining sequences in the movie. Joel Grey's Asian "sensei" character stereotype can be forgiven in the context of the semi-spoof, tongue-in-cheek nature of the movie. Chiun's humor shines through his sarcastic commentary about America and Remo; the success of the humor relies on the Korean Shinanju master's strength and ability. Chiun is the most powerful, competent, intelligent, and witty character in the movie. There is also the pleasant story line of Chiun passing on to Remo the legacy of his Shinanju wisdom and knowledge... and wit. People have also criticized Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager) for her performance of Major Rayner Fleming. Overall, her performance is very good, and appropriate for the character, especially before her character meets Remo at Mount Promise. I am still somewhat disappointed, however, to see Major Fleming change from a competent military career-woman into a bewildered character smitten by Remo and Chiun and carried along in their wake. In the role of the army major, Fleming is competent, witty, and believable: an appropriate portrayal of a mid-1980's woman military officer. The directors could have let the character carry that competence through to the end of the movie. The movie does have some great action sequences, especially the chase around the scaffolding surrounding the Statue of Liberty (remember when they were remodeling it, back in the 80's?), and it is very funny in many places. (See the "memorable quotes" page.) If you watch the movie expecting to have fun and to be entertained, if you suspend your disbelief just a little and don't take it too seriously, you will really enjoy it. It has just enough action, just enough "buddy movie" dynamic, just enough tongue-in-cheek humor, just enough spoof, just enough comic-book type fantasy elements, and just enough enigmatic and amusing martial arts to make it terrifically entertaining. Watch it with your friends on a lazy Saturday afternoon, have some laughs, and be entertained. You'll be glad you did.

This is one of the strangest movies I have ever gone to the theater to see. During the first half of the movie, I was completely captivated and thought to myself "I hope they have a sequel"--it was just that good. However, about halfway into it, it was as if the writers and director were replaced (sort of like "tag team" movie making). It went from an interesting tale of a man, thought to be dead, being re-created through plastic surgery and intensive training into a government assassin, to what looked like an episode of the television show Private Benjamin. How did they do this and more importantly, WHY did they do this? I would have LOVED the lone assassin plot where he was sent to kill enemies of the country AND made it look like a natural death. Instead, he met Kate Mulgrew and went on a wacky adventure to kill some general (George Coe). Coe, you will probably recognize from his MANY television appearances where he usually played a light-weight sort of character. He was just the wrong guy to play Remo's first target.