Firecracker wasn't doing anything new, not even for its time. This is just a Bruce Lee movie without all the talent. Hell, there's even a character who has the look and mannerisms of Bruce. Where do I begin with this? How about the generic plot? Our hero, who just happens to teach karate, goes to the Philippines to find her sister. This leads her to an underground realm of drugs, and death matches. Sounds good, right? It's not. I knew it was a bad sign when there was a fight scene and I asked myself why it was happening. Moving on to our lead, played by Jillian Kesner. There is no way she had a martial-arts background; I'd believe gymnastics, but not fighting. Another negative was the level of nudity. Look, Jillian has a very nice set, but if we're going the exploitation route, there needed to be more. No, this is of the rare times I think the movie would have done better without a second of nudity. Weird, I know. Related to this: there was one "sex scene," which started out uncomfortable, and became comical. Next we have the music: some of it was good, but there was one song that could only be described as Philippino jazz. I was like, "was this added as a joke?" In summery: the plot is unoriginal, the story is convoluted, the fights are boring, the nudity is sparse, and the characters are one dimensional.
Post script: A cat is thrown in one scene. Not that there could be a justification for this, but what makes it even worse is that it happens for no reason! It just acts as a jump scare. Do we need a jump scare in an action movie? It's bad enough in horror movies, but et tu, action?! A snake is also thrown, in a different scene, but given the editing, I don't think Mister Snake was mistreated the same degree as Mister Kitty. Easy rule: Don't throw animals.
Review by BronsonBlockedParent2023-03-19T21:50:58Z
Firecracker wasn't doing anything new, not even for its time. This is just a Bruce Lee movie without all the talent. Hell, there's even a character who has the look and mannerisms of Bruce.
Where do I begin with this? How about the generic plot? Our hero, who just happens to teach karate, goes to the Philippines to find her sister. This leads her to an underground realm of drugs, and death matches. Sounds good, right? It's not.
I knew it was a bad sign when there was a fight scene and I asked myself why it was happening.
Moving on to our lead, played by Jillian Kesner. There is no way she had a martial-arts background; I'd believe gymnastics, but not fighting.
Another negative was the level of nudity. Look, Jillian has a very nice set, but if we're going the exploitation route, there needed to be more. No, this is of the rare times I think the movie would have done better without a second of nudity. Weird, I know.
Related to this: there was one "sex scene," which started out uncomfortable, and became comical.
Next we have the music: some of it was good, but there was one song that could only be described as Philippino jazz. I was like, "was this added as a joke?"
In summery: the plot is unoriginal, the story is convoluted, the fights are boring, the nudity is sparse, and the characters are one dimensional.
Post script: A cat is thrown in one scene. Not that there could be a justification for this, but what makes it even worse is that it happens for no reason! It just acts as a jump scare. Do we need a jump scare in an action movie? It's bad enough in horror movies, but et tu, action?!
A snake is also thrown, in a different scene, but given the editing, I don't think Mister Snake was mistreated the same degree as Mister Kitty.
Easy rule: Don't throw animals.