Martial Law is pretty much a standard martial arts film with a few big names scattered around. David Carradine plays the smart but evil villian, Dalton Rhodes. Chad McQueen is Sean Thompson, the cop on a mission. And Cynthia Rothrock is Billie Blake, the partner. Actually, Billie is more than just a partner, she's also Sean's girlfriend. The plot loosely revolves around a car theft ring that Sean's brother is mixed up in. Of course Sean must try to stop this and ends up going undercover to do it. Blah, Blah, Blah, it's pretty much the same plot as a couple dozen other martial arts flicks. The major difference is that there are a couple of really good performances buried in this movie. David Carradine is simply amazing as the villian. He just oozes meanness. You'd think he'd be a little slow considering he's been around since the days of Kung Fu(TV) but he is still as quick as ever. Cynthia Rothrock shines in this otherwise generic film. For the first half hour or so, she's just used as window dressing, not really doing anything, only walking in front of the camera and saying a line or two. But after her first fight scene, CR hits her stride. Cynthia shows that she can do more than just kick butt, too. She displays a very wide range as Billie. Just seeing CR play the love interest is almost as satisfying as seeing her deliver multiple blows to a bad guys head. Martial Law can be a little frustrating though. The plot is so predictable you just want the movie to skip to the good parts. Chad McQueen is also unconvincing as a martial arts action star. When he starts throwing punches and kicks, you just want him to hurry up and get it over with and give Cynthia Rothrock her turn. McQueen is sandwiched between two really good performances by Carradine and Rothrock, and it doesn't help him at all. Martial Law is just average as far as action movies go, but a least the fight scenes with Cynthia Rothrock make up for it's shortcomings. Her bouts with Benny 'The Jet' Uriquidez and Philip Tan make the movie worth the rental. Best Fight Scene
Cynthia Rothrock vs Philip Tan. This was a close call, because CR's battle with Benny Uriquidez is just as good. In the final fight scene CR faces off again Rhodes' second in command. It's an exciting match up as both Rothrock and Tan trade lightning fast blows and counter each other's moves.
Last update : 07-06-2006 13:03
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