Champions -1998

Director : Peter Gathings Bunche
Producer(s) : Peter McAlevey, Jim Sprague

Writer : Peter McAlevey, Thomas S. McNamara

Running Time : 99 mins

Rating : R

Genre : Martial Arts/action/adventure

Cast : Louis Mandylor, Ken Shamrock, Lee reherman, Danny Trejo,

       I was JUST NOT impressed with this film at all in any way. The only reason I rented this film was because it starred Danny Trejo one of my favorite badass bad guys and former UFC champion Ken Shamrock and former American Gladiator Lee Reherman (Hawk). The movie has the oldest plot in the book, that is that a martial arts veteran comes out of retirement to avenege the death of his brother at the hands of an illegal underground martial arts league where presumeably the martial arts veteran's brother died while participating in. (I will give you an example, Van Dammes Kick Boxer movie.) I used to watch "American Gladiators" religiously, and knowing the projects that other "AG" alumni have been involved in, seeing Reherman in such a bad flick was disheartening After all, Deron McBee, who played Malibu, got a part in the big budget "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation," to name one. As for Shamrock, (who just cannot act) his part is merely a blend of his UFC and WWF personae no stretch at all and Danny Trejo just seems to go through the films motions, production values were just none to be found, now into the fighting its poorly chorographed, and just as cliche'd as the dam plot is. For this kinda strategy to work, the fighting had better be damn good. Hell even Van Damme pulls that off in his movies. Which by the way this movies plot is basically the same one in Van Dammes KICK BOXER movie. The fighting in "Champions" is appropriately violent and does have its moments, but too often it is slow and drags and drags and not very well-captured by the camera. But the worst part of the movie is the last 15 minutes, when it turns from a "revenge for an illegal fighting tournament" story to a "ludicrously easy escape" story. The promised big showdown never comes at all, and the two would-be opponents in this really cheezzy fight-flickagree that "the only thing between us is friendship"! WTF man? , Despite me actually staying awake for this movie, with way too much bad acting, no substance what so ever and bad fight scenes I drank a sixpack and was ready for another beer run so Unless your a diehard fan of either MMA, Ken Shamrock or "American Gladiators," you just might want to find this one at the video store, if only to see your favorites. The only thing good about this film for me, was some brief nudity Otherwise I would'nt bother.

4/10 Stars