Only the Strong
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Movie Reviews of Only the Strong
Movie Review: No Extras, but still worth it!
Summary: 5 Stars
Most people who purchase this movie will do so because of the martial arts action and it will be well worth it. Mark Dacascos is highly underrated, perhaps due to some of his choices to star in movies that really don't highlight his abilities both as a martial artist and an actor. On the martial arts side, there's some great displays of Mark's abilities. His kicks are extremely fast and he demonstrates acrobatic abilities that most martial artists wish they had. The only thing you don't get a sense of is the speed of his hands, which is up there with Bruce Lee. You can get some idea of this in Drive and Redline.
The thing that elevates Mark above his other action alumni is his acting ability. While he's not going to be mistaken for a Gary Oldman or Tim Curry in true acting ability, he does hold his own against most of the popular actors out there. This movie is pretty watchable even without the martial arts. Although it's not very artistic, it's still watchable and it does have a message.
On to the extras. Or, I should say, the complete lack of extras. I have the VHS version which has a video on it but we don't even get that for the DVD. I've also seen some photos of the movie showing Mark doing some high flying kicks against the main villian, which would have been nice to have in a deleted scenes or making of feature. Sadly, these are missing, but still a great movie.
Movie Review: Ready to Jinga?
Summary: 5 Stars
It's flat out amazing -and utterly utterly unfair- that Mark Dacascos didn't become a huge star in 1993 when ONLY THE STRONG was released. It was released horrid reviews from leading critics (I'm looking at you Roger Ebert!!!!) and managed to amass only $2 million in domestice gross. And for reasons that fail to make sense on any level, CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE got to take in over $100 million. You must be joking.
It's nice to see Capoeira, the Brazilian martial art, to get such nice treatment. Rarely do modern day kung fu movies specify the particular technique of the combatants, and Capoeira is certainly deserving of some attention.
Like most martial arts movies, the story takes a backseat to the action, which is good in this case, since you wouldn't want any ditractions from Mark's many combat scenes, especially his duel with the evil Silverio (Paco Christian Prieto).
Only the dumb would consider themselves a martial arts fan or Mark Dacascos fan if ONLY THE STRONG wasn't in their collection.
Movie Review: Caporeia: The Ultimate Martial Arts
Summary: 5 Stars
Ex-special Forces soldier Louis Stevens (Mark Dacascos) returns to Miami to find his former high school overrun by drugs and violence. A master of the Brazilian martial art of capoeira, Stevens pledges to straighten out a dozen of the school's worst students by teaching them this demanding and highly disciplined fighting style. Slowly, his program begins to work, giving the students new hope and purpose. But the local drug lord, himself a martial arts expert, vows to srop Stevens' positive influence. Now Stevens must fight to save his own life, as well as the lifes of his rebelliouis young students. COMMENTS: Stevens plays capoeira with elegance and precision. It is good to see him playing this fighting style. Also,
he has a cheerful face and this adds to make this DVD enjoyable to watch. I wish there are more movies on capoeira. It seems this is the only one, with the exception of a short depiction in Jean Claude Van Damme's "Blood Sport".
Movie Review: the best movie of all time
Summary: 5 Stars
Mark Dacascos delivers a performance that could only be described as breathtaking in a movie that delivers the perfect balance of punch and pomp. On the exterior, Only the Strong is the story of a GI who comes home and tries to ressurect the neighborhood through Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art. At the heart of this film lies the story of a man who is lost and searching for redemption. He finds his niche in helping troubled teendage students at a gang-ridden Miami public high school. While the students come around and change their behavior along with their outlook on life, Dacascos meets them halfway and finds his true self and love, too boot. Only the Strong is a scintillating and uplifting drama that teaches us that controlled violence is the best way to solve problems.peace and god bless
a weekend wasted isn't a wasted weekend
Movie Review: Great Introduction
Summary: 5 Stars
Years ago I woked at a bookstore and had a customer request a book on Capoeira. I was intrigued by what I read, and wanted to see how it was performed.I found info about this DVD online when I looked for an mp3 for the "Mazda" Zoom song & discovered it was a (badly mangled) version of one of the songs from this video.
So this is my first time seeing the actual art...the story-line sounds hokey, but it works because everything is beautifully choreographed by Frank Dux. It was a great introduction to an art form that is still little-known in the US.
My husband and I have watched it twice already tonight, it's fun,has great music, and made me wish to learn more about Capoeira.