Released: September 2015
Director: Michael Baumgarten
Not Rated
Run Time: 103 Minutes
Distributor: Traditionz Movie 1, LLC.
Genre: Action/Family
Cast:
Don “The Dragon” Wilson: Glen
Cynthia Rothrock: Cindy
Jansen Panettiere: Robbie
Kathryn Newton: Rina
Matthew Ziff: Bo
T.J. Storm: Coach Laurent Kaine
Chuck Zito: Frank
Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, I got really into martial arts movies, starting with Enter The Dragon. It is easily one of the greatest Kung-Fu movies of all time. I really got into the action movies starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, and Steven Seagal. It was a testosterone-fueled decade. The 90’s wasn’t much different. During the 90’s, I began watching some of the smaller martial arts flicks with actors like Yuen Biao, Richard Norton, Sammo Hung and Cynthia Rothrock. To my great regret, there were some martial arts actors whose movies I have completely missed out on. Don “The Dragon” Wilson is one of those actors that I completely overlooked. Hopefully, I can start watching more of his stuff, because with The Martial Arts Kid, I actually like what I see.
The film opens as a bunch of kids, led by a youngster named Robbie, are trying to outrun the cops. After getting tackled in front of his grandmother, Robbie is sent to live with his aunt Cindy and uncle Glen in Florida. Shortly after, he befriends a girl named Rina before he’s clobbered by her boyfriend, Bo. He’s attacked again during his first day of school, and almost attacked again near Cindy’s cafe. After seeing his aunt give the guy a whoopin’, he decides he wants to learn that stuff. So, he decides to visit his uncle’s dojo and is allowed to begin training. It’s a story that’s been told a million times over, and yet for some reason, it feels real here. Now, a lot of us have had issues growing and had turbulent teenage years. I was no different. The story here feels like I’ve been there, because I have. I got picked on when I was in school. I was bullied and made fun of. So, my parents and I decided that I needed to take some self-defense classes. So, I enrolled in what is known as the United Studios of Self Defense. It was a mixed style of martial arts, combining elements of kung-fu and karate. So, when Robbie attends his first class, I know exactly what he’s dealing with. You’re surrounded by strangers, you have no idea what’s going on until someone shows you the way. So, The Martial Arts Kid brought back memories for me. That’s not a bad thing. These were good memories that I had. I didn’t complete my training, but I learned a great deal from my experience. So, in a way, I see some parallels to my life. It’s ultimately a pretty heartwarming story. I really liked it.
The acting is surprisingly pretty strong across the board for what is basically a family film. At least with The Martial Arts Kid, they managed to get real martial artists for a lot of the big roles. Don “The Dragon” Wilson is a name that should be familiar to anyone who watches martial arts movies as much as I do. Like me, you didn’t need to watch his movies to know who he is. This guy is the real freaking deal. He’s won MULTIPLE world kick-boxing championships and his final record is 72 wins, 5 losses, 2 draws, and 47 wins by knockout. There aren’t many martial artists out there with that kind of a record, period. He comes across as very likable in this movie. His character, while somewhat reluctant, begins teaching Robbie. Jansen Penattiere is a real surprise here. He comes across as a genuine teenager with genuine issues, and it’s hard NOT to relate. T.J. Storm plays a rival teacher, and is pretty intimidating. I have a confession to make about Cynthia Rothrock: When I was younger, I had the biggest crush on her. She was beautiful and she kicked some serious ass. She’s still gorgeous and she still kicks ass. She’s absolutely fantastic. Like Don’s Glen, Cindy is a very likable person. She’s the kind of gal that you would love to have as an aunt. So, yeah, the acting is pretty good across the board.
Action-wise, it’s pretty decent. It is a bit of family film, so the fight choreography couldn’t be too violent. A leg or two is broken, but it’s never gratuitous. It’s not really that kind of a movie. The Martial Arts Kid has a message that it’s trying to get across about the proper use of martial arts. It should be used for the right reasons. That’s a message that is universal across every single style. The use of the camera is pretty decent, so we can see what’s going on. No wires are used, so that’s a definite plus. Actually seeing Don Wilson in action is pretty cool. His is not the most flashy or elegant of styles, but it does prove to be effective. Cynthia Rothrock’s style is certainly flashier, as she’s still very flexible and can do that scorpion kick with ease. The movie is never boring either.
The film definitely has a sense of humor, although it’s more family-related kind. Still, the movie gets points for actually succeeding at that. That being said, the movie does have a few rough spots. The beginning of the film was kind of rough and the introduction to Glen was a little heavy-handed. Now, a lot of people would accuse this movie of having teenage drama. Well, that’s because teenagers are often dramatic. Some of the bullies are kind of just there to be scummy. There’s also some blatant sequel-baiting that I really don’t like.
Overall, I have to say that I’m impressed with what was achieved here. This is a movie that I think anybody could watch. What I personally watch it again? I wouldn’t say no. I kind of prefer super, ultra-violent martial arts flicks, but The Martial Arts Kid has some real heart. It portrays the martial arts with the utmost respect, except for MMA, I think that angle could have been handled a bit better, but the message gets across. Is it realistic? Not particularly, but you know what? What martial arts movie is? It’s actually very refreshing to see a movie about martial arts that’s as much about family as it is about the art. For my first movie watching Don “The Dragon” Wilson in action, I’m going to have to find more of his stuff. I can honestly say that I can recommend this one easily, particularly to families.
Final Recommendation: It makes you want to sign up for a class or two. 8.5/10