The Perfect Weapon

Plot synopsis:
Jeff Sanders (Jeff Speakman) leads a double life: by day, he is a simple, unassuming construction worker, and by night, an expert Kenpo student and master of his craft.
When Jeff lost his mother as a teenager, he became an outcast and frequently lashed out at his family and society in an attempt to assuage his anger. His father, Captain Sanders (Beau Starr), gained the idea from a mutual friend, Kim (Mako), to enroll Jeff in a Kenpō school to better manage his rage and feelings. However, he got into a fight with a bully who beat up his younger brother, and severely injured him with his martial arts. Displeased with his lack of self-control, Jeff's father forced him to move out of home. Jeff, now estranged from his family and living alone, continued with his courses in Kenpo and eventually gained Kim as a mentor and father figure.
Jeff decides to return to his old neighborhood and visit his mentor Kim when he detects that Kim is in danger. Jeff discovers that Kim is having trouble with local Korean mafia families, due to his refusal to pay them off and use his antique store to peddle drugs. Jeff helps out Kim by beating up the people who attacked his store which leads to Kim being murdered in his bed by hit-man Tanaka (Professor Tanaka).
Jeff vows to avenge Kim's death and is determined to find out who ordered Kim's murder. He remembers a boy named Jimmy (Dante Basco) who lived with Kim, and tries to find him to ask if he knows about the murder. However, Jeff's estranged younger brother Adam (John Dye), now also a cop, is investigating the case, and warns Jeff against trying to settle matters in his own hands. In his hunt to exact revenge, Jeff is approached by a mafia boss named Yung (James Hong) who claims to be Kim's friend and knew of a possible lead to Kim's killer. Jeff is directed to Sam, one of the mafia bosses in Korea town, who was believed to be the one who ordered Kim's death. However, upon breaking into Sam's residence and attempting to kill him, Jimmy appears to reveal that Sam was Kim's friend and was the one who took him in for protection. Jimmy also explains that Yung is the one responsible for Kim's death, and he was merely attempting to use Jeff as a weapon to kill his rival boss Sam.
Jeff now plans to kill Yung, but Jimmy warns him that Yung is always protected by his hit-man Tanaka. In order to eliminate Tanaka, Jeff asks Jimmy to falsely testify (to Adam) that he witnessed Tanaka murdering Kim. The plan is have Adam arrest Tanaka so that Jeff can get Yung alone to kill him. Adam and the police eventually capture Tanaka after a long car chase, but to Jeff's dismay Yung was not in the car with him. Tanaka is attacked with a taser, but later manages to escape from the police by severely injuring Adam and breaking out of the police car.
Jimmy overhears that Yung plans to escape the country by boat, and tells Jeff about Yung's drug factory. Now further fueled for vengeance, Jeff sets out to attack Yung's drug factory, using his martial art skills and various weapons to defeat guards and hitmen protecting Yung. He eventually subdues Yung, but is attacked by Tanaka. Although Tanaka gains the upper hand during their fight, Jeff manages to kill Tanaka by setting fire to a gas tank he was standing next to. Despite initially wanting to kill Yung, in the end Jeff decides to capture him alive (showing he has learned self-control) and turns Yung in to his father, Captain Sanders.
The film ends with Jeff entering the kenpo dojo to visit his former master.

Tags: cult, revenge, murder, violence, flashback

Review:
And what is even more impressive is the way the film portrays how Kenpo works when compared to different styles (like Tae Kwon Do).So despite some minor inadequacies it's pretty awesome in many other respects.
When his family friend Kim is harassed then murdered by the Korean crime syndicate, Jeff Speakman beats up many bad guys on his mission for justice.
The support cast is great with Mako, James Hong, Professor Toru Tanaka, James Lew as well as many Asian Hollywood regulars that worked during this period.If you like the Van Damme and Segal movies of the late 80's/early 90's you will most likely dig The Perfect Weapon.
It is too bad Jeff Speakman did'nt make many films with a decent budget.
Jeff Speakman(The master of kempo) made his debut in The Perfect Weapon, in this he plays Jeff Sanders a construction worker/drifter who brings vengeance to the Korean mobsters responsible for his mentor(Mako)'s death, his cop brother Adam(John Dye) keeps trying to tell Jeff that there are proper procedures but Jeff proceeds to hunt and pulverize anybody who gets in his way.
Speakman should have had a bigger career at least on the basis of this, The Perfect Weapon features everything you would expect from a martial arts action flick but also has a stronger narrative and a sharper pace.
That being said there are a couple of slow moments but Speakman is always there to kick life into the movie and on this level The Perfect Weapon works as a great guilty pleasure.
The fight scenes are choreographed perfectly and make Speakman out to be a good fighter, but not invincible(he does get hit a few times, quite nastily I might add).
Fantastic action, fantastic martial arts choreography make this a 10/10 movie.
Of the various martial arts movies Speakman did,l this is by the far the best, although Lord knows it is no masterpiece.
Many familiar faces (Mako, James Hong, Toru Tanaka) are on hand to support Speakman, who is about as good an actor as Segal, which is to say not particularly good.
He's a new hero in Los Angeles , an avenger who woos to revenge against the murderers.Jeff naturally takes on multiple opponents , cleaning up nasties Koreans and he beats, punch, knocks, kicks and defies the gravity with bounds and leaps.The film packs lots of violence,action-filled,thrills, and fierce combats with spectacular fighting.The story leave no cliché untouched, and the struggles are well staged.The movie is starred by Jeff Speakman, he's 6th degree blackbelt in American Kenpo Karate .
He's director of American Kenpo , an International Kenpo Karate organization with more than 50 schools.This is his greatest hit but his career failed in ¨C grade¨ movies(Hot Boyz, Deadly outbreak,Memorial day), becoming himself a failed star.Secondary cast is formed by habitual oriental good guys: Mako,Clyde Kusatsu and bad guys played by ominous villainous with offensive racial stereotypes, such as Cary Hiroyuky Tagawa, James Hong and Professor Tanaka.
There appears then, to be a subtle not so subtle match up between Kenpo Karate and Tae Kwon Do. The climax of this tension comes as Speakman confronts Leo Lee (Bandana) in the gym, looking for a guy who is 'good in Tae Kwon Do.' Does the ensuing three on one fight symbolize the clash of fighting styles?
Anyone with a decent amount of martial arts experience will note that in the final warehouse scene, the knife attacks are undoubtedly more akin to training exercises than to real street techniques, but then again that may have been purposely done.
The plot is easy to follow, which makes it good for non-martial arts viewers like me.
The opening scene is memorable as Jeff shows us some of his martial arts moves in full condition, and has a good opening song.
Jeff Speakman was on the road to martial arts super-stardom since being a master of the Kenpo style of fighting; a fighting style that was new to Western audiences.
Some of the fight scenes are impressive and the fact that Speakman gets beaten up and vulnerable(this could've lent Seagal more credibility) as well as the final fight between Speakman and the big guy was one of the only good things out of this film.
my favorite martial arts movie the best off Jeff Speakman he ever did.
The Perfect Weapon is my all time favorite martial arts 90's movie and it is the best off Jeff Speakman he ever did.
This is the only movie I like the rest of the films Jeff Speakman did were just pure garbage.
It is my favorite martial arts karate action movie.
It is a style of one man army with no guns but with his bare hands using Kenpo karate martial arts skills to fight the evil on the streets.
It is a bit underrated martial arts action film and my opinion and it is a good film.
6 years later a teen Jeff (Tom Hermann) becomes one of the best students and a martial arts expert in six degree black belt.
Now he goes on his own brand of justice for the killer with his martial arts skills without any back up or weapons he's "The Perfect Weapon." This movie has everything it has a heart it has martial arts likable one man army martial arts expert Jeff Speakman.
It has full contact it has memorial bad guys James Hong and Professor Tanaka great fighting skills, great soundtrack and you can easily root for the good guy hero.
Watch the final fight with Jeff and Professor Tanaka on the end of the movie one of the best fighting scenes in the intier movie ever!!!This movie is one of the reasons that I have signed in the Karate school training karate for 2 years and I have earn orange belt In the Shotokan karate.
The Perfect Weapon get's by me a score B 7/10 a good underrated martial arts action movie.
The Perfect Weapon is a 1991 martial arts action film directed by Mark DiSalle and starring Jeff Speakman, Mako Iwamatsu, James Hong, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.7/10 Grade: B Studio: Paramount Pictures Starring: Jeff Speakman, John Dye, Mako, James Hong, Mariska Hargitay, Dante Basco, Professor Tanaka Director: Mark DiSalle Producers: Pierre David, Mark DiSalle Writter: David C.
An excellent Jeff Speakman film--certainly his best..
By far Jeff Speakman's best movie, this film demonstrates his martial arts expertise.
If you like fast-paced martial arts battles, this is definitely the movie for you!.
His movements are quick and precise and the fight scenes are well made.It's a movie that features his growth in the martial art of Kenpo, a type of Karate that specializes in quick strikes to precise areas of the human body.
This is demonstrated in several of the films fight scenes.The movie is populated by a pretty forgettable supporting cast, but the action scenes more than make up for it.
The stage curtains open ...At the height of martial arts action flicks during the early 90's (ie: Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Dolph Lundgren), we have this solid entry by Jeff Speakman - a black belt in American Kenpo.
While he is there, his mentor and friend, Kim (played by Mako) is murdered and all trails lead to a Korean Mafia head.As Jeff endeavors to avenge his fallen friend, he fights his way through barriers, both on the home front and on the streets to bring Kim's killer down and justice to the forces behind it.
This is one of the best martial arts movie I've ever seen.
R.I.P. John Dye, Mako, and Professor Toru Tanaka you guys will always be remembered for your roles in this perfectly Supreme movie, from my childhood.
This is a perfect little action flick starring Jeff Speakman as a young delinquent Jeff Sanders, who was enrolled in a kenpo school.
Years later, Jeff would put his kenpo moves into good use as he takes on a mafia gang to avenge his mentor's death.
Caught in the mix is his detective brother, played by Touched by an Angel actor John Dye.This is a fast-paced movie with a simple, but compelling revenge plot, with plenty of martial arts and gun-totting action.
I particularly enjoyed seeing John Dye in an out-of-character role as the no-nonsense, gun-totting detective, versus his more tender and heavenly role in Touched by an Angel and fatherly roles in later made-for-TV movies.Overall, it is not a bad action flick.
I have never heard of Jeff Speakman before, but I remember that I saw TV program and there was a martial art film "The Perfect Weapon", I missed it but, thanks to internet today I cached it.
It's one of those good, old low budget action films, where you don't need to pay attention to absolutely nothing, just turn off your brain and enjoy some good early 90s action films.Well, ladies and gentleman may I present you Jeff Speakman, a master in American Kenpo and Goju-Ryu Karate.
And we also got Mariska Hargitay as a well not directly, but as a somewhat potential love interest to Jeff.Overall, it's a good action film, I recommend it.
after viewing this movie,one thing that really sticks out in my minds is the spectacular fight sequences.and there are a few of them.this guy really lives up to his title.as far as his acting ability goes,it's not half bad.this is after all,his film debut,and there are a lot worse actors out there.he does have some good lines,and his delivery is pretty good.the story is nothing groundbreaking or original,but at least it moves the film forward.the running time is short(only 85 minutes,and could have been lengthened,but at least it's not one of those movies that goes on for far too long.for me,The Perfect Weapon is a 7/10.
Note (to Seagal, Van Damme, et al): Once your character uses a firearm prevalently, it's no longer a martial arts movie.
Jeff Speakman's "Perfect Weapon" stands the test, rises to the level of Li's - and now Tony Jaa's - standard of representing true martial arts ability on film.
The first time in a long time that anyone brings some good, well choreographed fight scenes to the movies.We need more Kenpo experts to bring some more original movies to Hollywood.
I mean c'mon enough with the helicopter kick LOL.I think this movie really illustrates the deep content of the Kenpo system and removes it from the watered down "martial arts" of "Take My Do" that gives everybody and their sister a worthless black belt.This movie develops the plot well, has the necessary elements of a good story; captivates both males and females...Great movie!
ANYway, the movie is not bad at all, a little twist in the plot about using Jeff as a weapon for the Korean mafia to use against a rival gang.
This may not be the best martial arts movie in the world (that honor belongs to "Enter the Dragon") or even the worst (undoubtedly "Gymkata"), but it at least makes a game attempt at making a star out of a man who at least has some charisma and can kick and chop with the best of them.In "The Perfect Weapon", Jeff Speakman plays the weapon in question, a man whose talent at kenpo is put to the test when a local crime lord puts the squeeze on a business ran by a man (Mako) who is Speakman's oldest friend.
And once said friend is killed, our favorite Weapon uses hands, feet, sticks and drop-kicks to get revenge the good old-fashioned way: the highest body count wins.As I said before, Speakman has some charisma and is able to use his martial arts in a conceivably realistic manner.
In fact, there are at least one or two good scenes for him (the fight in the antiques shop, the back alley attack by a group of thugs)and just about everybody involved including Mako, Hong, Dye, Tanaka and Kusatsu (except, maybe, for Hargitay, who gets little to do here and considerably less screen time).In the end, it's a good effort but for all the other Seagals, VanDammes, Schwarzeneggers and Stallones out there, Speakman is just another seven-foot center who can make the three-point shot, so to speak.Five stars for "The Perfect Weapon" - maybe not "Perfect", but indeed passable entertainment..
A good Martial Arts film.
I enjoyed this film and would recommend it to anyone, especially Martial Arts fans.
It's one of my all-time favorites, and I think it's one of Mr. Speakman's best movies.
This violent and braindead action romp sees Speakman in his first starring role, playing stubble-faced beefcake Jeff equipped with Kempo-Karate skills and a keen sense to avenge the murder of his friend at the hands of some evil Korean Mafioso.
Speakman's vehicle is a good showcase (he's great with sticks), but this isn't going to break any records: with all its spirit and muscle, TPW makes for fun, unintelligent B-movie madness that requires nothing more than a brief flirting..
The martial art practised by Jeff Speakman's character in the movie is Ed Parker's American Kenpo.
The plot of this movie is pretty predictable (for a martial arts movie) but the fight scenes are very good.
In the Perfect weapon, the star, Jeff Speakman has a high degree black belt in kempo.
Jeff Speakman stars as Jeff Sanders a drifter who vows revenge after the Korean Mafia kill his mentor (Mako) In this emptyheaded and overall dull chop-socky actioner.
Jeff Speakman may have a few good moves up his sleeve but his acting ability leaves a lot to  be desired..
Bad plot (though good for a B-movie), good fast-paced fight scenes, at most a 5 out of 10.
The plot is predictable, the fights were fair and Jeff acts about as well as the sofa he beats with some sort of weapon in one scene..
The Perfect Weapon is the best Jeff Speakman movie we've seen to date..
Jeff Sanders (Speakman) has been training in Kenpo since he was a young boy.
Along his quest, he must utilize the help of his brother, a cop named Adam Sandler...er...Sanders, and a young punk kid named Jimmy (Fist of the North Star (1995) and Blood and Bone (2009)'s Basco) but it's going to take all of Jeff's Kenpo skills to fight off Yung (Hong), Kai (Tagawa) and the intimidating Tanaka (played, unsurprisingly, by Professor Toru Tanaka).
Find out today...The Perfect Weapon is the best Jeff Speakman movie we've seen to date...and why wouldn't it be: it was his first starring role, as well as being a major studio release tailor-made to showcase his Kenpo talents to the world.
Anyway, The Perfect Weapon, despite a few flaws, would prove to be the last theater-released movie from the action boom of the day.
The good thing is that the action is effective, with Speakman delivering the goods in a great many fight scenes.
(The movie is dedicated to the legendary Ed Parker and the "spirit of Kenpo".) Director Mark DiSalle ("Kickboxer") does a decent job, telling a tight little story that clocks in at a respectable 85 minute run time.
A supporting cast full of familiar faces also helps matters a lot.Speakman plays a guy named Jeff, a loner estranged from his family who decides to give his old mentor and friend Kim (Mako) a call.
When Kim is murdered, Jeff's ripe for revenge, although he will have to deal with the presence of his younger brother Adam (John Dye), who's now a police detective.You do know you're in for some fun with a group of actors that includes James Hong, Beau Starr, Professor Toru Tanaka, Clyde Kusatsu, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.
Speakman is typical as a martial arts actor, largely wooden but getting by on his skills alone and watching him fight dozens of bad guys dynamically is great stuff.Filling out the one-dimensional roles are plenty of notable faces.
As the film takes place in a Korean district and is made in America, all of the staple Asian actors show their faces in various roles: Mako as the Kempo teacher, James Hong as the slimy villain, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as a henchman and my personal favourite, Professor Toru Tanaka.
Jeff Speakman, John Dye, Mako, Toru "Professor" Tanaka and James Hong star in this 1991 action film.
Jeff Sanders (Speakman) is a martial artist/drifter who returns home to visit his long-time family friend and mentor, Kim (Mako).
I've always liked this film and Speakman is good in it.
Strictly by-the-numbers American-made martial arts revenge outing that's a product of the times, which sees Jeff Speakman (in attempt to make him somewhat an action star) as a Kenpo karate expert (there's no acting there - as watch the concentration in the hypnotic intro backed by the tune "I Got the Power") who returns home and goes about avenging the death of a family friend that was killed by the Korean mafia.
Watch as Speakman remembers the good times, but also the bad.
Vowing revenge, Jeff takes on all of the families, using his martial arts skills to find the man who killed his friend......Released in a time where you dint need any acting skills to garner a major release, just a martial arts, The Perfect Weapon is another one of those revenge movies that showcase the leads skills.
Song, and then the rest of the film we follow him in the worlds tightest jeans so he can find out who poured Ketchup all over Makos face.There are a few fight scenes, and one is particularly impressive, but after that, the film focuses more on Sub-Zero, and he becomes the Jaws of the movie, and the star, the person who has been given the chance to showcase his skills, is resorted to hit a sofa with his Kenpo weapons.It all ends up with a big explosion and Jeffs dad nodding in approval.It's a shame no one else did, the man had potential to be up there with Seagal and Van Damme.Instead, he ended up worse off than David Bradley.