After his mentor (Mako) is murdered by a local gang, local hellraiser Jeff Sanders (Jeff Speakman) goes on the trail of the killers…
A starring vehicle for kenpō practitioner Jeff Speakman, The Perfect Weapon is a solid addition to the early nineties action catalogue.
Aside from Speakman, the film is notable for featuring an allstar Asian American cast: Mako, James Hong, Cary Hiryku-Takagawa and Professor Tanaka. One qualification with these big names is that they are all playing Korean American characters.
Speakman may be a bit blank as an actor, but his martial arts skills are terrific, and the filmmakers ensure they are displayed to the full (in clean wide shots) with rapid (but judicious) cuts.
His character - a loose cannon ostracised for both his temper and his lethal skillset - has potential to be a little more interesting than his logline. Everyone treats him like a violent lunk, just as dangerous as the gangsters terrorising the community. And despite growing up alongside this community, he is still an outsider - to the extent that, unlike most white martial arts heroes, he does not possess any special knowledge (or even speak the language).
And despite his prowess, villains can still get the jump on him. Speakman takes a lot of hits in his fight sequences, which follow a pattern of him taking a beating, figuring out his foe, and then unleashing. It is a refreshing narrative arc which prevents him from coming off as invulnerable but still highlights him as an exceptional fighter.
Running 86 minutes, The Perfect Weapon does not waste time. Mariska Hargitay appears as a childhood friend, but she gets no scenes or even dialogue. Clearly, edits were made that removed her subplot.
The film’s no-frills action plotting works in the movie (and star’s) favour.
It is a pity Speakman was not able to build on this film.
One could see him taking up position alongside the other action stars of this period, like Seagal and Van Damme.
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