Blu Release – 4/5
Martial Law
Director – Steve Cohen (Devil in the Flesh, Bar Hopping)
Starring – Chad McQueen (The Karate Kid, Firepower), Cynthia Rothrock (Rapid Fire, Jungle Heat), and David Carradine (Death Race 2000, Kung Fu)
Release Date – 1990
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “Brothers… Cops. One enforces the law, the other breaks it”
My favorite day is Vinegar Syndrome mail day. From the time I get the shipping notification to the day it’s delivered I find myself excited and anxious waiting on my box to arrive. Even if I don’t like the movies I still love adding new Vin Syn releases to my collection. Their horror releases are what caught my eye but it’s their non-genre releases that made me fall in love with them. It’s usually their sexploitation releases that catches my eye but in November it was their action films that really got me excited.
One release that stood out to me was their double feature of Martial Law and Martial Law II: Undercover which is part of their VSA line. I had never seen these films before but Cynthia Rothrock caught my eye. As soon as I finished Don’t Panic I had to toss in the first Martial Law flick.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows martial arts expert Sean Thompson (McQueen) who is often put undercover to deescalate situations with his special talents. When his brother is murdered by a crime boss he is once again sent undercover with another martial arts master to find the killer and bring them to justice. **Spoiler Alert**
I love a cheesy action flick with over the top characters and horribly choreographed fights. I had never seen the two Martial Law films so I was excited to check those out. The first film did not disappoint. The characters were not likable, the fights were energetic, and the story was predictable but that’s what makes direct to video action movies so much fun. Just mindless violence.
The acting in this one is not the bad and cheesy acting I was expecting. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the best I’ve seen but the over the top and cheesy acting is not as prevalent in this one. The cast actually delivers a few scenes of solid acting and the fight scenes are pretty fun. With that being said, David Carradine really hams this one up. Even his fight scenes are funny. He puts so little effort into his fights. Weird saying this but Carradine is the low point of the film.
The story for this one is one we’ve seen several times before even among the martial arts centered action films. We follow someone, a cop in this film, who lost a family member to a crime boss and sets out to get revenge. Nothing really ground breaking here. We get lots of fighting, action, and even some sex. Nothing we haven’t seen before but it’s still mindless fun.
Finally, the film has a few death scenes but nothing that would stand out to your normal horror fans. The deaths fit the late 80s and early 90s action movie motif while paying in to the martial arts aspect. Nothing that bloody or violent but still typical for the kind of film it is. Overall, Martial Law is a fun one but don’t expect to find your new favorite old action flick. The acting is not that bad but the characters are unlikable while the story rehashes some of the cliches of the time mixed with martial arts. It’s fun but nothing you will want to revisit. The release from Vin Syn looks absolutely brilliant and this release is a must have for collectors. Check it out.
Martial Law II: Undercover
Director – Kurt Anderson (Dead Cold, The Killing Grounds)
Starring – Jeff Wincott (Sons of Anarchy, Alfred Hitchcock Presents), Cynthia Rochrock (China O’Brien, Lady Dragon), and Paul Johansson (The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, Berserker: Hell’s Warrior)
Release Date – 1991
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “Urban warriors with a badge. Their bodies are their weapons”
When it comes to direct to video action movies you can usually find several dozen cheesy ones that are fun to watch but are pretty terrible. However, if these terrible but fun movies makes a dollar you can expect a sequel to follow. Martial Law was a solid martial arts action flick that apparently made a buck because a sequel was released a year later. This 1991 film is included in the VSA release from Vinegary Syndrome with the first film. Once I made my way through the first flick it only made sense to toss in the sequel.
**Spoiler Alert** The film once again follows Det. Sean Thompson (this time played by Jeff Wincott) who is transferred to another department. Soon a fellow officer and friend of his dies in an automobile accident from allegedly drunk driving. He doesn’t believe this and starts investigating the accident where he uncovers police corruption and an upcoming business man looking to make a profit no matter the means. **Spoiler Alert**
Movies like this was the reason I started writing reviews. Horror has been and always will be my beloved genre but I grew up watching 70s and 80s action flicks with my dad. Over the years a lot of these direct to video action films would go forgotten if it wasn’t for boutique labels like Vin Syn to breathe new life into them. Sure, they are pretty bad but you can’t deny how much fun they are. Cheesy fun which was also my nickname in high school. Martial Law was solid and this sequel delivers more of the same but with a little bit more to the story. Both scored 3 out of 5 with me but I think the sequel is just a little bit better.
The acting in this one was exactly how the last film was. The cast was solid but there was a little hint of cheese. Not like some of the other action films of the early 90s that I love but just enough to make the viewer occasionally giggle. With that being said, I found myself laughing so fucking hard at Paul Johansson’s “serious” performance. His cold and calculating demeanor was pretty bad ass at first as the film’s main antagonist but as the film progressed I found myself laughing at this. The serious tone just came across as forced in a few of the scenes.
The story for this one is not as straight forward as the first film but it’s still pretty cliched. We once again follow Sean Thompson who loses someone close to him at the hands of a crime boss. This time we get more of Cynthia Rothrock and her character who goes undercover. At this point the film does have a few side stories and more characters added than the first. It was fun and adds a few layers to a rather cliched story.
Finally, this one has similar deaths as the first film. A small glimpse of blood but nothing that a horror fan would remember. Overall, Martial Law II: Undercover is a perfect pairing with the first film. Some cheese, unlikable characters, fight scenes, and action makes this one a fun on. It may not have replay value but you will enjoy it for the first time watch. This transfer is just as amazing as the first film. Vin Syn did an amazing job with this VSA release.
Special Features:
Region A Blu-ray (2-disc Set)
Newly scanned & restored in 4k from their 35mm original camera negatives
“Declaring Martial Law: The Birth of a Female Action Star” – a featurette focused on MARTIAL LAW with director Steve Cohen, actress Cynthia Rothrock and stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt
“Under the Law: How a Hit Became a Franchise” – a featurette focused on MARTIAL LAW UNDERCOVER with producer Steve Cohen, actress Cynthia Rothrock and fight choreographer Jeff Pruitt
Silent outtake scenes for MARTIAL LAW
Original trailers for both films
Original video trailers for both films
Double-sided poster
Limited edition of 4,000
Reversible cover artwork
English SDH subtitles
