Mark Turner MVD's Rewind Collection is offering another release, this time the action adventure film BLACK EAGLE starring martial arts star Sho Kosugi in the lead role and a then unknown martial arts actor named Jean-Claude Van Damme as the bad guy's henchman. Let me begin by saying that this series from MVD is great for those of us who not only ran video stores back in the day but frequented them as well. The slipcover for this release will bring back those memories complete with the "Be Kind Please Rewind" stick to the category sticker slight bent tearing off the cover itself.When a US plane carrying a new laser tracking system is shot down over the Mediterranean the country can't afford having it fall into the wrong hands. With some dastardly Russians led by Col. Vladimir Klimenko (Vladimir Skomarovsky) nearby the CIA needs to get an operative to Malta fast. Their second best man is already on his way but they need the best. They need code name Black Eagle.Ken Tani (Kosugi) aka Black Eagle, is already in the middle of a mission but is pulled for this operation. He's unwilling to go since his agreement calls for him to have these two weeks free to be with his sons Brian and Denny (Kosugi's real life sons Kane and Shane). His handler Dean Rickert (William Bassett) has already prepared for this having had agent Patricia Parker (Doran Clark) pick the boys up and take them to Malta already. Tani agrees and heads there as well. In addition to Tani and Parker Father Joseph Bedelia (Bruce French), an ex-demolitions expert who once worked for Rickert but is now a priest in Malta, is recruited as well.Tani arrives and with the help of Bedelia is able to find the sunken aircraft just as the Russian trawler pulls alongside their boat. Helping Col. Klimenko is his personal aide and bodyguard Andrei (Van Damme). Taking photos of Bedelia and Tani they feed them into their computer to find out who they really are. Now the race is on to recover the tracking system first.Of course this will involve a face to face confrontation ala James Bond between combatants where they act civil to one another. That ends and with the gloves off they can now fight using any means necessary. And since the kids are there why not use them as bargaining chips?When Tani and Bedelia go after them to rescue them from a seaside castle the bad guys are no match for Tani's flying fists and swirling kicks. As Bedelia helps rescue the kids and Parker who was captured as well, Tani eventually faces off against Andrei. This is the fight we've been waiting for as martial arts fans. But the fight, while well done, is short lived with Tani leaping into the ocean to join his sons aboard Bedelia's boat.With no choice now but to see the mission through Tani sends his sons to safety. He meditates, puts on camouflage makeup and sets out to board the Russian ship to reclaim the stolen tracking system. And there is no doubt that confrontation between Tani and Andrei will finally take place.I remember seeing the movie when it was first released on video actually having bought it for the store I owned. It was a decent movie then and actually holds up fairly well today. It may not be the greatest of action films but it delivers on all counts. There is story, combat skills, explosions and gunshots enough for any film. It's well shot too and the locations are used to their full effect. Perhaps the weakest component here is the acting abilities of Kosugi's sons, much of which is due to their age.A second weakness is also a problem with the MVD release and that is no subtitles. Both Kosugi and Van Damme, having two distinctive and thick accents, are a bit hard to understand at various points in the film. This isn't a poor reflection on either but it does make you miss some of the dialogue. Perhaps it was decided that the dialogue didn't matter as much as the action. Still, they would have been nice.As I said earlier the MVD Rewind Collection is showing to be one worth picking up. The transfer of film to disc is impressive and well done. And the extra included are some that will please fans of the old video stores. To start with included in the disc is a mini poster for the movie, about the size of those used to decorate the counters at many stores years ago. The extras on the disc are enjoyable as well starting with the option of watching the theatrical cut or an extended version with over 11 minutes' worth of extra footage. In addition to that option there is SHO KOSUGI: MARTIAL ARTS LEGEND a featurette with interviews of both Sho and Shane Kosugi, THE MAKING OF BLACK EAGLE with 2017 interviews with Kosugi, Clark, Shane, Dororta Puzio, director/producer Eric Karson and screenwriter Michael Gonzalez, TALES OF JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME featuring the cast and crew discussing the then unknown who went on to bigger films, THE SCRIPT AND THE SCREENWRITERS featuring both Karson and Gonzales, deleted scenes and the original theatrical trailer.It's not only a solid movie that can be enjoyed but the extras are entertaining as well. And for fans of video stores you'll enjoy being able to find yet another of those movies that at one time could only be discovered by making a trip to your local mom and pop store. The memories generated by this release are enough alone to make it one worth picking up.

Phil Hubbs Ah one of those old JCVD movies that wasn't actually a JCVD movie. I remember being fooled by this back in the day when I was a kid, the cool looking movie poster with both Kosugi and JCVD looking uber badass, the movie title in that striking old USSR logo, so much promise from one image. This movie is very much like JCVD's other early action flick 'No Retreat, No Surrender', he doesn't appear much in that film either, plus he also plays yet another baddie Russian character. So back in the 80's JCVD was kinda typecast as a Russian henchman, guess he had that look.The plot actually revolves around Sho Kosugi, a special ops operative who is called up to find some downed hi-tech equipment from the bottom of the Mediterranean. Some laser tracking devices went down with a jet that was shot down by whoever for whatever reasons. This is all set in Malta and is now very dated to look at of course, in fact the entire thing looks very much like an old James Bond flick, especially with the whole downed jet with hi-tech equipment scenario. It all feels very much like 'Never Say Never Again' to me. At first I thought this was just me but no! this movie does actually try its best to rip-off the Bond franchise. Hell there's even a smoky casino sequence with the main villain and his sidekicks at the roulette table facing off against Kosugi. The whole scene is clearly lifted straight outta the 007 universe, 'Dr. No' much!The location work for this movie is extremely impressive I must say, its easily the best aspect of the feature. Every scene is shot in and around the beautiful and awe-inspiring sand coloured stone structures of Malta and its various famous landmarks. To be quite honest most of this movie is actually rather dull frankly, all we see for the most part is Kosugi pussy footing around like a beige coloured ninja or swimming in crystal clear blue waters. He also has a sidekick, some other skinny dude who aids him with intel. The rest of the time it cuts to scenes with his two kids who eventually get kidnapped, and that's the only reason they are there...to be kidnapped. Sure Kosugi's bosses used the kids to get him to do this assignment but after that it makes no real sense why they hang around in the face of obvious danger. If all this hadn't been shot against this stunningly historic, sand coloured land of ancient wonder then it would be completely pointless.After lots of rather mundane dialog and hints of JCVD's grandness, we finally get a showdown between him and Kosugi. The setting is perfect, atop of some crumbling derelict old fortress wall (or so it seemed), a blazing sun high in the clear blue sky, both men glistening in the Mediterranean heat (oh my!), JCVD vs Kosugi, round 1, fight! Annnnd its all over in less than three minutes, yep a few kicks, a few ducks and parries, a bit of blood around the chops and its all over. We now have to wait to the very end for another face- off, ugh!Yep then its back to more of Kosugi prancing around with his skinny sidekick as they create their plan to infiltrate the villains main ship, thing is I can't remember why. Not that any of that matters now because this is the lead up to the main battle, the main battle against Ernst Stavro Blofeld and his hordes of henchmen aboard his...oh wait. Yep we now get a quick 'Commando' rip-off with Kosugi gearing up and covering himself in black tar by the looks of it, he does a sloppy job of it too sheesh! Lock n load with a bigass crossbow to rip-off Rambo a little bit, then its off we go to kill all the bad guys. This all leads to the finale fight with JCVD, round 2, fight! It lasts a bit longer this time but it never really hits it stride, both men seem to take turns in doing all their signature moves whilst trying not to hurt each other too much. Some nice swing and misses with sweeps and roundhouse kicks etc...but nothing that will get you frothing for more.I lost the plot ages ago with this, they were after these laser tracking devices and I'm sure Kosugi found them and won the movie halfway through, I dunno. It had to lead up to some sort of big showdown with guns and plosions. Its a very odd movie really, Kosugi isn't much of a leading man or fighter judging by this, plus his accent is very heavy and hard to follow at times. JCVD is wasted but does make a fun bad guy, whilst the main villains are pretty pathetic, completely non-threatening, just suits. Clearly they were trying for a slick Bond-esque type romp with semi-serious overtones, yet at the same time they throw in little bits from other franchises too just to make sure, they even get Kosugi's kids in on the action.In the end the plot goes MIA halfway through and it all becomes a very lame excuse just to get Kosugi facing off against JCVD (in a pretty location). The problem being its all a completely wasted opportunity because most of this film sucks, if anything it serves as a fantastic tourist advertisement for the Island of Malta and its idyllic cobbled backstreets.3/10

jim-j-moore It's imperative that you approach this film in a mood to be amused by a movie so bad, so clichéd, that it's quite funny. This film is the cinematic equivalent of a quattro formaggio pizza, literally dripping with cheese. Van Damme features very little in the movie and when he does, its in such a banal villain stereotype that one just has to chuckle. His death cry almost sounds like a cry of relief.And as for the script, it's pure corny laughs throughout..."The unidentified aircraft has turned out to sea" "Get me the police!"The police? It's like one of those farcical multiple choice quizzes for imbeciles. An unidentified aircraft is encroaching on your sovereign airspace, do you (A) lock anti-aircraft missiles on the bogey, (B) scramble air force interceptors or (C) call the police. Yeah, police - good call. They've been itching for a chance to use those rocket powered jet skis!Yes folks, this movie is jammed packed with the best of the worst. Great, grimacing camp fun. Enjoy!

Andrei Pavlov To my thinking this movie is an excellent action drama. Dark unfriendly atmosphere, very realistic stunts, and a tragic hero (a KGB agent operating far from home) are essential ingredients of this movie.One main character (KGB agent Andrei) is sad, cruel, and taciturn. Another one (American spy of Japanese origin Ken Tani) is attentive, cruel, and a perfect family man. There are no extremely high jumps and over-the-top gore. But there is style. Everything is to the point. These two enemies (they look like two animals destined to fight each other to death) are not talking to each other, they are not trying to bargain, they show little, if any, emotion. It's all about the system, the corrupt government and military that made these two the deadly foes.Please also pay attention to the priest character in this movie. One day he is preaching and the other one he kills people, making it with righteous expression of his phony face. He cannot properly fight being no match for the Russian agent and at the end cowardly shots the agent in the leg that results in death of the latter. Sho Kosugi's character is also not a hero: in the beginning of the film he teams up with the basmatch unit (with Bin Laden cutthroats, in other words) and kills young, supposedly very poorly trained, Soviet soldiers from the cover (what an example of unsurpassed courage!) and later on when the things during the hand-to-hand combat against the Russian man get tough, he jumps off the cliff into the water, i.e. wets his pants figuratively and literally.Van Damme's character, on the other hand, is the real bad-ass hero in this one. He never retreats. He is just like a bad-tempered killing machine. His close-ups during the fits of anger are simply brilliant (remember the one when his henchmen get cheated?). He serves his State till the last drop of his blood (unlike Ken Tani, who is not even a genuine American, who is persuaded to take part in the mission by trick, and who is thinking more about his children's safety and his own ass than about the task). He even sacrifices his own personal life (having such a beauty at hand)! Something that looks absolutely out of place in modern world.Anyhow, this movie is not for fun and pure entertainment, it is not for children either. It is a thought-provoking action film. Thoughts on the following topics can emerge: children, family values, relationship with women, loyalty, killing "for the State", etc. Besides it does not contain any stupid sex scenes, which you encounter in many other flicks of the 1980s (even "The Terminator" made this mistake).Beautiful action scenes: Jean-Claude Van Damme throwing knives on a boat and fighting with Sho Kosugi one on one without weapons. Some viewers recall the car chase scene but to me it is not a highlight. Suppose, you cannot film a very energetic car chase scene on the island of Malta.If you are accustomed to over-the-top combat on screen with flashy blows and lots of bullets in the air and cannot digest a down-to-earth action drama with scanty karate combat without wires, forget about watching this one. This movie was once on the IMDb bottom list, which speaks a lot. Probably you will be bored to death during watching if you give it a try. As to me, actually cannot name any segment of this flick that falls flat.The vote for such realistic, sad, and memorable movie from my side is a 10 out of 10. Overestimation? Maybe. But this movie works simply great on all levels - that's my view. Thank you for attention.