Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Samurai Cop'

Written by Scott Edwards

Every once in a while, a movie shows up on my recommended list that I have never heard of. This is a good thing, because when I go into the movie fresh with no real idea about what I am about to see, it can leave me feeling refreshed and stunned at the same time. Well, that can be said about a lot of movies and thank goodness, because if that was not the case, I would be very bored. This little gem from 1991 popped up on my list recently and anything that says, ‘cult classic’ is a must watch, especially since the sequel came out not too long ago.

Arriving in Los Angeles to put an end to the Katana drug trade, Detective Joe Marshall is welcomed with open arms. His new partner on the beat, Frank Washington, is ready for action and that is good because the Katana group will not go down without a fight. Being able to track a van with a payload of cocaine on its way to the marina, Frank calls in a chopper to keep an eye on where everything is going. Interrupting the transaction, Joe gets behind the wheel of the car and is able to keep pace with the drug dealers and even captures one alive, even though he is burned from head to toe.

Fujiyama is none too impressed to hear that the police are starting to sniff around his business and wants to know more about this new ‘Samurai Cop’, especially because he has his own samurai on staff as Yamashita is a go to for the difficult jobs. Hearing that one of his men has been captured, Fujiyama wants his code of silence followed and puts out the kill order on his former employee. With his henchwoman at his side and wearing a disguise, Yamashita is able to get into the hospital room and takes his co-workers head right under the watchful eye of the police. Being able to flee the scene of the crime with little to stop them, the couple is ready for their next job, but nothing will prepare them for what is coming.

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Joe and Frank are in hot water once again and losing the only living member of the Katana gang to be arrested, they need to start shaking some bushes to see what else they can get. Hearing about one of Fujiyama’s favorite hangouts, the two decide to give him a little scare. With threats of taking the boss in, the two leave only to find that Yamashita has a hit squad ready to take them out. Being able to defeat the goons, Joe and Frank are getting too close to the drug lord and now have targets on their backs. But that means little to Joe as he has his eyes set on the lovely Jennifer who seems to be the only good person in the middle of a bad situation.
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As the young love of his life is about to be swooned away by Joe, Fujiyama has her being watched.  When it is seen that the samurai cop makes an appearance in her restaurant and is able to take her out on a date, that is enough for Fujiyama to take the next step. Finding out where the samurai cop lays his head at night, a full-blown hit is put out on Joe and the war comes into full swing. As one of the main members of the gang is hunted down for hiring the next round of enforcers, there is no stopping Joe and Frank from achieving their goal of wiping the Katana gang off of the map. But the opposition has something else in mind and will not go down without a fight and a sword battle.

Cult Classic can mean a lot of things, but usually it means that the movie was pretty bad and even by my standards, this movie is pretty bad, but that is what has put it on my ‘you need to watch this list’ for many people. The best way to describe this movie is Lethal Weapon meets Kung Pow, without the great scripts and this movie features an excess of overacting. I would not say it is a refreshing movie, but it sure is a lot of fun to watch, I even had to watch it twice because I was laughing so hard. The dialogue in the movie is classic, I might have to try and use some of those lines when I get older and understand that they are talking about sex. With sword fights, a 2x4 arm getting cut off, plenty of double taps (even triple taps), a cop with long flowing hair and matching bikini bottoms, this is a must see for anyone that wants to add a smile to their day.  

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