The Perfect Weapon (1991)

[Guestx]

Thoughts on this film?

I remember seeing it way back when and being like MOTHERFUCKER! Kenpo is some BAD SHIT!

I don't think I had ever even heard of Kenpo before. Kind of like how I had never heard of Capoeira until Only the Strong came out. It was my introduction and I thought it looked like the next level of martial arts.

It was also my introduction to Jeff Speakman.

I thought for sure he was destined to become a big martial arts star, like Van Damme or Seagal. That didn't really happen.

He did go on to create his own Kenpo style called Kenpo 5.0 though. It's a mix of old-school American Kenpo and some MMA stuff, including BJJ-style groundwork:

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That's kind of strange . . . but compelling.

So anyway, yeah, thoughts on The Perfect Weapon and/or Jeff Speakman? And why do you think he never went on to be a bigger presence in the world of martial arts films?

 

[BisexualMMA]

Don't know what happened. He had the power and everything.

 

[kingkokong]

LOL...is this the movie with that large Japanese villain, that would laugh and lay a rose for each victim he killed??

 

[TONY-T]

Saw this in the theaters when it came out. I still like it.

 

[BisexualMMA]

His martial arts were fine, and his acting was quite flat and wooden, though still a bit better than, say, Michael Dudikoff. The movie was promoted hard, and he specifically was promoted hard as the next big thing. Perhaps more than Brian Bosworth in Stone Cold.

I think in the end, he just didn't have a great deal of charisma. He's a decent looking guy and in good shape, but there isn't too much of a screen presence. It didn't help that The Perfect Weapon has its scenes shot in fairly flat, distant and detached ways (going from memory), that make what charisma he might have had minimized even further.

Nobody is nominating Seagal for an Oscar anytime soon, or anytime ever, but he brought some energy and sometimes even some authenticity to the scenes (eg. arguments) leading up to his fights. I don't remember much of that from Speakman, though I'll stand to be corrected if someone posts a scene of him doing some good acting.

 

[Shonuffbrad]

The part where the football player gets the shit kicked out of him is the tits.

 

[Ikuza]

Speakman had a pretty decent career. Top of tier 2 of American martial arts based actors. Better than Gary Daniels imo.

I love The Perfect Weapon. That rapid fire Kenpo shit was just made for film. All the cuts and takes were great at multiplying how much damage he was dealing out.

Plus escrima sticks. Plus Mako. Plus Rufio. Plus about every other Asian actor from that genre at the time.

I really wanted the dragon/tiger ring. And to bang his mute ex-girlfriend.

 

[kingkokong]

Jeff Wincott over Geoff Speakman.

He had 1 awesome escrima scene in that movie (?) Shit was insane

 

[the ambush]

At the time being a Hollywood martial arts star was very difficult. You were competing against legends like JCVD, Seagal, and Norris.

 

[Zer]

At the time being a Hollywood martial arts star was very difficult. You were competing against legends like JCVD, Seagal, and Norris.

You can't hang with those heavyweights with a name like Jeff Speakman. If he was called Dirk Steele or something then maybe ...

 

[Buddy Revell]

You can't hang with those heavyweights with a name like Jeff Speakman. If he was called Dirk Steele or something then maybe ...

At least his name wasn't Billy Blanks.

The movie was pretty good. Professor Tanaka owned it, of course. The scene where he breaks out of the flipped over limo (?) was so badass. Loved it at the time.

And Speakman was alright. All the big action stars back then had character... either an interesting personality or identifying feature(s). Speakman looked and acted very generic... like the leading man from Samurai Cop.

 

[Doughbelly]

Don't know what happened. He had the power and everything.

Perfect intro.

 

[Doughbelly]

Don't know what happened. He had the power and everything.

I remember watching this with my mom and dad, and she goes, "Damn, he's sexy."

Then my dad went off and ripped into how this was going to be another movie about how the white guy is better than all the Asian guys.

Then this scene happened:



Mom went on about this being sexiest martial arts movie ever. Dad quit watching it about this time.

 

[dc007]

Loved that movie and yeah weird he never turned into a bigger star.

 

[lostdog000]

as a teen i loved it

 

[HomerThompson]

I remember watching this with my mom and dad, and she goes, "Damn, he's sexy."

Then my dad went off and ripped into how this was going to be another movie about how the white guy is better than all the Asian guys.

Then this scene happened:



Mom went on about this being sexiest martial arts movie ever. Dad quit watching it about this time.

LMAO. That scene was badass. All I really remember about the movie is when he kicks that football players ass.

 

[Amerikuracana]

Saw it at the movies and never since checking in.

 

[Henry Swanson]

I remember they promoted this movie hard as co starring Mariska Hargitay which is odd because she's in like 2 scenes and I don't think she speaks in any of them.

 

[Amerikuracana]

Don't know what happened. He had the power and everything.

Nothing he did there would hurt in any way. When he did that little jump front kick, he forgot to actually throw the kick and really just jumped in the air a little. I mean, I did some kata as well in karate, but yeah.

 

[Henry Swanson]

I remember watching this with my mom and dad, and she goes, "Damn, he's sexy."

Then my dad went off and ripped into how this was going to be another movie about how the white guy is better than all the Asian guys.

Then this scene happened:



Mom went on about this being sexiest martial arts movie ever. Dad quit watching it about this time.

James Lew vs Al Leong as the GOAT Asian "that guy" villain.