Breathing Fire (1992)
Michael, a Vietnam vet with two kids, pulls off a bank heist with his gang, which includes the bank's manager. To ensure the loyalty of everyone involved, Mike makes a special set of keys, so that the hiding place for the loot can only be opened if all the members are present. The bank manager, however, gets cold feet and tries to back out, so Mike and his buddies kill him and his wife. His daughter, however, gets hold of the key and runs for help to David, one of her father's old friends who also happens to be a Vietnam vet and a former comrade of Michael's. Will David be able to protect his friend's daughter?
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Wonderful character development!
Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.
SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
What can i say about this movie.My cousin and i have grown up watching it over and over again. Once you have seen this movie,you realise not to take it seriously and you find it hilarious.And the thing is,its not supposed to be that way.The acting is bad, the fights seen are shaky, bolo's involvement is minimal, Jerry Trimble- king of the kick boxers gets his ass kicked by the kid from the goonies though so its not all bad.plenty laughs in here though, from the fighting dwarfs, to Jerry Trimble's odd-ball house keeper.And the bank Robbert scene with bolo in drag makes the whole thing worth while. this film was a vital part of my youth, and i will continue to watch it from time to time so i can remember just how much fun it is.
Annie, a young teenage girl who was a witness to the murder of her parents by cold-hearted bank robbers seeks out David Moore, her father's old buddy from their fighting days together in Vietnam for protection as her father had warned against going to the police. David takes her to his brother Michael's house, not realizing Michael is secretly the leader behind the bank heist and the murder of Annie's parents. Michael also has two sons, one natural and one adopted from Vietnam, who befriend Annie and eventually receive martial arts instructions from David so they can aid him in her protection.They say if you cannot say anything good, don't say anything at all. If I were to abide by that rule, I'd have very little to say with regards to this one. Jonathan Ke Quan actually does a decent job as Charlie Moore who really is the only truly likable character in the film in that's he's funny and likes to have fun making him feel more real as a character than any other person in the movie. Also the training scenes and the fights are surprisingly well executed.It's too bad that the plot is filled with gaping plot holes (the worst of which is characters disappearing from the scene for long periods of time with no adequate explanation as to their whereabouts), the rest of the acting cast is atrocious and the fights, while shot nicely, are hardly convincing in reality especially in the case of the Moore brothers showdown with Bolo Yeung, who's all but wasted here as another faceless henchman.Forgettable.
This film is pure genius. What more could you possibly say about a movie that offers not only Bolo Yeung in drag, but also a break dancing fight sequence and martial arts fighting dwarfs? "Breathing Fire" is possibly the funniest martial arts film of all time, I really can not recommend it highly enough.The film's storyline is largely irrelevant but goes something like this: Annie comes to David for help when her parents are murdered. David then takes Annie to stay with his brother and his two sons, Charlie and Tony. When David suffers an injury, he instructs Charlie and Tony in his unique martial arts style so that they can protect Annie from her parents' murderers.The plot truly is thinner than Nicole Ritchie, but this only adds to the enjoyment. By far the most entertaining aspect of the film is the padding between the set pieces. Some of my favourite moments include a Karate Kid inspired training montage, complete with bowling balls and suspended watermelons. I also loved the ridiculous flashback to Vietnam (in which the main characters look exactly the same as they do 15 or so years later!) and I almost wet myself when Mickey started to break dance - while painting a wall.Bolo Yeung fans can not afford to miss the opportunity to see their hero kick ass while robbing a bank - in drag. Unfortunately for Bolo, he doesn't have a huge role and has to suffer the indignity of being beaten up by the 100 pound kid from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Nevertheless, the chance to see Bolo wearing a floral dress more than compensates. The fight scenes that don't include Bolo are also memorable. Mickey, the break dancer, positively steals the show by demonstrating his dancing martial arts skills in rhinestone covered leather (no less). The fight involving the kick ass dwarfs is also one of the more memorable that I've seen in a long time.The acting is appalling to the extent that it defies belief and the dialogue makes Showgirls look like All About Eve. And yet, I can't think of a better way to waste 75 minutes of your time than watching this marvellous piece of crap. Highly recommended!
This movie did suck. Bad! But I can't stop watching it because I know one of the actors. Eddie Saavedra and I used to serve on the same ship in the Navy, and true to the picture in the movie, he is a phenomenal martial artist. My only regret is I have lost contact with him when he used to be one of my heroes, because of this movie, and because he taught me almost everything I knew about the job we did together in the Navy when he was my supervisor. He really has talent. It was also great to see Jonathan Ke Quan acting again. He turned out to be quite a fighter himself. One thing I would definitely pay money to see is a better quality movie made with this duo put together again. "Breathing Fire" was definitely a "B" movie, but with the right directors, and better funding, Eddie and Jonathan could really shine.