World Famous Comics: Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins
Remo Williams - The Adventure Begins
Starring: Fred Ward, Joel Grey, Wilford Brimley, J.A. Preston, George Coe Directed By: Guy Hamilton Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: DVD Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC Label: MGM (Video & DVD) Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: July 15, 2003 Running Time: 121 minutes Theatrical Release Date: October 11, 1985
Product Description: When street smart NYPD cop (Fred Ward) regains consciousness after a bizarre mugging he has a new face and a new identity! Now he's Remo Williams the #1 recruit of a top-secret organization and he's toppling evil at every turn -- even atop the Statue of Liberty -- in this "spectacular and funny adventure film" (Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune)!Trained by a quirky Korean martial arts master (Joel Grey) to dodge bullets brave terrifying heights and thwart attackers with his bare hands Remo become the ultimate criminal exterminator. But when he faces off against a corrupt millionaire and his army of henchmen the real adventure begins!System Requirements:Starring: Wilford Brimley Joel Grey Fred Ward Charles Cioffi George Coe Kate Mulgrew J.A. Preston Directed By: Guy Hamilton Running Time: 121 Min. Color Copyright 2003 MGM Studios.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating: PG-13 UPC: 027616887702 Manufacturer No: 1004730
Amazon.com: Talk about hubris: this film, released at the height of sequelmania in the mid-1980s, came with its own intimations of future sequels built right into the title. Unfortunately, you have to make a good first film in order to generate follow-ups--something these filmmakers didn't manage--so the adventure began and ended with this one. Based on the pulp paperback adventure series The Destroyer, the film deals with a ne'er-do-well, Remo Williams (Fred Ward), who is recruited to battle the forces of evil. He is trained by an Asian martial arts master who, in those days before political correctness, was played by Joel Grey in heavy makeup. But the action is both forced and preposterous, jokey without every really being funny. The best thing about the film is Grey--and his stereotyped depiction of an Asian is pretty hard to take today. --Marshall Fine
Remo and Chuin deserve better As a kid, I LOVED this movie. After I read the series, I didn't like it as much. Fred Ward and Joel Grey certainly had the right look (although Chuin's attire wasn't proper, but his acting was perfect as Chuin). The origin was totally stupid, and McCleary wasn't portrayed right, either. This movie deserves a remake!
The best there was, for the era Enough has been written here about this typical action film, but an ignored beauty is Joel Grey's deft performance of an old Korean master. Though in heavy makeup (Grey is not as ancient as the character Master Chuun) Grey was commended for the most sensitive and accurate performance of an Asian character by a white actor. Sounds racist, but the critics at the time really meant it. Yellowface was still in vogue. Very true to the culture, from his accent to the attitude that women are fairly worthless, from his love of soaps to his love of assassination, Grey nails this character. I doubt that the great Keye Luke himself could have done it better. Since America had only cheap Chinese "kung-fu" films, and samurai films were limited to Kurosawa's output, "Remo Williams" is not so bad. Jackie Chan had a small cult following then, and his films were a delight, but I was there when "Remo" was newly released, and I was jaded by all there was to see from Asia. Yet "Remo" moved me. It showed me a good time, and didn't kill me at the box office or when I originally bought it on VHS. Few youngsters today realize the impact it had on the martial arts genre American-style. It gave the genre a hope it had never nejoyed. Bottom line: see this film and decide for yourself, and be merciful to the 1980's for once!
This movie would have made Fred Ward a household name Good plot line, good acting, lots of energy, here's a movie that's custom made for sequels. What happened? No Hollywood hype machine. Would have made Fred's career. Love Joel Grey, but not as an Asian character, this was before Hollywood realized that Asian's can play Asian characters. Not as awful as Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's though. That was the worst I've ever seen. I remember when I saw Breakfast at Tiffany's I didn't know he was supposed to be Asian, I just thought he was "special".And Mickey is a good actor, but that performance was just embarrassing for him and the audience. Too bad about this movie though, it would have been a fine jumping off point for Fred's career.
Love Remo but this movies falls short. The Destroyer was NOT given a fair shake in this outing. Though it was a good try, it falls short. You can tell there were many involved who did not have a clue about Remo, Chuin, or the Glorious House of Sinanju. I wish they could have done better by them. Though Fred Ward is PERFECT cast as Remo!
Action adventure fun movie This is the only movie from the destroyer book series. A gumg ho go america film thats fun for all
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