Black Eagle (1988)

Posted in Reviews by - January 05, 2014
Black Eagle (1988)

Secret agents, an exotic Mediterranean backdrop and bad Russian accents adorn this cheap reworking of a James Bond spy film. Ninja man Sho Kosugi casts aside his black pajamas to play a suited US government muscle-for-hire, fresh from seemingly aiding Taliban fighters from Commie insurgents during the Cold War’s waning years. He only wants some quality time with the kids (here played by his real-life kids, Shane and Kane), but is coerced into one more job: to locate missing F-111 fighter jets somewhere off Malta complete with laser guidance technology that a team of KGB’s finest have their eyes on. Van Damme is a subsidiary tough flexing his muscles and dropping into the splits at any given opportunity. He’s the most charismatic thing here; afforded his own romantic subplot even if he is restricted to very few words. Director Karson teases the audience with Sho and Van Damme squaring off twice before their final bout, with Kosugi donning ritualistic warpaint for the occasion. But apart from this brief excitement, the film has very little to offer.

AKA: Red Eagle

This post was written by
Editor and creator of Kung Fu Movie Guide and the host of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast. I live behind a laptop in London, UK.

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