Where to watch Only the Strong
1 1/2 Stars
Director Sheldon Lettich, the man behind Lion Heart, Double Impact, and writer on Rambo 3, attempts to bring a new martial art and a new martial arts star to the screen in Only the Strong, The style is capoeira, a dance inspired fighting style that consists of moves similar to break dancing and gymnastics. As beautiful an art form as capoeria is, that doesn’t make for very exciting fight scenes in a movie. Lettich gives us slow-motion shots galore so we can appreciate the athleticism involved with such activity. These performers are no doubt talented, but after the laughably bad choreography during a playground fight sequence the film never recovers. Lettich is more successful however in his discovery of the muscle-bound, Mark Dacascos. After aiding in launching the career of Van Damme, Lettich seems to be doing the same here for Dacascos. Unfortunately, Only the Strong is sorely missing any remarkable attribute that would even qualify it as a guilty pleasure. This predictable action/adventure features the customary stiff dialogue and second-rate acting but, at least, some of the ethnic characters are depicted with less stereotyping that usual.
Director: Sheldon Lettich
Stars: Mark Dacascos, Stacey Travis,