Bloodfist IV: Die Trying (1992) – Review

Where to watch Bloodfist IV: Die Trying

2 1/2 Stars

Don Wilson has his most dangerous role to date, playing a car repo-man on the deadly streets of Los Angles. Staying true to the crazy logic of the series, Wilson is cast as different lead character in each installment of this wildly popular martial arts saga. Continuing on the upward swing of the last entry, Part IV once again features better than expected direction and a script that is both entertaining (every body Wilson encounters is a kung-fu practitioner) and full of self mockery (see previous parenthetical).

As I mentioned Don “The Dragon” Wilson is Danny Holt, a repo-man who mistakenly claims the wrong car. The valuable cargo inside is worth millions to a gang of Eastern European gangsters, who are bent on murdering everyone on their path until they get back their precious merchandise. This include slaughtering every employee at the car garage, except of course for Holt, who happened to be absent at the time of the murders. The goodies are actually stored in an Easter chocolate box set, given to the secretary, now on her way to Vegas for a vacation with a girlfriend.

The first two films in the series ripped off Bloodsport, Enter the Dragon and virtually any other ‘tournament fight movie’. The third entry was an above average riff on the well-worn ‘prison fight flick’, but Part IV is a departure from the templates previously established. This is more of an action-thriller with a martial arts angle thrown in because of the star’s fan base. Because it doesn’t cave to the time-wasting filler, typically present in Corman productions, the movie is one of the stronger titles in the Wilson film canon.

A lot of the ongoing enjoyment to fight fans is the appearance of numerous real-life martial arts champions in bit roles. This one features a hilarious sequence with the always amusing ‘Judo’ Gene LaBell, a long-haired Gary Daniels, the female ass-kicker Cat Sassoon and plenty other formidable foes. Of course Wilson mows through his opposition with the usual aplomb but this outing the B-movie staple looks to be enjoying himself for the first time onscreen.

Director: Paul Ziller
Stars: Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Cat Sassoon, Gary Daniels