Where to watch Shootfighter: Fight to the Death
1 1/2 Stars
Nick and Ruben are hoodwinked into a “shootfighter” (no-holds-barred, to the death) martial arts match by the evil Mr. Lee, who has a grudge against world shootfighter champ(and teacher of Nick and Ruben) Shingo.
Before the UFC gave MMA global recognition and market share dominance, tournament fight flicks were all the rage. Enter the Dragon gave way to The Octagon, which led to Bloodsport, which allowed dozens of movies with slight variations of this concept. Shootfighter arrived on video-store shelves in 1993, ironically the same year the UFC was born, right at the high point of the sub-genre. It felt like every week there was a new title from Don Wilson, Gary Daniels, Olivier Grunner, or one of their peers that would be hitting the new release wall at Blockbuster. And all of them have at least one movie in the canon that is strictly a tournament fight flick.
Shootfighter is memorable, at least, for pairing iconic movie villain Bolo Yeung with another iconic movie villain, William Zabka, in a martial arts flick. For those loving the Cobra Kai series and its reviving of the Karate Kid franchise, you may be interested in catching Zabka playing another brash, karate-kicking douchebag. However, this time it’s not a kids movie but a violent b-movie in which Zabka is given top billing, but it’s revealed he is actually a supporting character.
Directed by: Patrick Alan
Written by: Judd Lynn, Larry Felix Jr., Peter Shaner
Starring: Bolo Yeung, Maryam d’Abo, William Zabka