Where to watch Double Dragon
1 Star
Set 15 years in the future in post-earthquake California, where San Diego and Los Angeles are merged into one city, two teenage brothers have half of a powerful ancient Chinese talisman. Millionaire Koga Shuko (a.k.a. Guisman) has the other half and determines to get the brothers’ half in order to have the complete medallion and the absolute power of the magical Double Dragon talisman.
Double Dragon is closer to the silly Super Mario Bros. Movie (1993) than the more satisfying Mortal Kombat (1995), and that creates a problem. I was 15 years old when this movie premiered, and even as a teenager, I knew this movie wasn’t made with anyone over the age of 12 in mind. The casting of Mark Dacascos is a great idea, but he has regressed from his more impressive performance and physical presence in the much better movie Only the Strong, released just one year prior. Scott Wolf and Alyssia Milano, both television stars and both of whom I like very much, are adrift amidst the overwhelming production design while being totally miscast in Double Dragon.
This is a movie so mishandled that all evidence of it should be scrapped and reconceptualized. The hyper-glow sets, false cityscapes, and over-the-top villain that work so well in Batman Forever are also present in Double Dragon, but without any of the artistry of the Schumacher production. I always enjoyed the arcade game that this film is based on, but it was never my favorite of the fighting games. Popular titles like Mortal Kombat, Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Turtles, and, of course, Street Fighter all rank higher than Double Dragon for me. That doesn’t mean I’m prone to not liking this film adaptation. It’s so chintzy and childish that it would pair well with Surf Ninjas (1993).
Directed by: James Yukich
Written by: Paul Dini, Neal Shusterman, Michael Davis
Starring: Robert Patrick, Mark Dacascos, Scott Wolf