Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991) from The Realist and Johnny Web (Uncle Scoopy; Greg Wroblewski)

Now I don't know that much about Japanese culture, so I always welcome a chance to learn. For example:

• I learned from this film that when Japanese people wave things through the air, that those objects make whooshing, swishing, and whistling sounds.
• I also learned about the code of honor that says no matter what is at stake, even a trillion dollar jewel heist or something, if a guy challenges you to fight him with fists or ornamental swords or throwing stars or candied yams, that you must drop your Uzi and take up that exact challenge instead of just blasting him into oblivion.
• I also learned that if a cop has a white father and a Japanese mother, he will have a Japanese last name (Murata). Must be some matriarchal culture thing.
• I learned that there is always a fireworks-driven parade every night in every Asian neighborhood.

The co-star of this film, Brandon Lee, son of the legendary Bruce Lee, would be dead within a couple of years, killed by a freak accident with a prop gun. His father died tragically young, at 33, but Brandon would never even reach his 30rd birthday.

Director Mark Lester made one of the worst movies of the 70s,and one of the worst of the 90s.

1. (2.93) - Roller Boogie (1979)
2. (2.87) - Public Enemies (1996)

It took him seventeen years to make a film worse than Roller Boogie, but the fact that he did so is proof of the indomitability of the human spirit. He has been making movies for thirty years, and has never made a film rated higher than 5.6 at IMDb.

Dolph Lundgren's career is not as long as Lester's, and it doesn't have a nadir quite so low as Lester's two worst movies, but the overall career arc is quite similar. Here is a list of every one of his moves rated at IMDb.

1. (5.89) - View to a Kill, A (1985)
2. (5.10) - Rocky IV (1985)
3. (5.09) - Universal Soldier (1992)
4. (4.88) - Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991)
5. (4.85) - Peacekeeper, The (1997)
6. (4.60) - I Come in Peace (1990)
7. (4.60) - Johnny Mnemonic (1995)
8. (4.51) - Men of War (1994)
9. (4.50) - Silent Trigger (1996)
10. (4.50) - Blackjack (1998)
11. (4.50) - Punisher, The (1989)
12. (4.35) - Hidden Agenda (2001)
13. (4.33) - Joshua Tree (1993)
14. (4.30) - Masters of the Universe (1987)
15. (4.12) - Hidden Assassin (1995)
16. (4.03) - Sweepers (1999)
17. (3.84) - Pentathlon (1994)
18. (3.70) - Storm Catcher (1999)
19. (3.56) - Cover-Up (1991)
20. (3.52) - Red Scorpion (1989)
21. (3.50) - Bridge of Dragons (1999)
22. (3.46) - Jill the Ripper (2000)
23. (3.35) - Minion, The (1998)
24. (3.11) - Last Patrol, The (2000)
25. (3.06) - Captured (2000)

As you can see, Little Tokyo is his fourth highest out of 25, and is the highest-rated movie where Lundgren plays the good guy, so it's a good bet if you're a Lundgren fan. As The Realist suggested in his comments, it's a cheesefest. There are a couple of points when guys who are supposed to be covered with tats are actually just wearing flesh-colored t-shirts with tattoo designs!

But I thought it was a decent second-tier buddy cop film with a martial arts backdrop. Brandon Lee provided a much needed light touch to balance Lundgren's ultra-serious approach.

In twenty five movies over nearly two decades, his career highlight is A View to a Kill!

I'd sure as hell like to hear a scientific explanation of that.