There's occasional cleverness to the dialogue, but so much of it just feels unremarkable and downright uninteresting. There's no substantial depth to most characters, and they mostly fill familiar action-thriller crime flick archetypes. Richard Brandes doesn't have a lot of credits to his name in that capacity, with one of the few others being this picture's sequel. ![]() The biggest question,though, is of course the writing. The cinematography and sound design are crisp and clear, the orchestration of every shot and scene is suitable - honestly, in a lot of ways, 'Martial laws seems pretty well made. David Carradine, Philip Tan, John Fujioka - and yes, even Rothrock - all show glimmers of real nuance in their acting that's a far cry from the tomfoolery we saw in, say, 'Honor and glory,' or 'Tiger claws.' Even when performances are overdone (for better or worse I'm looking at you, Vincent Craig Dupree), it's unmistakably intentional, and though he has a small part, it's always a minor joy to see Professor Toru Tanaka. For all the flair here and there, including sequencing and otherwise editing that echoes that cheeky tenor, it almost seems like the production is played straight, declining the greater bombast we're used to seeing from her and those with whom she shares the screen. Maybe it's director Steve Cohen's guidance of the cast that we have to thank, but the acting feels unexpectedly restrained and sober compared to other Rothrock films. Through it all, I'm surprised to find myself thinking that 'Martial law' is, in some ways, better than I anticipated. Most prominent actor Chad McQueen, playing actual protagonist Thompson, really does look like a Joe Piscopo impersonator a scene set in a nightclub features a very 80s hair metal band and song (accordingly Tempest, performing "Sauza" - I won't lie, I liked it) and there's a brusqueness to the execution of some action sequences that somewhat defies suspension of disbelief. From excessive sound cues (such "whooshes" as fists or feet flying through the air or hitting their marks), to massively done-up and visually distinct hair, makeup, or costume design from small, gratuitous flourishes, to an enjoyable but curious score from Elliot Solomon that oscillates between guitar fireworks, fanfare that wouldn't sound out of place opening 'Saturday Night Live,' and synth-driven ambient pieces - there's a lot going on here. It's an odd mixture at all times, and 'Martial law' doesn't try hard to convince us that it's any different. She's not uncommonly no more than second fiddle in her own starring vehicles - and yet for all that, the fight choreography is broadly well done. Her films are generally blunt and over the top in most significant aspects, including writing and acting if not also direction, and often ham-handed and inauthentic on top. ![]() I've yet to watch a movie starring Cynthia Rothrock that wasn't rife with peculiarities, and at that, usually all the same ones.
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