Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991) [BigBad Film Fest 2025] 

Two very different cops are partnered up in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo where a Yakuza is making life difficult for the residents.  

Written by Stephen Glantz and Caliope Brattlestreet, and directed by Mark L. Lester, Showdown in Little Tokyo is an action comedy that is very much of its era. It looks, sounds, and smells like a late 1980s/early 1990s action film with a sense of humor that would make many recoil these days. Heck, there were meetings about some of the lines, one in particular about Lundgren being quite impressive to Lee. The film here is predictable but it works, the writing is simple but fun with a few issues here and there (main pet peeve with many films with this story element, a woman who has been raped will likely not be in a romantic mood within less than a few days). The 80s are heavily influencial here and some of the issues from those films followed into the early 90s, but overall, the story works, the humor works for some, and the insanty level is brought to 11 around the end of the film. Between the writing and the direction, Showdown in Little Tokyo is a fascinating and entertaining artifact of its time.  

The cast here is led by Dolph Lundgren, who is in top shape and fighting form, and a relative newbie at the time, a pre-Rapid Fire, pre-The Crow Brandon Lee. The two of them are put together as enemies in the opening until they realise they have been paired up by their bosses because they are both insufferable. This works great at creating an odd buddy cop film where these two fight each other, argue, become friends, and end up fighting the enemy together. The roles for the both of them have their issues, but they each make the most of their respective characters and show their fighting skills that look quite well-matched. Joining them as the lead bad guy, a Yakuza named Yoshida, is Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa who gives then a run for their money while giving an on-point performance as a bit of a caricature of a character, one who is over the top in just the right way. His performance here is fun, a bit menacing, and just right. On the romantic interest side, we get Tia Carrere as Minako, the woman our leads save and who can single handedly take down Yoshida if she can make it long enough to be deposed. Carrere is lovely and lively as usual, not afraid to join both Lundgren and Lee in their shenanigans once they save her life. Stealing a few scenes is Gerald Okamura, a professional cinema henchman who does great as the seriously evil Hagata, the Torturer. This cast here is fantastic and just right for the film, even when things go a bit odd or a bit off, making this film one remarkable and memorable one. 

The humor, the sushi on the raw, the one-liners, and all of the film are pretty much just springboards for the humor and fighting skills of both Lundgren and Lee, giving them plenty fights in different environments, showing viewers that a simple story, a few skilled fighters, and a director who knows how to make this fun can become a really fun film filled with cheesy action goodness. That last fight? Epic!