The Perfect Weapon

Directed by Mark DiSalle, The Perfect Weapon follows Jeff Speakman’s Jeff Sanders as he sets out to avenge the death of a close friend and is eventually drawn into a gang war between violent Korean mobsters. Filmmaker DiSalle, working from David C. Wilson’s screenplay, has admittedly packed The Perfect Weapon with a number of exciting, well-choreographed fight sequences, with the effectiveness of such interludes heightened by star Speakman’s obvious skills as a martial artist – which does ensure that the movie is ultimately at its best when focused on the central character’s violent escapades. (There are likewise several action-oriented scenes that fare just as well, including and especially a rather gripping mid-movie car chase.) It’s clear, then, that the picture’s downfall is due to its unusually sluggish execution and absence of a wholeheartedly compelling protagonist, as, in terms of the latter, Speakman simply (and frustratingly) doesn’t possess the charisma or presence required to carry an entire movie – with the film, at least, benefiting from the efforts of a fairly strong supporting cast that includes, among others, James Hong, Professor Toru Tanaka, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. The end result is an almost passable ’90s actioner that ultimately feels long even at just 83 minutes, and it’s not surprising, certainly, that Speakman wasn’t able to parlay this studio debut into a successful career.

** out of ****