In the many conversations that I've had over the years about videogames that have been adapted into movies, Double Dragon seems to get the least attention. There's probably a good reason for that. Namely, it's not a very good adaptation of the videogame. It's certainly not a terrible movie though, not if you're after some family-friendly martial arts antics with some fun baddies.
Robert Patrick plays white-haired Koga Shuko, a crime lord desperately seeking a magic medallion that goes by the name of the Double Dragon. The medallion gives the wearer power over body and soul, and Shuko has one half already. He can place himself inside the body of anyone else in his vicinity. But if he also gained the other half, which bestows super-strength, then he would be unstoppable. That part of the medallion ends up in the care of brothers Billy Lee (Scott Wolf) and Jimmy Lee (Mark Dacascos), which means Shuko will do anything to capture the brothers.
Written by Michael Davis and Peter Gould, who would both go on to comparatively better projects in the 2000s, Double Dragon is in line with other films and shows that decide to tame numerous elements of the source material to appeal to a family audience. I remember Double Dragon on my Spectrum 48K and being blown away by the fact that one of the enemy types you fight were whip-wielding women (represented here by a woman named Linda Lash, played by Kristina Wagner, although she's depicted in a way that only hints at the videogame character). There were also weapons you could pick up and use, another element largely discarded here.
Director James Yukich has a long list of directorial credits, but this is the first of only two fictional features that he helmed (unless I have missed a title while perusing his extensive filmography). The rest of his work is largely made up of music videos and comedy specials. Thankfully, he doesn't do himself a disservice here. Double Dragon has energy and a slightly whacky sensibility, which is much better than it being over-edited to oblivion and couched in a combination of misguided stylistic choices.
Wolf and Dacascos are decent enough leads, with the latter bringing his impressive fighting skills to the film. Patrick is a fun villain, helped by the look given to him for the film, including the wide-shouldered suits worn throughout. Alyssa Milano is Marian Delario, a rebel fighter working against the system (the world of the film is a weirdly vague dystopian society) and a less passive supporting female character than you might expect. Milano is suitably appealing and resolved to help enact change in the world around her. Wager is underused, sadly, but okay, and Nils Allen Stewart and Henry Kingi play a large thug named Bo Abobo, with Kingi playing him in his mutated form.
I understand why this isn't exactly celebrated, or even remembered often. The fighting isn't impactful, the plotting is silly, the dialogue between the characters has lines to make you cringe, and there's no real brand recognition for the target demographic. But, and it's a big but, taken for what it does onscreen, as muddled and silly as it is, it's not a bad way to spend just over an hour and a half. Especially if you have kids, I'd say aged about 8-12, who may enjoy the action and effects.
5/10
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