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Only the Strong (1993)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
10/20
10/20:
A longtime director of Van Damme pictures, Sheldon Lettich gives newcomer Mark Dacascos a chance to showcase
something unique in Only the Strong: capoeira which is a combined Brazilian art form of fight, dance,
rhythm, and movement.
At first, it looks weird, especially during the martial art battles, because I'm used to seeing the likes of
Bruce Lee, Steven Seagal, Jackie Chan, and Jean-Claude Van Damme, among others. This is different, but is it
a good thing? I don't know, yet it appears impressive nevertheless.
The trouble with the fights is that they aren't real as many punches and kicks are missed on purpose by roughly
four to eight inches. Instead, it's fluid choreography of timed moves. Honestly, the most realistic outcome will
be: somebody pulls a gun and shoots the teacher and it's back to business as usual for Silverio's gang.
In my opinion, to be good at capoeira is to have a solid background in gymnastics. Mark Dacascos has that plus
extensive history in martial arts. He learned capoeira for the first time only two months before auditioning
for the lead role in the film. That's why I don't believe these high school students, thinking they already
had sufficient foundation for quick success.
Of anyone, Paco Christian Prieto has a commanding presence. He looks familiar bcause he did the pool fight with
Jean-Claude Van Damme in Lionheart. Since then, Prieto had done a total
of five more films. It's a pity because he should've had a career that's similar to Danny Trejo's.
Back to Only the Strong, it's an okay but sometimes cheesy 90's movie with an 80's feel. The story isn't
mind-blowing. At one point, the capoeira instructor tried to come on to the female teacher, but it never
materialized, so why bother showing him in this manner? There isn't a lot of depth to any of the characters.
However, the message is positive throughout which is why I'm being generous in giving the film a '6'.
All in all, it's hard not to be impressed with capoeira in Only the Strong which was done with zero
CGI tricks.