By accident, I watched the SWORDSMAN trilogy in reverse, and now that I've arrived at the original Lorenzo Lamas vehicle, the best thing that I can say about it is that at least it's not any worse than the features that succeeded it. THE SWORDSMAN is a very weird but oddly low-key action flick about sword-fighting and reincarnation. It strikes a different tone than Lorenzo's other low-budget output from this decade, though not necessarily one that I am interested in experiencing for a second time.
The story: A fencing cop with an unnatural psychic ability (Lamas) is assigned to protect a witness to a murder (Claire Stansfield), and in the process uncovers an underground sword-fighting circuit and a mysterious conspiracy regarding the ancient sword of Alexander the Great.
Writer-director Michael Kennedy achieves a surprisingly restrained quality to his movie: though there are moments of typical 90s schlockiness with unwarranted romantic scenes and a synthesized soundtrack, most of the film has a quiet, bleak, and almost melancholy air. This may have served the feature well had it focused on straight drama, but instead, the film increasingly delves into the weird visions that Lamas' character has during his convulsive attacks. These culminate in ghostly apparitions and past-life imagery. (SPOILER) If you ask me, a movie that stars Lorenzo Lamas as the reincarnation of Alexander the Great should be bright and bombastic, not dreary and subdued.
The film's action content is almost entirely sword-related, and true to the style of the movie, there's not enough of it. There are seven swordfights, though two of them are modern fencing matches that aren't as exciting as their no-rule counterparts. Lamas looks good with a blade and has at least one pretty good match, but for the most part, the fights don't mesmerize. With the exception of Raoul Trujillo as the lead henchman and Michael Champion as the villain, none of the fighters are highlighted and all of them are dressed, armed, and perform exactly the same. GLADIATOR COP and MORTAL CONQUEST weren't exactly action masterpieces, but at least they featured a greater variety of combatants and sword styles.
I'm not sure what it was about this picture that warranted those two sequels, and I challenge you to find what it was. Actually, I don't, because I don't recommend this film to anyone but Lamas completionists. Look elsewhere for your duels.
The story: A fencing cop with an unnatural psychic ability (Lamas) is assigned to protect a witness to a murder (Claire Stansfield), and in the process uncovers an underground sword-fighting circuit and a mysterious conspiracy regarding the ancient sword of Alexander the Great.
Writer-director Michael Kennedy achieves a surprisingly restrained quality to his movie: though there are moments of typical 90s schlockiness with unwarranted romantic scenes and a synthesized soundtrack, most of the film has a quiet, bleak, and almost melancholy air. This may have served the feature well had it focused on straight drama, but instead, the film increasingly delves into the weird visions that Lamas' character has during his convulsive attacks. These culminate in ghostly apparitions and past-life imagery. (SPOILER) If you ask me, a movie that stars Lorenzo Lamas as the reincarnation of Alexander the Great should be bright and bombastic, not dreary and subdued.
The film's action content is almost entirely sword-related, and true to the style of the movie, there's not enough of it. There are seven swordfights, though two of them are modern fencing matches that aren't as exciting as their no-rule counterparts. Lamas looks good with a blade and has at least one pretty good match, but for the most part, the fights don't mesmerize. With the exception of Raoul Trujillo as the lead henchman and Michael Champion as the villain, none of the fighters are highlighted and all of them are dressed, armed, and perform exactly the same. GLADIATOR COP and MORTAL CONQUEST weren't exactly action masterpieces, but at least they featured a greater variety of combatants and sword styles.
I'm not sure what it was about this picture that warranted those two sequels, and I challenge you to find what it was. Actually, I don't, because I don't recommend this film to anyone but Lamas completionists. Look elsewhere for your duels.