Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins...
Brace yourself for hilarious, action-packed adventure!
When street smart NYPD cop (Fred Ward) regains consciousness after a bizarre mugging, he has a new face and a new identity! Now he's Remo Williams, the #1 recruit of a top-secret organization, and he's toppling evil at every turn -- even atop the Statue of Liberty -- in this "spectacular and funny adventure film" (Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune)!
Trained by a quirky Korean martial arts master (Joel Grey) to dodge bullets, brave terrifying heights and thwart attackers with his bare hands, Remo become the ultimate criminal exterminator. But when he faces off against a corrupt millionaire and his army of henchmen, the real adventure begins!
Member Reviews
Remembering Remo - carmengrrr
Named from the embossing on the underside of a hospital bedpan, Remo Williams (Fred Ward) wakes up to himself with a new face and a new career as an assassin with a a top-secret government organization, the head of which (played by veteran actor Wilfred Brimley) has no discernible identity either. His mission? To remove the prime scourge of society: a weapons manufacturer whose disregard for humankind and decency make the entire American military seem like a good candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.
When Remo is sent to train with Chiun, a Korean martial arts master (portrayed by the incomparable Joel Grey), he discovers his previously-believed strength and skill in fighting crime is little more than thunderously thuggish. Chiun teaches him, among a myriad of other impossible accomplishments, to dodge bullets and walk on air.
As a juvenile, I adored this movie, and although I couldn't remember exactly what transpired, it stayed with me for years.
The "Light-Hearted Action/Adventure" genre went the way of the Dodo in the early 90's, and with good reason; think Lethal Weapon, Beverly Hills Cop, Bird on a Wire, Tango and Cash, etc.
But there's something to be said about a romp like this that's so outlandish, so unbelievably laughable, that it resonates with a 12-year-old girl for the next twenty years of her life.
However, when I revisited it a brief two weeks ago, I spent the majority of the two hours wincing and groaning at the outdated humour, rascism, special effects, and feeble plot-line that has (thankfully) also gone the way of the Dodo.
Unless you were frozen in the mid-80's and are just getting the stiffness out of your joints now, it's probably not worth the waste of two precious hours. Maybe think about picking up The Thomas Crowne Affair - the one with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. You'll find that they've aged wonderfully.Great action-comedy! - XTRUClerk
I've read a lot of "Remo Bashing" on the internet lately. I've been looking for the Destroyer Novels and comics I'm missing (Yes there were comics too, some of them pretty good, and why not, what is Remo but a Superhero anyway?) and I really don't get it. This is NOT the terrible adaptation of the novels that some people would have you believe. This is a solid, funny, action packed movie that captures the essense of the books very well. I actually remember Warren Murphy talking about how, after many script rejections, this was the movie he wanted to make and he was really happy with it (I believe Sapir, the other half of the author team responsible for Remo was dead by the time the movie came out, not sure though) so what's the problem? Okay, there is no "in your face" bad guy, but have you read the novels? I'm getting around to reading some of the old ones and in the last three the villains were a statue, a video game designer and a giant bug! This movie actually has a respectable villain compared to those. Besides, this isn't about the villain, it's about the training of Remo, and the scenes where he learns to breathe and float and basically gets taunted by Chiun for being inept and white are hysterical (It's sort of like Luke's training in Empire Strikes Back, but turned on its ear). I know there was some controversy about casting Joel Grey as a Korean, but come on. Joel is great as Chuin, and who better than a dancer to play the part of the graceful old teacher? All in all I love this movie and don't understand people who bash it. I will say this about the DVD though: FULL FRAME! Oh, the insult! If this were a Marvel comic Chuin would have dispatched the folks at MGM by now and the DVD would be red with blood! Hope some day to see a two disc widescreen of this, though I know it won't happen. Cool cover though! Cheers.Decent little film - jimmy_bond
Based on the pulp novels of the Destroyer series, the makers changed afew things but overall captured the novels quite well. A lower budget film with low budget actors and low budget set pieces it is still nonetheless really enjoyable. Joel Grey is fantastic and his interactions with Ward are really well played. They captured the teacher student, father son dynamic really well. I have always liked this movie and I think you will as well.
Member Reviews
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Remembering Remo - carmengrrr
Named from the embossing on the underside of a hospital bedpan, Remo Williams (Fred Ward) wakes up to himself with a new face and a new career as an assassin with a a top-secret government organization, the head of which (played by veteran actor Wilfred Brimley) ...Great action-comedy! - XTRUClerk
I've read a lot of "Remo Bashing" on the internet lately. I've been looking for the Destroyer Novels and comics I'm missing (Yes there were comics too, some of them pretty good, and why not, what is Remo but a Superhero anyway?) and I really don't get it. ...Decent little film - jimmy_bond
Based on the pulp novels of the Destroyer series, the makers changed afew things but overall captured the novels quite well. A lower budget film with low budget actors and low budget set pieces it is still nonetheless really enjoyable. Joel Grey is fantastic ...