A big cocaine deal is thwarted by an attack by a band of black ninjas. However, having seized the cocaine, they forget the most important thing … money, and the leader of the gang, a white ninja, does not forgive mistakes…
4k movies reviews
In the year of its release, Miami Connection tried to show hard-hitting action and deliberate machismo with only 1/10th of the average cost of a Hollywood action film of those years. The result was that Y.K. Kim, who wanted to make a fortune out of the movie, went bust, and somebody managed to call it the worst film of 1988 – even though the movie was in fact not guilty of anything – it was the most common low-budget action movie, like the Frank Zagarino or Ted Pryor pictures. The only thing that distinguished it was the mixture of genres, in which the film aims – as the critics once again put it, it is a ‘war-cocaine-rock-ninja-motorcycle-gangster film, with a hint of an adventure action-musical’.
But there are miracles in the world – the re-release, which occurred at the end of 2012, suddenly shook up the popularity of the tape, brought its dividends and a much more loyal criticism. The film gained the title of a small cult, and the song from it is played on the closing credits of Blood Dragon, a bright and savory addition to the Far Cry 3.
Does this overdue success deserve it? Well… How you look at things. You can call a bunch of then-action films, much more well-constructed, but they have already got their fame. So I don’t think it’s the movie that’s really hurting anyone. Especially since it’s not some trash, but a cheapo, pretty average action film with waving limbs, trumpets and swords. A bigger budget and you could have your own genre icon like ‘American Ninja’.
But what we have is what we have, so you get a story of Men’s Cohesion seasoned with a vivid soundtrack (the same Friends – really a world song). Bro for bro, and all together against enemy gangs. And ninjas.
The acting – let’s be honest – borders on pretty awful, finding someone who plays at least tolerably is a bit problematic (the same Y.K. Kim sometimes makes such faces that you start to doubt him a bit). For a movie that’s less deep than a plastic cup, it doesn’t really matter. The staging of the fight scenes, on the other hand, is another matter. And while it is the same Y. K. Kim who really knows how to fight – what a curiosity – (the others flail their arms, pretending that their blows are accurate and strong), the fight scenes are surprisingly competent and driving, although sometimes the brutality in them – like severed hands, cuts, etc. – The brutality in them, such as severed arms, cuts, etc., seems excessive, largely because of the cheesy makeup.
But either way, the taekwondist Kim’s film got its five minutes of fame–and it’s not certain that this will leave the picture for the ages, but what will for sure remain is the stern soundtrack and the film’s straightforward, incorruptible honesty to the viewer.
Info Blu-ray
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265 (89.7 Mb/s)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: HDR10
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles
English SDH.
