Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins

Adolescent actioner in which NYC cop Ward is spirited away after a brutal mugging, given a facelift, and taught Eastern martial art skills by a heavily made-up Grey (yes, the Cabaret master of ceremonies here dubiously done up as a Korean), just so he can right wrongs, dodge bullets and generally hang by his fingertips off very tall Ferris wheels. Dodgy business magnate Cioffi is up to no good in the armaments world, but even he can't ship an extra consignment of charisma to a picture that suffers from able character performer Ward's lack of leading-man presence or physique. Adapted from The Destroyer series of comics, it also seems caught in two minds over whether it's an escapist fantasy (compare director Hamilton's track-record on the Bond films), or the rather tougher fare suggested by the viciousness of some of the combat scenes. In the event, Remo's adventure began and ended here.