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Showdown in Little Tokyo

Showdown in Little Tokyo

Action · Comedy · Crime · 1991

An American with a Japanese upbringing, Chris Kenner is a police officer assigned to the Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles. Kenner is partnered with Johnny Murata, a Japanese-American who isn't in touch with his roots. Despite their differences, both men excel at martial arts, and utilize their formidable skills when they go up against Yoshida, a vicious yakuza drug dealer with ties to Kenner's past.

Movie details

Showdown in Little Tokyo

“One's a warrior. One's a wise guy. They're two L.A. cops going after a gang of drug lords. Feet first.”

1991 Action · Comedy · Crime 1h 19m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

6.1 / 10

21.9K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

33 %

Tomatometer

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

An American with a Japanese upbringing, Chris Kenner is a police officer assigned to the Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles. Kenner is partnered with Johnny Murata, a Japanese-American who isn't in touch with his roots. Despite their differences, both men excel at martial arts, and utilize their formidable skills when they go up against Yoshida, a vicious yakuza drug dealer with ties to Kenner's past.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Showdown in Little Tokyo?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Mark L. Lester

Written by

Stephen Glantz · Caliope Brattlestreet

Dolph Lundgren

Dolph Lundgren

Detective Kenner

Brandon Lee

Brandon Lee

Johnny Murata

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

Yoshida

Tia Carrere

Tia Carrere

Minako

Toshishiro Obata

Toshishiro Obata

Sato

Philip Tan

Philip Tan

Tanaka

Rodney Kageyama

Rodney Kageyama

Eddie

Court is in session

Put Showdown in Little Tokyo on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.