I can't believe that I just got around to reviewing Remo Williams. This is again one of those movies that I have been watching forever and this movie deserves repeated viewing. It is a typical corny 80's action flick and it is not mind-blowing in terms of action or special effects but it is a great ride all the same. Fred Ward turns in a great performance as Remo. I've always liked Fred Ward and he's a good underrated character actor. The supporting cast mainly just fills in the blanks but they are all competent actors. The soundtrack sets just the right mood and Joel Grey deserves special praise in the portrayal of Chiun. Chiun is the greatest and toughest character ever to be in any movie ever and Chiun could kick anyone's ass. Since Grey is white and Chiun is a stock Asian character if there ever was one it may bother some people, but I would tell those people just to get over themselves and enjoy the movie. The interplay between Remo and Chiun is funny and they have great chemistry. Bottom Line: This movie rules. I would go ahead and tell you to buy it on DVD but the powers that be have only made it available in full screen so what's the point of even having it on DVD. Damn them. Damn them to hell. Anyways, enjoy.
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chvylvr8015 July 2003
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krazylegs8823 January 2006So what if the the total package is not up to blockbuster standards. We need these types of film to go and have a great afternoon at the movies where you don't have to think and you can eat a lot of popcorn. I dug the hell out of this movie because it didn't take itself too seriously. It looks like they had a fun time making it and God bless em' for it! You started to get a little idea of the outrageousness of it all when Chiun begins talking about all the other great martial arts as mere shadows compared with his fighting style. And then there's the water-walking or running toward the end of the film. And the super secret organization (with only 3 members!) answering only to the President. What a hoot! But every time I see it on the tube, I'm right there watching it if I can.
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yv_es6 September 2020Ok, I admit that I started watching this movie ironically. I thought it was going to be one of those "so bad it's good" low budget action movie rip-offs from the 70s/80s/90s. The box art certainly makes it seem like that's what's in store. Plus the name "Remo Williams" sounds like one of those wannabe Jean-Claude Van Dammes that every B-movie studio seemingly had back then.
But although Remo Williams does have some silly 80s action movie moments, it's actually a pretty solid film! The stunts are impressively physical. The writing and characters are fun. And the editing and filming are well done. It's an all around fun summer movie. The only big negative is that the entire movie feels like the first act of a larger saga that unfortunately was never made. That's a shame.
The stunts are probably the highlight. They are impressive! Compared to the high-octane, cities exploding CG BS of your modern action movie, Remo Williams practically seems understated. That may be why its stunts feel so impressive. The combination of good old fashioned physical stunts and clever editing is genuinely thrilling. The Statue of Liberty sequence is the most memorable part of the film, in part because it really feels like they filmed it all on the real statue. However my favorite sequence is when Remo is trying to run away from a pack of guard dogs. That scene mixes humor and solid yet non-flashy stunts to tell a little story within the film. It reminds me something you'd see in a Buster Keaton film.
The first half of the film focuses on Remo's training. Most films would have reduced this to a few minutes and a montage or two. This part of the film really should be boring but it somehow isn't. There's some good humor and fun character interactions. And while certainly not Oscar worthy stuff, it's close in spirit to some of Arnold's 90s work. Now it must be said that his trainer, Chiun, is written as a stereotype and the fact he was played by a white actor in yellow face is not great. Still, Chiun doesn't exist solely for laughs and the character isn't completely one-dimensional. Chiun's relationship with Remo is a solid take on the Mr. Miyagi style mentor trope.
As I said, the biggest downside to the Remo Williams is that it really feels like a first act. Remo's mission is important but not James-Bond-space-laser important. The budding romance with Captain Janeway never progresses beyond a few longing glances. It leaves you wanting to spent more time with the characters, either in a proper sequel or in an A-Team style TV show.
Still if you're looking for a fun popcorn film, you can go far, far worse than Remo Williams. I went into with zero exceptions and was very pleasantly surprised by it. -
DerrickFerguson19 August 2001I'm not sure, but I bet that if one were to do research on the most shown film on cable/satellite,REMO WILLIAMS would be in the top three. It seems like every month its being shown on Cinemax or The Movie Channel. But that's okay, as long as they keep showing it, I'll keep watching it.
I've read complaints about the movie's bad guy not being bad enough and the story not being big enough and to that, I say hogwash. Not every movie has to have the hero saving mankind from global destruction and Remo's mission may not be global, but its entertaining fun nonetheless. This is a movie best enjoyed on a slow Saturday afternoon when you don't feel like going out and just want to zone out for a few..
Put this one in your VCR and enjoy the absolutely wonderful score by Craig Safan (this movie's got one the best theme songs I've ever heard)The interplay between Fred Ward and Joel Grey (their dialog is side-splittingly funny at times, especially Grey's one-liners) and a pre-Star Trek: Voyager Kate Mulgrew. -
I finally got a chance to watch a movie that has been at least 20 years old since I last watched it.
There were a few memories .. Perhaps the biggest one was that bullet dodging and training track that ran along objects and things.
Surely already at that time I would have gotten a lot more out of the subject and somehow it just felt like this was a bit done there. Of course, in modern times, similar filming would be clearly of higher quality. But not enough of this film has lasted.
I still by no means regret that now, years later, I looked at this again. A very nostalgic moment.
But that and these points don't overestimate the estimate. -
jldmp12 May 2006I have a soft spot for these things, because of the honesty that lies in deliberately eschewing drippy sentiment along with keeping the action and visual narrative a playful distance from reality.
That's what 'Bond' alumnus Hamilton accomplished here, using pieces of "Goldfinger" (the laser), and "You Only Live Twice" (scuba recovery).
The center of this is not 'martial arts' but dance -- Grey's perfectly cast presence is a dead giveaway. It's really all about teaching Ward, the "baboon with two club feet", to move correctly; the equation's complete when the pupil successfully pulls off the bullet-dodging dance.
So why didn't this catch on? "Rocky" and the "The Karate Kid" were both box office hits partly because of the tried and true construction of casting an audience in the movie -- when the audience within cheers, it validates the theater-goers sentiment. "Remo" didn't aim for this. Nor did it aim to create a character that men would idolize and women would swoon over.
No, it stuck to meat and potatoes, the sort that Stallone or Norris would give us -- but too few watchers appreciated how clever it was. -
surjis31 January 2022Hello From Here - When you consider that this movie was released in 1985 it still delivers a solid watching experience in 2022. It's surprising how well it holds up and how much entertainment it still gives so many years on!
This is a typical 80s action setup, yes it's a bit clunky in places, yes times and attitudes have changed but what you get is an exciting fun adventure with acting and storyline that still keeps you glued to the screen. With its simple story, gritty feel and characters that are light in depth but still relatable, the well acted and slightly camp fun feel all adds up to an action movie that's definitely worth your time. -
SnoopyStyle12 September 2013A secret government organization in the service of presidents called CURE fakes the death of a NY patrolman and inducts him into the organization. They give him a new identity Remo Williams (Fred Ward), and give him a trainer Chiun (Joel Grey) master of Korean martial arts Sinanju. Based on the series "The Destroyer" by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy.
This is definitely cheesy and pulpy. Joel Grey has great fun as the Korean master. The training sequences are fantastic and does all the well worn classic clinches. He's dodging bullets, and walking on water. It's all fun. I'm also amazed that they filmed an action sequence on the Statue of Liberty. It fun to see. The serious part of the movie doesn't work as well. Maj. Rayner Fleming (Kate Mulgrew) gathers evidence of defective weapons and faces a deadly weapons manufacturer. It's the more forgettable part of the movie. -
This movie inspires different reactions from people, depending on the expectations they bring to their first viewing. It's a semi-serious, semi-spoof Action/Comedy/Crime/Thriller/Martial Arts movie that doesn't fit neatly into any category. It is tremendously entertaining, as long as you aren't expecting something totally serious or totally comical. This movie is often misunderstood, and that, coupled with its somewhat-lower-than-average-budget look, may explain why there was no sequel to the movie, which was subtitled in the US "The Adventure Begins." It wasn't quite big-budget enough to satisfy people wanting to see a competitor for James Bond, and it wasn't quite like any other movie enough for people to "get it" right off. Taken at face value as an action movie, therefore, Remo Williams isn't all that noteworthy. However, viewed as an entertaining mixture of action and fun, the movie delivers quite well.
Fred Ward does a fine job as Remo, especially in his scenes with Chiun, his Shinanju master played fantastically by Joel Grey. Some have argued that Ward was too old for the role, which would be debatable even if this were a straight-out action movie; given its true nature, Ward was an excellent choice, and the dynamic between him and Grey makes for some of the most entertaining sequences in the movie.
Joel Grey's Asian "sensei" character stereotype can be forgiven in the context of the semi-spoof, tongue-in-cheek nature of the movie. Chiun's humor shines through his sarcastic commentary about America and Remo; the success of the humor relies on the Korean Shinanju master's strength and ability. Chiun is the most powerful, competent, intelligent, and witty character in the movie. There is also the pleasant story line of Chiun passing on to Remo the legacy of his Shinanju wisdom and knowledge... and wit.
People have also criticized Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager) for her performance of Major Rayner Fleming. Overall, her performance is very good, and appropriate for the character, especially before her character meets Remo at Mount Promise. I am still somewhat disappointed, however, to see Major Fleming change from a competent military career-woman into a bewildered character smitten by Remo and Chiun and carried along in their wake. In the role of the army major, Fleming is competent, witty, and believable: an appropriate portrayal of a mid-1980's woman military officer. The directors could have let the character carry that competence through to the end of the movie.
The movie does have some great action sequences, especially the chase around the scaffolding surrounding the Statue of Liberty (remember when they were remodeling it, back in the 80's?), and it is very funny in many places. (See the "memorable quotes" page.) If you watch the movie expecting to have fun and to be entertained, if you suspend your disbelief just a little and don't take it too seriously, you will really enjoy it. It has just enough action, just enough "buddy movie" dynamic, just enough tongue-in-cheek humor, just enough spoof, just enough comic-book type fantasy elements, and just enough enigmatic and amusing martial arts to make it terrifically entertaining. Watch it with your friends on a lazy Saturday afternoon, have some laughs, and be entertained. You'll be glad you did. -
Remo Williams is a fun mixture of Karate Kid and James Bond that makes up for its shortcomings with charisma and humor to spare. Cop Sam Makin(Fred Ward) is recruited in a bizarre fashion, having his death faked and given plastic surgery because he has no friends, family or other connections that will miss him, by super secret organization CURE. There he meets CURE head Smith and fellow operative MacCleary and they tell him that his options are basically accept the job or die. After reluctant acceptance Sam Makin becomes Remo Williams(which MacCleary gets from an unlikely place) and trains with Sinanju master Chuin(played unrecognizably in heavy makeup by Joel Grey, it was the 80s it was a different time) who plays the character with a well balanced mixture of Mr. Miyagi's wisdom and James Bond's Q's snark. The stunt work is also very impressive, mad even more so by the fact that Fred Ward did most of his own stunts. The biggest disappointment in the movie has nothing to do with anything mentioned and more to do with the villain Goerge Grove played by Charles Cioffi. He's not bad in the role, but he's just kind of a generic evil business man whose plan is simply to pocket taxpayer money on government contracts while deliver substandard equipment and a satellite defense system he has no intention of finishing....It's not as though you can't make a good villain from something like that, but in terms of the stakes and how this was meant to be an alternative to James Bond, Grove feels like a villain of the week you'd find in something like MacGyver or The A-Team. But poor villain aside, Remo Williams is till a lot of fun thanks in no small part to the great interactions between Remo and Chuin.
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Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985) was one of the many films that tried to actually launch a series of sequels before the results of the box office receipts were in. The producers were so sure that Remo Williams part one would be so successful that they would produce a series of films based upon the title character. Another example of counting your cash before it arrives in your hand. I was glad for one that this film didn't take off the ground. But that didn't stop the producers from trying to force the FOX Network to create a series of made-for-t.v.-movies based upon the DESTROYER novels.
Fred Ward (American defined!!) stars as a lazy and sloppy cop who's declared legally dead after a botched arrest. Fred is given the identity of Remo Williams and becomes a reluctant federal super cop. Remo doesn't like his name or the dangerous assignment of becoming a secret agent. How does Remo adjust to his new life? Why did the government choose a sloppy, sloven and dirty cop to become America's last hope in case of a national emergency? Is that really a Jewish dude acting like a Korean martial arts master?? To find out you'll just have to watch REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS and you'll find out why there were no more follow up movies. Very mediocre and badly dated.
Not recommended (but Fred Ward is one cool cat). -
ShadeGrenade25 May 2010Along with 'Nick Carter - Killmaster', 'Kung Fu Master', 'The Executioner', and 'Black Samurai', 'The Destroyer' was a popular series of action books from the '70's and '80's. Written by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy, they told of the exploits of 'Remo Williams', a man brought back from the dead ( in the books, he was sent to the electric chair, but the movie has him as a cop almost killed in the line of duty ) to become an assassin for a U.S. organisation ( which officially does not exist ) known as CURE. Remo is trained in the art of Sinanju, an Eastern martial art that enables one to, amongst other things, dodge bullets and run across a beach without leaving footprints.
This entertaining 1985 adaptation was intended as the first in a series. Unfortunately, the adventure began and ended here, though it later acquired a cult following and, even now, talk persists of a sequel/remake in the offing. It came too late to cash in on the cycle of martial arts pictures that came with 'Enter The Dragon' ( 1973 ), and too early to join the roster of superheroes inspired by the success of Tim Burton's 'Batman' ( 1989 ).
Scriptwriter Christopher Wood also wrote two Bond films - 'The Spy Who Loved Me' and 'Moonraker' - while director Guy Hamilton helmed four Bond pictures, including what some might term the very best one -'Goldfinger'. There's none of the glamour from the Bond series here however. But a spoof - as some have termed it - it most definitely is not.
Fred Ward is very good as 'Remo', as is Joel Grey as 'Chiun', his soap opera-loving Korean mentor. Some of the best film's scenes simply features these characters by themselves, particularly the training scenes. Chiun gets all the best lines - "you move like a pregnant yak!", he tells Remo at one point. He is a racial stereotype, of course, but thanks to excellent make-up and Grey's performance one is prepared to overlook this. Kate Mulgrew provides the only major female character - 'Major Rayner Fleming'.
Less impressive are the villains; Grove ( Charles Cioffi ) is a millionaire arms dealer selling defective weaponry - including a fake 'Star Wars'-style satellite system ( a very topical touch for the time ) - to the U.S. Government. What was badly needed here was a foe of Bond's calibre, such as 'Dr.No' or 'Blofeld'.
Great action, including a fight on the Statue of Liberty which showcases some eye-popping stunts. There's humour too, with Remo relentlessly chased by Dobermanns as he breaks into Grove's plant. Barbara Woodhouse must have had a hand in training these mutts!
Retitled 'Remo - Unarmed & Dangerous' for the British market, this deserved to go on to become a franchise, a sort of 'Our Man Flint' for the '80's. It was not to be though, and an attempt to do a television version of 'Remo' ( starring Jeffrey Meek and Roddy McDowall ) in 1988 also flopped. -
lastliberal-853-25370810 August 2012I can imagine when they were developing "Person of Interest" they must have seen this film. It has a similar theme: a secret organization designed to ensure that justice is done.
The concept was good, and it works very well on the TV show, but I would imagine that it was not good enough for a second movie.
The interaction between Fred Ward (Gus Grissom in The Right Stuff) and Joel Grey (Caberet) was hilarious and kept your interest throughout.
Kate Mulgrew ("Star Trek: Voyager", "Warehouse 13")added to the humor as a clueless Major.
It's not award material, but it is good entertainment. -
yakikorosu11 March 2002Remo Williams is a very, very blatant attempt to cash in on two 80's movie sensations: James Bond and Indiana Jones, with some Karate Kid thrown in for good measure. In particular, "Remo's Theme" sounds so ripped off from Indy that I actually laughed out loud when it first played.
This film was obviously intended to be the first of a series, as evidenced by the title, but how anyone could think this would become a classic is beyond me, as every single element of the plot and every character is a VERY blatant ripoff of something or other.
What's left for this movie to be is just a lighthearted uncomplex action flick, and while it succeeds at times (mostly in the training sequences), it's mostly way too big on building up Remo into some sort of folk hero on the level of 007 or the aforementioned Indiana Jones. And a folk hero he is NOT. The plot is pretty damn silly and doesn't have the "cool" factor of any of the Indiana Jones films, and all too much time is spent on it. The one liners, except the ones from Remo's hilarious, albeit cliché, instructor, mostly fall flat. ("What've you got there?" "Oh, just a small matter... OF NATIONAL SECURITY!")
In the end, it's way too corny to be a classic, and takes itself way too seriously for me to have been able to watch it with my brain turned off and just chuckle at it, I gave it a 4 out of 10, 2 of that just for the great character of his soap-opera watching korean martial arts instructor. -
theholmboy24 August 2003Look all you movie snobs out there. This is a classic 80's action flick and nothing more. Sure there were some effects, but that is not the focus of the story. It is the interplay between Remo and Chuin that makes this one shine. It has classic and memorable lines. And, it was good enough for major plot points to be stolen later by the writers of the Matrix and Men in Black. If you want better action sequences, see those. If you want to see 80's action in all of its glory, get this one. One last point: It is sad that the DVD doesn't have a Widescreen option.
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zshrj0212 March 2009When Maj. Rayner Fleming gets confronted about "who's she working for?" while on her way of the general's office, she places the clipboard, she was carrying out, on the meeting desk, and picks up the photos, turns around and serves up a confident retort to accusations. However, when she demonstratively leaves the room after picking up her hat, she "forgets" the clipboard on the meeting desk. The movie itself is a great little flick I enjoyed many times. Although acting isn't much to speak of, it surely fits well in the era when flick was shot. Some of the props are legendarily funny, the "computer" was a joke when this was shot. Right now, I let a loud roar of laughter when I see it. Still, in a twisted way, this is a "feel good" movie to me and I am sure I will be seeing it over and over again in the future.
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rdoyle293 October 2017Fred Ward stars as a cop who's death is faked by a super-secret government agency run by Wilford Brimley. He is given a new identity and told he's now an assassin who kills people the justice system cannot deal with. He's trained by a Korean martial arts master played by Joel Grey ... yes, Joel Grey. This movie is based on the popular "Destroyer" series of pulp novels. It was meant to kick off a series of james Bond-esque movies. It didn't. Did it deserve to fail? Yeah ... kind of. What works works very well. It's funny at times, the cast is good and some sequences, particularly the Statue of Liberty sequence, are amazing. What doesn't work is that it's 85% set up and training montage and almost no real story. Most of the plot is established through scenes of Brimley sitting at a desk and looking at a computer screen. If it had got the setup and training sequences out of the way in the first 3rd and focused the rest on story and action ... the adventure may have continued.
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alandc27 August 2000Just watched this one last night on MAX or HBO (where the on-screen guide listed it with three stars) and wasn't disappointed. It has good action and good humor but although the story line is remarkably similar -- it ain't Men In Black. Action fans will not be disappointed unless you just like pyrotechnic explosions. It has more in common with Karate Kid than MIB. Action fans enjoy but don't expect anything too serious and you won't be disappointed because the dry wit humor of this flick really softens the blows. Not a must-see film in my book. A very 80's film.
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This is a great adaptation of the Destroyer series of books. Fred Ward is a good hero, but the real greatness is of the story. Light hearted humor, and good action makes this film very entertaining and fun to watch.
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martinr8 March 2001This is a classic 80's action flick, with a twist. The two main characters are a kick to watch as the hardboiled New York cop is trained in the ways of the wise master of shinanju. The action scenes are awesome, and there are plenty of laughs as we watch our hero Remo struggle to overcome his fears and vices to become a master of shinanju. Fred Ward as Remo and Joel Grey as Chun really capitalize on the comedic opportunities here. The soundtrack is top-notch, perfectly blending a patriotic hero theme with graceful oriental influences. I highly recommend you take this one home and check it out - it's a lot of fun.
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sschwartz324 November 2000Just a nice warm movie to relax with. Low budget, not vicious and you can see they take precautions with the safety of the special effects people. Unpretentious. The tete a tete between the two main characters, Remo and his mentor, are humorous and well acted in the sense that their care for each other comes right across.
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planktonrules11 June 2005This is one of the strangest movies I have ever gone to the theater to see. During the first half of the movie, I was completely captivated and thought to myself "I hope they have a sequel"--it was just that good. However, about halfway into it, it was as if the writers and director were replaced (sort of like "tag team" movie making). It went from an interesting tale of a man, thought to be dead, being re-created through plastic surgery and intensive training into a government assassin, to what looked like an episode of the television show Private Benjamin. How did they do this and more importantly, WHY did they do this? I would have LOVED the lone assassin plot where he was sent to kill enemies of the country AND made it look like a natural death. Instead, he met Kate Mulgrew and went on a wacky adventure to kill some general (George Coe). Coe, you will probably recognize from his MANY television appearances where he usually played a light-weight sort of character. He was just the wrong guy to play Remo's first target.
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logezero30 November 2004This is an excellent movie that blurs the line between action/adventure and comedy in the tradition of Big Trouble in Little China. The one-liners from Remo (Fred Ward) Chiun (Joel Grey) and Mr. Smith (Wilford Brimley) are reason enough to see this movie. Some people complained that the martial arts abilities are too unbelievable. However, if you enjoy "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", any James Bond movie, or just about any martial arts movie coming out of Asia, you should have no problem with Remo Williams. The music to the movie is also surprisingly well done. I wholeheartedly recommend this movie to anyone with a trace of humor in their soul. You will not be disappointed.
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sol-10 November 2017His death faked after his car plunges into a river, an American policeman is given a new identity and forced to become an assassin for a government-run secret organisation in this mix of action and comedy starring Fred Ward as the title character. As evidenced by the title, this was intended to the first in a series of James Bond like movies that never quite took off, which is unfortunate since this is as riveting and entertaining a ride as one would expect from 'Goldfinger' director Guy Hamilton. The story is not without its weaknesses. Ward is a little too accepting of his new identity and role in life, never once pining for what he left behind. The film also spends little time on the idea of assassinations made to look like accidents despite an intriguing suggestion that the secret organisation has been run for decades as a way of the government dealing with shady figures that cannot legally be touched. All of Ward's training scenes are very well done though and frequently suspenseful (hanging off amusement park rides). Joel Grey is also dynamite as Ward's trainer who compares him to a yak claims that "fear is nothing more than a feeling" while dodging bullets by predicting muscle movements (!). The film is filled with great set pieces too; whether it be hanging off the Statue of Liberty or evading intelligent guard dogs, there is nary a boring moment to be had here.
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bpigiron6 May 2006If you've seen a kung fu movie, you've seen it all. The idea of apprehending criminals who are high in business and government is good story matter. But in this film, that's where it starts and ends. The movie just stretches reality to the point where it snaps. Construction workers are instant assassins. Sensitive laboratories have gangsters walking in and out. CEO's are firing .50 caliber machine guns. Please do NOT try dodging bullets at home. This is done by trained professionals.The best actors in the whole 'story' are the demeans. A 9 year old kid would be disappointed with this movie. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is more down to Earth. Come to think of it, the Road Runner and Coyote has more realism.