Showdown

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better version of karate kid?
Although a serious rip-off of Karate Kid, Showdown is really a very good B movie, perhaps one of the best I have ever seen that is enjoyable from all standpoints. Unlike the Karate Kid, which is rated PG, Showdown is PG-13 (info says its R, but its really PG-13), resulting in a darker and tougher movie with much better fighting. The story is very similar to that of Karate Kid, right down to a janitor (Billy Blanks) teaching a new kid at school (Ken Scott) how to defend himself from a much more skilled bully (Ken Mcleod). Sound familiar? Patrick Kilpatrick does quite the overacting job playing the bad guy Sensai and Christine Taylor (one of the more famous actors) plays the bully's girl. Good acting from most of these people, even Billy Blanks does a better job than his usual self. The script is good and the story keeps you engaged, and there is even some comic relief filled in. The action is well done, and used in all the right places throughout the story. The best scenes are near the end. The first very good fight scene is between Billy Blanks and James Lew (Balance of Power, Perfect Weapon) in the school theatre. Awesome fight that compares itself in quality to most martial art movie final fight scenes. As for Showdown's final fight, there are actually 2 back-to-back. The first is Ken (Ken Scott) against Tom (Ken Mcleod) in Sensai Lee's dojo. An illegal fight setup in front of screaming fans and lasts a good 5 minutes. Finally, though not as good as a fight, is Lee vs Billy (Billy Blanks) in a 2 minute Showdown. Great movie, though Karate Kid is written all over this, so it had help. Nevertheless, this version is a bit harder and darker, so if you want a good karate Kid film with more of an edge, Showdown is perfect.