(2013-05-24 03:29:52)

Greatest Capoeira Movie ever!

Some reviews I read say this is not that good of capoeira in this video, but I would like them to tell me where they have seen better. I have never seen more or better capoeira in another movie, even the clips i downloaded. This movie is amazing, and ever since I saw it as a young kid I've been in love with it and capoeira

Kameb

(2013-05-23 13:01:31)

Great!!!

this is the best movie of Capoeira in the world. There aren't many moviesabout Capoeira, but this is definitively the best. Mark Dacascos show us hisgreat martial-artist talent.If you like Dacascos, you have to see Crying Freeman ;)

(2013-05-21 03:38:05)

great movie, buy

i think this is a great movie. the capeoria is great. all u people look to much and are to critical. If you dont know anything about the art then you will love it. it is my favorite movie. and i think mark did a great job on it.

(2013-05-20 10:34:00)

Formulatic Movie Delivers a Strong Kick

This film, directed by Sheldon Littich and starring martial artist Mark Dacascos, is a fine piece of work despite formula script. There are several reason why it works so well: 1: Dacascos, is not only a bonda fide martial artists, learning the martial arts as a child from his famous martial artist father Al Dacascos, but he is also a very good actor. 2: Littich takes a simple movie and is able to focus on a couple of main characters where we begin to sympathize with their social condition and the "hero's" attempt to see that they have choices and can change the conditions.3: Littich picks for this film the martial art caporia. This little known art (compared to karate, kung fu, judo, etc) is flashy and exciting to watch if performed well. The fight scenes are different and well staged.Yes, this plot is formulatic, but it is still an impressive movie.

bronsonskull72

(2013-05-19 12:53:16)

* OUT OF FIVE

Mark Dacascos stars as Louis Stevens an U.S army ranger who teachestroubledkids a new style of martial arts that turns the kid's lives around,howevera gang leader tries to find a way to sabotage Steven's work in progress inthis dull action flick. The actionscenes themselves are the lamest sinceKurt Thomas started swinging from handles in Gymkata, while Only TheStrongpreaches a message that will no doubt bore anyone over15.

callanvass

(2013-05-19 07:28:58)

Awesome Martial Arts film, that really is quite the underrated gem, with excellent fight scenes and very good performances!

This is an awesome Martial Arts film, that really is quite theunderrated gem, with excellent fight scenes and very goodperformances!. All the characters are awesome, and the story is reallygood as well, plus Mark Dacascos and Paco Christian Prieto are simplyamazing in this. It's really emotional at times and the final fightbetween Dacascos and Paco Christian Prieto is intense and reallyexciting, plus the training scenes that he was teaching the studentswere really cool. It's very well made and written for this type offlick, and I'm still surprised that Dacascos hasn't gone onto stardomand become a top action star, because he should have, plus you are ableto care and root for all the kids, and feel what there going through,and why there like that. Paco Prieto is so intense and frightening asthe main villain/drug dealer, and the scene where the drug dealer gangset the school on fire is really intense and emotional, plus I lovedthe ending as it put a smile on my face. This is an awesome MartialArts film, that really is quite the underrated gem, with excellentfight scenes and very good performances, and I say it's a must see!.The Direction is awesome!. Sheldon Lettich does an awesome! job herewith great camera work, solid angles and keeping the film at a veryfast pace. The Acting is very good!. Mark Dacascos is amazing here, heis extremely likable, very charismatic, surprisingly an excellentactor, one of the best martial artist's I have ever seen, kicked thatass, and had great chemistry with all of the kid's! (DacascosRules!!!!!!!). Stacey Travis is decent as the love interest and didwhat she had to do adequately. Geoffrey Lewis is very good as the theteacher Kerrigan I really liked him, he is an underrated actor. PacoChristian Prieto is frightening as the drug dealer/villain, he lookedscary, talked scary and is one hell of a martial artists, he wasperfect for this part. Richard Coca is great as Orlando, I felt sorryfor him as he was always doing his cousin's dirty deeds, he did great.Roman Cardwell is very good as Shay I liked him. Ryan Bollman is goodas Donovan as it was sad with what happened to him. Rest of the castare fine. Overall a must see!. **** out of 5

ra05094

(2013-05-18 05:18:01)

fluid and graceful good to pass the time

a very enjoyable film the martial art beautiful to watch dacascos ontop form. though the film is predictable you blatantly watch it too seethe martial arts.ever since watching drive i have been a dacascos fan,but feel he can do so much better than the stuff he is given.just watchthe film for the martial arts, for the uninformed amongst you the artin question is Capoeira (what eddy does in tekken 3) a Brazilianmartial art that looks like dancing.dacascos alone embodies the art andis given help from the on screen badguy to pull off one of the mostwatchable and exciting fighting climaxes in history.i say its a nobrainier with the bad guy, kid that needs help, sideline love interestand the mandatory good looking leading man but what the hell? sit backand enjoy

(2013-05-17 16:31:45)

Kind of like STAND AND DELIVER, but with a ginga...

This review is from: Only the Strong (DVD) Why Mark Dacascos isn't a bigger name in movies confounds me a bit. To me, he's always had the qualities to be a star in action cinema. Guy looks good, is very fit, has an appealing screen presence, and can even act some. And he's definitely got the martial arts cred. I first saw him in ONLY THE STRONG back in 1993, and dude left an impression.This film takes us back to the days when it was still hip to hoist a ghetto blaster on your shoulder. Louis Stevens (Dacascos), a former Green Beret and fresh off a military stint in Brazil, has just returned home to the seamier side of Miami. When visiting his former school teacher, Louis can't help but note the downhill progression of his old high school. Steel bars and security staff run rampant in school, but do little to stem the thuggery and drug deals going down. When Louis applies his capoeira techniques to fend off several goons on the school grounds, his teacher takes in the students' reactions and hits on the idea of hiring Louis to instruct the art of capoeira to twelve of the worst kids in school.Predictably, Louis's experimental martial arts program doesn't win the kids over in a day, but, little by little, progress is made and the kids begin to pay attention. But one of his pupils turns out to be a relative of the local drug and chop shop kingpin, Silverio, who himself happens to be a capoeira master. As Louis begins to impact these messed-up kids, Silverio begins to feel threatened. Soon, he and Louis are engaged in a brutal contest to determine who runs these Miami streets.While ONLY THE STRONG isn't my favorite Dacascos flick (that would be Crying Freeman and the awesomely awesome Drive (Special Collectors Edition)), it's still a very solid action film. The fight choreography is very good, with the film showcasing the Brazilian art of capoeira. Dacascos is a dynamic martial artist, slicing the air as he does with acrobatic strikes and kicks. Dacascos was already well-versed in judo and karate, but had to learn the discipline of capoeira for this movie. I'm no expert so it's not for me to say how convincing he is in demonstrating his capoeira skills, but I came away feeling good about this very rhythmic martial arts. I dig that capoeira exudes such a sense of fun and excitement in its free-wheeling, seemingly improvisational style. Even right now, I feel like busting a ginga (cue the song "Paranaue...").There's a whiff of Stand and Deliver and Lean on Me in this film, but don't get it twisted, ONLY THE STRONG is, above all, a martial arts movie, so there's a fair amount of violence here. But, hopefully, viewers will come away with an awareness of just how much training, focus, and self-sacrifice it takes to master the martial arts, and also with an appreciation of the inherent beauty and serenity of the thing. The film's plot tends to run its generic course, with the school teacher premise serving more as a backdrop to the capoeira sequences. And, in these sequences, Mark Dacascos shines.Really, why isn't this guy bigger in movies?

(2013-05-16 20:38:47)

No Extras, but still worth it!

Most people who purchase this movie will do so because of the martial arts action and it will be well worth it. Mark Dacascos is highly underrated, perhaps due to some of his choices to star in movies that really don't highlight his abilities both as a martial artist and an actor. On the martial arts side, there's some great displays of Mark's abilities. His kicks are extremely fast and he demonstrates acrobatic abilities that most martial artists wish they had. The only thing you don't get a sense of is the speed of his hands, which is up there with Bruce Lee. You can get some idea of this in Drive and Redline.The thing that elevates Mark above his other action alumni is his acting ability. While he's not going to be mistaken for a Gary Oldman or Tim Curry in true acting ability, he does hold his own against most of the popular actors out there. This movie is pretty watchable even without the martial arts. Although it's not very artistic, it's still watchable and it does have a message.On to the extras. Or, I should say, the complete lack of extras. I have the VHS version which has a video on it but we don't even get that for the DVD. I've also seen some photos of the movie showing Mark doing some high flying kicks against the main villian, which would have been nice to have in a deleted scenes or making of feature. Sadly, these are missing, but still a great movie.

(2013-05-16 06:14:33)

good picture

This review is from: Only The Strong-wp (DVD) Esta Pelicula es del tipo de entretenimiento que toda la familia puede verporque nos dice la importacia de la union escolar

(2013-05-15 21:17:19)

All soul, but no life.

When I saw the preview for this moive over five years ago, I was excited. It looked so graceful. When I bought it this year, after many years of searching for it, I was dissappointed. The choreography is gorgeous, don't get me wrong, it's just that none of the rest of the movie is worth watching. The dialogue is trite, and the plot is too far out there. If the movie makers would have shot this as some kind of montage, it would have been better- the movie wouldn't have been as long.

(2013-05-15 11:30:05)

one of the best if not the best ive ever seen

when me and a friend got this video from a shop on hire we just wanted to pass a boring wednesday night away well after watching it ,it had turned in to one hell of anight. the moves were brilliant, alot of the time it was unexpected. and that move at the end was awsome.an absolutly brilliant film and story line i have since then bought the film my son loves it and i have also started doing capoeira.

(2013-05-14 21:34:54)

Kinda sad when you think about it

I feel that this movie was an okay movie because it is about my favorite thing in the world: Capoeira. I feel that the main character would be better if he was a real capoeira mestre, not some Karate Champion. The only parts worth watching are the first and last 5 minutes where you get to see roda in action. I am a self-taught capoeira student and I can play better than the goofs that they put in the movie. It is a good movie for capoeira newbies, but if you really want to know about REAL capoeira, research and find a mestre near you so that you can experience the exhileration of practicing such a beautiful art.

ZellDincht

(2013-05-14 15:18:36)

I love this movie for the capoeira.

I am a capoeirista (student of capoeira) and I have to say that I lovethismovie. Not for the actors (although Mark does a great job as Louis). Ilovethis movie only about 20 mins of it. The first 5, the last 5, and somebitsand pieces of the middle. I even copied the scenes I liked and made an"Onlythe Strong: Abridged Capoeira No-Crap Version" so that I could watch allthegood parts. Mestre Amen's Batuque Grupo in the beginning and the end, andthe beach scene as well as the Berimbau, Atabaque and Pondeira music inthefirehouse. The end fight scene didn't make the cut. I would urge anyone tobuy this movie if they want to see some capoeira. If you want to see amoviewith a plot, go get Great Expectations or something. This movie is not foryou.

(2013-05-14 11:58:26)

very good movie

This review is from: Only the Strong (DVD) I receive this movie before the scheduled time and I have to say it is a awesome movie 10 thumbs up on the seller

(2013-05-14 00:36:58)

Axe camaradas!

This is a charming movie with a stupid storyline like those seen in most martial arts movies. But hey, the point is to see the hero beat the bad guys with some sweet moves, right? And this movie delivers just that. So why bother analysing it any deeper?Mark Dacascos plays a young capoeirista (a guy who practises capoeira) who gets some misfit students onto the right side of the law by teaching them capoeira. Of course this leads to some showdowns between him and various criminal elements. And that's it, really. But capoeira is a beautiful sport to watch, and the movie is a good teaser for the real thing.But Dacascos isn't really a capoeirista, and the movie misinterprets some of the basic elements of the sport. If you become interested in learning more after watching the movie, look up the nearest capoeira club in the phonebook and try it for yourself. I guarantee it will be an experience well worth your while! I speak from personal experience.

dan_9987

(2013-05-13 08:18:07)

Why oh why hasn't Mark Dacascos been snapped up by a big hollywood director? he's incredible!!

this fil has to be the best 15 martial art film i have ever seen in mylife.Mark Dacascos (who i first noticed in the film "drive") is absoultlyincredible and has to be one of the best martial artists i have ever seen.The storry starts off with louis stevens (Dacascos) as a green baray inBrazil, and after spending many years there learns the art of Capoeira. Hereturns to his high school and starts a capoeira class and trains the 12worst kids in the school the brazilian kung fu so they can protectthemselfsagainst the drug dealers that are tearing the area apart and to give themsomething to strive for, this film has more flips and kicks than some filmsthat are classed as " martial art" and i throughly enjoyed it. Highlyrecommend it to all fans of martial arts and check out"drive".

(2013-05-13 00:18:58)

On DVD?

The movie is excellent. The fight scenes have incredible fluidity, and the movie in general has a lot of color, light and motion. Some of the scenes in Brazil are just very beautiful to look at in addition to the scenes where people play capoeira. The absolutely best part of the movie besides the visual sequences of capoeira is the music. Once you hear this music you just spontaneously feel like dancing capoeira. The story might be cliche but this is raw action at its best. Does anybody know if it will be published on DVD? If it is I am sure it would be awesome.

(2013-05-12 16:47:27)

Excellent movie, a must see

This review is from: Only the Strong (DVD) This is my favorite Mark Dacascos' film. I been trying to find it on DVD for a long time and I'm so glad it finally was relased on this version. If you're a fan of Dacascos and enjoy to watch martial arts, this is a must, trust me.

(2013-05-12 04:22:07)

Just because it's rare doesn't mean it's good.

I bought this movie expecting it to bring something new that I haven't seen in a movie before, the Brazilian fight-dance known as Capoeira. Because of the rarity of Capoeira in films I eagerly picked this movie up.What I was greeted with was a painfully gruesome movie. I was saddened by the fact that, when viewed only once, this movie flat out sucked. While I did expect the acting and plot line to take a backseat to the fight scenes, they were just too painful to ignore. The villain (who, by some random freak chance, also knows Capoeira... go figure) is such an over the top, macho, "heterosexual", overdramatic character, my friend and I could not stop laughing.This whole movie is laced with scenes where when they're not meant to be funny, they're hilarious. When they're supposed to be funny or light-hearted, they're annoying.The only reason this movie gets a 2 is because the Capoeira is quite impressive in some scenes. I just wish the scenes of Capoeira hadn't been wasted on the main character teaching a bunch of smart-ass teenagers how to do the moves. The final fight scene between the hero and the villain even abandons the fighting style Capoeira altogether that is seen throughout the entire film and, instead, we see the two characters, tired and weary, flat out punching and kicking each other.I wanted this movie to be a great movie because of the fighting style that it revolved around. It just so happened that the Capoeira fight scenes were not impressive enough to get over the glaring issues of the acting, dull plot line, and painful characters.R.I.P "Only the Strong"