Bloodmoon (1997) Review

“Bloodmoon” DVD Cover

Director: Tony Leung Siu Hung
Cast: Gary Daniels, Darren Shahlavi, Michael Depasquale Jr, Keith Vitali, Rob Van Dam, Chuck Jeffreys, Frank Gorshin, Ken Kensei, Jen Sung, Joe Hess
Running Time: 102 min.

By Henry McKeand

“It’s never enough!”

These words are spoken by Bloodmoon’s villain in the opening fight scene, but they could double as the unofficial mantra of this maximalist martial arts buddy cop flick. The funny detective being simply eccentric wouldn’t be enough, so the script makes him an amateur magician as well. The serial killer baddie being an unassuming sadist wouldn’t be enough, so he’s a theatrical computer expert (AKA a guy in the late-90s who understands email) dressed like a WWE heel. The trope of the innocent young woman who can actually take care of herself? That’s not quite enough, so it turns out that she’s a national martial arts champion. There’s no room for subtlety in Keith W. Strandberg’s script, but anyone interested in a Gary Daniels movie isn’t looking for subtlety. 

What really matters is that crafting passable action sequences wasn’t enough for director and choreographer Tony Leung Siu-Hung, who instead constructed some of the finest no-nonsense brawls you’ll see in a 90s DTV flick. It’s just a shame there aren’t a few more of them.

The plot involves a serial killer, played by the late Darren Shahlavi, who is targeting martial artists and taking them out in hand-to-hand fights. Chuck Jeffreys plays the aforementioned magician cop who is assigned to the case. His long-suffering chief (Frank Gorshin, whose most famous role is The Riddler in the Adam West Batman series), teams him up with a troubled, retired cop played by Daniels. The two men initially each hate other, and egos do more clashing than fists at times. The threat of more killings should give the plot a ticking clock element, but Shahlavi is off screen for long stretches of the film, and lighthearted buddy cop scenes make it easy to forget that a murderer is on the loose.

While the full-blown serial killer villain is relatively unique in this kind of action film, the complete lack of horror or believable pathology makes it hard to recommend to thriller fans. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Compared to the self-serious Donnie Yen vehicle Kung Fu Killer from 2014, which also used the concept of a murderer who targets martial artists, Bloodmoon is fun and energetic. Blending suspense and psychological profiling with frequent action set pieces is a tricky balancing act that Bloodmoon is better off for not attempting. In effect, Shahlavi’s flamboyant killer is no different than the ruthless drug lords and terrorists that populate so many other action films—a catalyst for violence who doesn’t register as a real person.

Shahlavi seems to understand this, and his take on the character veers into high camp. Daniels, on the other hand, plays it mostly safe by sticking to his dopey, earnest nice guy persona. Jeffreys delivers the strongest performance, nicely complimenting Daniels and giving their relationship a warm dynamic. This means that their scenes together are consistently enjoyable even when the plot lags. It doesn’t hurt that Jeffreys sounds almost exactly like Eddie Murphy in the film, which he leans into by playing his character like a kung fu Axel Foley. It’s hard not to have Beverly Hills Cop in the back of your mind during while watching Bloodmoon, and this a good thing. The script realizes that tropes exist for a reason, allowing allows viewers to instantly understand characters and story beats. This “narrative shorthand” makes Bloodmoon a breezy, streamlined affair even when it lacks originality.

The use of other films as reference points extends beyond the casting. The fight sequences are catnip for HK action fans, and Leung borrows from the best of the best of the genre. It doesn’t hurt that Leung is a prolific stunt coordinator who had already worked on films such as Twin Dragons and In The Line of Duty III. He knows how to film action, holding the camera on his incredible performers and letting the choreography speak for itself. This doesn’t mean that the fights are static, however, as Leung’s strategic cutting adds power and variety to the scenes. There’s even some tasteful, inventive wirework in the final act that works well with the heightened reality of the film, and Leung isn’t afraid to incorporate the environment into the choreography.

Daniels is in especially strong form here, delivering some of his best fight sequences and showing off just how electric he can be on camera. The film falters some in the second half, spending too much time on (laughable) detective work and not enough on fighting, but all is forgiven when Daniels finally squares off with Shahlavi. It’s an almost ten-minute fight that puts both performers through the ringer and serves as a reminder for how engaging martial arts films can be when they pull out all the stops. This go-for-broke dedication is what makes Bloodmoon an easy recommendation for genre fans.

Henry McKeand’s Rating: 7/10