Kill or Be Killed
Kill or Be Killed
PG | 01 May 1980 (USA)
Kill or Be Killed Trailers

Two former ranking figures of the Axis powers (the evil General Von Rudloff and Japanese master Miyagi) schedule a deadly martial arts tournament in Von Rudloff's desert castle. They race to assemble the top competitors from around the world, with the rebellious Steve Hunt being the most sought after.

Reviews
Bogmeister

MASTER PLAN: have the winning team in a deadly tournament. One of several martial arts action pictures that attempted to capture the flavor of the famous "Enter the Dragon" from '73, this one is an effort from South Africa. The villain's stronghold is a bit different, appearing as a white castle-like fortress in the middle of the desert from a distance. The villain himself, a Baron or general, is a slightly more perverse version of the "Dr.No" or Han mold of master villainy, having strange flashbacks to the glory days of Nazi Germany. He does wear the full regalia Nazi uniform at some points. His main ambition in life is to hold an illegal martial arts competition/tournament against his Japanese rival, an extension of their complicity in the 2nd World War (my army is better than your army). It sounds silly and it is, though the suggestion of madness and crazed machismo almost works. The central hero, Steve Chase (Ryan), resembles a white 'Bruce Lee' character, having a similarly lean, lithe physique, though obviously not on the same level of martial arts expertise. I thought he would be some secret government agent here but apparently not. He and his girlfriend have joined the Baron's team of fighters, but decide to quit (what did they think they were getting into?). Of course, it's not that easy. There's an odd sequence of them escaping through the desert using a wrecked car with a rigged sail - those desert winds can do wonders for travel, it seems.The plot kind of meanders in the 2nd half, as the hero joins the team of the villain's competitor and the girlfriend is held hostage by the villain in a cell, under threat of rape by the hero's rival. The most interesting character turns out to be Chico, a dwarf who is the villain's assistant; he's loyal to the Baron but is sympathetic to the plight of the hero. Much of the fighting utilizes the ballet-like capabilities of the hero, with a lot of leaping and slow motion. The sound FX are also amped up and exaggerated in an attempt to add more impact to the blows. There are a few good fights during the tournament towards the climax, but none really stand out. If one had to pick, I suppose the best involves the brutish muscle man-henchman of the Baron, introduced late in the story (he lifts the back of a car at one point). You wonder how the hero will take him out at the end, since the brute seems to shrug off most of the punches. The acting is very mediocre, descending into camp as far as the girlfriend, who tends to laugh for no reason, as if she's high on grass, though she is very cute. Some of the training scenes are also campy, especially all those guys running over or rolling down the desert sands. And, with such a title, there's surprisingly few actual killings. Ryan, as Steve Chase, returned as a traditional agent in the sequel "Kill and Kill Again." Hero:4 Villain:4 Femme Fatales:4 Henchmen:6 Fights:6 Stunts/Chases:4 Gadgets:2 Auto:3 Locations:5 Pace:5 overall:4+

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disdressed12

i liked this movie,mainly just because of its entertainment value.there are some pretty funny moments,most of them unintentional,i imagine.it is also not very politically correct compared to most of todays movies.if you go into this movie expecting good acting,i think you will be disappointed.but,the movie does have some pretty good martial arts fighting scenes,though at times they are ridiculously absurd and unrealistic.i did like the different fighting styles shown in the movie.the sound effects are horrible,yet are great for their comedic value.the movie is very low budget and the plot is almost non existent.but for action and comedy,you can't go wrong with this movie.it is a classic and very hard to find,but if you come across it, you will likely be very amused,at the least.based on the fight scenes and the comedic value,i give "Kill or be Killed" 8/10*

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foebage420

I LOVED this movie. I am not a movie buff either. I caught this movie late at night and so did a friend of mine. We talked about it the next day by happenstance. We coined terms from it Like to be " Steve like" Or have "Steve like abilities". I though it was kick ass and would advise it to anyone. It is a perfect example of a Karate movie from the Late 70's. This movie was meant to be a bit comical in my opinion and it is fantastic. I was a big fan of Karateka on the Apple 2 and this game took me to a place that was not unlike the video game that kept my attention for hours on end. I see that several members of the production were involved with Karateka. I picked up on the similarities without even knowing it.Great Flick !!!!! I give it a perfect 10.

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ivorybyers

This movie was absolutely awesome! Well, it was so ridiculous and absurd that it was actually pretty cool. Mind you that I watched this movie on a Spanish Language TV station at 2 o'clock in the morning and I don't speak any Spanish, but I really don't think that would have mattered. The action was so lame and mechanical that it was actually quite hilarious. I cannot remember the last time I laughed that hard, totally worth it to watch, I'm just mad that I missed the first 20 minutes and don't speak Spanish. Really, this flick is a Gem of the B-Movies, and the chick in it is totally hot! Check this out if you want to see one of the all-time greatest cheesy action flicks!

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