Otra clase de justicia

In between playing supporting roles in movies like THE GRANDMASTER, Cung Le found the time to build on his solo career in the direct-to-video realm. Disappointingly, his sophomore effort here leaves a good deal to be desired. While the previous DRAGON EYES filled his prospects as a karate star with promise, PUNCTURE is a less impressive action flick that's mainly weakened by the ravages of producers and certainly leaves Le looking less extraordinary. It's still a decent film that's strengthened by its fight content, but a bit too far from perfect to warrant a purchase for me.

The story: The family of a war veteran (Le) is murdered by a racist underground faction after he interferes with their business, prompting him to target the group and its leader (Dolph Lundgren) for retribution.

I don't blame the stars or even the director (Giorgio Serafini) for the movie's DTV-isms. The production company behind the film, Voltage Pictures, has a habit of editing its low budget movies in amateurish ways, so expect to see lots of gratuitous slow motion and sped-up segments, "artistic" lighting overexposures, unnecessary close-ups, and scene-hopping. These aspects are present just enough to properly irritate you but not ruin the movie, to the same degree that the screenplay bothers me. There's a good deal of unnecessary cruelty and exploitation of women that I don't appreciate. While that was bad enough, I find it just as hard to forgive how boring the script renders Dolph Lundgren. The Swedish Superman excels at playing villains, and though it seems like the part of the long-haired supremacist leader would let him show off some of his creepiness, he clearly doesn't have good character material to work with and ends up being pretty unmemorable.

Cung Le shows his rather meager dramatic limits, though he still makes a good tough guy. Another tough guy, Vinnie Jones, plays a character that weirdly has the bare minimum to do with the plot but manages through sheer charisma to still come off cool. But actions speak louder than words in these kinds of movies, and this is where PUNCTURE WOUNDS shows its best side. With only four fight scenes and one shootout, the movie could definitely use more action, though Cung Le's kicks are worth waiting for. The choreography manages to appear completely efficient without shirking flashiness, so it's very satisfying when Le takes on groups of bad guys. His finale with Lundgren is much shorter than it should be, but it allows Lundgren to look pretty fluid and powerful, using his height, reach, and power karate to take the fight to Le, cool but believably.

The fights too are hampered by the aforementioned editing, so despite being the movie's brightest spot, they can't elevate this review to a higher rating. Despite this one being a minor disappointment, I'm hopeful for Le's future, provided he choose a better studio for his next vehicle. Bottom line: if you're looking for an imperfect but moderately exciting karate-revenge movie, this one fits the bill well enough, but it's not nearly the best any of its performers have to offer.

Check this movie out only if you are a fan of the martial arts genre. Although Cung le is an excellent martial artist, the choppy direction makes watching the fight scenes rather irritating(Watch out for Dragon Eyes to get a better glimpse of his abilities). And who designed the wigs for Dolph?? He looked horrible,although he gives a fun performance as the villain.

A CERTAIN JUSTICE, aka PUNCTURE WOUNDS, is another nondescript straight-to-DVD action film starring Cung Le, who certainly impresses as a fighter. It's just a shame that this film's fight choreography is unremittingly awful, constantly cutting away from hits and adding in fake stylistics which spoil the pace and impact of the fights. I was lured by the UK DVD cover, which features a short-haired Dolph Lundgren and Vinnie Jones, but it's a cheat as both have more minor roles as bad guys. The plot is serviceable and perhaps with a bigger budget this might have been more impactful, but as it stands it's pretty disastrous.

Review: I must admit, I was expecting this to be one of those typical badly made movies with a ridiculous storyline, but it didn't turn out to be that bad. The acting was a bit sketchy, but there was meaning behind the violence and the characters all played there part in this movie about revenge. Basically it's about a war veteran whose suffering with post traumatic stress and he ends up saving a girl from getting a beating in the parking lot of his hotel. The girl turns out to be a prostitute who works for Hollis (Dolph Lundgren), who isn't too happy about the guy taking out his men. To keep up his street cred, Hollis teaches the guy a lesson for messes with his business, which turns out to be a big mistake. It isn't a very deep and intelligent script, but you do end up sticking with the storyline, just to see how the whole mess pans out. The fighting scenes were OK but it still looked a bit cheap and the main character needs some more acting lessons. Average!

Round-Up: What the hell was going on with that stupid wig and the ugly looking moustache on Dolph Lundgren. I've heard about actors getting into character, but that make-up was terrible. Anyway, Lundgren seems to be another one of those actors that hit the big time when he was young but now they can only manage to go straight to DVD. I quite liked him in the first Expendables but I haven't really seen him in anything amazing since then. The guy who plays the main character, Cung Le, also starred in the awful Man With The Iron Fists but he hasn't done anything else that major. You can actually tell that he hasn't starred in anything in this scale because his acting is quite stiff, like when the Rock first started out in the movie world. Anyway, if you want a no thrills type of movie without that much depth, then it's worth a watch.

I recommend this movie to people who are into there action/thriller movies about a stressed out war veteran who takes on a drug lord after saving a girl from a beating. 3/10

very good worth watching action movie, but it needs more action too movie well it can't because it is very low budget film specially i am fan of Dolph Lundgren is bad guy just like old times and Cung Le witch Cung Le is lead role just like dragon eyes. the story is very well written just like skin trade but skin trade is has a lot more action then this movie. story follows:(Cung Le)John Nguyen is a Veteran Soldier coming back home from overseas John has a suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder soon he investigates screaming woman Tanya(Briana Evigan)getting buy thugs john get's into fight with them killed all thugs Tanya say's that we are going to be doomed with Hollis Hands. (Dolph Lundgren) Hollis lord pimp gangster Visited Carl(Eddie Rouse)motel manger has connection with Hollis talking about john to know who he is. Hollis asks lieutenant Vin (Gianni Capaldi)to murder John's family at night Vin and he's couple men went to john family house killed them in a burning van later John found out his family has been killed in burning van found someone who killed his family witch was request buy Hollis Movie is all is cung Le is lead role the movie is trying to be like Skin Trade, Punisher, John Wick, Hard to Kill type of thing because it's a Revenge movie witch has a lot of action witch didn't have big budget had low budget shooting, fighting, little explosion's i love scene with cung Le With only four fight scenes and one shootout, the movie could definitely use more action, though Cung Le's kicks are worth waiting for. The choreography manages to appear completely efficient without shirking flashiness, so it's very satisfying when Le takes on groups of bad guys. His finale with Lundgren is much shorter than it should be that's it very fast placed. Dolph Lundgren didn't do much in his character his role is noting really

he is most of movie but main is Cung Le Dolph Appears most of scenes he is there just for paycheck i know he is not that into movie as much he looks bored expect for Skin Trade was very fun movie then this movie is noting wrong normal low budget action movie expect Dolph he didn't kick ass until end of movie little fights that's all i could write about Dolph character.

(Vinnie Jones) Bennett was friend to Vin witch has noting got to do with John Family all he knows who Hollis is and who killed his family he didn't do anything he is there for paycheck he is in it half way that's it shame all actors in movie sadly didn't get too do much expect for Cung Le witch i like but i wanted Dolph to do something bad luck he didn't much to do Anything In Movie that is bad luck for fans like me but Cung Le is good actor not best not everyone is a fan but i am fan of him in MMA. Showdown towards at end of movie witch was OK not very big and long fight with Cung and Dolph, Dolph is getting back Johnny Mnemonic with long hair looks like biker gang but he is powerful gang mob leader Lundgren to look pretty fluid and powerful, using his height, reach, and power karate to take the fight to Le, cool but believably. Dolph Lundgren is doing good movies but he is not really doing any better movies skin trade was a a lot better but another's are OK but he needs to be in a lot better roles,Main Character, better movies for lundgren expect Skin Trad was a great movie. Cung Le needs more of main role movies with better action,horror movies needs better studios better scripts more action scenes 7.10 not bad movie to watch for lundgren fans if you like watching him as bad guy like Universal soldier 1,3,4, Rocky IV, Stash House, Johnny Mnemonic, The Package but mostly he is good guy in rest of his movies. this one i won't highly recommend for everyone only cung Le fans it's more of cung Le movie then a lundgren film both cast cung Le is in it more then lundgren has been in it.