User reviews

I was expecting another Kill And Kill Again. What I got was a slower and much less punchy vehicle. At times, there seems to be hardly any activity at all. The story too, goes off the beaten track a little like when Ryan and his love take off through the desert on their wind sailor, singing jubilantly, eating up too much screen time. The opening music theme, which I absolutely loved, and it's locale scene, a long exterior shot of a big fortress in the desert, as I frankly recall, is the first thing that clicks in my mind when I think about Kill Or Be Killed. With this film I was short changed afraid. There's much less action where you're kept waiting, especially from the start, where it came between long intervals. A slightly younger looking Ryan, with shorter, neater hair, who was in fact only 18 when he made this, plays another Steve character, who's drawn back into a fight in another big arena, where participants fight with weapons of choice. Ryan, a Chard Hayward sounding actor, does have a certain charisma, but not good acting status, where he's surrounded by a few antic characters, that midget guy a hoot. These characters at least add something to this disappointing actioner. After seeing Ryan's other flick, this had me on quite a come down, it had me moping. If you've seen this, and wasn't satisfied, and you've haven't seen the other kill movie, it's vitally imperative you do, as it may just bring your spirits up, for this 'Kill is so over ridden by, it's follow up.

I first saw this in the late 80s on a vhs n liked it a lot.

Revisited it recently.

This movie is a self proclaimed greatest martial arts movie but if u sit down to watch it, u will be disappointed cos none of the fight sequence is noteworthy, of course it is laughable.

It is nothing but a rip off of Enter the Dragon minus the star cast n fight sequences.

The film has lots of action but it is not at all violent like Sonny Chiba's movies. What they stole from Chiba are his whistles.

Our main guy in this movie keeps on making whistling faces.

Our main guy while fighting a muscular hulky fella, keeps on jumping on and off a mountain without even touching his opponent.

Do watch out for the desert vehicle n how our main guy fights off dogs.

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+

This movie along with Deathwish 3, Hell train, Commando Amazons and a few other gems are on my unintentionally funny top 10. Some highlights include the incredible plot. The story is of a former SS officer battling his WW2 Japanese equivalent to get revenge for a competition that was held before the war. In that competition the Japanese mastermind Miyagi bribed members of the German team to lose with Diamonds because, as Baron Von Rudolph says "THEY ALWAYS HAVE DIAMONDS!!". Poor Von Rudolph is disgraced and dishonourably discharged by the Fuhrer. 40 years later he is thirsty for revenge. As he recounts the story Von Rudolph quakes with emotion, German war music fills the air and there is not a dry eye in the house. Such is the premise of the competition. Some other highlights include a Dwarf and his doll and action star James Ryan IV dismantling a car with his bare hands to turn it into a sail car for the desert!! Oh yea the martial arts action isnt too bad either. A must rent for the b-movie enthusiast.

A buddy and I went to see this movie when it came out in 1980. It was playing in a huge theater and we were the only two people in the place. It lasted two days in the theater before they stopped showing it. It was so bad that we laughed all the way through it. Since that time, we rate movies based on Kill or Be Killed as the worst movie of all time. Like other reviewers have mentioned, it is so bad that it is funny. It isn't worth a second look that's for sure. I just can't bring myself to give it more than a 1 because I don't think the makers of the movie intended for it to be so bad and I can't give credit for an accident. Sorry.

Directed by Ivan Hall. Starring Daniel DuPlessis, Norman Coombes, James Ryan, Charlotte Michelle, Raymond Ho-Tong, Ed Kannemeyer, Douglas Baggott. (PG)

Staggeringly awful South African martial arts picture finds a former Nazi general (Coombes) holding a karate tournament at his Bond villain-esque compound, his best fighters against the best fighters assembled by an Axis rival (Ho-Tong), all because he's still traumatized for letting down his precious Hitler in a competition several decades earlier (talk about führer issues). Ol' Baron von Swastika "courts" apathetic fighter Ryan, but he's only interested in silkily-coiffed Michelle and "sailing" cars across the desert. But then Ryan grudgingly learns that since the only two options on the titular table are to do some killing or be the one getting killed, he might as well put in the effort. Bottom of the barrel on almost all levels; of course, the script and technical aspects are utterly incompetent, but this crew can't even stage a halfway decent fight scene, inspiring only derisive laughter. Ever-so-slightly redeemed from the realm of absolute garbage by the presence of the actual star of the movie, Daniel DuPlessis, who nicely plays the congenial dwarf henchman, Chico (think: a sympathetic spin on the Herve Villachaize character from "The Man with the Golden Gun"). Also known as "Karate Olympiad" and "Karate Killer."

12/100

The movie had premise as the lead actor look more like a Japanese anime cartoon guy then anything you will ever see, but........... the racist comments to the black karate partner was unbearable. Give it a pass golf. Oh and did I tell you how bad the acting is? Well it's horrible.

This is a another martial arts movie in my case a true classic. I've always wanted to see this movie when I was younger, but when times have changed, this movie was listed as a "must see" I've looked at video stores in the past, and had no luck until five years later. I've gotten that chance to see it, and it was worth it! It wasn't as violent like most martial arts films, and usually actions are mostly louder than words. The scenes speak for themselves. The weapons scene was a must. I remembered the sword and kama(sickle) fight, at first, I thought they were axes. When I got a closer look, I knew better. It was worth the watch. Then it was the final fight. The most fun scene in my opinion. It was between the hero and the huge guy. The hero was very swift and very cunning. And liked when he laid that flying sidekick on that huge guy. That made the title the way it is; "KILL OR BE KILLED" I rather Kill! If you're slow, you'll be KILLED! Check it out while you still can. It's for the martial arts minded. Rating 2.5 out of 5 stars.

James Ryan portrays Steve Hunt, a karate expert caught up in a grudge match between two WWII war criminals, Baron von Rudloff (Norman Coombes) and Miyagi (!) (Raymond Ho-Tong). The two men are going to have their teams of martial artists square off in a tournament, with the first team to garner 20 points declared the winner. Steve and his girlfriend Olga (Charlotte Michelle) try a few times to escape, but to no avail. There's no way Steve isn't going to end up participating. Fortunately for the two of them, they have a helping hand in the form of Chico (Daniel DuPlessis), a put-upon little person who is the Barons' associate.

Filmed in South Africa in 1976, but not released in North America until 1980, when martial arts mania was then in full swing, "Kill or Be Killed" is on the low-budget and crude side. The 1981 sequel, "Kill and Kill Again", is a little more polished. While the sequel blatantly goes for tongue-in-cheek, this is played somewhat straighter - still, there's plenty of time for some humour, which helps to make the movie very enjoyable. There's lots of fights, lots of action - and lots of fun. Some of the acting is pretty cheesy, especially from hammy villain Coombes. The most appealing performer is diminutive, likeable chap DuPlessis, who figures in one extended, amusing montage where he's recruiting fighters for the Barons' team. The leading lady Michelle is quite gorgeous, the scenery is very striking, and it would be hard not to get into the spirit of "Kill or Be Killed" thanks to that rousing music score (which one has to assume is stock music, given that there's no composer credited).

Highly enjoyable for any fan of karate cinema, with engaging heroes and wonderfully despicable antagonists, including one fighter (who kind of resembles Jeff Conaway) constantly making trouble for Steve and Chico.

The ultimate resolution, however, falls short of being really satisfying.

Eight out of 10.

...or so reads the tagline on the box. This is a curious little film, and from what i can gather it seems south african, famous for their kung fu films(!). Mind you, it has nazis and midgets in it (he has a cool name, but i cant remember it..) and is not a bad film as it goes. bit too much of a enter the dragon rip-off. This video was released in England on the Polestar video label, and is extremely hard to find, so if you see a copy, pick it up.

There's some great stuff in here but the plot is needlessly convoluted and the editing choppy. The fighting is solid in parts, awkward in others but the amateurish moviemaking is what hurts it the most. It was almost like they made it up as they went along/filmed out of order/put it together out of order/didn't have a solid script. Okay cult movie, but hardly a must watch.

This movie should win the award of the all time so-bad-it's-good B

movie ever. The plot is so surreal I'm surprised anyone came up

with such ideas. A nazi with a midget (named Chico, not Chino, as

the credits here imply), in a castle in the middle of the desert, hires

an army of karate fighters to prepare a tournament against a

Japanese guy that cheated him 40 years earlier!

If you can think it can't get any cheesier than that, just watch a

scene where a pack of "wolves" are actually German Shepherds!

I'm surprised how many so called "comedies" aren't a tenth

funnier than this action flick. The script seems to be improvised as

they were shooting the movie. The star is supposed to be this

karate, macho star, but the midget has far more screen time than

anyone else. If you're a B movie fan, this can't get any better!

P.S. If you can, try to get the trailer of this flick. It's hilarious!

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.

This movie is as goofy as you might expect it to be. It is a cheesy martial arts fight movie, but as far as that genre goes, its actually pretty good. Don't watch this movie expecting to see any high calibre martial arts moves. Although some of the actors in the movie are actual martial artist, all the moves are based on Karate, which is not very effective on film or the real world. Unlike Kung Fu, which is not effective in the real world, but is very effective on film.

The plot of the movie is not very original. Its sort of a rip off of Enter the Dragon, the Bruce Lee classic. The beautiful daughter of a scientist whose father has been kidnapped, hires Steve Chase, champion Karate Man, to rescue him. Steve decides he needs help, so goes around recruiting his old buddies to team up with him, forming a rag-tag group of interesting and eccentric tough guy characters. Then they go off to rescue the doctor from the clutches of a very unique and interestingly eccentric super villain, who runs a cult-like concentration camp where the inmates are injected with the afore mentioned doctor's mind control serum, in a plot to take over the world. What it builds up to is the Super Villain pitting Steve Chase and his buddies against his own warriors in a gladiator like contest to determine who is the ultimate warrior.

But you see, there is enough weird, off the wall stuff to really keep you interested as you watch the movie. The action moves along at a good clip, with original and entertaining scenarios unfolding regularly. As an adult, I see the film as a cheese-fest, but as a kid I LOVED this movie and I would watch it over and over. The fight scenes are pretty well done, the characters are all likable and wierd (check out the super villain's punk rock girlfriend) and its all the kind of stuff a kid just totally eats up.

I rated this movie a 7 out of 10, but I really did like it and I still watch it when I get a chance to catch it on tv, though it is on very rarely. You can still rent it if you look really hard.

jake-179 got the plot mixed up. The plot He described, was for "Kill and Kill Again", the sequel which also starred James Ryan. Jake was right that it is similar to "Enter The Dragon". Both films bore that resemblance very loosely. I liked both "Kill or be killed" and "KIll and Kill again" I just purchased them on VHS, on Ebay, within the last week.

I first saw "Kill or Be Killed" on a cable TV (Showtime Channel) martial arts movie marathon, along with "Enter the Dragon" for the first time, in 1981. Since then, I have been more interested in the martial arts. I recommend this movie and it's sequel, in spite of the cheesy acting. Chico, the midget was hilarious!

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*

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!

What's with the other title? I have the legit 80's vhs tape titled "Kill or be Killed".

Same movie but different title. Watched this in the early days of HBO/Cinemax, and loved it!! What's not to love?!? Psychotic old nazi dude, little person side-kick, (who throws down karate style I might add!), and James Ryan. Yeah, love it!

(1977) Kill or Be Killed MARTIAL ARTS ACTION

It takes place in South Africa, where it has delusional Baron von Rudloff (Norman Coombes) who calls himself a general becoming obsessed into beating his arch rival, Miyagi (Raymond Ho-Tong) in a karate competition that takes place on a coliseum for bragging rights and for a huge jewel stone. At this point, a karate black belt fighter, Steve Hunt (James Ryan) is one of many fighters participating to fight for Baron von Rudolph, along with his love interest, Olga (Charlotte Michelle). But as soon as other fighting Ruell (Ed Kannemeyer) with a higher rank begin to harass Olga, is when it creates a rift, and wanting them to break away Baron's fighting group despite both already been paid. And with the help of a little person, Chico (Daniel DuPlessis) who is supposed to be the baron's right hand man, both Steve and Olga manage to escape away from the castle-like compound located in the desert.

I saw this film many years ago, and it is not like most martial art movies made during that era before and after. I love the uniqueness of it as well as the fights, the characters and set up are interesting which is why it deserves the rating I am giving it.

This is the one of the most stupid movies I ever seen in my life. It is awful but martial arts scenes are pretty good. There are not so much fake like Honk Kong Kung-fu flicks. Also some real Karate people are playing in the movie like Stan schmit. Moreover, the lady who plays Olga is really beauty but she is also awful actor like main actor james ryan. They also made another one is called kill and kill again and it was little bit more better I think director and actors of the these two trashes learned or improved during one year period