Let me start by telling you one thing. If you've seen the cover, you'll see Cynthia Rothrock at the center. It makes you believe that she plays a big part in the film, something which is far away from reality. Her appearance is more like a cameo. So here we have a movie with a Cynthia Rothrock cameo that the marketing department tries to utilise to the max in promoting the film. That's really pathetic when you think about it, because if they have to use a nearly non-existent Rothrock to sell a movie, then the rest must REALLY suck. And it does. It's a Z-grade movie totally without a budget and anything else able to attract interest. Cynthia's small part was the best thing about it, but I have to say that all the action is abysmal here. And the action is the only reason to watch in the first place, because both you and me now prior to watching a movie like this that everything else will automatically underdeliver.
7 Reviews
Donald Gibb almost saves the movie, because his character is personable and likable. None of the other characters are.
tarbosh2200014 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Terrorist Riley Hooker (Curtis) gets the idea to gather all the other terrorist groups from around the world and assemble them on his boat in a Los Angeles harbor. When the military, especially General Clay (Estevez) gets wind of his plan, he gets Sgt. Major Ransom (Jones) to enact an equally crafty response. They gather together a ragtag bunch of death row convicts and train them for three weeks to become a fighting force against the baddies. If they die, well, they were going to die anyway.
If they survive, they can go free. While most of the prisoners are quite obnoxious, thankfully Ransom's buddy Dan Storm (Gibb), a biker and non-prisoner, wants to help as well. Will our heroes defeat the evil lying in wait for them? They do have a special guest star waiting to train them in Martial Arts, so their odds of becoming AMERICAN TIGERS are looking better by the day.
Well, we had to watch American Tigers. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to see something with fan favorites Sam Jones, Cynthia Rothrock, Donald Gibb, and Joe Estevez all together. It also features Paul Logan and Matt McColm in small, uncredited roles. So how could it go so terribly wrong? Stultifyingly stupid dialogue, dull, lifeless, amazingly repetitive training sequences, and just an air of generalized dumbness that is impossible to deny. The endless meatheaded monotony of it all tends to grate on the viewers' nerves.
Now, there are a couple of bright spots that act in sharp contrast to the morass of stupidity that surrounds American Tigers like a cloud. First off is the brief but incredibly welcome presence of Rothrock. Inexplicably, she plays herself as a Martial Arts instructor for the prisoners. Why it had to be her, and not a character, remains unknown. It's very bizarre to have Sam Jones say to his charges things like, "Say hello to Cynthia Rothrock!" in a non-documentary context. It was just very strange. Despite her front-and-center positioning on the box art, it's really a glorified cameo. Still, why Rothrock individually beating up each prisoner in the ring is part of their training is pretty strange too.
Donald Gibb almost saves the movie, because his character is personable and likable. None of the other characters are. American Tigers, if it needed one thing - and it needed a lot of things - it would have been more Gibb. If the filmmakers were really smart, they would have made Gibb and Rothrock partners that were fighting the terrorists, and they dispatch wave after wave of goons, and forget everything else. But no, director David Worth thought it extra-necessary to have a long, drawn out tournament between a group of Navy SEALS and the ragtag misfits. Incidentally, the group is named "Tiger 525 Tiger Team", a name that's as repetitive as the movie itself.
The main terrorist has some entertaining dialogue, and the opening sequence is like a junkier, lower-budget version of Megadeth's Symphony of Destruction video. Then there's a silly chase, and we're off and running into the "no intelligence allowed" zone. If you watch American Tigers, you may have to hold on tight to your brain cells, as depletion is a serious concern here.
Should we be surprised that the director of all this is the aforementioned Worth, director of Kickboxer (1989), a movie with a lot of training sequences? The man must really think audiences want to watch men train and train for things.
The release history for American Tigers is spotty, perhaps unsurprisingly, but it did receive VHS and DVD releases in Germany, and was put out here by York Entertainment. That release is now rare. Whatever you do, don't confuse this with American Tiger (1989) AKA American Rickshaw. That's a great movie that's well worth watching. American Tigers, sadly, is not.
If they survive, they can go free. While most of the prisoners are quite obnoxious, thankfully Ransom's buddy Dan Storm (Gibb), a biker and non-prisoner, wants to help as well. Will our heroes defeat the evil lying in wait for them? They do have a special guest star waiting to train them in Martial Arts, so their odds of becoming AMERICAN TIGERS are looking better by the day.
Well, we had to watch American Tigers. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to see something with fan favorites Sam Jones, Cynthia Rothrock, Donald Gibb, and Joe Estevez all together. It also features Paul Logan and Matt McColm in small, uncredited roles. So how could it go so terribly wrong? Stultifyingly stupid dialogue, dull, lifeless, amazingly repetitive training sequences, and just an air of generalized dumbness that is impossible to deny. The endless meatheaded monotony of it all tends to grate on the viewers' nerves.
Now, there are a couple of bright spots that act in sharp contrast to the morass of stupidity that surrounds American Tigers like a cloud. First off is the brief but incredibly welcome presence of Rothrock. Inexplicably, she plays herself as a Martial Arts instructor for the prisoners. Why it had to be her, and not a character, remains unknown. It's very bizarre to have Sam Jones say to his charges things like, "Say hello to Cynthia Rothrock!" in a non-documentary context. It was just very strange. Despite her front-and-center positioning on the box art, it's really a glorified cameo. Still, why Rothrock individually beating up each prisoner in the ring is part of their training is pretty strange too.
Donald Gibb almost saves the movie, because his character is personable and likable. None of the other characters are. American Tigers, if it needed one thing - and it needed a lot of things - it would have been more Gibb. If the filmmakers were really smart, they would have made Gibb and Rothrock partners that were fighting the terrorists, and they dispatch wave after wave of goons, and forget everything else. But no, director David Worth thought it extra-necessary to have a long, drawn out tournament between a group of Navy SEALS and the ragtag misfits. Incidentally, the group is named "Tiger 525 Tiger Team", a name that's as repetitive as the movie itself.
The main terrorist has some entertaining dialogue, and the opening sequence is like a junkier, lower-budget version of Megadeth's Symphony of Destruction video. Then there's a silly chase, and we're off and running into the "no intelligence allowed" zone. If you watch American Tigers, you may have to hold on tight to your brain cells, as depletion is a serious concern here.
Should we be surprised that the director of all this is the aforementioned Worth, director of Kickboxer (1989), a movie with a lot of training sequences? The man must really think audiences want to watch men train and train for things.
The release history for American Tigers is spotty, perhaps unsurprisingly, but it did receive VHS and DVD releases in Germany, and was put out here by York Entertainment. That release is now rare. Whatever you do, don't confuse this with American Tiger (1989) AKA American Rickshaw. That's a great movie that's well worth watching. American Tigers, sadly, is not.
Nice Cynthia Rothrock cameo...The End
Hendu16 July 1999
I watched this whole movie, but I'm not sure why! The idea is that an army sargeant can whip a bunch of convicts into shape and send them on a likely suicide mission to take out some terrorists on a boat. Cynthia makes an appearance as herself and teaches the convicts how to fight. That was the best part and it only lasted about 5 minutes. The boat exploded at the end of the movie and the simulated computer generated explosion was so pathetic I was embarrassed! Please watch this only as a last resort! Rating 2/10
Cynthia Rothrock & Donald Gibb Glorified Cameos
destroyerwod12 August 2011
I had to buy this movie directly from Asia, thanks for the xbox 360 being a region-free player. And to be honest I'm glad i didn't pay too much for it. The cover is misleading, out of 4, only 2 actors on the cover have big roles. You would expect RothRock and Gibb to be part of the "convicted" joining the team but no...
The movie itself is not bad, it does have his good parts, but there is not that much martial arts in it, and what it include is still kind of rushed and short. I would say its an OK movie, but disappointing if you buy it for Cynthia like i did.
Its kind of weird also how the movie is made, it feel long by parts in the middle yet the ending seem rushed to just wrap it up... You will see by yourself if you choose to get it.
The movie itself is not bad, it does have his good parts, but there is not that much martial arts in it, and what it include is still kind of rushed and short. I would say its an OK movie, but disappointing if you buy it for Cynthia like i did.
Its kind of weird also how the movie is made, it feel long by parts in the middle yet the ending seem rushed to just wrap it up... You will see by yourself if you choose to get it.
An overwhelming preponderance of hot-headed nonsense
I_Ailurophile7 May 2022
I feel like the very first half-minute is an outright warning. The animation of a studio logo, and an animation accompanying the title card seconds later, have the appearance of having been designed and ported from discount consumer-grade graphic design software. Such garish inclusions don't mean that a film can't have value, but even recognizing in utmost generosity that this is a title that wanted naught but to have a bombastic good time - limitations be damned - too many moments to follow are flush with flaws that flatten our fun. The best opportunity this movie has to be enjoyable is in the notion that it's an intentional parody of all its brethren, mocking all the worst indulgences such fare may possess, yet there's just no reason to think that's the case. I appreciate the effort, and the earnest intent, but these don't fundamentally change the fact that 'American Tigers' is laborious to watch.
Every male actor (99% of the cast) gives a performance so hard-boiled, with delivery of such dust-choked grit, that one could be forgiven for thinking Christian Bale's Batman was a mocking, sincere answer to the bluster on display here. Were they all instructed to blow out their vocal cords before filming began? Moreover, acting is often stilted, unpracticed, and forced, across the board. Scene writing and dialogue are deeply unconvincing, and lazy in embracing every possible trope, convention, and contrivance imaginable, while some scenes are overlong or altogether unnecessary (e.g. A whole lot of gratuitous nudity). That dialogue is defined by hopelessly tough-talking hot air nonsense, racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and is never believable for one instant. The antagonists are so common in their motivation as to be blase, even as they represent an element of modern society that's all too real and abhorrent - while the actors portraying them demonstrate the least skills of anyone present. Characters are thin and uninteresting, plot development is lethargic and mostly absent for the first half of the feature, and the narrative at large is broadly unoriginal and too often struggles to keep us meaningfully engaged.
I really do admire the work that was put into 'American Tigers.' In scenes of training that fill too much of the length, the actors clearly gave 100% with all necessary physicality. From a technical standpoint the film's craft is competent (though much of Shaun Guerin and David Lamb's score is bland and disinterested). Nothing stands out as something we haven't seen before, but there are even a few good ideas scattered throughout the runtime. The lengthy fight sequence we're treated to at the 1-hour mark is characterized by swell choreography and stunt work, and above all, the most truly entertaining scene this has to share is in the cheeky, brief appearance of Cynthia Rothrock as herself, even if her full capabilities as a martial artist aren't on show. This movie does have bits and pieces that are enjoyable. Unfortunately, they're not enough to particularly set it apart, or mark it as an important viewing experience.
The actual mission that underlies the narrative is reserved for the last 20 minutes, at which point it is emphasized once again how desperately hollow and empty the writing is - just listen to the chief villain bloviate. Watch the moment when the chief villain and our heroic commander come face to face. Watch the preposterous and overblown ending, which defies all suspension of disbelief. For that matter, the basic essence of the plot structure is troubled, as so much time is spent developing the squad that the climax feels like a neglected afterthought. What little worth the movie does have is not nearly enough to overcome its weaknesses. What fun there is to be had doesn't make this an especially good time. I can't really say that I would recommend it, except perhaps for diehard fans of the biggest names in the cast, including not just Rothrock but also Joe estevez, and Donald Gibb. Alternatively, if you are the sort of person who can't get enough of action movies no matter their quality, or of chest-beating Army pomposity no matter how flailing, then perhaps there is something here for you. For pretty much anyone else, however, there's just not really any reason to spend 100 minutes watching 'American Tigers.'
Every male actor (99% of the cast) gives a performance so hard-boiled, with delivery of such dust-choked grit, that one could be forgiven for thinking Christian Bale's Batman was a mocking, sincere answer to the bluster on display here. Were they all instructed to blow out their vocal cords before filming began? Moreover, acting is often stilted, unpracticed, and forced, across the board. Scene writing and dialogue are deeply unconvincing, and lazy in embracing every possible trope, convention, and contrivance imaginable, while some scenes are overlong or altogether unnecessary (e.g. A whole lot of gratuitous nudity). That dialogue is defined by hopelessly tough-talking hot air nonsense, racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and is never believable for one instant. The antagonists are so common in their motivation as to be blase, even as they represent an element of modern society that's all too real and abhorrent - while the actors portraying them demonstrate the least skills of anyone present. Characters are thin and uninteresting, plot development is lethargic and mostly absent for the first half of the feature, and the narrative at large is broadly unoriginal and too often struggles to keep us meaningfully engaged.
I really do admire the work that was put into 'American Tigers.' In scenes of training that fill too much of the length, the actors clearly gave 100% with all necessary physicality. From a technical standpoint the film's craft is competent (though much of Shaun Guerin and David Lamb's score is bland and disinterested). Nothing stands out as something we haven't seen before, but there are even a few good ideas scattered throughout the runtime. The lengthy fight sequence we're treated to at the 1-hour mark is characterized by swell choreography and stunt work, and above all, the most truly entertaining scene this has to share is in the cheeky, brief appearance of Cynthia Rothrock as herself, even if her full capabilities as a martial artist aren't on show. This movie does have bits and pieces that are enjoyable. Unfortunately, they're not enough to particularly set it apart, or mark it as an important viewing experience.
The actual mission that underlies the narrative is reserved for the last 20 minutes, at which point it is emphasized once again how desperately hollow and empty the writing is - just listen to the chief villain bloviate. Watch the moment when the chief villain and our heroic commander come face to face. Watch the preposterous and overblown ending, which defies all suspension of disbelief. For that matter, the basic essence of the plot structure is troubled, as so much time is spent developing the squad that the climax feels like a neglected afterthought. What little worth the movie does have is not nearly enough to overcome its weaknesses. What fun there is to be had doesn't make this an especially good time. I can't really say that I would recommend it, except perhaps for diehard fans of the biggest names in the cast, including not just Rothrock but also Joe estevez, and Donald Gibb. Alternatively, if you are the sort of person who can't get enough of action movies no matter their quality, or of chest-beating Army pomposity no matter how flailing, then perhaps there is something here for you. For pretty much anyone else, however, there's just not really any reason to spend 100 minutes watching 'American Tigers.'
A fast, action packed film with all the essentials
bwallwork14 March 2000
OK, I admit. I hired this film to see Rorion Gracie in action. He delivered his lines well and with an impression of feeling. I actually developed some sentimentality for the character he played. Although the scenes where he grappled were clearly choreographed, they did display some of the effortless talent which has made this mans name a legend in the fighting world.
The rest of the film was surprisingly good. It was one of those films which could have been mediocre B-grade trash. But somehow the director ( ) pulled off a movie with several intriguing aspects. The plot had been done before, but it was made to seem all the more desperate by the shadow of execution hanging over the team if they screwed up.
All in all, it is a fast, action-packed no-brainer with all the essentials.
The rest of the film was surprisingly good. It was one of those films which could have been mediocre B-grade trash. But somehow the director ( ) pulled off a movie with several intriguing aspects. The plot had been done before, but it was made to seem all the more desperate by the shadow of execution hanging over the team if they screwed up.
All in all, it is a fast, action-packed no-brainer with all the essentials.
One of the best bad films I've ever seen
bvanlier-15 April 2006
American Tigers is one of those great films that have failed so miserably in what they were trying to do, screwed every single thing up so spectacularly it's gone full circle and become a very enjoyable watch.
One of the funniest films I have seen in quite a long time, the acting is ridiculous, the stunts are abysmal, the writer should be forever banned from going anywhere near a script again, it feels like it was edited by a 14 year old high school student and as for David Worth (the director), someone needs to seriously sit him down and break the news to him; he just hasn't got it. In fact, if it weren't for the movie being so unbelievably long and boring in parts, I may have considered the possibility that this was a parody.
There are car chase scenes that change location mid-chase, actors look directly down the lens, characters come and go with absolutely no introduction and the movie is WAAAAY too long.
The movie comes in at roughly 115 minutes... and it feels longer. Every single shot is too long, every single scene is too long, every single pause is too long, so if you're going to watch this, make sure that the fast forward button on your remote is in good working order, you're going to need it.
So if you're fast forward button works and you're looking for a hilariously bad movie to watch, then you can't do much better than American Tigers.
One of the funniest films I have seen in quite a long time, the acting is ridiculous, the stunts are abysmal, the writer should be forever banned from going anywhere near a script again, it feels like it was edited by a 14 year old high school student and as for David Worth (the director), someone needs to seriously sit him down and break the news to him; he just hasn't got it. In fact, if it weren't for the movie being so unbelievably long and boring in parts, I may have considered the possibility that this was a parody.
There are car chase scenes that change location mid-chase, actors look directly down the lens, characters come and go with absolutely no introduction and the movie is WAAAAY too long.
The movie comes in at roughly 115 minutes... and it feels longer. Every single shot is too long, every single scene is too long, every single pause is too long, so if you're going to watch this, make sure that the fast forward button on your remote is in good working order, you're going to need it.
So if you're fast forward button works and you're looking for a hilariously bad movie to watch, then you can't do much better than American Tigers.
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