Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins Review

MPAA Rating: PG-13
Released: 1985

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins was a quirky 80's action flick that has often been compared to John Carpenter's Big Trouble In Little China, largely because like the aforementioned film Remo Williams could not be pigeonholed into a particular genre. It's an action flick, it's a comedic spoof and it's a martial arts film all wrapped into one satisfying, though not particularly memorable, package.

One night a street smart New York cop is ambushed by a pack of unknown foes and officially killed in action, though in reality the cop wakes up in a hospital with a new face, new fingerprints, and a new identity. The cop he once was is dead… now he has been rather forcefully recruited into a secret government organization that assassinates criminals and corrupt bureaucrats that are above the law.

This cop's new identity is Remo Williams (Fred Ward), a name inspired by a hospital bedpan. Conn MacCleary (J.A. Preston) and Harold Smith (Wilford Brimley), the two masterminds behind the secret organization, quickly introduce the resistant Remo into their shadowy world of espionage and assassination, but before Remo can accept his first task he must be trained in the arts of hand-to-hand combat.

Chiun (Joel Grey), a diminutive Korean martial-arts master that is addicted to American soap operas, is responsible for training the clumsy and belligerent ex-cop. By offering various forms of positive reinforcement such as "you move like a pregnant yak," Chiun slowly transforms Remo from a streetwise brawler into a one-man army. Despite his annoyance with being forcibly recruited into the organization, Remo even comes to form a bond with his mentor:

Remo: You know, Chiun, there are times when I really like you.
Chiun: Of course! I am Chiun.
Remo: And then there are times when I could really kill you.
Chiun: Good! We will practice that after dinner.

Once Remo has been trained enough for their satisfaction, MacCleary and Smith provide him his first assignment: dig up some dirt on George Grove (Charles Cioffi), a traitorous weapons manufacturer that has thwarted all previous attempts to bring him to justice. But his task will be anything but easy, for he must first get by Grove's henchmen that are led by the ominous Stone (Patrick Kilpatrick), a pack of insanely intelligent Dobermans, and even the U.S. Army!

Luckily Remo stumbles across a willing partner in the form of Major Rayner Fleming (Kate Mulgrew) during his infiltration of Mount Promise, an Army weapons testing facility. While she is unimpressed with Chiun's thoughts about life ("Women should stay home and make babies! Preferably, man-child."), she is instantly fascinated with the confident Remo. Can they all take down the corrupt weapons tycoon George Grove?

As its title suggests, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins was originally intended to be a series – a more comedic form of the popular James Bond franchise. The problem is Remo Williams was a box-office failure that brought with it a lot of unfulfilled potential. Even though it failed to spawn a series of box-office hits, a second attempt at making Remo Williams a franchise was made in 1988 when the story was ported over to a potential television series. But again, when the remake of the initial story flopped, the plans to create a full-fledged television series died a quick death.

For the most part the casting for Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins was spot-on. Fred Ward was a great choice for the somewhat oafish Remo, and Joel Grey played the eccentric Chiun wonderfully. Although J.A. Preston and Wilford Brimley played background roles, they brought a good deal of life to their performances too.

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins also brings some fun action scenes to the table, such as a fight scene that takes place on the scaffolding surrounding the Statue of Liberty (children of the 80's will remember that the statue was being restored during that time) and an encounter with some determined Dobermans.

In fact the Doberman scene is one of the highlights of the film; each time Remo seemingly escapes their pursuit and mocks them, the determined trio of dogs find new ways to chase him down. They walk up stairwells, pull down ladders and even walk tightropes!

Although Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins was a fun 80's popcorn flick, it suffered from uneven pacing. The film's runtime is 2:01 hours, which is a bit on the longer side for movies of this nature. It takes the film about an hour to really get rolling – the first hour largely consists of Chiun training Remo. While their interactions are humorous enough, I could not help but feel the movie would have been served well by cutting about 15 minutes of the beginning excess from the final product.

Nevertheless, it's a neat 80's action/spoof that has deservingly developed a cult following over time. If you missed this flick when it first came out and enjoy films that stray from the "normal" Hollywood formulas, give this irreverent film a shot.

Movie rating: 7 stars

If you enjoyed Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins you may also find the following films to be of interest:

Enjoy the Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins experience in the comfort of your own home with these products!

DVD

Poster

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
Buy this Mini Poster at AllPosters.com

Other Resources:

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins IMDb Page

Movie Sitemap

Wondering if the Netflix service is all
it's cracked up to be? Read our
detailed review and find out!