Very well executed

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Instant Favorite.

The acting in this movie is really good.

His death faked after his car plunges into a river, an American policeman is given a new identity and forced to become an assassin for a government-run secret organisation in this mix of action and comedy starring Fred Ward as the title character. As evidenced by the title, this was intended to the first in a series of James Bond like movies that never quite took off, which is unfortunate since this is as riveting and entertaining a ride as one would expect from 'Goldfinger' director Guy Hamilton. The story is not without its weaknesses. Ward is a little too accepting of his new identity and role in life, never once pining for what he left behind. The film also spends little time on the idea of assassinations made to look like accidents despite an intriguing suggestion that the secret organisation has been run for decades as a way of the government dealing with shady figures that cannot legally be touched. All of Ward's training scenes are very well done though and frequently suspenseful (hanging off amusement park rides). Joel Grey is also dynamite as Ward's trainer who compares him to a yak claims that "fear is nothing more than a feeling" while dodging bullets by predicting muscle movements (!). The film is filled with great set pieces too; whether it be hanging off the Statue of Liberty or evading intelligent guard dogs, there is nary a boring moment to be had here.

I have read the novels. They are fun, action packed, and have a sense of humor. When this came to the theatre I went to see it. I bought the biggest popcorn I could and sat there and enjoyed the movie while munching! I disagree with warren Murphy's blurb about the movie. My favorite scene was the statue of liberty scene. I think the casting was good. Each person fit their role really well. I wish it id better at the box office. It would have been fun to have a sequel to this movie. I think this film deserved a sequel as opposed some other movies were sequels should not have been made in the first place. I was wondering if Guy Hamilton read the novels before directing this film. He does an excellent job directing action films.

Up to now, that's the only feature made from the Drestroyer series novels. Such a shame, because this series could bring much material, inventive one, for movie industry. Especially now, in the 2010's and their f...superheroes craps...It could be better than all that we Watch year long, adapted from Comic books. So, this film seems close to the series spirit, but only at first sight. The genesis of the characters is OK from the books. But for the rest, it unfortunately remains an usual action flick. For instance, in the novels, Remo's character is outstanding, far ahead of the todays superheroes. In this movie, he is no more than a sort of John McLane, see what I mean? I also understand that all Remo can perform in the books is so outstanding, so incredible, that it could have been very hard, and I would say impossible, to put on a screen. Even now, with the special effects. So twenty eight years ago, just imagine...Typical eighties stuff. No more.

Like any book turned into a film,this does not do the books credit. That said,it is very faithful to both the repartee between the master and student as well as the excitement and skills obtained during training by Remo. Sure its fictional,a lot of the moves taught are impossible,but a lot are also plausible, and that along with the humorous banter between master and student as the wisdom and skills are passed on to the latter are what made me so addicted to Remo in book form, and what also makes this film so much fun to watch.Being addicted to the books before the film was made, usually a hindrance to enjoying the film when made as gets your hopes up too high, did not deter me from enjoying Fred Wards performance as the Destroyer to be, and i find it almost unfathomable that a follow up film never became a reality-but i will live in hope of it happening, and if they made another film half as close as this one was to the books i will die happy i will die happy.