James Lew Movies

A half-human, half-vampire female samurai prophesized to birth a new breed of "day walking" vampires attempts to defeat the one villain who will lead his bloodsucking minions in a devastating battle to exterminate the entire human race. Shira is a warrior whose ferocity knows no boundaries, and Kristof is a vampire who knows no mercy. Legend has it that Shira will usher in an entirely new era of vampirism, and era in which these creatures can finally emerge from the darkness to stalk their prey in sunlight. Unfortunately for Shira, the powerful Kristof is ready to force the prophecy to fruition in order to realize his own diabolical drive for power. With the fate of all mankind residing in the power of one skilled female warrior, the only thing left for mortal man to do is pray. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Edward Zwick returned to the director's chair for the first time since 1998's The Siege with this sweeping period drama set in 19th-century Japan. After centuries of relying on hired samurai for national defense, the Japanese monarchy has decided to do away with the warriors in favor of a more contemporary military. Tom Cruise stars as Nathan Algren, a veteran of the U.S. Civil War who is hired by the Emperor Meiji to train an army capable of wiping out the samurai. But when Algren is captured by the samurai and taught about their history and way of life, he finds himself conflicted over who he should be fighting alongside. Billy Connelly, Tony Goldwyn, and Ken Watanabe co-star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

It's often said that in order to catch a killer, you must first truly understand the motivations that drive their madness. The old saying is true, and retired homicide detective Eddie Burns (Ving Rhames) is about go to some of the darkest depths imaginable in a desperate bid to rescue his sister from a monstrous maniac (Gary Oldman) whose relentless sadism knows no bounds. Slowly drawn into the dark underworld of drugs and pornography, detective Burns soon learns that the bond he shares with the maniac he stalks runs stronger and deeper than he ever imagined. When the two men come face to face, their worlds collide in a furious blaze of lead and hellfire that threatens to consume their very souls. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This long-delayed science fiction thriller from director Gary Fleder was actually filmed prior to his box-office hit Don't Say a Word (2001), which preceded it in theaters by several months. Based on a 1953 short story by Philip K. Dick, the film shares that schizophrenic author's long-running obsessions with concealed identity and humanity's potential inferiority to alternative life forms. Gary Sinise stars as Spencer John Olham, a respected government scientist in the year 2079 trying to devise a secret weapon that will help his fellow humans win a decade-long war with invading aliens that are cloning human subjects and using the replicas as walking time bombs. Suddenly, Olham is accused of being an alien spy and a nationwide manhunt to capture him ensues. With even his doctor wife (Madeleine Stowe) unsure that she can trust him, Olham must uncover the truth on his own, even as he's relentlessly pursued by Hathaway (Vincent D'Onofrio), a federal agent charged with destroying the clones. Imposter has a complicated history, originally produced in early 2000 as a 30-minute short to be included in an anthology entitled "The Light Years Trilogy," a project that never got off the ground. So impressed was Dimension Films with the completed piece, however, that the footage was incorporated into a new feature version. That film was then shuffled around the release schedule for more than a year as effects were completed, reshoots were ordered, and the film was recut for a PG-13 rating instead of its original R. The R-rated "director's cut" was later released on DVD. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

In this martial arts actioner, a karate teacher who has committed his life to improving the lives and futures of inner-city kids by using martial arts to teach self-discipline and respect finds his world torn apart when Hatsushita (Denis Agana), a powerful local crime lord, begins trying to recruit him to get involved in his crooked fight. When Niko, the teacher, does not respond to Hatsushita's first request, the gangster resorts to a terrible act of violence against the instructor's favorite student. Thus persuaded, Niko goes to work for Hatsushita. Though a gifted teacher, Niko is at first outmatched by the gangster's more experienced thugs, especially Takamura, the one who murdered Niko's student. Still it is to Takamura's martial arts advisor that Niko goes for help. With the master's guidance, Niko slowly prepares for the climactic final match. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this combination action-horror movie, a kick-boxing vampire hunter (Don "The Dragon" Wilson) takes on various Los Angeles-based bloodsuckers and ends up pursued by their brethren and the police. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

After surviving Vietnam and the illegal fighting circuit, one man finds himself facing a whole new set of challenges in this action-drama. Billy Thomas (Lou Ferrigno) is a kind soul who happens to have a colossal body -- and a remarkable talent for the martial arts. Tim Yum Lin (James Shigeta) is leader of an underground crime syndicate who has dreamed up a way to profit from Billy's size and strength. Tim and his underlings kidnap Billy and hold him captive, telling him that his best friend has been killed and he must obey or he'll be next. Billy is forced to take on a number of brutal, fearless competitors in no-holds-barred cage matches held in an underground arena, with Tim's gang taking bets on the action. Billy handily wins the matches set up for him, but seeing no other way out, he makes a deal with Tim to bet on himself in an upcoming fight -- with Billy's freedom hanging in the balance. The Cage 2: Arena of Death also stars Shannon Lee, Reb Brown, and James Lew. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Based on a comic book story, this futuristic film follows the time-travel exploits of policeman Max Walker (Claude Van Damme). In 1994, Walker's wife Melissa (Mia Sara) is about to tell him that she is expecting their first child when they are attacked by a group of criminals. Walker is shot and beaten and lies helplessly on his lawn while he sees their home and his wife blown up by the killers. Ten years later, Walker remains an employee of the Time Enforcement Commission, a federal agency which was set up in 1994 after the U.S. government learned that time travel technology is feasible. The commission's role is to prevent time travel to protect U.S. economic interests. Walker learns that the corrupt Senator McComb (Ron Silver), who helped establish the agency, is exploiting it for personal gain, trying to establish a monopoly on time travel so that he can enrich himself in the stock market. Walker travels back in time to stop McComb from murdering his former partner. At the same time, Walker hopes to rescue his wife, and he learns that the attack on his home was ordered by McComb to stop Walker from foiling his plans. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

Movie references, sight gags, silly puns, and double entendres abound in Hot Shots! Part Deux, Jim Abrahams' sequel to Hot Shots -- only now the object of the skewering is the Stallone Rambo movies instead of Top Gun. Charlie Sheen returns as the lunk-headed Topper Harley, who has retreated to a Buddhist monastery after being dumped by Ramada Rodham Hayman (Valerie Golino). In this far-off retreat, the monks have "taken a vow of celibacy, just like their fathers and their fathers before them." But Topper bulks up and goes back into action when his superior officer, Colonel Denton Walters (Richard Crenna) is captured by a Saddam Hussein look-alike, missing somewhere between "Iraq and a Hard Place." Topper charges into Iraq (after barreling through a Beverly Hills barbecue) along with sexy CIA operative Michelle Rodham Huddleston (Brenda Bakke) in tow, his guns ablazing. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

This taut suspenser juggles perspectives of patriotism, media roles and the relationship between government officials and their economic interests. After a journalist covers a story about a secret military transaction between an American aerospace engineer and a Japanese agent, she continues her investigation with the help of a private eye. Before long, she figures out that she is merely a pawn and nothing around her is as it seems to be--including the people she has trusted. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

Mayoral candidate Dr. Rachel Olsen (Brigitte Nielsen) has a dangerous plan for swift justice in the form of a band of ex-convicts, called the Peacemakers, who roam the streets to do her bidding. When a boxer friend (Tony Burton) is killed by Olsen's thugs, an outlaw cop (Jeff Wincott) goes undercover to get evidence, and works his way up to the inner circle of the doctor's army. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

Featuring plenty of high, hard kicks, and flailing furious fists, this martial arts actioner tells an exciting tale of vengeance as a tough American street fighter stalks the streets of L.A.'s Chinatown in search of the organized criminals responsible for his guardian's death. Movie newcomer Jeff Speakman makes an appealing action hero, with fluid direction from genre veteran Mark DiSalle. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide