My quick rating – 5.5/10. Back in 1991, I caught The Perfect Weapon and genuinely thought I’d just seen the birth of the next big martial arts star. Jeff Speakman had it: the look, the presence, and most importantly, the skills. As a Kenpo master, his lightning-fast hands were something special, and that first film has stayed with me ever since, rewatched many times to the point I could probably recite half the dialogue in my sleep. Street Knight, on the other hand, sat quietly on my watchlist for years, largely forgotten. So the good news is that I finally ticked it off. And no, I definitely couldn’t recite this one from memory. LOL.
The setup is very early-’90s straight-to-video action. Former cop Jake Barrett (Speakman) returns to the streets of Los Angeles to disrupt a plot designed to escalate gang violence. The film opens with a hostage situation that introduces our villains, a group of mercenaries who conveniently met in prison and now want to light the fuse on a full-blown gang war so they can take control of the streets. It’s pulpy, broad, and not exactly subtle. We also get a quick “butt in the moonbeams” shot early on, presumably included to keep the ladies renting this on VHS happy.
Christopher Neame plays lead baddie James, and he’s obviously having a riot, inciting chaos at gang gatherings, poking and prodding until violence feels inevitable. Jennifer Gatti, of the criminally underappreciated Nemesis, appears as Rebecca Sanchez, the sister of a missing youth who happened upon a crime in progress and is now running from pretty much everybody. One scene involving a very creative use of a human body shield stands out enough for me to mention it. No spoilers, but think guns, not punches.
Let’s be honest, though. Nobody rents or watches a movie called Street Knight starring a martial artist because they’re hoping for a nuanced, heartfelt social commentary on gang violence. They’re here to watch Jeff Speakman kick serious ass. On that front, the movie delivers just enough. The fight scenes are well choreographed, Speakman’s Kenpo is on full display, and his speed and precision still impress. It’s very much a “switch your brain off” experience, but a satisfying one if that’s what you’re in the mood for.
I also have to give props for one unusual creative choice – a car chase that turns into Speakman riding a horse while being pursued by bad guys in an SUV. Is it a great chase? Not really. Is it memorable because it’s weird and different? Absolutely. Also, how about the showdown between the larger dude and Speakman, where he reminds the thug before the brawl, “You’re not that big, think about it.”
The message is well-intentioned, but the ending is pure fantasy and would never happen in a million years. Still, Street Knight ends up being better than its budget and better than many other straight-to-video action flicks of the era, even if it lands a solid point below The Perfect Weapon. Recommended for fans of the Van Damme/Seagal era when these movies were being churned out nonstop (and yes, Speakman did briefly appear in Van Damme’s Lionheart).
