American Dragons
American Dragons (also known as Double Edge) is a 1998 action crime thriller film directed by Ralph Hemecker and starring Michael Biehn, Park Joong-hoon, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Don Stark and Byron Mann. It was written by Erik Saltzgaber and Keith W. Strandberg and produced by Brad Krevoy.
| American Dragons | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Ralph Hemecker |
| Produced by | Jeffrey D. Ivers Ju-Ho Jung Jennifer Muhn Brad Krevoy R.J. Murillo Steve Stabler |
| Written by | Keith W. Strandberg Erik Saltzgaber |
| Starring | Michael Biehn Park Joong-hoon Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Don Stark |
| Music by | Joel Goldsmith Alex Wilkinson |
| Cinematography | Ernest Holzman |
| Edited by | Alan L. Shefland |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
Detective Tony Luca (Michael Biehn) is sent on a homicide investigation of a Yakuza leader after a bungled undercover sting to capture notorious gangster Rocco (Don Stark). After finding a folded origami lotus with the black lotus insignia Tony is assigned a partner, Detective Kim (Park Joong-hoon) from Seoul, South Korea. Kim is described by Luca's captain as an expert on the league of assassins known as the Black Lotus. Both Yakuza and Mafia gangsters are being assassinated all over town by the mysterious assassin known to Kim as Shadow.
After squeezing information out of Yakuza businessman Nakai (Hiro Kanagawa) and Mafia informant Mike (Brad Loree), the two detectives discover that the Black Lotus plans to ignite a mob war between the Yakuza and the Mafia and adopt their businesses. The two men responsible for the plan are Shadow and Rocco, two men who haunt the pasts of the two detectives. With the two detectives now cooperating with one another, they collect the leaders of both the Mafia and the Yakuza and inform them of the plan of the Black Lotus and take them both to the police holding station to prevent their deaths and prevent further mob killings.
With both mob leaders in safe keeping the two detectives hunt down the location of Shadow and Rocco. Fights ensue with Kim fighting Shadow, and Luca having a shootout with Rocco. It all comes down to an epic standoff, leaving Kim and Luca the only two left alive. Luca and Kim say their goodbyes at the airport wishing each other the best, leaving as friends. As Kim walks up the walkway to the plane Nakai is shown having his ticket taken by the gate. Taking his ticket stub back, Nakai reveals his Black Lotus tattoo on the palm of his hand and leaves to take his flight, the same one Detective Kim is taking back to South Korea.
Cast
- Michael Biehn as Detective Tony Luca
- Park Joong-hoon as Detective Kim
- Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Matsuyama
- Don Stark as Rocco
- Byron Mann as 'Shadow'
- Benjamin Ratner as Angelo
- Lorena Gale as Captain Talman
- Hiro Kanagawa as Nakai
- Brad Loree as Mike
- Dean Choe as Sato
- Chris Franco as Pozzo
- James Crescenzo as Fiorino
- Roger Cross as Detective Dion Edwards (credited as Roger R. Cross)
- Kevan Ohtsji as Young Yakuza
- Warren Takeuchi as Aki
- Fulvio Cecere as Bobby Spano
- Rob Daprocida as Enzo
- Michael Hirano as Head Monk
- Yuka Kobayashi as Asian Secretary
- Nadia Capone as Ginger
- LeRoy Schulz as Karaoke Detective (credited as Leroy Schulz)
- Jim Thorburn as Cop
- Lloyd Tinney as Bum
- Michael Sicoly as Father Rescinniti
- Jason Brown as Mobster
- Robert Lee as White Lotus Man
- Cordis Murillo as Ticket Agent
- Silvio Pollio as Italian Youth (credited as Sylvio Pollio)
- Roderick Falconer as Street Preacher
- Sonja Bakker as Screaming Woman
- Crystal Cass as Call Girl
- Sydney A. Belzberg as Auggie