Black Eagle

Codename Black Eagle (Kosugi) is summoned to Malta to thwart KGB plans to steal a sunken laser device. And, barring sundry explosions, killings, a subplot in which his two children are kidnapped, and a car chase (visibly at 33 mph) through the streets of Malta, that's about it. Directed without flair, this is a movie that defies easy classification: it's either a spy thriller without glamour, gadgets, or twists, or a martial arts movie with only two real fights; and if the script ever had a good line, it's fumbled somewhere between the Russian and Japanese accents. The only difference between this and countless other low-budget action movies is that the hero is not macho: he's thin, doesn't screw around, and even fails to defeat the KGB's balletic kung-fu king (Van Damme). In fact, he does nothing of any interest at all: refile under codename Black Turkey.