A Brilliant Conflict

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

BLOODFIST IV doesn't seem like a movie that demanded a remake, but even with the golden age of home video behind them, writer-director Paul Ziller and star Don Wilson decided to produce it anyway. MOVING TARGET changes names and locations, but the premise and the general course of the plot remains the same as its predecessor. Die-hard Wilson fans may consider this a step down, given decrease in star power and production values, but personally, I think it's a minor improvement over the so-so original.The story: An American kickboxer (Wilson) visiting Ireland is caught up in a deadly manhunt when he comes into possession of a case of beer containing nuclear detonators sought by the IRA.The film's lack of widely-recognizable performers, hand-held camera-work, and fleeting tone give the film a kind of throwaway feel, like something produced for television. For general viewers this may be an unshakable qualm, but I think the film's one main strength helps make this an above-average feature for Wilson. The quality of the fight scenes is relatively strong, thanks in part to a good stunt ensemble. Don tends to prefer one-sided brawls, but a few of the nine fights feature a lot more back & forth action than the man's norm, with his initial bout against Bill Murphy setting the tone for a slightly more mortal performance from The Dragon. Occasional slow motion and sloppy choreography keep this one from really shining, but overall, I declare it enjoyable.The plot can be a little confusing at times when it comes to the IRA inter-faction rivalry, but for the most part this is standard action stuff and easily digestible. Some things make the story stand out, including the Irish setting and Wilson's relationship to his on screen girlfriend Eileen McCloskey. The first part of the movie wherein Don's character tests the waters of new surroundings and a new romance make for some cozy viewing; I almost wish the movie were simply about a tourist in Ireland without the action portions…or at least without the thriller storyline.Don Wilson's tremendous foothold within the low-budget scene would allow him to hold onto his solo career longer than other action stars of his status following the crash of the video market, and MOVING TARGET is an example of how he was able to roll with the punches as adeptly as if this were a kickboxing match. Fans of the man ought to give it a try, and B-movie lovers in general might have some fun with it, too. Everyone else, though, can stay away.

A remake of Bloodfist IV: Die Trying was something I wasn't particularly thrilled about. Die Trying was OK, but nothing more than just a standard action B-movie. The script is basically the same, in Bloodfist IV: Die Trying, Don "The Dragon" Wilson ended up with a box of chocolates containing nuclear detonators which ended up getting his daughter kidnapped. This time it's a 6 pack of Beamish beer again containing nuclear detonators but this time his girlfriend who he met on the internet (who isn't very attractive I'll add) is kidnapped. Several scenes are almost entirely repeated from Die Trying, although much of the scenes are written from scratch and the Irish locations make the film more pleasing on the eye and more visually interesting to watch.The location however, is almost the only thing Irish in this movie as nearly all the dialogue is American. For example, they use terms like "son of a bitch", "ma'am", "gasoline" and more. These are all terms which aren't generally used in both the UK and Ireland. I can only assume this is because it's only really aimed at American audiences, as it currently has no UK release on DVD or VHS. Also, an American accent answers a call for help. Other errors include, during a car chase scene at the docks, we see a Rover 400 series Police car in pursuit of Don's car, but the car that crashes is a late 80's/early 90's Ford Sierra Sapphire.Putting those aside, Moving Target is a whole lot of fun. For a Corman production, the production values are somewhat decent and the fight scenes and gunplay look good, not overdoing slow motion but using it at the right time. More importantly, the film makes great use of the locations, with nothing being faked. Bloodfist VIII: Hard Way Out was also filmed in Ireland interestingly, and this certainly makes better use of the locations and more importantly, the action scenes look a whole lot better. The cast generally give acceptable B-movie performances, and I doubt anybody watching this will be expecting anything more. It moves very quickly, fortunately little time is spent on the relationship between Wilson's character and his internet love interest and the action scenes happen relatively often and at well paced intervals.Overall, for a Corman movie Moving Target fairs surprisingly well. It moves fast, is visually pleasing and most importantly fun to watch. If you've seen Bloodfist IV you know what to expect really, and may want to skip this one. If you've seen this, then I definitely advise you to skip Bloodfist IV as it's very similar, only slower and less interesting due to the residential Los Angeles location. If you're expecting anything close to reality, look elsewhere. However, for cheesy escapist entertainment, this fits the bill perfectly.

Moving Target moves from beginning to end. A refreshing change of scene takes us to Ireland, where "Ray" (the Dragon) is reduced to a Yank and outnumbered 20 to 1. But with all the odds against him, he hammers and naively blunders his way through to the end. It would be unfair to reveal the exact outcome of his struggle to disarm a shipment of detonators; especially since half of the movie quiz is who are the bad guys, or are there any good guys? Thumbs up for a great performance and the flashy martial arts that keeps Don "the" Dragon Wilson fans coming back for more.

My brother convinced me to sit and watch moving target and in the end i was pleased i did.It wasn't the god awful acting or the laughable dialogue that brought a smile to my face it was the fact that this movie was basically a remake of an earlier film of wilsons.By changing a few names,filming in a new location (uk) and mixing around a few scenarios they tried to pass this one off as a fresh idea.If you have seen bloodfist4-die trying there is no need to waste 90 minutes on this movie because if you've seen die trying your watching the same story...same ending... same man...just on a different continent,the only reason i kept watching was the constant laughter prevented me from being able to reach for the remote