MOVIE REVIEW : ‘JUSTICE’: VIET REFUGEES IN A DRUG WAR

“Steele Justice” (citywide) is a laughably ludicrous macho -revenge fantasy that may well be the first exploitation picture to have a Vietnamese refugee as a villain. For generations, the movies have depicted Little Italys and Chinatowns in the thrall of savage underworld chieftains; now it’s Southern California’s burgeoning Vietnamese community that’s stuck with the stereotype.

Martin Kove stars as brawling, rebellious Vietnam vet and ex-cop John Steele, of whom his glamorous, semi-estranged wife (Sela Ward) belatedly observes, “The war isn’t over for you, it’s just moved to a different location.”

We’re allowed only a moment to savor the irony that Steele’s Vietnamese war buddy, Lee Van Minh (Richard Lim), a conscientious narcotics detective, has settled down to comfortable All-American suburban existence while Steele’s own life remains a shambles. Then Lee and his family--excepting his young daughter (Jan Gan Boyd)--are executed at the orders of an old wartime nemesis, Gen. Kwan (Soon-Teck Oh), now a prominent, do-gooder Asian-American businessman and secret drugs kingpin. Kove instantly turns into a one-man execution squad, unleashed deliberately by police captain Ronny Cox, who seems to have a blithe disregard for human life; maybe he figures the blood bath will be confined to the Vietnamese community.

Such disturbing implications aside, “Steele Justice,” written and directed by Robert Boris, delivers slam-bang hard action in mindless fashion. Luckily, Kove, a “Cagney & Lacey” regular and a comical “Karate Kid” heavy, is a seasoned actor who doesn’t take all this nonsense too seriously, and Soon-Teck Oh manages to make the evil general a dignified villain.

“Steele Justice” (rated R for extreme violence) leaves you wishing for films that depicted what life is really like in the Vietnamese community--and thus gave more opportunities for often-ignored Asian-American actors.

‘STEELE JUSTICE’

An Atlantic Entertainment Group presentation. Executive producers Thomas Coleman, Michael Rosenblatt. Producer John Strong. Writer-director Robert Boris. Camera John M. Stephens. Music Misha Segal. Associate producer John O’Connor. Production designer Richard N. McGuire. Costumes Leslie Wilshire. Film editors John O’Connor, Steve Rosenblum. With Martin Kove, Sela Ward, Ronny Cox, Bernie Casey, Joseph Campanella, Jan Gan Boyd, Robert Kim, Peter Kwong.