Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Red-Barracuda It's not every day you see a martial arts film from Australia. Day of the Panther is that film. Set in Perth in western Australia, this film is about a martial arts expert called Jason Blade. Yes, you heard that correctly…Jason Blade. It sure is a no messing name and he is a guy who certainly does not mess about. In this film, he is sent on a mission to Australia to take down a drug lord. Why is it always drug lords who are villains in 80's action movies? Are drugs really that bad? What would be wrong with mixing it up a little and occasionally have our ass kicking hero set about a gang of dishonest tradesmen? Seriously, forget class A drugs, have you ever been overcharged for the installation of a badly fitted kitchen? Now that is something really annoying, certainly bad enough to hire a guy called Jason Blade to kick hell out of them I reckon. Anyway, Day of the Panther features copious scenes featuring men in pastel coloured suits fighting. For what it's worth, I thought that by far the best part of the film was the extended scene where Blade's female partner is chased by three thugs who she dispatches with. A great scene. I was severely vexed when she was immediately killed afterwards though – a bad mistake. On a separate note, when the credits first came up I noticed the director was Brian Trenchard-Smith. It was a name I knew but couldn't think from where, I was pretty sure he was responsible for a good film. Afterwards I used this very website to put my mind to rest and it turned out the movie in question was Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996). It turns out it wasn't a good film.

Michael Ledo The scene opens with Linda (Linda Megier) and Jason Blade (Edward John Stazak) being initiated into the ancient and secret Order of the Panthers, a crime fighting martial arts thing. Blonde Linda does undercover surveillance in Hong Kong...then off to Australia. On of the two don't make it past 20 minutes (the one that has a stunt double which looks like a man in a blonde wig) and Jason has to avenge her death. We know who kill Linda...at least we think we do as we see a guy throw a knife in her general direction. Guns are rarely used...hey! It's a martial arts film. Jason works carrying suitcases filled with flour and blank paper for the guy who tossed the knife. Bad guys get to wear cool Halloween masks. No sense letting someone you are trying to kill, see your face.It was pretty boring stuff. I watched it on a 50 film unit and it could have used restoration. Cliché, formula, and poorly acted.Guide: Brief sex. No swearing or nudity.

evanston_dad When his partner is killed by an Australian crime syndicate, a studly undercover agent goes vigilante to avenge her death while the Australian authorities try to keep him on a leash so that they can nab the syndicate's ringleader."Day of the Panther" is a Van Damme rip off that looks like it was filmed on someone's video camera, but it does have its merits, chiefly among them that it's never boring. It's a hoot to see the 1980s revived in all their pastel splendor, and there's enough unintentional hilarity to keep lovers of bad movies watching.The fight scenes are choreographed competently if unmemorably and will most likely satisfy your craving for some martial arts sleight of hand. Unfortunately, if you're looking for a little skin, you won't find it in this movie, unless you count that of our hero, who spends much of his screen time shirtless. The rest of us have to make do with a couple of aerobic dance numbers performed by the female lead, one of them, a seductive dance done in a gym while our hero works out and looks on, a real howler.Grade: B-

gridoon "Day of the Panther" begins with a young blonde chick taking on several masked thugs at an abandoned building (in a sequence that would have worked better if it wasn't intercut with other events happening elsewhere - a mistake that the director repeats at the end of the movie). She fights quite well, but she gets killed off (bummer!), and her partner, Jason Blade (Edward John Stazak) takes charge from then on. This guy has zero charisma, but I have to give credit where credit is due: when it comes to the martial arts he knows what he is doing, his execution is fast and smooth. The story is totally formulaic, and the cinematography has a cheap, overexposed look, as if the film stock was left out in the sun too long. (*1/2)