Sworn to Justice

1996 "Revenge has never been so sweet."
4.9| 1h37m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 01 October 1996 Released
Producted By: Gorilla Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

After masked attackers kill her sister and young nephew, a female psychologist takes the law into her own hands by acting as a defense witness by day and a ruthless avenger by night.

Genre

Action, Thriller

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Sworn to Justice (1996) is now streaming with subscription on Prime Video

Director

Paul Maslak

Production Companies

Gorilla Pictures

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Sworn to Justice Audience Reviews

Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.
MusicChat It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.
Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
gridoon2018 I've seen several of Cynthia Rothrock's films - both her Hong Kong and her American ones - and one thing they have in common is that her femininity is usually largely ignored: she is there mainly as a fighter, not as a woman (though sometimes the tight outfits she puts on leave little doubt about her physical attributes). But in "Sworn To Justice" she makes probably her boldest appearances ever: 2 lingerie scenes, 2 sex scenes. And truth be told, she is very sexy. She could work as a living ad for practicing martial arts - "you do it too, and you'll have a body like that when you're 40". This focus on Cynthia's body is not the only aspect that separates "Sworn To Justice" from most of her other vehicles: there is also a slapstick comedy fight sequence, psychic powers, a lesbian love confession at a tragic moment, and a bad guy discussing with his brother's burnt corpse! The fighting highlight of the film comes when Cynthia goes up against an acrobatic Asian guy - you can see her Hong Kong days living again in that scene. Disappointingly, the climactic fight scene goes to her male co-star, Kurt McKinney. The other problem is the plot, which has a few too many scattered sub-plots. But as I already said, if you want to see Cynthia Rothrock going sexy, this is your best chance. (**1/2)
sol **SPOILERS** Interrupting a burglary at her sisters, Shelly, high-rise apartment criminal defense psychologist and martial-arts expert Janna Dane has it out with the four robbers and then, when they open fire on her, ending up jumping from the balcony and after breaking her fall. Janna ends up slamming into a tree-branch and lands smack dab on her head knocking herself out cold. With the police later on the scene of the crime it's found that both Janna's sister and nephew Michael were brutally murdered by the robbers. Later Janna also finds that her experience of almost cracking her head open also opened up her ability to get in touch with her psychic self. Working in the court system as a defense expert witness on the criminal mind, and what makes it tick, Janna is now bothered by getting killers, like those who murdered her kid sister and nephew, off by day while a the same time being a vigilante avenger against those same types of hoods by night. Janna later learns by touching a murder suspects weapon, a knife that he killed a policeman with, whom she's defending was one of the thugs who were involved in her sisters and nephew's murder. This makes it very difficult for Janna to do her job, as an expert witness for criminals like Slate, in the courts anymore.The group of thugs who killed both Shelly and Michael belong to a gang of ex-convicts run by this sadistic psycho Eugene who's being controlled and used by someone very high up in the city's justice system. Janna goes after this "Mr. Big", or what he likes to be called "The Man", but to get to him she has to take on the entire Eugene crime organization which turns out to be a task that not only taxes her fighting an psychic abilities but takes the lives of those near and dear to her as well. Cute, as well as beautiful, and spunky Cynthia Rothrock, as Janna Dane, is in top form and is far more effective and believable in her fight sequences then her love interest in the movie, and also martial-arts expert, Kurt McKinney who plays lawyer and psychic book publisher Nicholas who comes across as a long behind second in the fight scenes that their both in. Being an five-year undefeated martial-arts woman champion in real life Cynthia doesn't need to have a double or any special effects to make her role look genuine and her kicks and punches are powerful enough to put down and knock out not only one but a couple of men, at one time, twice her size. Going out in the streets at night to grind down the Eugene Gang in a number of sizzling fight sequence's Janna finally gets the person behind all their criminal activities non other then Santa Martin Police Detective Sgt. Briggs, Tony Lo Bionco. Sgt. Briggs has been blackmailing Eugene & Co. by threatening to put them back behind bars for life if they didn't follow his orders. Which were to shake down car shops and dealerships in the neighborhood and force them into chopping up stolen cars, that the Eugene Gang hijacks. Then have the gang pay more then 60% of the profits back to the gangsters which Briggs gets a nice chunk of change off. With Eugene and his friends put out of action by both Janna and later her boyfriend Nick Sgt. Briggs is left all alone to not only face the music but also Janna's lethal and lighting-like "Scorpion Kick".
aloep This is the third movie with Cynthia Rothrock movie I've seen after "Guardian Angel" and "Redemption". By popular opinion this is one of her best so if that is anything to go by, I will certainly not be actively seeking out anymore of her movies. While she demonstrates her martial arts skills to good effect in this, the plot is stupid, the production values are poor and above all, it's boring.Starting with the positives, I'll give Cynthia Rothrock credit in that she certainly knows what she's doing when it comes to the fight scenes. The choreography is pretty good and one such scene where she fights off robbers with a roll of tape is fun to watch and just about the only nice touch here. The rest of the action scenes are passable, although there's little that really stands out and they are far too few and far between. Much of the movie is mind numbingly boring and for much of the time I ended up turning towards my computer and doing other things, only glancing at it when something interesting happened rather than paying full attention to the movie. Half of the problem lies in Cynthia Rothrock herself. I'll give her credit that it does seem she's trying a bit harder than she did in "Guardian Angel", as her character is a little more upbeat and displays more than one facial expression throughout the movie. She is still not good though, but part of the problem lies in the character she is given. It's obvious they wanted the character to come off as sexy but it doesn't work. Dressing a short, muscular and dumpy looking 40 year old woman in short skirts and heels isn't fooling me. It also makes the character laughably unbelievable as a psychologist and even harder to like. Not only that, but this film has some of the least erotic sex scenes I've ever seen which I found myself skipping through.The rest of the movie is so dull and forgettable that I can barely remember it despite only having watched it a couple of days ago. However, one part that had me roaring with laughter was towards the end when the lead villain shows Cynthia Rothrock's character the burnt corpse of his dead brother. Instead of using a dummy, they have applied makeup to the actor himself and you can even see him blink! How hard is it to cut that? Such bloopers shows that nobody really cares, and neither should you.Overall I could never recommend this to anyone. Fans of Cynthia Rothrock (there appears to be such a thing) will watch it regardless but anyone expecting a good martial arts flick will be sorely disappointed. A poorly plotted, poorly acted, poorly paced flick with little action and no likable characters. Avoid.
Thomas Jolliffe (supertom-3) This is widely regarded as Cynthia Rothrocks best American movie, from director Paul Maslak. I can also safely say that it is. Despite a ludicrous plot which has Cynthia developing psychic powers when he sister and nephew are brutally murdered, the film is fast paced, fun and filled with neatly choreographed action. Not to mention Rothrock in her sexiest role yet. The film is wildly inconsistent with a comical action scene when Rothrock foils a store robbery, complete with sill sound effects as large men are made fools of. Also a very steamy martial arts display in a skimpy negligee from the Queen of flying fists. What helps though is a good cast helping Rothrock, who also gives her best performance, although that does not say a lot! Also starring is Kurt McKinney known primarily from No Retreat No Surrender. Then there is good support from Oscar winner Brad Dourif and Mako.The film has plenty of nice action and never gets boring while there is a good production value to this, especially compared to many other of Rothrock's movies. Standout scenes include the sexy Cynthia taking on several large men with some masking tape and defeating a warehouse full of bad guys. Cynthia is unbelievably sexy in this and the film overall stands out as one of her best achievements. ***