As a child, I absolutely loved Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. Based on The Destroyer, a long-running series of pulp novels by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir, it was an attempt by Orion Pictures to launch a James Bond-like franchise—but it whiffed at the box office despite solid reviews. Like a lot of other misfires from the era, it gained a second life on home video and cable, where people like me discovered it, eventually building such a strong cult following that it’s been released many times on DVD and Blu-ray, and is now hitting 4K via a new release from Kino Lorber.
What Is Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins About?
In it, Fred Ward plays a New York cop who is recruited to be an assassin by a top-secret organization called CURE. He’s trained in the deadly art of Sinanju by an elderly Korean martial arts master, Chiun (Joel Grey), with this meant to be only the first in a long series of adventures for the two—but it didn’t happen.
Why Did Remo Williams Flop?
There are a few reasons why this might have underperformed. One is that Fred Ward, in his mid-forties, was an unconventional choice to lead an action franchise in the 80s. A veteran character actor, Ward was perhaps a strange pick to launch as an action hero, although he’s absolutely terrific in the film, and his rough-hewn charm is one of the reasons it’s become a cult hit. The late actor would go on to major cult stardom thanks to co-starring in Tremors and other cult classics like Cast a Deadly Spell, so even if Remo Williams didn’t work out, he still had a great career.
Another reason might be that Remo Williams came out just as R-rated action extravaganzas were blowing up the box office. In an era of Rambo, Remo Williams, which was PG-13 and styled more like a James Bond movie, might have seemed too soft for action audiences. (It’s worth noting that even James Bond movies were struggling a bit at the box office during this era.)
The Joel Grey Casting Controversy
But if Remo Williams has any major strike against it, it’s the casting of Joel Grey as Chiun. Grey is white, and they use makeup to make him look Asian, and his performance—which was charming enough to earn him a Golden Globe nomination (as well as an Oscar nomination for the makeup)—doesn’t hold up well from a modern perspective. Heck, even in 1985, this casting probably seemed tacky, especially in an era when Pat Morita was able to score an Oscar nomination and make a huge impact on pop culture in The Karate Kid.
Years ago, I did a video on Remo Williams for our Originals channel and was raked over the coals by commenters because I dared suggest this was not ideal casting. Even still, it’s not disastrous because Grey actually is charming in the role, and Chiun is meant to be a likable, heroic character—but even so, it remains a flaw.
A Strong First Half, Then a Drop-Off
I also think a big problem with Remo Williams is that the second half of the movie is nowhere near as good as the first half. There’s an absolutely incredible action sequence about halfway through the film, where thugs try to kill Remo and he hangs off the scaffolding around the Statue of Liberty (which was being repaired in 1985). This is one of the best action sequences of the era (with a killer score by Craig Safan), but the movie is never able to top it, resulting in an anticlimactic second half and a very dull villain.
Kino Lorber’s 4K Blu-ray: What You Get
Kino Lorber’s 4K Blu-ray is a solid release, but it might prove controversial among fans due to the commentary by journalist Brandon Streussnig. He has serious issues with the film and seems to—initially, at least—really dislike it, which is a curious choice for such a fan favorite. But if you give it a chance after his rough intro, he actually has a lot of interesting things to say about the film, even admitting it has its strengths, including the Statue of Liberty sequence.
A more traditional second commentary with the producers is included as well. The disc also carries over many of the archival special features produced for earlier releases, including interviews with Craig Safan and Joel Grey. New to the disc is an extended sit-down with Patrick Kilpatrick, who plays a henchman with some memorable dental work, with his fight against Ward being one of the movie’s highlights.
The 4K transfer is solid—it’s not eye-popping the way some other releases are, but it’s faithful to the way the movie is supposed to look, having been shot flat, perhaps in anticipation of its home video and cable release (a lot of movies were shot that way during the era of pan-and-scan).
Final Thoughts
I think even the biggest fans of Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins can admit it’s an imperfect film, but damn if I don’t get a huge kick out of it every time I watch it. Some of its imperfections are part of its charm, and it’s a shame the adventure didn’t continue, as Ward gives a wonderful performance, and that musical score is one of the best of the eighties.
I’m thrilled to have it on 4K—you can buy it HERE.
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