Talons of the Eagle is another in the line of martial arts efforts starring Jalal Merhi. If you’ve never seen a film starring Jalal before then head over to the wonderful cult Blu Ray label Vinegar Syndrome where you’ll find plenty on offer. I can particularly recommend the Tiger Claws Trilogy if you enjoy the treats offered by Talons of the Eagle.
Talons was released in 1992 when the action world was being fed a diet of Schwarzenegger and Stallone. If you sought out what we might refer to as the next grade of action star, we probably find ourselves amongst the company of Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal. Jalal Merhi and co-star Billy Blanks were on another level and I mean this is the kindest possible way as it is simply a reflection of their relative box-office status.
The plot of Talons involves Jalal and Billy as two undercover cops teaming up to take down James Hong’s Mr Li. This is no rogue cop, straight cop combination. What we have instead is rogue cop, rogue cop. Who is the most rogue, unorthodox loose cannon? Hard to tell, but both characters have a good time trying to prove they only play by their own rules. The team up to take down Mr Li requires our heroes to take part in a martial arts competition (doesn’t it always?) and along the way tangle with European man-mountain action villain for hire Matthias Hues complete with 1990’s European bad guy haircut. Along the way we have training scenes, some romantic interest, a few minor twists, and plenty of fighting.
I’d be hard pushed to make a case for the action rivalling the tradition of a Shaw brothers film, the kinetic energy of the Hong Kong action movies of the 70s/80s, or even the big budget excesses of Hollywood during the 80s & 90s. However, you have to love the passion and commitment that Jalal Merhi always brings to his films whether starring or producing them. This is a guy who cares about what he does, clearly has a good time doing it, and as with many of these cult movies it’s that passion that comes across to us as viewers to enhance our viewing experience.
I can wholeheartedly recommend Talons of the Eagle when you’re in the mood to disengage critical sensibilities and have exhausted the top shelf of martial arts films. There is a care to entertain that isn’t present in all efforts from this era.
