Awesome Asian Bad Guys – Reel Asian 2014

The National Film Society of Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco record a web video taking about their favourite Asian bad guys, who frequently appeared in action films from the 1980s and 1990s.  The video attracts the attention of actress Tamlyn Tomita, who tells the duo to assemble the Awesome Asian Bad Guys, in order to stop Aaron Takahashi (aka Asian Charlie Brown) and his masked henchman Dante Basco (aka Rufio), who killed Tamlyn’s twin sister Pamlyn.  Patrick and Stephen then proceed to assemble a team that includes Al Leong, George Cheung and his daughter Jet Li (Sapphire Steel), Yuji Okumoto, and Randall Park and they head off to confront Aaron at the “Asian Americans Got Talent” competition. Awesome Asian Bad Guys is a bit of wish fulfillment by a couple of fanboys, who apparently wanted to star with their favourite stock Asian characters in some sort of “Asian Bad Guy” version of The Expendables.  On paper it sounds like an interesting idea, but in execution it is somewhat lacking.  Part of the problem is that the filmmakers Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco made themselves the stars of the show, with the titular Asian bad guys playing second fiddle to their antics. Awesome Asian Bad Guys makes sure that every character recites their resume, so the audience will know exactly who they are.  Some of the more recognizable faces in the film include Al Leong (Big Trouble in Little China, Die Hard), Yuji Okumoto (The Karate Kid Part II), and of course Dante Basco (Hook).  Running only an hour long, it can be assumed that there wasn’t much plot to go along with the film’s premise, with Awesome Asian Bad Guys ending up as merely So-So Fanboy Action Comedy.6 | WATCHABLE