Only the Strong (1993)

0% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(6,546 ratings)

In this off-beat actioner, a former officer in the Green Beret comes back to his old stomping grounds in Miami and, seeing that his high school is overrun by a vicious drug lord, decides to take some of the school's toughest students and turn them into crime-fighting units by teaching them the… More In this off-beat actioner, a former officer in the Green Beret comes back to his old stomping grounds in Miami and, seeing that his high school is overrun by a vicious drug lord, decides to take some of the school's toughest students and turn them into crime-fighting units by teaching them the venerable Brazilian martial art, capoeira. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 36 min.
Directed By: Sheldon Lettich
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1993 Wide
On DVD: Dec 16, 2003

Critic Reviews

Stephen Holden, New York Times
A movie that exists solely for its fight sequences and to show off its star's muscles and gymnastic grace.
Joe Brown, Washington Post
The film is clumsily assembled and edited, heavy on the slow-mo, and its simplistic story plays like The Kids From Fame armed with very sharp knives.
Richard Harrington, Washington Post
If only the plot were a little less obvious, the confrontations a little less cliched.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
I expected it to be an obligatory late-summer, mindless, plotless action film. I was wrong. It's a late-summer, mindless, plotless action film with a message. I think I prefer this sorts of film when it doesn't try to preach.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
I have a sinking feeling that the makers of this film feel it is in some way exemplary and even useful.
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
There's not terribly much more going on in this movie than the physical movement itself.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Megan S

Definitely a 90s movie, no more, no less. A good action flick overall. My major problem was the way that the bad guy talked...his voice was terrible, I couldnt take him seriously, I just laughed every time he was on the screen.
EightThirty .

Cool Randomm Movies....Check It Out ^_^
Dean M

Mark Dacascos makes a fantastic performance as a world-class, martial arts champion pits his strength and know-how against juvenile gangs and teaches them self-respect. The martial-arts sequences using the Brazilian Capoeira techniques are exciting to watch, and the story, though… More
Mark Dacascos makes a fantastic performance as a world-class, martial arts champion pits his strength and know-how against juvenile gangs and teaches them self-respect. The martial-arts sequences using the Brazilian Capoeira techniques are exciting to watch, and the story, though predictable, is well staged and well acted.
Chad R

Mark Dacascos does this triple lindy like spin kick horizontal to the ground - cool shit!