Black Eagle

• Directed by Eric Karson
• May 19, 1988 (US)

A martial artist that is a special operative for the US is ordered by his superiors to locate an F-111 shot down over Malta by Russian forces while outfitted with an experimental laser tracking device.

Black Eagle was pushed in the thumbnail blurb as a Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle. While he is in it, he plays a villainous Russian henchman called ‘Andrei’ and appears as needed to punctuate the movie with martial arts action. This is much more of a showcase for Shō Kosugi starring as American agent Ken ‘Black Eagle’ Tani. Ken is not only a secret agent but is a dad of two kids who are very present for much of the movie. Ugh!

Jean-Claude Van Damme is probably the biggest name today in this movie and was certainly a rising star when it was made. He’s a presence but in the same way a character is with their footage edited in after the movie was (presumed) finished. I can think of a few movies I have watched like that. My guess is a new, more action-oriented ending or story in general was deemed necessary so they hired somebody that could convincingly fight Shō Kosugi. There is even a moment early on Van Damage sidesteps to in front of the camera during a ridiculously tight shot that screams additional footage!

When the plane goes down Ken is getting ready to and spend his annual two weeks with his precocious rascals Brian and Denny Tani (Kane Kosugi and Shane Kosugi respectively). Those kids are too nice and loving towards dad for children that only see him two weeks of the 52 a year has. Kosugi for his part has trouble being a convincing loving father towards his own kids who are playing his characters kids.

Kosugi-as-Ken is better when playing secret agent paired with Father Joseph Bedelia (Bruce French) who, like Ken, is strongarmed into this spy caper by CIA head Dean Rickert (William Bassett) under the assisting eye of Patricia Parker (Doran Clark) who is more nanny to the boys than she is assisting agent so Ken can work. While undercover he tosses around the word ‘torpidity’ as part of his cover like it is his word of the day.

I give them for props for setting up an interesting and plausible scenario in an exotic local like Malta. A priest spy is a nice touch too. There is a sense director Eric Karson is trying to be a mix of the fun of James Bond and a serious Cold War thriller and comes up kind of empty on both. I found some of the plot and film to have a passing similarity to For Your Eyes Only.

For a low budget Cold War spy thriller it has enough to be enjoyable but the continued involvement of those kids brings things to a screeching halt. There is no way in a movie like this to balance fatherly moments with cute kids and dangerous Bond-like action. Is this a thriller or a family film?

Dealing with a situation of international importance is broken up by Ken with weak promises to his kids of finally spending time with them. There is even one or two moments of armchair spirituality so they grow up right. I think their involvement in the climax could have been shifted to the character of Parker.

Black Eagle is close to enjoyment, but never quite gets there. With the forced addition of Jean-Claude Van Damme and some deadweight kids elsewhere it’s a disappointment.