poe426 Although she's working alongside some fairly big name stars, here, it's Kathy Long who steals the show in KNIGHTS. Albert Pyun's direction is, as usual, one part low-budget exploitation and one part Art House (it's an interesting combination, and a blend Pyun has fairly patented) and he has the good sense to showcase what made Kathy Long famous- her outstanding full contact martial arts experience. The highlight of the movie, without a shadow of a doubt, is the sequence where she singlehandedly wades through a veritable army of evildoers. Had I been unfamiliar with her professional fighting career, I might've mistook this extended sequence for some lesser filmmaker's perverse wish-fulfillment. It's not: having seen her fight, I can attest to the fact that Kathy Long COULD wade through a veritable army of evildoers. (And, like ravishing Rhonda Rousey, she's a looker...) (Either one of them could kick MY a** any time...)

t_atzmueller There are two types of people on this planet: those who hate Albert Pyuns films, comparing the works to Ed Wood, and there are those who love master Pyuns style. If you are from the first category you need not bother reading any further – besides you're on the wrong page anyway.If, however, you're a Pyun fan, it's likely that you are male, used to play with Masters of the Universe toys, used to believe that the Highlander was real, are an avid comic-book reader and enjoy your Heavy Metal loud and manly (Manowar, am I right or am I right?). Just like Albert Pyun.To take the greatest pleasure in a Pyun film you have to drop all expectations of watching a 'real' movie. Get ready for a comic-book that has been transferred from paper to celluloid. Forget that there is a certain art called acting and revel in the pose, the pathos and the ham. Remember that no CGI could ever get close to plastic and handmade special-effects. Accept that a decapitation by lethal kung fu kick is more worth than deep and meaningful dialogue. Tell yourself that the 80ies were good and there is no beating epic-cheesy synthesizer-soundtracks. In other words: allow yourself to become a kid again for 90 minutes and worry not that your mom will give you s**t for watching violent movies or drinking beer.The story of Knights is simple even by Pyun standards: once again the world is a wasteland where only rocks, hoodlums in rags and the occasional hero grow. Cyborgs – Robots with biblical names who suffer from vampirism – under the despotic rule of megalomaniac Job (Henrikensen) are now on top of the food-chain, herding the humans like cattle. Job, receives his commands from the mysterious 'Master Builder', who plans to attack Taos, the last enclave where humans can live in relative safety. Against them stands only the renegade cyborg Gabriel (Kristofferson) and young warrior(ess) Nea (Long), who is searching for her kidnapped brother.Henriksen, equipped with a ridiculously huge mechanic arm that could have worked only under Pyuns direction, is hamming it up for all he's worth, showcasing his entire reservoir of barely controlled rage, growling, eye-rolling and drooling. Kathy Long is cute as a button and if during the late 90ties you've grown a little tired of Cynthia Rothrocks kung fu routine, Longs take-no-prisoners kickboxing was a real fresh breath of air. Kristofferson was little else to do but to smile benevolently while looking cool and wise at the same time – the rest of his work is cut out for him by his (obvious) stuntman. Scott Paulin gets to do what he can do best: sneer, look creepy and threatening and Gary Daniels is Gary Daniels. Only Vincent Klyn – the steel-eyed chief-baddie from "Cyborg" – is a little underused, having no more than a cameo.It's always heartbreaking to watch comic geeks march into a superhero movie, only to see them leave the cinema two hours later, curses on their lips, bitterness in their eyes and a piece of their soul dead (exception to the rule, "The Dark Knight" and "Watchmen"). This never happens with Pyuns films. Not only because they don't show them in cinemas but rather because these little trash-gems are produced by people who believe in their work – made by fans for fans. (Deep down in my heart, I still believe that, had Pyun directed "Spider Man", it wouldn't have turned out to be a heart- and soulless piece of CGI-junk).There is trash and there is "trash". Other directors like Michael Bay or the notorious Uwe Boll may be given huge budgets and an excellent cast; their 'talent' will invariably turn any effort into manure. Pyun on the other hand can turn manure into small but heart-felt trash-classic.If I wasn't a Pyun fan, I'd give this movie nothing. As a fan, I give it 7 out of 10 stars (points being deducted for promising a sequel that never came and for simply not being as good as Pyuns 1989 movie "Cyborg", one of the three Van Damme films that didn't stink. On second thought, 1 point added for having a dismembered Kristofferson fight from within a rucksack).Alternatively you could watch Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" or Luchino Visconti's "Death in Venice", but that's another story.

cardinalbiggles2112 someone needed to make a car payment... this is truly awful... makes jean Claude's cyborg look like gone with the wind... this is an hour I wish I could sue to get back... luckily it produced severe somnolence... from which I fell asleep. how can actors of this caliber create this dog? I would rather spend the time watching algae grow on the side of a fish tank than partake of this wholly awful concoction of several genre. I now use the DVD as a coaster on my coffee table. $5.99 at walmart is far too much to spend on this movie... if you really have to have it, wait till they throw them out after they have carried them on the inventory for several years and are frustrated that they would not sell.please for the love of god let this movie die of obscurity.

Terror X For Kathy's second movie but first starring role, this one shows her wonderful fighting style. She is the first woman martial artist that I have seen that fights like a man (a compliment, not sexist). I believe that if given the right roles and training her acting career could take off.It is obviously a low budget movie so what can one expect but poor acting, direction, and production. Given that that is taken into account it has a good story, great fight scenes, and a great mentor, Kris Kristofferson. Although I doubt he did his own fighting.