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Mark Dacascos, Stacey Travis, Geoffrey Lewis, Paco Christian Prieto, Todd Susman ... see more see more... , Richard Coca , Ryan Bollman , Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter , Junior Biggs , Alan Jordan , Salvadore Levy , Antoni Corone , Frank Dux , James F. Tarzia , Danny K , Djalma Perreira , Claudia Gutierrez , Ricky Simon , Roman Cardwell

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 ... read more read more...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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77% liked it

6,546 ratings

Critics

0% liked it

7 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Sheldon Lettich

Release Date: January 1, 1993

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DVD Release Date: December 16, 2003

Stats: 407 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (407)

  • purplemegan
    March 7, 2010
    purplemegan
    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
    August 26, 2007
    EightThirty
    Cool Randomm Movies....Check It Out ^_^
  • deano
    March 28, 2007
    deano
    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... read more predictable, is well staged and well acted.
  • chadroesti
    June 15, 2007
    chadroesti
    Mark Dacascos does this triple lindy like spin kick horizontal to the ground - cool shit!
  • kurtastbury
    April 13, 2010
    kurtastbury
    This movie follows the "new teacher helps the underprivileged inner-city kids" movie plot you've seen 100 times. The difference? This movie is all about capoeira, a Brazilian martial arts style that involves moving, kicking, punching, and flipping to the beat. Sound silly? Yo... read moreu're right.

    In this movie our protagonist is Louis Stevens, played by Mark Dacascos, whom you know from Iron Chef America. I literally laughed for a solid minute when I realized that not only does he try to get away with playing a Japanese man on TV (He's from Hawaii), but he only knows basic capoeira. Which means that they taught him just enough to do this movie in which he is supposed to convince all of us that he is a capoeira mestre. Anyway, Louis gets shipped back stateside after his tour of duty in South America and the first thing he does is go back to his old high school. He discovers that it has been overrun by unruly children and frightened teachers. Sound familiar? So he is about to walk away when a fight breaks out right in front of him. He quickly breaks it up and finishes it mestre style. This leaves everyone at the school so impressed that they throw a teaching job in his face, obviously. He was ancient history 5 minutes ago, so he must be our savior now right? Not everyone is convinced but they are quickly swayed by the only good looking member of the cast who just so happens to be Louis's old heart throb. So there we are. The give him the keys to a busted down firehouse and throw the 12 worst kids in school his way. Of course he has them actually working together and listening to him within a matter of days. That's when his student Orlando says screw you mister and bails on class. Being an idiot, teachy goes into a basketball court full of thugs and asks him why he skipped class. He doesn't get an answer but instead gets a face full of foot from Orlando's gangster cousin who also happens to be a capoeira mestre. The rest of the movie is a struggle between good and evil. A struggle between two capoeira mestres locked in the heat of sweaty, rock abs McPeckerson tough guy fighting antics.

    Why should you watch this movie? You shouldn't. It's a very predicable movie. You know right from the first time the villain is introduced that he is going to go down somehow. Plus, Louis isn't exactly a good example for kids. According to his methods it's ok to ...
    1. Let kids fight each other in class.
    2. Solve your problems with potato sacks full of violence.
    3. Ignore everyone else and go it alone whenever you feel like it.
    4. Take revenge when it's yours to take.
    5. Destroy property.
    6. Goad the toughest people in town.
    7. Return confiscated weapons to kids.
    8. Play favorites.
    9. Walk away from your problems.
    10. Seduce women by threatening to make then walk through a thunderstorm to get home.

    This movie was made to teach us that there is another way to reach the lost youth of America. Duh, that's easy. Incentive!
  • aloneinneb
    November 11, 2008
    aloneinneb
    seen this one awhile back and loved it. it only proves that one man can have an effect on the younger kids and get them to stand up for themselves and for friends. great acttion and i do recommend it to those who like the martial arts and want to see a different style.
  • cradleoffilth700
    September 17, 2008
    cradleoffilth700
    its a good well rounded martial arts movie i like it be couse what disipline can do for people and also u rarely see this style on film
  • titans3490
    September 7, 2008
    titans3490
    this is a good movie some loose ends in there but all in in all its good and the dance fight style is something that i do know
  • ladykimalinn
    June 25, 2007
    ladykimalinn
    MY FAVE MOVIE!!!!!!!! i absolutely love it...i could never find it on video though, to rent or buy....sucks. but yay!!
  • formerlysomeonesleep
    June 23, 2007
    formerlysomeonesleep
    I like this movie cuz of the actor, Mark Dacascos, he is so hot! Plus I like martial arts and the story plot is actually cool.

View All Only the Strong Reviews

Critic Reviews

Stephen Holden
May 20, 2003
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. Full Review

Joe Brown
January 1, 2000
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. Full Review

Richard Harrington
January 1, 2000
Richard Harrington, Washington Post

If only the plot were a little less obvious, the confrontations a little less cliched. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
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 ... Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
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. Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten
January 1, 2000
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle

There's not terribly much more going on in this movie than the physical movement itself. Full Review

Brian Lowry
March 26, 2009
Brian Lowry, Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
August 5, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

January 26, 2006
Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

May 30, 2003
Los Angeles Daily News

Click to read the article Full Review

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Only the Strong Trivia

  • what is the martial art used in the film only the strong?  Answer »
  • what movie did Mark dacascos teach capoeira?  Answer »
  • Who was the lead actor in Only the Strong?  Answer »
  • In the movie 'Revenge of the Nerds' - after the Tri-Lams beat the Alpha Beta's at the homecoming carnival, the coach brings the team into the locker room to yell at them for losing to a bunch a nerds. There is phrase written on the locker room wall. What is the phrase ?   Answer »
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