Last to Surrender
Directed byDavid Mitchell[1]
Written byDavid Mitchell[1]
Produced byCurtis Petersen
Rick H.Y. Sue
David Mitchell[1]
Starring
Cinematography
  • Curtis Petersen
  • Johnny Askwith[1]
Edited byDavid Murray[1]
Music byNorman Orenstein[1]
Production
companies
  • Yin Yank Productions[2][3]
  • Applecreek Communications[3]
Distributed by
Release date
May 25, 1999[1]
Running time
94 minutes[1]
CountryCanada[5]
Languages
  • English
  • Other
BudgetUS$3 million[6]

Last to Surrender is a 1998[7][8] Canadian action-adventure film written and directed by David Mitchell. The buddy film stars Canadian professional wrestler Roddy Piper and Korean-Malaysian martial artist Ong Soo Han as an America cop and his Chinese counterpart, who must reluctantly unite to track down a ruthless drug lord to the Golden Triangle of Asia.[1]

Plot

Seattle, Washington police officers Nick Ford and Jimmy Wilson are staking out a Chinatown restaurant where a drug deal is due to take place. The operation degenerates into a gunfight, and Jimmy is killed by a particularly ruthless Asian trafficker. A foot and car chase ensues, during which Ford crosses paths with another Asian man, who seems to be after the same perpetrator as he is. While the mysterious man saves Ford's life, Jimmy's murderer manages to escape.

Ford is summoned to a meeting with a trio of federal agents, who suspect that he may just have had an encounter with a man only known as "The Tiger", a shadowy yet vicious criminal mastermind described as the "Carlos of the drug world". The Tiger proves his viciousness by demanding the murder of a young member of the Seattle triad for his failure to properly secure the restaurant gathering. He then leaves for Burma. Ford is formally introduced to the man he confronted during the Chinatown chase. He is revealed to be Wu Yin, a high ranking Chinese police officer who has been leading his own inquiry into the Tiger's activities. As the two men are the only ones who have come anywhere close to the elusive crime lord, they are asked to cooperate, to which Ford, who has no understanding of East Asian cultures and blames Yin for jeopardizing the Chinatown arrest, vehemently disagrees.

Ford reluctantly puts his differences with Yin aside to lead a raid on a motel, which the Tiger's subordinates use as a hideout. Whereas Ford has no success extorting informations from the apprehended with threats of violence, Yin's subtle approach and command of their language seemingly yelds better results. However, one of the suspects grabs the unsuspecting Yin and takes him hostage. Through fast talking and a quick trigger, Ford distracts the thug and kills him, saving Yin. While the two men's working relationship is not without friction, their federal overseers are impressed with their quick progress, and opt to extend their cooperation.

Ford and Yin are sent to Rangoon, where they are greeted by Phil Carpenter, their contact at the U.S. Embassy. They set out to hunt down the Tiger, asking for leads in the city's bars and gambling parlors. Ford is approached by an eccentric older man named Bong Bong, who suggests he might serve as their fixer, but turns out to be a spy working for the Tiger. Following a car chase and a fight, Bong Bong is captured. Yin convinces him to talk, and he reveals that the Tiger is currently in town to meet a business partner at a hotel. As Ford is about to enter the establishment, he bumps into Carpenter, who does not elaborate on his reasons for being there. The Tiger shows up, but sees Ford and quickly orders his chauffeured car away. Ford tries to run after him, but he is arrested for public disorder by local police.

Yin gets Ford out of custody. Taking Bong Bong with them, they charter a plane flown by a Russian Afghan War veteran to scout the Burmese jungle for the Tiger's secret base. Upon finding it, they are detected by the kingpin's ground troops, who open fire on the aircraft. Bong Bong turns belligerent, causing the pilot to get knocked out and the plane to crash into the high trees. Ford and Yin are the only survivors. Although tempers occasionally flare between the two, they make their way through the jungle. They fend off a tiger, hunt a snake for food and attempt to navigate the region's rapids on a makeshift raft. However, both men are successively knocked off their fragile watercraft, and get separated.

Yin is captured by the Tiger's men and taken to his camp. On the way, he drops his neck chain, which is picked up by a young boy. Yin gets tortured, and it is revealed that Carpenter was working with the drug lord all along, profiteering from his racket. Meanwhile, an unconscious Ford is rescued by a local woman named Chat Mai. At her village, Ford meets the young boy, who is Chat's brother, and identifies Yin's neck chain. The boy informs Ford of Yin's predicament and the American, while enamored with Chat, accepts that he must leave to rescue his Chinese partner.

Ford jumps one of the Tiger's men near a river and steals his uniform, allowing him to infiltrate the enemy base and free Yin. However, they are seen and a gunfight erupts. Afraid of being compromised, Carpenter asks to be taken elsewhere. He is shot dead by the Tiger, who also instructs one of his lieutenants to activate a time bomb that will wipe out the camp. Yin and Ford approach the Tiger's position, but discover that their nemesis has taken hostages among the populace, among which is Chat Chai. The Tiger executes Chat, and escapes to a tunnel located below the camp. Ford and Yin catch up to the Tiger, and Ford knocks him out just before the bomb explodes. The two cops narrowly evade the fireball that engulfes the tunnel, and the Tiger with it. As the film ends, Ford and Yin are seen helping one another through the jungle, bickering about their respective law enforcements' failings, such as Rodney King's beating and the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Cast

Production

Development

Last to Surrender was originally titled Yin and Yank. C.J. O'Malley, who worked with Piper in WCW and WWF in a backstage and sometimes on-screen capacity (as Craig Malley), was Piper's personal assistant on this film and others from the era, and claims to have contributed uncredited script rewrites.[9]

Canada and Indonesia stand in for the storyline locations of the United States and Burma. Production services were provided by Petersen Productions, a company owned by Canadian industry veteran Curtis Petersen, who also acted as cinematographer, cameraman and second unit director.[10] It was one of the earlier Western productions shot in Indonesia, following a period of restrictive attitudes on the part of Suharto's New Order regime, which made its neighbour Malaysia more attractive.[11] The Indonesian crew was headed by production manager id:Tino Saroengallo, assisted by frequent collaborator Ida Rachmad. Both have worked in similar capacity on a number of foreign features shot in the country, and Saroengallo went on to write a referential book on Indonesian film production.[11][12] Rick Sue, an instructor at the Wushu Institute of Canada, is listed as one of the film's producers and its martial arts consultant. The hand-to-hand fights were choreographed by his Canadian-based Chinese sigung Qingfu Pan, who also appears in the role of Bong Bong.[13][14] The film had a budget of US$3 million,[6] part of which came from subsidies from the province of Ontario.[3]

Filming

The Toronto metropolitan area was home to the Canadian part of the shoot. Filming in Indonesia took place in the capital of Jakarta, as well as in the city of Sukabumi and the town of Palabuhanratu, both on the island of Java.[11] Piper's biography mentions that the Indonesian shoot happened during an extended break from WWF following WrestleMania XII,[15] while an Indonesian source lists work on the film in August 1996.[10] Canadian film industry records indicate that at least part of the production took place in November and December 1996.[16][17]

The Indonesian shoot was affected by a number of unforeseen events: three trucks carrying film equipment were implicated in a serious road accident, the filming of the harbor scene was interrupted by political riots, and a military encampment set was destroyed by a flood. A plane tasked with grabbing aerial footage also crashed into the jungle. The pilot's fate has been the subject of some confusion, as he has alternately been reported as deceased and injured but alive.[8][14] The hotel where the crew stayed was known to have been the target of several terror attacks in the past, and Roddy Piper was so shaken by the nearby unrest that he faxed his testament to his wife.[15] While the wrestler's kayfabe character was known to be deathly afraid of snakes, that trait extended to his real life, and a reaction shot that required his face to be in close proximity of an ophidian took many takes to capture due to his stress.[15] Piper also claimed to have nearly drowned during the filming of the rafting sequence in Java.[15]

Release

Last to Surrender received a same-day release on VHS and DVD in the United States on May 25, 1999, by Avalanche Home Entertainment, a division of Lionsgate Entertainment.[1][4] Some sources mention an earlier release date of January 4, 1999, although it is unknown what this refers to.[1] As with contemporary Avalanche releases, the slipcover for the VHS edition used a printing process patented as "Chromium FX", which gave it metallic look.[4] Disc-based special features included a synopsis, cast biographies, a stills gallery, production notes, an all-audience trailer and a red band trailer.[18]

Critical reception

Explosive Action praised the "attractive cinematography" and "a healthy amount of fully-packed squibs", as well as the unexpected inclusion of a love interest, and called the film "[a] solid example" of action cinema.[19] MovieWeb said that while it visibly harkened back to "the day of foreign pre-sales covering the budget of a movie before it was made", Last to Surrender was a "late 90s gem".[20]
TV Guide, however, was not impressed, finding it derivative of Lethal Weapon and saying "never have these clichés had less resonance than they do here".[21] AllMovie was similarly lukewarm, and rated Last to Surrender two stars out of five.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Last to Surrender (1998)". allmovie.com. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  2. ↑ Askwith, Johnny (2018). "Camera Operator Resume". johnnyaskwith.com. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Productions Shot in Ontario (1996/97) With Assistance From Ontario Film Development Corporation". Ontario Film Development Corporation Annual Report 1996–97. Toronto: Publications Ontario. 1998. p. 13.
  4. 1 2 3 "Last to Surrender: A Collision Course with Profits!" (Press release). New York: Avalanche Home Entertainment.
  5. ↑ "Last to Surrender (1997)". bfi.org.uk. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Tavares, Elspeth (May 2001). "Cannes Product Guide 2001" (PDF). The Business of Film. London. p. 149.
  7. ↑ Cahall, Gary; McLaughlin, Joseph; Slivkin, Irv; Steinberg, Jay, ed. (1999). "Action & Aventure". A Century of Cinema: Movies Unlimited 2000 Catalog. Philadelphia: Movies Unlimited. p. 25. ISBN 9780966633207.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  8. 1 2 Production Notes. Last to Surrender (DVD). New York: Avalanche Home Entertainment. 1998. UPC 057373138601.
  9. ↑ O'Malley, CJ. "About CJ". stage32. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 Saroengallo, Tino (February 12, 2010). "Production Service film asing ke Indonesia". Dongengfilm's Blog (in Indonesian). Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  11. ↑ Saroengallo, Tino (December 2011) [April 2008]. Dongeng Sebuah Produksi Film: Dari Sudut Pandang Manajer Produksi (in Indonesian) (2nd ed.). Jakarta: Penerbit Intisari. ISBN 978-9793590714.
  12. ↑ "Fascinated by Chinese or Asian culture". cctv.com. May 20, 2005. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Naughton, Dianne (September 1999). "Master Pan Qing Fu & Rowdy Roddy Piper Square Off in Last to Surrender". KungFuMagazine.com Presents: Hong Kong Meets Hollywood. No. 1.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Toombs, Ariel Teal; Toombs, Cole Baird; Pyette, Craig (2016). "Frats". Rowdy: The Roddy Piper Story. Toronto: Random House Canada. pp. 299–300.
  15. ↑ "Last to Surrender". federgreenentertainment.com. Toronto: Federgreen Entertainment. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  16. ↑ Shot in Ontario Master Spreadsheet (Up to 2021) (Report). Ontario Film Commission. August 9, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Last To Surrender". barnesandnobles.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Last to Surrender (1999)". explosiveaction.com. May 2, 2020. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  19. ↑ Jacobs, Evan (August 5, 2015). "7 Rowdy Roddy Piper Movies You Need to See". movieweb.com. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Last to Surrender Reviews". tvguide.com. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
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