Drive (1997)

Summary

MVD Rewind Collection, the niche film label that is primarily dedicated to nostalgic collector’s editions, made fans of the label incredibly happy when they announced that they would be releasing the Steve Wang directed film Drive from 1997. Drive is a martial arts filled action film with science fiction and buddy film elements starring actors Mark Dacascos and Kadeem Hardison. Mark Dacascos is probably best known for his roles in John Wick 3 and Double Dragon. Drive has been wanted by fans due to the fact that back in the Nineties it was played repeatedly on HBO which gained it a legion of nostalgic fans. I recently had the pleasure of watching the theatrical cut on TUBI, and then watched the director’s cut when my Blu-ray copy arrived.

Toby Wong (Mark Dacascos) arrives in San Francisco after stowing away on a cargo ship from Hong Kong. Toby has a special prototype chip inside him that makes him a nearly perfect weapon. He has come from Hong Kong with the hopes of removing the chip and selling it to a technology firm in the states for millions. This will not be easy because he is being pursued by Cowboy-hat wearing, revolver toting Vic Madison (John Pyper-Ferguson) who is under instructions from Mr. Lau (James Shigeta) to retrieve his merchandise. As Toby tries to make his way to Los Angeles, he encounters Malik Brody (Kadeem Hardison) in a bar. When Vic and his crew of goons shoot up the bar, Toby soundly defeats all of them with his amazing martial arts skills and lightning quick movements. Toby grabs Malik and they flee in Malik’s red sports car. Toby basically holds Malik hostage with the request to be taken to Los Angeles, but Malik soon realizes that Toby is not such a bad guy. As they evade their pursuers through a series of frenetically choreographed martial arts fights, Toby and Malik form a bond. Malik wants to win over his ex-wife, and Toby wants to pave a future for his wife from China. Along the way they encounter and pick up an enthusiastic and boy-crazy blonde (Brittany Murphy,) and all this leads to a finale that revolves around a fight with a second prototype. It’s that type of movie, and all the better for it.

Director Steve Wang is probably as well known for his special effects works on films like Predator and The Monster Squad as he is known for directing the films The Guyver and Guyver: Dark Hero. Working with cinematographer Michael G. Wojciechowski and talented stunt coordinator Koichi Sakamoto, the filmmaker and his crew shot for the moon; creating memorable martial arts setpieces that flowed from one to the next for the course of the film. None of this would be as enjoyable if Mark Dacascos was not simply incredibly adept at martial arts and gymnastics. His unbelievable skills reminded me frequently of some of the incredible stunt choreography performed by Jackie Chan in his prime. This makes more sense after watching the special features where Dacascos explains that Jackie Chan was one of his heroes and biggest influences. Dacascos is very fast in this film, and director Steve Wang knew exactly how to capture the quick fluid movements that make up the fight scenes. Steve Wang’s goal was to make a film in the United States that felt like the action films being made in Asia, and to this end he succeeded in a way that even John Woo had difficulty recreating in the States. 

The script of the film by Scott Philips is pretty ridiculous, but it is ridiculous in a likable way. Mixing together the buddy-action genre with science fiction, martial arts, and a road movie makes for an enjoyable mix. The actors in the film are all fun to watch onscreen. While Mark Dacascos is absolutely the center piece of the film and is truly incredible to watch, he is surrounded by an enjoyable ensemble. Kadeem Hardison is best known for playing Dwayne Wayne on A Different World, and he is a likable comedic foil in the film. Brittany Murphy is cast in one of the more bizarrely written roles from her short career, but she is fun to watch. John Pyper-Ferguson plays the memorable cowboy hat wearing villain Vic Madison with an appropriate amount of humor and levity. I also enjoyed seeing character actors Tracey Walter and James Shigeta in their roles.

Having watched both the Director’s Cut and the Theatrical Cut, I like both versions of the movie for different reasons. The Director’s Cut soundtrack is a lot more traditional action movie soundtrack, whereas the Theatrical Cut uses bouncing techno songs that are as goofy as they are enjoyable. The Director’s Cut has better exposition and is certainly a better film, but the Theatrical Cut is trimmed down to amplify the action. While I definitely understand why Steven Wang was upset with what had been done to his film by the producers, I am glad that both cuts are available on the MVD release. Depending on my mood, I could easily watch either version, although the Director’s Cut will probably appeal to me more just because the transfer provided from the 4K scan looks and sounds so much better.

Fans of direct-to-video action will be hard pressed to find a more competently made and enjoyable film of this type. Drive is by no means a serious film, but it is incredibly entertaining and fun. 

Video

MVD Rewind have provided a great looking transfer of the film in 1080p using an MPEG-4 AVC codec that draws on a new 4K HD scan of the director’s cut of the film. The film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The transfer looks great. The source was obviously in great shape and the 4K scan has really brought all the best elements to the forefront. Clarity is excellent and the filmgrain remains well resolved throughout the course of the film. There is a lot to enjoy visually in the film and the fight scenes have never looked better than they do here. The Theatrical Cut of the film was supplied from an older master as an extra on the disc and it does not look nearly as good as the Director’s Cut, but it is still great to have both on the same disc.

Audio

MVD Rewind has provided a solid DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix for the Director’s Cut alongside an LPCM stereo mix. I opted for the 5.1 mix and was happy with how the film sounded. The original soundtrack to the film sounds nice, and the foley effects in the film are pretty well done considering the budgetary constraints of the film. The Theatrical Cut of the film has been presented only with a LPCM stereo mix.

Supplements:

• Original Theatrical Cut – Presented in 1.78:1 with LPCM 2.0 audio.
• Deleted Scenes
• “The Force Behind the Storm” Documentary – this is an excellent archival featurette on the making of the film. Featuring comprehensive interviews with Mark Dacascos, Steve Wang, Koichi Sakamoto, Kadeem Hardison, and more; this is an informative and well made piece that goes into good depth on the production history of the film and the differences between the two versions of the film.
• Cast Interviews – include Mark Dacascos, Steve Wang, Wyatt Reed, Koichi Sakamoto, and Kadeem Hardison.
• Commentary – Steve Wang, Koichi Sakamoto, Mark Dacascos and Kadeem Hardison
• Trailers

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 4.5/5

Overall – 4.5/5

Drive is one of the best and most competently made direct-to-video movies from the Nineties. The film’s script is ridiculous, but the action setpieces and fight choreography are as good as I have seen from that time. Director Steven Wang set out to make a martial arts picture in the states that felt like the Hong Kong action films he enjoyed. He succeeded brilliantly due to an absolutely astounding show of martial arts and gymnastics ability from actor Mark Dacascos. Once you add in the buddy comedy elements provided from Kadeem Hardison, an out-there performance by Brittany Murphy, and some science-fiction trappings, there is a lot to enjoy about this Nineties action film. The MVD Rewind Collection release features an excellent 4K scan of the Director’s Cut, and an inferior scan of the Theatrical Cut as a supplement. For fans of this type of action film, Drive comes highly recommended.