Somehow tonight we started talking about bad movies and I was talking about this movie that I saw sometime back in the '80s. Unfortunately, I never saw the first part of the movie so I have no idea what the setup was or the title. But, given the Dope’s ability to identify movies with minimal information, I’m hoping that someone here can identify it.
I would have seen this on HBO or Showtime sometime in the '80s. The plot that I saw (remember, I never saw the first part of the movie) was that someone was assembling a team of martial arts experts to go attack the villain of the film. I remember that one guy he recruits initially climbs down the outside of a building. (He also moves sideways without moving his feet, somehow.)
The plot seemed to involve a scientist who had developed some sort of mind control drug or something (I think). The villain had captured the scientist and was using the drug to coerce people into creating a “utopian” village somewhere (I think in Mexico). I remember that all of the people in the village were wearing this blue t-shirt with a symbol on the front and they were all working together to build this village. The villain was teaching them martial arts to defend themselves. (There was a scene of him training everyone with them standing on rocks and outcroppings and the like.) One of our hero’s recruits was the daughter of the scientist (I think).
The hero and his team infiltrate the village but it seems that the villain has brainwashed the team and they kill the hero. But, it was a trick and the hero rescues the scientist. At the end the villain tries to shoot someone (either the scientist or his daughter) and the hero leaps in at the last moment and deflects the bullet with a shovel. (There was a scene of the bullet flying in slo-motion and our hero rushing in.)
Yeah, I know it’s kind of vague but I’m hoping someone will recognize it. Anyone have any ideas?