''Cage'' is a 1989 American

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

starring

Reb Brown Common meanings * Johnny Reb, personification of a Confederate soldier in the American Civil War * Reb (Yiddish), an honorific title for a teacher People * Reb Anderson (born 1943), American Zen Buddhist teacher and writer * Reb Beach (born 1963), ...

and

Lou Ferrigno Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr. (; born November 9, 1951) is an American actor and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles; and appeared in the documentar ...

Plot

A GI in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

saves his buddy's life, but in the process is shot in the head. The injury results in brain damage to the point where he basically has a child's brain in a (very large) man's body. When they get out of the army the two open up a bar together, but some local gangsters make things tough for them after they refuse to take part in brutal "cage" matches where fighters battle to the point of serious injury and/or death.

Cast

as Billy Thomas *

as Scott Monroe *

Michael Dante Michael Dante (born Ralph Vitti; September 2, 1931) is an American actor and former professional minor league baseball player. Early life Dante was born Ralph Vitti in Stamford, Connecticut. Growing up, he would sneak into a local movie theater ...

as Tony Baccola * Mike Moroff as Mario * Marilyn Tokuda as Morgan Garrett *

Al Leong Albert Leong (born September 30, 1952), also known as Al "Ka Bong" Leong, is an American stuntman and actor. Characterized by his martial arts skills (including Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Kali, and Jujutsu), long wavy hair, and a pro ...

as Tiger Joe *

James Shigeta James Saburo Shigeta ( ja, 繁田三郎) (June 17, 1929 – July 28, 2014) was an American actor of Japanese descent. He was noted for his roles in ''The Crimson Kimono'' (1959), '' Walk Like a Dragon'' (1960), ''Flower Drum Song'' (1961), ...

as Tin Lum Yin *

Branscombe Richmond Branscombe Richmond is an American character actor and stuntman. He is known for his starring role of Bobby Sixkiller on the American syndicated drama series, ''Renegade'' (1992–1997), and for his starring roles on the television series, ''Ha ...

as Diablo *

Tiger Chung Lee or Kim Duk ( ko, 김 덕/金徳) (born February 7, 1948) is a retired Zainichi-Korean professional wrestler, better known under his ring name . He was also known by the name Tiger Chung Lee in the World Wrestling Federation. Early life Masan ...

as Chang *

Al Ruscio Al Ruscio (June 2, 1924 – November 12, 2013) was an American character actor who appeared in numerous television shows and films. Early life Ruscio was born in Salem, Massachusetts on June 2, 1924. He graduated from Salem High School, after ...

as Costello * Daniel Martine as Mono * Rion Hunter as Chao Tung * Dana Lee as Pang * Maggie Mae Miller as Meme *

Paul Sorensen Paul Sorensen (February 16, 1926 – July 17, 2008) was an American film, theater and television actor who appeared in hundreds of roles during his career, including ''The Brady Bunch'' and ''Dallas''. He was frequently cast in westerns or as ...

as Matt *

Danny Trejo Danny Trejo ( ; born May 16, 1944) is an American actor. He has appeared in films including ''Desperado'', ''Heat'', and the ''From Dusk Till Dawn'' film series. With frequent collaborator and his second cousin Robert Rodriguez, he portrayed ...

as Costello's Bodyguard (uncredited)

Pre-production

When cast,

did extensive research on underground cage match-style fighting, soldier life after injuries, and

PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...

did not.

Reception

The film received a modest reception from critics. Kevin Thomas of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' called it "an exceptionally stylish and dynamic martial-arts movie". Ferrigno noted in his interview for ''Charleston City Paper'': "Personally, my favorite dramatic role was in a movie I did with Reb Brown called ''Cage''."

References

External links

* * 1989 films 1989 martial arts films American martial arts films Martial arts tournament films Underground fighting films Vietnam War films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films {{martialart-film-stub