Good story, Not enough for a whole film

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

A towering testament to amateurism and a laughable movie from start to finish, let's delve into - The Miami Connection!Firstly, as far as bad movies go this is one of the best. Period. What we have here with The Miami Connection is one of the ultimate examples of when sheer enthusiasm exceeds talent many times over. The brainchild of one Y.K. Kim (karate expert and in-demand motivational speaker) who as you'll notice back when this was made in 1986, could barely speak English and he routinely butchers his lines, in fact he has some worst sounding speech you'll ever hear in any movie. However with the way that this movie rolls, it doesn't really seem to matter much, as the plots of martial arts films are never complicated affairs. It must be said when speaking of The Miami Connection and terrible acting, well... Y.K. Kim had plenty of company, because the movies entire cast is comprised of virtually nothing but amateur actors, who have a minimal amount skill or experience and that fact is proved to be true in every single scene of the movie. Think of The Miami Connection as a master class of terrible acting. One of the big dilemma's that this movie creates in the wake of it's sheer awesomeness is picking a favorite scene. Is it the fight scenes that involve ninjas on motor-cycles or is it the rip-roaring "Dragon Sound" scenes, which showcases Y. K. Kim and his band-mates jamming, while showing off their laughably lame skills of pretending to play bad music. When you watch The Miami Connection your subconscious will constantly be telling you "Only in the 80's" over and over again and to such an extent that this movie seems like a time-portal to the 80's; because in virtually every scene there's at least one or two things that directly ties it to the 80's, such as clothing, hair-styles, music, movie references, cars, and let's not forget that the 80's where the golden era of ninja flicks and The Miami Connection is absolutely crawling with ninjas! I also find it impossible not to be stricken by a few Miami Vice flashbacks when watching this ridiculous movie (particularly the opening sequence), so once again The Miami Connection draws up yet another 80's parallel, this film racks them up like no other. I won't bother to go into the plot, it's nothing more then a generic power-struggle, that centers around their band and a certain romantic relationship that causes friction with a rival gang, but to it's credit it does seem to have a bit more going on, plot-wise, then most other martial arts films. Another great thing about this movie, is the high degree of camaraderie that freely flows between Y. K. Kim and his fellow band-mates, together they exude an irrepressible spirit, that's equally matched by the bands infectious, no-holds-barred enthusiasm for their music and it's quite obvious that their a very tightly-knit group. One could say Dragon Sound offers up a glowing example of what a true band mentality is all about. ROCK ON!!! Even if their music does suck.....To mention a few more specifics about this awesome icon of crap cinema, I urge you to sit back and observe the acting of Jack McLaughlin whose credited as "Old Rock Band Leader", he's hard to miss because he's the loudest and angriest guy in the movie. I hold the opinion that he's also the worst actor ever, watch this movie and you'll see what I mean. Also be ready for this movies "Totally 80's" soundtrack, which is composed of a laughably bad collection of 80's rock/pop songs. My favorite cut (apart from Dragon Sound's own incomparably awesome musical statements) would have to be "Tough Guys", which is the tune heard during the biker rally scene, about in hour into the movie. Now that song utterly oozes with sweat, grit and badboy swagger - definitely the type of tune that'll put hair on your chest. In light of all the sarcastic admiration that this movie inspires, I almost forgot to mention the fact that there are a lot of genuinely good martial arts on display throughout the movie. Y.K. Kim and a few others are multiple-degree black belts and their fight choreography often shines - just don't expect Mr. Kim to be the second coming of Bruce Lee, no risk of that being the case. From a merchandising angle, one that's highly limited I suspect, the soundtrack to the movie is available on CD but better yet I've also seen, hilariously enough, some action figures that are based directly off the films characters! Unfortunately, I believe those were essentially prototypes, that were never produced in any great number, which when you apply stone-sober logic to the matter, makes sense, because who in their right mind would invest a lot of money in a toy-line that's based on The Miami Connection. But if your're a big fan of this movie, as I am, those action figures are a great and awesomely nostalgic sight to behold.Lastly, for those seeking additional laughter, I highly recommend that you watch the "Rifftrax:Live" edition of The Miami Connection, for it is undoubtedly the ultimate incarnation of this movie.

Plot; Cocaine smuggling ninjas battle a rock band of taekwondo masters in the neon-soaked streets of Miami.Nothing quite says "80s" like ninjas and cocaine, but rarely do we get them both together in the same film. Miami Connection is notorious for being one of the best "So bad it's good" films of all-time. Unearthed by the folks at Alamo Draft House in '09, it's since been restored and released to the public to many laughs and genuine critical acclaim.The amateurish production values and cringe-worthy acting certainly make Miami Connection a hoot to watch, but what makes it sing is that at its core beats a sincerely earnest heart. On one side you have cocaine and ninjas and nonstop martial arts action with doses of gratuitous nudity thrown in for good measure, and then on the other you have this infectious enthusiasm from all involved that gives the entire affair a likability often absent in the genre.This is by no means great cinema, but it makes a promise of cocaine, rock 'n roll and ninjas and delivers in spades.

Loyalty. Honesty. We'll stay together through thick or thin. Friends forever, we'll be together. We're on top 'cause we play to win.The words reverberate through your thoughts, challenging the underlying foundation of your modern day belief system, and make you question existence itself.Welcome to "Miami Connection".The films producer, and leading role, YK Kim, was a savvy entrepreneur who enjoyed success in Central Florida in the 80's teaching martial arts. He wrote and co-directed this film on his own dime, and this masterpiece is a shining example of what can be achieved when one knows Tae Kwon Do and is ready for a good time.It's no secret that 1980's Florida was a haven for cocaine drug trafficking. Hollywood attempted to glorify it with TV shows like Miami Vice, and with films like Scarface. But nothing captures this moment in time and raises a huge independent middle finger to the powers that be in Hollywood like "Miami Connection".While scholars will argue the misdirection created by the films title, let's once and for all set the tone and clear the air. Bad guys: Miami - Good Guys: Orlando.It was true then, and it's still true to this day.To truly understand the gravity this film creates, first one must fully understand the essence of it's main characters.Dragon Sound is one jam-tastic rock band whose instruments don't match the synthesizer-laden sounds they make (who cares because the 80's were confusing) and throw it down frequently at Central Florida's hottest night club. (at the time I think it is called The Edge, or maybe JJ Whispers). And the bad guys are super upset because the owner of the night club is letting Dragon Sound play instead of their band. Within a few moments of hearing Dragon Sound play, its evidently clear as to why they have been supplanted. Disrupting the bad guys drug trade, as well as everything else is an afterthought. Herein lies the beauty of this masterpiece.If you are familiar with Orlando, this film will resonate eternal. Church Street, middle of the night, gang fight involving poured beer, taunts, convertibles, and action that gets spilled over onto Magnolia. "That Son of a B! Right There!" Who knew that in the 80's, the owner of Station 441 was a bad dude Korean that wore a Mickey Mouse apron and beat down punks who tried to skip out on their bill? All that's missing is Mama B's!Its all about a regional bearded crime boss named Jeff, and fingerless gloves, mullets, biker gangs paid in beer, slow motion Bruce Lee sequences , cocaine, shirtless Tae Kwon Do rock bands, tough guys, making dreams come true, aviator shades, borderline racist daddy issues, grape feeding, asking what you have in the bank, "Against the Ninjas" ala Pat Benatar, uninhibited butchering of the English language, Mid-rif t-shirts and Sport Coats, the University of Central Florida, and ninjas on motorcycles blocking your route to the airport.The musical score really stands out in this movie. One cant help but love the dark wave 80's synthesizers playing out in the train scene.YK Kim is the 1980's version of Leonardo Da Vinci. "Masterpiece" is a term that barely scrapes the surface. The International Programming Contest results are in! We made fourth place. MAKE SOME NOISE!!!If you are young, old, male, female, doesn't matter. Stop everything going on in your life. Put it all on pause and prepare yourself for the life changing experience you are about to embark upon...Miami CONNECTION

It doesn't take long into watching "Miami Connection" to come up with a sizeable list of various kinds of ineptness to be found in it. But I want to start off by listing a few positive things about the movie. It is well photographed and lit, including the night sequences. Plus, the themes of friendship and loyalty found in the movie are commendable. And I can't say that the movie is *boring*. But more often than not, the movie gets away from being boring by being amusingly inept. The acting is incredibly bad; it's easy to see that none of the cast is a professional actor. The fight sequences are awkward. The songs are awful, but catchy enough that you won't be able to get them out of your head. And don't let me get started on the motorcycle ninjas! Is this a classic so bad that it's good movie? In my opinion, no - it isn't *quite* that aggressive in its badness. But with modern so bad that they're good movies being nearly impossible to find these days, this is adequate enough to feed your appetite for cinematic silliness.