The best action films from Mark Dacascos to take home

Many people know Mark Dacascos as the chairman of Food Network’s Iron Cook Americaa role he returns to this week as Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend comes to Netflix. But Dacascos is also one of the best on-screen fighters we’ve ever seen on our screens, delivering some foundational action performances throughout the ’90s and beyond that remain remarkable to this day.

Dacascos’ unique combination of charm and skill, coupled with his relaxed demeanor, set him apart from other martial arts stars of his day, like the much more intense Steven Seagal or Jean-Claude Van Damme. While he’s never had the chance to stardom like the other two, he’s recently had a wonderful little career boost by playing the main villain John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellumcasting a starring role in the solid Batman animated film Batman: Soul of the Dragonand He is reportedly joining the cast of Cinemax’s excellent martial arts television show warrior for its third season.

Dacascos was too one of the best job interviews about Scott Adkin’s excellent Art of Action interview series, in which he delves into his life and career. It’s worth your time.

While some of his best films (including the capoeira drama Only the strong and the live-action adaptation of Crying Freeman) are currently unavailable to watch at home, these three are, and they all rule while also delivering great displays of Dacascos’ talent.

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journey

Image: Simitar Entertainment

This is my personal favorite of the Dacascos movies and it made our list of our favorite martial arts movies to watch at home. in the journey, Dacascos plays a superman escaping a group of deadly assassins. His laid-back charm, good looks, and great martial arts skills fit the role of a bionic male. Along the way, he joins forces with a hapless songwriter (Kadeem Hardison) and a motelier (a very charming Brittany Murphy in an early role). —pete people

journey can be streamed for free with ads on Vudu, Tubi and Pluto TV.

Brotherhood of the Wolf

Image: Universal Pictures

Dacascos stars alongside Samuel Le Bihan in Christophe Gans’ 2001 martial arts action horror film Brotherhood of the Wolf as Mani, the formidable and ever-loyal Iroquois companion of Sir Grégoire de Fronsac, a knight and royal naturalist to King Louis XV. When the province of Gévaudan is besieged by a mysterious series of murders committed by an unknown creature, Fronsac and Mani are dispatched to investigate. What they find is a conspiracy that not only threatens the local population, but a conspiracy that could topple the French monarchy if not stopped.

Dacascos’ Mani is a noble warrior of few words and quick actions, the kind of guy who isn’t afraid to fight a band of sneaky fighters or a horrible armored monster. Seriously, this guy could have rivaled the Predator. If you love swashbuckling sword duels, martial arts fight scenes, cocked hats and Monica Bellucci (said nothing), Brotherhood of the Wolf is a must in the canon of Dacasco’s best performances. – Toussaint Egan

Brotherhood of the Wolf can be streamed on Shudder.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

Image: Lionsgate Home Entertainment

Dacascos was not originally intended to be the main villain in this film. According to his interview with Adkins (linked above), he was working with famed Shakespearean teacher Patsy Rodenburg when director Chad Stahelski asked him if he would be willing to make a cameo in the new John Wick film, perhaps with a line of dialogue and a short fight . Dacascos agreed, and when the actor originally set to play the villain dropped out of the role, it was our guy’s turn for a much meatier role.

The Wick series redefined modern action in many ways, and the third installment is the most martial arts-heavy of them all. It’s a change for the series that suits Dacascos well – he plays Zero, an assassin chasing Wick, and has a showstopper of an ending fight scene on a floor full of panes of glass. Filming for that scene took three to four weeks, Dacascos estimated, and he said he almost ran into one of those panes of glass about “half a dozen times.” —PV

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum can be rented from Amazon, Apple and Vudu.