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Poster for Only the Strong

Only the Strong

1993 · 99 min

A lively, earnest martial-arts drama with energetic capoeira sequences and a feel-good story of tough kids finding discipline and hope.

Directed by
Sheldon Lettich
Genres
Action, Drama
Tagline
The ultimate martial art.
Overview
Former Green Beret Louis Stevens returns to his hometown of Miami after completing military service in Brazil, only to learn that his old high school has become a haven for gangs and drug dealers. After Stevens uses his capoeira skills to kick several drug dealers off of the school property, Kerrigan, one of Stevens' old teachers, sees the impact that Stevens has on the students. Kerrigan gives him the task of teaching Capoeira to a handful of the worst at-risk students at the school.

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Directed by
Sheldon Lettich
Genres
Action, Drama
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • upliftingstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing
brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
easy-watch, 2 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • redemption
  • found family
  • coming-of-age
  • violence
  • education
Places
  • big city
  • school
Era
contemporary
Audience
teen
Form
  • ensemble
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action8
Horror1
Humour3
Realism6
Romance2
Tension5
Darkness4
Complexity3
Emotional weight5

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Cast

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