The final feature film for the celebrated director J. Lee Thompson unfortunately isn't the kind of swan song that I'm sure many people would have preferred to see, but it delivers acceptable seedy entertainment. His final teaming with the almighty Charles Bronson features the actor as Lt. Crowe, an extremely angry vice detective with a vendetta against an especially depraved pimp, Duke (Juan Fernandez). Dukes' specialty is turning underage girls into prostitutes, so you can see how he'd raise a persons' ire. While this is going on, a Japanese man named Hiroshi Hada (James Pax) has arrived in L.A. with his family, and struggles to adjust to a different way of life where woman strive to be independent and not subservient.

There's the element of serious themes here. Not that they're explored all that well, but at least "Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects" is attempting to be more ambitious than the usual Thompson-Bronson-Cannon Group potboiler. It takes a look at the differences between American culture and Japanese culture of the times. It also gives Bronson a little more to work with by making his character an anti-Japanese xenophobe. But Thompson and screenwriter Harold Nebenzal do wallow in sleaze, much as Thompson did with the earlier Bronson collaboration "10 to Midnight". Some scenes are certain to make some viewers highly uncomfortable, especially as Hiroshis' daughter Fumiko (Kumiko Hayakawa) gets victimized over and over by Duke and his disgusting associates.

The movie is not without its silly pleasures. The most fun is seeing Lt. Crowe terrorize Duke and forcing the pimp to *swallow his own $25,000 watch*. The finale is pretty typical but reasonably rousing action movie stuff.

The supporting cast is good: Perry Lopez as Crowes' partner, Peggy Lipton as his wife, Sy Richardson as Dukes' most prominent henchman, Bill McKinney as a priest, Nicole Eggert as one of Dukes' girls, etc. Blink and you'll miss Danny Trejo, in one of his pre-stardom convict roles, near the end of the picture.

Overall, a trashy, fun action picture with an ending where you really feel, for once, that the bad guy is *really* going to get what he deserves.

Seven out of 10.

Well Bronson sure has a real scumbag to shake down in this film, KINJITE:FORBIDDEN SUBJECTS, in pimp Juan Fernández(whose name is Duke!)who seduces minors(mostly female 16 year olds)into becoming prostitutes for "wealthy perverts". He and partner, Eddie Rios(Perry Lopez)are assigned by their superior to find the teenage daughter of a Japanese businessman, Hiroshi Hada(James Pax),kidnapped by Duke and his vile associate, Lavonne(Sy Richardson). You see Duke and Lavonne drive down LA streets searching for "fresh stock", teenage runaways desperate for attention, luxuries, bed, board, and food, the amenities. Kids believe Duke only wants the best for them(as is the case when Bronson's detective Crowe questions the loyalties of one such prostitute played by a young Nicole Eggert who tells him the Duke is a good man, better than her step-father!)and so they hook for him and in return he gives them what they believe is "the good life." In J Lee Thompson's final film, KINJITE is obviously an indictment on the exploitation of teenage girls and how they are consumed by lecherous fiends who promise them great things in exchange for prostituting themselves. There's also a statement, through the character of Crowe, about the discontenting nature of festering racism..take the scene where Crowe becomes enraged with Japanese tourists and businessmen who he considers "invaders", buying up everything in America. This racism extends from an incident where Hiroshi himself "cops a feel" of Crowe's daughter while she and some of her friends are on board a bus heading home(Crowe doesn't know who it was exactly, just "some Oriental guy"). Thompson and company know how far to go and thank goodness Crowe's family isn't raped and murdered as was often the case in the Winner DEATH WISH movies. By '89 Bronson could no longer hide the fact that he was around 70 years old and that his geriatric cop hero roles were soon to be retired. Unbelievable as it might be, Bronson would actually return to his Kersey role five years later for DEATH WISH V, not to mention the A FAMILY OF COPS series, even as he was approaching 80! Fernandez is a really depraved kind of monster who actually gets off a bit easier than you'd think(hell, even a client of Fernandez, although off-screen, gets a dildo up his ass by Crowe!),though his fate is rather fitting. The subject matter for this film is really off-putting but relevant, and Thompson uses subtlety instead of elaborating in exact detail. Thompson's action-packed finale lets him go out with quite a bang as explosions and machine gun fire there are aplenty.

Lt. Crowe is a no nonsense aged cop who almost goes over the edge after his daughter is molested by an unidentified Asian male. As he battles to curb his anger and racial prejudices, Crowe knows he must focus on the job at hand, the safe return of a kidnapped child, and the arrest of a child prostitute pimp...........vengeance and duty are about to become an uneasy alliance.

Showing his aged years and looking frazzled around the edges, this is actually one of Charles Bronson's best performances. Casting Bronson as Crowe now looks like an inspired decision, Crowe is a man getting old as the world around him changes its ideals and principals, with Bronson stepping into character and grasping the irony of his career overview. Not that there is anything remotely sad about the work here, it's a Bronson film with Bronson kicking arse, his character's conflicting beliefs allowing Bronson put some emotional blood into Crowe's sinewy veins.

Personally, what i find most engaging with Kinjite is its duality centre, we root for Crowe as he thunders on in pursuit of the vile bastards who exploit children for their own and monetary ends, yet the confusion reigns as Crowe's racist slant towards Asians reaches fever pitch. It's safe to say that a lot of Bronson pictures are beef for beefs sake, but this really isn't an excuse for just throwing punches, or a Bronson working for food scenario. Don't get me wrong here, i would be a liar if i said this wasn't seeping with 80s sweat, it so is an 80s movie, but it's got balls the size of Bronson himself and perfectly captures the point of change for society and leading man alike.

Underseen, undervalued and most definitely worth a look, 6/10.