Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa recently passed away, but he left behind a legacy of exciting films. Most audiences will recognize him as the soul-eating Shang Tsung of 1995’s Mortal Kombat. They might even know him as the bad guy from 1991’s Showdown in Little Tokyo.
But there’s more to Tagawa than that video game adaptation and buddy cop flick. His filmography includes plenty more action films, many of which might’ve gone overlooked. Honor the late Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa by revisiting some of his more underrated roles.
6
‘The Phantom’
During a decade when superheroes were becoming popular at the theater, Lee Falk’s The Phantom graced the big screen. While Billy Zane played the purple-themed superhero, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa played the supporting role of The Great Kabai Sengh. As a pirate who possesses one of the valuable ancient skulls, Kabai Sengh does battle with The Phantom in an exciting fight sequence featuring swords, fists, and sharks.
The Phantom became a cult film of the 1990s, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa played a role in that. His pirate character meshed perfectly into this movie’s attempt to recapture the classic swashbuckling nature of old-school comic book heroes. While it’s no Tim Burton’s Batman, the film is worth a watch for the sword duel between a masked Zane and mustachioed Tagawa.
5
‘Danger Zone’
If The Phantom didn’t give you enough Billy Zane and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa action, Danger Zone might quench that thirst, especially since it was released the same year. This time, Tagawa takes a more prominent villain role as the rogue agent Mr. Chang. As for Zane, he plays miner Rick Morgan, framed for a mercenary attack. He’ll team up with an ex-CIA agent played by Robert Downey Jr. to get revenge and clear his name in this thrilling adventure.
Danger Zone is an underrated action picture starring Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Robert Downey Jr, and Billy Zane. Tagawa playing a conniving rebel leader in a beret was a refreshing change of pace from his typical martial arts roles. Watching him battle Zane and Downey Jr. in fight scenes featuring helicopters, trains, and rebel groups made for an explosive action picture.
4
‘Tekken’
Based on the hit fighting video game series, Tekken features Tagawa playing the franchise’s central antagonist, Heihachi Mishima. As the evil chairman of the Tekken corporation, he’s the target of revenge for Jin Kazama (Jon Foo). But when Heihachi’s son, Kazuya (Ian Anthony Dale), seizes control of the corporation, Heihachi becomes an unlikely ally in the many fights ahead.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa fit the role of Heihachi well, fully embracing one of the goofiest haircuts from the Tekken games. The film is as absurd as one would expect, given similar adaptations like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter from the 1990s. Having Tagawa return for another ridiculous fighting game movie felt appropriate. It’s not every actor who can claim they’ve been an iconic video game villain in two different franchises.
3
‘The Man with the Iron Fists 2’
Even in his older years, Tagawa could still jump into action with The Man with the Iron Fists 2. The sequel finds him playing the evil Lord Pi, stealing chi and seeking the Golden Nectar. Serving also as a sinister Mayor, he becomes a vicious opponent for the heroic Thaddeus Henry Smith (RZA) and Li Kung (Dustin Nguyen).
Although not as loaded with a notable cast as the previous film, The Man with the Iron Fists 2 did give us a few more Tagawa fight scenes. It’s a lower-budget and direct-to-video affair, but it does feature some brutal fights, including one underwater. It’s also cool to see a film where RZA and Tagawa duke it out in bloody combat.
2
‘Kickboxer 2’
The sequel to Kickboxer might’ve lost Jean-Claude Van Damme, but it gained Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as the stylish villain. Tagawa plays Sanga, the manager of the defeated Tong Po, who is willing to use any underhanded tactic to secure victory. His sinister plans include burning down a gym and bringing a gun into the ring.
Kickboxer 2 establishes Tagawa’s villain as evil from the outset, showing him killing the previous film’s hero, Kurt, shortly after his victory. Although this is a convenient way to write Van Damme out of the sequel, it does establish Tagawa as a real threat. While Cary-Hiroyuki doesn’t engage in the brutal matches between Sasha Mitchell and Michel Qissi, he does serve well as the greedy, gun-toting businessman willing to win at any cost.
1
‘Kubo and the Two Strings’
The Laika animation studio delivered its most action-packed feature film with Kubo and the Two Strings. Set in feudal Japan, the film follows the young Kubo on a quest to avenge his parents and defeat the evil Moon King. Doing so will require the help of a macaque and a stag beetle, who aid him in his dangerous journey to attain legendary weapons.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa has a minor but fitting role in Kubo and the Two Strings as a villager. Although most voice actors in this Japanese-set stop-motion film were not Japanese, a handful of authentic Japanese voices were included. Tagawa fit in right alongside George Takei and others populating the village portion of the picture.