''It's The Only Way To Survive''

Jaguar Lives - 1979

JAGUAR LIVES

Our first in our reviews to tie in with our Tribute and Retrospective of Martial Arts Legend Joe Lewis, who passed away on the 31st August 2012.

If you’re into Martial Arts, then the name Joe Lewis will be known to you. Lewis was named the Greatest Karate Fighter of our time not just once but twice.

But how many of you know Joe Lewis starred in a few movies too? Made in 1979, this was Joe Lewis's first starring role; he would play Jonathan Cross, codenamed the Jaguar.

The film also starred a host of well-known actors and actresses, including Christopher Lee, Donald Pleasence, Anthony Delongis, Barbara Bach, and a cameo by John Houston.

Playing like some James Bond story, the film would show our hero in various locations around the world as he attempts to stop an arch-criminal by the name of Esteban, who's trafficking drugs worldwide.

It looks like that the viewer is in for a roller coaster ride of action and fights as The Jaguar must infiltrate the strongholds of top crime lords who are in league with the mysterious Esteban. The film starts with The Jaguar and his colleague Bret on a mission, but when his pal Bret gets killed in an explosion, upset by events, The Jaguar goes back home to train with his master (played by Woody Strode in a minor role), but when news of an international drug organisation led by one Estaban and one which could lead him to discover who killed his friend and partner Bret.

But this is where the film lets itself down; with so much globe-trotting from one continent to another, it leaves little time for the flimsy story to take hold.

One minute you’re in South America where Donald Pleasence is playing some dictator, and then back in Europe with Capucine portraying the sensuous Diva who's got her finger on the button in the know-how department.

Each of these events is just set up so The Jaguar can have an action scene where he gets to battle some bad guys, all well and good, if only these scenes were filmed with some kind of passion would have helped.

And even though Master Lewis was the man in charge of action in the movie, if you’re only given fodder to fight against, how can you show what you’re really capable of?

The action scenes in the Far East fared better as a result of help from the likes of Shaw Brothers in Hong Kong and Toho in Japan. The area of the film with Christopher Lee as old friend and Eastern crime lord Adam Caine is entertaining but short-lived.

Caine captures the Jaguar with the help of Esteban and puts him into a game he has devised where he must battle various fighters with and without weapons; if he gets through it, He can leave.

The idea is cool enough but still could have had some better camera work, and the aid of better opponents would have helped.

Of course, the Jaguar survives, and his trail leads him back to South America, where Esteban is celebrating his accomplishments, but he did not envisage the arrival of The Jaguar, gate-crashing his party. But then The Jaguar is in for a surprise of his own when he meets Esteban (whose identity has been hidden throughout the film ), but then you all knew who he would be, didn't you?

The end battle with Esteban ( Anthony Delongis) is quite entertaining; this is partly due to Delongis being an expert Fencer in real life, and their battle with trident-type weapons is quite cool!

Of note, Anthony Delongis played opposite Jet Li in Fearless as the sword-wielding opponent.

So, as an introduction to Film Jaguar, Lives was OK compared to, say, the early vehicles of say Chuck Norris, like Breaker, Breaker, or Good Guys Wear Black.

Though I think Good Guys Wear Black has the edge here. It's crazy, really, when you think that it could have been Lewis in Bruce Lee's Way of the Dragon instead of Norris. According to Hong Kong Cinema expert Bey Logan, Joe Lewis was Bruce's first choice to play Colt, but for whatever reason, whether it was a scheduling issue or something else, Chuck Norris ended up being offered the part.

It just goes to show that life is like a pivot; swing the wrong way, and it can change forever. If Joe Lewis was in The Way of the Dragon, then I think we may have seen Joe in The Expendables 2.

Review Date: 03-09-2012

Reviewed by: Sertes Nake

Updated September 2026