Expect to Die (1997) – Jalal Merhi.

Capable Kung Fu cops Blake (Merhi) and Stone (Evan Laurie) attempt to apprehend a crazed, monomaniacal virtual reality developer (David Bradley) whose failed AI system caused the death of a soldier. With Evan Lurie, Jalal Merhi, and David Bradley one would expect some righteous beatdowns, which excitingly, it does! The purloined plot & stock dialogue is unleavened B-grade bosh, but no one rewatches 90s DTV actioners for the enlightened poetry, it is the cathartic plenitude of bullet-blasted, bone-breaking, rib-wrecking action that keeps 'em coming back for more! Merhi is a competent genre filmmaker, a solid martial artist, and a one-dimensional actor, but he is ably supported by a quality cast, with studly Sensei David Bradley giving an energized performance as the axe-happy comic book baddie Dr. Vincent MacIntyre.

In reality, the VR inflected actioner Expect To Die provides more of a blazing bullet-bonanza than a relentless Martial arts spectacular, but the fights are certainly lively enough. Beefy B-Hero Evan Lurie is usually seen as 'sinisterly scowling henchman No3.', and he equips himself well as likeable, hard-hitting wiseacre cop Stone. Merhi's entertaining, competently made, (then) high-tech shoot 'em up 'Expect To Die' remains a pretty fun ride, and concludes rousingly in a slam bang Bradley/Merhi showdown. (Lazar Rockwood fans might also care to note that he makes a brief, yet inimitable, appearance.)

 “Game player, your time has come!!!”