Wednesday, March 13, 2019

JAGUAR LIVES! - "Now Is The Time For A New Screen Hero" (1979)

Welcome to Wildcat Wednesday in The Dungeon!
I've been a longtime fan of boxing, kick boxing, and martial arts in general, but I never heard of this movie or it's star Joe Lewis until a couple of days ago!

  "Jaguar Lives!" came out a month after the birth of my first daughter in 1979, so I didn't have much time or money at the time. Our TV only got three channels, and I damn sure wasn't going to the movies!

  Jaguar and his partner and best buddy Cougar are on a mission to save the world!
Joe Lewis is Jaguar!
Joe Lewis is one of only five people to ever defeat Chuck Norris in the ring, and is considered to be one of the top three greatest kick-boxing champions in history!

 But they're just a couple of minutes too late!

 Cougar shoots Jaguar in the back before they can accomplish their goal, but despite the odds, Jaguar doesn't die, hence the title "Jaguar Lives!"

 Jaguar slowly works his way back into shape with help of his Sensai Woody Strode, when he learns that his old pal is dead!

 "Jaguar Lives!" might not be the best movie ever made, but it sure does have an amazing cast of characters like Barbara (The Spy Who Loved Me, Caveman) Bach!

 The always quirky and fun to watch Donald Pleasence is a big shot general of some third world cesspool!

 There are some interesting and novel fight scenes like this encounter with two of the General's men on motorcycles!

 Jaguar travels all over the world, and in each place he goes he encounters another world class star!

 All the big stars have small parts like John Huston as Ralph Richards! In a pretty tricky maneuver, John is one of five guest stars who had previously also appeared in James Bond movies!
The others are Barbara Bach, Donald Pleasence, Christopher Lee, and John Wiseman!

 Here's a couple of shots from another wild and wooly chase scene!!
Jaguar is on top of the car hanging on for his life as it careens through the streets!

 Not everything is as it seems!

The stunning Sally (Dr. Who, The Body Stealers) Faulker goes from lover to nun! She obviously has some honesty issues, so it should come as no surprise that she too, will also betray Jaguar!

Christopher Lee is not a man to ever be trifled with!

 Capucine of "Pink Panther" fame is looking as good as ever as the evil Zina Vanacore!

 Whip instructor to the stars and member of  "The International Knife Throwers Hall of Fame," Anthony De Longis is Cougar, aka Jaguar's worst nightmare!

"Jaguar Lives!" was shot in Spain, and the final fight scenes all happen at this wondrous place, the Belmonte, Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain or in English, The Belmonte Castle!
I found "Jaguar Lives!" to be a cool kitty, mildly entertaining, and more interesting than many films of this genre! It's actually perfect for a midweek diversion, if that's what you're in the market for!

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