Miami Connection 1987
Directed by
Y.K. Kim
Made by
Drafthouse Films
Miami Connection Plot Summary
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A cocaine deal in Miami is interrupted by a group of motorcycle-riding ninjas led by Yashito Si Y Jo, who steal the drugs and ride back to Orlando to party. At a club, Yashito’s close associate, Jeff William Ergle, spots his sister Jane Kathy Collier performing onstage. She has become involved with John Vincent Hirsch, the bassist of the club’s band, Dragon Sound, a tight-knit quintet of ethnically diverse college friends who live together, train Taekwondo, and attend the University of Central Florida. They are all orphans, bound by shared history and dedication to their craft.
Mark Y.K. Kim, the band’s rhythm guitarist, Taekwondo instructor, and something of a father-figure to the others, steps in as Jeff confronts John at school, trying to derail the romance. The tension within the club over Dragon Sound’s presence grows when a rival band challenges the venue’s owner for hiring them, only to be decisively beaten in the street by Dragon Sound’s disciplined martial skills. The rival gang, desperate, enlists Jeff to draw Dragon Sound into a bigger showdown at a train depot. The plan backfires; Dragon Sound defeats Jeff and his crew, and Jeff is killed in the clash, fueling Yashito’s thirst for revenge.
Meanwhile, Jim [Maurice Smith], the keyboardist, reveals that he is searching for his long-lost father. The group supports him as he grapples with the truth that he is not an orphan in the strict sense, and as word comes that his father might be found, the band pools their money to buy him a suit for a reunion. On their way to the airport to meet him, a new danger tightens its grip: Yashito and his ninja gang corner Mark, Jim, and John in a park, launching a brutal pursuit. A fierce battle erupts, with Jim sustaining serious injuries, yet Mark and John hold their ground against the attackers and manage to kill all of the ninjas. In the end, Mark confronts Yashito in single combat and emerges victorious, ending the immediate threat.
The aftermath shifts to a hospital, where Jim clings to life and finally reconnects with the father he had been seeking, a moment of reconciliation that offers a quiet counterpoint to the film’s earlier bursts of action. Throughout these intertwined events, Dragon Sound’s bond remains the throughline: a group of friends who lean on each other, channel their training into controlled, astonishing displays of skill, and navigate loyalty, love, and threat in a world that tests them at every turn. Their journey—from street confrontations to personal revelations—paints a portrait of resilience, family, and the quiet power of a shared dream, all set against a soundtrack that underscores their unity and their relentless pursuit of a place where they truly belong.
Miami Connection Timeline
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Ninjas interrupt a Miami cocaine deal
A cocaine deal in Miami is interrupted by Yashito and his motorcycle-riding ninjas who steal the drugs. They ride back toward Orlando to party with their haul. The theft sets in motion a chain of events that drags Dragon Sound into a larger conflict.
Jane performs and attracts Jeff's attention
At the club in Orlando, Jane takes the stage and captures the eye of Jeff, Yashito's close associate. She has become romantically involved with John, Dragon Sound's bassist, which fuels Jeff's disapproval. The scene sets up personal tensions that will spill over later.
Jeff confronts John at school
Jeff confronts John at school, challenging the relationship and signaling a widening rift between the gang and Dragon Sound. Mark, the band's Taekwondo instructor and father-figure, steps in to defend John. The confrontation foreshadows escalating conflicts.
Rival band clashes with Dragon Sound
Another band confronts the club owner over hiring Dragon Sound and a confrontation erupts. Dragon Sound defeats the rival group with their Taekwondo prowess, establishing their dominance. The tension between groups intensifies the conflict surrounding the club.
Rival band recruits Jeff for a depot fight
Seeking revenge, the rival band enlists Jeff to summon Dragon Sound for a fight at a train depot. Dragon Sound defeats Jeff and his gang with superior martial arts, cementing their reputation. The loss fuels Jeff's further desperation.
Jeff kidnaps Tom
Jeff escalates by kidnapping Tom, Dragon Sound's lead guitarist and singer, to cripple the band. The kidnapping heightens the stakes and pushes Dragon Sound toward a bold rescue mission. The group must act quickly to save their friend.
Dragon Sound rescues Tom; Jeff is killed
The remaining band members stage a daring rescue and free Tom. In the ensuing confrontation, Jeff is accidentally killed, leaving a power vacuum and deepening the vendetta against the band. Dragon Sound emerges more determined to survive the threats around them.
Yashito swears revenge on Dragon Sound
Angered by Jeff's death, Yashito sets out to avenge his associate by targeting Dragon Sound. He gather his ninja gang and plans a broader assault on the band. The pursuit widens beyond the club to a wider conflict.
Jim learns his father is alive
Jim reveals he has been searching for his long-lost father and receives word that he has been located. The band pools their money to buy him a suit, preparing for a reunion at the airport. The revelation shifts the group's focus toward family and belonging.
Dragon Sound moves toward the airport
With news of Jim's father, Dragon Sound heads to the airport to meet him, uniting the band through a shared hope. The journey serves as a calm interlude amid ongoing threats from Yashito and his ninjas. The members cling to each other as family.
Ninjas corner the band in a park
Yashito and his gang corner Mark, Jim, and John and chase them into a park for a final showdown. Jim is critically injured during the clash, but John and Mark respond with decisive martial prowess. They kill all the ninjas, and Mark delivers the killing blow to Yashito.
Jim reunites with his repentant father
In a hospital bed, Jim survives his injuries and reconnects with his repentant father. The reunion offers a rare moment of healing for the tightly-knit Dragon Sound crew. The film closes on a note of fragile hope and chosen family.
Miami Connection Characters
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Mark (Y.K. Kim)
Rhythm guitarist and Taekwondo instructor who serves as the band’s de facto father-figure. He mentors the others, keeps their group cohesive under pressure, and confronts threats with calm leadership. His guidance helps the five friends navigate danger, loyalty, and the responsibilities of being a band on the rise.
John (Vincent Hirsch)
Bassist of Dragon Sound and a trusted ally. He is romantically involved with Jane, stands by his friends, and contributes to the band's resilient dynamic. He helps keep their music and dreams intact even when danger closes in.
Jane (Kathy Collier)
A club performer who becomes involved with John. Her relationship with John strains with family tensions and rivalry, placing her at the center of the protective circle around Dragon Sound.
Jim (Maurice Smith)
Keyboardist who unexpectedly reveals his search for his long-lost father, adding a personal quest to the band’s story and deepening the sense of family among the group.
Tom (Angelo Janotti)
Lead guitarist and lead singer whose kidnapping triggers the rescue mission. He’s a core member whose safety becomes a rallying point for the band’s unity.
Yashito (Si Y Jo)
Leader of the ninja antagonists who seeks revenge after Jeff's death. His pursuit pushes Dragon Sound into direct confrontation and high-stakes battles.
Jeff (William Ergle)
Antagonist who clashes with Dragon Sound and Kim’s guidance. He engineers conflicts, kidnaps Tom, and meeting a violent end after his schemes unravel.
Miami Connection Settings
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Location
Miami, Florida, Orlando, Florida
The film shifts between Miami's neon-lit club culture and a college-town atmosphere around Orlando, where Dragon Sound trains Taekwondo and pursues music. In Miami, a cocaine deal and a ninja heist raise the stakes and pull the band into street-level conflict. Orlando serves as the home base for Dragon Sound's five-member, diverse college crew, balancing study, friendship, and martial-arts discipline.
Miami Connection Themes
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Friendship & Family
Dragon Sound members are orphans who form a makeshift family, relying on each other through danger. Mark acts as a father-figure and mentor to the younger bandmates, guiding them with discipline and care. The story emphasizes loyalty, mutual support, and the idea that family can be chosen, not born. When outside threats escalate, their bond is their strongest defense.
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Martial Arts
Taekwondo training under Mark shapes how the group handles confrontations, showing that technique and timing can level the odds. The clashes at a train depot and in a park showcase choreographed combat driven by discipline rather than brute force. The ninjas' pursuit raises the stakes and tests the band's skills. The resolution reaffirms that controlled martial arts can protect friends and outsmart aggressors.
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Music & Identity
Dragon Sound's identity as a diverse five-member band is central to the plot, balancing ambition with camaraderie. Their stage presence and on-going band dynamics intersect with romance, rivalry, and danger in a club setting. The University of Central Florida context adds a collegiate, aspirational backdrop to their songs and dreams. The music acts as both glue that binds them and lure for conflict.
Miami Connection Spoiler-Free Summary
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In a sun‑blazing Miami that feels more like an untamed jungle than a modern city, the rhythm of the streets is a chaotic mix of neon‑lit clubs, the roar of motorcycle engines, and the echo of martial‑arts kiais. The film paints this world with a kinetic, almost comic‑book flair, where the pulse of a rock riff can be heard alongside the clatter of swords, and danger lurks behind every palm‑tree shadow. The tone swings between over‑the‑top action and flamboyant musical spectacle, inviting the viewer to wonder how far youthful rebellion can stretch before it snaps.
At the heart of that maelstrom is Dragon Sound, a tight‑knit quintet of university friends who have turned their campus life into a living, breathing performance art. United by a shared past of loss, they share a cramped house, a rehearsal space, and a disciplined practice of Taekwondo that doubles as both defense and choreography. Their music is more than a hobby; it’s the glue that holds the group together and the banner they raise against the city’s relentless chaos.
Mark serves as the rhythm guitarist and unofficial patriarch, teaching his bandmates the same focus they bring to their martial‑arts drills. Jim, the keyboardist, hides a quieter quest, searching for the father he never knew, a thread that adds emotional depth to the group’s outward bravado. John, the bassist, finds his own resonance in a budding romance with Jane, a vocalist whose own aspirations intersect with the band’s dream. Hovering on the periphery is Yashito, the charismatic leader of a motorcycle‑riding ninja gang that has claimed the state’s underworld as its own, a threat that looms as both a physical and symbolic antithesis to the band’s ideals.
Against this backdrop of glittering clubs, gritty back‑alleys, and relentless beats, the story teases a clash where music and martial skill collide. The stakes are high, the style is unapologetically bold, and the bonds forged on stage may just be the most potent weapon in a city that never sleeps.
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