An older draft of the screenplay (104 pages) had a slightly different outline in the details of the intrigue and had a more serious tone to it, less tongue in cheek.
Editor Michael Eliot was brought in by Warner Bros. for substantial re-editing to make the film faster after WB were unhappy with an early cut. He had performed the same job on Warner's other 1991 action film, Out for Justice (1991). Scenes cut included a different introduction to Kenner, and his former partner Yosuto, more of the Nelson character, played by Ernie Lively, more dramatic scenes between Lundgren and Lee and a scene after the opening gunfight at the underground boxing match where Kenner is chewed out by his superiors for all the mayhem he has caused.
All of the swords used in the film were replicas, with the exception of the one used by Dolph Lundgren's character when he slices through bundles of bamboo: this was an authentic samurai sword.
At the part where Kenner first goes into Yoshida's house and the first guy he "kills" by snapping his neck, he goes limp. In the next shot, his arm is up to help laying down on the deck.
One of Yoshida's henchmen is captured by Kenner and breaks his own neck in the police precinct. He is later seen in the room with Yoshida when he kills Angel.
What are the differences between the Rated and Unrated Version? What about the British Version?
A
The Unrated Version runs approx. 20 seconds longer than the original R-Rated Theatrical Version and features some brief moments of nudity and some mildly prolonged scenes of violence. This Unrated Version is not available in the States but in several other countries, e.g. Germany. A detailed comparison between both versions with pictures can be found here.The British Version is based on the Unrated Version but censored in three scenes in which a butterfly knife is used. Again, one can find a detailed comparison with pictures over here.