On October 10th, 2017, Lionsgate is releasing the DVD for Miguel A. Ferrer’s (not to be confused with the late actor from Robocop) Female Fight Squad(read our review), a new MMA film starring Amy Johnston (Lady Bloodfight), Dolph Lundgren (Skin Trade) and Cortney Palm (Bond: Kizuna).
Female Fight Squad(previously known as Female Fight Club) is the gritty tale of Rebecca (Johnston), a female fighter who abandons the ring after a brutal tragedy. When her sister Kate (Palm) begs for help to repay a deadly debt, Rebecca enters the world of illegal underground fighting and resumes the role of “Bex the Beast.” While training Kate’s team, Rebecca must confront the cruel, dangerous promoter who threatens her sister’s life — and that of her frail young daughter.
Back in the oughts, before Hollywood became bankrolled by superhero franchises and endless reboots, the industries former money maker came from a seemingly endless stream of Americanised remakes of Asian movies. From horror (especially horror!) to action flicks to comedies, the list quickly became exhaustive, with fans of the originals rarely having anything positive to say about the Hollywood versions.
However one aspect of the remake machine that rarely gets as much attention, is when countries within the Asia region itself remake their own movies. Just like Hollywood believed that a western audience would rather watch a western (re: Caucasian) cast, so countries like Japan, Korea, and India have followed the same thinking, that local audiences would also be more likely to watch local stars than check out the foreign original.
To cast a light on these often overlooked remakes, we’ve put together a list of 20 original movies, and their respective remakes, for you to check out. We’ve decided not to include any movies which were remade within their own country, so for example Korea’s The Housemaid (1960 and 2010) isn’t included, nor is Hong Kong’s A Better Tomorrow (1986 and 2017). However A Better Tomorrow and its Korean remake, are included.
For full disclosure, while I’ve seen a large number of the movies on the list, I haven’t seen all of them (and probably never will). With that in mind, this feature isn’t meant as a review of each production, but rather to draw attention to the movies that you perhaps didn’t realise were remakes, or as the case may be, movies that you didn’t realise had been remade. So without further ado, let’s get started, listed in the order of the most recently released remake to the oldest.
Not only is Johnnie To’s 2013 crime thriller set to get a Hollywood remake, but director Lee Hae-yeong has also signed up to direct a Korean remake as well. To’s original was both a masterful piece of action filmmaking, but also a masterclass in how a few subtle decisions allowed the Mainland censorship board let various controversial scenes pass without incident. To’s most ingenious decision was having the identities of the drug lords revealed to be almost the entire stable of Milkyway’s Hong Kong actors, something that China was most likely delighted with. The Korean remake won’t have to suffer such cinematic political manoeuvring, but here’s hoping it maintains the high levels of tension and action aesthetic of the original. At this early stage it’s already been announced that Cho Jin-woong will be stepping into the shoes of Sun Hong-Lei, and Ryu Jun-yeol will be taking on Louis Koo’s role.
A Hard Day (2014 – Korea) Peace Breaker (2017 – China)
Due to hit Chinese screens in summer 2017, one of the most surprising entries on the list, thanks to its morally ambiguous subject matter, is China’s remake of the 2013 Korean hit A Hard Day. The original was an underdog hit both in Korea and overseas, starring Lee Sun-kyun as a cop who commits a fatal hit and run on the way to his mother’s funeral, and his subsequent attempts to hide the body. Filled with equal measures of dark humour and suspense, we can already safely say that the China version will need to change the ending in order to get past the Mainland censors. The remake will be helmed by Lien Yi-Chi, and comes with the significant star power of casting Aaron Kwok in the role that Sun-kyun plays in the original. It’ll be interesting to see if the remake can match the terrific pacing and performances of Kim Seong-hun’s tightly knit original, but for now only time will tell.
Confession of Murder (2012 – Korea) Memoirs of a Murderer (2017 – Japan)
Another remake set for a summer 2017 release, is Irie Yu’s version of Korea’s 2012 thriller Confession of Murder. The original centred around the offbeat concept of a serial killer, that was never able to be caught, releasing a bestselling book confessing to the murders just as the statute of limitations is about to expire. However more so than the plot, the highlight was it being the directorial debut of Seoul Action School graduate Jeong Byeong-gil, who imbued proceedings with a surprising amount of creative action sequences. With Nippon TV financing the remake, we can already expect that the violence of the original will be significantly toned down, as most Japanese TV studios get into financing movies so that they can be shown on their respective channels. Whether what’s left will add up to a worthy remake is questionable, but we’ll know soon enough.
Miss Granny (2014 – Korea) 20 Once Again (2015 – China) Sweet 20 (2015 – Vietnam) Suspicious Girl (2016 – Japan) Suddenly 20 (2016 – Thailand)
Currently untitled remakes set for release in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines in 2017
Proving just how popular Korean comedies are in Asia, director Hwang Dong-hyeok’s 2014 feature Miss Granny, about a 74 year old widow who suddenly finds herself back in her 20 year old body, has been remade so many times in just 3 years that the number is already in double figures. The only movie to rival it is My Sassy Girl (detailed further down the list). In fairness, it’s easy to see why, with a universally appealing story of someone living in their twilight years, suddenly thrust into their younger self’s body. While all of the remakes have appealed to their local audiences, arguably none have matched the charm of the original, with a pair of stellar performances from Nah Moon-hee and Shim Eun-kyung, playing the older and younger versions respectively. Still, that’s not going to stop the fact that English, Spanish, and German versions are all currently scheduled for production.
The Man from Nowhere (2010 – Korea) Rocky Handsome (2016 – India)
How do you turn one of the more violent and gritty action flicks to come out of Korea in recent years, into a movie that’ll appeal to a Bollywood audience? Apparently the answer was to go the route of an almost shot-for-shot remake, when in 2016 director Nishikant Kamat basically made a carbon copy of Lee Jeong-beom’s 2010 original. Won Bin was replaced by John Abraham, and the Vietnamese knife fighter played by Thanayong Wongtrakul replaced by Patrick Kazu Tang. Throw in a couple of musical numbers, slow motion shots of Abraham, and an attempt at cranking up the violence thanks to the influence of The Raid, and you have Rocky Handsome. Out of all the remakes listed, it’s no doubt the Bollywood ones which vary the most from the originals, and many fans of The Man from Nowhere that saw Rocky Handsome were left less than impressed.
The Raid (2011 – Indonesia) Baaghi (2016 – India)
If you’ve ever asked the question – when is a remake not a remake – then the tale of The Raid and Baaghi may give you your answer. While their stories are different, Baaghi’s finale, which sees the hero of the piece, played by Tiger Shroff, storming a building floor by floor to get to the villain on the top level, was remarkably similar to, well, the whole of The Raid. It was certainly enough for the Indian production house who’d bough the remake rights to the Indonesian fight fest, Sikya Entertainment, to serve the producers of Baaghi with a legal notice of their intent to sue. The case went all the way to court, however was ultimately dismissed due to the difference in the two movies stories. Interestingly, while the director of Baaghi claimed he hadn’t even seen The Raid, Shroff himself said that it was indeed a strong influence on his movie. Confused? So are we.
Hide and Seek (2013 – Korea) Hide and Seek (2016 – China)
Korean director Huh Jung made his debut with the 2013 horror thriller Hide and Seek, which revolved around the wonderfully creepy idea of someone else living in your home without you ever knowing it. Unfortunately the movie derails itself with a baffling late in the day twist which defies logic, but that didn’t stop Chinese director Liu Jie from transferring the locale from Seoul to Qingdao, for a remake which fits in well with China’s current housing boom. Surprisingly Jie does little to distinguish the Chinese version from the original, instead choosing for an almost shot-for-shot retelling, including all of the same problems that Jung’s version had. In fact the only way to tell them apart are the main family having one child instead of two, and the inclusion of some ridiculously lengthy onscreen text about mental disorders, no doubt to stay SAPPRFT friendly.
Key of Life (2012 – Japan) Luck.Key (2015 – Korea)
Director Kenji Uchida’s 2012 crime comedy got the remake treatment from Korea 3 years after its release with Luck.Key. The story, which sees a down on his luck wannabe actor switch identities with a wealthy customer of a bathhouse, who slips on a bar of soap and loses his memory, draws its laughs from the fact the customer turns out to be an elite assassin. The Korean remake sees Yoo Hae-jin (in a rare starring role) and Lee Joon taking on the roles that Tereyuki Kagawa and Masato Sakai played in the original, as hitman and actor respectively. Both movies arguably draw most of their comedy mileage from the amnesia suffering assassin, as his perfectionist personality attempts to get to grips with being a penniless layabout, and wondering why he looks so much older than he apparently is. In any case, it’s a rare example of Korea remaking an original Japanese production.
Blind (2011 – Korea) The Witness (2015 – China)
This entry is unique for the fact that both movies were made by the same director, Ahn Sang-hoon. While it’s not the first time for a director to re-make one of their movies for a different territory (notably Takashi Shimizu directed the American remake and its sequel of his early 2000’s J-horror series Ju-on: The Grudge), it is the first time for an Asian director to remake one of their movies within the region. The story itself is based on the Audrey Hepburn starring 1967 thriller Wait Until Dark, and sees a police trainee who loses her sight become the target of a psychopathic killer, of whom she’s the only witness to one of his murders. While the Korean version progressively heads into darker territory, with a finale that’s more representative of a gory slasher than the thriller it starts out as, the Chinese version goes the opposite direction. How opposite? Well, it ends with a completely misguided pop concert performance by teen idol group member Lu Han. Go figure.
Haunters (2010 – Korea) Monsterz (2014 – Japan)
A rare sci-fi tinged production from Korea, Haunters was the directorial debut of Kim Min-suk, and was not only unique for giving actor Gang Dong-won a villain role, but also for the story itself. Dong-won plays a character who can control the minds of those around him (think an evil pretty boy version of Professor Xavier), however when he comes across a pawnshop cashier, played by Ko Soo, who’s immune to his powers, his jealousy makes him become even more dangerous. While the original was almost like a comic book in its tone, when Ring director Hideo Nakata remade it for Japan in the form of Monsterz, he made it a much more sombre affair. Casting Tatsuya Fujiwara and Takayuki Yamada in the roles of villainous psychic and unlikely hero, it was also more bloated and exposition heavy, with many feeling Monsterz was a pale imitation of its source material.
Eye in the Sky (2007 – Hong Kong) Cold Eyes (2013 – Korea)
In 2007 Milkyway released Eye in the Sky, the directorial debut (and so far only time in the director’s chair) of regular Johnny To scriptwriter Yau Nai-Hoi. The cat-and-mouse surveillance thriller, which saw surveillance operatives Simon Yam and Kate Tsui on the trail of a gang of professional thieves, led by Tony Leung Ka-Fai, was prime material for a remake, and 6 years later Korea did just that. The remake saw Sul Kyung-gu, Han Hyo-joo, and Jung Woo-sung step into the shoes of Lam, Tsui, and Leung respectively, for a version which stretched out the runtime significantly, from the originals 90 minutes to 2 hours. While some critics had actually cited Eye in the Sky for being a little on the short side, ironically others felt that Cold Eyes was a little bloated. What no one complained about though, was a closing scene cameo from Simon Yam, providing a respectful nod to Nai-Hoi’s original.
Dragon Gate Inn (1967 – Taiwan) New Dragon Gate Inn (1992 – Hong Kong) Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011 – China)
Holding the record for the longest amount of time between the original and the remake, 1967’s Dragon Gate Inn is a seminal work, both in the wuxia genre and King Hu’s filmography, being only his 2nd foray into the martial arts world following Come Drink With Me made a year prior. Hong Kong auteur Tsui Hark was such a fan of Dragon Gate Inn that he’d go on to remake it twice. The first time in the capacity of script writer and producer for 1992’s new wave classic New Dragon Gate Inn, and then again in 2011, when in addition to again writing the script and producing, he also stepped into the director’s chair for Flying Swords of Dragon Gate. Both remakes are notable for their own reasons, New Dragon Gate Inn for its classic early 90’s high flying action aesthetic, and Flying Swords of Dragon Gate for being one of Hark’s first attempts at creating 3D action. Notably action director Yuen Bun also choreographed both of the remakes.
A Better Tomorrow (1986 – Hong Kong) A Better Tomorrow (2010 – Korea)
For a long time it almost seemed sacrilegious to consider remaking one of John Woo’s trademark heroic bloodshed movies, and indeed the idea of Hollywood remaking The Killer was bounced around for a large part of the ought’s before ultimately fizzling out. Korea did decide to go ahead though with a remake of the movie that put both Woo and Chow Yun Fat on the map, with a 2010 take on A Better Tomorrow. However director Song Hae-seong is no John Woo, and fans of the original had a hard time accepting Song Seung-heon, Joo Jin-mo, and Kim Kang-woo in the roles that Yun Fat, Ti Lung, and Leslie Cheung made famous. Containing an inordinate amount of scenes with men dramatically crying, the macho bromance of the original was drowned in so many tears, that for many it became a wet leaf of a remake.
My Sassy Girl (2001 – Korea) Maa Iddhari Madhya (2006 – India: Tollywood) Ugly and Crazy (2008 – India: Bollywood) Ryokiteki na Kanajo (2008 – Japan) My Sassy Girl 2 (2010 – China)
If there’s any one Asian movie that can be cited as having an impact on other film industries around the world, it’s Kwak Jae-yong’s 2001 comedy classic My Sassy Girl. The movie made a star out of Jeon Ji-hyeon, and saw Jae-yong rarely stray from the romance genre for the rest of his career. On top of being remade in Hollywood, it was also reimagined as a historical TV drama in its native Korea which aired in 2017, as well as having an official sequel, taking the form of a Korea and Chinese co-production called My New Sassy Girl, in 2016. Then we have the Asian remakes, none of which are credited. Both the Bollywood and Tollywood industries in India made their own respective versions, and Japan also adapted it into a TV drama. Most flagrant of all, was China making an unofficial sequel in 2010 with My Sassy Girl 2. Despite it having no connection to the original, My Sassy Girl 2 was actually well received, and is arguably more entertaining than the official sequel.
A Bittersweet Life (2005 – Korea) Awarapan (2007 – India)
It was Kim Ji-woon’s 4th movie that really put him on the map. A film noir styled revenge thriller of a gangster’s enforcer, played by Lee Byung-hun, who develops feelings for his bosses’ moll that he was asked to keep an eye on, and the chaos that ensues. While never officially announced as a remake of A Bittersweet Life, it’s clear that director Mohit Suri’s Awarapan is based on Ji-woon’s breakthrough movie. It also holds the distinction of being the first co-production between India and Pakistan. Due to the involvement of the two countries, the plot sees Emraan Hashmi, in Byung-hun’s role, being asked to keep an eye on actress Mrinalini Sharma, who plays a Pakistani victim of sex trafficking. With a heavy Muslim influence and the usual Bollywood dance numbers, Awarapan is certainly a very different beast than A Bittersweet Life.
Oldboy (2003 – Korea) Zinda (2006 – India)
Western audiences who enjoyed Park Chan-wook’s 2003 masterpiece, Oldboy, were understandably against the Hollywood remake, eventually released in 2013 and directed by Spike Lee. What they may not know though, is that it was already remade by India in 2006 as Zinda. Even more so than the Hollywood remake, Zinda was met with almost universal disdain upon its release, generally said to be a pathetically watered down version of the original, while carbon copying other scenes completely. While Sanjay Dutt stepped into the shoes of Choi Min-sik, what’s more interesting is that John Abraham here makes his 2nd appearance on the list. After playing Won Bin’s character from The Man from Nowhere in Rocky Handsome, here he plays Yoo Ji-tae’s role. It looks like he’s trying to corner the market for playing Indian versions of Korean characters.
Scorpio Nights (1985 – Philippines) Summer Time (2001 – Korea)
One of the most controversial movies to come out of the Philippines, the 1985 erotic drama was made during the final years of the Marcos regime, and effectively kicked off a new wave of bomba movies throughout the rest of the 80’s. In 1999 it received an unrelated sequel, however most interestingly is that 2 years later, Korean director Park Jae-ho would remake it in the form of Summer Time. While Scorpio Nights played out against the still much spoken of assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983, which no doubt contributed to its importance in Filipino cinema, the Korean version set itself against the background of 1980’s Gwangju Massacre. However both movies involve a student who spies on a married couple making love each night in the same building, and the affair which subsequently develops between the student and the wife, leading to tragic consequences.
A Quiet Family (1998 – Korea) The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001 – Japan)
Definitely one of the more out-there remakes, in 2001 Japanese auteur Miike Takashi re-imagined Korean director Kim Ji-woon’s directorial debut. A dark comedy about a dysfunctional family opening a guesthouse in the countryside, not only is there a lack of guests, but what visitors do arrive keep on dying in unexpected circumstances. While the original, as the debut of a director that would become one of Korea’s most recognizable talents, was a low budget affair, Takashi takes the decision to turn it into a brightly coloured musical, complete with non-professional singers and even zombies thrown into the mix. Equally hilarious and ultimately heart-warming, many have argued that Takashi’s version (our review) is actually more entertaining than Ji-woon’s, which with its mix of stop motion animation, random karaoke singalongs, and colourful characters, could well be true.
Ring (1998 – Japan) The Ring Virus (1999 – Korea)
In 1998 director Hideo Nakata (marking his 2nd appearance on the list, this time helming the original) adapted the Koji Suzuki novel, Ring, for the big screen, kick starting a wave of Asian horror featuring vengeance seeking long haired spirits that lasted for many years after. Sadako, the spirit in question from Ring, continues to feature in movies to this day, and has been adapted both for Hollywood remakes, and also a lesser known Korean version called The Ring Virus, released just a year after Nakata’s masterpiece. Featuring an early screen appearance from Bae Doo-na in the role of Sadako, director Kim Dong-bin’s version actually stays more true to Suzuki’s novel than Nakata’s adaption. However with Nakata making a sequel to Ring that was released the same year, Korea’s own adaption of Sadako’s terror has largely remained off the radar for most.
Asia-Pol (1966 – Hong Kong) Asiapol Secret Service (1966 – Japan)
Definitely the most unique entry on the list, many Asian film fans know Asia-Pol as a 007 inspired early Jimmy Wang Yu vehicle, that was a co-production between Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers Studio and Japan’s Nikkatsu Studio. What’s less well known is that Nikkatsu, believing Wang Yu wouldn’t be a ticket to box office success in Japan (a well-judged decision, considering he spent most of the next decade in productions beating up the Japanese), decided to make their own version at the same time, casting local star Hideaki Nitani in Wang Yu’s role. Apart from a few minor differences, both movies are almost identical to each other. However what’s perhaps most interesting is that, even the scenes that only contained Japanese actors (the legendary Joe Shishido notably plays the villain of the piece) were still reshot for the Japanese version, which allows it to qualify as a remake.
Director: Wu Jing Cast: Wu Jing, Celina Jade, Frank Grillo, Yu Nan, Zou Kai, Hans Zhang, Wu Gang, Ding Hai-Feng, Chun Yu Shan Shan, Yu Qian, Shi Zhao-Qi, Diana Sylla Running Time: 120 min.
By Paul Bramhall
While fans of Asian action cinema were understandably left underwhelmed by Wu Jing’s sophomore feature in the director’s chair, with 2015’s Wolf Warrior, one point that couldn’t be argued was its massive success in Mainland China. Armed with a subtle-as-a-hammer nationalistic script, and a super patriotic main character in the form of Jing’s titular Wolf Warrior, said elements were all that was needed for Chinese audiences to bring in the box office, and with it, an inevitable sequel. Just 2 years later, that sequel is here, and Jing once again is front and centre – starring, directing, and even contributing to the script.
Wolf Warrior 2 loses the likes of Scott Adkins and action director Nicky Li, but it arguably gains more than it’s lost, with a significantly bigger budget, and a wealth of overseas action talent on-board to make sure said budget is made good use of. Replacing Adkins as the (naturally) foreign villain is Frank Grillo, most recognizable as Brock Rumlow from the Captain America sequels, however Grillo isn’t the only Marvel connection. His team of mercenaries also consists of Heidi Moneymaker (the stunt double for Black Widow), Aaron Toney (the stunt double for both Black Panther and Falcon), and the action is choreographed by Sam Hargrave (the stunt double for Captain America, and villain from Unlucky Stars).
Just like the original, Wolf Warrior 2 opens strongly, with Jing fending off a group of pirates attempting to board the container ship he’s travelling on, via some sleekly filmed underwater-fu. The scene acts more as a display of the technical proficiency than anything else, as the camerawork follows Jing both in and out of the water, giving a masterclass on how Captain Phillips could easily have been a 5 minute short film. However unlike Wolf Warrior, the sequel wisely chooses to build on the opening action sequence, rather than trail off into monotony. It’s revealed that Jing’s lover, played by a returning Yu Nan in a brief cameo, was killed in action. With only a uniquely marked bullet to go on, believed to have originated in Africa, Jing’s once decorated military man has become a lonesome drifter, travelling around Africa in search of the one responsible for her death.
Making matters personal is one of the key things that Wolf Warrior 2 gets right, as unlike the first, it actually gives the audience (at least, the non-Chinese audience) an opportunity to care about his mission. Of course he’s still a shining beacon of integrity, confiscating pirated pornographic DVD’s from his African kid buddy, beating the locals in a drinking game, and showing off his chiselled torso in a soccer match on the beach. Indeed in many ways Wolf Warrior 2 could be considered a vanity project for Jing, however thankfully it remains restrained enough to never cross over into Ballistic Kiss territory.
Proceedings get complicated though when the latest town he’s in gets attacked by rebels, which plays out onscreen as a frantically shot city siege, providing the first of many bombastically lengthy set pieces. Jing attempts to navigate a group of civilians through the besieged streets amongst gunfire, RPG’s, and murderous attackers, in a thrilling sequence that’s right up there with the type of combat on display in the likes of Black Hawk Down. Of course though, this is Asian action cinema, so there are some entertainingly OTT moments, such as Jing stopping an RPG mid-flight with just his bare hands and some wire mesh. A close quarters combat scene that takes place in the confines of a grocery store also gives a strong indication that, if ever a Wolf Warrior vs John Wick crossover movie were to be announced, I’d be first in line to see it.
What’s perhaps most refreshing about the action scenes though, is that the vast majority of them are performed with practical effects. While it’s true to say that CGI blood and the occasional CGI explosion both rear their ugly heads more than once, all in all it’s fair to say they’re kept to a minimum. The sequel also learns its lesson in regards to the gunplay. While Jing’s intentions with the Wolf Warrior series are clear, in terms of them being heroic tales of the Chinese military, his calibre as a martial artist was disappointingly cast to one side in the original and barely utilised. Wolf Warrior 2 rectifies this, while still realistically acknowledging that the threat of a gunshot is always present, allowing Jing to get into various brief but intense hand-to-hand showdowns.
His fights against both Moneymaker and Toney are suitably brutal, and special mention should go to the casting of former WWE star Oleg Prudius. Known in WWE under the name of Vladamir Kozlov, Prudius is a man mountain whose presence is handled much more effectively than the similarly built Jiang Bao-Cheng, who Jing utilised in his directorial debut, Legendary Assassin. For those who balked at the rather awkward use of wires during the fights in both Legendary Assassin and Wolf Warrior, here they’ve also been done away with, which sees a much welcome grounded approach to the fisticuffs that take place. It’s a wise decision by action directors Hargrave and Jack Wong, who most recently worked on Operation Mekong, and brings a distinctly different flavour to the action than Jing’s frequent collaborator Nicky Li.
When the Chinese military decide to evacuate the city, Jing ultimately decides to stay behind to rescue a group of Chinese medical staff, holed up in a hospital several kilometres away. The hospital is home to a doctor played by Celina Jade, whose acting career was kicked off thanks to Jing casting her in Legendary Assassin, and another former military man played by Wu Gang. Jing’s arrival at the hospital is the real indicator that the action is only going to get more and more ludicrous from here on in, and that’s not a detriment. Despite it being physically impossible based on the architecture of the building, Jing makes his entrance into the hospital by driving his jeep through the second floor, in an automotive display that wouldn’t look out of place in a Fast and Furious movie. Gravity be damned.
While Wolf Warrior 2 is clearly all about the action, it’s worth mentioning that for the most part, the African cast are given respectful roles that steer clear of racial stereotypes. If a similar movie was made in Hong Kong during the 80’s or 90’s, there’s little doubt that it would have been a completely different story. Jing himself has also improved as an actor, and his chemistry with both Celina Jade and Wu Gang is effective despite the simplistic script (one line has him declare “Once a Wolf Warrior, always a Wolf Warrior”). The only weak link is the casting of Mainland singer Hans Zhang Han, playing another member of the military holed up in the hospital, who likely appears only to appeal to his fan-base demographic.
Speaking of the script, it’s a relief to hear that the overly nationalistic tones from the original have been dialled back considerably for the sequel. It still feels like the word ‘Chinese’ is spoken in almost every other line (and I think it could be), but it’s nowhere near as prelevant as the frequently threatening tone that Wolf Warrior took on. Here it’s more entertaining than anything else, as you have such lines as “Dr Chen is at the St Francis Chinese invested hospital.” Was it really necessary to include the words ‘Chinese invested’? Of course not, but it does make it kind of funny. It’s ironic then that the closing scene of Wolf Warrior 2 contains a literal example of Chinese flag waving, although to Jing’s credit, there’s a context for why it’s there, making it a smart but sly example of a clip that will no doubt help to bring in the Chinese audience.
Thankfully the promise of a Wu Jing vs Frank Grillo fight isn’t broken, and for those checking in for their confrontation, they’ll definitely be rewarded more than those that checked in for Adkins appearance in the original. It’s a 4 minute knock down drag out affair, that initially has them going at each other while air strikes rain down all around them, providing a visually striking backdrop. It also gets surprisingly bloody, and while some may complain about the quick editing, overall it doesn’t detract from the fight, still allowing the flow to be appreciated. Grillo’s character is thin at best, with no backstory other than he’s an evil mercenary (who at one point is also hinted at liking kids), however he brings an undeniably menacing presence, and proves to be a worthy foe.
In many ways it feels like the review I’m writing for Wolf Warrior 2 is the one that I wanted to write for Wolf Warrior, and while it’s still far from perfect, it delivers where it counts. There’s no need to question if a third one is on the way, as a slightly bewildering post-credits sequence (that’s clearly indicative of Jing still not being a fully rounded director) ends with Wolf Warrior 3 being splattered across the screen. Regardless of the sequences confusing nature, it does its part in preventing the final shot from being of a Chinese passport (you’ll understand once watched). While 2 years ago I grimaced at the prospect of a sequel, Jing has proven with his latest directorial effort that the third time really is a charm, so if we’re going to go for another round of Wolf Warrior action, count me in.
Sly and his psychotic gang of mutts are back! On October 3, 2017, Lionsgate Home Entertainment will be releasing The Expendables 3-Film Collection (on 3 Blu-ray discs, plus digital copies). This action-packed, star-studded bundle includes The Expendables, The Expendables 2, and The Expendables 3: Unrated Edition.
In the series, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jason Statham join forces with Mel Gibson, Mickey Rourke, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Antonio Banderas, Gary Daniels, Scott Adkins and many more legends and rising stars in these epic adventures.
On September 19, 2017, Film Movement Classics is releasing the Blu-ray & DVD for Takeshi Kitano’s crime drama, Hana-Bi (akaFireworks). For the first time in America, this acclaimed classic – directed, written by and starring Kitano (Outrage, Beyond Outrage) – has been fully restored in beautiful HD.
Former police officer Nishi feels responsible for the shattered lives of his loved ones. His partner Horibe has been crippled in a disastrous stakeout, a colleague is shot dead by the same villain, and his own wife has a terminal illness. In debt to a yakuza loanshark, Nishi conceives a bank robbery to provide for his partner, help the dead cop’s widow, and take one last holiday throughout Japan with his wife and share a final taste of happiness.
Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for Legend of the Drunken Master, directed by both Lau Kar-leung (Martial Club) and Jackie Chan (Police Story).
Unfortunately, this version is the slightly cut, English-dubbed (by Jackie himself) Miramax’d edition of Drunken Master II, but there’s no denying the greatness of this masterpiece regardless of its presentation.
When the British government is discovered smuggling precious Chinese artifacts out of the country, Wong Fei Hung (Chan) uses his uniquely outlandish style of “Drunken Boxing” to fight the conspirators.
On September 5, 2017, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is releasing the Blu-ray & DVD for Jo Eui-seok’s Master (read our review), a South Korean thriller starring Lee Byung-hun (The Age of Shadows), Gang Dong-won (The Priests) and Kim Woo-bin (Friend 2).
Jin Hyun-pil (Byung-hun) runs ‘One Network Inc.’, a company with an extensive network covering Korea. The chief of the Intellectual Crime Investigation team, Kim Jae-myung (Dong-won), suspects One Network’s involvement in a fraud case of unprecedented scale. Kim tracks down the company’s IT architect and brain, Park Jang-gun (Woo-bin), and attempts to persuade Park to hand over Jin’s secret ledger in exchange for a plea bargain. Feeling the police close in on him, Jin moves operations out of Korea. Kim nonetheless continues his investigation into Jin. 6 months later, news about Jin’s death stirs the country once again.
Director Rick Famuyiwa (Dope) is in talks to helm Son of Shaolin, a martial arts film based on the graphic novel of the same name created and written by Caanan Whit and Jay Longino (who also penned Jackie Chan’s Skiptrace).
Son of Shaolin is a kung fu epic set in the back alleys and subway tunnels of Harlem, New York. Kyrie, an aspiring street artist who is struggling to make ends meet, learns that he is the last living descendant of a secret sect of ancient Shaolin Elders. Confused and unsure of where to turn, he finds a father figure in the mysterious Master Fong. Fong trains Kyrie in martial arts in anticipation of an attack from Red Fist, a relentless killer who has already murdered the rest of Kyrie’s bloodline (via Amazon).
Last year, there were reports that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (The Rundown) would be showing off some new kung fu skills as one of the film’s stars, but recent reports suggest that he’s only producing the film (via THR).
Stay tuned for updates regarding the movie. The graphic novel for Son of Shaolinreleases on September 26, 2017. For now, here’s the real son of Shaolin…
With the upcoming theatrical and VOD release of Savage Dog in August, at COF we were given the opportunity to provide the Dragon from Chile – Marko Zaror – 10 questions about his experience working on the movie.
Since initially beginning in the industry as a stunt double for the Rock in 2003’s The Rundown, Zaror really got action fans attention when he headlined the martial arts actioner Kiltro in 2006. Made in his native Chile, the pairing with director Ernesto Espinoza would prove to be one that’s built to last, as they’d go onto make Mirageman, Mandrill, and Redeemer together.
Zaror has several productions in the pipeline which he’s set to appear in, but for now, all eyes are on Savage Dog, helmed by stuntman turned director Jesse V. Johnson. Without further ado, check out his thoughts below –
“Savage Dog” Theatrical Poster
Question #1:Savage Dog provides a re-match between you and Scott Adkins, after going head to head in Undisputed III: Redemption from 2010, what was it like working together again 7 years later?
Marko Zaror: It was great, as we always wanted to work together again after Undisputed III: Redemption, and the cool thing about Savage Dog is that because it’s a totally different type of movie, we were able to create and play with different techniques.
#2: For those who say they’ve already seen both you and Adkins fight each other before, what would you say are the main differences, and what do people have to look forward to, from your pairing in Savage Dog?
MZ:Savage Dog is a much more realistic type of movie, and also a movie that is set in a different era, so this gave us the challenge to do a totally different type of fighting style. Also my character uses a knife, so this was already a big element that made us co-create a fight scene that feels really different to what audiences have seen before.
Scott Adkins and Zaror face off in Undisputed III: Redemption.
#3: Jesse V. Johnson is also a stuntman on top of being a director and writer, how would you say that influences his directing style in terms of you also being a physical performer?
MZ: Because of the fact he’s also a stuntman, he truly understands the time that’s needed to be able to accomplish a good action scene. Also in regards to the camera work and stunts, he is able to be really specific about what he wants, and if he feels like he needs to show how he envisions a stunt to look like, for example hitting the ground a certain way, he will just show you by doing it himself!
#4: In your collaborations with director Ernesto Espinoza, you usually choreograph the fight scenes yourself. What are the main differences from your perspective, between doing your own fight choreography, and taking direction from another fight choreographer?
“Redeemer” Japanese Theatrical Poster
MZ: In Savage Dog Jesse wanted me to come up with ideas and apply the techniques that I wanted to use for the character. In that regard I’ve been lucky to work with really good choreographers that let me give my input on the vision and ideas for the scenes.
#5: Were you or Scott Adkins able to incorporate any of your own ideas into the fight you have in Savage Dog, and if so what?
MZ: Went I was doing research for my character I really liked the French style of Savate, so I studies a lot of Savate footage in order to understand how the character will fight and movie. When I told Jesse, he really like the idea and we went for it!
#6: The last time you worked with Espinoza was on 2014’s Redeemer, do you have any plans to work together again in the near future?
MZ: Yes, we are always working on ideas, and actually there is a good chance we be making a movie together soon.
With Danny Trejo, Robert Rodriguez and Alexa PenaVega promoting Machete Kills.
#7: You’ve now worked in the U.S., India, and of course your home country of Chile. What for you are some of the biggest differences between the industries, and what are some of the learnings you’ve taken from each one?
MZ: Working in Chile is always a challenge, because everything that we have done with Ernesto is the first time it’s done over there. So basically we have to be really creative to accomplish what we want, and I have to be really involved in all the processes of the movie, from pre-production all the way through to post.
In my work in the U.S.A. and India, I’ve been a part of big productions were my only role is to be my character, so there is a big difference. But in terms of movie making, I believe it’s a universal language that once you are on a set, no matter what the language or which place you’re in, the logistics and methods are similar.
Two of Zaror’s biggest influences are in this photograph from Enter the Dragon.
#8: Who are your biggest influences as a martial artist?
MZ: Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.
#9: If you could have a screen-fight with any action movie star, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
MZ: Bruce Lee for sure! But if we’re talking about those who are alive, it will have to be Donnie Yen.
#10: What can we look forward to next from Marko Zaror, and is there any release date locked in for The Green Ghost?
MZ: No release date yet for The Green Ghost, but I’m guessing this year. Also I’m looking forward to The Defenders which will air next month, were I have an appearance in one episode. But what I’m really excited about is for the Robert Rodriguez movie Alita: Battle Angel, that will premiere next year!
Thanks again to Marko Zaror, Paul Bramhall, and the entire gang at Katrina Wan PR for getting this interview together.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn Director: Nicolas Winding Refn, Roy Jacobsen Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Maarten Stevenson, Gordon Brown, Paul Rhys, Andrew Flanagan, Gary Lewis, Gary McCormack, Alexander Morton, Jamie Sives Running Time: 92 min.
By HKFanatic
Back in 2009 accomplished Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn, the great Dane behind such artistically unique efforts like crime drama Only God Forgives and the visually thrilling The Neon Demon, tackled the fantasy drama feature Valhalla Rising.
He is without a doubt a director with a unique style and someone whom never shies away from artistry and experimentation which is always prominent on screen no matter what he produces. So, what exactly would he pull out of the bag for when he decided to turn his attentions to some 11th-century fantasy adventure?
Valhalla Rising stars Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale, Hannibal) as One-Eye, a Norse warrior who along with a young boy and a group of Christian Norsemen head across the seas in search of the Holy Land.
It’s a concept that could have quite easily ended up in the wrong hands and suddenly become an all-out action and adventure farce. But thankfully it didn’t.
And it’s certainly a film that split opinion from both audiences and critics alike. If you weren’t lucky enough to catch this first time around it’s definitely an artistic effort that deserves revisiting.
It manages to bring a fresh approach to the typical clichéd look and style of Norse-themed movies that many cinema-goers are now so familiar with. It’s a popular theme which already influences a number of TV shows and games such as Valhalla slot.
But with audiences relegated to more mainstream franchises such as Thor, which continues to enjoy huge box office success, a lot of the more human and deeper themes of Norse mythology seems to have been somewhat lost in more recent times, so it’s great to see movies like this still being made.
The movie was sandwiched between Refn’s two directorial efforts of the Bronson biopic, starring a very different looking Tom Hardy, and of course his highly praised cool crime adaptation Drive, which starred Ryan Gosling.
So it seemed that 11th-century Scandinavia for an unusual choice for the rising director. However, he manages to expertly piece together a beautiful cinematic experience that really drills down into aspects of humanity and raw emotion, something that is rarely explored to any great extent in this mythological subgenre of filmmaking.
The plot itself and the characterisations are purposely left unclear enough for viewers to draw their own conclusions. It’s an experience, a life journey, something that can be interpreted in numerous ways and one that will stay with you for quite a while after the end credits roll.
Right at the heart of the movie is of course our lead One-Eye, played by the excellent Mads Mikkelsen. He truly manages to grip the audience and what makes his performance even more impressive is that his character is actually mute and therefore doesn’t utter a word through the movie.
It’s just his on-screen presence that manages to make such a difference here. Coupled with the incredibly visceral imagery we’re treated to it’s a visually stunning piece of work.
Detective Han (Jung Woo-Sung of The Divine Move), who for years has been secretly doing dirty work for the corrupt mayor (Hwang Jung-Min of A Violent Prosecutor), is now pressured by a ruthless prosecutor (Kwak Do-Won of The Wailing) to cooperate in his investigation against the mayor.
Feeling trapped, Han persuades his young partner Sunmo (Ju Ji-Hoon of Along With The Gods) to take over his work for the mayor, but things start to get tangled in unpredictable ways.
French filmmaker Camille Delamarre – best known for directing Brick Mansions (a remake of District 13) and The Transporter Refueled (a reboot of The Transporter) – has teamed up with martial arts star Mark Dacascos (Brotherhood of the Wolf, Drive) for The Way, a new action series that involves ninjas (isn’t that all you need to know?).
The Studio+ original series also stars Gabriella Wright (The Transporter Refueled), Jimmy Jean-louis (Tears of the Sun), Andrew Cooper (The Royales), Alex Martin (Transporter: The Series) and Sam Redford (The Hurt Locker).
If you’re looking for actual Dacascos movies, don’t fret, because a releases date for Sony’s Ultimate Justice is right around the corner (and hopefully we’ll see an official release announcement for Showdown in Manila and Maximum Impact soon).
The first episode of The Way is currently available to watch (French website) followed by further episodes that can be unlocked with a subscription. Check out the series Trailer below (via Mike Leeder):
Following the premiere at 2017 Cannes Film Festival, Before We Vanish continued its festival circuit at this year’s 17th edition of Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival. With budget as the one thing that shouldn’t give the organizers any headache, NIFFF had the privilege of welcoming Takashi Miike as the guest of honor this year, with not one, but three of his new movies. Fans have all the reason to look forward to these, while the sequel to Mole Song offers even more wacky action and goofy comedy, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Blade of the Immortal are some of Miike’s best since Lesson of the Evil. As different directors with their own unique style and vision, it may seem there’s nothing to connect the two, but Kiyoshi Kurosawa, just like Miike, had his share of V-Cinema productions before becoming one of the best known Japanese filmmakers today.
In 2016, Creepy was announced as the return of the master – Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s big comeback to the genre that made him famous. After completing Daguerrotype that same year, his first movie shot outside of Japan, Kurosawa returned with another genre piece, this time science fiction. Again, rather than just going by the book, he offers his own unique vision instead; this alien invasion piece is unlike any you’ve seen before.
Though not without his missteps, Kurosawa was able to deliver in any decade despite the change of times, and it’s no different today. Based on a play written and directed by Tomohiro Maekawa, Before we vanish is another fantastic display of Kurosawa’s mastery. It is a story about three aliens that, nested inside their human hosts, prepare for invasion, a story that opens with a bloody family massacre and a cool looking car crash only to continue in a far less exciting tone, as a slow-paced thriller with refined dramatic charge, and a comic flare for good balance.
What makes Before We Vanish unique is, above all, the fact there’s nothing that much scientific or fantastic about it, except the idea and the story itself. Sci-fi fans expecting spaceships, creatures from outer space or tons of special effects could end up quite disappointed since Kurosawa’s apocalyptic vision comes closer to the one seen in his 2001 masterpiece Pulse, only less fantastic. Drive-by audience might find the movie boring and couldn’t be blamed for it, but those familiar with Kurosawa’s body of work will surely appreciate the way how he effortlessly transformed something ordinary into something, well, so extraordinary.
To add just enough spice to it, there are occasional outbursts of action, our teenage aliens taking on special agents that are on to them, or, in one of the best scenes in the movie, Kurosawa’s take on the renowned North by Northwest plane scene, reporter turned “guide” facing the threat from above underarmed. Perhaps these rare exciting moments wouldn’t be as effective had the rest been any more entertaining.
Rather an experience than a memorable slice of cinema, Before We Vanish is all about atmosphere, part of which is the interesting soundtrack seemingly more appropriate for an 80’s Hollywood movie, perhaps something Spielberg would direct back in the days when Dream Factory was still producing magic. Thanks to Kurosawa’s atmosphere build-up and skillful storytelling, two plain looking teenagers and a grown man meeting on the street become three aliens reunited for the first time on Earth, finalizing their invasion plan. The aliens here, using humans as both their hosts and their “guides”, need to learn about Earth before being able to invade. Taking human concepts by a simple touch of the finger is the way to do it.
Before being fully able to understand, they just roam around befuddled, gathering the necessary knowledge. Who better to portrait such a confused character wearing blunt face than Ryuhei Matsuda? This was his first time working with Kurosawa, here without his regular Koji Yakusho, as it was for his two young extraterrestrial pals, Mahiro Takasugi and the great Yuri Tsunematsu in the role of Akira Tachibana. The whole concepts looting idea, often leading into almost philosophical re-examination of basic human conceptions, seems at times naive, but is again quite beautiful in Kurosawa’s delivery. This is best depicted in the scene with Matsuda’s character trying to grasp the human concept of love.
Before We Vanish has Kurosawa written all over it, down to the small touches often present in his films, such as toying with lighting and shadow to accentuate as seen in Creepy, or the interesting slow-motion usage in the simple scenes of characters driving. Unusual, subtle and again, so distantly unique, Kurosawa’s latest directorial vision is undoubtedly a great one. The only question is, how many will see it as such?
Triple Threat: Chuck Norris | DVD (Shout! Factory)
RELEASE DATE: October 10, 2017
Who needs Tony Jaa, Tiger Chen and Iko Uwais when you’ve got Chuck Norris? Shout! Factory presents the DVD for Chuck Norris: Triple Threat, which contains Missing in Action (1984), directed by Joseph Zito (Invasion U.S.A.); Missing in Action II: The Beginning (1985), directed by Lance Hool (Steel Dawn); and Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988), directed by Aaron Norris (The Hitman).
The Missing in Action Trilogy revolves around Colonel Braddock (Norris) and his many adventures in the jungles of Vietnam. Whether it’s rescuing American POWs or saving his wife and son from Vietcong, there’s no stopping this one-man army.
Australian-born, Hong Kong-based filmmaker Antony Szeto (Wushu), who worked with Juju Chan (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny) on both Palace of the Damned and Fist of the Dragon, may be teaming up with the female action star for a third time in Pepper, a thriller written by Janice Eymann (The Farmer).
Chan is currently in negotiations for the title role of “Pepper” in this Chinese-Australian co-production, which producers are hoping to shoot next year.
According to IF, Pepper is the saga of a secret agent who comes to Far North Queensland in search of her missing brother, a fellow agent.
Other Juju Chan projects to look forward to include V-Force: New Dawn of V.I.C.T.O.R.Y. (with Don “The Dragon” Wilson) and Invincible Dragon (with Max Zhang). You can catch her next in Savage Dog(read our review), a soon-to-be released martial arts film starring Scott Adkins.
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