According to Paul Bramhall, Malaysian cinema is inevitably on its way to putting a dent in the action world, especially with films like Bunohan: Return to Murder, Lari, Apokalips X, Balistik, One on One and the upcoming Full Throttlemaking their rounds on the internet.
The latest to come out of the Southeast Asian country is Ghaz Abu Bakar’s Polis Evo, an upcoming “buddy cop” flick with the whole package: martial arts, gun battles and car stunts. Sure, it’s a description that fits the mold to practically every thriller of its kind, so you’ll have to scope out the film’s trailer (via twitch) to see its point of difference.
Polis Evo hits Malaysian screens in September. Hopefully, a U.S. distributer is taking notice.
Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)
Well Go USA has confirmed that certain Blu-ray discs created at a manufacturing facility for multiple theatrical and home media titles were pressed in error, and Well Go USA’s August 4th release of Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal contains a documentary feature, and not the feature film.
To their knowledge, this issue has only affected Wal-Mart retail store customers.
Well Go USA is working with their manufacturing facility and with their retailers to replace these Blu-ray discs. New shipments will be delivered within in the next week.
If you discover that your Blu-ray copy of Snow Girl and the Dark Crystaldoes not contain the intended feature film, please send Well Go USA an email at service@wellgousa.com. They will provide you with a postage-paid shipping label, so that you can send the Blu-ray disc only (no packaging, please) to their facility, and they will ship out a new replacement disc immediately.
Should the error be discovered through any other retail or online outlet, they will replace those discs accordingly. Well Go USA thanks their loyal fans and customers for their patience and understanding in this matter.
AKA: Asiapol
Director: Ma Chi Ho
Writer: Gan Yamazaki
Producer: Kenzo Asada, Run Run Shaw
Cast: Jimmy Wang Yu, Ryoriko Asaoka, Wong Hap, Cheung Pooi Saan, Yuen Sam, Jo Shishido, Takashina Kaku, Chan Sing, Gam Tin Chue
Running Time: 97 min.
By Matthew Le-feuvre
When Sean Connery announced of his unexpected departure from the James Bond franchise in early ’67, and that You Only Live Twice would be his final entry, disbelief shook the film world. Financiers, investors and fans of Ian Fleming’s popular literary creation fretted, pondered, and even obsessed what direction Britain’s superspy was to recommence from. Understandable, Connery – at this point – had become totally disenchanted with not only the legalities of his contract, but furthermore his artistic constrictions as an actor; despite the fact (away from Bond) he’d sucessfully garnered lead roles in Hitchcock’s psychological thriller Marnie (1964) and the brutal stockade drama The Hill (1965).
Although former model/TV advert star, George Lazenby, had been furtively engaged too replace, even supersede, Connery before eventually sucumbing to the igmony of Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman’s alleged “black listing” tactics, numerous powerful studios – including the Shaw Brothers – regarded Connery’s temporary absence (he subsequently returned to the role in 1971 for Diamonds Are Forever and unofficially in 1983 for Never Say Never Again) as as an opportunity to muscle in on the proceedings with their own variations, interpretations and debatable cash-ins: The Man From Uncle (1964-68) and Our Man Flint/In Like Flint (1965/67). Surprisingly, even Connery’s own younger sibling, Neil, starred in Operation Kid Brother (1968), a forgettable slice of hokum, which included the exploitation of the original Bond-essemble (Lois Maxwell, Bernard Lee, etc.) to audaciously re-casting Anthony Dawson and Adolpho Celi in similar antagonist roles as presented under Terence Young’s direction for Dr No (1962) and Thunderball (1965) respectively.
While George Lazenby was being conditioned, groomed and moulded into 007, albeit one-time only; fresh from his groundbreaking performance as the mono-limbed Feng, Jimmy Wang Yu briefly traded in his half-sword for gadgetry of an alternative kind as the modern world of espionage is transported from the gritty industrialism of Japan to the obstreperous back streets, and costal ports of both Hong Kong and Macao. However budget-wise Asiapol fails dramatically from the outset to capture or take advantage of the exotic splendors on offer, unlike its international counterpart You Only Live Twice (also ’67).
Clocking in at just 92 minutes, Asiapol explosively begins with top agent, Chen Ming Xuan (Wang Yu) trailing a gold smuggling organization – headed by a shady character singularly known as ‘George’ – who he suspects are concealing their loads in transport trucks. In a dizzy sequence virtually lifted from the finale of From Russia With Love (1963), a helicopter aerial attack leaves Ming Xuan’s partner, Chen Loong-Seng, fatally wounded while Ming himself narrowly escapes a falling barrage of hand grenades. From there on the potentiality of much eye-brow raising is sadly dampened by obvious femme-fatales, protracted foot pursuits, as well as an obligatory-wining air hostess with a secret – all await Ming as he meanders from one encounter to another avoiding incendiary golf balls (of all things!), a novelty in-car bomb made all too apparent by a “tick-tock” acoustics and an enigmatic assassin named Lai Yu-Tien (Wang Hsia), whose actions appear contradictory on both sides.
It goes without saying that despite these standard plot elements or budgetary reasons for downplaying travelogue landscapes/production values. Rough fistfights are few and far between Ming’s less-than-tense confrontation with nemesis ‘George’ – revealing a trite, almost immature confessional; and a strained ‘would-be’ relationship with Monneypenny-type contact, Miss Sachiko (Ryoriko Asaoka), is repeatedly marred by stale dialogue in addition too tiresome interactions devised in (either) a telephone box, melancholic bars or claustrophobic hotel rooms: yet, all are favourable for expeditious departures.
Verdict: Not in the usual Wang Yu cannon, having begun his career mostly in traditional features. However, over the years Asiapol has been critically deemed as one of the Shaws’ more obscure co-productions (in association with Nikkatsu Films, Japan), eventhough genre-wise, they’d previously bank rolled independent spy thrillers: Operation Macao (1966) and the rather libel James Bond Chinese Style (1967) with varying degrees of commerciality. As for this picture, structurally, Asiapol is (A): disappointingly episodic; (B): convoluted script-wise to being (C): utterly banal. Indeed a little humour would’ve sufficed! Nevertheless, whether or not (?) Wang Yu was conciously aware of these shortcomings, unarguably he returned on better form – not just in physical terms – for Golden Harvest’s vastly superior The Man From Hong Kong (1974).
Cityonfire.com and Well Go USA are giving away 3 Blu-ray copies of Z Storm to three lucky Cityonfire visitors. To enter, simply add a comment to this post and describe, in your own words, this clip.
We will be selecting a winner at random. Be sure to include your email address in the appropriate field so we can contact you for your home address. Additionally, you must ‘Like Us‘ on cityonfire.com’s Facebook by clicking here.
The Blu-ray & DVD for Z Storm will be officially released on August 18, 2015. We will announce the 3 winners on August 19, 2015 and ship out the prizes immediately.
CONTEST DISCLAIMER: You must enter by August 19, 2015 to qualify. U.S. residents only please. We sincerely apologize to our non-U.S. visitors. Winners must respond with their mailing address within 48 hours, otherwise you will automatically be disqualified. No exceptions. Contest is subject to change without notice.
“SPL II: A Time for Consequences” Chinese Theatrical Poster
AKA: Sha Po Lang 2, Kill Zone 2
Director: Soi Cheang Pou Soi
Cast: Tony Jaa, Wu Jing, Louis Koo Tin-lok, Simon Yam Tat Wah, Max Zhang Jin, Ken Lo Hui Kwong, Dominic Lam Ka-wah, Baby John Choi Hon Yik, Ai Wai
Running Time: 120 min.
By Paul Bramhall
It’s been 10 years since the original Sha Po Lang was released in 2005. Released at a time when many of Hong Kong’s established action stars and directors had migrated to Hollywood, the HK action movie scene was going through an extended dry period, and didn’t appear to have an end in sight. Thankfully for action fans, just a couple of years earlier a man called Tony Jaa had burst onto our screens, in a movie which temporarily gave the action movie crown to Thailand. The movie of course was Ong Bak, and it remains one of the few Asian titles to have truly crossed over into the mainstream. In an interview prior to Sha Po Lang’s release, Donnie Yen, the star and fight choreographer, said he decided to get involved with the production to show the world that Hong Kong action still had what it takes. Essentially, he was saying that Sha Po Lang was Hong Kong’s answer to Ong Bak.
Sha Po Lang did indeed succeed in its mission, with Yen putting in his best acting performance yet under the direction of Wilson Yip, and more importantly, creating an action aesthetic which was completely new and fresh. WhileSha Po Lang really only had 2 fight scenes, both of which take place back to back, the principal of quality over quantity was the right one. Everything you’d expect from Yen’s choreography was there – the rapid fire punches and kicks – but he also did the seemingly impossible, and incorporated MMA style grappling into the fights, seamlessly blending the techniques into the back and forth exchanges.
For the next few years, the rumors of a sequel were often bandied about. First there was going to be a prequel called Army Breaker, which eventually transformed into Yip and Yen’s third collaboration together, an unconnected tale which became Flash Point in 2007. Then there were mentions of another prequel which would bring back Sammo Hung, Wu Jing, and Simon Yam to their original characters. Again, this eventually became an unrelated movie, and was released as Dennis Law’s Fatal Move in 2008.
In 2015 though, a sequel has finally arrived. Perhaps the biggest irony of all is that, the very reason Yen had stated for coming onboard with the original – Tony Jaa – has become the headlining star of the follow-up, with Yen nowhere in sight. S.P.L.2 does succeed in bringing back a couple of the originals stars, although playing completely different roles. Wu Jing returns, this time as headlining co-star, as is Simon Yam, here again playing a Hong Kong cop. The sequel also offers a substantially larger cast of fleshed out characters than the original, with Louis Koo (who, at the time of writing, is on his 5th movie of 2015), Max Zhang, and Ken Lo all taking on significant roles.
Perhaps the best news for S.P.L.2 though, is that the director of the original, Wilson Yip, has stepped back into a producer role, and handed over directorial reigns to Soi Cheang. Cheang is one of the most exciting and distinctive directors working in Hong Kong today, often giving his movies a dark and grimy look, that sets them apart from the glossy productions we’ve come used to. While he’s also the man behind The Monkey King, which was undeniably an epic misstep, it’s certainly not enough to taint a resume that features such titles as Motorway,Accident, Shamo, and Dog Bite Dog. The news of Cheang being on board for a sequel to what was itself, thematically, a very dark movie, was a good sign.
S.P.L.2 is a thematic follow-up, and centers on a couple of plot lines that ultimately converge on each other. Jaa plays a prison guard in Thailand who’s trying to save money for a bone marrow transplant that his daughter needs, who is suffering from leukemia. Wu Jing plays a Hong Kong undercover cop who’s gone so deep he’s basically become a drug addict. Jing happens to be one of the few donors in the world who matches the bone marrow that Jaa’s daughter needs, and circumstances out of both characters control see Jing eventually jailed in the prison Jaa works at. At the same time, Louis Koo plays a ruthless gangster suffering from a weak heart, the same gangster Jing has been tracking. The only donor that can provide Koo with a compatible heart transplant is his own brother, and he’s so ruthless that he arranges for him to be captured and taken to Thailand, where the transplant can be completed on the black market. Tying all these characters together is the head prison warden, played by Max Zhang.
It’s easy to forget the original meaning of Sha Po Lang, thanks in part to its awful U.S. re-title of Kill Zone. The title refers to three stars, which in Chinese astrology represent destruction, conflict, and greed. It’s said that when the three stars come together, the only outcome will be that of regret. In the original, the three stars were represented by Sammo Hung, Donnie Yen, and Simon Yam. In the sequel, they’re taken on by Wu Jing, Tony Jaa, and Max Zhang. One of the most enjoyable things about S.P.L.2, is that it’s apparent from the get go that Cheang has a story to tell. While it may rely on coincidence and some contrived circumstances, it’s a credit to his talent that the way it’s told is never anything less than engaging.
Both Wu Jing and Tony Jaa have had their share of disasters prior to the release of S.P.L.2, with Jing directing and starring in the lackluster Wolf Warrior, and Jaa featuring in the almost unwatchable Tom Yum Goong 2. However, here they turn in what could well be career defining roles. Jaa finally gets to show that he can act, really act. From the moment he’s onscreen, his performance is completely convincing as that of a low paid prison guard, desperately trying to save his daughter. Likewise for Jing, who ends up with no identity in a Thai jail and has to go cold turkey from his drug addiction, which he portrays in such a way that it pulls us right in there with him. In good martial arts movies, you don’t really care about the story, as long as the fights deliver. In the best martial arts movies, you shouldn’t spend a moment wondering when the next fight is, as you’ll be too engaged by the story. S.P.L.2 achieves this, as just like in the original, and perhaps I daresay even more so, you’re just as invested in the plot as you are the action.
The action scenes themselves are plentiful, with choreography duties being split between frequent Wu Jing collaborator Nicky Li, and co-star Ken Lo. Wu Jing and Tony Jaa face off against each other not once but twice, the second in the midst of an epic prison brawl. The scene will likely draw comparisons to a similar scenario in The Raid 2, but it has enough of its own distinctive flavor to stand on its own. Both fights may be brief, but they’re fluid and deliver plenty of high impact blows. Li has an irritating tendency to always put Wu Jing on wires, and that’s also the case here, but it’s dialed well back from the ridiculous gravity defying antics of Legendary Assassin. There are plenty of wire-free kicks and fist to elbow exchanges amongst the fights, and thankfully, with a couple of small exceptions, the wire work compliments the choreography rather than detracting from it.
Jaa in particular really gets to shine. For many years fans thought Jaa appearing in a Hong Kong movie would be the ultimate action flick. It’s not, but then again, Cheang isn’t trying to make the ultimate action flick. He still gets plenty of chances to let loose, with his trademark moves being incorporated into a Hong Kong action style which is a joy to watch. Plus the guy does a flying knee through the windscreen of a moving bus, what more do you want? Special mention has to also go to Zhang Chi, who delivers a couple of brutal fight sequences as a knife wielding assassin. But the person who nearly steals the show from everyone is Max Zhang as the corrupt warden, delivering an action performance which is both slick and ferocious. The finale, which sees Jaa and Jing team up to take on Zhang (and his posse of, bizarrely, Korean bodyguards), provides an intense showdown which lasts for several satisfyingly long minutes. Painful falls, heads being smashed through glass, and countless kicks to the face are all included.
Setting the whole fight to a classical score by Vivaldi was also a noteworthy stroke of genius, giving it a unique feel that I’ve never come across before in a Hong Kong action flick. Speaking of the score, fans of the original will no doubt be happy when the same theme from Sha Po Lang is used as Wu Jing prepares to go into battle. Another worthy nod is given to the original with Jing brandishing a bag and police baton (which he gets to use) before facing off against Zhang, which nicely recalls Yen’s own walk to meet the enemy in the previous installments finale, which of course came in the form of Jing himself.
The same way events converge on each other in the movie, the team behind S.P.L.2 have also converged on each other at just the right time. Cheang was clearly eager to get back into dark and gritty storytelling, Jaa was looking to prove himself as still being a worthy action star with his Hong Kong debut, and Jing finally, after so many failures, proves that he is capable of being a leading man. S.P.L.2 delivers on all counts – story, characters, and action. In 2015, there are not too many opportunities to say that about a Hong Kong movie, so get out there and enjoy it.
The two largest movie markets in the world are the US and Asia, and both countries have fervent fans of the other’s trademark films. So it was only natural that director Brett Ratner hoped that combining the iconic styles of each culture would become a hit with Rush Hour (1998).
“The Buddy Movie” meets “Comedy Kung Fu”
There’s a long standing Hollywood tradition of pairing two distinctly different personalities and having them work together. Police films work especially well for this genre. While some films such Red Heat (1988) and theLethal Weapon (1987) movies have semi-serious plot lines, most of the buddy movies involve somewhat of a comedic element as the two partners clash in terms of style and personality.
The classic kung fu movies mostly featured a singular hero and a more serious and somewhat moralistic plot line, at least until Jackie Chan invented the comedy kung fu film with Drunken Master (1978).
Rush Hour, and the subsequent sequels, was one of the first tastes many mainstream American audiences had of the comedic kung fu style. In the films, Chan plays a Hong Kong detective whose case brings him to the US, where he is paired with a Los Angeles detective played by Chris Tucker. The plot lines in all three are somewhat hackneyed and are heavy on formula. The main draw is Tucker and Chan and their interactions.
“Rush Hour 2” Japanese DVD Cover
Did Rush Hour work?
The general consensus is that any movie that spawns multiple sequels (with another supposedly in pre-production) is a success. By Hollywood standards Rush Hour, with US box office receipts of $141 million, was a modest success. The fact that the film succeeded at all is surprising due to Chan’s frequent statements that he does not understand nor fully appreciate American humor. When you combine that aspect with the fact that Chris Tucker improvises most of his lines, the fact that the movies succeed at all is somewhat amazing. Chan’s well documented desire for perfection (he once demanded 300 takes for a single scene and almost 3,000 for a ten-minute segment) played a large role in the trilogy’s success.
Rush Hour Fun Facts
This was one of the first American films where Jackie Chan’s lines were not overdubbed. Chan was never comfortable with his English and all of his previous English roles were overdubbed. Director Ratner felt that having Chan deliver his own lines would add to the authenticity of the film.
Ratner’s addition to detail is not as evident in other aspects of the film. All three of the movies are stand-outs in the field of continuity errors. Chan’s suspenders change patterns, bar stools change colors, the wheels on Tucker’s Corvette change, and in one of the more standout mistakes a taxi changes make and model and then back again.
Some of the technical details are just as bad. A car loaded with C4 explodes from a gunshot and kidnappers demand a ransom in small bills meaning that the payout would weigh over a ton.
“Rush Hour 3” Japanese Theatrical Poster
The movies do have some nice little Easter-Egg type touches, especially in Rush Hour 2 (2001). Jackie Chan has long said that his favorite number is 32, perhaps that is the point where he started counting the numerous of broken bones he has sustained from doing his own stunts. The number makes numerous appearances in the film, including on the license plate of the villain’s car.
However the best use of the number 32 comes in one of the mandatory fight scenes. In a scene that relies heavily on Chan’s comedic talents, he finds himself in the unpleasant position of having a remote controlled grenade taped in his mouth. Chris Tucker manages to remove the tape and Chan spits the grenade from his mouth and onto the roulette wheel. As anyone who knows from playing roulette the probability and the odds of the pill landing on any number is 38-to-1, but of course we (briefly) see the grenade land on number 32 just before it explodes.
Longtime Chan fans will notice many familiar jokes and situations in the film. The director felt that American audiences would be unfamiliar with the kung fu star’s earlier work and had several of his classic gags and moves incorporated into the script.
The building used for the exterior of the Chinese Consulate is the same one as was used as the exterior for Wayne Manor in the original Batman! TV show.
Justin Hires and Jon Foo in the “Rush Hour” TV series.
The casino in Rush Hour 2 was the empty Dessert Sands in Las Vegas. The production company erected a huge “Red Dragon” casino marquee out front and painted part of the exterior red. Several windows were blown out and the walls sustained smoke damage during the filming. The casino remained standing for several months after production ended and provided an interesting conversation topic for tourists on the Las Vegas strip that were unaware of the upcoming movie.
About a year ago, Jackie Chan told British television presenter Jonathan Ross that for him to consider doing another instalment in the series that the script would have to be really good. Hollywood insiders feel that director Ratner is keen to do so mainly due to the lackluster results of his latest efforts. According to a number of sources, Rush Hour 4 is in pre-production and should be released by 2017, while the franchise is also being turned into a television show – which has Jon Foo taking over Jackie Chan’s role, and comedian Justin Hires filling in for Tucker.
Despite the star power in the previous films, none of them honestly rate much higher than a C+. There have been a number of films in the genre over the past few years, none of which were blockbusters. That plus the fact that at 61, Chan may decide that it’s time to rest a bit, means that the film may never get to the screen and that its success if far from assured.
"SPL 2 - A Time for Consequences" Australian Theatrical Poster
For those residing down under, 30th July sees Madman Entertainment unleash SPL II: A Time for Consequences onto Australian cinema screens.
A follow-up to the original 2005 classic starring Donnie Yen and directed by Wilson Yip, the sequel, connected by theme only, sees Soi Cheang (Accident) stepping into the director’s chair, with a cast headed by Thai action star Tony Jaa (Skin Trade), and Chinese wushu sensation Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior).
Check out our full review for SPL II: A Time for Consequenceshere. And don’t miss Madman Entertainment’s official Australian trailer.
“Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation” Japanese Theatrical Poster
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Writer: Christopher McQuarrie
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, Alec Baldwin, Zhang Jing Chu, Simon McBurney, Tom Hollander
Running Time: 131 min.
By Paul Bramhall
It’s been almost 20 years since Tom Cruise remade the Mission: Impossible TV series into his own one man show, with Brian De Palma’s 1996 production of the same name. Perhaps no less significantly, 2015 also marks the 10 year anniversary of Cruise’s infamous couch jumping incident on The Oprah Winfrey Show. A gesture that reflected his love of Katie Holmes, who at the time he’d been dating for just a month, more significantly his antics saw him portrayed as an annoying idiot by the media, and the public were more than happy to agree.
While for some that portrayal will never be shaken, there is one other equally undeniable fact – in those 10 year since, Cruise has continued to put out some of the most original and exciting movies to come out of Hollywood in a long time. War of the Worlds, Jack Reacher, Oblivion, Edge of Tomorrow, and that’s not even counting the other movies in the Mission: Impossible series. Check out his filmography, and you won’t find a single superhero flick or reboot in sight, and that’s to be admired. Of course though, out of all those movies, it’s the Mission: Impossible series that has always been his baby.
Cruise has produced all of them, and has done an outstanding job of bringing in a distinctive director for each entry in the series. Brian De Palma helmed the first installment, with legendary Hong Kong director John Woo handling the second, the man behind the Star Trek reboots, J.J.Abrams, taking on the third, and a director renowned for animations like The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, Brad Bird, onboard for the fourth. Out of all of them, it was arguably Bird who had the toughest job. It had been 5 years since Mission: Impossible 3, and with the announcement of a fourth installment, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocolwas largely treated as the sequel that no one was asking for.
Against the odds however, it was the fourth than many people now consider to be the best. Bird took the exaggerated animation aesthetic of his movies like The Incredibles, and applied them to a real time action movie. Best of all, it was agreed between himself and Cruise that they’d do all of if for real, eschewing the green screen effects work that dominate modern action cinema. The result saw Cruise scaling the outside of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, in what was one of the best and most awe inspiring stunts seen onscreen for far too long. While some people go through a mid-life crisis by buying expensive sports cars, Cruise seems determined to take things in his stride, by becoming some sort of American version of Jackie Chan.
4 years on fromM:I – Ghost Protocol, and we now have M:I – Rogue Nation. The fifth installment is directed by frequent Cruise collaborator Christopher McQuarrie. Besides being the scribe behind The Usual Suspects, McQuarrie also wrote the Cruise flicks Edge of Tomorrow and Jack Reacher, the latter of which he directed as well. McQuarrie no doubt has an understanding of what’s expected from a Cruise flick, as well as the man himself, so their collaboration on a Mission: Impossible movie was highly anticipated.
Anyone who has seen the other M:I flicks will be in familiar territory. Rogue Nation picks up largely wereGhost Protocol left off. The IMF team is in the process of being disbanded and absorbed into the CIA, Cruise ends up on the run from both his allies and the enemy, and in-between there are plenty of action and espionage hijinks. It’s a template which was used to great success with Ghost Protocol, so it’s forgivable that McQuarrie decides to recycle the structure of it here.
I think it’s important to point out that there’s a certain elephant in the room with Rogue Nation. Just like how Ghost Protocolheavily used the scene of Cruise ascending the Burj Khalifa for the movies promotion, Rogue Nation heavily relies on the scene of Cruise hanging onto the side of a plane as it takes off. It’s a crazy stunt which, just like the Burj Khalifa scene previously, was done for real. However, there’s a major difference between the two. While the Burj Khalifa stunt from Ghost Protocol has a lot riding on it, and is essential to the plot, in Rogue Nation the plane stunt takes place before the opening titles even roll. It’s essentially a James Bond-esque opener, and while it is impressive, it would have been great had it been integrated into a vital part of the story. As it stands though, Tom Cruise hanging onto the side of a plane is essentially just that – Tom Cruise hanging onto the side of a plane, with its connection to the rest of the events that take place superfluous at best.
That being said though, there’s enough action and espionage contained within Rogue Nation’s 130 runtime to keep any fan of the series, or action movies in general, happy. From a fight scene on a suspended platform over an Opera being performed on stage, to a fantastic car chase that then segues into an even better motorbike chase, to a thrilling underwater break in, Cruise is front and center, performing all of the stunts, and even the driving, himself. While the proceedings and characters all feel familiar, Cruise’s decision to take the series into more of an action driven direction ensures that none of it becomes tiresome.
Also drawing similarities to the James Bond series, the M:I series seem to be creating its own pool of M:I girls. For Rogue Nation, joining the likes of Emmanuelle Beart, Thandie Newton, Maggie Q, and Paula Patton, is Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson, who plays a British agent working in deep cover that ends up teaming up with Cruise. Unlike many Bond girls though, Ferguson is a worthy equal to Cruise, herself getting to throw down several times over the course of the movie, including a one-on-one knife fight in the finale.
If any criticism can be drawn towards Rogue Nation, it’s that it somewhat lacks the urgency that permeated throughout Ghost Protocol, and the decision to open proceedings with the plane stunt results in the action playing out in reverse, with the best coming first. To go back to my Jackie Chan comment, in many ways Ghost Protocol can be looked at as Police Story 3: Supercop, while Rogue Nation is First Strike. All of the stunts and action are still there, just not in the most favorable order, and the emotional investment has largely been cast aside as well. Just like Jackie Chan’s partner of the wholePolice Story series, Maggie Cheung, is completely absent from First Strike, so is Cruise’s wife completely absent from Rogue Nation, not even getting a single mention.
While the action and espionage has always come first, the small human touches can elevate a story from being functional, to being both engaging and something that we can be invested in. Rogue Nation misses out on those details, but thankfully it still delivers enough visceral thrills and wit to register as a worthy entry to the series. With an average time of 5 years between each entry in the series, if Cruise decides to make another installment and waits until 2020 to do it, he’ll then be 58, which would put him at the same age as Jackie Chan when he made Chinese Zodiac. But just like Chan, if he’s still willing to put himself out there and take the knocks for the sake of our entertainment, you can count me in.
If you want to learn more about Jackie Chan’s parents, you’ll want to check out Tale of Three Cities, an upcoming film set in turbulent China in the late 1930’s during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
The movie follows two widowed people – based on Jackie’s real-life parents, Charles and Lee-lee Chan – who fall in love each other and are forced to leave their children and escape to Hong Kong where they have a special son…
Looks like the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonsequel may have re-opened a can of whoopass for Michelle Yeoh (Yes, Madam). While unveiling her wax statue at Madame Tussaud’s, the action legend told reporters she wanted to return to Hong Kong film. Just think: A proper Police Story 3follow-up with Jackie Chan? We wish!
For the last 5 years, Yeoh has been appearing in many unexpected projects around the world; ranging from portraying a politician in Luc Besson’s The Lady (2011) to playing a TV producer in the South Korean production, Final Recipe (2013).
The set (see photo) includes the entire franchise: Die Hard, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Live Free or Die Hard (includes unrated version) and the god-awful A Good Day to Die Hard (includes unrated version).
Extras include Decoding Die Hard, 5 Collectible Cards and 32-page Behind-the-scenes booklet.
With After Dark Films establishing a new working partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2012’s Re-Kill (aka Dead Ahead), the long awaited action/horror film, is finally going to see the light of day in North America.
Re-Kill stars martial arts sensation Scott Adkins (Wolf Warrior) Bruce Payne (Passenger 57) and Daniella Alonso (The Collector). It’s written by Michael Hurst (Room 6) and directed by Valeri Milev (Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort).
Official Plot: It’s been 5 years since the outbreak that wiped out 85% of the world’s population, but the war between Re-Animates (Re-Ans) and Humans wages on, as most of the major cities are still uninhabitable. Within the few surviving cities, the Re-Ans have been segregated into “zones” and are policed by the R-Division of the QUASI S.W.A.T. Unit who hunt to re-kill the Re-Ans in the hope of quelling a second outbreak.
Re-Kill will have a limited theatrical release, nation wide, on October 16th, 2015, followed by a Blu-ray/DVD release. Until then, watch the newest trailer!
Entertainment One presents the DVD for Call Me King, an upcoming action movie written and directed by R.L. Scott.
Call Me King stars Bai Ling (The Crow), Amin Joseph (The Expendables), Chris Mulkey (Boardwalk Empire), Alimi Ballard (Numbers), Lester Speight (Transformers), Robert Miano (Donnie Brasco), Bill Cobbs (Oz: The great and Powerful), Del Zamora (True Blood), Gabrielle Dennis (The Game) and Monyque Thompson Scott (Lie to Me). | Watch the trailer.
Director: Ernesto Díaz Espinoza
Cast: Marko Zaror, Noah Segan, Loreto Aravena, Otilio Castro, Smirnow Boris, José Luís Mósca, Nuñez Nelson, Mauricio Raab Sanz, Pablo Raab Sanz
Running Time: 90 min.
By Martin Sandison
For my money, the end fight in Undisputed 3 – one of the best martial arts flicks of recent years, which pits Scott Adkins’ iconic Boyka against Marko Zaror’s extravagant villain Dolor – is one of the greatest fight scenes in history. Both men prove themselves as two of the best screen fighters working today.
Zaror is most well known for this role and his small part in Robert Rodriguez’s debacle Machete Kills, but his filmography stretches way back. He studied Karate, Kickboxing and Taekwondo from the age of 6, and got his break doubling Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson in 2003’s The Rundown, for which he won a World Stunt Award.
In 2006 he collaborated with first time director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza on Kiltro, the first Chilean martial arts movie. A success in theatres and DVD around the world, this was followed up by Mirageman and Mandrill, again small scale successes. Mandrill was made in 2009, and since then, Espinoza has worked as an editor on Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno, among other projects. Fans of Zaror and Espinoza’s earlier films waited patiently for their next collaboration, which has come in the form of Redeemer.
Looking through the pages of the Edinburgh Film Festival brochure, I didn’t spot Redeemer until my friend told me about it. One of only two martial arts films on in the Festival, of course I had to see it. As a fan of the earlier films, I immediately became excited. The film sports a stronger plotline and characters than the previous efforts, as well as a dash of humour and higher production values. The plot features Zaror as a kind of avenging angel, the ‘redeemer’ of the title. He punishes bad guys for being bad, basically, and is searching for one who it seems did him some wrongdoing. His motivation is not revealed until late on in the film, and the construction of the narrative around this is pretty well put together.
There are basically two plotlines going on at the same time. One featuring Zaror’s character and two friends he makes as they hide out from the villains. Another concentrating on a drug lord, played by American Noah Segan – this is where the comic relief comes in. Almost a direct reference to Hong Kong movies post 70’s – the inconsistency in tone due to the silly, humorous antics of Segan, compared with the brutal violence and sombre tone of most of the plot – is evident from the outset. The way the different narratives come together is well done, and the pacing allows for plenty of what Zaror does best: high impact martial arts.
The fights come thick and fast, and for those hoping that the action is amped up to a higher level than the previous films of Zaror and Espinoza, you won’t be disappointed. Kiltro and Mirageman have action that certainly delivers in its high impact style; but aspects such as fluidity, inventive exchanges and crisp editing were missing at times. From the first fight scene on, Redeemer shows a marked improvement, with Zaror moving like a seasoned pro and the stuntmens reactions on point. There is a good mix of group and one-on-one fights, with Zaror exercising each of his formidable skills. His kicking especially is of the highest level, as he alternates more modern tricking styles with powerful hook kicks.
The group fights feature Raid–style 360 camera moves and intricate choreography, although some of the exhchanges are a little unconvincing. There are three notable one-on-one fights; two in the middle and at the end. The longest fight is with one of the lackeys who is a good fighter, and contains a mix of MMA-style grappling and 90’s HK kickboxing. Unfortunately, the grappling slows down the fight and isn’t integrated that well, not reaching the heady heights of Donnie Yen’s masterful end fight in Flashpoint.
The other mid-film fight features some inventive use of environment, with the fighters crashing through wood. Zaror’s opponent here is not a great martial artist, but a good brawler. The finishing move is something to behold, as Zaror references another Donnie Yen masterclass Ip Man as he unleashes Wing Chun-style chain punching finishing with a deadly uppercut that sees the blood fly. The end-fight sees him face off against the intimidating uber evil bad guy played by Jose Luis Mosca, a skilled martial artist and good actor. Despite being a bit of a let down compared to the previous two one on one fight scenes, the location on the edge of a cliff and the pacing creates drama and tension.
There are tasteful references throughout the film, especially to Westerns, HK flicks and Tarantino-esque scenes featuring Segan, and Espinoza weaves these together without sacrificing narrative logic. One fault that is unusual for a viewer like myself is the incredibly brutal violence, which seems a little unnecessary. At one point Zaror puts a hook through a guys mouth that comes out of his eyeball, and is shown in graphic detail. Being a low budget production, the CGI on show is poor and takes the viewer out of the film slightly, but this can be forgiven.
The religious symbolism is at times heavy handed, as can be seen with the title and the positioning of Zaror’s character as some kind of vigilante avenging angel. These faults don’t ruin what is a very solid modern martial arts film, that has enough innovation in its fight scenes to entertain even the most jaded of fans.
AKA: Hustle Director: Ringo Lam
Cast: Louis Koo, Shawn Yue Man-lok, Joseph Chang, Tong Liya, Jack Kao, Sam Lee, Philip Ng, Dave Wong, Simon Yam, Phillip Keung, Alex Lam, Ken Law
Running Time: 100 min.
By Paul Bramhall
Not taking into consideration the segment he directed for 2007’s Triangle, it’s been 12 long years since Ringo Lam directed a Hong Kong movie. Look to when he last directed one of the crime thrillers that he built his reputation on, and you have to go back even further. So the announcement that Wild City was to see him returning both to Hong Kong filmmaking, and the crime thriller genre, was a big deal. Lam himself explained that the movie would round off what he saw as his ‘City Trilogy’, with the other titles being this very sites namesake, his 1987 classic City on Fire, and his 1997 production Full Alert. Like Park Chan-wook’s ‘Vengeance Trilogy,’ the movies are connected thematically, with Lam stating that the “films are all set in Hong Kong, and are about people who are lost in the city.”
Wild City of course represents a very different Hong Kong from both of its predecessors. City on Fire was made at a time when Hong Kong cinema was at its creative peak, with Full Alert being made in the year the territory was handed back to China from its 99 year lease to the UK. With the mainland emerging as a significant influence on box office success in recent years, these days Hong Kong movies are no longer simply targeted at local Hong Kong audiences, with the importance of appealing to China as a whole taking precedence.
The handover of Hong Kong back to China was also significant in another way though, which was that all movies made there now had to go through the process of passing the government censorship board. This led to many Hong Kong directors jumping ship to try their hand at working in Hollywood (Lam himself made 3 movies with Jean Claude Van Damme there), while others decided to switch to making period swordplay movies, due to the ease of which they passed the board. For directors like Lam though, used to making gritty and realistic crime thrillers, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, with no distributors willing to back his ideas for fear they’d never get approved for release. Thankfully in 2015, the censorship board has loosened its iron grip ever so slightly, and with Lam’s own desire to still make movies and capture the ever changing Hong Kong landscape on film, Wild City was born.
Louis Koo continues on his mission to appear in every Hong Kong movie ever made (the guy was in 7 movies alone just in 2014), here starring as a disgraced former cop turned bar owner. He quit the force after attempting to cover for his brother, played by Shawn Yue, a petty criminal who has now gone straight and is working as a taxi driver. When Koo befriends a drunken woman from the mainland in his bar, played by Tong Liya, the three of them quickly find themselves being pursued by both her former lover and the group of thugs employed to catch them. The contents of the suitcase she seems so desperate to retrieve soon reveal why, and a game of cat and mouse develops as the trio try to remain one step ahead of their pursuers.
While many argue that the Hong Kong film industry is on its last legs, Lam proves here that it’s still very much possible to create what looks, feels, and is a Hong Kong crime movie. The city is as much a part of the story as the characters who are in it, with its skyline, harbors, countryside, and many narrow alleyways and stairs all lensed in a way that really capture its character. Make no doubt about it, Wild City is just as gritty as you want a Ringo Lam movie to be, but just underneath the surface, it also seems to be a love letter to Hong Kong and its many locales.
Johnnie To also succeeded in making a gritty crime picture with Drug War, which he achieved through filming in the mainland city of Tianjin, but even more so by casting mainland actors as the heroic cops, and a who’s who of Hong Kong talent as the villains. Lam isn’t quite as willing to sellout the Cantonese speaking protagonists that always feature in his movies, so while the gang of thugs pursuing the trio are all clearly speaking Mandarin, he smartly avoids any censorship issues by having them called the ‘Taiwan Gang’. A minor detail, but one that clearly worked. The gang is lead by, appropriately enough, Taiwan actor Joseph Chang. Chang, who starred alongside Jimmy Wang Yu in one of the best movies of 2013, Soul, adds some welcome depth to his character with his portrayal of a guy who just wants to go back home. The death of his acquaintances ultimately gives him more motive to kill than the money he’s being paid, and turns him into a worthy villain of the piece.
Which of course brings us to the violence, an aspect that plays a part in any Ringo Lam movie, whether it be the brutal beatings of Prison on Fire, or the bullet point of view shoot outs of Full Contact. Violence also plays an important part in Wild City, whether it be the threat of it which our 3 protagonists are constantly faced with, or if they’re forced to dish it out themselves. Lam throws the trio into a situation were danger is never far away, and it becomes apparent very quickly that the bad guys like to go old school, arming themselves with steel bars and machetes as their weapons of choice. This leads to a number of chase sequences that effectively build up a sense of desperation and tension, as people get sliced and cut up in a series of bloody confrontations. Special mention should also go to a nasty scene involving a boat propeller.
Things really culminate in the final 30 minutes, kicking off with Koo’s brutal interrogation of a gangster, played by Sam Lee, in an isolated public toilet, which will no doubt have Lam’s fan base nodding their head in approval of the directors return. Throw in a number of vehicle chase sequences that for the most part are played out for real, with some minor and entirely acceptable CGI assistance, and those looking for the visceral action thrill of Lam’s previous works will be more than satisfied. While it could easily be argued that Wild City lacks the kind of layered writing and imagery of his movies like Full Alert, it could also be said that the nature of the story makes this a mute point. As another director who recently returned to the crime genre, Takeshi ‘Beat’ Tikano, had the same criticism leveled towards him, it could be said that Wild City is to Full Alert whatOutrage is to Sonatine. Yes the deeper layers may not be there, but they don’t need to be.
Above all the clear message in Wild City is how money corrupts, with Liya’s desperation to hang onto the suitcase perhaps indicative of Lam taking a sly swipe at the youth of China’s current obsession with materialism and money. In one of the movies closing moments, Liya looks across to the Hong Kong skyline from Victoria Harbour and cheerily declares, “Hong Kong is an unforgettable place!” For fans of Hong Kong cinema, so are many of Ringo Lam’s movies, and Wild City sits comfortably amongst them.
Disclaimer: cityonfire.com does not own any of the photos contained in the blog. cityonfire.com was made merely to pay homage to these films, directors, talent, etc. and not for any profit or commercial reasons. No copyright infringement intended. The photos are copyrighted and courtesy by their respective owners.
cityonfire.com is a non-profit website for the private use and entertainment and/or parody purposes.
"Copyright Disclaimer, Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statue that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, education or personal use tops the balance in favor of fair use."
Be the 1st to Comment