Vengeance of an Assassin (2014) Review

Posted on March 10, 2015 by oneleaf
"Vengeance of an Assassin" Theatrical Poster

“Vengeance of an Assassin” Theatrical Poster

Director: Panna Rittikrai
Writer: Wichit Wattananont
Cast: Changprung Chupong, Nantawooti Boonrapsap, Ping Lumprapleng, Ooi Teik Huat
Running Time: 99 min

By oneleaf

Natee (Changprung Chupong) and Than (Nantawooti Boornrapsap) are orphans raised by their parent’s friend (Ping Lumprapleng). Never knowing their parents or how they died, the two boys had always wondered who was responsible for their murder. The pursuit of vengeance is the centerpiece of Vengeance of an Assassin, the last film by Panna Rittikrai before his untimely death at the age of 53 (from complications associated with acute liver and kidney failure).

Rittikrai started his career in 1979 as a physical trainer for Bangkok actors. Inspired by Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, he later started his own stunt team, PNP Stunt Team (Muay Thai Stunt Team). He appeared in countless films throughout the 80s, but it was Gerd Ma Lui (1986) that gave him his first directorial feature.

In addition to being the mentor to Tony Jaa (Ong-Bak), JeeJa Yanin (Chocolate) and Dan Chupong, Rittikrai was the main instrument that launched all three of their film careers. But to most, Rittikrai will be remembered for his groundbreaking choreography work in the acclaimed Ong-Bak (2003) and Tom-Yum-Goong (2005), both of which starred Jaa.

Vengeance of an Assassin reunites Rittikrai and Chupong from their Born to Fight (2004) collaboration. The film opens with a very unusual sequence of men screaming, kicking and punching each other while trying to maneuver a soccer ball in a dusty industrial warehouse. At one point, while the men are going at it in slow motion, they try to kick a ball in a small body of water, which appears out of nowhere. It makes absolutely no sense, but is fun to watch. Maybe Rittikrai was experimenting with some of his shots?

Vengeance of an Assassin mixes gunplay with hand-to-hand combat. Some of the firefights feel out of place. On numerous occasions, camera placement is at odds with what’s transpiring on screen. One such sequence involves an unknown figure entering a restaurant while opening fire on men (credit jones). The scene, which was filmed with the camera pointing up-below the waist from the assailant’s viewpoint (shot to hide the identity of the assailant), felt more like a video game than a movie, which left me with an unpleasant viewing experience.

Other problems in the movie was the use of CGI that didn’t match the surrounding scenery. Case in point was a scene on a speeding train where the the landscaping on both sides of the train look unreal and blurry. The color scheme of explosions didn’t match either. The compositing and rendering of images were so off that I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. Furthermore, when guys are fighting, it appears as if they’re on stationary platforms because they had no issues balancing themselves on a speeding train. These embarrassing visuals are not something you would expect from an experienced filmmaker like Rittikrai. It’s safe to assume that his health problems had something to do with the film’s careless post-production effects.

The martial arts combat, however, does not disappoint. One of the more exciting examples is Chupong’s fight with Nui-Kessarin Ektawatkul. This sequence takes place inside another warehouse where cables, pipes and anything within reach are used as weapons. What amazes me most is how Ektawatkul was able to go ballistic while wearing a sexy, sleeveless dress that didn’t seem to hinder any of her movements.

Another engaging action piece involves the elder Ooi Teik Huat versus a group of bad guys. He quickly disarms them with a rapid fire succession of punches, low kicks, throw downs and take downs. He’s not much of an actor, but his skills are stunning. My jaw literally dropped when I witnessed the exchanges on screen. So next time you see an older gentleman doing his morning Tai Chi routine, you might want to cancel your scroffs.

The star of the film, no doubt, is Chupong, but I find Boornrapsap’s physical ability more entertaining. Being younger and more acrobatic, his 360º kicks definitely steal the show. One such frenetic scene involves him exchanging punches and kicks through several glass panes, as shards of glass scatter every which way between the two combatants.

The bare-bones plot, disjointed script, bad CGI and other flaws shouldn’t be a deterrent to enjoying Vengeance of an Assassin. Being Rittikrai’s last project, action enthusiasts should embrace this important piece of Thai action cinema. R.I.P. Ah Gjan (“Teacher” in Thai) Panna, you will be sorely missed.

oneleaf’s Rating: 6/10

Posted in News, Reviews, Thai | Tagged , |

Admiral: Roaring Currents | Blu-ray & DVD (CJ Entertainment)

Posted on March 10, 2015 by JJ Bona
Admiral: Roaring Currents | Blu-ray & DVD (CJ Entertainment)

Admiral: Roaring Currents | Blu-ray & DVD (CJ Entertainment)

RELEASE DATE: April 28, 2015

CJ Entertainment presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Admiral: Roaring Currents, a South Korean box-office hit directed by Kim Han-Min (War of the Arrows).

Admiral: Roaring Currents depicts the Battle of Myeongryang, which took place October 26, 1597. The historical event involved Admiral Yi Sun-Shin (Old Boy and I Saw Devil’s Choi Min-Sik), who had only 12 ships under his command, against the Japanese navy which had over a hundred ships (led by Ryoo Seung-Ryong of The Target). Watch the trailer

Pre-order Admiral: Roaring Currents from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases |

Francis Ng and Simon Yam get ‘Two Thumbs Up’

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Sam the Man
"Two Thumbs Up" Teaser Poster

"Two Thumbs Up" Teaser Poster

Two Thumbs Up is an upcoming action comedy that stars two of Hong Kong’s top leading men, Francis Ng and Simon Yam. The supporting cast include Leo Ku (Hot Blood is the Strongest), Patrick Tam (Beast Cops), Mark Cheng (Election 2) and Philip Keung (Unbeatable).

The film is produced by Soi Cheang (Motorway) and directed by first-time director Lau Ho Leung (screenwriter for Kung Fu Killer, 14 Blades and Painted Skin).

Official synopsis: Lucifer and his gangsters dress their minibus to resemble a police vehicle, and pose as policemen for a robbery. Police Officer Chui sensed “criminal intent.” Without police orders, he investigates these gangsters. At the robbery the gangsters engage in a gunfight against the real criminals, who kill randomly. Lucifer and his men are infuriated. They may wear police costumes and use toy guns, but their passion is real. Sensing their righteous passion, Chui decides to side with the impostors and their 16-passenger EU vehicle. Lucifer and his men re-discover the bond they felt when they used to battle together. Finally, Chui, Lucifer and the gang defeat the criminals, showing Chui that anyone can be a hero, and righteousness resides within us all.

The film’s full trailer has arrived, and judging by it, Two Thumbs Up looks like a really fun film. It is due to be released in Hong Kong cinemas on April 2.

Posted in News |

Kaos pushes Kane Kosugi and Jason Patric to the ‘Maxx’

Posted on March 9, 2015 by JJ Bona
"Tekken 2: Kazuya's Revenge" International DVD Cover

"Tekken 2: Kazuya's Revenge" International DVD Cover

Will the team that brought us the horrendous Tekken 2: Kazuya’s Revenge redeem themselves? The answer is in the hands of Maxx, an upcoming action film that reunites director Wych Kaosayananda (aka Kaos of Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever fame) and martial arts star Kane Kosugi (Coweb). Appearing opposite Kosugi is the unexpected addition of Hollywood star, Jason Patric (Narc, Speed 2).

Details on the project are limited, but according to FCS, Maxx is described as a “driven character action-adventure filled with the usual tropes of classic Bond with nudge to Showtime series, Dexter.”

Maxx is set to begin production in a few days. Until then, be on the lookout for Kaosayananda’s Zero Tolerance, which will hopefully see the light of day in the U.S. Stay tuned!

Posted in News |

White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom, The (2014) Review

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Kelly Warner
"The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: The White Haired Witch
Director: Jacob Cheung
Cast: Fan Bing Bing, Huang Xiao Ming, Vincent Chiu, Shera Li Xin Ru, Wang Xuebing, Du Yiheng, Nicholas Tse, Yin Zhusheng, Wang De-Shun, Dong Zi-Wu
Running Time: 103 min.

By Kyle Warner

Liang Yusheng’s popular wuxia novel Baifa Monu Zhuan has been adapted for television and film multiple times since its debut in the 1950s. The adaptation you’re most likely familiar with is Ronny Yu’s crazy 1993 film The Bride with White Hair starring Brigitte Lin in the title role and the late Leslie Cheung as her lover. It was a popular film upon its release and it has become something of a cult classic in the years since. While I’m not the biggest fan of The Bride with White Hair I did enjoy how it mixed kung fu, romance, fantasy, and horror into one package without the stitches coming undone. Now writer/director Jacob Cheung Chi-Leung (Battle of the Warriors) brings us his adaptation of Yusheng’s novel, 2014’s The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom. Compared to The Bride with White Hair, Jacob Cheung’s film is relatively tame and seems more geared towards a wider audience. Cheung does without much of the horror and fantasy elements of Ronny Yu’s film, but somehow his White Haired Witch does come undone, thanks mostly to too much going on and too little effort given to make it all feel worthwhile.

In the waning years of the Ming Dynasty, corruption runs rampant and the people are suffering. The vigilante hero Jade Raksha AKA Lian Nishang (Fan Bingbing) and her band of heroes protect the weak from the tyrants. Elsewhere in the story, the new leader of the Wudang, Zhuo Yihang (Huang Xioaming), is tasked with bringing medicine to the ailing Emperor. When the pills are switched with poison and the Emperor dies, Yihang is the prime suspect. Circumstances and action sequences pull Nishang and Yihang together. Though initially they do not trust one another, they slowly fall in love and join forces to challenge the corrupt men of power who threaten the land and its people.

White Haired Witch is both an overplotted and underwritten film. The script is just chockfull of characters, subplots, and political intrigue that could’ve easily been edited down to better focus on the heart of the story… However, there seems to be an inner conflict about just what the heart of the story actually is. I would believe it to be the romance between our two heroes. And while Fan Bingbing and Huang Xioaming have the most screen time, the film’s true focus seems to be elsewhere, resulting in a rather jumbled story. Over the course of the film we are treated to two frame-up assassinations, an assortment of factions with their own heroes and villains, and a small helping of history thrown in amongst the fiction. It all makes for a very bloated and frequently confusing film. Too often I was left wondering who a character was and what his motivations were. Over time I figured it out: some of these characters are just simply there. They don’t all have a purpose. They’re just extra pieces to an already crowded puzzle.

White Haired Witch feels underwritten because while the film is always busy with new things to do and people dying left and right, it somehow manages to seem empty. A large number of the supporting characters are introduced with their names and titles printed on the screen. I’ve generally never been a fan of this method of character introduction. It asks the viewer to remember characters and factions so that the screenwriter doesn’t need to bother so much with character development. Some of these characters may be well-known to either fans of the book or those with knowledge of this part of Chinese history, but for other viewers they’re just names and faces. Similarly, the film throws in a bit of history involving the “Case of the Red Pills” which involved the fatal poisoning of the Emperor. The Red Pills fit into the plot well enough, but it still feels like an underdeveloped footnote in the story.

Perhaps the most disappointingly underwritten part of the script is our two heroes. She’s gorgeous, he’s handsome, and they stare at each other longingly, but that’s not enough to make for a believable romance. The tragic love story should’ve received more care than it does here. When inevitable heartbreak occurs, the moment is hollow. There’s no chemistry here, no fire, just pretty people and CGI spectacle.

Fan Bingbing is good in the title role. She’s gorgeous but she doesn’t get by on looks alone. She brings a cool intensity to her character, making her White Witch both intimidating and alluring. Vincent Zhao also puts in a good performance as one of the film’s central villains and his skillset brings more believability to the action. Huang Xiaoming’s less impressive as Zhuo Yihang. Instead of emoting he does his best to appear dashing and handsome in every scene, reminding me a bit of a lovesick puppy that’s just begging you to love him back.

Much of the swordplay featured in the film is aided by wirework and CGI. While I prefer more visceral, old-school martial arts, I’m not opposed to CGI-infused action sequences in a martial arts movie. When done right, CGI and wires can make for very graceful action. Sadly, that’s not what we get here. Thanks to choppy editing, the choreography has no elegance to it. The action is serviceable, but it’s never all that impressive.

In the film’s final moments Leslie Cheung’s song from The Bride with White Hair plays over the onscreen action. Though obviously meant as a respectful nod to the popular film and its star, the song forced me out of the movie for a moment as I realized with absolute certainty that I’d rather be watching Ronny Yu’s film instead. Still, fans of The Bride with White Hair may want to give this film a try for curiosity’s sake if nothing else. It features many of the same central ideas and lead characters, but it’s a wildly different movie (villainous Siamese twins are nowhere to be found in Jacob Cheung’s film, just for example). Based on what I’ve read, White Haired Witch is closer to the original material of Yusheng’s book. However, White Haired Witch serves as proof that the more faithful adaptation is not always the better one.

When The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom debuted in Chinese theatres it was given the 3D treatment. For those interested, White Haired Witch arrives on Blu-Ray from Well Go USA with only the 2D version of the film included on the disc. Like most Well Go USA Blu-Rays, White Haired Witch features excellent picture and sound. We also get about 20 minutes of behind-the-scenes material. Much of those 20 minutes are little more than puff pieces for promotional purposes, but there was one interesting segment about how Huang Xiaoming was filming an action sequence on wires when his wire snapped, dropping him about ten feet. He suffered a severe foot injury which required surgery. Huang eventually returned to the set in a wheelchair. While he recovered, they filmed Huang in a tall chair so that it looked as though he was standing next to his co-stars. I learned this information after watching the film and I am half-tempted to rewatch certain sequences to see if the trick can be detected… but ultimately I don’t care that much.

Jacob Cheung’s White Haired Witch isn’t an awful film – it keeps up a fast pace and there’s enough talent in front of the camera to make the thing watchable. But thanks to a poor screenplay and some lacking visuals, it’s not a terribly interesting film, either. White Haired Witch might be fine as a diversion on some rainy night, but overall I found it to be an incredibly underwhelming film experience.

Kyle Warner’s Rating: 4.5/10

Posted in Chinese, News, Reviews | Tagged , , |

Trailer arrives for Carrie Ng’s directorial debut ‘Angel Whispers’

Posted on March 8, 2015 by Sam the Man
"Naked Killer" Chinese DVD Cover

"Naked Killer" Chinese DVD Cover

Angel Whispers is the directorial debut by Carrie Ng Ka Lai, successful Hong Kong actress who starred in films such as Naked Killer, City on Fire, Call Girl ’88 and more recently Pang Ho Cheung’s Aberdeen and Nick Cheung’s Ghost Rituals (another directorial debut by an actor).

Co-directed with Shirley Yung, also a first-time director, Angel Whispers was the winner of a HK$150,000 prize at the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum last year. It tells the story of a group of female sex workers faced with a mysterious killer.

Don’t miss the film’s suspenseful trailer!

Posted in News |

Everly | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

Posted on March 7, 2015 by JJ Bona
Everly | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

Everly | Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2015

Anchor Bay presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Everly. Directed by Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2: Dead End), Everly is an action/thriller centered on a woman (Salma Hayek) who faces down Japanese assassins sent by her ex, a mob boss, while holed up in her apartment.

Everly features action sequences staged by Akihiro “Yuji” Noguchi (Black Belt). The film also stars Jennifer Blanc, Togo Igawa (47 Ronin), Caroline Chikezie, Masashi Fujimoto (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) and Hiroyuki Watanabe (Karate-Robo Zaborgar). Watch the trailer.

Pre-order Everly from Amazon.com today!

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Other Notable Titles |

Girl at My Door, A (2014) Review

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Paul Bramhall
"A Girl at My Door" Korean Theatrical Poster

“A Girl at My Door” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Jeong Joo-ri
Producer: Lee Jun-Dong
Cast: Bae Doo-Na, Kim Sae-Ron, Song Sae-Byuk, Kim Jin-Gu, Son Jong-Hak, Na Jong-Min
Running Time: 119 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Korea has arguably been producing the best movies to come out of Asia for the last 15 years, however one criticism of the industry has always been the lack of lead roles for women, outside of romantic comedies and flower vase roles in male dominated thrillers. In what’s still considered to be a male dominated society, the issue is confounded further by the lack of female directors. While directors like Shin Su-won and Bang Eun-jin are exceptions to the rule, there’s no doubt that the Korean film industry could be even stronger if it embraced the large amount of female talent that’s out there.

With A Girl at My Door, first time director and scriptwriter Jeong Joo-ri will hopefully be a name that can be added to the expanding pool of female directors active in the industry. Joo-ri’s talent had a notable hand to guide it, which came in the form of Lee Chang-dong. Chang-dong, the director of such masterpieces as Green Fish, Oasis, and Secret Sunshine, was Joo-ri’s teacher at the Korea National University of Arts, and he clearly had enough confidence in his students ability that he came on board as producer for her debut.

A Girl at My Door also gives us a female-centric story, which is headlined by Bae Doo-na and Kim Sae-ron. Doo-na is no doubt one of the most recognizable faces in Korean cinema, having caught audiences attention with her roles as the quirky girlfriend to Sin Ha-gyoon’s mute in Park Chan-wook’s Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, to the crossbow wielding family member in Bong Joon-ho’s monster movie The Host. Understandably Hollywood came calling, and most recently she’s starred in the Wachowskis’ (of The Matrix fame) blockbusters Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending.

Sae-ron has equally being making a name for herself as one of the busiest child actors in Korea. While readers here will most likely recognize her as the kidnapped girl Won Bin goes on a mission to rescue in 2010’s The Man from Nowhere, she’s been in plenty of drama series’ and movies in-between. While in The Man from Nowhere Sae-ron was just 9 years old, 4 years later and she’s now a teenager, and very much looking to be one of the brightest female acting talents in Korea.

In A Girl at My Door Doo-na plays a police captain who, in the opening, we learn has been transferred to a new post in a remote seaside town. As she drives into the town on a bright summer’s day, she inadvertently runs through a puddle, dousing a scruffy and tattered looking girl by the roadside with water. The girl is played by Sae-ron, and as Doo-na stops the car to check if she’s ok, instead of speaking they wordlessly stare at each other, before Sae-ron dashes off into a field. It’s worth noting that Sae-ron’s character is called Do-hee, which is also the name of the movie in Korean, and from that first meeting between the two characters, the ominous tone which you can’t quite put your finger on is set.

It’s established from the word go that proceedings are going to revolve around the relationship between Doo-na and Sae-ron’s characters, and Joo-ri shows an assured hand at constantly feeding small hints of information about both of their characters as the movie progresses. This isn’t a type of movie which spoon feeds the audience, and it’s all the better for it, as with each part of their history that’s revealed, we gain a greater understanding of their actions, which makes it a highly rewarding experience to watch. That’s not to say things move at a fast pace, if anything the opposite is true, however there’s never a moment when proceedings feel slow or dull, as every scene and frame is there to add something to the fabric of the story being told.

When it’s revealed that Sae-ron’s character is living with her highly abusive step-father and his elderly mother, who abuse her both physically and verbally on a daily basis, Doo-na’s police captain eventually ends up taking Sae-ron under her wing, allowing her to stay at her home. However when the step-father’s mother is found dead, seemingly by accident, things begin to get complicated. The step-father is played by Song Sae-byeok, and in a refreshing change from the comedic roles he’s most well known for, here he comes across a constantly drunk brute, always seething with anger. Feeling harassed from the sudden attention off Doo-na’s police captain, both because of the abuse, and what appears to be his hiring of illegal Indian immigrants to help run the towns fishing fleet, he begins to do his own research as to the reasons behind her transfer.

A Girl at My Door is a decidedly difficult movie to market, while for international audiences it will most likely be touted as a murder mystery, the event is really only a device in which to frame the relationship that develops between Doo-na and Sae-ron. It’s the effect that they both have on each which forms the heart of the movie. Both characters are essentially broken, Doo-na from whatever it was that led to her being transferred to such a remote town, and Sae-ron from the years of abuse she’s being suffering after being abandoned by her mother. While Doo-na’s story arc is thoroughly addressed, to go into any details of it would be to spoil some of the movies finest moments.

Joo-ri shows the influence of her teacher in many of the scenes, with plenty of visual metaphors to enjoy for viewers who are looking for them. Perhaps one of the best being the image of a trail which is overgrown with vines and bushes, with Sae-ron’s house at one end of it, and the vast expanse of the ocean at the other. The direction the characters go along the trail, from the beginning to the end of the movie, being a meaningful representation of their mindset. While the story may seem like yet another entry in Korea’s genre of dark family dramas, this would be misleading. A Girl at My Door is actually about the hope that two people can bring to each other, and while neither of the two leads are given an easy time throughout the movie, their efforts are ultimately rewarded, and as a result, so are the audience.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 8/10

Posted in Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

Donnie Yen’s English-language ‘Noodle Man’ cooks in July!

Posted on March 5, 2015 by JJ Bona
"Flash Point" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Flash Point” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Don’t let the silly title fool you: an upcoming film called Noodle Man might just represent Donnie Yen’s return to Hollywood cinema. Action fans are more than likely aware that Donnie made inroads into the American movie industry back in the early 2000’s, lending his talent as an action choreographer to pictures such as 2000’s Highlander: Endgame and 2002’s Blade II.

Yen also served as a supporting actor in those films, as well as a few others such as Shanghai Knights, before he returned to his roots and re-ignited his Hong Kong acting career with 2005’s S.P.L. (AKA Kill Zone). With Yen more popular than ever as both a performer and action director, many American fans have asked the question: will Donnie Yen ever return to Hollywood before he becomes too old to be a viable screen star?

With Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend revealed to be an English-language production, as well as premiering straight to Netflix, the answer appeared to be “yeah, sort of.” But now Hollywood Reporter is reporting on a new Hollywood film called Noodle Man. The movie is set to arrive from actor-turned-director Daming Chen, who helmed the 2011 Chinese remake of What Women Want, and will star Yen in the role of a former Chinese cop who retires to New York City and opens his own noodle shop after his partner is murdered. Fifteen years later, the very same same drug kingpin who killed Yen’s partner walks into his Chinatown noodle shop…and the quest for revenge begins.

Updates: Sources say the Noodle Man may start shooting in 2015, and Robert De Niro (Goodfellas) and Al Pacino (The Godfather) are attached as co-stars. | According to imdb.com (which is hit or miss), Michelle Yeoh is rumored to have a role.

BREAKING NEWS: According to HK Top Ten (via DiP), Noodle Man starts shooting in July, after production wraps on Ip Man 3.

Posted in News |

Killer Constable | aka Lightning Kung Fu (1980) Review

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Matthew Le-feuvre
"Killer Constable" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Killer Constable” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Karate Exterminators
Director: Kuei Chih-Hung
Cast: Chen Kuan Tai, Gam Biu, Ha Ping, Keung Hon, Kong Do, Ku Feng, Kwan Yung Moon, Lam Wai, Lee Chun Hwa, Jason Pai Piao, Walter Tso, Dick Wei, Yuen Wah
Running Time: 92 min.

By Matthew Le-feuvre

Released in the closing years of the Shaw Brothers reign, Kuen Chia Hung’s arresting socio-politically charged actioner confidently reintroduced the interesting, if not debatable, abstraction of misplaced loyalties for the crux of a generous travelogue adventure. Although previously, and obviously, examined by filmmaking giants: Chang Cheh, Liu Chia Liang and Sun Chung; therefore what else could be said, or more appropriately, visually expressed?!

For very few critics it was a tired formula that harkened back to a pioneering decade where local superstars – David Chiang and Ti Lung – were (screen) struggling against corrupt administrations; and/or Tartar influenced monarchies, forfeiting their many incarnations for the sake of national identity. However too hardened Hong Kong audiences, it was an alternative universe where the daily grind of employment could be put aside for a few hours, even though the apprehension of a spiralling economy loomed like an inevitable sunrise. Worse still were the afterthoughts of Thatcher’s impending tense negotiations with mainland China over the prospective future of the colony. This reality was always a favoured metaphor for aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers to exploit, yet shielded their personal concerns behind traditional values.

Indeed, no stranger to controversial themes dealing with either occult imagery (i.e. The Killer Snakes, The Boxer’s Omen), underdog aspirations or ideologies of the criminal classes as overtly depicted in Kuen Chia Hung’s earlier seminal masterpieces: The Teahouse and its highly anticipated follow-up Big Brother Cheng. It was these pictures that started a long association with its leading actor, Cheng Kwan Tai – an unglamourous, if not stoic personality in the Charles Bronson mould who (was) catapulted to international recognition playing the doomed streetfighter-turned-syndicate boss for Chang Cheh’s brutal morality tale: The Boxer from Shantung.

In due course, Tai furthered his career with reprised epitomizations of Shaolin/Hung Gar folkhero Hung Xi Kwan for the aforementioned Cheh and Liu Chia Liang. Yet prior to his extensive affiliation with the Shaw Brothers, Tai – also a former fireman, – had already established a legitimate tournament background where he invariably demonstrated his mental and physical prowess as a ‘Monkey’ stylist competitor. It is not fully known ‘how’ and ‘where’ Tai became involved within the HK film industry: an invitation, the lure of fame or rich rewards perhaps?! He did, like the majority, entered this exhausting profession as a stuntman – reliable and resolute – generally meeting an unbefitting end-at the hands of either Wang Yu or (soon-to-be contemporary) David Chiang.

Killer Constable afterall wasn’t so much a departure for Tai, but more of a welcomed reunion into that cycle of pictures which, in formative terms, manufactured and celebrated his star status. He projected a majestic, brooding and ofttimes, an intensity other leading actors’ simply lacked; few surprisingly did not retain proper martial arts qualifications, often relying on locally trained Peking opera debutants to perform intricate movements that on first viewing defy both the mechanics of grace and the physics of gravity.

Tai, on the other hand did not opt to sell himself as a showman of inordinate strength, nor did he confine his versatility to elaborate spectacles or generic fighting falsehoods: namely improvisation or overly rehersed circus routines. Instead, he was notably tenacious, exerting authentic techniques and in some cases ‘vulnerability.’ Hung Xi Kwan, for example, was a very human depiction(s); a passionate character whose emotions fueled members of his inner circle into total committment, eventhough their collectiveness for political liberation appeared conflicting, especially in Cheh’s classic Heroes Two (1974).

Here, for his third and final collaboration with Hung, Tai’s performance – bordering on the psychotic – as ruthless Ching loyalist Ling Tien Ying, is quite the antithesis: sinister, morose and absent of humanity. Nevertheless, while peers’ and village-folk subjects have deified him beyond the physical extension of Judge, Jury and Executioner, Ling’s intrinsic self-confidence and, equally, unparalleled skills as an official bounty hunter are so well respected, none question his resolve until the royal treasury is expertly looted by a select number of Han patriots.

It is up to this juncture of the first act where Hung’s epic scope diversifies into a fascinating pursuit-type picture with Ling energetically rampaging across countryside farm lands, imperial coastline vistas and treacherous Han-occupied landscapes where (much to the repulsion of his morally-divided assemble), one by one, Ling instinctively apprehends and methodically tortures each suspect involved in a travail of learning the ring leader’s identity (as played by stalwart character actor, Ku Feng). As the body count rises on both sides, the ethics of right and wrong becomes increasingly blurred, giving Ling the opportunity to curb the pressures of duty and compliance while awakening personal reflection and self analysis during a chance encounter with a lonely blind girl, who maybe potentially linked to the Han rebels?

Verdict: Although a loose reworking of The Invincible Fist (1969) – starring Lo Lieh and David Chiang in his lead debut – as it stands, Killer Constable, on occasion, is not an easy watch. Moments of grandiosity are overshadowed by melding alleged historical events with sullen melodramatics, however the real beauty is within the film’s iconography, Ling’s broadsword for instance – a weapon of true elephantine proportions – amputates limbs and other body parts with nimble ease. Tellingly, another profound and underrated classic from the Shaws’ vast film depository.

Matthew Le-feuvre: 9/10

Posted in Chinese, News, Reviews, Shaw Brothers | Tagged , , , , , , , |

Walker Texas Ranger: Complete Collection | DVD (Paramount)

Posted on March 3, 2015 by JJ Bona
Walker Texas Ranger: Complete Collection | DVD (Paramount)

Walker Texas Ranger: Complete Collection | DVD (Paramount)

RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2015

Paramount presents the Walker Texas Ranger: Complete Collection 52-disc DVD set, starring Chuck Norris (Slaughter in San Francisco).

Texas Ranger Walker (Norris), one of the last old-fashioned heroes in the West, is a protective friend but a relentless foe who will stop at nothing to bring a criminal to justice. Think of it as the unofficial follow-up to Lone Wolf McQuade.

Pre-order the Walker Texas Ranger: Complete Collection from Amazon.com today!

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

‘Traffickers’ director returns to crime with ‘The Technicians’

Posted on March 1, 2015 by JJ Bona
"The Con Artists" Korean Theatrical Poster

"The Con Artists" Korean Theatrical Poster

Crime definitely pays for Kim Hong-Sun, who was honored with “Best New Director” at the 33rd Blue Dragon Awards for 2012’s Traffickers (read our review). The South Korean filmmaker returns to familiar territory – albeit less dark – with The Con Artists (aka The Technicians or Criminal Designer), which opens domestically on December 24, 2014.

According to HC, The Con Artists is about the business of technicians who gather together to steal 150 billion won hidden in the Incheon Customs during a limited time frame of 40 minutes.

The film stars Kim Woo-Bin (Friend 2: The Legacy), Lee Hyun-Woo (Battle of Yeonpyeong), Ko Chang-Seok (Quick) and Jo Yoon-Hee (Doomsday Book). Don’t miss its trailer!

Update: On Saturday, March 7, DramaFever is bringing premium users, The Technicians, their newest exclusive title.

Posted in News |

Bushido Man: Seven Deadly Battles (2013) Review

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Kelly Warner
"Bushido Man" International DVD Cover

“Bushido Man” International DVD Cover

Director: Takanori Tsujimoto
Writer: Takanori Tsujimoto
Cast: Mitsuki Koga, Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi, Masanori Mimoto, Kentaro Shimazu, Kazuki Tsujimoto, Ema, Kensuke Sonomura, Masaki Suzumura, Naohiro Kawamoto, Marc Walkow, Yasutaka Yuuki, Takashi Tanimoto
Running Time: 88 min.

By Kelly Warner

Bushido Man: Seven Deadly Battles kind of surprised me. I wasn’t expecting much from the film — the average ratings are weak, the title is silly, and the plot description is somewhat generic. However, less than five minutes in we’re introduced to a martial arts master with the most cartoonish mustache imaginable – and the master’s key advice to his pupil is that to know his enemy, he must eat like his enemy. It’s pretty obvious from the get-go that the next 90 minutes are about to get weird and that the movie is something far stranger than its title, plot description, and cover art could ever hope to suggest.

Our hero Toramaru (Mitsuki Koga) is something of a modern-day samurai. He travels all over Japan to fight the greatest warriors of multiple fighting styles so that he may take their mysterious, priceless scrolls back to his master Gensai (Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi). As the movie begins, Toramaru has returned to Gensai and tells each fight story to his master. Before each bout, Toramaru followed his master’s advice and pigged out on whatever food best represented his opponent’s spirit. It’s silly, but that’s just what kind of movie this is. Toramaru is essentially a copycat fighter: he comes to know his opponents so completely that he adopts their strengths, styles, and favorite foods in order to vanquish them.

We see Toramaru’s fights, travels, and dining experiences through flashback. On his journey he must match up with many diverse opponents, including a blind swordsman, a yakuza knife fighter, a kung fu master, and a gunslinger that loves all things American. Some of the fights are played for laughs, but the others are rather impressive, showing off athletic skill and frenetic energy.

To some extent, the film is little more than a highlight reel of various fighting styles. Beyond Toramaru and Gensai, no other character receives more than a couple lines of character development. Certain actors make the best of their limited screen time – most notably Kazuki Tsujimoto as the blind swordsman – but when their fights are done, the characters are almost immediately forgotten. There’s very little substance to the film and those looking for plot or purpose should look elsewhere. However, if you come in with the right expectations, I think you can potentially find something to enjoy here.

What’s interesting is how director Takanori Tsujimoto (Hard Revenge Milly) plays things somewhat straight at the beginning, then lets his creation gradually go crazy as it passes the halfway point. Understand when I say that Gensai’s cartoon mustache and Toramaru’s all-you-can-eat training are comparatively ‘normal’ to the action we get in the final act. Leading up to the finale, Toramaru must travel to post-apocalyptic Yokohama. It’s not clear what happened to Yokohama, though endless earthquakes are mentioned and the air isn’t safe to breathe. Tanks patrol the highways, the skyscrapers are crumbling, and all gun laws have been revoked. While the locations at the beginning of the film were prettier, one almost wishes more of the movie had this strange, unexplained sci-fi feel to it. At the very least, the Yokohama segments prepare us for the finale, when the director allows his movie to truly go wild. The ending and the action that lead up to it are absolutely batshit and often hilarious. To say that the film went out on a high note would be an understatement. If the whole film shared the same kind of madness as the finale, Bushido Man might’ve been something of a new cult classic.

I wish that the director’s vision was more consistent and that his cast looked more into the production. The film has its share of goofy ideas and well done fights, but too often it feels strangely half-hearted. So while I liked it overall, I was still left wanting more from the film. The performances are one-note, plot is largely non-existent, and many scenes feel flat like they require a jolt of energy. It’s as though they bottled up that energy for the finale, when they would have been better off spreading it around a bit. If only.

There’s not a whole lot to Bushido Man, but it’s fast-paced and entertaining in a silly, cartoonish sort of way. There’s enough originality to the movie that I’m sure it’s going to win over some fans here and there. The film is definitely different and some days maybe that’s enough.

Kelly Warner’s Rating: 6/10

Posted in Japanese, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , |

Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf | Blu-ray (Synapse Films)

Posted on February 28, 2015 by JJ Bona
Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf | Blu-ray (Synapse Films)

Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf | Blu-ray (Synapse Films)

RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2015

Synapse Films presents the Blu-ray for 2009’s Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf, directed by Kurando Mitsutake (Gun Woman).

After losing his eyesight, his wife, and his daughter at the hands of a psychopath, a man is transformed into a killing machine hellbent on revenge! Eight years after the massacre of his family, the “Blind Wolf” has returned as a highly trained swordsman ready for revenge.

The film stars Kurando Mitsutake, Jeffrey James Lippold and Domiziano Arcangeli. Watch the trailer.

Pre-order from Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf Amazon.com today!

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles |

Ace Attorney (2012) Review

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Paul Bramhall
"Ace Attorney" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Ace Attorney” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Takashi Miike
Cast: Hiroki Narimiya, Takumi Saito, Mirei Kiritani, Akiyoshi Nakao, Shunsuke Daito, Akira Emoto, Rei Dan, Mitsuki Tanimura, Takehiro Hira, Eisuke Sasai
Running Time: 135 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Anyone with even a passing interest in Asian cinema will most likely be familiar with the name of director Takashi Miike. From the early-90’s, all the way up to the mid-2000’s, Miike was responsible for some of the most insanely creative, often grotesque, completely out there cinema to come out of Japan. Working almost exclusively within the DTV (direct-to-video) industry, titles like Audition, Visitor Q, and Ichi the Killer, combined with his ability to crank out several titles in one year, saw him quickly develop a devoted following in the west.

Then in 2007 the seemingly unthinkable happened, it was announced that Miike was going to be directing a big screen adaptation of the popular manga, Crows Zero – a tale of high school gangs fighting for supremacy – in what was a decidedly unexpected venture into mainstream filmmaking. Thankfully, it turned out that he was just as adept at working within the Japanese studio system as he was within the DTV arena, and the movie was a resounding success both with critics and fans, so much so that he’d return to direct the sequel 2 years later.

Miike has remained in the mainstream since then – be it turning his hand to anime adaptations such as Yatterman, remaking samurai movies from the golden age like 13 Assassins, taking a crack at children’s movies with Ninja Kids, or even straight laced blockbuster thrillers like Shield of Straw. One of my personal favorite Miike movies is his 2007 adaptation of the Sega video game of the same name – Yakuza: Like a Dragon. While it seems like an almost impossible task to make a successful movie from a video game, somehow Miike managed to do it, so when I heard he was going to be adapting another, the popular Capcom franchise Ace Attorney, I was curious to check it out.

For the purposes of full disclosure, I’m not a gamer, and never have been. I’ll be reviewing Ace Attorney purely as a movie, with no connection to how closely it depicts the gaming world, so if you’re a fan of the game, you may want to stop reading here. That being said, I’ve never played Yakuza: Like a Dragon either. The fact is if you’re a good director, even someone who has no familiarity with the source material shouldn’t have any trouble enjoying what’s onscreen.

One aspect of the adaptation I am aware of though, is that it’s based on the second and fourth cases from the video game series. This in itself is an interesting move, as with it being a courtroom drama, the whole element of mystery and not knowing who did it is perhaps the single biggest factor in enjoying a movies initial viewing. While fans of the game will no doubt be delighted to hear it’s a direct adaptation of the source material, rather than a re-imagining of it, it does mean that they’ll also know exactly how it’s going to end. For a 135 minute movie that hinges on guessing who did the deed, you’d think this might be a small oversight on behalf of everyone involved.

Sadly though, after sitting through the full 135 minutes, I can safely say that it’s not just the enjoyment of the fans which is in danger, but also the wider audience as well. Putting aside both the fact that it’s a Miike Takashi movie and that it’s a video game adaptation, judged purely on its merits as popcorn entertainment, Ace Attorney is painfully dull. There are plenty of quirky touches from Miike and elements which are no doubt pulled from the game, however they all seem to barely register under the weight of the lifeless story. It’s kind of like when you stay out too late after you’ve had one too many, and you watch the sun rise when a hangover has already set in. You know it’s pretty, but it doesn’t register because of the dull thumping in your head. The story of Ace Attorney is that dull thumping.

Hiroki Narimiya plays the title character, whose appearance seems to be defined by the way he has his hair gelled back, so it looks like he’s permanently wearing the helmet that cyclists use in Olympic track events. It’s the near future, and all trials are decided within 3 days, which ironically felt like how long the movie went on for. During the trials giant holographic screens pop up in the middle of the courtroom (obviously a feature from the game) to display evidence and explain vital points, and if things get particularly heated, sometimes the two opposing attorneys will throw the holographic screens at each other.

Elements like this sound cool, but unfortunately it gets tiring very quickly, as the screens just get lost in the background of reams and reams of exposition from the characters explaining stuff to each other. Sometimes they’ll explain something, then after they’ve explained it the movie will flashback and show what they were explaining. Other times it’ll show a scene, and in the next we’re back in the courtroom and the characters will explain to each other what we’ve just watched. It’s torturous. The seriousness and heavy handed nature of all this exposition ultimately makes the quirky elements that Miike likes to throw into his movies seem out of place and stupid rather than entertaining.

At one point a parrot is called to the witness stand, in what drags on as a painfully unfunny scene, in another a witness starts speaking with a megaphone, and the list goes on. If things had been kept fast paced and light, all of these elements would have probably resulted in a movie which successfully captures the charm and essence of the game, but instead they only serve to do the opposite. Miike does manage to wring a couple of laughs with some inspired sight gags, but stretched over such a long runtime, the few bright points are quickly forgotten.

It pains me to say it but the movies problems don’t stop there, with the constant repetition of certain elements only confounding what a misguided effort this adaptation is. I lost count of the number of times Narimiya is about to give up in the court room, only for him to discover a piece of paper / put his hand on a page in a book / suddenly be hit by an inspired thought, and realize that he has a crucial piece of information right in front of him to continue the case. If not for this review I honestly would have turned it off long before the end. Perhaps most clumsy of all though, is the fact that both of the major cases that make up the plot, hinge on if a gun has been fired twice or not. Why on earth would you repeat the same plot device for the two most important decisions in the movie!?

Miike had a busy year in 2012, also making the romantic musical For Love’s Sake, and the psychotic high school thriller Lesson of the Evil, so for fans of his work like myself, there’ll always be other options to watch. With that in mind, perhaps the audience who’ll be most disappointed with Ace Attorney, are fans of the game itself. But then again, what do I know? I’m not a gamer.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 3/10

Posted in Japanese, News, Reviews | Tagged |
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