Six Bullets DVD (Sony Pictures)
RELEASE DATE: September 11, 2012
Sony Pictures presents the DVD for Six Bullets (aka The Butcher), directed by Ernie Barbarash (Assassination Games) and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Also starring Joe Flanigan, Bianca Bree, Anna-Louise Plowman and Kristopher Van Varenberg. Check out the Trailer.
"Six Bullets" Promotional Poster
THE MOVIE: In Six Bullets (aka The Butcher), Van Damme plays a martial artist who has to rescue a daughter of an ex-mercenary. This will be Van Damme’s second film with director Ernie Barbarash (Assassination Games). Also starring Joe Flanigan, Bianca Bree, Anna-Louise Plowman and Kristopher Van Varenberg.
Updates: From Van Damme’s Facebook: “I haven’t forgotten the kicks, but… I have a new move that has not been seen before, I have been practicing. You will see it in The Butcher. Wait until you see the condition I am in for this film you will see a real physical difference from my last film. Actors have to adapt to suit the role and I am ready for this one. Its really good to focus on training and nutrition. The Director Ernie (Barbarash) is the same Director as Assassination Games, he is really on his game.”
Not much news, but a quick message from Van Damme regarding The Butcher. Also, a hilarious new Dash Detergent commercial. If you still haven’t seen Van Damme’s Coors light advertisements, check them out here.
Added the new poster to Six Bullets. According to visitors of Vandammefan.net, this is the official poster, while a visitor of COF believes it’s a promotional Cannes poster. Whatever the case, let’s just hope it’s as good as Assassination Games, but hopefully with more action! Meanwhile, Beyond Hollywood has an alternative “fan” poster and six stills from the movie. Van Damme is looking good!
BREAKING NEWS: Check out Sony’s new DVD cover, which is now available for pre-order. If you haven’t yet, don’t miss the trailer is now available.
"Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson
AICN hits us with some truly cool news today, as reports indicate Joe Cornish of Attack the Block fame has been given the greenlight from Paramount to write and direct an adaptation of the acclaimed cyber-punk novel Snow Crash.
If you’ve ever been bitten by the cyber-punk bug in your life, chances are you’ve read Neal Stephenson’s 1992 tale of a not-so-distant future in which a sword-slinging pizza delivery guy struggles to save society from a deadly biolinguistic virus dating all the way back to the Tower of Babel.
Fans of Snow Crash have long dreamt of a movie adaptation, though there have been some who claim the novel is un-filmable. It will be interesting to see what concessions, if any, Joe Cornish has to make with the script in order to keep the dense plot accessible to mainstream audiences.
Either way, it’s a positive sign that Paramount is putting their money behind such a potentially challenging and ground-breaking piece of science fiction.
“King of Comedy”Japanese Theatrical Poster
Director: Stephen Chow
Cast: Stephen Chow, Cecilia Cheung, Ng Man Tat, Karen Mok, Jackie Chan, Bobby Yip, Bruce Law
Running Time: 99 min.
By Vic Nguyen
Stephen Chow Sing-chi has long been considered the undisputed box office king of Hong Kong Cinema (not discounting Jackie Chan or Chow Yun-fat in their heydays), beginning with the remarkable success of the the Jeff Lau helmed All for the Winners. Ever since then, he has churned out a large number of vehicles that vary in quality, from low brow (Tricky Brains, Love on Delivery, etc.), to well rounded (Forbidden City Cop, A Chinese Odyssey series, King of Beggars), to just plain excruciating (The Lucky Guy, Tricky Master 2000). And yet, despite the lack of effort on a number of these pictures, the box office takes have always remained strong. But with the King of Comedy, Chow is perhaps presented with his most mature work to date, combining his trademark brand of “mo lai to” humor, along with genuine heart and a spirit to entertain that is readily appearant throughout.
Wan Tin-sau is an aspiring actor who operates a local recreation center, teaching acting on the side. At one point, out of sheer luck, he is given a small role in a ‘Killer’ type production, but, because of inadvertantly being a consistent nuisance on the set, he is scrapped off the picture. Again, with luck on his side, he meets Sister Cuckoo, a big name action star who is akin to the kindhearted Wan so much that she casts him as the lead in her latest production. Meanwhile, a nightclub call girl Lau Piu-piu decides to attend Wan’s acting classes (in order to learn to impress her ‘clients’), and, despite her overly indepedent nature and sometimes brash demeanor, they both gradually fall for eachother. And of course, this relationship doesn’t sit well with Sister Cuckoo, who, in additon, also falls for him. Who will Wan choose? What will become of Wan’s fate and career?
The undisputed box office champ in this Chinese New Years movie season (edging out Jackie Chan’s Gorgeous (Chan, in addition, has a small cameo in this pic), the King of Comedy is a well-balanced, fast paced delight of a production. Never before has Chow blended his usual goofy, laugh-out-loud antics with straight laced drama, with the final product working so well. Performance wise, it is not Sing Jai who comes off the best, but surprisingly newcomer Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi, who trancends the somewhat unpleasantness of her character, and in turn, delivers a charming performance, and molds a character with whom the audience could sympathize with. The future is bright for this young performer, and I will certainly look forward to seeing her in future productions. Other acting nods go to Chow himself, who remains consistently watchable and entertaining throughout, and to Chow’s partner in crime, Ng Man-tat, who plays a not-so-friendly caterer with a certain gusto in which only Uncle Tat can play.
And, as usual, there are plenty of Chow-ish antics which will satisfy even his most jaded fans. Certainly, despite being pretty much a drama, he allows a few goofy antics to slip through the cracks, and I thank him for doing so. Although I won’t elaborate too much, just watch out for the snot scene, the debt collection scene, and his parodies of such films as John Woo’s The Killer and Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury. Trust me, they have to be seen to be truly appreciated, as they had me gasping for air, and made me laugh so much that I nearly pissed my pants(well, not really). Also included are some not so subtle references and parodies of various people in the film industry (didn’t that foul mouth, obnoxious gweilo director in the meeting remind you somewhat of Quentin Tarantino?), which adds further seasoning to the stew, and stakes this entertaining production as Chow’s best film to date.
Vic Nguyen’s Rating: 8.5/10
By Raging Gaijin
Ever since 1990’s “All for the Winner”, Stephen Chow has become Hong Kong’s #1 hit-maker, even out-performing Jackie Chan at times. And watching his films, it’s not hard to see why he’s so popular. Although Jackie Chan is arguably the best when it comes to martial arts, Stephen Chow inherently understands how to make a crowd-pleasing movie. He’s able to combine action, comedy, romance, and his own undeniable screen charisma into an entertaining whole.
“King of Comedy” has Chow assuming the role of a loveable loser/underdog, an archetype that he has grown accustomed to recently. He’s great playing these kinds of characters: people who are down on their luck that you can’t help but root for. I’m sure the knee-jerk reaction of a lot of American critics is to label him the ‘Chinese Jim Carrey’ but that’s really not what Chow is about. If anything, his perfect comedic timing and wit is closer to someone like Peter Sellers.
While Stephen Chow is certainly a marvel to watch onscreen, behind the camera he’s something else entirely. “King of Comedy” features what are somehow simultaneously the best and worst aspects of Chow’s filmmaking: his use of unconventional structure and sophomoric humor. Nearly all of his movies utilize these and the former *can* work: in “Kung Fu Hustle”, Chow committed the structural no-no of having the main protagonist off-screen for about twenty minutes during the crucial third act. Somehow he was able to pull this off when most films would have blundered. “King of Comedy” has a free flowing structure where characters enter and exit. The movie seems to move at Chow’s whim, as though scripted on the fly. Sometimes this feels fresh but sometimes you wish the story would get moving.
Chow’s bathroom humor is a little less forgivable. For one thing, there’s a scene involving a naked little kid that’s uncomfortable to sit through. Chalk it up to cultural differences but, come on, it’s still just plain weird. Other gags rely on snot or nose hairs to provoke laughs. And yeah, I’m not going to lie, I laughed. But the frustrating thing is that we know Stephen Chow is capable of so much more than this. He can be funny without being gross. Why go the Wong Jing routine when fans like him a little more sophisticated (like the awesome “Fist of Fury” parody he does elsewhere in the film)? And while a 19 year-old Cecilia Cheung is good in her debut role, she’s still quite young for Chow. Not that I think Chow minded much…
On the action front, Bruce Law’s choreography was a mixed bag. His parodies of John Woo style action were dead-on but during the third act, the film takes a good 15 minute detour into a subplot involving undercover cops (another example of Chow’s nontraditional structure). The shoot-out that follows is presumably meant to be the climax of the film but it’s sorely lacking. Chow is able to hit three different people spaced around the room with his arm seemingly held in the same position each shot. Maybe this is a further parody of the ‘heroic bloodshed’ genre but either way it’s not very exciting.Ý Also, it’s kind of interesting that Chow mocks Quentin Tarantino earlier in the movie and then rips off/pays homage to “Reservoir Dogs” with this scene.
I think that die-hard Stephen Chow fans are going to love this the most. Casual viewers should stick with “Shaolin Soccer” and “Kung Fu Hustle” before they decide to venture further into his filmography. All this said, perhaps I’m being a bit too harsh. The action may be so-so but Chow keeps throwing so many gags your way that you don’t have much time to notice. Some jokes work, some don’t, but Chow keeps trying until he hits your funny bone. I laughed throughout the entirety of “King of Comedy” so if that was Chow’s goal, mission accomplished.
Raging Gaijin’s Rating: 7/10
“Zu: Warriors From Magic Mountain” Japanese Theatrical Poster
Director: Tsui Hark
Producer: Leonard Ho
Cast: Yuen Biao, Mang Hoi, Adam Cheng, Damian Lau, Sammo Hung, Moon Lee, Brigitte Lin, Norman Chu, Randy Man, Ha Kwong-Li, Tsui Hark
Running Time: 98 min.
By Numskull
An unrestrained martial arts fantasy extravaganza with ample tongue-in-cheek humor delivered with a smug “ain’t I a genius?” attitude by overpraised director Tsui Hark. This sugar rush of a movie bombards the audience with one special effects-laden action sequence after another until the whole production becomes a blur, largely devoid of truly memorable moments and remarkable only on account of its excesses. Antiquated special effects pop up all over the place as “fish out of water” Yuen Biao encounters numerous mystics and warriors with all sorts of supernatural powers (like a guy who can use his facial hairs as extendable appendages) and undertakes a quest to defeat the wicked Blood Demon and bring an end to a senseless war between rival factions who fight because…uh, they don’t like each other. I guess.
The storyline is (I assume) steeped in Chinese folklore and loaded with geek-friendly minutiae to which, I’m fairly certain, people more knowledgeable than myself attach all sorts of significance. I’d find out more, but frankly, I didn’t find the movie entertaining enough to justify the effort…and this is coming from a guy who goes on mini-shopping sprees in the Mythology & Folklore section at Barnes & Noble and was at the top of Mr. White’s Myth & Legend class in high school. The film is reasonably coherent as long as you resist the urge to turn your attention elsewhere, but the breakneck pace and relentlessness of the fantasy elements still make it feel like too much, too quick.
Maybe Tsui Hark should make another Zu movie now that more sophisticated special effects are available. Oh, hey, that’s right, he DID, and it bombed (rightly so, I might add). Oh well. Life is tough when you’re a hack director.
Numskull’s Rating: 5/10
By Vic Nguyen
Tsui Hark directed this groundbreaking special effects extravaganza which is a favorite among fans of Hong Kong’s fantasy genre. Features an all-star cast with names such as Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, Meng Hoi, Brigitte Lin, Moon Lee, and Adam Cheng being the most memorable of the bunch. Although the special effects might seem amateurish by today’s standards, they are still impressive considering the budget, and the sheer imagination that the film possesses makes it an exhilirating thrillride until the end credits. A must for any Hong Kong enthusiast.
Vic Nguyen’s Rating: 8/10
“Full Alert” Chinese Theatrical Poster
Director: Ringo Lam
Producer: Ringo Lam
Cast: Lau Ching-Wan, Francis Ng Chun-yu, Peter Yung Kam-Cheung, Chin Kar-Lok, Monica Chan
Running Time: 98 min.
By Barey Gusey
After making his Hollywood debut in Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Maximum Risk (which was heavily tampered with by the studio), director Ringo Lam (City on Fire) returned to his native Hong Kong to film Full Alert, a dark, superbly written crime drama.
Other than a very long and realistic car chase, action is almost beside the point. Instead, the viewer is treated to a screenplay that blends emotion and intelligence, accented by finely textured performances by two of the best character actors in the business: Lau Ching-wan (A Hero Never Dies) and Francis Ng (9413).
Style is something Lam could care less for. No flashy cars, no young heartthrobs, no cliched love story, no funky camera angles, and no jumping in the air while shooting fifty rounds before hitting the ground. Still, Ringo delivers the excitement and energy without all the extra pizzazz and shine.
Raw, intense and gritty as hell are the words that make up this movie. Earning multiple nominations at the 1997 Hong Kong Film Awards, Full Alert certainly ranks as one of Lam’s most accomplished efforts to date.
Barey Gusey’s Rating: 9/10
The Girl from the Naked Eye DVD (First Look Pictures)
Cityonfire.com is proud to present an interview with Jason Yee, the charismatic martial arts star of The Girl from the Naked Eye, which will be in theaters on June 15, 2012 and on DVD on July 24, 2012.
Can you tell us about your martial arts and acting background?
I started martial arts at 6 years old, influenced by my grandfather, Bruce Lee and Kung-fu movies. Growing up in the inner-city streets of Boston, I had friends who were falling into gangs and drugs, etc. So, I got serious about my training to protect myself and it was only thing that kept me grounded. I started competing at 19 and from then on I was hooked because it was the first thing that gave me positive energy. My Grandfather who raised me was supportive and happy to see me winning competitions. Long story short, I went on to win several National Kung fu & Kickboxing championships, was inducted to IKF Hall of Fame, was a Team USA Kickboxing coach, competing and teaching became my career.
On the side of competing & teaching my hobby was filmmaking. I was shooting my own 16mm short films, took acting & writing classes. Eventually, I was cocky & naive enough to write direct & act in my own first feature. Took my 3 years to shoot on S16mm film (before the DV craze) the film was called Dark Assassin (aka Dark Warrior), it was my ‘film school’. BlockBuster picked it up in 2005, so I decided to make career change and move to LA to act and produce full-time. Started developing The Girl from the Naked Eye and honing my acting chops with several LA coaches.
Your character comes across like like an Asian Clint Eastwood. Was this intentional?
Yes! It was intentional. I’ve always loved Clint’s bad-ass characters, especially in his early films. I thought it would be a cool twist to see an Asian-American in that light so, I thought of Eastwood when I was in my character, Jake.
Upon your first encounter with the Brazillian martial artist, your character puckers up and starts to walk with swagger right before going at it; it’s so “Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury.” Again, was this intentional?
Yes. Well, kinda intentional, I think Bruce is so engrained in my psyche that when I go into ‘Kick-ass’ mode the dragon in me comes out *laughs* I am aware of my resemblances, I thought that maybe some might appreciate the ‘throwback’.
How did the Old Boy homage come about in The Girl from the Naked Eye?
The Old Boy homage came about because the director, David Ren and myself were struck by the raw emotion that came out in the ‘hallway fight’. We thought it would be cool to do a shot like that with raw emotion but, with more complicated fighting. I kind of see it as anti-kung fu action because fighting is ugly, raw and exhausting to watch. Our scene is not ‘graceful and pretty’ like you expect, we didn’t want to do ‘Superhero kung fu’ like you see in many movies where the hero walks through dozens of guys and never gets hit or tired. We wanted Jake to be vulnerable but, he has the will and heart to survive. The action director, Ron Yuan came up with the main choreography then, other stunt guys and myself added to it.
Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan?
Bruce Lee. He was a huge influence on my life, was a strong Asian male on screen when there was none. But, I also, I love Jackie.
Jean-Claude Van Damme or Steven Seagal?
Seagal. Swagger. Because he doesn’t give a crap about what anyone thinks about him.
Robert De Niro or Al Pacino?
Hmm… Tough one. I like both but, I’ll say, De Niro because he’s more of a true tough guy.
Mac or PC?
Mac, I hate viruses.
BMW or Benz?
Benz, because of the 55’ 300 SL gullwing.
What are some of your all-time favorite martial arts action movies?
All time.. Enter the Dragon, Fist of Fury (aka Chinese Connection), Shaolin Temple, Police Story, SPL… I’ll stop there.
If you can work with any director/actor, who would it be?
Clint Eastwood, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Donnie Yen, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, John Woo, Justin Lin… I’ll stop there.
Do you have any future projects coming up? (If, so please tell us they’re action & martial arts…)
YES!!!! Action & martial arts! More in our next interview.
Please check out the Trailer, Making-of and Action featurettes for The Girl from the Naked Eye. The film will be in theaters on June 15, 2012 and on DVD on July 24, 2012.
Battleground Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)
RELEASE DATE: August 28, 2012
Well Go USA presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Battleground. A bank heist goes wrong and six ruthless men escape into the forests of North Michigan with three million dollars, only to encounter a deranged Vietnam veteran who still lives for the kill. Check out the trailer.
Lady Ninja: Reflections of Darkness DVD (Tokyo Shock)
RELEASE DATE: August 28, 2012
Tokyo Shock presents the DVD for Lady Ninja: Reflections of Darkness. A sexy squad of female ninja assassins is hired by a ruthless magistrate to exterminate his former lovers, who threaten to ruin his reputation. Battles erupt with a hilarious mix of martial arts, magic and (partial) nudity, all in the line of duty. Check out the trailer.
Masters of the Universe: 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray (Warner Brothers)
RELEASE DATE: October 2, 2012
Warner Brothers presents the Blu-ray for Masters of the Universe: 25th Anniversary Edition. Planet Eternia and the Castle of Greyskull are under threat from the evil Skeletor, who wants to take over the planet. It’s up to a group of freedom fighters, led by the heroic He-Man (Dolph Lundgren), to save the planet! Check out the trailer.
"The Amazing Spider-Man" Teaser Poster
THE MOVIE: 500 Days of Summer director Marc Webb presents the untold story of Spider-Man’s origin in Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man, featuring Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) as the costumed web-slinger. Also starring Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field. In theaters July 3, 2012.
THE TRAILER: Courtesy of Apple Quicktime.
Updates: ComicBookMovie via Latino Review has an interview with Webb on Spider-Man. Oh, and some more pics, courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter. THR has more info from Webb on the creative process behind the new Spidey. CBM also uploaded MTV video interviews with Garfield. CBM via Comic-Con Annual posted an interview with Stone. The first official clip from the film features Peter Parker vs. Gwen Stacy’s doorman. Youtube has a new viral video. AICN has a new picture of the Lizard. AICN has three new low-resolution clips that somehow tie into a smartphone promotion. Youtube has a newly released Japanese trailer, which features a little more footage. Better yet, watch this. AICN has two new posters for the film.
AICN reports that Sony has already commissioned screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci (Transformers, Cowboys & Aliens) to begin penning a script for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, for a possible Summer 2014 release date. Collider has a couple of new images! Total Film has reported that two new posters have been released. Total Film has posted a couple of images, featuring The Lizard. Trailer #3 now available! Call me crazy, but I’m more excited about this than The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers. Don’t under estimate the power of director Marc Webb. Ropeofsilicon has posted a featurette that focuses on The Lizard. Total Film has posted a pair of Viral videos, focusing on the The Lizard. Still not sold on the movie? Check out a four minute preview.
Check out the new Australian trailer at Indiewire, which features bits and pieces of new footage.
You can check out 25 minutes of behind the scenes footage, as well as what producer Avi Arad has to say about the upcoming Venom movie, which will be directed by Josh Trank of Chronicle fame. Says Avi: “The truth is [Venom] also deserves his own movie.”
BREAKING NEWS: EW.com has a new clip, which features Peter Parker doing some amazing things with a basketball.
The Viral Factor Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)
RELEASE DATE: August 28, 2012
Well Go USA is proud to present the Blu-ray & DVD for The Viral Factor, the latest blockbuster from Dante Lam, one of Hong Kong’s premiere action directors. The Viral Factor stars The Green Hornet’s Jay Chou and Shaolin’s Nic Tse. Check out the trailer.
“House of Flying Daggers” Chinese Theatrical Poster
AKA: Lovers
Director: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau, Song Dandan, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Song Dandan
Running Time: 119 min.
By Owlman
Let me start off by saying that House of Flying Daggers is a very beautiful film. The cinematography, the colorful costumes, the action scenes – all very well done and hypnotic during the first viewing of the film.
However, like Zhang Yimou’s previous wuxia creation, Hero, House of Flying Daggers turns out to be a beautiful film with no real substance. The introductory text sets up the premise – a secretive group known as the House of Flying Daggers roams the country attempting to begin a revolution against the corruption of government officials during the Tang dynasty. Jin and Leo are two deputies who hatch a plan for Jin to convince Mei, a blind dancer who is rumored to be a spy for the rebellious group, that he is out to help her return to her comrades. As they run from battles with government soldiers sent to hunt them, the two begin to fall in love.
The real problem lies with the romance part of the film. The chemistry between Zhang and Kaneshiro is so unconvincing that I could not help but feel cold at the blossoming romance. This does not actually pose a problem for the first 3/4 of the movie as the romance is only hinted upon in bits and pieces. In fact, the first 3/4 of the film is quite well done. Leo’s challenge with Mei at the Peony Pavillion is a marvel to witness. In addition, the battle with soldiers in a bamboo forest is superb. Finally, the scenery shots are spectacular – setting the movie against a backdrop of fields of tall grass, grand mountain passes, and thick forests makes for great eye candy (along with the cast). Plus, the meeting with the House of Flying Daggers who come to the rescue of Jin and Mei makes for an interesting introduction to a cool concept.
The movie falls apart after the introduction of members within the revolutionary group. At this point, twists and turns in the story are revealed. It is here that the film could have taken an interesting turn in the concept of the Daggers – who are they and why do they do what they do? Instead, it chooses to focus on a love story that is already hard to swallow.
The epic battle at the end between two main characters is well done but I sat there thinking about the ultimate reason for the battle and laughed – because it was all about a girl. Nothing more than that. While it may seem romantic to some, it would have worked if the romance wasn’t so queasy and melodramatic to begin with. It’s like watching Titanic with swordplay – cool to look at but the only memorable thing you come out of it with is a numb ass.
Bottom line: beautiful to look at but ultimately unsatisfying – like supermodels.
Owlman’s Rating: 6/10
By Alexander
(To the music of the Barenaked Ladies’ “It’s All Been Done.”)
Flying Daggers was a modest hit
Like Hero, a Yimou film before it
Smokin’ hot Zhang, Ziyi
Gorgeous cinematography
It’s all been said
It’s all been said
It’s all been said before
Nary a flaw save for that one scene:
Not the white one, but the green
Scratching my head
At this unexplained plot twist
Do they live? Or perish?
It’s all been said
It’s all been said
It’s all been said before
Ebert, Roeper, Owlman, critics they may be
Two words: Zi. Yi.
And if I say this shit again,
Will you just yawn and plea
It’s all been said
It’s all been said
It’s all been said before
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon this may not be
But I will say it again, “Zhang, Ziyi”
Is it good? Is it bad?
Boring? Fun? Maybe sad?
It’s all been said
It’s all been said
It’s all been said before
Alexander’s Rating: 9/10
By Iuxion
Hot on the heels of the critically acclaimed Hero, comes House of Flying Daggers, a much smaller martial arts piece from director Zhang Yimou. Right from the get go, I felt there was something different about this movie: it starts abruptly, moves through a few scenes quickly, and from then on it’s just Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Ziyi, and the forest that they’re running through. Basically, throughout the whole movie, there are really only four characters that you’ll ever have to keep track of — the rest are just disposable kung fu minions, contributing to a sense of small scale. The scenery is nice, the music is beautiful, and action is well done, minus the slow motion follow-the-arrow shots that Zhang Yimou seems to love (it looked out of place in Hero too).
Besides the arrows, House of Flying Daggers has some other problems. The script, in short, is really lacking. The end feels tacked on, just an excuse to get Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro fighting each other, and the real conflict (at least, what had been the main conflict up until the end) is left unresolved. That shouldn’t really matter with a movie like this, but from Zhang Yimou, and after Hero, I just expected a little more. The whole thing is basically just an excuse for some fight sequences and pretty flowers. In the end, it’s quite a visual and aural treat, but it’s not something you’re going to be left thinking about after you’ve left your seat.
Iuxion’s Rating: 7/10
“Hero” Japanese Theatrical Poster
Director: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Donnie Yen, Zhang Ziyi, Chen Dao Ming, James Pak Chin Sek, Liu Zhong Yuan, Zheng Tian Yong
Running Time: 96/120 min.
By Dragon Ma
Hero is like a Chinese painting come to life, the colours are vibrant and stunning. Chris Doyle became a god of cinematography with this film. His use of colour is unmatched, the fight between Flying Snow and Moon is quite literally stunning as they fight wearing red dresses while yellow leaves fly around, it’s jaw dropping. There are more scenes like that and each one is staggering. The attack on the calligraphy school is another highlight as we follow an arrow up in the air, crashing through the roof and hitting it’s target, it’s a fucking awesome shot.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film which has used colour in this way, every shot is absolutely gorgeous, it’s one of the most beautiful looking films I’ve ever seen; but, a film is nothing if there’s no substance behind it and I have to say it’s a great story well told. Some would argue about it’s message, but I thought it was pretty clear cut that Qin wanted a unified China no matter how many people he has to kill to achieve it and the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. It’s a bit of a grey area to me, I’m not up on my Chinese history so I wouldn’t argue whether Zhang Yimou is correct in showing China can only be unified ‘All Under Heaven’.
The martial arts is what you’d expect, just jaw-dropping. Tony Ching has outdone himself here, every fight is an exercise in grace and style, none of YWP’s realism but that’s ok, this film doesn’t need it, it works just fine within the context of the film.
Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung both give amazing performances in this film, they wring every ounce of emotion and heartbreak through their relationship together. Jet is Jet, he’s a charisma machine and a fine actor as this film proves. The films focus seems to be on the relationship between Broken Sword and Flying Sword so Jet has little to work with but he does fine with what he has, that’s not a criticism of his acting, just his character. His fight with Donnie Yen is superb as you’d expect, it’s one of the finest martial arts displays ever committed to celluloid.
Finally, the music in this film is brilliant, very haunting, very sad and full of sorrow, just like the film.
What else can be said about this film, I think I’ve said all I can say. There really are no words to describe how stunning this film is, it’s an immense achievement.
Dragon Ma’s Rating: 10/10
By Cobak
When I first heard of this film about a year ago, I thought to myself, “wow, this movie has everything”… A great cast: Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, and Zhang Ziyi; A great director: Zhang Yimou; A great DP: Chris Doyle; A Great Choreographer: Tony Ching Siu Tung; and a great score: Tan Dun. Now, a year later, and having seen this film, all my expectations have been filled and then some…
The movie takes place at the Qin Palace with Nameless (Jet Li) telling the Emperor 4 different stories that eventually lead up to the truth. The four stories are uniquely told by representing each story with 4 colors: Red, Blue, White and Green. Its amazing. The clothes, sets, props, everything is so precise and unique, really detaching every story from one another. I’ve never seen anything like this. Ever…
The characters are great, and with so many main ones it’s hard to focus on all for the whole length of a movie. Zhang Yimou has done this tremendously, giving all them sufficient time on screen, with the exception of Donnie Yen who is only in this film for the first 15 minutes. These first 15 minutes just happens to be a fight scene with Jet Li. Yeah, forget Once Upon a Time in China 2, this is it folks: Jet vs Donnie, and it’s raining in the scene. After seeing this duel, I was thinking “can it get any better?”, and the answer is “Yes”. The lack of Donnie was a bad thing, and despite his appearance in some later flashbacks, they were just clips from the first 15 minutes, but that aside, there are way more positive aspects of this film…
Christopher Doyle has proved himself again to be one of the great cinematographers of our time, this man is amazing. The color in this film is just jaw dropping. I even missed a few lines of subtitles just gazing at the backgrounds and amazing detail in this film. Again, this screams epic and Chris Doyle should win an Oscar for his work – if and when he would ever be nominated for this film.
The martial-arts in this film is also amazing. Choreographed by the amazing Tony Ching Siu Tung. Each character has there own unique weapon and fighting style. With a lot less “dancing and prancing” than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; and since there are 4 stories you get to see most of the fight scenes more than once. Oh, and I forgot to mention Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung take on 5000 troops…amazing.
Tan Dun won an Oscar for his Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon score, and this one is just a worthy. Even though it sadly lacks Yo Yo Ma, this score is less soft and touchy. It has louder percussion and has guys chanting and yelling in the background which kicks ass. You can hear elements of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon throughout the score, and this proves to be just as good if not slightly better in my view (maybe because this is a better film). On this print of the film, it didn’t have the Faye Wong track so I can’t comment on that. I guess I’ll have to wait for my copy of the soundtrack. So even with no Yo Yo, another great score for Tan Dun.
Every aspect of this film combines some of the most talented people in the industry, and this proves to be a powerful driving force behind this Epic film. They all come together to make a very powerful, and emotional film with a powerful message. This film will be compared to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as it should I guess, but is ultimately better. I love Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and without that film we would not get to see the greatness that is Hero. This goes down as the best movie of 2002 for me. Do yourself a favor and see this movie.
Cobak’s Rating: 10/10
By Equinox21
If one word can be used to describe this film it would be “epic”. Hero is epic in every sense of the word. From shots of 10,000 soldiers standing in front of the palace or marching to battle to seeing, literally, thousands of arrows flying towards a town, tearing through it like it was wet tissue paper and leaving it looking like some sort of strange porcupine. The movie takes place at the Qin palace, with 3 different flashbacks/retellings of the story leading up to the current time (with a fourth flashback within a flashback). So as not to give any of the story away, I’ll leave it simply at that. However, there is one thing that makes the flashbacks stand out and become truly memorable. Each one uses a different overriding color. The first is red, second is blue, the third white and fourth (within the third) is green. By this I mean that all the scenery, clothes, props, etc. are all those colors, and they are in no way subtle with the use of color. It is an extremely effective and very impressive use of color in a way I have never seen before.
This brings me to Christopher Doyle as Director of Photography. The film was beautifully shot, in the epic scale, angles (during intimate scenes and during fight scenes), and use of color. I was surprised to see Christopher Doyle’s name in the credits, but it made perfect sense and his talent definitely shows through. I have no doubt that he would have been at least nominated for an Academy Award had Miramax not tragically destroyed Hero’s chances of even being considered. I loved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and thought it was beautiful film, but Hero blows it away. The epic portions feel far more epic, and the individual stories feel far more intimate and insulated from the outside world. This is a film that absolutely needs to be SEEN by anyone considering themselves a fan of art films (even though Hero isn’t REALLY an art film).
The characters were all tremendously acted. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that Tony Leung (Broken Sword) had known swordplay as long as Jet Li (No Name) and Donnie Yen (Sky). Which brings me to another item; Forget Once Upon A Time In China 2, Hero now has the best fight between Jet and Donnie on film. Maggie Cheung (Flying Snow) was great as always, and her romance with Tony (how many times have we seen this in movies, now?) was well done. They didn’t get sappy and show how they fell in love or even any background about it, they just took it as point of fact. But of course, even their relationship was chock full of jealousy, infidelity, and revengeÉ or was it? You’d have to see it to fully understand. All I can say is, “Poor Tony!” Zhang Ziyi played a minor role, that of Moon, Broken Sword’s apprentice/servant.
My biggest complaint about the movie is the fact that Donnie is on screen for 15 minutes at the most, and all within the first maybe 20 minutes of the film. He’s supposed to have such an important character, yet he’s only talked about after his initial appearance. My guess would that this was again due to the Miramax touch. Donnie isn’t a star in this country, at least not as big a star as Zhang Ziyi. So she gets 3 times the screen time he gets, and he’s supposed to be one of the more important characters while she’s a relatively minor one. Not that I don’t want to see Ziyi on screen, I just wanted to see far more of Donnie. Especially as his character develops without him even being on screen while it happens. This is the one major drawback I saw in the film.
And like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, we are treated to yet another Tan Dun score. This one wasn’t quite as emotion evoking as was Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon‘s, but it was still good nonetheless. But to be perfectly honest, it didn’t even stand out that greatly. It was more simple background music than really moving themes. But maybe I just wasn’t listening for it as much.
So, to conclude I would say, “go see this movie, it is beautiful”. While the story doesn’t include as much of a love story element as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon did, it is full of far more intrigue and subterfuge, with a more epic scale (that of protecting/assassinating an emperor as opposed to revenge for a fallen master). And, while I know it’s probably wrong to compare Hero to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, it is the closest example there is to compare it to, that’s the only reason I do it. That said I’d watch Hero over Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 99 out of 100 times.
Equinox21’s Rating: 9/10 (-1 because of the lack of Donnie, most likely thanks, at least in part, to Miramax for that disgrace)
Lockout Blu-ray & DVD (Sony)
RELEASE DATE: July 17, 2012
Sony Entertainment presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Lockout. A renegade CIA agent (Guy Pearce), falsely accused of murder, must overcome a gang of ruthless prisoners held 50 miles above Earth and rescue the President’s daughter (Maggie Grace) in order to regain his freedom. Check out the trailer.
on Sammo Hung controls the city walls in the Final railer for Soi Cheang’s actioner ‘Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In’Off the back of their Cannes debut, plans for both a prequel and sequel have…
on The legend is back! Check out the New Poster for Jackie Chan and Stanley Tong’s ‘A Legend’ (aka ‘The Myth Part 2’)88 films / Eureka will be prepping their new Stanley Tong/Chan trilogy of shi…
on The legend is back! Check out the New Poster for Jackie Chan and Stanley Tong’s ‘A Legend’ (aka ‘The Myth Part 2’)Looks decent enough to watch. He sure keeps busy with so many movies on his p… on I see a ‘John Wick’ spin-off said the blind man? Donnie Yen to reprise his blind character Caine in a standalone filmIp Man 5 will be horrible and lean further into Westerners are POS and evil t…
on The Last Kumite | 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray (MPI Home Video)It's available on Amazon Prime.
on Grindstone to distribute the devil’s work in Ernesto Díaz Espinoza’s ‘Diablo’ starring Marko Zaror and Scott AdkinsI’m sure Diaz will know exactly what to do with Scott, and since Marko is vou…
on Grindstone to distribute the devil’s work in Ernesto Díaz Espinoza’s ‘Diablo’ starring Marko Zaror and Scott AdkinsOh, yeah. Yeah yeah yeah. I want this. We got to watch Zaror play in the Adki…
on I see a ‘John Wick’ spin-off said the blind man? Donnie Yen to reprise his blind character Caine in a standalone filmI'm really not 100% sure the pay for a Caine movie would be as big as what he… on I see a ‘John Wick’ spin-off said the blind man? Donnie Yen to reprise his blind character Caine in a standalone filmHe get pay big money for Ipman 5 at least 8 to 10 million dollars, and the co… on I see a ‘John Wick’ spin-off said the blind man? Donnie Yen to reprise his blind character Caine in a standalone filmAnd who can blame him if that happens? Lots of people would do the same if th… on I see a ‘John Wick’ spin-off said the blind man? Donnie Yen to reprise his blind character Caine in a standalone filmI think it’s probably safe to say that if a Hollywood starring role (not to m… on I see a ‘John Wick’ spin-off said the blind man? Donnie Yen to reprise his blind character Caine in a standalone filmHe still has Flashpoint 2 and Ipman 5 to do. Heard he is planning on directin… on Kato who? Eureka’s Blu-ray for Jet Li’s sci-fi actioner ‘Black Mask’ now available from Eureka EntertainmentI know some people don’t like the film grain removal of newer home releases b… on Death Stranding (2023) ReviewThis may have a different plot than the video game Death Stranding, but seems… on I see a ‘John Wick’ spin-off said the blind man? Donnie Yen to reprise his blind character Caine in a standalone filmThis makes the most sense. Wick’s story is concluded, (for now) and Caine’s w…
on The Last Kumite | 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray (MPI Home Video)What the fuck!! is this Blu-ray release bullshit!! It's not the fucking 1980s… on Kato who? Eureka’s Blu-ray for Jet Li’s sci-fi actioner ‘Black Mask’ now available from Eureka EntertainmentI just picked this set up. The PQ on thre HK cut is the best copy so far BUT.…
on Chuck Norris IS BACK in the Trailer for ‘Agent Recon’ with Derek Ting and ‘Beastmaster’ star Marc SingerWow, Chuck at 83 and still kicking. This is a must watch for Norris, but take… on Adapted by Alan Canvan: A Conversation with ‘Game of Death Redux’ FilmmakerAt first i didn't think there was any point to this but after watching the ga…
on Adapted by Alan Canvan: A Conversation with ‘Game of Death Redux’ FilmmakerFrom what I understand, the reason for the delay is because its now going to…
on Thor-ploitation? The action is on high gear in the New Trailer for George Miller’s ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’New featurette. https://youtu.be/xHTrvEnwfWY?si=ibHkw6f1fqq6gq2C on Thor-ploitation? The action is on high gear in the New Trailer for George Miller’s ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’And another clip. https://youtu.be/T8iHJ7kP0ZI?si=W_aYvktxRfCECQbB on Thor-ploitation? The action is on high gear in the New Trailer for George Miller’s ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’Clip. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C66pc2diatI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link on World Noir Vol 2 | Blu-ray (Radiance)I would have bought the Shishido 9ne if it was released alone. But not in tha…
on Adapted by Alan Canvan: A Conversation with ‘Game of Death Redux’ FilmmakerSo, where is this? Has anyone seen it yet?
3 Comments