House of Flying Daggers (2004) Review

Posted on June 11, 2012 by JJ Bona
"House of Flying Daggers" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“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

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Hero (2002) Review

Posted on June 11, 2012 by JJ Bona
"Hero" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“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)

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

Lockout Blu-ray & DVD (Sony)

Posted on June 11, 2012 by JJ Bona
Lockout Blu-ray & DVD (Sony)

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.

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

Get the Gringo aka How I Spent My Summer Vacation Blu-ray & DVD (Fox)

Posted on June 11, 2012 by JJ Bona
Get the Gringo aka How I Spent My Summer Vacation Blu-ray & DVD (Fox)

Get the Gringo aka How I Spent My Summer Vacation Blu-ray & DVD (Fox)

RELEASE DATE: July 17, 2012

Fox presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Get the Gringo, starring Mel Gibson. A career criminal (Gibson) pulls off the heist of a lifetime, but his getaway plans go south of the border when a high-speed car chase lands him in a hard-core Mexican prison community known as “El Pueblito.” Check out the trailer.

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

Will Zhang Ziyi scale ‘The Great Wall’ alongside Superman?

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Z Ravas

Zhang Ziyi in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

Deadline has the scoop on an in-development period action piece called The Great Wall. The film will star Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) as two British adventurers who happen upon the Great Wall of China as it’s being built during the 1400’s.

They soon realize the hasty construction of the Wall is not just to keep the invading Mongols out, but to seal off some mythical and deadly monsters. The duo decide to get down to business and kick some monster ass.

Perhaps of more interest to Cityonfire.com readers is the fact that production company Legendary is courting Chinese starlet Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Dangerous Liaisons) to star in the film, as well as other undisclosed Chinese talent.

Shooting is set to begin in both China and New Zealand in the spring of 2013, and this is the first project that will see Legendary branching out to make more films in China’s growing industry. It’s also worth noting that The Great Wall is based on a story co-created by Max Brooks, the author of the bestselling zombie novel World War Z. -Thanks to Cityonfire.com alumni Ningen for the story

Posted in News |

One in the Chamber Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

Posted on June 10, 2012 by JJ Bona
One in the Chamber Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

One in the Chamber Blu-ray & DVD (Anchor Bay)

RELEASE DATE: August 21, 2012.

Anchor Bay presents the Blu-ray & DVD for One in the Chamber (aka Last Bullet), starring Dolph Lundgren and Cuba Jr. Gooding. A seasoned assassin plays both sides in a Russian gang war and becomes the target of an unknown enemy. It’s directed by William Kaufman (Sinner & Saints), so this one might be worth checking out!

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

Blu-ray and DVD Releases for 6/12/12

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Z Ravas
Accident Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

Accident Blu-ray & DVD (Shout! Factory)

6/12/12, that’s gotta mean something, right? Actually, probably not. But at least we have a decent selection of Asian films to choose from this week. So let’s get cracking. Here are your Blu-ray and DVD new releases for the week of 6/12/12:

ASIAN CINEMA

Accident (Blu-ray/DVD) – Louis Koo stars in this 2009 Hong Kong thriller produced by Johnnie To

Devilman (DVD) – the 2004 live-action “Devilman” movie, based on the hit manga, is re-released as a Tokyo Shock Classic

Sultry Assassin: Aphrodisiac Kill (DVD) – Japanese female nina exploitation at its finest. From the director of “Zombie Hunter Rika”

Paradise (DVD) – Pathfinder Entertainment releases this 2009 Korean drama about a woman who is released from prison and travels to an island called Paradise

My Tutor Friend 2 (DVD) – Pathfinder Entertainment releases this 2007 cultural comedy about a Japanese exchange student who heads to South Korea

FOREIGN CINEMA

In Darkness (Blu-ray/DVD) – a 2011 Polish-language film about a Slavic community who hid underground to escape the violence WWII

The Assault (DVD) – an intense airplane hijack is defused by the French assault team in this 2010 thriller based on a true story. Unfortunately, Amazon lists the DVD as being an English-only language track

Countess Perverse (DVD) – the original director cut of legendary sleaze auteur Jess Franco’s 1974 film about humans who hunt other humans

Miss Minoes (DVD) – a 2001 Spanish-language fantasy/comedy about a cat who can take the form of a young woman

Tezz (DVD) – a high-stakes Bollywood thriller about the hijacking of a bullet-train. Co-starring Anil Kapoor (TV’s “24,” “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”)

Zero Bridge (DVD) – a 2008 slice-of-life story about a young pickpocket, set in Kashmir

MAINSTREAM

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Blu-ray/DVD) – the 2011 sequel starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law makes its way to home formats

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (Blu-ray/DVD) – Nicolas Cage rides on as the titular flaming skull in this 2012 sequel

Spider-Man 1, 2, 3 (Blu-ray) – Sam Raimi’s 00’s “Spider-Man” trilogy gets re-issues on individual Blu-ray discs for $11.99 each

Monster Brawl (Blu-ray/DVD) – classic movie monsters meet wrestling stars in this 2011 direct-to-video guilty pleasure

Meatballs (Blu-ray) – the 1979 Bill Murray comedy set at camp comes to Blu-ray

ANIMATED

Superman vs. The Elite (Blu-ray/DVD) – a new animated feature from Warner Animation/DC Comics featuring Superman against a violent and immoral super-team

CULT

Red Scorpion (Blu-ray+DVD combo) – the kind folks at Synapse Films are proud to present this “Rambo”-esque 1988 Dolph Lundgren action vehicle in hi-def

The Dark Crystal / Labyrinth (The Brian Froud Art Edition) (Blu-ray) – two classic Jim Henson’s Workshop films from the 80’s are re-released on Blu-ray together

Harold and Maude (Blu-ray) – the Criterion Collection re-releases director Hal Ashby’s 1971 dark comedy classic on Blu-ray

The Gold Rush (Blu-ray) – Charlie Chaplin’s 1941 silent comedy finds a home on Blu-ray courtesy of the Criterion Collection

Shallow Grave (Blu-ray/DVD) – Danny Boyle’s first feature film, this 1994 thriller starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Eccleston, arrives in hi-def from the Criterion Collection

Dogs in Space (DVD) – a 1986 Australian film set in the small band scene of the time, featuring Michael Hutchence of INXS fame

HORROR

Don’t Go in the Woods (DVD) – actor Vincent D’Onofrio tries his hand at directing with this 2010 horror musical

Posted in News |

Sector 7 (2011) Review

Posted on June 9, 2012 by Z Ravas
"Sector 7" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Sector 7” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Kim Ji-Hun
Cast: Ha Ji-Won, Ahn Seong-Gi, Oh Ji-Ho, Lee Han-Wi, Park Cheol-Min, Song Sae-Byuk, Cha Ye-Ryeon, Park Jeong-Hak, Park Young-Soo
Running Time: 112 min.

By HKFanatic

“Sector 7” is the latest film penned by Yun Je-Gyun, the screenwriter behind 2009’s “Tidal Wave,” and if you’ve seen that Korean disaster epic you can probably predict the biggest problem with “Sector 7”: the pacing. “Tidal Wave” spent over an hour building up its character dynamics and teary-eyed melodrama before hitting the audience with an unrelenting deluge of CG spectacle. “Sector 7” works the much the same way; although it’s a true blue monster movie, the creature doesn’t make an appearance until over an hour into things. Most of the film is devoted to the rivalries and antics of a crew of oil riggers out in the middle of the Pacific.

This wouldn’t be an issue except that our characters are little more than thinly-drawn stereotypes: there’s the tough but cute heroine nicknamed “Hard-Ass”; the sniveling, accident-prone nerd; the stern and withdrawn female scientist; the unseasoned rookie who has yet to prove himself to the others; and so on and so on. The way these relationships play out feels entirely predictable – we’ve seen it all before – and once the monster does show up, “Sector 7” turns into little more than an endless series of chase sequences and false climaxes, as the sharp-toothed beastie from below proves to be harder to kill than the Terminator.

This is not a good film but (and this might be a big “but”) you’ll probably find something to enjoy if, like me, you’re a huge fan of foreign monster movies. Whether we’re talking about a slice of pop art like “The Host” or special effects-driven schlock like this, I’m always entertained by the way other countries assemble a creature feature. On the plus side, the production values on “Sector 7” are sky high, with a crisp color palette and smooth camerawork. And the picture quality on Shout! Factory’s Blu-ray release is literally stunning at times.

It’s just a shame that so much money and effort was expended on a ho-hum script that doesn’t do anything new with the monster movie template. There’s nothing here that’s as intense or knee-shaking as the raptors-in-the-kitchen sequence from “Jurassic Park” and that was almost 20 years ago. Even the gorehounds will go home unhappy since there’s very little red stuff on display here.

Although he doesn’t have many films to his name, director Kim Ji-Hun is clearly talented when it comes to handling expensive and effects-laden blockbusters. His next film is a 3D Korean riff on “The Towering Inferno” called “The Tower.” I’m sure he’s going to bring the visual spectacle to the project, I’m just hoping he delivers more thrills than in “Sector 7.”

HKFanatic’s Rating: 6/10

Posted in Korean, Reviews |

Wake of Death (2004) Review

Posted on June 8, 2012 by JJ Bona
"Wake of Death" Japanese DVD Cover

“Wake of Death” Japanese DVD Cover

Director: Philippe Martinez
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Simon Yam, Valerie Tan, Philip Tan, Tony Schiena, Claude Hernandez
Running Time: 91 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

Archer (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is an ex-mobster who has discovered that his wife has been brutally murdered by a psychotic triad leader named Sun Quan (played by Hong Kong star Simon Yam). With the help of his old school gangster connections, Archer sets out for Sun Quan and kills anybody that stops him from getting revenge.

A year ago was the first time I heard about Wake of Death. At that time, it was still being directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Ringo Lam (City on Fire). I’m not sure what happened, but Philippe Martinez, a filmmaker who knows how to make a low budget movie look extravagant, took Lam’s place. Of course, you can still tell it’s low budget, but the tight effort behind the film’s production is quite evident (if you watch the extras on the DVD, you’ll realize just how ambitious Martinez is about the project).

Wake of Death’s strongest point is how it portrays emotion to the audience. When Van Damme’s character is grieving over his murdered wife, you can feel it. Using mood techniques, sombre music, and Van Damme’s exceptional performance, Martinez shows the audience that melancholy can exist in an ultra-violent Van Damme B-flick.

However, Martinez really needs to settle down with the stylized filming. He has a good eye for it, but none of it is original. It’s been done a million times in a load of other movies. I’m not a big fan of this so-called “MTV Editing,” which lingers throughout the whole film, so I’m obligated to rant a little; or do all filmmakers strive to be Jerry Bruchkeimer wannabes? If I want to see quick cuts, slow-mo shots, contrasting colors, and other overdone “stylish” sh*t, I’ll watch music videos. The overuse of style is definitely the film’s weakest point.

The action in Wake of Death is a mixed bag: car chases, shoot outs, explosions, brutal torture scenes, and some kicks and punches here and there. Although it has a nice share of well done action, I was hoping for more hand-to-hand fight sequences (I mean, it IS a Van Damme flick, right?). Hell, we don’t even get to see Van Damme and Simon Yam go at it (not that Simon Yam can fight, but then again, neither can Van Damme).

Wake of Death isn’t Van Damme’s best film, but it’s better than anything in this straight-to-video line-up (and remember, Ringo Lam’s Replicant and In Hell were pretty decent flicks). It has a hip soundtrack (pseudo-Massive Attack type stuff, but it’s catchy), paces well, and should please anyone looking for some Van Dammage (hehe, I haven’t heard that one in years…). One thing’s for sure; Van Damme is getting better in the acting department.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 7.5/10

Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews | Tagged , , |

Will Mark Wahlberg travel to Japan to reclaim ‘The Sword’?

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Z Ravas
"The Shooter" Japanese Theatrical Poster

"The Shooter" Japanese Theatrical Poster

You may or may not have caught the Mark Wahlberg action-vehicle The Shooter when it landed in theaters back in 2007. The movie came across as something like a Southern-fried spin on The Bourne Identity but it was actually an adaptation of a novel by author Stephen Hunter, who has a whole slew of books about the gun-toting hillbilly named Bobby Lee Swagger.

Now the Hollywood Reporter gives word that New Regency has tapped frequent Luc Besson collaborator Robert Kamen (co-scriptor on The Transporter and Taken) to pen a sequel to The Shooter titled The Sword.

This time around, the story – based on the Stephen Hunter novel titled The 47th Samurai – sees Bobby Lee Swagger traveling to Japan to return a katana his father received during World War II.

A stranger in a strange land, Swagger finds himself besieged by the Yakuza underworld and other shadowy forces when he realizes the katana is actually a priceless relic.

Movies about Westerners fighting the Yakuza seem to be quite popular these days. While Robert Kamen seems like a natural fit for this kind of material, it remains to be seen whether the project will be developed as a true sequel to The Shooter. If Mark Wahlberg chooses not to return to the role of Bobby Lee Swagger, we imagine it won’t be too difficult for the studio to alter the script to fit a new character. After all, how many movies have there been about tough ex-marines who find themselves in over their heads? And John Cena can’t be too busy these days…

Posted in News |

Freelancers Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

Posted on June 7, 2012 by JJ Bona
Freelancers Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

Freelancers Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

RELEASE DATE: August 21, 2012

Lionsgate presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Freelancers, starring Robert De Niro, Forest Whitaker and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. The son of a slain officer joins the force, where he falls in with his father’s former partner. His new boss, Sarcone, will see if he has what it takes. When the truth about his father’s death is revealed, revenge takes over him. Check out the trailer.

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

‘Moss’ weaves a web of intrigue on DVD this August 21, 2012

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Z Ravas
Moss: Special Edition 2-Disc Set (Bayview Entertainment)

Moss: Special Edition 2-Disc Set (Bayview Entertainment)

Cityonfire.com has received the following press release from 5 Points Pictures for their August 21st, 2012 release of the Korean film Moss on a  2-Disc DVD set.

Film distributor 5 Points Pictures is pleased to announce the special-edition 2-Disc DVD release of Moss will be available on August 21, 2012.

Based on the award-winning web comic by Yoon Tae-ho (2007 Korea Cartoon Awards, 2008 Bucheon Cartoon Awards)!

Also known as Iggi, this critically acclaimed, box-office smash features direction by Kang Woo-suk (Public Enemy, Silmido), plus an all-star cast including Jung Jae-young (The Divine Weapon), Park Hae-il (War of the Arrows), Yoo Hae-jin (Public Enemy), and YOO Sun (Black House).

SYNOPSIS: A mystery-thriller from KANG Woo-suk, the director of the PUBLIC ENEMY films! Hae-guk (PARK Hae-il) receives word that his estranged father has passed away, so he travels to the remote village where the older man lived to attend the funeral. However, when Hae-guk starts asking questions about his father’s life – and unexplained death – the residents and their charismatic Chief (JUNG Jae-young) exchange mysterious looks and seem anxious to rush him out of their village. Something isn’t right, and Hae-guk is determined to uncover the truth… at any cost!

BONUS FEATURES: “The Making of Moss,” “The Beginning of the Story – The Comic Behind the Story,” art and set design documentary (“The Birth of the Village”), make-up and effects featurette (“Come Out to the Real World”), poster shoot video, original South Korean teaser and trailer, cast and director bios, and 5 Points Pictures trailers.

SPECIFICATIONS: Includes the feature film – plus almost 90 minutes of video extras – all with on/off English subtitles! Format: DVD (Region 1), Street Date: 8/21/2012, Feature Runtime: 163 minutes, Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Drama, Suggested Rating: 17+

TRAILER: Check out the new English-subbed trailer from 5 Points Pictures!

Posted in News |

It’s ‘High Kick Girl’ vs. ‘Dead Sushi’ in new Japanese splatterflick

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Z Ravas

"Dead Sushi" Japanese Theatrical Poster

I love sushi. Chances are, you do too. But how does our sushi feel about us? If the new film from director Noboru Iguchi (The Machine Girl, Robogeisha) is any indication, they’re pissed off and tired of being eaten.

Yes, the premise of Iguchi’s new ultra low-budget splatterflick Dead Sushi appears to be that the sushi of Japan has become sentient – and now they’re out for revenge.

Fortunately, on humanity’s side we have martial arts expert Rina Takeda of High Kick Girl fame. Anyhow, I doubt all my rambling is going to do Dead Sushi justice so just check out the wild ‘n crazy trailer over at Beyond Hollywood.

Update: It looks like we’ve got a brand new trailer, courtesy of Far East Films.

BREAKING NEWS: A whole slew of crazy new images. At least Rina Takeda is still super cute.

Posted in News |

Just Heroes | aka Tragic Heroes (1987) Review

Posted on June 5, 2012 by JJ Bona
"Just Heroes" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Just Heroes” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: John Woo
Co-director: Ng Ma
Cast: David Chiang, Danny Lee, Chen Kuan Tai, Stephen Chow, Lo Lieh, Cally Kwong, Wu Ma, Shing Fui On, Zhao Lei, Tien Niu, Alan Chan, Fung Hak On, Philip Ko Fei
Running Time: 97 min.

By Numskull

This is the John Woo “gun fu” movie that nobody has seen. It’s listed on the filmographies, but nothing much is ever said about it. It simply gets nestled between A Better Tomorrow 2 and The Killer.

So I watched it hoping I’d be able to write a rave review of it, saying how criminally unfair it is that it doesn’t get more attention and how it deserves to be ranked right up there with Woo’s best.

Sorry, folks. No can do.

Just Heroes is just so-so. John Woo turned out a chain of seven films during his HK golden era: A Better Tomorrow, A Better Tomorrow 2, Just Heroes, The Killer, Bullet in the Head, Once A Thief, and Hard Boiled. This, friends, is the weak link.

One might say that the absence of Chow Yun-fat (who appeared in five of the seven films listed above) harms this movie and keeps it from attaining the brilliance of A Better Tomorrow or The Killer. And one would be wrong, because there’s no shortage of talent among the cast here, and not even an actor as good as Chow Yun-fat can single-handedly save a movie from totally sucking (Replacement Killers, anyone?). I’m not saying that Just Heroes sucks, but it doesn’t mesmerize you like other Woo flicks do.

The story concerns the murder of a mob leader by an unidentified assassin and the subsequent chaos among his underlings as his chosen successor has doubts about his ability to fill his boss’s shoes and the search for the killer indicates an inside job. The gang splits into factions. Some guys are honorable, others are pricks. Violence ensues.

Don’t expect a thrill a minute. Just Heroes is no more story driven than any other John Woo film since the mid 1980s, but it’s definitely less adrenaline-charged. After the initial shootout, the better part of an hour passes before we see anything that resembles an action sequence again. What’s there is good, but more would have been nice since the plot and characters aren’t exceptionally interesting.

Ng Ma is credited as co-director and I’m given cause to wonder if he directed more of this movie than “they” would have us believe. At times it really does seem more like a John Woo imitation than a John Woo film. There’s one character who repeatedly makes references to A Better Tommorrow, reciting Chow Yun-fat’s urine-drinking speech and planting handguns in potted plants (get it? PLANTING handguns? Potted PLANTS? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA… ha… heh… um… never mind).

Seriously… Just Heroes is worth watching once, but it’s hardly touched by greatness. If you’re a Woo completist, it is, of course, required viewing; if not, don’t beat yourself up for skipping over it. To my knowledge it is not available on DVD. Tai Seng has released full-frame and (barely) letterboxed videos. Both have blurry white subs burned onto the print; in the full-frame version, which sould be avoided at all costs, the text constantly runs off the edges of the screen and gets chopped off at the bottom. Nothing new there. Watch it letterboxed or not at all.

Oh yeah, and the ending is very abrupt.

Numskull’s Rating: 5/10

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

Asian horror fans, get ready to experience ‘Any Other Side’ on Import DVD

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Z Ravas

"Any Other Side" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Mainland China has seen a sudden surge of gruesome horror movies within the last year or so, a renaissance of new fright flicks with high production values and attractive casts. 2012’s Any Other Side continues this trend with an anthology-style film about five friends who meet at a bar on Halloween and decide to see who can tell the most terrifying story.

Right now you can snag Any Other Side on Region 3 DVD from trusted retailer DDDHouse for the low price of $14.10. The disc has English subtitles but be advised that you will need an Import or All-Region DVD player in order to run a Region 3 DVD.

The spooky tales of Any Other Side include mysterious killers, time travel, abandoned hospitals, zombies, and more. The trailer for the film doesn’t appear to be online but we’ll link it as soon as possible.

Posted in Asian Import Titles, News |
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