Sucker Punch DVD (Lionsgate)
RELEASE DATE: October 4, 2011
Expecting a different movie? An enigmatic bare-knuckle fighter teams up with a small-time con man who is a low-life fringe player in the seedy underworld, managing and betting on backstreet fighters in illegal fights. Directed by Malcolm Martin and starring Tom Hardy, Tamer Hassan and Antonio Fargas. Check out the trailer here.
"Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown" DVD Cover
RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2011
Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown hits Unrated DVD September 13th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Starring America’s number one martial arts action star Michael Jai White (Black Dynamite, Blood and Bone) in his directorial debut! Read our review and check out the trailer.
“Alien vs. Ninja” American Theatrical Poster
Director: Seiji Chiba
Cast: Shuji Kashiwabara, Ben Hiura, Mika Hijii, Donpei Tsuchihira, Masanori Mimoto
Running Time: 83 min.
By HKFanatic
“Alien vs. Ninja” arrived on Western shelves just in time to capitalize on the DVD/blu-ray release of 2010’s “Predators.” And glancing at the title and box art, you’d think this movie was a cheap knock-off of the “Aliens vs. Predator” franchise. I know that was my first impression. Turns out that’s all the result of Funimation’s marketing department. Once you watch “AvsP” and the “aliens” show up about twenty minutes in, looking like slimy dolphin-men in latex suits (kind of like rejected Power Rangers villain), you’ll realize the truth: “Alien vs. Ninja” is more of an off-the-wall Japanese splatter comedy, in the vein of “Versus” or “Meatball Machine.”
Despite being low-budget to the extreme, “AvP” entertains for its short duration with a bevy of genuinely cool sword fights, bad-ass characters, and buckets of gore. The set-up is about as simple as you can get: on the way back from a mission, a ninja clan sees a meteor fall out of the sky. Upon investigating the crash site, they’re attacked by some deadly aliens who make mincemeat out of all the cannon fodder characters. The rest of the flick is basically a ton of fight scenes in the forest.
Thankfully “AvP” manages to avoid the creepy fetishization of movies like “The Machine Girl” and “Tokyo Gore Police,” though there is a bit of sexual humor. And the fact that every appendage these aliens seem to have is phallic in nature (oh, those crazy Japanese). A few scenes are squirm-worthy or give way to just plain stupid humor, but there’s not much here that you’ll feel like a creeper for watching.
The cast holds a few familiar faces, mostly Mika Hijii who starred alongside Scott Adkins in the English language film “Ninja.” But Actor Masanori Mimoto has to be the breakout star here: for fans of the video game series “Ninja Gaiden,” Mimoto is the closest I’ve seen anyone come to replicating the look and moves of that character. It also helps that the aliens look an awful lot like some of the monsters you fight in those games. Mimoto must have found his niche; glancing at his filmography on IDMB, three out of the four movies he’s starred in have the word “ninja” in their title. Hey, what can you do, the man knows how to wield a sword.
This isn’t the best Japanese film out there – for one thing, the aliens’ power levels vary drastically from scene to scene based on what the script calls for. But it’s not trying to be great; it’s a tongue-in-cheek exploitation flick. The filmmakers send the message: “We had a fun time making this movie so we hope you have a good time watching it. And try not to take it too seriously.” I went into this with extremely low expectations and ended up having a lot of fun. I know I feel like a better person now that I’ve seen a ninja suplex a man-in-a-rubber-suit – I mean, an alien.
In a way, this is a bit like an “Aliens vs. Predator” movie, if only they had taken way more inspiration from the “Evil Dead” series rather than their own respective franchises. And if they added ninjas to the equation. Because ninjas make everything better, right? This movie practically proves it.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 6/10
cityonfire.com is now on twitter and tumblr.
After a few requests and the opportunity to spread cityonfire.com out there a little more, why not? Besides, it’s another tool to keep cityonfire visitors informed of the latest updates. We promise you’ll never see sh*t like “I’m at Starbucks” or “It got up to 95 degrees today”. So, without further ado…
Lethal Ladies DVD Collection: Firecracker, TNT Jackson, Too Hot to Handle (Shout!)
RELEASE DATE: October 25, 2011
Shout! keeps ’em coming with another chapter in the Roger Corman’s Cult Classics Collection. This time it’s the sexy Lethal Ladies DVD Collection, which contains Firecracker, TNT Jackson & Too Hot to Handle. A great mix of exploitation with a Filipino twist!
Trailers/Clips: TNT Jackson | Too Hot to Handle (Scene: Warning – contains nudity!)
So good, if you get this channel; so bad, if you don't.
MYX TV and Tai Seng Entertainment team up to bring you Movie So Good, a collection of action films that showcases the best of martial arts cinema.
Consisting of kung-fu legends and can’t miss fight sequences, Movie So Good brings the HEAT with a new film showing every weekend: Ranging from Bruce Li’s “The New Game of Death” to Donnie Yen’s “Legend of the Wolf.”
Click here for schedule and listings. – Thanks to Shaolin Chamber 36 for the heads up!
“Chawz” Korean Theatrical Poster
Director: Shin Jeong-Won
Cast: Uhm Tae-Woong, Jeong Yu-Mi, Jang Hang-Seon, Yun Je-Mun, Park Hyuk-Kwon, Kim Gi-Cheon, Lee Sang-Hee, Jeong Yun-Min, Mun Jong-Hun
Running Time: 121 min.
By HKFanatic
Now for something totally different. “Chawz” is a South Korean horror/comedy that attempts to do the whole ‘small town terrorized by a big monster’ shtick like “Jaws,” except with dollops of goofy humor. And, you know what, it pretty much works.
This small town is a rural community out in the boondocks where affluent suburbanites get bussed in on the weekends for some novelty farming. Of course, when the monster strikes the mayor is only concerned that all the killings are going to hurt the tourist trade. It’s up to the local police, understaffed but ever-determined, and an ace hunter to stop the rampaging beast.
The beast in question? Not a shark or jungle cat. Not even a giant octopus or sea monster like “The Host.” Nope, it’s a computer-generated, gigantic, man-hungry wild boar. I’ll let that sink in a moment.
Perhaps it’s wise that “Chawz” mostly plays things for laughs. The characters are quirky but likable. The monster attacks are more entertaining than they are scary (people running from a CG boar that’s as big as a SUV has the potential to be pretty funny, you gotta admit). Je-mun Yun of “Mother” and “The Good, The Bad, the Weird” gives a scene-stealing performance as a top hunter trained in Finland, which is apparently the number one country to do that sort of thing in. The special effects are a charmingly low-budget blend of CGI and what I think is a model with fake fur on it. The cinematography is nice and crisp.
Really, the only thing that holds “Chawz” back is its 122 minute runtime, which is just too damn long for a monster movie farce. I was well and ready for the film to reach its conclusion and it still had another twenty minutes to go, featuring a protracted encounter with the boar in an abandoned steel mill.
If the film had been a bit more thrifty in its pacing, I think my rating would be higher. “Chawz” is one of those movies that doesn’t know to cue the credits before it loses the audience’s good will. That said, even the cast roll call that plays with credits is hilarious, with all the actors turning to give the camera a cheesy grin or expression. It’s hard to hate on a flick as silly and fun as “Chawz,” even if there’s not much to make you flat-out love it.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 6.5/10
"Dark Water" Japanese Theatrical Poster
Director: Hideo Nakata
Writer: Koji Suzuki (novel)
Cast: Hitomi Kuroki, Mirei Oguchi, Rio Kanno, Shigemitsu Ogi, Fumiyo Kohinata, Yu Tokui, Isao Yatsu, Asami Mizukawa
Running Time: 102 min.
By Numskull
Director Hideo Nakata and novelist Koji Suzuki follow their success on Ring and Spiral with this collaboration about a mother and daughter living in an apartment building with a dark mystery, a leaky ceiling, a lazy janitor, and a very unresponsive elevator.
Just as Ring tried to make people afraid to use their VCRs, Dark Water attempts to make its viewers think twice about turning on their faucets. Does it succeed? Not quite, but it’s still a solid entry in the atmospheric horror genre that the Japanese film industry is building a strong reputation for. Cuts are few in number, and the music is sparse and unobtrusive. Take notes, alla you Hollywood types. (Actually, it looks like Gore Verbinski already did; his remake of Ring...eh, “borrows” a scene from this film in which someone receives a nasty surprise after thirstily guzzling a glass of water.)
As in Ring, we have a divorced couple with one child, living with the mother, whose name is Yoshimi Matsubara (Hitomi Kuroki). This time, however, the red tape of the divorce is still in progress, and Yoshimi’s suspicions that her ex-husband is hatching twisted plots to gain custody of their daughter Ikuko (Rio Kanno, definitely one of the better child performers that I’ve seen) adds to her already high stress level. She’s just moved in to a somewhat run-down apartment, she’s looking for a job, her brief stay in a mental institution years ago is coming back to haunt her, and Ikuko has developed an alarming tendency to wander off by herself. Oh, and there’s a bothersome leaky spot on the ceiling, but that’s the least of her worries…right?
Through a series of flashbacks, we learn that Yoshimi’s own parents were divorced, and that she has picked up their habit of being tardy when she goes to kindergarten to bring her daughter home. Another similarity with Ring: the protagonist is not the world’s most attentive mom, and the movie underlines the importance of not being a lousy parent.
And then there’s Mitsuko Kawai…who, without giving TOO much away, fills the “mystery girl” slot occupied by Sadako in Ring. It’s not hard to spot the creative duo’s (Nakata’s and Suzuki’s) formula. Fortunately, it’s a formula for success…with the notable exception of the lengthy epilogue which softens the horror factor of the preceding tale and puts more emphasis on the mother/daughter relationship. (I don’t consider the mention of the “lengthy epilogue” a spoiler because, like Ring, Dark Water climaxes a little too soon and in such a way that few would believe that the film is truly ready to conclude.)
I’m not switching to bottled water anytime soon (there’s shit in there just like in tap water; get a purifier instead), but I can instantly recall many of the film’s details; a good sign, and of even more importance than usual where the horror genre is concerned. I’d be happier without the slightly awkward ending, but I still give Dark Water a thumbs up.
Numskull’s Rating: 8/10
“Above the Law” Japanese Theatrical Poster
Director: Andrew Davis
Cast: Steven Seagal, Pam Grier, Sharon Stone, Daniel Faraldo, Henry Silva, Ron Dean, Miguel Nino, Nicholas Kusenko, Joe Greco, Chelcie Ross, Gregory Alan Williams, Jack Wallace, Metta Davis, Joseph F. Kosala
Running Time: 99 min.
By HKFanatic
The man, the myth, the mystique that is Steven Seagal begins here, with 1988’s “Above the Law.” Many wonder how a virtual no-name like Seagal was able to secure a three-picture deal with complete creative control right out of the gate. The story goes that Seagal built his reputation doing fight choreography on movies like “Never Say Never Again” (during which he reportedly broke Sean Connery’s wrist), serving as a bodyguard to the stars, and teaching Aikido to legendary Hollywood agent Mike Ovitz. In order to add to his star persona, Seagal claimed that he had a murky past with the C.I.A. It’s not hard to see why people would be impressed by a 6’4″ American Aikido master with a background such as that.
Fiction blurred into fact as soon as “Above the Law” hit the big screen. In the media Seagal tried to spin it that his onscreen character was a reflection of his real life. The opening of the film sets everything up with voice-over narration: Nico Tuscani, Aikido Black Belt, former C.I.A. operative during Vietnam, with family members in the Mafia, now a Chicago vice cop.
In this media-savvy age, the idea that Seagal could fool people into believing he was more or less his character Nico Tuscani is pretty astonishing. That’s sort of like if Jean Claude Van Damme had been interviewed upon “Bloodsport”‘s release and instead of saying, “Yeah, I’ve been trying to break into show business for years, I paid my dues by being an extra in movies like ‘Breakin’ and I got fired from the set of ‘Predator,’ this industry is tough,” he had rather claimed “When I was 25 years-old, I traveled to Hong Kong to partake in an underground full-contact fighting tournament. ‘Bloodsport’ is my story.” Everyone would have been like, “Holy $#*%&! This guy is the real deal!”
So, “Above the Law” is sort of like the “Batman Begins” of Steven Seagal movies. And with a set-up like that it’s hard to go wrong. “Above the Law” is also one of the few Seagal movies with a credible director behind the camera. Andrew Davis had already filmed one of Chuck Norris’ better films, 1985’s “Code of Silence,” which was a fairly serious look at police corruption in Chicago (until a police robot crashes the third act – no joke). Many of the actors who played cops in that film return in “Above the Law.” Davis, a Chicago native, really knows how to film the city.
As a kid, what impressed me about this movie was Seagal’s hard-ass persona and martial arts moves; rewatching it now, what I enjoy most about “Above the Law” is the gritty photography of Chicago. It feels like Davis and his DP captured what the Midwestern metropolis was like back in ’88. Looming skyscrapers, back alley drug deals, swank restaurants, political corruption (hey, maybe not much has changed) – it’s the perfect atmosphere for an 80’s action movie. Andrew Davis would go on to achieve mainstream credibility in the 90’s with “The Fugitive” movie and direct Seagal in his biggest box office hit “Under Siege.”
Two things hold “Above the Law” back. One is that it actually tries to be a ‘buddy cop’ movie of sorts. The script teams Seagal up with a spunky but about-to-retire-from-active-duty partner, played by Pam Grier. Now Grier is a great actress in her own right but anybody who’s seen Seagal in “Glimmer Man,” another ill-advised buddy movie, knows that the man works best alone. Seagal is meant to be the squinty-eyed, no-nonsense, mono-syllabic tough guy (except when he’s delivering political monologues). Watching him try and play cute with Pam Grier is just plain embarrassing.
Another aspect that hampers the film is the score from David Michael Frank. I’m sure it sounded really hip and cool back in the 80’s, but now the music is horribly dated. Casio keyboards, pan flute solos, reverberated drums, jazzy guitar licks, blaring saxophone – it’s all here. This sort of soft rock filler sound just isn’t befitting of a hard-edged action flick. Hell, since both movies prominently feature the Chicago skyline, I’d love to see someone rescore “Above the Law” using the soundtrack from “The Dark Knight.” I guarantee it’d probably fit the movie better and make it feel way more bad-ass.
Still, it’s hard not to enjoy “Above the Law.” The script is front-loaded with Seagal’s own personal politics, a left-leaning stance that flew in the face of every Reagan-baiting movie that Stallone or Arnold ever made. Seagal points the finger at corrupt men in power (this was right around the time of the Iran Contra scandal) and says, “I’m not letting you get away with it.”
The fight scenes aren’t as numerous or as bone-breaking as some of his other movies – stick to “Marked For Death” and “Out For Justice” to fill your brutality quotient – but it’s Seagal’s debut. It presented the man as a larger-than-life icon right from the get go, before he became the bloated cliche he is today (sorry, Steven). For an action star, being able to make your mark with a film like “Above the Law” is something like losing your virginity – you only get to do it once.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 7/10
"Tron" Japanese Theatrical Poster
Director: Steven Lisberger
Writer: Steven Lisberger, Bonnie MacBird
Producer: Donald Kushner, Ron Miller
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner, Cindy Morgan, Barnard Hughes, Dan Shor
Running Time: 96 min.
By HKFanatic
In the months leading up to “Tron: Legacy’s” December 2010 release, consumers started reporting that the original “Tron” DVD was becoming increasingly difficult to find in stores. All of a sudden it wasn’t available to rent from Netflix. The rumor mill got churning and there were accusations that Disney didn’t want anyone to see the original “Tron” in lieu of their upcoming blockbuster, for fear that its old-school computer effects would make audiences avoid the new film under the assumption that it’d be just as “cheesy.” Of course, this was probably just pure exaggeration on the part of fans – who have admittedly been spurned by the House of Mouse before – since Disney did eventually release the original “Tron” on blu-ray once “Tron: Legacy” had run its course in theaters. It was worth the wait.
When it comes to blu-ray restoration, Disney tends to be among the best. Just check out the work they did on “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” or “Sleeping Beauty” – though there’s no doubt that “Tron” presented its own particular challenges, being a mix of live-action and animation. The studio had the unenviable task of cleaning up the 80’s-era computer graphics while preserving the look of the original and yet still give home theater enthusiasts something to crow about. Somehow the scientists at Disney managed to do it as “Tron” is one of the best restoration jobs I’ve seen. The film probably hasn’t looked better since it left its original theatrical run.
But how does “Tron” hold up as a movie? The plot, for those not in the know, follows Jeff Bridges as an ex-employee of shady conglomerate Encom (sort of a proto-Microsoft). Bridges is a hacker and video game designer whose ideas for arcade machines were stolen by his superior at the company. Teaming up with his ex-girlfriend and her new beau, he attempts to bring evidence of Encom’s crimes to light – but in the process, he’s digitized and sucked into Encom’s computer system where he discovers that the programs he wrote have sentient life and the the evil Master Control is plotting a complete takeover.
There are some people who will tell you that this flick is corny and outdated. Frankly, I wonder if these folks even know how to enjoy a movie. Sure, special FX technology has grown leaps and bounds since 1982 – but does that mean we’re throwing out “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Star Wars” too (forget about those horrible Special Editions for a minute)? Hell no. “Tron” presents a dazzling blend of cutting-edge-for-1982 computer graphics, live action, and yes, even some traditional Disney-style hand-drawn animation. Watching the film on blu-ray, the details were so sharp that I could make out skintones, facial expressions, and the wonderful costume work better than ever before.
It was then that it dawned on me that the visual beauty and grace of “Tron” harkens back to the silent film era. You could remove all the dialogue, keeping only the sound effects and wonderful score by Wendy Carlos (“The Shining,” “A Clockwork Orange”), and the film would work just as well. In its own way, it’s almost like a 1980’s successor to visually ground-breaking silent films like “Metropolis.” This notion was really driven home during the scene where Tron and Yora went to see the Guardian, whose made-up face and gigantic costume recall the Expressionist era of silent cinema. It also helps that inside the world of the computer, the actor’s faces take on the grainy and ghostly look of a black-and-white silent movie.
What would “Tron” be without Jeff Bridges? The actor, so incredibly young here, brings a ton of energy and fun to the role. Because he buys into the world of “Tron,” the audience does too. Bridges never once stops to wink at the camera or act like he’s above the material. This certainly has to be one of the actor’s most entertaining roles and if you’re a fan of his you owe it to yourself to view “Tron.”
This was the era when Disney was stretching out and making more esoteric live-action films like “The Black Hole” and “The Watcher in the Woods.” Even though it backfired for them financially, they were able to create a legacy of great movies. I’m hard-pressed to think of anything in “Tron” that panders to kids or resorts to low-brow humor, unlike children’s films today. Watching this film for the first time in years, I grew slightly melancholy as I realized that the current generation of kids is never going to grow up with movies like “Tron” or “Labyrinth” or “Gremlins” – films that are designed to ignite a child’s imagination without looking down on them. I don’t think you could say the same thing about that movie where The Rock plays the tooth fairy.
The sexual tension in “Tron” is something that’s easy to gloss over as a child but appreciate as an adult. You’ve got Jeff Bridges teaming up with his old flame Lora, who’s new beau (played perfectly by Bruce Boxleitner) is more of a Clark Kent-style geek than a dashing leading man. But inside the computer world, Boxleitner is Tron – the ultimate hero, and somebody Bridges has no choice but to respect and admire. Conversely, Bridges has something Tron will never have: humanity, the spark of life, which is what allows him to steal a passionate kiss from Yori before heading back into the real world. That moment occurs after a deleted scene where Yori seduces Tron in her apartment and it’s implied they have sex. Whew – gotta say that Disney was way more steamy and cutting-edge back in ’82.
Regardless of whether you thought “Tron: Legacy” was a mainstream cash-in on the “Tron” license or a film that managed to pay homage to the original while moving the series into the 21st century (personally I agree with the latter), 1982’s “Tron” isn’t going anywhere and now on blu-ray it looks better than it has in decades. If, like me, it’s been awhile since you revisited the film then now is the perfect time to do so. The costumes, lighting, set design, and computer effects in “Tron” conspire to create a world that has never really been duplicated or equaled on film. The technology here remains so ahead of its time. And more importantly, the story and characters are just as endearing as the digital world around them. “Tron” is a film that defines Disney magic.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 10/10
The Sylvian Experiments DVD (Lionsgate)
RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2011
From the creators of RINGU and THE GRUDGE comes a horrific story of medical experiments gone wrong. A neuron scientist and her husband discover a black-and-white 16mm film in the basement of a dilapidated hospital… Starring Mina Fujii, Yuri Nakamura, Nagisa Katahira and directed by Hiroshi Takahashi.
Sorry, no trailer (we didn’t post a link because cityonfire will not be held responsible if something crazy happens to you after viewing it)
The Child's Eye DVD (Lionsgate)
RELEASE DATE: October 11, 2011
From award-winning directors The Pang Brothers (Oxide Pang Chun and Danny Pang), who brought you BANGKOK DANGEROUS, THE MESSENGERS and the original THE EYE, comes the fourth installment of the EYE franchise! Starring Shawn Yue, Ka Tung Lam, Lawrence Chou. Check out the trailer here.
“Shaolin” Chinese Theatrical Poster
Director: Benny Chan
Cast: Andy Lau, Nicholas Tse, Fan Bing Bing, Wu Jing, Xing Yu, Yu Shao Qun, Hung Yan Yan
Running Time: 131 min.
By HKFanatic
Andy Lau. Nicholas Tse. Jacky Wu. Jackie Chan. You can’t really ask for a bigger cast from a Hong Kong flick these days. With Benny Chan (“New Police Story”) behind the camera and handling production duties, “Shaolin” seemed prime to be a modern classic. And yet…I felt strangely underwhelmed by this film. I wanted to love it but, in the end, it was just “pretty good.” Pretty good is certainly not bad but you expect more from the talent involved.
“Shaolin” is set during the early 1900’s. China is slowly unifying but warlords engage in bitter conflicts for control of the various territories. Meanwhile, foreigners are seeking to carve up China by taking control of railroads and plundering its buried treasure. In the midst of all this chaos, the people suffer. Starving peasants and refugees have no government to turn to; instead, they seek shelter outside the Shaolin Temple where peaceful but kung-fu trained Buddhist monks do their best to clothe, shelter, and feed the masses.
Andy Lau plays one of the warlords who, along with his underling Nicholas Tse, seems to get a thrill from the violence. In his thirst for conquest he shows no qualms about putting innocent civilians in danger or disgracing the Shaolin Temple. As you can probably guess, his lust for blood eventually catches up with him and he’s forced to have a change of heart before he loses everything he holds dear.
The problem with “Shaolin” is that the screenplay is extremely superficial. The Chinese bad guys are mustache-twirlingly evil, nearly to the point of parody, and they’re not even as over-the-top as the gweilo villains. The movie is supposed to be about Andy Lau’s transformation into a peace-loving monk but his turn practically occurs over night. Too much screentime is eaten up during the first act with Andy as a warlord so that there’s not enough room for his later development. The other monks like Jacky Wu go from treating him with disdain in one scene to embracing him as a brother in the next. Cue the big, explosive finale and then the film is over.
“Shaolin” doesn’t sit still long enough to let the characters develop or the story breathe. Though he seeks to praise the Shaolin philosophy, Benny Chan could display a lot more monk-like patience as a director. The film’s Buddhist beliefs are glossed over and delivered in your typical fortune cookie-style quotes. Don’t expect lengthy training sequences or an in-depth look at what goes on behind the Shaolin Temple gate. “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin,” this is not.
The production values are slick – almost too slick. Benny Chan has so many crane shots in this movie I was nearly getting dizzy. Of course, Andy Lau and Nicholas Tse are not martial artists so expect a blend of wires, doubles, and clever camera angles during their fight scenes. It’s not terribly noticeable but it does make a difference when someone who can really fight shows up onscreen, like Jacky Wu or Xing Yu. You may recognize Xing Yu as the guy Donnie Yen suplexed in “Flashpoint” – he actually spent ten years training in martial arts at a real Shaolin Temple. Unfortunately, these two guys don’t get nearly as much screentime as Nicholas Tse.
Jackie Chan has a supporting role and I genuinely loved him in it. He plays a down to earth cook who’s grown to resent the Temple but feels hesitant to leave its doors since he’s never seen the outside world. He provides a lot of humor and humanity to the story. Yes, Jackie does get one fight scene, which is cool, but in his older age he is definitely leaning more on props and wires to do the fighting for him. Can’t stay I blame the guy, his body has been to hell and back over the last few decades. It’s just great to see him in a Chinese language film again and not some Hollywood drivel like “The Spy Next Door.”
“Shaolin” is a prime example of style over substance. As a protagonist, Andy Lau follows a similar character arc as Jet Li in “Fearless” but unlike that film “Shaolin” never slows down to truly illuminate Lau’s quest for inner peace. Benny Chan engages in a lot of over-the-top symbolism involving a Buddha statue and relies a bit too much on wirework to make his Shaolin monks appear supernatural in strength. The ending features as many explosions as a Hollywood blockbuster but it just doesn’t pack the emotional punch you want it to. Instead you might be checking your watch as events unfold in a predictable manner and the filmmakers get one last swipe at making us gweilos appear as evil as possible.
It’s not the epic masterpiece it could have been, but “Shaolin” is at least entertaining for its entire duration and it does feature an excellent performance from Andy Lau. Even if we’ve seen this kind of character before, Lau is an actor who can communicate a lot without a single line of dialogue. If you’re enticed by the cast then be sure to watch “Shaolin” at some point. Just keep expectations in check.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 7/10
“Blood and Bone” American Theatrical Poster
Director: Ben Ramsey
Writer: Michael Andrews
Cast: Michael Jai White, Eamonn Walker, Dante Basco, Michelle Belegrin, Julian Sands, Matt Mullins, Ron Yuan, Bob Sapp, Nona Gaye, Dick Anthony Williams, Kimbo Slice, Gina Carano, Ernest “The Cat” Miller, Maurice Smith
Running Time: 93 min.
By HKFanatic
If you’re a fan of direct-to-video action movies, you may have noticed a sea change within the genre over the past few years. The straight-to-DVD shelves used to be the last resort, and ultimately the dwelling place, for stars such as Steven Seagal and Casper Van Dien. Guys like them (and Dean Cain and Gary Daniels and Christian Slater and…you get my point) could pump out a low-budget b-movie or two a year, until your local Blockbuster Video started looking like a “Where Are They Now?” special.
Then something happened. Hollywood stopped having time for the Alpha Male. Let’s face it, guys like Jason Statham and movies like “The Expendables” are a rarity – a throwback to a simpler time when men were men, not prettyboys. Hollywood’s too busy fussing over who’s the hottest, acne-cleansed new star to give us action fans what they want: old-school tough guys who would rather be in a cage fight than fuss over hair care products.
So what’s a bad-ass like Michael Jai White (“Spawn,” “Universal Soldier: The Return”) to do? Head into the direct-to-video game. It all started with 2005’s “Undisputed II: Last Man Standing,” helmed by direct-to-DVD king Isaac Florentine. That movie pitted Michael Jai White against rising star Scott Adkins and proved that you can make a DTV flick that has a decent script, good characters, and, most importantly, fight choreography that puts Hollywood studios to shame. Guys like White and Adkins are the real deal and it shows, largely because they put a hell of a lot of effort into their fight scenes.
Director Isaac Florentine and Scott Adkins would reunite in 2010 for “Undisputed III,” perhaps the finest DTV action flick ever made, but in the meantime Michael Jai White had a busy 2009 with both “Blood and Bone” and “Black Dynamite,” though the latter saw a limited theatrical release. In “Blood and Bone,” Jai White teams up with director Ben Ramsey (writer on “Dragonball: Evolution,” director of “Love and a Bullet”) and fight choreographer Fernando Chien (the ultra-buff Chinese guy in The Rock’s military crew in “Fast Five”), and even features a cameo from UFC fighter Kimbo Slice.
The plot is simple but that works in the film’s favor. Michael Jai White stars as Isaiah Bone, who’s just hit the streets with a promise to keep after being released from prison. This promise sees him fighting his way up the ranks of an underground fight ring in Los Angeles, lorded over by a gang leader played by Eamonn Walker.
White engages in plenty of jaw-dropping street fights during the film’s runtime but one criticism I’ve seen leveled at this flick is that all the fights are incredibly one-sided. That is to say: Bone dominates his opponents. Even when going up against guys who are nearly twice his size, he takes ’em out like they’re amateurs. Granted, it does makes sense considering that Bone is highly trained in martial arts while the people he fights are typically relying solely on their muscles to get them through.
The downside is that all the fight scenes are rather short as a result; there aren’t too many knock-down, drag-out brawls here. Bone is just too good – he levels everybody with a few well-placed kicks. Maybe we’ve been spoiled by all those Thai movies where the last 20 minutes are nothing but nonstop fight scenes. Regardless, the choreography in “Blood and Bone” is some of the best I’ve seen in an American-made martial arts movie. Don’t be fooled by its direct-to-DVD origins, the action in this movie is as hard-hitting as it gets. From the opening scene where Michael Jai White gets jumped in the prison bathroom by about six guys with shanks, you know this flick is gonna be hardcore.
Isaiah Bone is a stoic bad-ass; a man of few words. The role doesn’t leave much room for Michael Jai White to stretch his acting chops. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that the script seems more interested by the villain Eamonn Walker, who does deliver a great performance. He’s a crime kingpin who doesn’t drink, smoke, or use profanity, and he considers Genghis Khan a personal hero. He loves his pitbulls and is loyal to those who work for him, but he’s tired of making money off pimps and ho’s. He wants to enter the big leagues: an international fight ring run by a group of rich folks called The Consortium. Eamonn feels that Bone’s fighting talents are his ticket in; now if only the two could see eye to eye.
The script is pretty tight and focused for the genre, but there is an over-reliance on the F-bomb in place of any meaningful dialogue. The main culprit is the supporting character Pinball, played by Dante Basco. Fellow children of the 90’s will recognize Basco as Rufio from the 1990 Steven Spielberg film “Hook.” Here our boy Rufio is given such colorful dialogue as “Ladies and gentlemen, motherfuckers and motherfuckettes!” It gets a little old after awhile and I’m not sure if the role of “inner city Asian pimp/promoter” comes naturally to Basco as an actor. Hey, he is a Spielberg kid, after all.
The real highlight of “Blood and Bone” for me, and the reason why I’ve watched it more than once now, is the climax of the film which features a fight between Michael Jai White and Matt Mullins. Mullins holds five martial arts titles and starred on the American version of “Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight” (from the creators of the Power Rangers) for several seasons. He is insanely talented when it comes to karate and kickboxing. He’s tall but very lean, so watching him fight against the much larger White is a real treat.
Again, some viewers complain the fight is too short and that the second half of the match is too one-sided on Bone’s favor once again but, damn it if it isn’t one of the best fights I’ve ever seen. Mullins can kick like nobody’s business and the two of them even engage in some submission techniques for you MMA fans. If you look at their battle another way, it’s Spawn versus Kamen Rider, which makes it even cooler. Props to director Ben Ramsey for making sure the audience can actually enjoy the fight scenes – there’s no shakycam bullshit or over-editing here. We’re talking about two of the best martial artists in show business squaring off with wide camera angles to catch every move.
Michael Jai White has been around for awhile but the man seems bigger than ever, in more ways than one – I’m surprised he can find shirts that don’t rip when he moves. If you’re a fan of his, or just of good martial arts flicks in general, then you can’t go wrong with “Blood and Bone.” It’s the perfect vehicle for White as an action star and the fight scene between him and Matt Mullins cements the film’s status as a near classic. Direct-to-video doesn’t get much better than this. And hell, I’d rather pay $10 to see Michael Jai White kick ass on the big-screen over any Michael Bay movie.
HKFanatic’s Rating: 7.5/10
“L.A. Streetfighters” Theatrical Poster
AKA: China Town
Director: Park Woo-sang
Cast: Jun Chong, Phillip Rhee, James Lew, Rosanna King, Bill Wallace, Ken Nagayama, Frank Marmolejo, Dorin Mukama, Mark Hicks, Loren Avedon
Running Time: 85 min.
By Barey Gusey
As a child of the 80s, I was a victim of the ninja craze. It was all about buying martial arts magazines and flipping to the mail order pages to check out the latest ninja gear. The only thing that stopped me from actually ordering a crate load of ninja sh*t was the fact that I didn’t have a credit card. Heck, I didn’t even have cash. Still, it was fun fantasizing about owning all those throwing stars, hand spikes, blowguns and ninja swords.
At that time, wanting to be a ninja was a natural thing. Since it wasn’t possible, the next best thing was watching a ninja in action. This meant ninja films, A LOT of them. I don’t know about everyone else who lived the ninja-craze, but when I think of ninja films, I think of the trilogy of those corny MGM titles: Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, and Ninja III: The Domination. For the time, they were solid entertainment, excessively violent and every kid took them seriously. Sho Kosugi, who starred in all of them, was the man. The big question at the time was “Who would win a fight to the death, Sho Kosugi or Bruce Lee?” Sho was my answer. I was 11.
The popularity of ninja films became so immense that movie companies started re-titling chopsockies to make them sound like they were ninja-related. Titles like Ghost of the Ninja (aka Killer in White), Venus the Ninja (aka Fury of the Silver Fox) and the subject of this review, a Korean/American production called Ninja Turf (aka L.A. Street Fighter). Starring a young Philip Rhee (Best of Best series) and many other now-noticeable faces, Ninja Turf was one of those movies that was bound to piss anyone off who gave it a chance on rental. Not only did it have a misleading title, but it’s the best example of a bad film that’s beyond B-movie quality; or should I say below?
As far as filmmaking goes, it really doesn’t get any worse than Ninja Turf. With the exception of Philip Rhee, every single actor/actress in this film couldn’t act their way out of a Don “The Dragon” Wilson flick, and that’s being nice. Every scene (not including the terrific martial arts sequences) was obviously done in one or two God-awful takes. The film also sports some of the most horrendous camera lighting I’ve ever seen. It’s so bad that I’m actually wondering if they used any lighting to begin with… and it doesn’t help that most of the film takes place at night.
If anything good can be said about Ninja Turf, then I’d mention the martial arts choreography, which is top notch. However, some of these scenes are somewhat ruined when the sound of cheesy 1980s guitar/synthesizer music kicks in; not to mention, that good ol’ camera lighting. Ninja Turf also makes a great “Who’s Who” flick for martial arts enthusiasts since many then-unknowns have small parts, like: James Lew (Big Trouble in Little China, Lethal Weapon 4), Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace (Protector), Ken Nagayama (Best of the Best), Mark Hicks (Gen-Y Cops, Terminator 3) and one of my personal understated favorites, Loren Avedon (No Retreat No Surrender II, King of the Kickboxers).
Ninja Turf would also make a great party-film for the sake of laughter. You can call your friends up, get trashed and point out stupid things like:
Ninja Turf, it ain’t bad. It’s awful.
Barey Gusey’s Rating: 3/10
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