Armageddon (1997) Review

Posted on March 16, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Armageddon" Chinese DVD Cover

"Armageddon" Chinese DVD Cover

Director: Gordon Chan Kar Shan
Writer: Gordon Chan Kar Shan, Vincent Kok Tak Chiu
Producer: Gordon Chan Kar Shan
Cast: Andy Lau Tak Wah, Anthony Wong Chau Sang, Michelle Reis, Michael Ian Lambert, Kim Maree Penn, Vincent Kok Tak Chiu, Kim Yip Kwong Kim, Michael Lui Mai Go, Angel Wong Tsui Ling, Rocky Lai Keung Kun, Wayne Lai Yiu Cheung, Ray Pang Lap Wai, Victy Wong Yin Keung
Running Time: 112 min.

By Numskull

No, it’s not that questionably titled Bruce Willis movie about the rock from the director of…uh, The Rock. It’s a silly but ambitious sci-fi venture from Gordon Chan, whose penchant for long, still, dialogue-heavy shots was put to much better use in Beast Cops. Andy Lau plays Ken Tit-Sun, one of the world’s most successful scientists. He runs a company that’s about to introduce technology that lets people surf the web and watch movies (as in, any movie, any time) on a regular TV. Michelle Reis plays his dead girlfriend Adele, who got squished by a bus because she was too stupid to look both ways before crossing the street. She first appears in too many flashbacks, then pops up as a ghost (which, for some reason, doesn’t phase the other characters all that much). Anthony Wong plays Chiu Tai-Pang, the complaining, unenthused cop whom Ken Tit-Sun selects to protect him from whatever or whoever has been causing other famous scientists to spontaneously combust (you’d think he would at least pack a fire extinguisher, but nope). And the audience plays with themselves while waiting from something interesting to happen; Armageddon takes much too long to get off the ground. If it were a longer movie, this wouldn’t be so bad, but at 112 minutes, it results in a sort of half-assed attempt to cover up the less-than-masterful way in which the story is told.

It is revealed, in too languorous a manner, that an organization called The Brotherhood of Technology, led by some bulletproof redheaded know-it-all named Connors, is behind the mysterious deaths and is trying to bring about the end of the world as we know it, with or without R.E.M.’s music. Religious apocalyptic theories come into play, particularly the Seven Signs of the Apocalypse from the Bible. (Hey, speaking of Bruce Willis, wasn’t his ex in a movie about those? This can’t be coincidence. I’m freakin’ out, here.) Conveniently, five of those signs have already come to pass, as vaguely interpreted by Ken once the protagonists finally begin to figure out what’s going on. Then it becomes a…um, race against time (remember the tortoise and the hare? Thank you, Aesop) in which Armageddon is the finish line and the Brotherhood of Technology has a big head start.

The best thing that can be said for this film is that it makes a conscious effort to be different. It has neither the look nor the feel of so many other Hong Kong movies. The special effects aren’t terribly impressive, but they’re woven in pretty seamlessly. The whole movie isn’t built around them, unlike Legend of Zu (never miss an opportunity to badmouth that piece of shit). Alas, the low level of excitement generated, and the various bits of absurdity here and there, like a computer hacker entering a correct password completely at random, bring the fun factor down too far to make this a highly recommended film.

I suppose it should also be noted that this is one of those rare movies where Tai Seng actually took some time to release it in a good format, rather than simply an import with their sticker on it. There’s a 25 minute “making of” featurette and an English commentary track with Gordon Chan and “Hong Kong Film Expert Stefan Hammond.” Why can’t they go to that trouble for movies that are kickass instead of so-so? Armageddon was a box office behemoth during its Hong Kong run, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s grand entertainment. My advice: skip it or put it in one of the latter slots on your must-see list. There are tastier fish in the sea.

Numskull’s Rating: 6/10

Posted in Chinese, Reviews | Tagged , , , |

Mob Sister (2005) Review

Posted on March 16, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Mob Sister" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Mob Sister” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Ah Sou, A Sao
Director: Wong Ching Po
Cast: Annie Liu, Karena Lam, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Simon Yam, Eric Tsang, Alex Fong, Anthony Wong, Chan Chung Yung, O Chun Hung, Lau Yip, Yuen Wah, Lawrence Cheng, Him Law Chung Him, Liu Kai Chi
Running Time: 90 min.

By Owlman

After watching Jay Chou mangle the Cantonese dialect in Initial D, I put in Ah Sou and watched Anne Liu do the same.

And that, unfortunately, was all I got out of this movie.

But in the interest of fleshing out this review more, I will tell you why I think Anthony Wong needs to take a break. Out of the couple of hundred movies from Hong Kong that I’ve watched over my lifetime, I think Wong’s been in about 95% of them. I don’t know whether he’s got some kind of drug or gambling habit that he has to nurture, resulting in him taking on project after project after project. What I do know is that there is the law of diminishing returns to consider here. As he takes on more stuff, he’s really lowering the quality of his work. While we can praise him for work done in Hard Boiled or The Mission, we can’t overlook his digressions in The Twins Effect or Cat & Mouse.

His performance in Ah Sou as the fancy-pants Whacko isn’t going to win any more fans. But then again, none of the other performances are worth looking into. All of the male characters phone in their attempts at cookie-cutter “cool” personas and Karena Lam tries her hardest to be a nutbuster but fails miserably.

But back to Wong. I find myself hoping that one day, he’ll have a heart condition that forces him to remove himself from the entertainment industry for a while. I’m beginning to see him more often that I see my parents and it’s become just as painful.

Owlman’s Rating: 2/10

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

Adventurers, The | aka The Great Adventurer (1995) Review

Posted on March 16, 2011 by JJ Bona
"The Adventurers" Chinese VCD Cover

“The Adventurers” Chinese VCD Cover

Director: Ringo Lam
Writer: Ringo Lam, Sandy Shaw
Cast: Andy Lau, Rosamund Kwan, Wu Chien Lien, David Chiang, Paul Chun Pui, Philip Ko Fei, Nam Yin, William Ho Ka Kui, Georges Kee Cheung, Four Tse Liu Shut, Ron Yuan, Victor Wong Chi Keung
Running Time: 109 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

The story should have been simple, but Ringo Lam’s The Adventurers has a plot that’s a convoluted cluster-f*ck to the max. As many unnecessary twists and turns it has, it was very easy to follow, but way too feeble to appreciate. They could have made 3 or 4 separate movies from everything they cobbled together (heck, 20 minutes of it could have been another entry in the Moment of Romance saga). I’m not sure if it was intentional to make a simple “revenge” so long and winding. If it was, they definitely took the wrong approach.

It does have some notable action scenes including: a Rambo-like sequence that has Andy launching some heavy firepower from the helicopter he’s flying (minus Stallone’s trademark yelling) and a more comedic shoot-out that involves a half-naked Wu Chien-Lien lying on top of Andy while he caps off the enemies around and between her legs.

Considering Lam’s impressive filmography and some serious Hong Kong talent, which includes Andy Lau, Rosamund Kwan and the very lovely Wu Chien-Lien, The Adventurers fails. But if you’re in it just for some quick, bloody action as well as some major explosions, then, you can’t go wrong. Just don’t expect that gritty, raw, realistic, intense sh*t we’ve known to love in a Ringo Lam film.

By the way, I have no idea why they call this film The Adventurers – perhaps, that’s the title they should have gave Ringo and his film crew for being so “adventurous” while making it.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 5.5/10

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

Supreme Champion DVD (Phase 4)

Posted on March 16, 2011 by JJ Bona
Supreme Champion DVD (Phase 4)

Supreme Champion DVD (Phase 4)

RELEASE DATE: June 28, 2011

Ultra-low budget (which is a given coming from “Phase 4”) martial arts/mixed martial arts movie starring UFC’s Stephan Bonnar (aka The American Psycho) and Bloodsport 2’s Daniel Bernhardt. Check out the trailer here.

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

The Makioka Sisters Blu-ray/DVD (Criterion)

Posted on March 16, 2011 by JJ Bona
The Makioka Sisters Blu-ray/DVD (Criterion)

The Makioka Sisters Blu-ray/DVD (Criterion)

RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2011

This lyrical adaptation of the beloved Japanese novel by Junichiro Tanizaki was a late-career triumph for world-class director Kon Ichikawa. Revolving around the changing of the seasons, The Makioka Sisters (Sasame-yuki) follows the lives of four sisters who have taken on their family’s kimono manufacturing business, over the course of a number of years leading up to the Pacific War. The two oldest have been married for some time, but according to tradition, the rebellious youngest sister cannot wed until the third, conservative and terribly shy, finds a husband. This graceful study of a family at a turning point in history is a poignant evocation of changing times and fading customs, shot in rich, vivid colors.

Features: New high-definition digital restoration (with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition), Original theatrical trailer, New and improved English subtitle translation, PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Audie Bock.

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

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky | aka Ricky Oh (1991) Review

Posted on March 15, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Nam Nai Choi
Writer: Nam Nai Choi
Cast: Fan Siu Wong, Fan Mei Sheng, William Ho Ka Kui, Yukari Oshima, Tetsuro Tamba, Gloria Yip Wan Yi, Philip Kwok, Lam Suet, Frankie Chin Chi Leung
Running Time: 88 min.

By Numskull

As cult favorite Hong Kong films go, this one is pretty good… that is to say, it wasn’t as disappointing as Ronny Yu’s overblown “The Bride With White Hair”, Sammo Hung’s plodding “The Dead and the Deadly”, or Wong Jing’s abominable “Naked Killer”. I have not read the manga upon which The Story of Ricky is based, so I can’t comment on its faithfulness to the source material, but the film itself is a mildly amusing gorefest which, unfortunately, takes itself too seriously. There’s a mixture of martial arts and splatter, but not enough of the first to satisfy fans of the genre, and not enough of the second to REALLY gross out anyone who has watched Peter Jackson’s “Braindead” as often as I have. I’m not saying that the constant blood-gushing, eye-gouging, intestine-spilling, limb-severing, head-exploding carnage isn’t well done, but gore in and of itself does not a good movie make.

Ricky is a guy whose girlfriend is dead because of some heroin dealers, so he found the head honcho and punched a big hole in his head. This landed him in jail, where corporate corruption and over-the-top sadism have nullified any sense of law and order. Ricky fights back against the bullies, and a bunch of no-name inmates who can’t act worth shit make him their hero.

Normally, one doesn’t expect breakthrough performances from extras with one line apiece, but these guys take the bad acting cake and the Michael Wong-shaped candle on top of it. Every time they’re gathered together to look at something, they all wave their hands around like they’re trying to get peoples’ attention, point to whatever they’re looking at, and shoo mosquitoes away all at the same time. Point, murmur, wave, turn head, point, wave, repeat. It’s like they’re all saying: “Look. Right there. You see that? Look. Look where I’m pointing to. No, over there. Right in front of you. There. Look at that. Right there. Right where I’m pointing. Look at it. Look. Right there. You look, I’ll point. See it? Right there. Right there in front of you. I’m pointing at it right now. Right now. It’s there in front of you. Right there. Look at it. Look. Right there.” If you think I’m exaggerating, just watch the damn movie and keep your eyes on the prisoners. You’ll laugh your ass off at how much they just stand there and point and wave their hands around. Who hired these idiots? Of course, this is probably more the director’s fault, but what the hell, it’s easier to make fun of the ones you can actually see.

Anyway, things get worse when the prison warden returns from a vacation in Hawaii with his fat spoiled jackass of a son in tow, and Ricky finds himself fighting harder than ever before for his life, his freedom, and his hand-waving admirers. This brings me to the other thing about this movie that annoyed the living hell out of me. There are plenty of sadistic motherfuckers in this movie, and you can’t wait to watch Ricky butcher them one by one, but this kid is the worst of all. He wears only the dorkiest clothes, constantly stuffs his face with food, prances around like a faggot, and claps his hands and squeals with glee when people get maimed or tortured by Daddy or one of Daddy’s henchmen. Probably what Harvey Weinstein was like as a kid. From the moment he first appears, you fantasize about Ricky tearing his head off and then shoving it up his ass, or something equally crowd-pleasing. Oh, how sweet it will be to watch him die slowly and painfully at Ricky’s hands, you think. And guess what? IT. DOESN’T. HAPPEN. Every other bad guy dies some horrible death or other, BUT THIS FAT FUCK SURVIVES THE MOVIE!!! GRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Aside from THAT little turd, there’s only one other character that I would refer to as “notable”: the androgynous Huang Chan, played by Yukari Oshima, a woman, with a man’s haircut and a man’s voice (though not a very…uh, manly one). SHE is the only character who really gets to show HIS (?) fighting talents; Ricky’s fight scenes, such as they are, mostly consist of him shoving his fists through peoples’ bodies and stuff like that. This is a real letdown because Shaw Brothers/Venoms veteran Philip Kwok (aka Kuo Chui) handled the choreography; his talents were put to much better use in the sensational Brotherhood of the Wolf.

The outrageous violence is good for a few laughs, but it’s hard to take a lot of this shit seriously, and that seems to be pretty much what the film expects you to do. I mean, you can’t have a guy bursting out of his clothing like one of those space aliens in “Bad Taste” and not have people laugh. This isn’t something I would recommend to the casual viewer, but I’m sure you could come up with a good drinking game for it; chug a beer each time you see an empty eye socket, every time Ricky recovers from some horrible injury in a few seconds, and so on.

Numskull’s Rating: 6/10

By Joseph Kuby

Grievous Gore Galore!

Rikki O is somewhat of a misconstrued film.

People who dismiss this film as taking itself too seriously, are, themselves, taking the film too seriously. Considering the subject matter and the origin, you have to contemplate whether and why they expected to see a serious art house movie. It may not be a comedy but it shouldn’t be misunderstood as a failed attempt at creating pathos.

I’ll admit that the acting done by the extras leaves a lot to be desired and the script does leave a lot of lapses as far as overall logic is concerned (even for a comic book) but considering the outlandish origin of the material, of course the acting will come off as hokum and ‘B grade’ – something which this film is not. B grade is something like the live adaptation of Fist of the North Star.

The main players perform their roles with as much gusto as their script allows them to. The art design, computer effects and prosthetics are all of a high caliber so it’s a technically polished A movie with B material.

The quality of the script is no lesser than your average action film, it’s just that this film stands out because of its explicit and outlandish content. This is exploitation cinema with no pretensions.

One thing people tend to not comprehend is the reason why Ricky only fights at the last minute (or uses half of his strength) when he’s undergoing extreme duress.

It’s because he feels guilt about his girlfriend’s death at the hands of gangsters so he’s allowing himself to be punished (something which has been misinterpreted as masochism – I don’t think Ricky is that psychologically traumatized). It may come off as a somewhat demented kind of sentiment but its touching in a deranged sort of way.

Besides does anything really think a superhuman martial artist would unintentionally succumb to the ‘strength’ of an overweight warden with a hook for a hand?

Ricky is torn in a bleakly honorable dilemma. He’d rather die a quick death so he can be with his girlfriend but he knows he must live to defend his fellow man. It’s a struggle between the ego and the conscience in a way which manifests itself in glorious displays of gruesome shlock.

In a alternative way, the film is essentially an anti-suicide message. His girlfriend commits suicide so Ricky feels that the only way he can meet her is through self mutilation. However, a subconscious form of divine intervention forbids him to self harm as he’s destined to go on to much grander things before he can be reunited with the love of his life. I suppose the ideal ending for Ricky would be if he committed suicide a few seconds before he dies of old age or something.

Another ill-perceived flaw was that Ricky was laughing at the warden unintentionally due to the fact that it was played by his father Fan Mei Sheng (the long haired chubby villain who can be seen in Jackie’s Young Master and Project A 2). Within the context of the story, couldn’t he have been laughing at the old man’s attempts at intimidation?! (especially considering Ricky’s overall strength).

Maybe if the film was directed by Wong Jing (a huge fan of Japanese comics and cartoons), we’d get a better film with tighter direction and a sharp-as-shark sense of humor so that the audience would be in on the know that it’s not trying too hard to take itself too seriously. Then again, comedy is best played straight because if a tongue-in-cheek performance reveals the tongue then it destroys the intent of what it is that it’s meant to be depicting. I guess that analogy is almost like the scene where Yukari Oshima puts razorblades in Louis’ mouth and constantly slaps him (with the razorblades dangerously close to bursting through his outer cheeks).

Rikki is the Hong Kong cinematic brother of Peter Jackson’s Braindead (a.k.a Dead Alive).

But then again even that film isn’t said to be the most repugnant film of all time – stacking it up against competitors with the likes of Maniac (1980), Nightmare (1981), Scanners (1981), Day of the Dead (1985), Darkness (1993) and Premutos: The Fallen Angel (1997).

Heck, I’m not even counting one of those horrid Guinea Pig movies which Charlie Sheen accidentally hold possession of (even if they were said to be fantastically fabricated).

In regards to the fight action, the affairs of pugilistic endeavor were administrated by Philip Kwok. Beyond his Venoms catalogue, he was one of the fight choreographers for Chinese Ghost Story and Tiger Cage 2. He shot fight scenes in Police Story 3 that were so phenomenal that Stanley Tong didn’t want to lose in front of his idol Jackie. To Kwok’s dismay, his scenes were abandoned (hopefully left in cold storage than disposed of).

Phil’s design of the fights are simple like the comic with not much in the way of intricacy. I don’t mind since ornate details aren’t exactly essential for HK fights. The way the camera is placed to convey the action is what truly defines HK style action. The speed of the camera setting very much constituted the energy. Case in point, the work of Corey Yuen and Ching Siu Tung. A more direct example is the fight between Jackie and Biao in Winners and Sinners. It’s not elaborate but it’s quick and performed with a slickness that stops the choreography from looking clumsy or ineffective.

Basically, go in this film with low expectations other than seeing some of the most goriest violence displayed on camera that will alienate you more than watching John Carpenter’s The Thing (it’s that stomach-churning and heart-wrenching) and you’ll be fine.

Joseph Kuby’s Rating: 7/10

By Bentley Siu-Lung

I can not explain this completely !@#$ed-up movie! I just can’t! But, I’ll give it a shot. It is the year 2001 (and it ain’t no damn space odyssey!) and prisons have become major franchises. Ricky-O, a young martial artist, is sent to prison after killing the man responsible for his girlfriend’s death. The prison’s bullies see Ricky as just another guy until they saw what he could do… as he bashed his fists right into two of the prison’s main bullies tearing one’s stomach open and completely crushing through the other’s torso!!! This movie has everything: from decapitations to crushed heads to intestine strangling to eye popping to exploding bodies to skinning people alive to… DAMN! I could just keep going!!! But you HAVE to see this movie! This introduced category III to martial arts by bloodying the hell out of it!!! GET THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!

Bentley Siu-Lung’s Rating: For those who can take it: 10/10; Weak stomached HK fans: 3/10 (Not for easy vomiters!!!!!)

Posted in Chinese, Golden Harvest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , |

In the Line of Duty | aka Royal Warriors (1986) Review

Posted on March 14, 2011 by JJ Bona
"In the Line of Duty" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“In the Line of Duty” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Police Assassins
Director: David Chung Chi-Man
Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Sanada Hiroyuki, Michael Wong, Pai Ying, Chan Wai Man, David Lam Wai, Gam Hing Yin, Kenneth Tsang, Ninna Reiko, Dennis Chan
Running Time: 85 min.

By Numksull

Michelle Yeoh, with short hair, fights a bunch of people. Henry Sanada, with a big stuffed bunny rabbit, fights a bunch of people. Michael Wong, with a persistent hard-on for Michelle, makes a total ass of himself. Oh well, I guess two out of three isn’t bad.

All in all this is a pretty good flat-out action flick, but there are some parts that could use some spit polish. “Magic” is an insufficient explanation for loaded guns bypassing airport security. Michael Wong’s tireless efforts to win Michelle’s heart (or at least get her in the sack) take up too much time. And worst of all, the villains’ motivations go beyond far-fetched and into the realm of sheer absurdity. It seems four guys who served in Vietnam became good friends and swore to never let anyone split them up. Many years later, one of them commits a murder for some reason (don’t ask), and his buddies use their vow as a license to snatch him from the law’s hands and blow away anyone, cop or civilian, who crosses their path. Or is related to someone they tried to blow away before but couldn’t. Or just happens to be standing around doing nothing. Don’t you wish YOU had friends like that?

Michelle is fun to watch as usual, and Henry Sanada is good too. Alas, the villains are less notable, with the last survivor having some unbearably cheesy diabolical laughter (dubbed so it’s not his fault, but cheesy nonetheless). And he’s a liar to boot; in one scene he tells Michael: “You’re a terrible actor.” (Michael Wong, a terrible actor? No way!)

Speaking of Mikey, Royal Warriors has one of his most memorable scenes to date. It’s an intense, heart-to-heart dialogue with a very, very special co-star. Finally, Michael Wong has found someone who shares his level of dramatic skill and knack for passionate performances: his pet goldfish. A round of applause (clap either your hands or your fins) for Mr. Wong and his aquatic friend if you please, ladies and gentlemen…thank you.

The fights and action scenes in this movie are pretty good…just good enough so that they seem too short, unfortunately. But at least they’re spaced well. Michelle’s tool shed duel, which is excellent at conveying a sense of frantic desperation, tops things off very nicely.

The body count here is pretty high so don’t watch this movie with the young ‘uns, and avoid it if you have a low threshold for violence. Me, I like it. Death and blood and hate and more death. Yeah, baby. Almost any HK film fan should get a kick out of this.

Numskull’s Rating: 7/10

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

Ju-On Black Ghost/White Ghost DVD/Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Posted on March 14, 2011 by JJ Bona
Ju-On Black/White DVD/Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Ju-On Black/White DVD/Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2011

Two new films for the tenth anniversary of the Grudge saga…Well Go USA will be releasing the 2009 Japanese film sequels: The Grudge: Old Lady in White (Ju-On: White Ghost) and The Grudge: Girl in Black (aka Ju-On: Black Ghost).

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

New One-Armed Swordsman Blu-ray (AIS)

Posted on March 12, 2011 by JJ Bona
"The New One-Armed Swordsman" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"The New One-Armed Swordsman" Chinese Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2011

After losing an arm in battle and retiring from the martial world, an ex-fighter (David Chiang) must reluctantly return to his violent ways when he is pushed too far by a relentless gang. This is an import Blu-ray, which amazon.com will be carrying. Read review here.

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

Hobo with a Shotgun: Videogame app

Posted on March 12, 2011 by JJ Bona
Hobo with a Shotgun in beautiful 8-bit!

Hobo with a Shotgun in beautiful 8-bit!

Take to the streets and exact justice “one shell at a time” in the new game based on the upcoming film HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN (directed by Jason Eisener and distributed by Magnet Releasing). Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later. For more details, click here.

Posted in News |

Return of the One-Armed Swordsman Blu-ray (AIS)

Posted on March 12, 2011 by JJ Bona
"The Return of the One-Armed Swordsman" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"The Return of the One-Armed Swordsman" Chinese Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2011

Jimmy Wang Yu is back to take on the “Eight Demon Swordsmen” to prove that one arm, attached to the right hero, is better than even sixteen. This is an import Blu-ray, which amazon.com will be carrying. Read review here.

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

One-Armed Swordsman Blu-ray (AIS)

Posted on March 12, 2011 by JJ Bona
"The One-Armed Swordsman" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"The One-Armed Swordsman" Chinese Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2011

One-armed Jimmy Wang Yu trains to defend his martial arts school and honor the name of his dead father when the school is threatened by the same gang that killed his father. This is an import Blu-ray, which amazon.com will be carrying. Read review here.

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

Crime Story Blu-ray (AIS)

Posted on March 12, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Crime Story" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"Crime Story" Chinese Theatrical Poster

RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2011

Directed by Kirk Wong (“The Big Hit”), Crime Story is based on actual facts. Jackie Chan plays a special agent assigned to protect a wealthy business magnate. Things get complicated when the tycoon is kidnapped in a daring ambush. This is an import Blu-ray, which amazon.com will be carrying.

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

My Young Auntie (1980) Review

Posted on March 10, 2011 by JJ Hatfield
"My Young Auntie" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“My Young Auntie” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Lau Kar-Leung
Cast: Lau Kar Leung, Kara Hui, Hsiao Hou, Wang Lung Wei, Gordon Liu, Wilson Tong Wai-Shing, Kwan Yung-Moon, Walter Cho Tat-Wah, Yuen Tak, Robert Mak Tak-Law, Wang Ching-Ho, Wang Sha, Ngai Tung-Gwa
Running Time: 119 min.

By JJ Hatfield

My Young Auntie is one of the best period pieces with Lau Kar Leung at the helm. His job was made a lot easier with a cast that included Hsiao Ho, Kara Hui and Dick Wei and the usual Shaw Brothers including Gordon Liu.

In order to keep a family fortune away from his evil younger brother, senior uncle marries a young woman who has worked for his household most of her life. He has always been very kind to her and as a favor she marries him to keep the inheritance safe until she can deliver the deeds to Jing – chuen, played to perfection by Lau Kar Leung. Even though Dai nan is quite young she warrants the title of “Senior” due to her position within the family.

Young Auntie is played wonderfully by Kara Hui Ying-Hung. Not only does she demonstrate why she was the first woman to win a Hong Kong Best Actress Award, she performs the fight scenes as skillfully and realistically, even better than anyone could have asked for! I have tremendous respect for Kara Hui. Lau took her under his wing and taught her how to showcase her amazing potential with too many different styles and weapons to count, but he also made certain she also had a chance to stretch a bit in her acting skills.

While Jing-cheun is out, his son (Hsiao Ho) returns home early and brings along several pals. He has been studying in Hong Kong and when he arrives he finds a strange woman in his father’s bed and she even claims to own the house! This turns into a great fight scene that damages and messes up the artifacts and calligraphy Jing – chuen has been lovingly collecting and protecting for decades. Although the fight is between Jing – chuen’s “Auntie” and Toa, Dai nan uses her position as a senior of the family to have Tao punished.

When Young Auntie has decided she needs some new clothes appropriate for her role as a senior, Jing – chuen sends a very reluctant Tao with her into town to buy new clothes. Though a family senior, she has never experienced anything like the wares and goods sold in town. She is positively mesmerized by all the colored lights, beautiful clothes and jewelry. Toa has no interest in shopping so he let’s Young Auntie shop while he waits elsewhere.

While spell bound by the wonders she sees in the stores, she is criticized as being a *bumpkin* with out-dated clothes and an old fashioned hair style. You must see this for yourself; so, let’s just say things don’t go as planned and before you know it Tao and Auntie are having an undeclared contest to show their kung fu abilities skills. Their competing with each other is a constant and amusing aspect of the film. When they arrive home Jing – chuen is near hysteria, and you really can’t blame him. He is very much grounded in the behaviors and actions of traditional Chinese and has great difficulty comprehending the changes around him. And the changes have just begun!

Third Uncle tricks his relatives and takes advantage by stealing the deeds belonging to Young Auntie. The only way they can make things right is by retrieving the documents that prove Auntie is the senior of the family, preventing third uncle from gaining all. Third uncle, his Godson and the rest of his gang are not about to allow that to happen so they form a trap. The resolution involves one of the largest fights involving individuals (as opposed to a war scene) and one of the best fight scenes in a Lar Kar Leung list of credits! Everyone involved in the constant changing enemy and weapon fighting play their part to perfection. The characters tend to fight along the lines of their personality and it works great! Lau does make sure there is some comedy however it works well enough to help provide material for the film and characters, good and bad.

The film’s third act is virtually non stop. “Auntie” puts the guys through a little fitness training and the rest of the film is well choreographed, intense multiple fights! The screen is filled with two or three of the main cast but you can almost always see other fights taking place around the actors. There is no shortage of action especially martial arts and martial arts with well over a dozen different weapons.

If it looks cool, it’s in the movie. Young Auntie is a film you will definitely enjoy and want to see again!

JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 9/10

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

Jade Warrior | aka Jadesoturi (2006) Review

Posted on March 8, 2011 by JJ Hatfield
"Jade Warrior" International Theatrical Poster

“Jade Warrior” International Theatrical Poster

Director: Antti-Jussi Annila
Cast: Tommi Eronen, Zhang Jingchu, Krista Kosonen, Markku Peltola, Hao Dang, Taishen Cheng, Elle Kull, Liansheng Tong, Qiupu Tao, Xiaomei Tong
Running Time: 110 min.

By JJ Hatfield

When most people think about martial arts they think of China, Japan, and places like Thailand.  Don’t leave out other countries or regions though. If martial arts are practiced in most countries we know of why wouldn’t every place have such a discipline? Naturally the geography, climate and culture shape the degree and the type of teaching.  The tale of the “Jade Warrior” is relevant to any one, any where.

From Finland comes the story of the creation of earth, and the awesome struggle of good and evil that rages in all times. Ancient lives and loves leading to a fate that seemingly cannot be changed.

This movie is often advertised as “Finland’s First Martial Arts Film!” If you are looking for some fairly mindless kick ass this is not the right disk.  I’m sure someone thought they could get more people to buy the DVD if they thought heads would be busted and ass was well kicked.   And this is a very good film. But do not look for stunts and triple kicks. If you let that expectation go you will find a very engaging film.

This film is a fantasy/folklore/drama, born of the epic poem “Kalevala”. One of the main characters in “Kalevala” is a heroic smith (blacksmith) named Seppo who creates a machine called the Sampo. Finland’s folklore says the Sampo has the ability to be the source of happiness. In a rare blending of countries and culture Finnish and Chinese mythology are woven together beautifully like a fine tapestry.

Kai (Tommi Eronen) is the modern day smith living alone in the country after his girlfriend left him.  Ronja (Krist Kosonem) is moving away from Helsinki despite his ardent pleas for her to stay. Before Ronja leaves she takes in sone of Kai’s old belongings  to an antique dealer.  This seemingly mundane event unleashes a world from ancient times and immerses her boyfriend into a past life thousands of years ago in China.

Unknown to Ronja the antique dealers Berg (Makku Peltola) and Weckstrom (Elle Kull) happen to be experts on the Kalevala. When they discover something clutched by a mummified man in a swamp  it turns out to respond to Kai’s belongings. This realization sends Berg out to find the ninth son of the legend, returned as Kai though he does not yet know it. Berg takes the object to Kai, explaining the folklore, and encouraging him to accept his past. This acts like a spark from the forge to flame the ancient battle between good and evil. It also begins to merge the warrior and the smith into one again. The link grows stronger between the ninth son, Sentai and Kai reviving memories of a woman, Pin Yu (Zhang Jing-Chu) whom he loved deeply. The warrior dared to  evade his destiny by wishing for happiness with his love in the future, in the icy isolated far north.

“Jade Warrior” is set in two different times and places that begin to merge – ancient China and modern day (released 2006) Finland.  Driven by his past, subtly at first then growing stronger until Kai is existing in both worlds determined to change his fate to be with the woman he loves.  It is not so simple to change one’s destiny and the forces involved can create or destroy.

This is a fresh entertaining film! The basic idea comes from an epic poem and translated well to the screen. The Finnish actors, especially Tommy Eronen who has the dual role and Makku Peltola were exceptional and very believable even in a fantasy plot.

The director and writer Anitti-Jussi Annila loved the wuxia and sword fight films of China.

So much so in fact that he wrote the script as an homage to those Chinese films he adored. There is an element of wuxia to be sure however this is not CTHD.

The cinematography is superb and striking. The landscape is at times stark and frozen, then green with life, another cyclic theme throughout the film. These scenes are from Finland and Estonia. The ancient Chinese village felt authentic as did the forge details.

The actors, primarily Tommi Eronen spent months in preparation for the action scenes and studying Mandarin which would be required for the dialog scenes set in ancient China.

Zhang Jing-Chu (Seven Swords) also trained for her fight. Yu Yan Kai is the action choreographer who has worked with Sammo Hung and Cory Yuen when in his native China.  There are not a lot of fights but there is one very beautiful kungfu/wuxia type exchange and swordplay. Modern day/Kai weapons include a sledge hammer and a lot of special effects, which are good to great.

I highly recommend this fine film!  It is a very interesting premise and affords the viewer a chance to experience something new and different. A worthy entry in anyone’s collection.

JJ Hatfield’s Rating: 7/10

Posted in Asian Related, Chinese, Reviews |
  1. Pages:
  3. 1
  4. ...
  5. 453
  6. 454
  7. 455
  8. 456
  9. 457
  10. 458
  11. 459
  12. 460
  13. 461
  14. 462
  15. 463
  16. ...
  17. 488