Web of Death DVD/Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: February 2, 2011

It’s back to the Shaolin Monastery for one of the most unusual action-packed tales to invade its hallowed halls. Lo Lieh is the ringleader of the Snake Sect, intent on reviving a deadly faction known as the Five Poison Web . In order to do so, he has an affair with the sexy ringleader of the Scorpion Sect, Angela Yu Chien. However, there is also the Centipede Sect to contend with, as well as other assorted martial artists, among them played by Shaw Brothers talents Yueh Hua, Ching Li, and Lily Li. Under the direction of Chu Yuan and action choreographers Tang Chia and Yuen Cheung-yan, The Web Of Death goes places where no other Shaolin kung-fu movie has gone before.

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

Iron Bodyguard DVD (Tokyo Shock)

RELEASE DATE: March 29, 2011

The collaboration of director Chang Cheh and action star Chen Kuan Tai proved to be one of the most enduring of kung fu’s golden age, and nowhere were the two more inventive than when journeying back to the era when the Ching Dynasty fell and the Chinese Republic was born. Following their landmark successes “Boxer From Shantung” and “Man Of Iron” came this powerful, exciting tale of a patriot committed to ending the corruption of the Ching rulers

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

Vanquisher DVD/Blu-ray (Magnolia)

RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2011

Title: The Vanquisher (Suay Samurai)
Director: Manop Udomdej
Starring: Sopita Sribanchuen, Kessarin Ektawatkul, Pete Thongchua

After completing a covert mission in southern Thailand, CIA agent Gunja finds herself forced to fight off operatives who’ve been ordered to take her out at all costs. She survives and after two years of laying low, re-emerges in Bangkok to face her old foes and foil a plot to detonate a bomb in the city.

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

Ninja Destroyer (1986) Review

"Ninja Destroyer" VHS Cover

“Ninja Destroyer” VHS Cover

Director: Godfrey Ho
Producer: Joseph Lai
Cast: Stuart Smith, Bruce Barron, Richard Berman, Timothy Nugent, Sorapong Chatri, Na Yen Na, Pedros Ernyes, Rick Jenkins, Roger Seller, Richard Chit, Peter Ramwa, Surian Suryoog, Luck Apichart
Running Time: 80 min.

By Joe909

Question: When is a Hong Kong action film not really a Hong Kong action film? Answer: When a pair of gwailo actors shoot an unrelated ninja movie and inject it into the film. As it stands, the movie itself was apparently filmed in 1970 by Godfrey Ho; I’m not sure what it was originally named, but I’m sure it wasn’t Ninja Destroyer, as there are no ninjas in it. Ho’s movie isn’t anything special: a dull action film that deals with drug running during the Vietnam war. There’s a little kung-fu in the movie, and even some nudity, which makes me believe that it might not have even been an HK production. Ho did a bunch of films with Dragon Lee, such as Champ Against Champ, so who knows where this thing was made.

So who are the gwailo? Their names are Stuart Smith and Bruce Baron, and they seem to be either Australian or New Zealanders. Who knows, maybe they’re American. But anyway, they’re such pricks that in the opening credits, they don’t even bother crediting any other actor in the movie, other than themselves. Only director Ho and producer Lai are credited, and then these two gwailo give themselves top billing. That’s it for the opening credits.

Neither Smith nor Baron are convincing as superhuman ninja: one (Smith?) has a moustache and looks harmless, and the other (Baron?) is pissed off throughout the movie and has the habit of making his entire face move when he talks. The names these goons have chosen for their characters should sum up how creative they are: Byron and Michael. I mean, who’s going to be afraid of a ninja named Byron?

The way they integrate themselves into the film is great, because it’s so terribly done. At first you don’t even suspect anything’s going on, until you realize that you never see these two guys and the Chinese actors on-screen together. There’s some great stuff towards the middle where there will be shots of some of the Chinese actors talking to someone off camera, then it will cut to one of the gwailo, obviously in an ENTIRELY different location, talking back to the Chinese actors. Adding that the film stocks are obviously different, and the fact that it just doesn’t look right, really makes this movie a joy to behold.

The two gwailo toss a couple ninja fights into the film, but each of them are over in about 5 seconds. Plus they seem to have only had 2 costumes at their disposal: one white (for good guy Byron), and one red, for whomever he happens to be fighting. The last fight, between the two gwailo, is pretty funny, as they jump around and make weapons like crossbows materialize out of thin air. They also have a bland verbal confrontation before their final fight, in which one accuses the other of being a Rambo. At least this gives us an idea of when these guys filmed their half of the movie, around 1986 or so, but they seem to have forgotten that not many people during Vietnam would have known who the hell Rambo is.

But the absolute most priceless image in this film is when the gwailo bad guy Michael is talking to some of his henchmen: he’s dressed in his red ninja outfit, and he’s also wearing one of those “ninja” headbands, the kind you’d see in martial arts magazines in the ’80s, letting us know he’s 100% bad-ass! Pure hilarity!

Joe909’s Rating: 1/10 (for the movie itself, but the shit with the fake ninjas is beyond scoring)

Posted in All, Asian Related, Chinese, News, Ninja, Reviews | Tagged , , |

Battle Royale UK 3-Disc Blu-ray (Arrow Video)

RELEASE DATE: February 28, 2011

Battle Royale is back. It s time to return to the island and kill your friends, because the cult Japanese movie that defines twisted action and sickening violence is ready to shock you all over again. Directed by the master of 70s Yakuza thrillers Kinji Fukasaku and featuring Kill Bill star Chiaki Kuriyama, Battle Royale is the movie that helped to define extreme Asian cinema in the 21st Century.

Click on the following link for the full specs:

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

Battle of the Warriors | Blu-ray (Dragon Dynasty)

"Battle of the Warriors" Blu-ray Cover

"Battle of the Warriors" Blu-ray Cover

RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2011

Dragon Dynasy presents the Blu-ray & DVD for Battle of the Warriors (aka A Battle of Wits), a 2006 Hong Kong historical-action film, based upon a Japanese novel and Bokko manga series by Hideki Mori. Directed by Jacob Cheung and starring Andy Lau, Ahn Sung-ki, Wang Zhiwen, Fan Bingbing, Nicky Wu and Choi Siwon.

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

Jet Li’s Fearless & Unleashed Blu-ray (Universal)

RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2011

Two great Jet Li movies on one Blu-ray disc specially priced! Unleashed (also known as Danny the Dog), is a 2005 American-British-French martial arts action thriller film directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Luc Besson. Film also stars Bob Hoskins, Morgan Freeman and Kerry Condon. It is set in Glasgow; Also included is Fearless, a 2006 Hong Kong Chinese martial arts action film directed by Ronny Yu. It is loosely based on the life of Huo Yuanjia, a famous Chinese martial artist who challenged foreign fighters in highly publicised events.

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

Kid with the Golden Arm (1979) Review

"The Kid with the Golden Arm" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“The Kid with the Golden Arm” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Chang Cheh
Writer: Ni Kuang, Chang Cheh
Producer: Mona Fong Yat Wah
Cast: Wai Pak, Sun Chien, Philip Kwok, Johnny Wang, Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, Helen Poon Bing Seung, Lo Meng, Suen Shu Pau, Siu Yuk Lung, Chan Hung, Chow Kin Ping, Chui Tai Ping, Dang Wai Ho, Ha Kwok Wing, Lai Yau Hing, Lau Fong Sai, Luk Kim Ming, Robert Mak, Ng Hong Sang, Sek Gong, Suen San Cheung, Tony Tam, Dick Wei
Running Time: 81 min.

By Joe909

If you were to pick up the NS DVD of Kid with the Golden Arm (currently the only DVD release available), you might deem the movie a haphazard, barely-plotted action fest that jumps from one fight scene to the next, with zero character or plot development. You wouldn’t be too far from the truth, but in reality you can’t judge Kid by the NS DVD. Like most other Venoms movies they’ve released, NS has sourced their copy of Kid with the Golden Arm from a severely-edited European print of the movie. True, the picture quality isn’t bad, and it’s actually widescreen, but about fifteen minutes of the film is missing.

One of the few movies to feature all six of the Venoms, Kid gets started with an action scene and doesn’t stop until the end. Even the opening credits feature some action, as the four bosses of the evil Chi Sah gang show off their styles. The story concerns Sun Chien’s escort service, which must transport a large shipment of gold. With them comes virtuous swordsman Li Chin-Ming (Wei Pai) and his woman, the equally-skilled Ms. Ling (Chi Pan-Ping). The service also employs the services of Short Axe (Chiang Sheng) and Long Axe (Sun Shao-Pei, the annoying prick who killed Lo Meng in Five Venoms), two fighters who compete to see who can kill the most villains. Continuously bumping into them is the drunken government agent Hai To (Kuo Choi).

The Chi Sah gang is headed by Lo Meng, as the titular character. As usual, he only fights with his hands, but he has an iron skin technique, plus he can shatter swords bare-handed. Their second chief is Lu Feng as Silver Spear; Wang Lung-Wei is the third chief, Iron Robe, and Brass Head (Yang Shung) rounds out the principal villains as the fourth and final chief. Sun Chien knows these guys are out for the gold, and even after the Chi Sah gang attacks the escort service at their base, they still carry on with the journey.

Kid with the Golden Arm is not a movie with layer upon layer of subplots. Instead, things pan out in about as narrow-minded a manner as you could imagine. The escort service gets attacked by the Chi Sah gang, someone dies, the escort service moves on, they get attacked again. The movie features more action than The Five Venoms, sure, but it’s nowhere near as good because the story is lacking.

Kuo Choi’s drunken character Hai To provides the only unexpected bits; for example, at one point Li Chin-Ming is hit with the “sand palm,” which is an assured, but slow, death. Hai To steals him away from his girl and bars him in an iron forge, despite her pleas. Turns out almost being roasted alive is the only cure for the sand palm, yet Wei Pai’s character holds a grudge against Hai To throughout the movie. On top of that, Kuo engages in all manner of Jackie Chan-type goofery, obviously attempting to tap into the success Drunken Master.

The film opens bloodily with an escort service member crawling into their headquarters, “Chi Sah gang” etched onto his bare back by a sword. He dies in his tracks, serving as warning that the gang is out for the gold. Everyone reacts to this, and then Sun Chien gives everyone a history of the gang. What’s great is that after a while no one even pays any attention to the guy’s corpse. After warding off a surprise attack (in which Brass Head gets killed), the escort service heads out.

On the road they’re attacked a few times, though each time Hai To saves the day, appearing literally out of the woodwork. One unique aspect of the film is that main villains are killed throughout. Those expecting the requisite Venoms finale of Kuo Choi, Lu Feng, and Chiang Sheng going at it will be surprised. Instead, the movie is comprised of several running battles in which main heroes and villains buy it, regardless of how late we are into the film.

Finally it comes down to a face-off between Hai To and Golden Arms. This is a nice fight, as Kuo Choi uses his acrobatic skills and swordplay against Lo’s bare hands. The fight is also enjoyable because it’s one of the few times we get to see Lo Meng. Although he’s the title character, Lo is absent for the majority of the film. He also doesn’t get a chance to display his comedic skills, instead playing the kind of character typically portrayed by Lu Feng.

Speaking of which, Lu Feng is also underused in the film, though he does get to camp it up early in the movie, disguising himself as an old man. The climax features an unexpected twist, but I find it hard to buy. Regardless of how many times I see the movie, the sudden appearance of a major character’s twin always surprises and confuses me.

Chang and the Venoms inject some dark comedy into the film. Other than Kuo Choi’s hijinks, the two Axes have a running gag on the number of villains killed. Kuo Choi also gets some laughs by continuously rejecting Silver Spear’s offers to join the Chi Sah gang. I’ve also always loved the last moments with Golden Arms. At the end of the film, he makes a few serious, life-changing decisions; something rare for main villains, who usually stay bad until they meet their doom. But after he announces his plans, well, you’ll just have to see for yourself. Let’s just say what happens to him is shocking with each viewing.

The violence level is pleasantly high. Blood erupts from sword gashes, people get hacked apart, and those beaten by fists bleed profusely from the mouth. At one point, an assailant who hides behind a panel is stabbed, and blood shoots across the screen. One of the main chiefs suffers a grisly fate, landing on an upturned spear. This is certainly one of the more violent Venoms movies.

The sets however are minimal, mostly fake-looking reconstructions of forests and hills. It might appear fake, but it’s the same look that gives these movies their otherworldly allure. The soundtrack deserves special mention, ranging from eerie synthesizer to acid-fried guitar to totally-inappropriate medieval-sounding tunes. Choreography is the usual Venoms great, though here most of them fight separately, and rely more on weapons than they do in some of their other movies.

Kid with the Golden Arm is a good Venoms film, but it’s not their best. I’d rank Five Venoms, Crippled Avengers, and Invincible Shaolin higher. But for all Venoms fans, it’s required viewing. For those who want to see the complete film, however, things aren’t so easy. The movie was released uncut in Holland, and bootlegs exist of this print, which is full-screen and English dubbed, with Dutch subtitles. I’d advise all to just wait for the Celestial remastered release, though. There are few things as unappealing as the Dutch language.

Joe909’s Rating: 8/10

 

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

Extreme Crisis (1998) Review

"Extreme Crisis" DVD Cover

“Extreme Crisis” DVD Cover

Director: Bruce Law
Cast: Julian Cheung, Theresa Lee, Shu Qi, Kenya Sawada, Wong Yat Fei, Spencer Lam
Running Time: 95 min.

By Tequila

Imagine The Rock on acid…that is the only way I can describe this movie. I was expecting a clone of The Rock from the reviews and my expectations were pretty low – this film is pretty much just crap acting and a bunch of explosions on the first VCD and I was only kept interested by the psychotic shootings and shit.

BUT THEN!!! *Dum Dum Dum!* The second VCD has to contain the most glorified and sick violence ever, it’s as if Bruce Law realized his film was beginning to suck and just decided to murder everybody – in close up, slow mo, with splatter and sound effects. If you just feel like watching innocent people get their brains plastered on walls, get the VCD of this NOW! Who cares about the appalling acting when the cast speak English or the average 1st disc?

***SPOILER START***

The most shockingly violent moment in Extreme Crisis is when the female cop, nervous to shoot, takes the main lieutenant of the Japanese cult hostage with a gun to his head. You think she’s going to make up for her past errors and blow the cunt’s brains out but instead gets shot point blank by a terrorist and that is that. A little boy also takes a head shot at one point, and some Navy Seals get burned at shot in slow mo.

***SPOILER END***

Basically, Extreme Crisis is a sick and twisted version of The Rock, if you hate Hollywood and want mindless action, go see this.

Tequila’s Rating: 6.5/10 (1 mark off for scummy 1st disc)


By Numskull

Eh…

The only extreme thing about this movie is the body count. Defenseless hostages get gunned down by the shitload. Nothing I can’t handle, but it’s a little more unnerving here than in something like Hard Boiled, because Extreme Crisis is not what I would categorize as an action movie. Not in the Hong Kong sense, anyway. In some ways it reminded me of The Rock, only…well, worse.

There are two elite cops, one Chinese and one Japanese, who try to foil this Japanese cult’s plan to massacre Hong Kong’s citizenry since they’re pissed off about their leader being imprisoned. The Chinese cop’s girlfriend is a news anchor who works in the TV station that the cult takes over and there’s also a stuffy female cop who just can’t bring herself to pull a trigger.

Three languages are used throughout the movie: Cantonese, Japanese, and, most of all, English. The woman who plays the non-ass-capping cop isn’t much of an actress, but she does speak English really well. Kinda like a female Michael Wong. The other performances are OK, nothing outstanding. The cult’s sub-leader says “I have made myself very clear” but it sounds like “I have made myself very queer.” That would explain the haircut.

Some people get shot, some shit gets blown up, there are a couple of fights…passable stuff, but nothing that will really grab you by the balls. The production values are quite good and the music is above average, and there really isn’t anything fundamentally WRONG with the movie, unless you count it being somewhat Americanized. It just doesn’t hold your attention very well. Sorry, people. There are worse films out there, to be sure, but if your spare time is limited, you’d be well advised to avoid this one.

Numskull’s Rating: 5/10

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

JSA: Joint Security Area (2000) Review

"JSA: Joint Security Area" Korean Theatrical Poster

“JSA: Joint Security Area” Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: JSA
Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Lee Byung-Hun, Song Kang-Ho, Shin Ha-Kyun, Lee Young-Ae, Kim Tae-Woo, Gi Ju-Bong, Lee Han-Wi, Lee Dae-Yeon, Kim Myung-Soo, Kim Kwang-Il
Running Time: 100 min.

By Equinox21

J.S.A. has been my favorite Korean movie, my second favorite Asian movie (behind Chungking Express), and one of my top 5 favorite movies in general ever since I first saw it. Everything about it (save for one minor aspect) is absolutely top notch; acting, music, story, direction, ambiance… all perfect. As outstanding as J.S.A. is, watching it still brings down my day a bit as it is a great example of a classic tragedy.

When there’s a murder in a North Korean watch tower on the border between North and South Korea, Swiss-Korean investigator for the NNSC (Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission), Major Sophie Lang (Lee Yeong-ae), is called in to solve the mystery. The South Korean soldier that shot and killed 2 North Korean soldiers and wounded a third in the tower, while being wounded himself, has already been identified. What the Major must discover is exactly why the shootout took place. She doesn’t get any help from the two surviving players in the shootout, as North Korean Sgt. Oh (Song Kang-ho) claims that Sgt. Lee (Lee Byeong-hyun) simply walked in and started shooting, and Sgt. Lee claims that he’d been kidnapped and was forced to shoot the North Koreans in his escape. Through the course of the movie Major Lang must prevent hostilities from increasing all while she discovers the shocking truth. The story is absolutely perfect, and easily one of my favorites because of the great implications that the truth holds.

So as not to spoil any of the surprise, I’ll just say that the acting was terrific from Song Kang-ho, Shin Ha-kyun, Lee Byeong-hyun, and Kim Tae-woo. The entire impact of the movie rests on their shoulders, and they do not disappoint!

The direction was brilliant by Park Chan-wook. There are a number of elements he adds to the movie to keep the suspense and drama on overdrive. In particular is one seemingly minor scene in the first act that is repeated at the very end of the movie, but from a different angle in which it yields an entirely different emotional impact the second time around.

The music was extremely well placed in J.S.A., and has one of my favorite soundtracks of any Korean movie. It fits the tragic mood of the movie very well. It’s also such a moving soundtrack that it’s one of the few that I’ve bought. It couldn’t have been any better.

The ONLY negative aspects of this movie were the few portions that were in English. Lee Yeong-ae’s limited ability to speak English hurt the movie in only those few parts, but thankfully this had no impact on the overall story or feel. I just ignore these few scenes negative aspects when watching the movie, because every other scene more than makes up for it.

Everyone should watch this movie because, simply put, it is brilliant. Everything about it, except that one minor flaw, was perfect. This was a huge success in the South Korean box offices, and rightly so. See J.S.A. as soon as possible, if you haven’t already.

Equinox21’s Rating: 10/10


By Dragon Ma

Would you risk a certain death for something greater? I’m not sure that’s the question JSA is asking but it’s along those lines. This film deals with a friendship that occurs after someone takes a risk and walks over a line that’s marked certain death for the person who walks over it and anyone who greets him at the other end.

The film opens with a shooting and two men, Sergeant Lee (Lee Byung-Heon) and Sergeant Ho (Shin Ha-Kyun) from South Korea surviving and two from North Korea Lieutenant Choi and Private Jung (Kim Tae-Woo) dead and another North Korea, Sergeant Oh (Song Kang Ho) surviving. Major Sophie-Jean (Lee Young-Ae) is brought in by the NNSC (Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission) to find out what really happened. As Sophie begins to investigate she finds not everything is as straightforward as she thinks.

After the success of Shiri came another film dealing with the division of North and South Korea, only this one is not as loud and bombastic as Shiri. It’s more of a detective story but as you watch the film it explains early on what happened, the only thing that needs to be explained is why and that’s where JSA gets interesting. As both sides meet for the first time and realize neither is made out to be the enemy that they’ve been told you begin to appreciate the friendship although you know it’s not going to last and that’s the tragic part, this friendship will not survive because of the pervading outside forces that threaten it. The acting is superb across the board, the only weak link that maybe considered is Lee Young-Ae who never grew up in Korea but speaks perfect Korean but has broken English. Park-Chan Wook’s direction is smooth and assured and he doesn’t miss a step, although there is a misguided attempt at history somewhere in the film but that’s only a minor point, he also brings a great visual sense to the film but it’s used only sparingly so it doesn’t distract from the story or the characters. I recommend this excellent film to anyone who is interested in watching Korean films, it’s a great introduction as to why there has been such a buzz surrounding that country and here is your proof.

Dragon Ma’s Rating: 10/10


By Alexander

There are many things to like about Joint Security Area, from its fresh perspective of the volatile border between the two Koreas, the inclusion of a neutral Swiss investigative party depicted by competent (!) gwailo actors, a compelling and suspenseful narrative and deft direction by Park Chan-wook. But the most appealing quality of this dramatic thriller are the dynamic performances of Song Kang-ho (Shiri) and Lee Young-ae. Lee is particularly riveting as a South Korean soldier torn between his loyalty to an unexpected friend and his duty to his country. He effortlessly shifts from the expected stoicism of a border guard to boredom to terror as his character is faced with mounting dilemmas after an ill-advised encounter in North Korea.

JSA should not be dismissed as a straight action film ala Shiri or the dozens of films being churned out by Hong Kong crap factories. It’s so much more than a violent shoot-’em-up framed by the always topical conflict between North and South Korea. Rather, it’s a moving story that personalizes the agony faced by many Koreans separated from loved ones by political ideologies and massive, guns-at-the-ready armies.

JSA is REQUIRED viewing, and would serve as a fantastic introduction to the exciting (and rapidly expanding) world of Korean cinema.

Alexander’s Rating: 8.5/10


By Len

Between the two koreas lies a demilitarized zone, guarded by soldiers on both sides who are trained to be enemies. One night, this balance of terror is upset by a weird shootout on the North Korean side in which several soldiers from both sides are injured and killed. A young South Korean sergeant makes a confession on which he states that he’s responsible for the bloodshed, but what was he doing on the wrong side of the DMZ in the first place?

UN sends a neutral committee from Switzerland to investigate this volatile situation, headed by a young korean-born female officer. From here starts a intriguing mystery told in flashbacks and eyewitness accounts as slowly pieces of the puzzle start to reveal themselves.

Starting off like a normal, by-the-numbers actioner, JSA soon starts to develop into a intriguing drama where instead of political issues, the relationships between people are the main focus. As both sides give their views on what happened, the viewer starts to understand the actual course of events leading to the shootout but right until the end some things are kept under wraps, and thus the film constantly manages to surprise. Not only with plot revelations, but with the quality of the drama also.

Like some of you might have guessed already, I love this film. Director Park Chan-Wook knows how to keep the suspense until the very last scene and never loses touch of the actual human beings involved in the incident. This isn’t a film about soldiers, but a film of real people, with actual lives, who just happen to be soldiers in two rival nations. The brilliant acting plays a big part in this. Song Kang-Ho, who some might know from Foul King and Shiri, is just awesome as the north korean officer somehow involved in the shooting and Yeong-Ae Lee is very convincing as the South Korean sergeant who’s obviously trying to cover for someone by confessing.

In the end, the last piece of the puzzle is revealed as the camera slowly tours over a photograph taken by a tourist earlier in the film and forces the viewer to think about what (s)he has just seen.

A great film.

Len’s Rating: 9/10

Posted in Korean, Reviews | Tagged , , , , |

Five Element Ninjas | aka Chinese Super Ninjas (1982) Review

"Five Element Ninjas" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Five Element Ninjas” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Super Ninjas
Director: Chang Cheh
Cast: Ricky Cheng, Chan Wai Man, Chen Pei Hsi, Lo Meng, Wong Wai Tong, Lung Tien Hsiang, Wong Lik, Kwan Feng, Chui Tai Ping, Chu Ko, Chan Hung
Running Time: 104 min.

By Joe909

This isn’t a review, it’s a love letter.

I first saw this movie on a local channel when I was a kid. It blew my mind and I knew I was witnessing something special. I saw it again years and years later; in fact, I know exactly when it was: Summer of 1992. It was on the USA Network on a Saturday afternoon, and I remember my Mom came into the living room, right at the part when Shao Tien-Hao’s about to take care of a little “Nuisance,” and my Mom said, “What in the hell are you watching?” She said it more in horror than annoyance, because it’s a pretty shocking scene: something you won’t see the normal Hollywood hero do, that’s for sure.

The movie already had great importance to me, but it rocketed into the mythic stratosphere just a few months later, when I entered college and met a guy who loved the movie as much as I did. But the important fact was that he had a copy of the original US video release, which was, cue fanfare, UNCUT. In fact this movie was partly responsible for the friendship between me and this guy, Ken, a friendship which continues to this day. So that’s just one of the many reasons I’m such an admirer of this cinematic tour de force of violence, heroic sacrifice, and “forced prostitution.”

I’ll usually complain if a movie has too much action and too little story, and it’s true that Five Element Ninja (or as I’ll probably always call it, Super Ninjas) is mostly action. But when it’s done this well, when the movie’s this cool, who really cares? If you want crackerjack kung-fu choreography, bizarre yet deadly weaponry, cool characters in cool costumes, sexy ninja chicks in fishnet stockings, and warriors tripping over their own intestines, then boy do I have the movie for you.

Cheng Tien-Chi stars as Shao Tien-Hao, a cocky young kung-fu whiz kid. We really don’t get to meet him for a while, though; instead, the opening half of the movie concerns a sparring match between Shao’s school and a rival school. Things don’t go so well for the rival school; even their guest fighter, a samurai, is defeated. The samurai calls in his ninja pals right before slicing open his own stomach. Eventually the ninjas issue a challenge to Shao’s school. Their teacher, who’s lost his kung-fu due to a poisoned dart the samurai threw at him right before committing suicide, sends off several of his best students, but keeps Shao and Chi Shang (portrayed by Venom Lo Meng) by his side.

Shao’s schoolmates are slaughtered by the ninjas. There’s no other word for it. Representing each of the five elements, there’s the water ninjas, who come out of the water, the fire ninjas, who use fire and smoke tactics, the earth ninjas, who erupt out of the ground, the gold ninjas, who blind their opponents with their golden shields, and the wood ninjas, who hide inside of trees. During this long battle sequence the movie offers many grisly moments, with the aforementioned intestine-tripping, multiple hackings and dismemberings, and even (in the uncut version) a quick glimpse of a female fire ninja’s breasts.

The ninja leader then sends in female ninja Senshi to gather information on Shao’s school. Cozying up with the gullible Chi Shang, she successfully gathers enough details for the ninjas to mount a nighttime assault. This leads to the destruction of the school, the murder of the teacher and Chi Shang, and the capture of Shao. He’s able to escape, due to a lesson he once received from an elderly Chinese ninja master. Shao finds this old man and learns the ninja arts. Eventually he’s able to issue his own challenge to the ninjas, he and his three new brothers meeting each group and kicking ass. Along the way he settles his score with Senshi (“I was right. WAS I right?”), wastes tons of ninjas, and gains his vengeance.

The fighting in this movie is great across the board. It’s one of the few kung-fu movies you could watch over and over, and never get bored. The Venoms movies can be seen as the peak of the Shaw Brothers kung-fu flicks, but sometimes their choreography was a bit too “hey, look at me!” sort of stuff. Five Element Ninja has acrobatic leaps and kicks and punches, just like the Venoms, but it’s all certainly more hard-hitting. Weapons fighting takes predominance over kung-fu, but this isn’t your typical swordplay movie at all. The choreography is flawless and shows off the obvious skill of the performers.

I have a feeling that if the Shaw Brothers had continued making films, the actors in this movie would have gone on to become Chang Cheh’s “New Venoms.” Most of them had already appeared in the final Venoms movie, House of Traps, but here they get a chance to shine on their own. In particular I’ve always liked lead actor Cheng Tien-Chi, who seems to me like the “Voltron Venom.” If all the other Venoms combined, he would be the result: he’s got the lead-actor qualities of Kuo Choi, the on-screen charisma of Lo Meng, the comedic talents of Chiang Sheng, the weapons mastery of Lu Feng, and the kicking ability of Sun Chien. I wish he’d made more movies, but he faded along with the Shaw Brothers moviemaking empire. A footnote to the Cheng Tien-Chi story is that he was good friends with Venom Chiang Sheng; it was Cheng Tien-Chi who discovered Chiang’s body, dead from a heart attack, in 1991.

The other actors who stand out for me are the mustached Tien Hsiang-Lung as Brother Li, who makes a lone stand against the fire ninjas, the evil ninja leader Chin Tien-Chun, played by Chan Wai-Man (who’d been appearing in Shaws movies for at least a decade), and the three brothers who join Shao’s cause. Then of course there’s Lo Meng, who’d quit the Venoms crew years before, but stayed with the Shaws until the very end. He’s always been one of my favorites. According to his biography on the new Celestial DVD release of Five Venoms, Lo’s a TV star in Hong Kong these days, and lately he’s been attempting to refashion his image as a comedic performer!

The pacing of the narrative is perfect. You might think this is just a schlocky fight-fest, but there’s emotional content here. In fact, the ending gets me every time. Seeing the punishment the ninja leader puts his three new brothers through, Shao realizes what he must do. His final mad dash toward the leader, as various clips from the film flash before his eyes, is to me one of the many highlights of the movie.

This film is one of Chang Cheh’s best, even if the sets are a bit cheap-looking (at one point you can see paint bubbles in the sky), and the costumes at times are too outrageous. (I don’t know too many ninjas who would wear bright gold costumes, and believe you me, I know lots of ninjas.) In some ways, Five Element Ninja can be seen as an ultraviolent combination of Chang’s earlier, more artsy (but bloody) movies and his later kung-fu fests. It’s unfortunate that this was his last movie to make any impact, but at the same time, it’s fitting.

I could go on and on, make this review epic length, but I’m trying to hold myself back. Hopefully I’ve managed to convey my enthusiasm. You know how sometimes you’ll be watching a movie, and you’ll wonder, “wouldn’t it be cool if?” Like, “Wouldn’t it be cool if ninjas erupted out of the ground?” Or, “Wouldn’t it be cool if that dude killed himself with an axe?” Or, “Wouldn’t it be cool if they fucking ripped the main villain in half?” Well, Five Element Ninja meets and exceeds your every “wouldn’t it be cool if” wish.

As a final word, I advise all to out the Panmedia-released, uncut DVD of this film, which is generally listed as “Chinese Super Ninjas uncut.” It’s just a bootleg dub of a video, much like the NS DVD version you can find in stores is a bootleg dub of a video, but whereas the NS release is sourced from an edited version, the Panmedia disc is truly uncut, as it’s taken from the original US video release. The same version my pal Ken showed me, all those years ago. And then when Celestial finally gets with it and releases the remastered version on DVD, buy that one, too. You’ll want both. I’m dreaming of the day when Celestial releases this movie, but dreading it, too. Because I’m so familiar with the English dub (I could quote lines from it all day and not get bored), it’s going to be hard getting used to everyone speaking in Mandarin. But, just to see this movie in widescreen, I can deal with that, no problem.

If I had to make a list of my top five favorite Shaw Brothers movies, Five Element Ninja would rank in the number one position. That’s about the highest praise I can give it. I’m patiently awaiting the Celestial release. (By “patiently,” I mean I’m kicking puppies every chance I get.)

Okay, I’ll limit myself to just one more of my favorite lines in the English dub: “Look at this one! His GUTS are all over!”

Joe909’s Rating: 10/10


By Alvin George

“Five Element Ninjas” is a blood-soaked and highly entertaining martial-arts flick from the early ’80s. The music score is more appropriate to a production of a decade earlier and the English dubbing leaves much to be desired, but the movie is still rewarding. It is proof positive that you don’t need Sho Kosugi, Tadashi Yamashita, or Michael Dudikoff to make a far-out ninja movie. Um, did Japanese gals really wear fishnet-type outfits back in day? Where’s the excrement in that one scene where that one Chinese fighter has intestinal stuff hanging out? OK, so the movie might be somewhat worthy of the “Mystery Science Theater 3000” treatment, but “Five Element Ninjas” is consistently entertaining, with expert fight choreography. I personally would’ve preferred more notable actors to appear in the movie, but what the hey! The Tokyo Shock DVD I rented features a print that was apparently remastered–and a wonderful job at that.

Alvin George’s Rating: 8.5/10


By Alexander

I was hesitant to even give Chinese Super Ninja a chance. I’m not a big fan of martial arts films. In fact, I’m pretty ignorant of the genre entirely as evidenced by my favorites: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. House of Flying Daggers. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. (See?) I also didn’t grow up on any of the Shaw Brothers films (no Kung Fu Theater on cable in England and rural Michigan), so I knew I wasn’t going to give Super Ninja a great rating solely because I remembered it fondly from my youth. I remember watching Betamax copies of all of Bruce Lee’s films, but my experience with kung fu-heavy action films was pretty much limited to that and whatever Hollywood crapped out, like Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon and Bloodsport.

To my surprise, however, Chinese Super Ninja kicks ass. The fact that it has dozens of ninjas with a variety of ninja weapons and performing all sorts of ninja moves is almost reason enough to give this movie a perfect score. But it also has a sexy, fishnet-stocking clad hot female ninja. It has cool color-themed ninjas representing the elements. (Think the symbolic use of color of Zhang Yimou’s Hero and Flying Daggers, but add bad dubbing and more gore and you’ve got “element ninjas.”) The plot is simple, but the defend-the-fort story-line is one of those action movie staples that always seems to work (see also Night of the Living Dead, Assault on Precinct 13, Rio Bravo, etc.). The combat is well-choreographed and plenty bloody (a guy steps on his own…was that a nearly-severed, dangling thigh muscle? An intestine?). Even the acting isn’t as bad as you’d imagine it might be in one of these low-budget, filmed-entirely-in-a-warehouse-with-painted-backdrops types of films (even the shockingly fake “water ninja” scene–which looks like it was filmed in someone’s above-ground swimming pool–is highly entertaining).

The bad? I’ve never liked dubbed movies. I know it’s a staple of the genre (like quick zooms to close-ups and absurd sound effects), but because I am hearing impaired, it’s almost necessary that I can read the dialogue in subtitles. Because the dubbing is usually out of sync with the actor’s lips and the audio is generally pretty poor, I miss most of the dialogue, and ultimately most of the story. Did this detract from my enjoyment of the film? Yes, a little, but it’s obviously the nature of the low-budget kung fu film beast, so I’m able to overlook this annoyance and appreciate Chinese Super Ninja for what it is: a fun and colorful action flick filled with gore, great fight scenes and ninjas. Lots and lots of ninjas.

Alexander’s Rating: 9/10


By Milkcan

Chang Cheh’s “Super Ninjas” is a fastpaced and vicious kung-fu flick full of amazing fights, blood, guts, and brilliant death scenes. When you think about the movie after having watched it, you smile immensely. The plot is, of course, simple: Japanese ninjas versus Chinese warriors. And while most of these types of movies’ story telling methods are painfully bad, this one cannot be put in that list. It is, of course, not brilliant, but we aren’t ducking under our seats in horror. The stupid dialogue and goofy dubbing make for some great entertainment. It gets the job done with what the director, actors, and cheesy set pieces can do. Fine. Now, let’s not dwell on the story more than it deserves…

As mentioned before, “Super Ninjas” is loaded with incredible fight sequences. They are absolutely a sight to behold! The film successfully makes itself look as if an anime show or a videogame were brought into live-action. Our heroes battle against an array of ninjas, all based off the five elements: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. The ninjas are brilliantly realized: the use of colors, weaponry, and techniques are all well done. The movie stays true to these elements by keeping the ninjas in different locations and by adapting them to their environments in some pretty neat and cool methods. I especially enjoyed how the ninjas clad in black move through the night without making a sound. The fighting is propelled at a blazing speed, and the editing can be razor sharp at times. Not only is there outstanding choreography and actors with great martial arts skills, but there is also some crazy cool death scenes, all drenched in fake blood.

I’ve never laughed as much as I did when several ninjas met their gruesome and “creative” deaths (The best one has got to be the final wood element ninja in the ending). A good thing too is that these fights last for a long periods of time, providing non-stop enjoyment as the carnage ensues. I recommend this to anyone looking for a good time or just a great kung-fu movie. There’s plenty adrenaline, excitement and cheesiness to keep you coming back for more of this violent and bloody actioner. With a heavy emphasis on fighting and creativity, “Super Ninjas” is an insane, campy-as-hell, must-see classic!

Milkcan’s Rating: 10/10


By Woody

Even if you hate kung fu movies, this you need to see. I’d say it’s better than sex, but what do I know? I haven’t even had any yet. Unless vacuum cleaners and right hands count as sexual partners. Then, I’m a regular Ron Jeremy, albeit a skinnier and less hairy one. Getting on with it, this movie rocks. It’s the kind of movie that brings back all of the excitement that you got from watching movies when you were a little kid. You know, when you would finish watching a movie and then run over to your best friend’s house, describing the whole movie, in that nonsensical, breathless, endless sort of way.

Case in point: When I got home from seeing Terminator 2. I remember walking next door to Justin”s apartment at 2:00 P.M., and leaving at 6:00 P.M., talking nonstop the entire time. “So then, uh, you know, like, the guy with the morphing thing….no, no, not the Terminator…yeah, that scary guy, he turned into the mom, and, oh yeah, and,ummm, later, yeah, he chased that crazy lady in the car and the Terminator was in the car and the kid was in the car and earlier on the kid, ahhh dude, it was so cool, get out your bike , I’ll show you what he did….” I could go on for hours… describing the plot, ruining the best moments, acting out the characters, making a mess of my buddy’s room, eating all of his food, and then going home to whine and cry to see it again.

Yep, Chinese Super Ninjas is that kind of movie. Immediately after watching, I was, like, “Duuuddde!”, Keanu Reeves, Bill and Ted-era style. I found myself breathlessly hyping it up to my friends. “And then the dude, not that dude, the good dude, trips on his own guts, man. Ahhh, man, it was fuggin’ crazy! And later on, this one dude’s back is fried cause he gets stuck to a fuggin door…seriously….yeah you can watch it at my place, as long as you don’t smoke any weed. Why? Why? Remember last time, you ate all my food! Fine, then. Fuck you, too! I’m just gonna watch it myself dude.”

Anyways, I’ll do the obligatory praising. Chang Cheh is a mad genius. He’s like a whacked out kung fu version of John Woo, only crazier. He has guys tripping on intestines, ninjas who swim under water and burrow under the ground, more fake blood than , uh, a fake blood factory(hey, I’m tired), and all kinds of cool stuff. The sets look fake as hell, but it just feels right for a surreal movie like this.

Blood, gore, bad sets…tons of movies have those things, but none of them have the insane energy and drive of this one. If you see one kung fu movie this year, make it this one.

In conclusion, there was this one dude, and um, oh no, my bad, it was the other guy, and he was the bad guy, and he totally got pulled in two, and it was like WAHHHH!, you know, and then this one chick, he didn’t even bang her..no, not the dude you’re thinkin’ of…the one dude! Yeah, him…

Woody’s Rating: 10/10

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

Chawz DVD/Blu-ray (Magnolia)

RELEASE DATE: April 26, 2011

Magnet will be releasing Jeong-won Shin’s Chaw, about a man-eating boar that goes on the rampage. It has been retitled to Chawz for its US release (as an ode to Jaws?).

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

Muay Thai Fighter DVD (Lions Gate)

Muay Thai Fighter

Muay Thai Fighter

RELEASE DATE: April 12, 2011

In battle, the human body is the ultimate weapon. Lionsgate takes mixed martial arts to a new level with the DVD, Digital Download and On Demand premiere of Muay Thai Fighter. The action-packed film has been honored with five of seven Thailand National Film Association Awards including Best Actor (Akara Amarttayakul, Saving Private Tootsie) and Best Supporting Actor (Sonthaya Chitmanee, upcoming Slice). An “…effective piece of film making” (TwitchFilm.net), the DVD debut of Muay Thai Fighter includes a never-before-seen featurette complete with interviews.

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

Bruce Lee Ultimate DVD Trilogy (20th Century Fox)

RELEASE DATE: March 8, 2011

This new set, with newly designed box art, contains: The Big Boss, Way of the Dragon and Game of Death. Why they included Game of Death – and not Fist of Fury – to the “Ultimate Trilogy” is beyond me.

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

Tower of Death | aka Game of Death 2 (1981) Review

"Tower of Death" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Tower of Death” Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: Game of Death II
Director: Ng See Yuen
Cast: Tai Chung Kim, Hwang Jang-lee, Roy Horan, Casanova Wong, Lee Chun Hwa, Lee Hoi San, Tiger Yeung, Roy Chiao, To Wai Wo, Bruce Lee (stock footage)
Running Time: 90 min.

By Joseph Kuby

Game of Death 2 (or Tower of Death as it is otherwise known) is not only one of the most unique martial arts/Hong Kong films made from this period but one of the most unique films ever made period.

The film manages to combine a period, contemporary and futuristic setting into a truly dazzling melding pot of a spectacle that promises and delivers high-camp/high-tech/high-kick fun! This film also features some of the best work ever to come from Hwang Jang Lee and Yuen Woo Ping.

Heck, Yuen Biao does more action in this as a stunt double + small role player than he does playing a lead character in Yuen Woo Ping’s Dreadnaught (which should tell you about the scope of the action in this film). The highlight is no doubt the finale. The idea of having an electrical panel covering the bottom of two opposing walls which threatens to electrocute any trespasser is imaginative.

Put it this way – this film is probably the only chance you get to see Yuen Woo Ping, Sammo Hung and Corey Yuen Kwai choreograph fight scenes within the context of one film (with Drunken Master being an exception – according to HK film critic Stephen Teo), so it’s certainly a rare treat.

Sammo Hung and Corey Yuen Kwai were uncredited co-directors for Game of Death 2 a.k.a. Tower of Death. Corey was also the co-director of Dragons Forever. What’s interesting is that both finales of said films involve a villain (a moustached villain might I add) landing into a crimson-tinted narcotics pool.

The only thing wrong with this film is that the film’s plot leaves a few holes and that there’s some cases (not all) where the archive footage doesn’t gel well with the new footage (though it’s certainly more successful than the prequel’s attempts at this).

Beyond that, there’s the obvious use of stunt doubling as well as the flawed production values (whilst the film’s budget looks huge for its time, one can see a shaky wall as Kim Tai Chung kicks two silver-dressed henchmen on the staircase during the finale – highly reminiscent of the critically panned UK soap drama Crossroads).

If you still feel bad about the Bruce Lee connection, then order the Korean version (which omits the Bruce Lee footage) on the Rare Kung Fu Movies site.

The ultimate guilty pleasure flick, need I say more?

It was during the post-production of Game of Death that the inevitability of a sequel was already kicked into the spotlight, as Raymond Chow planned a follow-up to Bruce Lee’s original idea of the ascending pagoda and the use of his remaining footage that he shot before his death.

Perhaps it is a symbolic indication of things not going to plan or things spiralling downward into cinematic oblivion, that the idea of a descending pagoda came into fruition.

Finding a title was also a task: the title Tower of Death would only be used if the film didn’t succeed in it’s expected levels. Raymond hired Seasonal Film director/producer Ng See Yuen to be the visionary behind the project seeing as how his “midas touch” or “sixth sense” in locating talent had turned Jackie into Hong Kong’s hottest property. Chow had hoped that Ng would be willing to work in unison with Golden Harvest’s script, envisioning that he would work his magic into this production – which was supposed to have begun as soon as the first installment was out of theaters but it didn’t, for reasons that Ng couldn’t use the useful Lee scenes which were in 8 & 1/2 blocks of footage but the many outtakes, behind the scenes footage and different camera perspectives (for some reported outdoor scenes) made them impossible to coherently arrange.

This conflicted with the script and a rewrite was ordered delaying the project for a year. Ng gave his technical thoughts for his rewrite with GH concerning a descending tower with a science fiction twist. Bruce was to appear in the first half before then being replaced by a double which would be Kim Tai Chung and Chen Yao Pao. But neither of them could be found until Hwang Jang Lee brought Kim over from Korea, although Jackie Chan was considered as an early replacement for Kim once he finished production on Fearless Hyena (so that GH could quickly secure a place for him within the studio via contractual agreements), but Ng wasn’t particularly too fond or so crazy about the concept of using him for what was essentially the type of exploitation piece that Chan yearned to escape from – to follow in the footsteps of Bruce Lee.

Chow also wasn’t very crazy about Ng’s work on the film cancelling any involvement with GH production units though officially Chow was still involved (if briefly) as not only did he initialize the project but he owned the copyrights too. It was at that particular moment when Seasonal Films took over the film’s production unit (Chow’s connection not withstanding) and the rest is history.

Although Ng took full credit in direction, Ng hired Corey Yuen Kwai to direct and choreograph the alley fight scene and the fight scene that preceded it. Sammo directed miscellaneous material – various things here and there – such as the opening duel between Hwang Jang Lee and the Caucasian Kung Fu practictioner, the duel between Roy and the two brothers and the first duel between Tang Lung (or Kim) and the masked valet. Billy Chan Wui Ngai, in particular, helped out Sammo in the co-ordination of these scenes – with Biao dropping by to give a few pointers. The second and final duel between Tang and the valet was designed by Yuen Da and Tsiu Siu Ming (who directed Jet Li’s Born To Defence after Jet suffered a nasty back injury during production). Yuen Woo Ping directed the underground scenes with Kwai (basically, they choreographed everything after the final fight between Tang and the valet). Yuen Cheung Yan assisted Ping for these scenes too, whilst the former had helped Biao for the abbot/temple scenes in terms of martial arts direction. It could be argued that the fight scenes are the first to combine Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do with Hong Kong style choreography (or at least the most successful).

The completion of the acting scenes were extremely difficult since Tang spoke very little Cantonese aside from his Korean. Prompting him to receive a great deal of translation fron Hwang. It even leaves gaps in the movie since Tang speaks little and looks like as if he is really concentrating on his lines.

The film was very successful (more successful than the first film in terms of Asian reception which speaks volumes about this film’s success) but Chow was still disappointed.

He had one of the best years of GH with the box office profits of JC and SH (during the three years it took to get the film made and released, Jackie had made a record-breaking HK$ 10 million {US$ 1,289,939} with The Young Master and Sammo made a ground-breaking and critically well-received hit with Close Encounters of The Spooky Kind with a total gross of HK$ 5,675,626 {US$ 732,121} within the space of a week) but this movie was his project and he wanted the best for the movie.

He determined that Tower would be released as Game of Death 2 in the states. He also edited in the greenhouse fight from the Chinese version of the first film because the film didn’t capitalize enough with the Bruce Lee scenes and intended to add even more than what’s seen in the finished product, until Ng See Yuen refused any more footage to be added – leaving his name to be dropped and in some versions, Corey is the only listed director.

Many results happened as carriers flourished and halted as there was no more communication between the two aforementioned studios.

However, Ping and Kwai (who were contractually obligated to Ng’s Seasonal Films) caught Chow’s eye and money was given to them by Chow for productions over the oncoming years i.e. Righting Wrongs and Blonde Fury for Kwai and the GH/D&B co-productions of the Tiger Cage films, In the Line of Duty 4 and Once Upon a Time in China 2 for Ping. On the other side of the coin, Yuen Biao and Tsiu Siu Ming were already contracted with GH.

On further note, Hwang Jang Lee’s character’s name is Moshikawa (as was spoken on the set) as opposed to Jim Koo/Chin Ku/Jin Ku.

In regards to the swastika on the coffin (click here)

There have been several various edits of Tower of Death (in some cases, I may refer to Billy Lo’s {or Bobby’s} character as Lee since he is a different character in the Asian prints):

* Japanese version – A totally different movie. The beginning has Lee teaching a Jeet Kune Do class while he is challenged by Hwang Jang Lee from phone. After numerous attempts at Lee, he flies to Korea and enters the pagoda. Reportedly, this has numerous outdoor scenes – whether this is the missing footage of the ‘real’ Bruce Lee or the footage he shot of the others remains unclear.

* South Eastern Asian Version – This premiered in certain parts of the Philippines and Korea. It has the same description as the Japanese version, only there is claimed to be more fight scenes in, and actual Lee footage with the actors in the same frame.

* Korean version – This version of the movie removes the Bruceploitation factor (i.e. the clips of Bruce Lee) and just plays it as a straight-up independent Kung Fu flick. There is a much more longer demonstration of Hwang Jang Lee practising his martial arts skills in the beginning. There is a new scene involving Lee reading a newspaper concerning Hwang’s death (this isn’t meant to be the same scene which used Enter the Dragon in the regular version). In the finale, as Tang Lung is about to find the elevator, he steals and uses a pair of nunchaku against a guard.

* Hong Kong version – This might not apply to all Hong Kong prints. This version, which may be relegated to a few prints, is almost the same as the UK VHS release except the night club scene where Lee talks to Hwang’s illegitimate daughter is extended, using outtakes (possibly more) from Enter the Dragon of Lee talking to the dart lady in Han’s guestroom. The flashbacks at the end of Lee practising his Jeet Kune Do are longer and so is the Tang Lung vs. Hwang Jang Lee brawl, with more acrobatics from Yuen Biao and, even, Yuen Wah. The theme music plays throughout the entire final fight. Halfway through the film, there are alternate versions of the fights. Plus, there’s more footage of Lee looking in different rooms and his garden, more abbot footage as well as more scenes featuring Hwang Jang Lee’s daughter (i.e. the actual woman who played her rather than just the ETD footage).

* US Game of Death 2 version – The disclaimer is the same as the above (i.e. it might not apply to the DVD prints e.g. the 20th Century Fox release). Instead of the above, Lee’s face from Way of The Dragon is shown instead of the ETD scenes in the beginning. The abbot scene is condensed to only the stationary Roy Chiao scenes, with WOTD outtakes (only the ones that specifically reveal Bruce Lee’s face) and a redubbed version of a black and white movie featuring a young Bruce. The scenes featuring Lee searching his brother’s apartment and crying are deleted in turn of the greenhouse scuffle from the Hong Kong print of Game of Death. The meeting with Hwang’s daughter is condensed to the WOTD indoor facial shots of Lee and one scene not shown in the HK print of Tower of Death that has Lee sitting down on a couch. The drawback here is that Lee’s actual yells are not dubbed in, but the soundtrack is edited in the correct scenes, a problem the HK version has.

* Spanish version “Towel Del Muerte” – This version is much different than the previous two, since all the Lee dialogue scenes are censored, with the footage of the abbot, apartment search, crying scene and Casanova fight removed. Instead, the outdoor fight scenes from WOTD are edited in and the unreleased mirror scenes from ETD are used as flashbacks.

Joseph Kuby’s Rating: 8/10


By Joe909

One of the best Bruceploitation movies, Tower of Death holds up on its own as a classic chop-sockey. In some ways it’s more of a New Wave film than your normal old-school flick, with some energetic and impressive martial arts combat that looks advanced even by today’s standards. Kim Tai-Chung (aka “Tang Lung”) is legitimately fast in this, and he shows off a level of martial arts skill that wasn’t even hinted at in the 1978, Robert Clouse-directed Game of Death abortion. But for all I know it could just be Yuen Biao with the impressive moves; Biao acted as Kim’s stunt double in both films.

Of course, the Bruce Lee gimmickry employed throughout the first half of the film is disgraceful: like Game of Death, Tower of Death freely and jarringly inserts shots of Bruce Lee from his various movies into the film. So you’ll see Kim Tai-Chung walk into a room, then suddenly there will be a close-up of Bruce Lee, copped from Fist of Fury or something. And like Game of Death, these splices wouldn’t fool a ritalin-crazed third-grader. Luckily though, director Ng See Yuen was against the Bruce-splicing from the start, and so came up with the idea of murdering his character halfway into the movie, and pushing Kim up to the lead role for the remainder of the film, as Bruce’s brother.

The Bruce-splices in the first half were only left in at the behest of producer Raymond Chow, and one can see that Chow originally intended to insert Bruce clips into the remainder of the film. The reason I say this is because the astute viewer will notice that Kim Tai-Chung wears outfits throughout Tower of Death that are the same as those worn by Bruce Lee in his movies.

When Kim sneaks around the Tower, he wears a black nightsuit with a white rope hanging from his shoulders; perfect for inserting clips from Bruce Lee’s dungeon battle in Enter the Dragon. When Kim receives a film briefing on the Tower of Death, he sits in a projection room and wears a gray, three-piece suit; perfect for inserting clips from the projection room scene in Enter the Dragon. And so on. It’s just that Ng refused to insert anymore splices into the film, and for that he should be given credit.

There’s hardly a plot at all, but this is excusable when you take the quality of kung-fu into consideration. Yuen Woo-Ping handled the choreography, and gives us one wonderful battle after another. The end fight sequence is action-packed from beginning to end, with Kim first taking on a group of lackeys who (for some reason) wear silver, “futuristic” outfits, then a big guy in a leopard outfit, then a Shaolin monk, and finally the main villain, who (not so) surprisingly turns out to be Hwang Jang-Lee. Hwang and Kim go at each other in what has to be one of the longest fights of all time. It’s almost as long as that street fight Rowdy Roddy Piper gets into with his friend in They Live. Yuen Woo-Ping pays Bruce Lee tribute in this fight, having Kim Tai-Chung implement jeet kune do moves to counter Hwang’s wooden sword.

But regardless of the great fights, there’s a lot of lameness on display. The battle with the “lion” is unforgivable, as is the pointlessly-nude crack whore. At least, I assume she’s a crack whore. The fact that Roy Horan’s one-armed servant is a traitor is blindingly obvious, and Hwang’s underground empire is hard to swallow. But still, the movie is heads and shoulders above Game of Death. At least we don’t have to look at Bob Wall in this one.

Special mention should be made of Roy Horan’s character Lewis, easily the most interesting character in the film. As the English subtitles declare, he’s a “kung-fu nut” (I believe the English dub says he’s “crazy about kung-fu”), and he fights with wild abandon. Sure, he looks goofy with his white-guy afro, but he’s damn fast, and should’ve been in more movies. The bit with him eating raw deer meat and drinking blood just begs for more development, but instead he gets murdered in the night and we’re left wishing we could see more footage of him in combat.

The best version of this on the market is probably the Hong Kong Legends release, which includes both the English and the Cantonese dubs, with all of the footage. Those without the ability to play Region 2 DVDS should just get the Media Asia release; although it doesn’t feature an English dub, the Hong Kong version of Tower of Death is preferable in that it includes clips of Bruce Lee from Enter the Dragon that have otherwise never been released, even in Warner Brothers’ 25th anniversary Special Edition of Enter the Dragon. I’ve also read that the English version’s final fight isn’t as long as the Hong Kong version’s.

Joe909’s Rating: 8.5/10

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