Bodyguard from Beijing, The | aka The Defender (1994) Review

Posted on January 4, 2011 by JJ Bona
"The Bodyguard from Beijing" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“The Bodyguard from Beijing” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Corey Yuen
Cast: Jet Li, Christy Chung Lai Tai, Collin Chou Siu Long, Kent Cheng Jak Si, Joey Leung Wing Chung, Ng Wai Gwok, William Chu Wai Lim, Wong Kam Kong, Chun Kwai Bo, Mike Miller, Corey Yuen Kwai
Running Time: 92 min.

By Numskull

Bitches. Who needs ’em? Certainly not Jet Li, who plays a stoic, disciplined bodyguard (betcha didn’t see that comin’) in this plodding action movie from director Corey Yuen (Yuen Kwai). The bitch in question is some silver spoon-fed tightass played by Christy Chung. She’s on somebody’s hit list for some reason or other and her rich boyfriend arranges for her to have round-the-clock protection from two less-than stellar police officers and Jet Li…a REAL man. A MAN’S man. A MAN’S man’s man, even (man!).

The bitch shamelessly embodies negative stereotype characteristics and raises a big stink over Jet Li telling her not to stand in front of windows and other such things. Only after he saves her from getting perforated in a shopping mall (she just HAD to go shopping, you see) does she decide that she is madly in love with him.

Later on, more assassins invade her house and Jet Li takes them out with the lights turned off. The way this scene is shot and edited, it looks like either A) the assassins possess some innate, superhuman regenerative ability (Jet shoots ’em, they drop, then they get up again off-camera), or B) there are actually several waves of assassins who quickly drag away the corpses of their buddies and then take their shots at Jet Li (before getting dropped like panties on prom night themselves). Then, Jet Li must take on the “big” bad guy in a (finally!) hand-to-hand duel in which the kitchen sink becomes a sort of nexus point for the action (Jet filled the room with gas to discourage further gunfire).

Much like Yuen’s Yes, Madam, this movie waits too long to spring the good stuff on you. For the most part, it’s boring and kind of annoying. I was, however, fairly pleased to see the kid who wanted to play with guns in the mall and who ended up nearly costing one of the cops his life get shot in the foot. Take that you stupid little shit.

Anyway, this is a substandard action movie with little to hold your interest aside from the obligatory showdown at the end. Thus concludes another one-paragraph review.

Numskull’s Rating: 4/10

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

New Police Story | aka Police Story 5 (2004) Review

Posted on January 4, 2011 by JJ Bona
"New Police Story" International Theatrical Poster

“New Police Story” International Theatrical Poster

Director: Benny Chan
Cast: Jackie Chan, Nicholas Tse, Charlie Young, Daniel Wu, Dave Wong Kit, Andy On, Yu Rong Guang, Charlene Choi, Terence Yin, Philip Ng, Ken Lo, Wu Bai
Running Time: 124 min.

By Mairosu

Right movie. Wrong people.

That’s a two-sentence short summary of Jackie Chan’s comeback effort, first movie he decided to do after ditching Hollywood and playing the mandatory goofy kung-fu sidekick to the proverbial white (or, well, black) cool dude. Playing it safe, Chan decided to extend one of his most famous products – namely, the Police Story saga (saga being used very loosely here) – and so, what we here is a new sequel in an old franchise, with very much past-his-prime Chan trying to get another run at the Asian box office.

New Police Story is sort of a confusing title. New it is, but Police Story (unless you think in terms “story about policemen”) it ain’t. Totally unrelated to the first three (or four, if you account for the semi-abortive First Strike) Police Story movies, this one tells a story of a former hotshot cop Wing (take this name with a grain of salt, I saw the mandarin dub), played by Chan. Wing used to be a big time hero of sorts, but when a gang of loons robs a bank and slaughters his fellow cops just for the piss of it, he decides to take his heroism one step further and wipe ’em out himself. Alas, alas, his special taskforce gets butchered by the gang of evil nerds (I’ll explain this later), and he himself has to watch them die slowly as the criminals are toying with his men. Wing survives just barely, but is severely traumatized by the incident and takes a one-year hiatus, drowning his sorrow in drink…until a young cop (played by Nicholas Tse) revives the case and inspires Wing to finish the unfinished.

Unlike the previous PS movies – and the majority of Jackie Chan HK movies, that is – New Police Story is not the usual mix of crackerjack action and slapstick. Director Benny Chan, who already directed Jackie’s “Who Am I ?” few years back, tries to emulate the look and feel of newer Hollywood actioners via Johnny To with varying success. There is not much if any comic relief here, so the film can be called a straightforward actioner. The biggest odd one out here is definitely Chan himself, who is badly miscast as a tough, but washed up law enforcer. Probably sick of playing second fiddles in Hollywood, this is a sort of a rebound performance for Chan, who woefully overacts in film’s many emotional moments and has a torrid time looking like a believable drunkard. The absence of comedy is abridged with a lot of nods to the heroic bloodshed genre – fallen comrades, male bonding, lotsa gunfire, family endangered, usage of slo-mos – which is really odd for a Chan film. All those things summed up (add an atypical operatic, thumping soundtrack to it), this is a Chan movie in name and credits only, and one gets the feeling that this would have been an IDEAL but IDEAL comeback project for, ahem, John Woo and Chow Yun Fat. Not to take anything away from the director who certainly did a credible job, but one feels that the above given combination might have had a real score on their hands with this. Not to mention that CYF would look much, much better at the things Chan is trusted in here – including the alcohol habit and frequenting jazz bars (Hard Boiled, anyone ?).

Another gripe is the techny-ness of the script and story. Probably trying to cater to the youthful hi-tech Asian teenage crowd, scriptwriter Alan Yuen pits Chan against a gang of “dudes” who like to play video games and screw around with the police just because they can. Being children of well-to-do Hong Kongites (make your own noun for “Hong Kong resident” yourself if you don’t like the one above), they don’t have to work so they program PC games, post their exploits on the net and practice extreme sports. The scene in which they torture Chan’s comrades and Chan himself was supposed to reveal how diabolical they are – however, they just come off as snotty (Chan’s attempt of looking heartbroken and devastated is probably the only diabolical thing in that part of the film) and the whole thing feels grotesque. Daniel Wu does a credible job of breathing life into his character Joe, the ringleader of this nerd outfit, but even his performance can’t save the fact that the main villain is just a trigger happy dork. Again, I wonder if the new wave HK scriptwriters play too much GTA 3 and Max Payne – I asked myself literally the same question while watching Johnny To’s Breaking News.

Thankfully, not all went haywire here. The action scenes and stuntwork are exciting as ever, with a few really well done bits – the race down that huge building is a treat, along with the big bus scene which is a nod of sorts to Police Story 2. I would also single out the director of photography for the job on this film – after seeing Breaking News, I felt Hong Kong lost its glamour and glitz and surrendered the title of “most photogenic Asian city to be a backdrop of an action movie” to Seoul, but New Police Story represents Hong Kong at its best – shiny skyscrapers, beautiful cityscapes, great shots of modern architecture. Supporting cast doesn’t disappoint (although Charlene Choi gets progressively ingratiating, but you have to forgive her ’cause she’s kinda cute) and oh, Chan showcases his fighting skills again, and I must say those scenes look pretty good as well…ol’ Jackie was never a thespian to write home about, but at least he could stage a good fight and that ability still didn’t abandon him.

Overall, New Police Story is a return to form of sorts for Jackie Chan, albeit a limp and half-baked one. This could have been a real gem, but I guess it could have been a real stinker as well…at any rate, New Police Story is light-years ahead of, say, Tuxedo and Medallion.

Mairosu’s Rating: 6.5/10

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

Police Story 4: First Strike (1996) Review

Posted on January 4, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Police Story 4: First Strike" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Police Story 4: First Strike” Japanese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Police Story IV: Simple Mission
Director: Stanley Tong
Cast: Jackie Chan, Annie Wu, Jackson Lau Hok Yin, Bill Tung, Ailen Sit Chun Wai, Rocky Lai, William Tuan Wai Lun, Ken, Lo Hui Kwong, Chan Man Ching
Running Time: 85/110 min.

By GHCO

I didn’t enjoy this movie very much. This is supposed to be part of the Police Story series, but I don’t see the connection. In the Chinese version, he’s only called “Ka-Kui” once, every other time it’s Jackie. Why?!! Is there something wrong with the name Kevin? Also, Kevin (I refuse to call Chan Ka Kui ‘Jackie’) seems to have a completely different personality. He’s cool, level-headed, and a whole lot wimpier than in previous installments of Police Story. Kevin Chan is supposed to be a hot-tempered, well meaning, and tough as nails cop! Another weird thing: Where is May? She’s not mentioned at all, as though she doesn’t exist. I also don’t see why these things happened. Why not simply say that ‘Jackie’ is a code name, May is either in the hospital after the fall in “Supercop” or still in Malasia, and characterize Kevin correctly? These would be minor changes: May is the reason Kevin doesn’t want to take the mission, that’s why he introduces himself as Jackie to everyone, and he resists against Tsui and doesn’t try to calm down Uncle Seven’s relatives when they attack him!

Still, I don’t think I would have enjoyed the movie anyway. Jackie Chan simply doesn’t work on an international scale: His plots aren’t researched enough as it is. Also, working on a smaller scale makes his characters more accessible and the action sequences believable. It conveyed that these fights aren’t happening in some exotic area, it could be just around the corner. Moving on, there are too many languages in this movie: English, Cantonese, Russian, and Mandarin, and the subtitles are un-readable. The action suffers too. They aren’t over the top at all. Snowboarding, snowmobiling, running, none of it is very gripping. Two fight scenes with a ladder and underwater need to be seen to be believed, but they’re either too long (Chinese version) or too short (American). There is no supporting cast in any sense, and the ending leaves a “That’s it?” feeling. In conclusion, this is the weakest of the Police Story series, and I urge all fans to ignore it. (Perhaps the currently in pre-production Police Story V will take things back to a smaller scale and explain these inconsistancies, as a plotline seen on the Net shows that May will be in the film. I hope so) I give this 6.5 out of ten for some passable action, but odd plotting.

P.S. I suspect that Jackie wanted to make a Police Story IV movie, but didn’t have the financial backing, so he dubbed the name Ka-Kui into one scene of this movie and slapped the title Police Story IV on.

GHCO’s Rating: 6.5/10

By Numskull

All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.
All stunt and no fight makes Jackie a dull boy.

Numskull’s Rating: 4/10

By Andrew

Many of the U.S. promotional spots proudly pronounced that in this film, “Jackie Chan fights for America for the first time.” He does, in fact, start the film this way. He plays a character that resembles Kevin Chan from the Police Story series, and he is helping the CIA by tracking a mysterious woman on a flight from the U.S. to the Ukraine. Shortly thereafter he lands himself in the middle of a nuclear transaction gone bad- and must save the day. Listen to costar Bill Tung at the beginning of the film when he describes Jackie’s assignment- “…that’s ALMOST all you do.”

From this we can plainly assume that Jackie will be involved in all kinds of hijinks for the next hour and a half. Jackie does a number of stunts in this film, but only one substantive fight scene. That is alright though, because this film is mainly about the laughs. Seeing Jackie get in and out of several sticky situations is what this movie is all about, and the more exotic the better. Rather than say that Jacke fights for America, perhaps we should just say that ‘Jackie fights in Australia’. Koala bears, accents from down under, and bad guys that would fit in on an Australian Football team are just a few of the things you’ll see in this one.

One interesting tidbit that you may want to remember for future movie trivia- Jackie doesn’t do all his own stunts in this one. At one point he snowboards off of a cliff only to grab onto a waiting helicopter. Then, seconds before the thing blows up Jacke plunges hundreds of yards into the icy waters below. He then has to stay under long enough to convince the bad guys that he is dead. Jacke did make the jump to the helicopter, and he did reside underwater in near-zero temperatures, but the fall was accopmlished by director/stuntman Stanley Tong. Nobody doubts that Jackie could have made the fall, but Tong didn’t want him to risk an injury for it. Also the director believes that if he does the hardest stunt in the film that he will earn the respect of all the two-bit stuntmen on his crew.

Andrew’s Rating: 8.5/10

By Ro

It’s supposed to be Police Story 4, but the only things that connect it to the other Police Stories is that he’s a Hong Kong cop and the same actor plays his superior, Uncle Bill (By the way, when exactly did he become his uncle? I think it was Supercop). This one was a little hard to follow, but like most of his films, ignore the plot, sit back and enjoy the ride! On the request of the CIA, he follows a Russian woman to the Ukraine and then hooks up with the new Russian KGB to head to Australia looking for a stolen nuclear warhead. I thought the action sequences were thrilling and there’s a couple good fights as well! In one part, Jackie rides a snowboard off a cliff, jumps off and grabs the legs of a hovering helicopter. Wow! Just a couple feet too high and he’d do a Twilight Zone!

It had some great comic moments, too. My favorite part what when he lands a bone-crunching punch to a huge Russian jaw and then assumes a menacing stance. Ever-so-slowly, his scowl turns into a grimace of pain and then he shakes out his sore hand. Does this guy have great comedic timing, or what? I have to add the one thing the guys will never tell you, girls. There’s a scene where Jackie is forced at gunpoint to strip while singing ‘I Will Follow You’. It’s hilarious and great viewing at the same time (the female tourists agree) It’s also payback for all the gorgeous naked female bodies we get bombarded with at the movies for our boyfriends to drool over while we only get to see a nude Harvey Keitel (in The Piano). You’ll notice the other (male) reviewers only mention this to complain, but did you hear one complaint on their part when we saw both girls naked in Operation Condor? Nooooo!

The dubbing’s weird – some people are speaking English, but their voices are dubbed in anyway, but Jackie dubs his own voice, so works for me!

Ro’s Rating: 8/10 (add a star it you think you’ll replay the strip scene!)

By James H.

I could just see the producers in their giant meeting, thinking “What could Jackie do next?” I’ll bet someone said “How about Jackie as James Bond?” And you know what, it worked. Of course, it was a little sillier than the average Bond film. There were plenty nods to Bond in “First Strike.” The beginning snowmobile/snowboard chase was reminiscent of “A View To A KIll,” while the underwater fight payed an homage to “Thunderball.”

Bond aside, it was a great film. Unfortunately, there weren’t many hand-to-hand fights, but everyone has to admit that the ladder scene is one of Jackie’s best. The action sequences were very well done as well. What also impressed me was the score, it was very majestic and powerful. Now what I didn’t like: The dub was average. Jackie, of course, giving his 101%, while the other actors just go through the motions. I also disliked the quick wrap up ending. It seemed to me that there should have been more before the credits rolled, it felt a lot like the end to “Rumble In the Bronx.” The other thing I didn’t get was that in Police Story 1, 2 & 3, he played ‘Kevin,’ but in this the character’s name was ‘Jackie’… strange, yes?

A great film, although not as good as “Police Story,” but equal to “Supercop,” and better than “Police Story 2.” This movie had everything; spies, action and humour. So sit back and enjoy Chan, Jackie Chan.

James H’s Rating: 8.5/10

By Vic Nguyen

Jackie Chan as James Bond. Although this is unusual, it still makes an effective action film. Jackie plays Jackie, a CIA agent assigned to follow a woman named Natasha. They suspect that she is involved in a plot to smuggle nuclear bombs. While following her, Jackie gets a new suspect, Tsui, whom he later finds out is involved in the nuclear bomb trades. But the main feature in this film is action, and fans will not be disappoointed. Fron Jackie sonwboarding down a steep mountain to an amazing fight sequence where Jackie uses a ladder, it has got it all. Also dont miss the outtakes, it shows some of Jackie’s painful bloopers with the ladders that the audience I was sittting with thought was hilarious.

Vic Nguyen’s Rating: 8/10

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

Police Story 3: Supercop (1992) Review

Posted on January 4, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Police Story 3" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Police Story 3” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Stanley Tong
Cast: Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Yuen Wah, Maggie Cheung Man Yuk, Kenneth Tsang, Josephine Koo, Bill Tung, Philip Chan Yan Kin, Mars, Ken Lo Wai-Kwong
Running Time: 90/95 min.

By Numskull

This is a review for Police Story 3. Not “Supercop.” FUCK “Supercop.” Police Story 3. Yeah, baby.

Jackie Chan, director of the first two Police Story films, passes the reins to Stanley Tong and shares the spotlight with Michelle Yeoh, whose unhappy marriage to producer/boy billionaire Dickson Poon had just been terminated and who was ready, willing, and able to resume kicking ass. This time ’round he’s on assignment in mainland China and Chan Ka Kui (formerly Chen Chia Chu…don’t ask) has to contend with “stranger in a strange land” syndrome, and his usual confidence and hardness of the rectal region are toned down somewhat. That’s not the only way this installment differs from its predecessors. Superintendent/Chief/Whatever Raymond is gone, Uncle Bill is now known as Uncle Piao, and Mars, who played a police officer in the first two films, is now a minor (VERY minor, actually) villain named Hsiung…a questionable casting decision, to say the least.

Perhaps the biggest difference of all is simply the general “feel” of the movie. Not for soccer moms herding their kids into the theater to watch Shanghai Noon are the scenes of drug injection, no-name characters getting gunned down, and Michelle’s character killing one of her own agents to prevent her cover from getting blown. It’s undoubtedly one of Jackie Chan’s most violent movies, and while that fact in and of itself doesn’t bother me in the slightest, I really think it would have been better off with a little more of his trademark goofiness. A LITTLE more, mind you. The poolside scene stank of ’80s sitcom, and on the Chinese DVD, Maggie Cheung’s voice is about two octaves lower when she’s speaking English. Next time, get someone bilingual to do the dubbing, eh?

This installment’s BATATE (Big Action Thingie At The End) is a doozy…so much the better after the pretty-good-but-not-quite-up-to-Police-Story-standards stuff earlier on. You can’t help but question Jackie Chan’s sanity as he hangs from a ladder dangling out of helicopter trying to shake him off as it flies high above the streets of Kuala Lumpur, and Michelle Yeoh has possibly her most nail-biting scenes ever…clinging to the side of a (fast) moving van and falling back onto the hood of a (again, fast) moving car (watch the outtakes for a true “holy shit” moment), AND the now famous motorcycle jump onto the top of a moving train. (Damn, I used the word “moving” too much in that sentence.) The festivities conclude with some nice hand-to-hand combat atop the train (remember when Jackie did that at the end of his movies? Ah, memories…).

At this point, the Police Story series is showing signs of its age, but certainly hasn’t degenerated into a sad parody of its former greatness. Worth owning, but only in its untainted, Tom Jones-free incarnation.

Numskull’s Rating: 7/10

By Ro

In this installment of the ‘Police Story’ saga, Jackie gets loaned to mainland China as a Hong Kong ‘Supercop’. He’s supposed to infiltrate a mob by helping the mob boss’s brother escape from prison. He teams up with Michelle Yeoh, as China’s chief of security. Great choice! Finally, a female who can hold her own with him, kick for kick! They should work together more often. Action and stunts galore, with just enough comedy thrown in to make everybody happy. By the end, I was pretty sure that the two of them moonlight as the Energizer Bunny. NOTHING stops them!!!

Added plus – Jackie dubs his own voice. Watch the outtakes for Jackie to join the (no doubt) exclusive club of people who’ve been hit by helicopters and lived to tell the tale. One minus – does Jackie really order ‘roast cat – with string beans’ in the restaurant?!?!?! No matter how many times I play it, that’s what I hear!

Ro’s Rating: 9/10

By James H.

A few weeks ago, I was bored and rented “Police Story III”, just for a comparison between the H.K. and U.S. version. I was quite disappointed when I got it home and watched it. To my dismay, the film ran only 95 minutes. Anyway, the scenes that were cut from the U.S. version didn’t help the movie.

Now the film itself is a good one, in fact it is a great one. Jackie goes into mainland China to retrieve a drug lord and infiltrate his gang. He is paired with a mainland officer played by Michelle Yeoh. That’s the basic premise and that’s all you need to know.

Some fans were disappointed with the lack of fights in the film. It is an action film, not a chop-socky. If you want to see a chop-socky flick rent “Drunken Master II” or “Young Master”. The action scenes in the film are great. There’s plenty of gunfire and explosions for everyone.

“Supercop” is, by far, the best JC film to be released in North American theatres. The dubbing is great, but the soundtrack is something to be desired. It is full of hip-hop and rock tunes that just don’t seem to fit the film. Although, Tom Jones’ rendition of “Kung Fu Fighting” is superb.

James H’s Rating: 9/10

By Dennis

This is one of chan’s most overrated movies. I’m not saying this is a bad movie but it had a lot of slow points to it. The fights were waaaaaay to short and needed more of them. The scene were Jackie fights a comrad in a police headquarters was a cool fight scene. Michelle Yeoh also had a few kick ass moments in this movie too. The thing that saved the movie was the stunts that takes place in Malaysia when Michelle Yeoh hangs from a bus avoiding other cars, Jackie hanging from a rope ladder of a helicopter, and Michelle Yeoh Jumping onto a moving train on a motorcycle. The previews which show all of the cool stunts, explosions, and cool kung fu movies is all you get in this movie. Overall with the Ok short fights and real impressive stunts…not bad.

Dennis’ Rating: 6.5/10

By Dembone

This one took a little getting used to. I had just grown to love the charm, dumb humor and Jackie’s brand of “non-violent” violence when I saw Supercop and my first impression was that it was rather dark and well… Violent. After the 2nd viewing I warmed up to it and caught more of the subtle humor. Michelle Yeoh was fantastic, a far superior role for her than the weak Bond flick, and the chemistry was great, as was the acting of the entire cast. As everyone else said, the action is spectacular, the best and most polished in any Chan film I’ve seen, however I enjoy Chan films more for the amazing martial arts and Supercop was definitely lacking in that department.

Am I the only one who thinks the beginning fight sequence in the school is absolutely incredible? Except that it was so short and didn’t really have any purpose (There’s no bad guy to hate) I think this is one of Jackie’s best displays of fighting on film – and probably the most realistic. I swear I re-wound that 2 minute scene like, 15 times! Overall, while not one of my personal favorites, definitely one of Chan’s finest moments…

Dembone’s Rating: 8.5/10

By Marcia

I think I’d have to rate this one as my all-time fave (to date). Forget the “lack” of fights, there’s a _story_ here! Jackie’s character actually has more than one dimension, and the chemistry with Michelle Yeoh (who, by the by, kicks major ass — gotta get me a copy of “Wing Chun” now) is priceless. Further, the frequent references to Jackie’s opera days are totally hilarious; just wish I knew more about Chinese opera so I could confirm my suspicions that some of the poses he strikes (e.g., before Ken Lo gets whacked by the sign during the train fight) are straight out of the opera. I could (and almost have) watch this one every day for a week quite happily and never get sick of it. Anyone who hasn’t seen this yet needs to do so, or suffer the wrath of those of us who have.

Marcia’s Rating: 8/10

By Stockton22

Would I burn in hell if I dare to say that I find this film to be better than the original? That point may be arguable, but consider this. A friend of mine once pointed out that the only good Star Trek films are the even numbered ones (Wraith of Khan, Voyage Home, Undiscovered Country, First Contact). While that’s hardly indisputable, it seems right to me. We have a similar pattern goin’ on with the odd numbered Police Story films. So far, 1 and 3 are the ones that matter (I’m looking forward to the long rumored number 5). But while the original was a groundbreaking stunner that brought kung fu into the modern world and more or less started Jackie tinkering with the non-fighting action sequence, and number 2 was lackluster attempt to recreate it, Police Story 3: Supercop is an altogether different beast.

Imagine if Die Hard 2 had real stunts instead of special effects and Bruce Willis did them himself. Or if Tomorrow Never Dies didn’t suck. Or if Joseph Yana knew what the hell he was talking about (ok, that one doesn’t really fit, but I couldn’t resist). That might give you an idea of the dynamic explosiveness of Supercop. The film had some Chan fans slightly disappointed, I think because it was a bit of a departure that violated some Chan purist ideals. First of all, Chan dared to allow another star to have their share of the spotlight. That would be the lovely and ass-kicking Michelle Yeoh, who pounds major damage and defies death with almost the same energized abandon as Jackie does. Hmmm, wait a minute, she’s not really the first costar to shine in a Chan flick. What about Sammo Hung in Project A? Or Yuen Biao in Wheels on Meals? Or Simon Yuen and I assume his stunt double in Drunken Master? Oh wait, I see why they’re upset. Because she’s woman! There’s a woman in a Police Story film who’s not there to just get kidnapped and be the source of comic relief? Don’t get me wrong, I love Maggie Cheung, but her talents as an actress were hardly being challenged here. It’s time to tell the purists that women aren’t just gonna sit at home, wear an apron, bake brownies, vacuum the carpet, cook dinner and have the husband’s cigar, martini and slippers ready for him when he come home from work. The 1950’s are over, Donna Reed is off the air and women are empowered! They’re gonna jump on to moving trains with their motorcycles, they’re gonna hold on for dear life on the side of a moving van, they’re gonna take a running jump into the air, do a flying split and kick two guys in the head at the same time, just like Michelle Yeoh does. They’re gonna deliver great action and look hot doing it. And action flicks will be all the better for it, just like Supercop is.

Second, and this criticism is more justified, there is less fighting in this flick than there had been in Jackie’s previous ones. The difference is noticeable and some Chan fans may be understandably irked. But I personally didn’t mind, because what we get instead is a virtual shopping list of action film conventions (so pay no attention to what Tom Weisser has to say). Supercop has everything you could ever want in an action film. Fights, explosions, stunts, shootouts, car chases, it literally has it all. Highlights include a drug trafficker’s summit that erupts into a fantastic shoot out, a rumble in a restaurant, and the heart stopping finale, which has Jackie hanging from a flying helicopter and culminates with him goin’ toe to toe with the mighty Ken Lo on top of a moving train. It may not be Drunken Master 2 (nothing is), but it’s damn fine fisticuffs nonetheless. And although the movie starts a little slowly (unlike the original, it doesn’t open with an action sequence), once it gets going, it rolls on like a freight train and just doesn’t stop. With Who Am I going straight to HBO (Can we send Ken Lo to the offices at Tri-Star to kick a little ignorant film executive ass?), Supercop remains, by far, the best of Jackie’s American theatrical releases.

Stockton22’s Rating: 10/10

By Vic Nguyen

This film is awesome! From the jaw dropping stunts to the beautiful and stunning Michelle Yeoh, this film has got it all! Jackie plays Chen Chia Chu, a supercop that has been assigned to break a dangerous drug ring led by a drug lord named Chaibat. To do so, he must free Panther, one of Chaibats men in jail and gain his trust to help him capture Chaibat. Joining Jackie is Inspector Yang played by the stunning Michelle Yeoh,she out does Jackie until the end, where Jackie jumps off a building to a helicoptor ladder, flying around Malaysia until dropping into a train for a fight against Chaibat and his men. All I could say is that this movie is fantastic and is easily available for rent at all video stores, but I recommend that you try to get this film subtitled and letterboxed at a local Chinese video store. If you cant get it from the Chinese video store, just get it!

Vic Nguyen’s Rating: 6/10 without Michelle Yeoh; 10/10 with her

By Dan-O

Why, why, WHY didn’t this movie make at LEAST $100 million in the US last summer. Come to think of it, why didn’t KINGPIN make it to the $100 mil. point. I’ll tell ya why, cause the little automatons were MUCH to busy watching INDEPENDENCE DAY for the umpteenth time. The American moviegoing public sucks, and you can quote me on that. Everyone I’ve shown “Supercop” to can’t get enough of it. I’ll say to them, “Didn’t you borrow it last week” and they’ll say “Yeaaaa…uh, no.” then I’ll say “BULLCRAP, YOU DID TOO!” and they say “OKAY, OKAY, I’LL COME CLEAN, I DID BORROW IT LAST WEEK, but I just ((sob, whimper)) love that movie ((heavy sobs)) SOOOOO MUUUUCH!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” then I’ll laugh, and laugh, and laugh….

Dan-O’s Rating: 9/10

Vic Nguyen’s Rating:

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

Police Story 2 (1988) Review

Posted on January 3, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Police Story 2" Japanese DVD Cover

“Police Story 2” Japanese DVD Cover

AKA: Police Force 2
Director: Jackie Chan
Cast: Jackie Chan, Maggie Cheung, Lam Gwok Hung, Bill Tung Biu, Benny Lai, John Cheung, Ben Lam Kwok Bun, Mars, Charlie Cho Cha Lei, Chu Yuan
Running Time: 100 min.

By Ro

I liked this movie even more than the first. The plot and characters are more developed than in Part I, and the humor is less broad. Jackie’s been demoted (due to his extreme measures in capturing the bad guys in Part I) and the goons (from Part I) start harassing and threatening May, his girlfriend. He quits the force just as a new group of bad guys extort some businessmen with bomb threats. So he’s back on the job and in charge of the investigation. I also liked the integration of other police officers into the scenes, especially the way they covered for him after he punches out a bad guy in the squad room and the unorthodox interrogation of a suspect. You go, girls!

There are lots of thrilling fights and stunts. I loved the one in the playground and the final one in the warehouse was typically spectacular (isn’t that an oxymoron?), with the added attraction of the bad guy bomb expert with great legs! Wow! How does he stay in the air long enough to kick Jackie 3 times?!?! In the version I saw, Jackie’s voice was dubbed by some anonymous Chinese guy. It sounded better than other dubbed voices I’ve heard, but it’s still not Jackie. P.S. I counted more head wounds in this movie’s outtakes than any other I’ve seen yet, including poor Maggie Cheung (May) who needed stitches.

Ro’s Rating: 8.5/10 (Subtract a star if you really like malls, he trashed another one in this movie!)

By Marcia

I have to disagree with the majority of the other reviewers here and say that this is better than the original (blasphemy!). The opening sequence was a nicely crafted piece of cinema, and it gets better from there. It seemed to me that the plot was somewhat smoother than PS, too — no sudden change into an over-the-edge psycho for our hero, for example. One of the best features of this film for me, though, was the fact that Maggie Cheung actually had a (gasp!) _dramatic role_! (I don’t think anyone can blame me for pooh-pooh’ing her acting abilities at the point in time when the only thing I’d seen her in was the dubbed version of Supercop…) You actually feel that there’s a connection between the lead characters — they are actually in love, instead of being in a sort of relationship of convenience. All in all, this film felt more “real” to me. Glowing comments in the other reviews about the fight scenes (and Maggie’s butt, if your preferences run that way, I guess) apply to my opinion, too, so go read the redundant stuff elsewhere.

Marcia’s Rating: 10/10

By Numskull

This isn’t a funny review, but you will find it hilarious by comparison after:

– Having an enema with boiling hot water
– Receiving a Friday the 13th-style sex change
– Watching Dennis Miller’s TV show
– Supervising four dozen twelve-year-olds at a Hanson concert

Police Story 2 is the second installment in the Police Story film series. It takes place after Police Story 1 and before Police Story 3. The Police Story sequence is Jackie Chan’s most successful series of films. AND YOU’D BETTER RECOGNIZE, MAGGOT. Jackie’s character in these films is a nice guy who, when he’s not on duty, lives by a simple code of conduct. DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU. However, the element that Jackie deals on a professional level often requires a more hard-nosed standard of behavior. DO UNTO OTHERS AS THEY DO UNTO YOU. And, worst of all, the crime world of Hong Kong with which Jackie has to contend does not play very nicely at all. DO UNTO OTHERS, THEN RUN. In the first of the Police Story films, Jackie endangered some innocent people, so, as of the beginning of Police Story 2, he has been chewed out by his superiors. WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR MALFUNCTION, DETECTIVE CHAN? From there, we are treated to a fast-paced action exhibition in which the threats made towards Jackie’s girlfriend May figure prominently. ONLY MONGOLOID AMOEBAE DON’T KNOW THAT MAY IS THE FIFTH MONTH OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.

There’s a fight in a restaurant, which is super; a fight in a playground, which is dandy; and a fight in a warehouse, which is totally neat-o. REMEMBER KIDS, FIGHTING NEVER SOLVES ANYTHING. WHEN SOMEONE INCESSANTLY PUSHES YOU AROUND, CALLS YOU NAMES, GIVES YOU WEDGIES, AND STEALS YOUR LUNCH MONEY, YOU SHOULD SHAKE THEIR HAND AND BECOME GOOD FRIENDS. All of the action sequences in this movie are good…so good, in fact, that you might work up a sweat and stink up the room just watching them. IF YOU WISH, YOU MAY USE THE PINK TRANSLUCENT SUBSTANCE THAT SMELLS LIKE BUBBLE GUM, SO THAT THERE WILL BE SUDS AND FUN FOR EVERYONE. I believe that the first Police Story is a better film than this one, although it isn’t as disappointing a sequel as was Project A Part II. NOW GET OFF THIS SUBVERSIVE PROPAGANDA SITE AND DO SOMETHING USEFUL LIKE MIXING WHITEWASH, YOU SON OF A MOTHERLESS GOAT.

Numskull’s Rating: 8/10

By Dan-O

Okay, let’s get the basics out of the way first: It wasn’t as good as the first flick, but we knew that, right?, and how many sequels are (besides The Godfather II, Aliens, and Drunken Master II)? And so what if the characters look and feel like walking talking cardboard cutouts, or if the story gave no real insight into anything. It wasn’t meant to, because, say it with me; “This Is A Jackie Chan Picture!”. What else can I say that has not yet been said? Well, how ’bout this little observation….. are ya ready?: THOSE BASTARDS SPED UP THE FIGHT SCENES AGAIN!! Dammit, who the hell is responsible for pulling this crap?!?! Oh man, I HOPE it ain’t Jackie, or I will be SORELY disappointed! I hope the original film wasn’t butchered in this way (side note: I’m reviewing the re-edited, English dubbed North American version. I have no clue just how different the original Cantonese version is)! Now I realize to some this may seem like a minor quibble, a ripple in a toilet bowl, not even worth wasting words on, but they, and you if you feel this way, are wrong. It’s okay, I’m sure you’ve been wrong more than once, so this is nothing new. Y’see, when they speed up the fights (THE reason we watch these kinds of movies, other than the stunts and such), they completely obliterate all sense of grace, fluidity, and timing in a ham-handed attempt to make the film more “exciting”, which of course is a total crock. I don’t care if Jackie IS “the Buster Keaton of our generation”, I don’t wanna feel as if I’m actually WATCHING a Buster Keaton film, where everything moves at twice normal earthly speed! I had to rewind a few of the fight scenes and watch ’em at least 3 times while squinting before I could make out what the hell was goin’ on!

Okay, now that I’m done ranting my ass clean off, let’s focus now on what went RIGHT with this movie: You do get a few fantastic shots of Maggie Cheung’s butt in tight fitting pants; that’s a definite plus (and it’s what I think Jeff was alluding to in his review)! The deaf-mute character really creeped me out. Maybe it was that voice over that made him sound like Fazzie Bear having an orgasm (I am NOT making this up!). Uh, lessee, what else…. Oh, the theme song at the end was catchier than the original, and the outtakes were more entertaining. So Dan-O, What’s the BOTTOM LINE?: Don’t fuck with the Hearing Impaired!

Dan-O’s Rating: 7 out of some number less than 11 but a wee bit higher than 9

By Vic Nguyen

This is the film that many, including me, have been waiting for, the sequel to one of Jackie Chan’s greatest films of all time, but when I saw it, I was mildly disappointed. This film isn’t as good as part 3 and a far cry from part 1, but is better than 4. Jackie again plays Kevin Chan, cop demoted to traffic control after the destorying lots of property and glass in the first film. Little does Kevin know is that Ku is after him again, and is also threatened I with terrorist’s. This film lacks the enjoyment of the first film, but it still had it’s moments, both in comedy and action. For comedy, I liked it when May( Maggie Cheung) storms into the police shower and bathroom in order to comfront Kevin, going into a stall in which Uncle Bill is occupying it, and for action, the fight in the resteraunt, the playground, and the finale. The outtakes were pretty good too. Overall, Jackie fans should check it out everywhere, but don’t expect the Police Story that we all know and love.

By Vic Nguyen’s Rating: 8/10

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

Police Story (1985) Review

Posted on January 3, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Police Story" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Police Story” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Police Force
Director: Jackie Chan
Producer: Leonard Ho
Cast: Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Lam Gwok Hung, Mars, Bill Tung, Chu Yuan, Fung Hak On, Charlie Cho, Tai Bo, Paul Wong Kwan, Benny Lai Keung-Kuen
Running Time: 85/94 min.

By Alexander

First of all, if you want to read a kick-ass review of this film, scroll down to Vic Nguyen’s below.

And since every second of Police Story has seemingly already been pulled apart, analyzed and slavered over in the 36 (yes, 36) reviews on this site, I’ll keep this one short (although not as short as Dennis’ three word gem a few inches down: “Just watch it!”).

While it’s certainly not the greatest action film ever made, Police Story is definitely required viewing by any fan of Hong Kong cinema. The fight scenes are amazing, Jackie gets absolutely punished throughout, and it’s filled with some surprisingly funny slapstick comedy. Chan is a far better performer than I previously gave him credit having only watched the embarrassing Rumble in the Bronx and the so-so Rush Hour 2. The guy can act, and the knowledge that he is actually performing the ridiculously dangerous stunts on screen further heightens his appeal. Sure, the bits in the middle are pretty lame, especially the poorly written courthouse scene, but the action that bookends the film more than makes up for this.

Based on the plethora of reviews below, I’m SO thankful I watched the Mega Star version of the DVD and not the obviously horrid New Line butchering. (Read Dan-O’s great review below for more details on the differences.)

Now, could somebody PLEASE explain to me what the HELL that motorcycle was doing in the mall?!

Alexander’s Rating: 8/10

By Vic Nguyen

It is 1985, and after a nightmare of a film shoot in the form of James Glickenhaus’ ” The Erector….er..The Protector”, our hero Jackie Chan returned to top form by writing and directing the film that many would call his masterpiece. That film is Police Story, and even after a decade of other worthy classics, this one certainly lives up to it’s name, and stands as “king of the hill” above the rest.

In this first installment of a series spanning 4 (possibly 5) films, the story finds Chan playing rough-and-tumble supercop named Chan Kau-kui. As the film opens, the audience is treated to a series of action sequences in which an undercover drug bust goes wrong. Destruction runs rampant, civilians and cops get injured, but in the end, Kau-kui takes down the fleeing suspect, known as mob boss Ku. Ku, as it turns out, is the prime suspect in a multi-million dollar cocaine ring, and will stop at nothing to get himself off the hook. That includes murder, which leads to the intro of the character Selina Fong. Fong is the only witness who can take Ku down, but the problem is that she will not cooperate. The police suspect a potential hit on Fong by the treacherous Ku, so of course, they assign their toughest supercop Kau-kui, to protect her. When Kau-kui takes Fong back home to his place for the night, this of course leads to some tension between himself and his girlfriend May. After a disastorous trial, Ku gets off the hook, but that doesn’t mean that Selina is. Eventually, Ku’s thugs gets to Selina. Kau-kui, learning of her kidnapping, finds the spot she is being held and helps her escape, but due to a series of events, Kau-kui is now being framed for the murder of a fellow officer. With the help of May, he must now go on the run, and therefore, decides to go solo in bringing Ku to justice. Meanwhile, Selina (now finally realizing that Ku is trying to kill her) manages to hack into Ku’s files, and subsequently prints out incriminating evidence against Ku. They all unintentionally meet up in one of Hong Kong’s large shopping malls, leading to the classic action finale, which pits Kau-kui and Selina against many of Ku’s gangsters, intent on killing both of them once and for all.

Police Story is magnificent in each and every aspect. The cinematography again shows that Chan is an exquisite filmmaker when using the scope format. Each and every shot is framed perfectly, making a pan and scan version nearly unwatchable. Let’s just say that Chan has filmmaking down cold. The comedic sequences, which openly shows the influences of some of Chan’s favorites in silent film, are well handled, making them a pleasure to watch. The performances perfectly fit the film. The villains are appear nasty and cruel, as they should be, and the heroes are the ones you cheer for during the final reel. The whole cast made the best of their characters, and it shows. Even the music works, something you cannot say often about a Hong Kong film. You just gotta’ love the final tune, sung by Chan himself.

Then there is the action…… It is impossible to sum up the action is 1 word, many other words come to mind, but basically, I’ll sum it all down with a commonly used praise, “Kick ass”! From the adrenaline pumping first reel, featuring Chan getting into a shootout, destroying a shantytown with a single car, clinging on a bus using only an umbrella, and then standing right in the middle of an oncoming bus (all in that order), you know you have something special going. But, of course, it doesn’t end there. Many more action scenes follow, which up the kick ass quotient off the scale, but when you though it was over, it doesn’t end yet. The final reel, with Chan utilizing everything, and I mean everything, inside a shopping mall to dispense of the bad guys is the grand poobah of all the action in Police Story. It also features the show stopper, or the stunt that generates the “oooohs and ahhhs” from the audience. This stunt features our hero sliding down a 5 story pole decorated with lights, only to crash through glass and onto the ground, and getting up for some more (all in one shot!)! This is Chan’s best stunt, period. All the “does all his own stunts” slogans will lead to this one right here.

The outtake reel is also the best one featured in a Chan film. Here, it shows him taking more bumps, blood, and bruises than anywhere else. Again, that catchy tune helps it out a bit.

Jackie Chan’s Police Story went through a variety of versions following it’s release in Hong Kong theaters in 1985. First came the batch of VCD’s, laserdiscs, and videotapes released in the 80’s. Only the laserdisc is letterboxed, but I don’t think it’s subbed. Next came the films release upon America, beginning with a screening at the New York Film Festival. Following this came it’s release on video. This version is dubbed, pan and scan, and is edited, typical America. All these versions existed until the machine known as DVD hit the shelves. Mega Star, a Hong Kong company, subsequently released the entire trilogy onto the format, all letterboxed with removable subs. This is the best version of the film available today. And finally, New Line Cinema wanting to cash in during Chan’s growing popularity in the states, released a redubbed, pan and scan, cut version of the film onto the rental market. Besides the incredibly crisp quality, there is nothing else to recommend about this version. The dubbing is annoyingly bad, and furthermore, it is presented in pan and scan. Get the DVD if possible, it is the only true way to view this masterpiece.

Incase you didn’t already get the picture, Police Story is my all time favorite Jackie Chan film. Before then, it was Drunken Master 2, but after viewing the film subbed and letterboxed, the way it was meant to be seen, it made me appreciate the film so much more. When Chan said that he was going to make the ultimate cop movie that the Protector should have been, he wasn’t kidding. Police Story is a required viewing for all those action junkies who crave something more different than the typical Hollywood $400 billion dollar explosion-thon. Very highly recommended.

Vic Nguyen’s Rating: 10/10

By Marcia

So much has already been said about this film, there’s not much I can add. I can definitely understand why, for action, it’s Jackie’s own favorite. I don’t know that there’s anything which could be done to improve upon it directly, but I find it ranks third out of the four Police Story installments for me. Regardless, it should be part of any fan’s collection.

Marcia’s Rating: 9/10

By Dan-O

New Line Re-release: As soon as I heard the opening theme of this ’98 re-release (of a film 95% of Americans are blissfully ignorant of), my stomach contents stewed to a boil. It was the opening theme New Line used for “First Strike”, revisited and recycled. Now, I can understand if this were some fledgeling, nickel and dime company from a banana republic country, but this is New Line Cinema, who milked Freddy Kreuger for a mint and a half. They can’t afford to commision a decent opening theme? I guess not. Also, New Line, and Miramax, seem to be quite intent on hiding the fact that Jackie Chan can sing from the American public. What would I rather hear?; the original theme music, featuring Jackie, digitally remastered, or would I rather hear some crap-can generic cookie cutter music that was probably lifted from the “demo” song on a new Korg keyboard they bought at Service Merchandise. The music added to the fight scenes is all wrong. The scenes didn’t require music, they had a rhythm all their own, but Hollywood really digs mood music, so I guess there was no avoiding it. Oh, and ANOTHER thing, now that I think of it, the “punch” and “kick” sounds are in some cases laughably bad. The multi bootlegged British version I have had MUCH more convincing effects. Half the time the foley artists seem to have gotten the impact sounds back-asswards, so a kick to the stomach now makes a “WHACK”, rather than a duller “WHUD”. Great Job, New Line.

They have also put their half-assed stamp on this movie by renaming Jackie’s character “Jackie”, again. What the hell is this cop’s name anyway? I’ve heard KaKui, Kevin Chan, and now Jackie. There’s about as much continuity there as in any given David Lynch movie.

Now, the next atrocity committed by New Line is dubbing Jackie’s character with an even more pathetic imitation of Jackie’s thick accent than the one I reviled in Crime Story. This idea was pure rocket science. I’m sure there’s a rational reason why Jackie, and maybe 2 or 3 other characters in the movie have these ridiculous fake Chinese accents, while everyone else speaks “American”, but I is far to stoopid to figg’r it owt. The only voice I found appealing was that of “Selina”. The voiceover in this version makes her out to be more competent than the whiny, nails-on-a-chalkboard voice of the British version I have. Now about the editing. Like the Brit version, the 3 scenes cut that I recall from the original are 1) the scene in the beginning where that cop loses his nerve and wets his pants, 2) the phone scene, which was kinda stupid anyway, but fun all the same. Some of the humor doesn’t really translate well, I imagine, and 3) the scene just before he takes the commissioner hostage where Jackie got REALLY pissed off and ranted about his crappy job vs. the commissioner’s cushy job.

The one saving grace of this version is the picture quality, which is GORGEOUS! Crystal clear, obviously taken from the an original print. This alone makes this worth seeing, or owning, unless you own a Chinese laserdisc or DVD copy, in which case, why the hell are you reading this?

Dan-O’s Rating: My rating for the new Police Story: 6/10, but but a 10/10 for the picture quality. The reason for the low score has nothing to do with the movie itself. Click here to read Dan-O’s original review for the old version.

By James H.

Great day in the morning! I’ve been waiting so long for New Line’s re-release of “Police Story.” I decided to hold off from reviewing the movie until the New Line version came out. I bought it for $29.95 at a local video store (the only one in town that has it). It was worth EVERY penny. While still running only 90 minutes the quality is much higher than the Simitar version I had on tape.

Now the movie itself is a masterpiece. This is one of my top ten favourite movies of all time. Everything about this movie is amazing; the action, the fights and the comedy. In my opinion Jackie reached his pinnacle (thus far) with “Police Story.” The film is built to deliver and amaze the audience. The opening chase is great, the fight in the parking lot is great as well, but the finale in the mall is a fist fight raised to the Nth degree. It’s absolutely sensational!

The comedy bits were woven very well with the action. I loved the bit were he was “talking” to May on the phone, and the court scene was great too. The only drawback with the New Line version is that Jackie didn’t dub himself, but the guy they got did a good job. The other weird thing was that Jackie plays Jackie Chan! I guess it is to keep up the continuity with “First Strike.”

I also liked how they used the main theme from “First Strike,” implying that “First Strike” is a sequel. Anyway, a spectacular film from start to finish. And if you haven’t seen it, may your stomach become bloated and your head be plucked of all but three hairs.

James H’s Rating: 10/10

By Numskull

With America having gone apeshit over the good-but-not-great Rumble In The Bronx and First Strike, just imagine the reaction if this puppy were re-dubbed and shown in theaters. As I write this review (December 13, 1997), I think of what a great solution it would make to the Home Alone 3/Flubber/Anastasia/Mouse Hunt/candy-coated-dog-shit-passed-off-as-solid- entertainment-and-crammed-down-your-throat-in-lieu-of-half-way-decent-movies blues (Happy Holidays my ass!).

This movie is readily available in the USA, courtesy of Parade Entertainment, purveyors of such fine cinematic achievements as Eagle Shadow Fist and 36 Crazy Fists. It has about 15 minutes cut out, but as far as I know, you’ll still get to see all the good stuff (and you won’t have to put up with those damn subtitles that run off the screen and blend into the picture). The opening action sequence with the cars, bus, and shanty village and the most excellent closing one in the shopping mall (if it’s made of glass it ain’t safe!) seem to have gotten most of the spotlight, but the one that takes place in, on, and around two other cars is also quite good. Plus, the comedy in this is some of Jackie’s best (“Do you want something to drink?” “Yes, orange juice.” “Well, get it then!”).

No true JC fan will finish this one disappointed. Fellows, if you ever happen to be caught in a situation where you must choose between watching this movie and being suckled upon like a Charms Blow-Pop by Playboy Magazine’s Playmate of the Year, don’t be a fool…WATCH THIS MOVIE!!!

Numskull’s Rating: 10/10

By Sean Johnson

What a film! This is truly one of Chan’s best ever. The action starts from the beggining and never lets up. Jackie plays Kevin Chan a Maverick cop from the Royal Hong Kong Police. He is destined to get gangster Ku behind bars once and for all, but it’s not going to be that easy. Ku is a sly one who has numerous bodyguards and associates backing him up. Ku’s game is drug trafficking, a game he plays with precision and efficiency. The film starts out in a scene with Chan and other team members trying to bust Ku’s operation, but when the planning goes awry Chan has to, let’s say improvise on what to do.

That improvising means going on a mad car chase through an actual shanteytown (one of the best filmed car chases in movie history), then slides down a steep hill to get onto a double decker bus that has Ku and his men in it; on the street Chan steals a woman’s umbrella, runs after the bus, and grabs onto it by the crook of the umbrella (wait not done yet), hangs on for a couple of minutes until he is thrown off. Chan meets up with the bus again in a minute, blocks it’s way and corners Ku. Ku temps Chan with a bribe but is ultimitly arested. Telling anymore about the film’s plot would ruin the film, but if you are reading this you have most likely seen it. Anyways, so onto the praise…

The film always keeps the action going and has many outstanding fights that make your jaw drop from pure amazement. There is the fight at night with car parts a flying, there’s the fight at a hideaway house of Ku’s men, and finally the daddy of them all the fight in a populated shopping mall that breaks the record for the most glass broken in a single scene. The fight at the end in my opinion is one of the best choreographed and executed fights of any action film ever released. The stunts are so great in this one scene and the fighting so fluid that you’ll be talking about it for days after you see it. I only wish that Chan would continue to make scenes that flow this well in his upcoming pictures.

With films like First Strike, the action is there but there is only one fight scene in the middle. I believe that in all Chan pics there should be an outstanding fight that has the audience yelling and clapping trough it. Okay so I’ve said that onto the rest of the movie, the homour is some of the funniest Chan has done. The best part about the humour is that it really isn’t corny and does fit in perfectly with the storyline. If you pick up the American version called Jackie Chan’s Police Force about ten minutes of the film will be cut out which just happens to be some of the humour. Two scenes are cut out to be exact. On the bright side the film is dubbed and us non Chinese speakers can pick up on some of the dialoge we missed while watching the pan and scanned Asian version that has the classic cut off/blend into the background subtitles. Oh yeah the American version is only ten bucks while the other is forty. But if you can find a widescreen fromat of the film, I say go for it!

Sean Johnson’s Rating: 10/10

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

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (2005) Review

Posted on January 3, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Lee Young-Ae, Choi Min-Sik, Kwon Ye-Young, Kim Shi-Hoo, Oh Dal-Su, Lee Seung-Shin, Ko Su-Hee, Kim Byung-Ok, Ra Mi-Ran, Seo Young-Ju, Kim Bu-Seon
Running Time: 112 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

Watching a Park Chan-Wook film is like listening to a new Radiohead album; at first, you’re not exactly sure what to think, but your initial reaction to the production is positive. To simply put it, a Park Chan-Wook or Radiohead project may not instantly suck you in, but if you’re willing to stick with it, you’ll realize that every scene or note is of divine and artistic quality.

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is Park Chan-Wook’s third and final chapter in his “Revenge Trilogy” (with Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Old Boy being the first two). All three films are not connected story or character wise, but they do share the obvious revenge theme, as well as the same circle of known actors in Park’s other films.

In Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, (don’t worry, no spoilers here) Kum-ja (Lee Young-ae) is charged with the kidnapping and murder of a boy and is sent to prison for 13 years. Because of her stunning good looks, the media feeds off her situation and in the process, makes her a celebrity (ie Natural Born Killers). Her bright, polka-dotted fall dress becomes her image trademark. Even in prison, she makes a name for herself by being an inspiration or “saint” (complete with glowing face) to fellow cell mates because of her kind heart and inspirational speeches.

When Kum-ja is released, she becomes cold hearted and the good old revenge story follows with twists, turns, savage violence, and a truly bad ass gun that I wouldn’t mind owning…

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance takes Park Chan-Wook’s unorthodox style to a greater level than all of his films combined. It’s filled with uncanny visuals, lavish dream sequences, black & white shots, and even scratchy/aged film stock effects. It’s pure eye candy, even though some of it is strange. The music, consisting of crisp orchestrated pieces, enhance the movie in every right way.

Lee Young-ae’s performance is amazing. Think Brigitte Lin in Chungking Express, only a little more twisted. She’s not exactly youthful-looking (after all, she’s supposed to play a thirty-something), but her charisma and diverse acting ability makes her appealing. Choi Min-Sik… need I say anything about this guy? If you’ve seen his other word (Old Boy, Shiri), you can expect another fine performance from one of Korea’s best actors.

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is definitely not Park Chan-Wook’s best film (Mr. Vengeance still wins in my opinion) but it certainly shows his continuing growth as a director whose work will probably be studied and imitated for years to come.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 8/10

Posted in Korean, Reviews | Tagged , , , |

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) Review

Posted on January 3, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” Korean Theatrical Poster

AKA: Myboksu
Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Song Gang-Ho, Shin Ha-Gyun, Bae Doo-Na, Im Ji-Eun, Han Bo-Bae, Kim Se-Dong, Lee Dae-Yeon
Running Time: 175 min.

By Owlman

While watching SFMV, I couldn’t help recalling my own bitter memories of a tragic moment several years ago. A very dear female friend of mine was found stabbed to death and her body dumped in a hockey equipment bag behind a hotel. While her family grieved, my own grief got to the point where it degenerated into pure, unadulterated rage. That rage then further declined into murderous thoughts when they finally caught the bastard who did it.

During that time, I kept wondering whether it would be prudent for me to step into the courtroom proceedings and give that motherfucker his due, courtesy of me and Ginsu, regardless of the cost. To me, it just seemed like the only right thing to do, given the circumstances.

Which is where SFMV comes in. This movie brought that whole scenario rushing back to my mind. Like Eq says in his review, there are no real evil people here (other than the black market human organ thieves) – the main characters simply fall into a downward spiral as a result of unfortunate circumstances that befall them. Watching Ryu and Park make their swift and parallel moral decline due to their equal burning search for vengeance was heartbreaking because it made me realize how easy it could be for anyone to do the same.

It is mainly because of how that message was delivered by Park Chan-Uk that I highly recommend this fantastic film.

However, I must also point out the masterful direction, cinematography, and acting of SFMV. The director used a lot of long takes that offered up an entrancing look into the daily tribulations of Ryu – his work at the electronics manufacturing plant, his journey back home, and his care for his ailing sister. While the movie moved in a slow pace, it wasn’t to the point where it induced sleep. Quite frankly, I think too many people expected a nail-biter with lots of explosions and bodies. SFMV was obviously nothing like that – suspense came in the form of wondering what Ryu and Park were going to do to each other as it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that both were going to kill each other.

Violence came in a shocking manner. It wasn’t so much the gore of bloodletting, which was not as extreme as some would have led you to believe. It was really the delivery of it after such a lull. Like I said above, you knew that violence was going to eventually happen, but after getting used to ordinary citizens like Ryu and Park, it came as a shock that such individuals could be capable of delivering it in such fashion. When you combined the violence with the leisurely pace of the rest of the film, it played out almost like a Takeshi Kitano film.

As for the acting, Shin Ha-Kyun met the challenge of portraying Ryu with all emotions and thoughts solely through facial expressions and actions – a challenge that he met very well. Song Kang-Ho played out the role of Park just as well, starting off as a fairly happy and successful company president and gradually declining into a raging father. Bae Doo-Na portrayed Yongmi as a really annoying bitch at first but it became clear that her character was very important as a catalyst for everything and she did just fine.

In summary, SFMV comes highly recommended, if not for the jarring message that it delivers, then for its wonderful direction and characterization.

Owlman’s Rating: 10/10

By Alexander

(Many spoilers ahead, people.)

“It wasn’t so much the gore of bloodletting, which was not as extreme as some would have led you to believe.” So says frequent poster and sometime reviewer owlman in his review of the excessively violent, needlessly shocking, gratuitous and ultimately boring Korean dud “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.” I’ve read hundreds of the reviews on this site, but never have I scratched my head in confusion like I did upon reading owlman claim, “[it] was not as extreme as some would have led you to believe.” I mean, ANM’s (another frequent poster on this site) near-obsessive fawning over Jean-Claude Van Damme makes more sense than that statement does.

Are you joking? Being ironic? Did we watch the same fucking movie? The same “Sympathy” that features a grotesquely realistic scene of a man slashing his own bloated belly with a knife? Another involving a knife being jabbed into an artery and an ensuing close-up of blood roiling beneath the guy’s skin until he removes the knife at which point gallons of blood erupts from his neck, geyser-like? The same movie that shows, from afar, a man getting bashed in the head with an aluminum bat? A knife being plunged into a chest? A man’s palm slashed with a knife? Achilles tendons ripped apart, in close-up? Scenes of torture? Necrophelia? Bloody urine? Not extreme enough for you, owlman? Dude, do you store severed heads in your freezer next to the Ben and Jerry’s? Human hearts perfectly preserved in Gladware next to the leftover take-out?

Jesus, dude. You scare me.

“Sympathy” is extremely violent. Gratuitously so. NEEDLESSLY so, which serves only to detract from what otherwise could have been a moving and thought-provoking story of revenge on a much deeper level than what we’re used to seeing in the usual Hollywood fare. For example, I thought the most shocking and disturbing scene was of the drowning of the daughter, filmed over the shoulder of a preoccupied man, and the ensuing close-up of her half-submerged in water, lodged against a rock. THAT scene freaked me out, and terrified me on a level that managed to add suspense to the story without turning me off to it.

Remember the torture scene in “Reservoir Dogs”? It was shocking and believable and underscored the bad-ness of Mr. White’s character. It was relevant and necessary and it wasn’t one of a series of equally gruesome and horrifying scenes throughout the film. It was the ONLY horrifying scene in the film, which made it that much more effective. Remember the scene of Travolta and Jackson in the sedan in “Pulp Fiction”? The one where the gun accidentally goes off, destroying that kid’s head in the back of the car and leaving brain matter on the rear window? THAT is the kind of scene that plays repeatedly in “Sympathy.” But Tarantino’s bit works because it’s so novel. It’s not followed by more horrific violence and gore. It’s followed by great dialogue and advancement of the story. Hell, Tarantino even lampooned the waves of violence in Asian films in “Kill Bill.” “Sympathy,” however, plays it straight without a bit of irony (with the exception of the title, as there is no one involved who deserves our “sympathy”)…and it fails. It’s just too much. (“Sympathy” warrants comparison to another ultra-violent Korean movie, “Old Boy.” But the violence in “Old Boy,” while gratuitous, fits within the context of that film. “Sympathy’s” doesn’t.)

As mentioned in previous reviews, there are long stretches in the movie with no dialogue at all. This would have worked fine had this silence not been punctuated with so much villainy and graphic violence. Instead of giving me a few minutes to process the plot (which is ridiculously confusing at times) and themes, we’re instead left bracing ourselves for the next scene of depravity.

Alexander’s Rating: 5.5/10

By Equinox21

Park Chan-wook is at it again. After all the high praise he received for his masterpiece J.S.A., he got the chance to finish his Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance project that he’d started working on even before J.S.A. What results is perhaps one of the most brilliant, brutal and gritty films to ever come out of Korea.

Deaf and mute Ryu (Shin Ha-kyun) dropped out of art school to work two shifts at a factory to earn some money so he could pay for medical treatment for his sick sister (Lim Ji-eun), who is in dire need of a kidney transplant. The transplant will cost 10,000,000 won (roughly $8500), which is all the money Ryu has to his name; they’ll need a different donor, however, as Ryu and his sister have different blood types. The waiting list could be very long for a donor, so he meets with some black-market organ dealers and they come to the agreement that he’ll give them one of his kidneys and the 10 million won in exchange for a matching kidney for his sister. He wakes up from his less than clean surgery only to find the dealers, along with his money and a kidney, gone. When Ryu is then fired for missing too many days of work, he and his friend, Cha Yeong-mi (Bae Doo-na), take it upon themselves to kidnap the daughter of the president of his former place of employment, Park Dong-jin (Song Kang-ho), for a 10 million won ransom. Of course, things go wrong and Park takes it upon himself to seek revenge for the death of his daughter. If this has you confused, don’t worry; watching the movie is far easier to follow and far more enjoyable, I’m sure.

There is so much to love about this movie. For one, there are no bad guys in this movie (with the possible exception of the organ dealers), everyone simply does what they feel is the right thing to do at any particular time. Whether what they do is bad or not, does not make the characters bad in and of themselves. Another thing is the direction and visual artistry that are absolutely stunning. This has some of the most beautiful, yet extremely simple, images yet filmed. A third is the acting, which shines. The three lead actors all bring far more to their characters than you would ever expect to see. Finally, the brutality of this movie is completely justified and almost artful, albeit difficult to watch at times. All these things together make for one of the most enjoyable films of 2002.

The most interesting elements of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance are the two main characters, Ryu and Park. The fact that Ryu is a deaf/mute is discussed, but never becomes the major focus of the story. It is simply a trait of his character that is accepted and no one makes a big deal of. Ryu simply deals with the life he’s dealt, difficulties and all. Park on the other hand seems to have almost everything going his way; president of a successful electronics company, plenty of money and a loving daughter. When his daughter is taken from him, he decides to sell the company and his house so as to devote all his time and effort to seeking vengeance. He stops at nothing to get it. As stated before, neither of the characters take the actions they do because they’re bad people, they’re just in situations where they feel the things they do are for the right reasons.

There isn’t much that Park Chan-wook could have done to make this a better film, it is very nearly perfect as is. It’s extremely different from, yet just as enjoyable as, his previous film Joint Security Area. If you want to see a terrific looking, extremely brutal yet highly enjoyable character study, see Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance as soon as possible.

Equinox21’s Rating: 10/10

By Joe909

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is not a pleasant movie to watch. In many ways, it represents all that is good and bad about Korean cinema. Good because of the lush cinematography and effective acting, bad due to the snail’s pace and overt exposition.

MPM’s review below goes into great detail about the plot, so I will just leave it that Sympathy is a morbid tale that is nearly Shakespearean in its darkness. And it is this darkness that leaves such a bad taste in the viewer’s mouth. There are no redeeming, tension-relieving qualities in Sympathy. The lush cinematography lingers over horrifying images, such as a dead bodies floating in a lake, or bloody bags of human remains resting on the ground.

Like most Korean movies, it takes quite some time for the plot to kick into gear. It is this casual pace that most turns me off to Korean movies. I’m as much for jumping on a bandwagon as the next guy, but I still need some convincing when it comes to Korean cinema. The ones I have seen take too many of the bad qualities of Japanese cinema (slow pace, tedious melodrama) and too little of the good qualities (i.e. economical storytelling) of Western/Hong Kong-style cinema.

Undoubtedly Korean films look better than any other Asian cinema; most of them look like they could’ve been produced by a fat-walleted Hollywood production company. I think it is this aspect that has drawn Hong Kong movie addicts to Korean cinema. I also feel that the average HK film-watcher has gotten older, perhaps mellowed with age, and so is open to movies that are less frenetic.

All told, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance is a dour, downbeat, modern film noir that isn’t afraid to show images most other films would shy from. I didn’t like it, but I still respect the director’s vision, and his conviction in releasing such a non-crowd pleaser after the well-received “JSA.”

Joe909’s Rating: 6.5/10

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

Hitman in the Hand of Buddha (1981) Review

Posted on January 3, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Hitman in the Hand of Buddha" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Hitman in the Hand of Buddha” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Hwang Jang Lee
Cast: Hwang Jang Lee, Fan Mei Sheng, Eddie Ko, Tino Wong Cheung, Meng Hoi, Corey Yuen, To Siu Ming, Yeung Wai, Bruce Cheung Mong, Kim Yu-Haeng
Running Time: 90 min.

By Perkele

Wong Jing and his brother work in a rice trading company but their competitors discover that they are cheating the public. These competitors hire a top fighter to deal with the brothers.

A rare chance to get to see the ultimate kung fu villain Whang Jang Lee play a good guy. This film is also his only self-directed pictured. Not bad, so to say. Lee shows off his impressive kicking skills but also uses his hands, staff and chopsticks. Actually the brilliant footwork is only showcased during the opening credits [he uses his whole kicking repertoite here, which might be the best fight of the film] and in the last fights [finishing the evil Eddie Ko with an incredible, real [no wires] version of Wong Fei Hung’s No Shadow Kick].

So there’s fighting aplenty, but the ones in the middle are nothing special. And as usual, the story is basically the boring and over used dude-gets-defeated-and-then-avenges-after-the-training-at-the-Shaolin-temple thing. Lee and Fan Mei Sheng are the good people, while Eddie Ko and Tino Wong are the villains.

Recommended.

Perkele’s Rating: 7/10

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

Shaolin Fox Conspiracy | aka Jade Dagger Ninja (1982) Review

Posted on January 3, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Shaolin Fox Conspiracy" International Theatrical Poster

“Shaolin Fox Conspiracy” International Theatrical Poster

AKA: Forest Due, Ninja Jade Dragon
Director: Li Chao Yung
Cast: Tin Peng, Chung Wa, Doris Lung Chung Erh, Rose Gua Ah Leh, Wong Hap, Nancy Yen Nan Hs, Chin Meng, Tin Yau, Kam Kong, Chen Chin Hai, Ma Cheung, Mau Ging Shun, Shut Chung Tin, Wong Chi Sang, Yun Zhong Yue
Running Time: 75 min.

By Joe909

This one may not be very well known, but it’s a gem nonetheless. I stumbled across it in a small video store near my brother’s Air Force base, in Sumter, South Carolina. The box cover showed this crazy, bearded, green-skinned guy glaring with rage. The back of the box promised the following story: “…there is one thing that will motivate the highly skilled warrior to somehow emerge victorious: the purple jade badger. Its owner will be recognized as the leader of all martial artists. Even though it is hidden in Chi Ha Villa, the center of wealth and power, the best and the bravest are trying to find it. But Shao, the Flying Fox, is on a mission to destroy the priceless badger, the symbol that has cost so many lives. To the other marial artists, the objective is clear: kill Shao.”

This movie is sort of like kung-fu meets Shakespeare. It’s full of double-crosses, traitorous urges, and backstabbings. It’s also got some great kung fu and sword fights. Lots of flying and flipping, though nothing fancy like the moves of the late ’80s HK heyday, or anything as choreographed as a Shaw Brothers production. When the main baddie (who shows up in the final quarter of the film) finally gets hold of the jade badger, he drinks the liquid inside, and becomes the green-skinned monster shown on the video’s cover. His hair grows, his skin changes color, and he apparently no longer has the ability to speak: every time he opens his mouth, a magnified lion’s roar comes out. Swords no longer pierce his skin, punches and kicks do nothing. He kills everyone in his way, until only the three main characters finally defeat him ? after, of course, a noble sacrifice by one of the heroes. Ever noticed how in most of these kung fu flicks someone has to give their life in order to stop the villain? I always wondered if there was a message, there… Nah, probably not.

And as if the movie itself wasn’t great enough, the dubbing is just exceptional. With such lines as “Your kung-fu is good…but I wonder, how would you be in bed? Would you be as good?” (spoken by a villainous female), you know you’re in for a treat. I loved the movie so much I asked the video store owner if I could buy it. He sold it to me for a whopping five dollars.

Joe909’s Rating: 9/10

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

SPL: Sha Po Lang | aka Kill Zone (2005) Review

Posted on January 3, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Kill Zone" International DVD Cover

“Kill Zone” International DVD Cover

Director: Wilson Yip
Cast: Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, Wu Jing, Liu Kai Chi, Timmy Hung Tin Ming, Austin Wai Tin Chi, Kenji Tanigaki, Ken Cheung Chi Yiu, Au Hin Wai
Running Time: 93 min.

By Cobak

When I saw this film I was starving, not just for dinner (which I actually was) but for some good Hong Kong cinema. HK cinema fans have been waiting since 2001’s Fulltime Killer, a film in which many including myself thought would be the reincarnation of HK action cinema, but despite the great film it was it in fact was the “disappearance”. Well folks good news it has returned, along with the prodigal son Wu Jing (more on him later).

SPL or Sha Po Lang without giving to much away is about a group of HK cops, led by veteran HK actor Simon yam, trying to bring down the ruthless triad boss Po, played brilliantly by Sammo Hung. Yam for reasons i wont get into is retiring, and Donnie Yen is taking over. The film takes place during the transition. With yam and his colleagues trying to frame Po, and Donnie caught in the mix trying to be a good cop and a good person. Got it Good.

The first half of this movie is setting up for the collision course. A great tone in this film which gives it its edge is the from calm, to chaos. A trend you see right of the bat with the opening. Yip is a little more stylized too than in previous films, color effects etc…and i thoroughly enjoyed bullets over summer, so when i learned he was the director i couldn’t wait to see what he would bring to the table. What he brought was and incredible, unforgiving drama/killer action film, something Hong Kong has been missing for years.

During the film you become involved in stories of the group of the policemen, involving various family issues. Very good performances from all of the guys Simon Yam is top notch, in a role he seems always to be in but hey he plays it well. Donnie Yen, Sammo, are there for the fighting, but both do an exceptional job, which makes for some very tense scenes.

Okay lets get down to business, the fight scenes in this film, are some of the best, hard nosed, bloody, gritty, and just edge of your seat best fight scenes I’ve ever seen. Wu Jing is Sammo’s assassin, the silent but deadly type, killing off anyone Po (Sammo) wishes, until the showdown. Donnie Yen vs Wu Jing. Well it definitely delivered, it just seems so natural, as if they were really fighting, and the speed was incredible, not sped up film they were really moving that fast. You can’t belive your eyes the way they are slicing, blocking, and hitting each other. Then, its time for the ultimate showdown, yeah that last fight was so fast i wonder how a 53 year old man can keep up with this guy. Wow does he ever i didn’t even know he could move that fast, he seems like hes 20, this kid is amazing. The fight is again one of the best I’ve seen in many many years, with wresting, grappling, hard boiled punching and yes Donnie’s signature shadow kick it doesn’t get any better than this.

The film culminates with a twist ending so don’t let anyone spoil it for you. It seems like they’ve been watching some Korean films of late, as it proves to add some style and a cool ending for the film. Something HK films have been lacking of late, that Milkyway kinda style (too much watching bittersweet life for me). With a terrific performance from Sammo, and some of the best action in years, see this film and enjoy it. Lets hope this gets the juices flowing for all of HK cinemas missing in action directors.

Being that i saw this film twice in three days, and i must say it got better the second time. I started to notice and appreciate the film for more than just the action sequences. There are a couple of things to nitpick, like timing issues, this film is set during 94-97 during which they did not have Mercedes M class SUV’s or i pod billboards, but honestly who cares, because this movie is too good, and gives us so much when we have nothing.

In many ways SPL is a resurrection not only for HK itself but for many people, Simon Yam for example was off doing Tomb Raider and made to video Jean Claude Van Damme movies, the director Wilson Yip who since Bullets over Summer, and maybe 2002 hasn’t made a decent movie since, Sammo Hung wow what a boost this should give his career,as he plays a bad guy sooo good its easily the best performance I’ve seen of him. Donnie yen has done some nice cameos, hero and blade 2 maybe, but hes back, and hopefully to stay in a leading role where he belongs, and yes the prodigal son Wu Jing not since Yuen Woo Ping’s 1996 Tai Chi II (Zu doesn’t count, well we all know why), have we seen this young talent. This guy is incredible and lets hope he is done with his training, and that we will see much much more of him in the near future.

Cobak’s Rating: 8/10

By Owlman

SPL is a sweet movie. Eschewing the usual fancy-pants martial arts dance party that many in Asia are trying to cram down our throats, SPL marks an excellent return to the brutality of fighting.

And brutal it is. SPL is one of the most bloodiest and violent films that I’ve seen in quite some time. I remember flinching during the fight scenes in Danny the Dog – well, that was a picnic compared to this movie. With action choreography by Yen, the highlight fight is most definitely the alleway knife and baton battle between Yen and newcomer Jing Wu (who looks a bit like Leon Lai). I don’t think I blinked once through the whole bloody mess.

Sammo has a good turn as the villainous Po, combining the nastiness of being a crime boss with the tenderness of a loving husband and father. However, those who are looking for a good fight between Yen and Sammo might be disappointed – whereas the former is quick with his moves, the latter resorts more to body slams and other WWE-approved theatrics.

SPL is by no means perfect as the cop story does verge on the point of being ridiculous at times. The ending is meant to jar the audience but even it just seems kind of silly. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed SPL as a welcome change from the artsy-fartsiness of recent martial arts films and recommend it to anyone looking to pick up some decent wrestling moves.

Owlman’s Rating: 8/10

By Yi Long

First impressions: I liked it, certainly one of the best movies to come out of HK lately, but I didn’t love it.

The movie started out very very good, Sammo was absolutely brilliant in it, both menacing and ‘caring’, and just portraying a realistic character.

Simon Yam was better then usual. I’m not a big fan of Yam, cause I usually have the feeling he sleepwalks through most of his parts. In this one, he’s pretty good. Not GREAT or anything, but good.

Donnie Yen isn’t an actor. He’s usually a bit of the martial arts equivelant of Michael Wong. But in this movie he’s OK. I would have prefered a better actor, but the part also isnt too tasking, plus there are hardly any better martial artists around in HK, so Donnie does OK in this.

Cinematography was very good, at times absolutely fantastic even (the part in the beginning where the group of 4 cops leave the policestation, meet Donnie Yen in his car, and the following scenes where the cops bust a hide-out and get the drugs and money, while at the meantime Donnie checks out his new office and the desks of his coworkers, was extremely well done. Sound was equally good, and at times great, especially in the scene I just described.

SPOILERS

Like I said, the movie started out very very strong, but along the way there were a couple of plotholes.

It’s never explained as how the bad guys find out someone had videotaped the murder, or WHO taped it, yet they somehow manage to find the guy who taped it. Why did the guy make a copy of it in the first place? Why didnt he tell the cops?

Also, the ending was a bit ridiculous. One minute Sammo is lying knocked out in a pile of GLASS, the next minute he grabs Donnie from behind. Donnie gone deaf all of a sudden? You wouldnt hear a 200 pound fat guy crawling out of a pile of glass? And to land exactly on the car of Sammo’s family…

These kind of things bother me a bit. I know it’s a movie, and it’s a good twist ending, non-hollywood, it has a message about each action having consequences, etc etc… but this was all a bit too much.

There are more plotholes, like the gangsters not checking the bag, so Yam could shoot them all, or how Jing Wu could find all the cops in that one night and whack them… (I understand the first, as he was recognised by one of Sammo’s men (also a big coincidence), but the 2nd and 3rd?)

END SPOILERS

The action was good, best we’ve seen from HK in ages, but I was still a bit disappointed. It’s very clear Donnie choreographed it cause his ego really shines through. We get to see all the trademarkstuff from him, but I feel Wu Jing, and ESPECIALLY Sammo, didnt got much opportunity to show what they got. Jing Wu makes a couple of nice twists and twirl jumps, but the fact that he’s mainly fighting with his knives, means he doesnt get to showcase his awesome wushu skills, and/or his great kicking. Sammo especially only gets to do pretty basic stuff. I really hoped we would get to see some nice moves from Sammo as well, but it was all pretty basic as far as fancy moves go. The speed of the exchanges was very good though. And don’t get me wrong, I like seeing Donnie strutt his stuff… I was just hoping the others would strutt some of their stuff as well… (what is ‘strutting’ btw???)

Ok… so with all this negative talk, you’d think I didnt like it, dont you!?

Well… no actually. I DID like it, and I liked it a lot. Like I said before, it’s one of the best movies to come out of HK ina long time. Sure, that also says alot about the sorry state HK Cinema is in right now, but it had a good story, some very good performances, especially Sammo, good action, very good mature supporting cast (a HK movie without 16 year old popstars!?!? WTF!?!? ), nice use of locations (I think the beach is the one I visited this summer, on Lantau Island, but I’m not sure) and very good cinematography and music.

It’s a very good movie. Not the best action of the year (That award will surely go to Tony Jaa’s Tom Yum Goong), and it has a bunch of plotholes, but it’s very entertaining nontheless. Plus it has left some room for a sequal.

Yi Long’s Rating: 8/10

By Ningen

I’m doing this as a favor to let people know what the film was like before Harvey gutted it to a PG 13, because he couldn’t buy his way out of an NC 17. When Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen chose to star in something “darker” and “edgier”, I had no idea what to expect. While I anticipated a drama, I never imagined it would be so vicious with its subject matter of cops using the end to justify the means to arrest a drug kingpin (played by Sammo). The tubby triad has an elaborate network of young thugs who are able to get him out of jail and even overpower the HK police force. When the head of the investigation-played by Simon Yam-gets attacked, loses the case, and discovers he has a terminal illness, he decides to take the law into his own hands. Detective Chan(Yam) and his fellow officers try to rig evidence and shake down gangmembers and even witnesses to indict Po(Sammo). Unfortunately, they run into Ma(Donnie’s character), a cop who believes in playing by the rules. While Ma does eventually remain silent on the issue, he’s forced to question his code of honor when Po becomes more aggressive.

To be honest, I’m disappointed with SPL. I expected Donnie to be the lead, not Yam, and for a thriller(more like dark comedy), it didn’t have much characterization. What depth did exist in the film consisted of learning about the families of the leads. This does have relevance to the plot, but mostly in the form of foreshadowing, which I felt was a little manipulative, since you’re forced to care about the cops without really getting to know them personally. Donnie’s character is the toughest to relate to, even though it helps you understand him more. It doesn’t help that his acting chops are a little less refined than the rest of the cast. (Although people in the audience seemed to laugh more at Sammo, even though I thought he had a better performance than Donnie.) Donnie overacts during dramatic scenes, and doesn’t emote enough during contemplative scenes. It almost feels like he was tacked on to sell the movie.

The action scenes were decent for the most part, although there is occasional camera cutting which makes me wonder if there isn’t some extended footage of the fights. Sammo stands out for his strength and surprising-for his age-agility, while Donnie has some nice grappling and kicking skills, but could use more work on his hand-to-hand combat. (I think I also noticed a part where you can tell a knife is rubbing up against someone’s skin, instead of cutting it, but I’ll overlook that, since it doesn’t affect the story.) I was also hoping Donnie would go up against all those teens in a Drunken Master 2-style brawl, but he just has two major fights(and two minor ones). Still, if you’re looking for UFC-style punishment, you can’t go wrong with SPL. Unlike Kill Bill, you can actually see blood, gore, welts and bruises on Donnie and Sammo as they smash each other up against the furniture. (Or is it the other way around?)

But in actuality, SPL is not about the actors or the fights, but the most screwed-up story I’ve seen in years. Let’s just say it ends on a downbeat note which will take you back to the pre-Hollywood days of John Woo. See it with someone you hate.

Ningen’s Rating: 8/10 While SPL does cop out on the action and even the drama in favor of shock value, it deserves credit for taking no prisoners with its bold script. It’s definitely not your run-of-the-mill crime drama.

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Crystal Hunt (1991) Review

Posted on January 2, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Crystal Hunt" American DVD Cover

“Crystal Hunt” American DVD Cover

Director: Hsu Hsia
Producer: Chui Fat
Cast: Donnie Yen Chi Tan, Carrie Ng Kar Lai, Ken Lo Hui Kwong, Sibelle Hu Hui Zhong, Fujimi Nadeki, John Salvitti, Tin Ching, William Ho Ka Kui, Hsu Hsia, Chu Tiet Wo, Chui Fat, Leung Kar Yan, Gordon Liu Chia Hui
Running Time: 90 min.

By Tyler

After some great work with Yuen Woo Ping in films like Tiger Cage and Iron Monkey, there was a period in which Donnie Yen ventured into the super low-budget films before going into TV. During this period he made Holy Virgin vs. Evil Dead, a campy category III film, and Cheetah on Fire, a sister film of Crystal Hunt (they both contain a similar cast).

Crystal Hunt is the superior of the three, but that isn’t saying much. Crystal Hunt was a troubled project. The editing, storyline and the continuity is very bad. Also, a stuntman was severely injured during a bike stunt (during the credits they do a Jackie Chan-style bloopers thing). All these problems do not distract from the grueling fight scenes, and some pretty funny comedy. The fight scenes are choreographed great, and you can see that Donnie used a lot of Escrimina and Wushu is the film.

The plot is incredibly horrible and has an equally horrible subplot (Carrie Ng and Ken Lo looking for the crystal to cure her father’s illness). The opening scene has nothing to do with the overall film (look for a cameo by Gordon Liu), just fast foward to the fight scenes.

GAME OVER!

Tyler’s Rating: 7/10

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Legend of the Wolf | aka The New Big Boss (1997) Review

Posted on January 2, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Legend of the Wolf" Japanese DVD Cover

“Legend of the Wolf” Japanese DVD Cover

Director: Donnie Yen
Producer: Donnie Yen
Cast: Donnie Yen, Dayo Wong, Carman Lee, Ben Lam Kwok Bun, Edmond Leung, Mak Wai Cheung, Bonnie Lai, Tony Tam, Kenji Tanigaki, Mandy Chan
Running Time: 90 min.

By Joe909

Ah, Donnie Yen: the Dolph Lundgren of Hong Kong cinema. The Boston-bred brat finally proves himself with this one, an old-school type kung-fu flick with a modern edge. Donnie goes the full mile, producing, directing, and starring in this often-hated, sometimes-liked underground classic.

I like this movie a lot. The plot’s standard, the directing is passable, the budget obviously wasn’t very high, and even the “artistic” way in which the movie unfolds, via incongrous flashbacks within flashbacks, doesn’t really help things. But all that aside, you still have a fairly decent movie with excellent action. Each kung-fu battle is good enough to be the “end fight” in any other martial arts film. The shots are sometimes too close or too blurry, and the editing is as jarring as MTV’s, but it still looks great.

Donnie pulls a “Van Damme” here, with plenty shots of himself bare-chested and flexing. But I’m sure that’s just for the ladies, right, Donnie? Anyway, he pulls off some impressive martial arts. He starts the film doing a basic movie style, but as the film progresses he adopts what seems to be a jeet kune do approach, even mimicking Bruce Lee’s war cries. Perhaps this is why Legend of the Wolf is called “The New Big Boss” in parts of the UK.

Just about every fight in this movie is a highlight, but the best is the sequence that begins with Donnie chasing through a forest after his enemies, and culminates in him taking on his main rival beside a waterfall. The running fight in the forest is one of the best Hong Kong action sequences ever, with Donnie taking on legions of henchmen, a guy with a revolver, and a guy who fights with claws. The sequence proves that there’s still some amazing things going on in Hong Kong cinema.

As an aside, the dvd release is terrible; it’s full-frame with no menu selections or extras. Plus the subs are burned into the print, just like they were back in the pre-dvd days. At least the chapters are numbered, so you can skip from fight to fight, cutting out the extraneous moments of “plot advancement” and getting right to the good stuff.

Joe909’s Rating: 8.5/10

By Numskull

I had a dozen reasons to dislike this movie, but I liked it anyway. It’s a spiffy little tale of blood and cheese directed by Donnie Yen, whose talent is more evident here than in the bland Ballistic Kiss (the film with the greatest literal title of all time: “Kill Some People Dance A Little”).

Donnie Yen is Fung Man-hin, an amnesiac with (surprise) tremendous fighting prowess. He wanders around seeking out temples…don’t ask why…and befriends a local rogue named Wai (Chi Wah Wong). Violence seems to follow in his footsteps as marauders plague him incessantly…but for what reason, he does not know. This story takes place shortly after World War II, with somewhat nonsensical modern-day segments presenting it in the past tense.

The film opens with an MTV-style fight; dark and ridiculously fast with way too many cuts. This isn’t necessarily just bad film making on Yen’s part, though. At this point, the viewer isn’t SUPPOSED to know what the hell is going on.

Actually, ALL of the fights in this movie are sped up to some degree, unless you count Wai’s slow motion scuffle with some other villagers during the old woman’s prayer (“Yes! Kick him in the dick!”). In a lesser film, this would piss me off, but Legend of the Wolf has some not-quite-definable, cheese-flavored X-factor that makes you just go along with it. Maybe it’s Chi Wah Wong’s charismatic performance. Maybe it’s the catchy and memorable musical score. Maybe it’s the fact that almost every scene is shot in either black and blue (like many modern HK films) or in various shades of orange. But it sure as hell isn’t the crappy romantic element with Man-hin’s old sperm receptacle Wai-yee (Carman Lee) filling him in on the details of their past together and trying to turn unrequited love into…uh, regular love. Why must they always ruin perfectly serviceable stories by adding this garbage? I swear, when I rule the world every hack screenwriter out there is gonna change their tune on this subject or else be relegated to careers in the field of picking the scabs off of STD-afflicted porn stars’ genitals.

If undercranking annoys you regardless of its extent or of the quality of the actual fighting, perhaps the sheer amount of combat here will at least partially redeem the film in your eyes. Wither goest Donnie Yen, so cometh carnage. Wai gets in on some of the action, too; the scene where he valiantly tries to defend the villagers from slaughter-happy bandits is a highlight. Man-hin’s numerous duels are also very enjoyable.

I had my doubts, but I was pleasantly surprised. A good time killer.

Numskull’s Rating: 7/10

By Vic Nguyen

Donnie Yen embarks on his directorial debut with this low-budget martial arts actioner that is low on brains and high on action.Yen stars as the legendary Wolf, a martial artist whose exploits are recounted through a series of flashbacks peppered throughout the duration of this film. The screenplay is one big cliche; the main characters are uninteresting, the villains are tedious and unmotivated, and it also uses the old amnesia subplot which has been done to death. Even the performances are below par, which is a given considering the quality of the script. Yet despite these obvious shortcomings, it’s the action sequences that makes this film worthwhile. They are plentiful (there are no less than 4 big bouts), well choreographed, highly stylized (eg. Tsui Hark’s The Blade), and do a good job showcasing Yen’s fabulous bootwork. All in all, a flawed, but entertaining piece that is worth the rental for the martial arts alone.

Vic Nguyen’s Rating: 5.5/10

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Gymkata (1985) Review

Posted on January 2, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Gymkata" American Theatrical Poster

"Gymkata" American Theatrical Poster

Director: Robert Clouse
Writer: Dan Tyler Moore, Charles Robert Carnes
Producer: Fred Weintraub
Cast: Kurt Thomas, Tetchie Agbayani, Richard Norton, Edward Bell, John Gilbert Barrett, Conan Lee, Bob Schott, Buck Kartalian
Running Time: 90 min.

By American Ninja Man

I’m not sure how the meeting went for these coke sniffing, green lighters; but we do know that someway, somehow, someone figured that the next heir to the Bruce Lee throne would be none other than Kurt Thomas.

Robert Clouse is in my heart and I can smell the stink, and when I watch his movies I can only curse his name. (Yeah, I ripped off Six Pence None The Richer’s Breathe Your Name to insult Clouse, wanna make somethin of it!)

Clouse had already given us the equally dreadful Big Brawl (easily Jackie Chan’s worst film next to The Protector); but because some dumbasses like it, Clouse was given the opportunity to give us this little classic.

The movie starts with some old guy, who’s supposed to be the best the U.S has, probably because American Ninja and Chuck Norris were booked. Anyway, the main bad guy is Richard Norton, who didn’t kill Mary Louise Weller off in Forced Vengeance, but does sport a giant mullet, hence, that’s where this aussie’s talent lies. He kills the old schmuck as he cheats at the game and…voila! We are introduced to our gymnast hero, Kurt fucking Thomas!

I have to get this off my chest, I’m a former kickboxing champ. State gold medalist in 1998 and 1999 and I must admit that this movie was so bad and such a disgrace – not only to legit martial artists like Bruce Lee, Jet Li and the Bruce Li’s of the world – but a personal disgrace to me.

So to score some honor for the genre of martial arts, I went to a gymnastics class, kicked the asses of all the male gymnasts for sheer principle and had an orgy with the female gymnasts. Those weenies tried to claim assault for me giving them a good kicking (no complaints from the women though, cause the ninja orgy caused them to score perfect 10s on their next acrobatic challanges.), but once the cops heard my story, they cleared it as justifiable.

As happy as it should’ve made me, this didn’t make me feel much better until I heard Chuck Norris was so disgusted that he drove to L.A (with a diaper, because we all know that pit stops are for pussies, right on Lisa Nowak!) and raped Kurt Thomas repeatedly. (why else does Thomas appear in Chuck Norris’ Total Gym informercials? Not for money and certainly not because it works but out of fear that he take a workout in his ass.)

Unfortunately, this still didn’t make me feel much better because the movie was begging me to believe that against ninjas the best man for the job would be a gymnast.

A gymnast? A fucking gymnast? What am I dreaming? I can just picture MGM discussing the topic “Hmmm, let’s see here, I don’t like the script for Amadeus but I do feel somewhat intrigued over the aspect of a gymnast who kicks ass to save the world.” It’s no secret that Gymkata turned out as terrible as one would expect but did we really need the one-two punch of not only a gymnast hero, but also having it directed by Robert Clouse? Well, suffice to say I walloped myself in the head with a tire iron when I witnessed Kurt Thomas do backflips and mimic dialog because the princess refused to speak to him. Just a tip, it could be the mullet. Also, our dumb ass hero is only a couple inches taller than a midget and that mullet makes him look, well, not very manly. He also tries to say hilarious one-liners despite the fact that “I know, I’ll out sleep them!”, “Keep your hardware in your pants” is not the making of an action hero.

Oh, but Richard Norton is in this clunker, he’s the main bad guy and he has a showdown with Kurt Thomas and this is where I finally felt sorry for the fucker, not because he was in this movie; Norton has always been a quality source of shitty movies so it’s hard to feel sorry for him. I mean his movie Kick Fighter is awful beyond compare.

I felt sorry for him because he gets to get his ass whumped by what is easily the wussiest protagonist that would be the wussiest until Lorenzo Lamas joined the scene in 1990’s suckfest known as Final Impact. Still, as lame as Thomas is, I admit that I was often fascinated by the sheer ambition of this production, and by that I mean how many bad ideas are contained. A princess who goes all the way with our gymnast hero on the first date. Check. A completely unnecessary action sequence for no reason other to pad out running time. Check. A hero who has to play a game, all so the U.S Government can place a satelite before the Russians. Check. A hero very low on charisma. Check. A hero who relies on sheer chance to prevail in tough situations. Check. A king who shouts “Yakmallah!” and at least a 100 mullets. Check, Check, Check!

By the way, the sheer luck factor means that during the action sequences are moronic gymnast star finds a bar, does various back flips and even finds a pommel horse to beat up people on. Holy crap this movie is terrible. With all the directing style of a substandard porno knock off of Enter The Dragon (which I imagine would be called, “My Dragon Enters Uou”). But it’s from Robert Clouse, so what do you expect? Coherence, a narrative structure, decent action sequences and some okay acting? Well, it’s about a gymnast who kicks ass only because the bad guys are dumb enough to leave pommel horses around.

So who is the one to blame? The moron who thought of the idea? The moron who thought to cast Kurt Thomas? The moron who hired Robert Clouse? The moron who directed this? And of course, the moron who watches this? In other words, there’s enough blame to go around, and hey even Milli Vanilli doesn’t blame the rain on Gymkata. Thats how bad this movie is.

Laughable. Ridiculous. Stupid. Incompetent and of course, hilarious.

American Ninja Man’s Rating: 1/10

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Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009) Review

Posted on January 2, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Universal Soldier: Regeneration" Japanese Theatrical Poster

“Universal Soldier: Regeneration” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: John Hyams
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Andrei Arlovski, Zahary Baharov, Garry Cooper, Mike Pyle, Corey Johnson, Emily Joyce, Aki Avni, Kristopher Van Varenberg, Yonko Dimitrov, Jon Foo
Running Time: 97 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

A group of terrorists kidnap the Russian prime minister’s children, demanding the release of their comrades. In addition, they have taken over a nuclear power plant and threaten to detonate it if their demands are not met. Thanks to a rogue scientist – and co-founder of the UniSol experiment – the terrorists possess another secret weapon: a Next-Generation UniSol (Andrei Arlovski), that is programmed to protect the plant and kill anything that comes near it.

After a number of failed attempts to seize the plant and rescue the children, U.S. forces finally call Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) into action, an older UniSol model. However, another surprise lives within the plant… a cloned version of Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren), Luc’s former enemy.

I haven’t seen the original Universal Soldier since it came out in 1992, but I remember it being decent (mind you, as a kid living in the 90’s, every action movie was decent). Its sequel, Universal Soldier: The Return (1999), was a major disappointment. As far as those other wacky, unofficial, made-for-TV sequels – Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms (1998) and Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business (1998) – never seen them, probably never will.

This brings us to John Hyams’ Universal Soldier: Regeneration, which is simply one of the best sequels ever made. I’m one of those guys who is still keeping my fingers crossed for a full blown Van Damme comeback (a la Mickey Rourke). I doubt it’ll ever happen in a big way, but the positive reception he received for his flawless performance in JCVD (2008) was close enough.

Much respect to director John Hyams (son of distinguished filmmaker, Peter Hyams, see below). There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s on his way to do even bigger and better projects in the future. His skill is a HUGE improvement over what we expect from your typical Van Damme popcorn action flick.

So why is this Universal Soldier: Regeneration so good?

The Action: Some of this stuff is close to what you’d expect to see in a Hollywood Blockbuster (come ot think of it, this was planned for a theatrical release, but went straight-to-DVD, last minute). There’s that certain cinematic something about the way the action is filmed, which makes sense, since the cinematographer is Peter Hyams, who is best known for directing 1984’s 2010 (the sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey), as well as directing Van Damme in Time Cop (1994) and Sudden Death (1995). Martial arts fans rejoice: the fight scenes are thorough, well-staged and definitely satisfying. If you’re a fan of long shots, there’s a hallway bit you’ll get a kick out of.

The Violence: Possibly the most brutal and bloody film Van Damme has ever appeared in. The gore is all over the place. On the camera. Splashed against walls. Spraying on peoples’ faces. We also have pipes being chugged through chests. Heads exploding. A lot of slicing and dicing. VERY fulfilling.

The Tone: There’s a very moody feel to it. In fact, there’s barely any contrast or color, which gives it personality. Also, Van Damme’s character isn’t exactly your typical hero. He’s a troubled soul who has mental problems (I mean, he was brought back from the dead, ya know?) and he uncontrollably attacks innocent, random people.

The Casting: It’s good to see Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren working side by side again. And the addition of former UFC heavyweight champion, Andrei Arlovski, is an excellent touch. Unlike professional wrestler Bill Goldberg’s performance in Universal Soldier: The Return, Andrei has some depth and charisma to offer. Awesome job.

The Story: Don’t get me wrong, it’s not Oscar worthy, but it is interesting enough to give it some credit. The problem with most sequels is they just throw together scenario around our returning characters without any real thinking. You can tell that the writer carefully mapped this one out. I LOVE the final scene before the credits roll.

Keep in mind that Van Damme doesn’t appear until later in the film. Same goes for Dolph Lundgren, who has a small, but meaningful role. Their lack of screen time works with the flow of the movie’s structure. If you’re still worried, mark my word, this IS a Van Damme movie.

Seriously, check this one out.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 8/10

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