China Strike Force (2001) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"China Strike Force" Hong Kong Theatrical Poster

“China Strike Force” Hong Kong Theatrical Poster

AKA: Thunder Cop
Director: Stanley Tong
Cast: Aaron Kwok, Norika Fujiwara, Mark Dacascos, Leehom Wang, Coolio, Ruby Lin, Jennifer Lin, Ken Lo, Kim Won-Jin, Jackson Lau Hok-Yin, Li Xue-Tong
Running Time: 103 min.

By Reefer

Wanna know why I like Stanley Tong? Because he is a guy who must have sleepless nights trying to figure out how the heck he’s going to get a motorcycle on top of a double-decker bus. He’s a guy who probably wonders out loud “Can Coolio do kung fu?”; and says “Forget that Jackie hanging from a helicopter crap. Let do one better!”; and asks “Can Aaron Kwok’s hair actually move?”

Needless to say, Tong’s Chinese Strike Force is an effort to make a bigger, better action movie. Unfortunately, you feel that he judges success by the amount of wrecked cars and mangled stunt men and not by creating any emotional attachment to his characters or telling an interesting story. It is because of this that Chinese Strike Force comes off as a hollow exercise in complicated physical mayhem.

CSF follows the adventures of two agents (one of them is Kwok) as they chase bad guy Mark Dacascos and LA gang-banger Coolio who are planning a big drug deal along with the help of a skillful and beautiful Japanese chick.

Filmed mostly in English, the acting is truly a bore. It isn’t exactly a good thing when American rapper Coolio turns in the best performance. Kwok, who looks like the Asian Gumby, acts like he doesn’t quite understand what he is saying. Dacascos comes off as nothing but a typical sneering bad guy. The rest of the cast just kinda wanders around until they get behind the wheel or find a gun in their hands or are, uh . . . suspended on a giant pane of glass hanging by a crane connected to a skyscraper. You get the picture. A couple plot twists are thrown in, but who really cares? For the most part, I was just waiting for some more excitement.

Fortunately, excitement comes in some heavy doses as Tong gives you a wild car chase involving an Indy car and a Lamborghini, another insane chase with the aforementioned double-decker bus, several lively fistfights and finally a Supercop-topping finale.

Tong clearly is a guy who should stick with stunt coordinating and producing but save the actual filmmaking for more complete directors. I am trying not to make this a slam because what Tong does with his imagination and skills as a stuntman are truly amazing.

Reefer’s Rating: 5/10

By Ben Poppel

Wow, what a disappointment. The way this movie starts out, you get the feel that it’s going to be an all out action bonanza buffet. But what we get instead is a big ball of cheese. What the hell was Coolio doing in this movie anyway, he used more terrible potty-mouthed one liners than the guys from Night at the Roxberry, I just hope he had nothing to do with the writing of his own lines. At least the almost always cool Aaron Kwok was pretty up to par in this movie. And Talking about pretty, the Japanese co star was probably the highlight of the film.

Now, I can’t say this is a flat out terrible movie – It had a few nice set pieces and crazy stunts, with the help of some wire work, but you talk about a terrible ending. I know some Hong Kong movies are trying to go for that Hollywood look and feel, but give me a break, the ending was just too unrealistic! Overall, It has the look and feel of a low-budget Mark Dacascos movie…oh wait a minute he was in this film too with the help of director Stanley Tong. But the good action was just too few and far between and was filled with dialogue (which is over half in English) and lousy plot lines that are overused.

This will probably be released in America in a year or so and have a big picture of Coolio and Mark Dacascos on the poster art. Nevertheless, this will probably be a movie you will either love or hate.

Ben Poppel’s Rating: 6/10

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

Dead End (1969) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Dead End" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"Dead End" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Chang Cheh
Writer: Chiu Kang Chien
Producer: Runme Shaw
Cast: Ti Lung, Li Ching, David Chiang (Da Wei), Chen Hung Lieh, Angela Yu Chien, Chen Yan Yan, Goo Man Chung, Fong Min, Hsu Hsia
Running Time: 100 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

Zhang Chun (Ti Lung, in one of his first starring roles for Shaw Brothers) is a good natured, twenty-something playboy who loves his family, despises his office job and envies the rich. At a glance, he’s a happy go-lucky ladies man; but deep down inside, he’s frustrated with his ant-like 9 to 5 work routine. Burnt out and depressed, his mind becomes more and more self-destructive; he even fantasizes about “living fast and dying young” like his idol, James Dean.

It’s only when he meets a rich girl, named Wen Rou (Li Ching), that his world is turned inside out. The two fall madly in love with each other and Zhang Chun’s pessimistic nature begins to see a happy light.

Trouble begins to boil when the girl’s older protective brother, Wen Qiang (Chen Hung-lieh), finds out about their relationship. Because of Zhang Chun’s unsuccessful white collar status, Wen Qiang immediately disapproves of him and requests that the two stop seeing each other. Zhang Chun ignores his request and the two collide in a bloody opposition, leaving Wen Rou caught between the two in a helpless situation.

First of all, hats off to Celestial Pictures for their newly produced trailer for DEAD END. In a word, brilliant. The trailer’s perfect edits and choice of music grabs your immediate attention. In fact, the trailer’s vibe is so positive that I’m beginning to second guess my disappointing thoughts that followed watching the actual movie.

DEAD END marks a change of setting for your typical pre-1970s Chang Cheh flick. The sword is now a gun; feudal China is now modern day Hong Kong. Also, it’s the first in a series of endless urban tales of troubled youth (i.e. Chinatown Kid, The Delinquent, Friends, The Generation Gap…like I said, endless.) and their association with violence. In addition, DEAD END marks the first real team up of the Chang Cheh, David Chiang and Ti Lung collaboration, dubbed “The Iron Triangle,” because of their successful line of films together which would last several years.

The main problem with DEAD END is its story line. Sometimes, it’s a little too much to-the-point; other times, you’re wondering which way that point is facing. Plot elements come in, then plot elements disappear. More than anything, there are just too many moments of plain stupidity that are extremely evident. When the film comes to a conclusion, we never really know WHY anyone did what they did.

Despite the film’s line of talent and it’s visually-hip 1960’s yester-year style of filmmaking, DEAD END is a rushed mess. Unless you’re a super-duper Cheh/Chiang/Lung fanatic, or you just like to stare at Li Ching’s unbelievably cute face, skip it. It’s just a friendly reminder that not everything Chang Cheh touched turned to gold; however,it would only a take a couple of years for him to do a much better job with similar films like the ones mentioned above.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 5/10

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

Blood Brothers | aka Dynasty of Blood (1973) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Blood Brothers" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"Blood Brothers" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Chang Cheh, John Woo
Writer: I Kuang, Chang Cheh
Producer: Run Run Shaw
Cast: David Chiang, Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, Ching Li, Wang Lung Wei, Tin Ching, Cheng Miu, Wong Ching Ho, Yeung Chak Lam, Wong Kwong Yue, Fan Mei Sheng
Running Time: 118 min.

By Perkele

Set in the waning years of the Ching Dynasty, this dramatic, tragic, romantic, blood-soaked martial arts tale of betrayal and revenge explores one of the most sensational scandals in Chinese history.

Widely regarded as one of the finest of the early Chang Cheh films, and at least from what I’ve seen [not nearly all of ’em], this statement is certainly correct. “Blood Brothers” is an epic tale of three sworn blood brothers, friendship, honor, betrayal and revenge. It’s sort of like a kung fu version of “Bullet in the Head,” and in fact, John Woo worked as an assistant director on this one so the similarities can’t be just coincidence.

Based on the real events and characters, Ti Lung plays terrifically the power-greedy general [quite like Wise Lee in BITH], whose lust for power finally makes him murder Chen Kuan Tai [in BITH it’s Jackie Cheung], with whom wife (Ching Li) he’s also having a secret love affair. David Chiang [compare: Tony Leung] finds this out, and avenges Chen Kuan Tai’s death by finally killing Ti Lung.

The film uses efficient beautiful outdoor locations [get the widescreen version], and there’s dozens of extras in the biggest fights, making the movie look real good. Fight choreography (in courtesy of Hong Kong legend Liu Chia Liang) is pretty much the best of the era [if you don’t count Bruce Lee’s films], though many will consider it a bit slow nowadays.

Highly recommended for the fans of this older SB stuff.

Perkle’s Rating: 7/10

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

Come Drink with Me (1966) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Come Drink With Me" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Come Drink With Me” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: King Hu
Producer: Run Run Shaw
Cast: Cheng Pei Pei, Yueh Hua, Chen Hung Lieh, Yeung Chi Hing, Simon Yuen (Siu Tin), Guk Fung, Lee Wan Chung, Kok Lee Yan, Han Ying Chieh, Fung Ngai, Nam Wai Lit, Wong Yeuk Ping, Chan Hei, Jackie Chan, Yam Ho
Running Time: 91 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

I was hesitant to watch a Shaw Brothers movie made in 1966; I admit, the stuff I have grown to love in kung fu cinema started in the 1970s: the colorful gore of Chang Cheh, the intensity of Bruce Lee, and the physical genius of Jackie Chan. So, could there possibly be some appeal in a late 1960s flick for me? Hmmm… 1966… let’s see, Sergio Leone made The Good, The Bad & The Ugly; The Beatles made Revolver (okay, that’s an album, but you get my point). The fact is, yes, the 1960s was a groovy time for music and movies all over the world, and the Shaw Brothers produced-films were no exception.

I’ve never been a big fan of heroine kung fu movies; in fact, I’ve tried to stay away from them every chance I got. Could you blame me for being a male chauvinist pig when it came to genuine ass kicking? Of course not. With Come Drink With Me, I’m forced to say that Cheng Pei Pei (who plays Golden Swallow, the film’s protagonist) is the real deal; for the first time in kung fu movie history, I actually enjoyed seeing a woman beat the hell out of the bad guys. I’m not sure what it exactly is about her, but she pulls off a believable kung fu fighting babe and does a much better job portraying one than Angela Mao, Michelle Yeoh and Moon Lee COMBINED… and I’m not talking in a fight choreography sense; I’m talking in terms of how she carries herself with her no-nonsense charisma. And who knows, maybe some of the credit could be given to director King Hu? Frankly, I haven’t seen enough of his or Cheng Pei Pei’s work to give a valid opinion.

As it stands, Come Drink With Me is one entertaining film. I’ve heard both good and bad things about it… it’s “boring”, there’s “too much talk”, it’s a “classic”, it’s “influential”… I’m shooting for the more positive remarks. It has a plot that’s solid and simple. It’s probably not as graphic and action packed as your average Chang Cheh film, but you do get the occasional blood-in-the-face shots, dismembered body parts and even some mystical shit (and the visual effects were done pretty damn well, especially for the time). Even the villains are colorful and have a lot more character than the majority of baddies in an average kung fu film. And you have to love Golden Swallow’s semi-sidekick, Drunken Cat, played by Yueh Hua.

King Hu’s direction is top notch. The cinematography is beautiful. The sets are visually lavish. For the most part, the fight choreography may seem bland when compared to today’s standards, but to even up the odds, they bare less edits and camera tricks. To sum it all up, Come Drink With Me is a film that I appreciate and its innovation and influence reflects many popular martial arts movies of today. Sounds like a classic to me.

And now, my eyes are drooling over Golden Swallow (the Chang Cheh-directed sequel to Come Drink With Me) and the One Armed Swordsman series.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 8/10

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

Young People (1972) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Young People" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"Young People" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Chang Cheh
Cast: David Chiang, Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, Agnes Chen Mei-Ling (Agnes Chan Mei Ling), Irene Chen I-Ling (Chan Yi Ling), Bolo Yeung (Yang Sze), Yen Shi Kwan
Running Time: 118 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

Young People is a story of active college kids who are divided into three groups, with each one having a leader: David Chiang’s consists of musicians, singers and dancers. Ti Lung’s are basketball players. Chen Kuan Tai’s men practice kung fu.

They’re all from the same school, yet there’s still a sense of rivalry between the students. Ti Lung’s jocks and Chen Kuan Tai martial artists poke fun at David Chiang’s group for being into non-manly activities; Chen Kuan Tai has a beef with Ti Lung for stealing his girl (it’s fun to watch Irene Chen juggle all the guys around); David Chiang seems to be the cool cat of the bunch, who spends most of his time breaking up fights; and even though his forte is playing the drums, he tears it up when it comes to any activity, especially kung fu.

I don’t know how Chang Cheh did it, but he managed to make an enjoyable movie with no deaths, no blood, and a limited amount of PG-rated brawls. Mind you, I walked into Young People knowing it was a non-action movie based more on a friendly plot about competitive, fun-loving college kids. I just never realized I’d end up liking it as much as I did. In fact, I can honestly say that it was much more enjoyable than your average Shaw Brothers basher. But who knows? Maybe I just needed a break from watching a bunch of guys killing eachother.

Young People is cornball movie making at its finest. The comedy isn’t smart. The story is nothing intriging or original. Expect a lot of dated music (some of it’s in English). With all this said – and I know it doesn’t make much sense – Young People is interesting throughout it’s 90-minute duration. It’s kind of like watching an episode of some cheesy 1970’s TV show: it’s outdated, it’s far-fetched, but for some reason, you just keep on watching it.

If there’s anything truly negative to be said, there are a couple of draggy segments. One is an overlong basketball game (we only needed a few minutes of it, not 15 or whatever it was). Also, there are a couple of numbers performed by Agnes Chan that seem to go on forever. Depending on your taste (or mental stability), these scenes may knock off the film’s nice pace.

No biggie though.

Besides, where else you gonna see Ti Lung and Bolo play basketball? Where else are you going to hear Agnes Chan perform a cheesy cover of James Taylor’s “You’ve Got A friend”?

Need a break from the usual Chang Cheh flick? Give Young People a try.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 7/10

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

Web of Death (1976) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Web of Death" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"Web of Death" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Literally: Five Poison Web
Director: Chor Yuen
Cast: Yueh Hua, Cheng Lee (Ching Li), Lo Lieh, Guk Fung (Ku Feng), Wong Hap (Wang Hsia), Lily Li Li-Li, Wong Chung (Wang Chung), Angela Yu Chien, Ngaai Fei, Yen Shi Kwan
Running Time: 87 min.

By Joe909

I’ve loved these old school Shaw Brothers movies since I was a kid, and figured I knew a little about them. But I had never heard of director Chor Yuen. I had heard of one of his movies, though: 1977’s Clans of Intrigue, and the only reason I knew about that one was because it starred the fucktastic Nora Miao. But it turns out that Yuen was one of Shaw’s biggest directors. Unlike Chang Cheh and Liu Chia-Lang, Yuen delved into the esoteric world of swordplay films, with all-powerful characters, fantastic sets, colorful costumes, and complicated plots. He lacked the buckets of blood Chang Cheh doused his films with, but hey, no one’s perfect. Re-introducing Yuen’s body of work is just one of many things Celestial should be thanked for.

Praise aside, the only things hampering Yuen’s movies were the byzantine plotting and cluttered cast. You can’t entirely blame him, because the majority of his movies were based on convoluted Gu Long novels, a few of which I’ve read, and which themselves can be very confusing. But it can still be hard figuring out who’s who in Chor’s movies, and what’s going on. Web of Death is no exception, even though it doesn’t seem to be based on anything by Gu Long.

The sets are the most interesting thing about this movie. That’s not an insult to the film; these sets are fantastic, even beyond the usual magnificent Shaws set design. There’s a trap-filled dungeon, a clan headquarters that seems to be colossal, and fog-shrouded cauldrons with pools of acid. I can only imagine what martial chaos Chang Cheh could’ve wrought on such sets, but Chor Yuen’s movies are more introspective, complex, and feminine than Chang’s bloodthirsty tales.

Another interesting aspect of this movie is the similarity of its plot to the Shaw Brothers classic Five Venoms. Both of these movies came from the pen of I Kuang; Web of Death in 1976 and Five Venoms in 1978. You could consider Web a prologue to Venoms. It’s about the Poison Clan, but whereas Five Venoms is a kung-fu mystery of the highest order, Web of Death is a high-brow swordplay/romance/B-grade horror movie.

The plot concerns the evil leader of the Snake Clan’s search for the fabled Five Poisons spider, the most powerful weapon in the martial world. It’s just a little spider in a weird box, but it glows red, screeches, and ensnares its victims in a radioactive cobweb. It can also apparently do all sorts of wacky stuff. The Poison Clan leader won’t let him have it, as the spider was banned ages ago and is now hidden. So the Snake Clan leader devises a ruse to find it; he makes it seem that other martial artist clans are out seeking the spider. This causes all sorts of confusion, fatal mistakes, and plotting in the martial world.

In the middle of this, a love story brews between virtuous swordsman Fei and the Poison Clan leader’s daughter, Hong. At times this part of the story takes on aspects of a kung-fu version of Three’s Company. Lots of mistaken identity, holding of secrets, and misunderstandings. All the movie really needs is a topknotted Normal Fell as Mr. Roper, who could live upstairs from these crazy kids.

The two plot threads come to a head when Fei is framed for the massacre of an escort agency, and the Snake Clan leader, now in possession of the spider, comes after him. The final battle is good for a while, but then the spider is unleashed. The special effects in this part are entertaining solely due to the cheese factor. We’re supposed to buy it when this fake-looking spider ensnares all of the master swordsmen in a radioactive web. Unfortunately, there is only way to kill the spider, and doing so gives the movie its requisite tragic ending.

Cheng Lee, as the clan leader’s daughter, is the true star of the film, with lead-billed Yueh Hua mostly providing back-up. Lo Lieh is the black-garbed villain, and he’s perfect as the power-mad leader of the Snake Clan. He also has the best outfit in the movie, though I did like the wiry Centipede Clan leader’s “centipede” shield. I would’ve preferred to see more of these clan leaders in action, but when people do fight, it’s generally along the fantasy side of things. Lots of leaping and bolts flying from fingertips.

Action-wise I didn’t find this movie on par with Chang Cheh, though surely others will disagree. I guess it comes down to genre preference. For me, I tend to like just about anything which begins with that majestic Shaw Brothers logo, save for the odd movie or two. I do prefer kung-fu to swordplay movies, but it’s not a hardcore preference. That being said, I still found the action scenes to be over too quick in this one, and would have loved to see the violent epic Chang Cheh might have created with these sets and costumes.

Joe909’s Rating: 7/10

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

Angry Guest, The | aka Duel of Fists 2 (1972) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"The Angry Guest" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“The Angry Guest” Chinese Theatrical Poster

AKA: Kung Fu Killers
Director: Chang Cheh
Cast: David Chiang, Ti Lung, Chang Cheh, Chan Sing, Yasuaki Kurata, Bolo Yeung, Cheng Lee, Woo Wai, Gam Kei Chu, Lee Pang-Fei, Yen Shi Kwan
Running Time: 93 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

Fan Ke (David Chiang) and Wenlie (Ti Lung) are back, and this time they’re up against a powerful Japanese crime syndicate (headed by director Chang Cheh, himself). Not only that, but Killer (Chan Sing), the head villain from “Duel of Fists,” has escaped prison and wants retribution. Killer’s revenge plot leads to Wenlie’s girlfriend’s kidnapping, and forces the two heroes to travel to Japan to set things straight and kick some ass.

Unlike “Duel of Fists,” this sequel doesn’t take itself seriously at all, which works great, considering its wacky content. Filled with non-stop action and far out situations, “The Angry Guest” feels more like a down ‘n dirty Golden Harvest exploitation flick (ie “Stoner”) than your average Chang Cheh joint. Complete with ultra-violence, cheesy gadgets, vehicle chases, cheap Bond-ish set designs, colorful villains (Bolo at his hippest), and a raunchy sex scene that titty-squeezers will get a kick out of, this movie will appeal to true fans of Chang Cheh at his playful best.

Though “The Angry Guest” succeeds where “Duel of Fists” didn’t, the film may have lost a point due to the bad presentation. The version I saw was PanMedia’s DVD release and even though it was in its original aspect ratio, the picture quality was like that of a VHS and its English-dubbing was awful (yet sometimes entertaining). Let’s face it, we’re all spoiled by Celestial’s line of remastered Shaw titles (well, most of them), so second rate quality really stands out. If it were the early 90’s, then my DVD virgin eyes would have thought differently.

Mighty Peking Man’s Ratin: 7/10

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

Shaolin Rescuers | aka Avenging Warriors of Shaolin (1978) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Shaolin Rescuers" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Shaolin Rescuers” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Chang Cheh
Cast: Jason Pai Piao, Lu Feng, Lo Meng, Philip Kwok Chung Fung, Chiang Sheng, Sun Chien, Chiang Nan, Walter Tso Tat Wah, Yeung Chi Hing, Wong Ching Ho, Chan Fai Kei, Chan Shen, Cheng Miu, Cheung Hei, Chow Kin Ping
Running Time: 110 min.

By Joe909

Despite the fact that the opening credits feature San Te (the character featured in “36th Chamber of Shaolin”), Fong Sai-Yuk (featured in several films), and a few other famous Shaolin monks getting killed by the villainous Pai Mei and his henchmen, Avenging Warriors of Shaolin is a comedy. As a matter of fact, you’d think Lau Kar-Leng, the Shaw director most noted for his comedic efforts, was behind this film, instead of Chang Cheh.

The Venoms star in this one, and though all of their previous films together had featured some comedy, none of them had it to this level. Unfortunately though, Chiang Sheng, usually the most humorous Venom, has a rather straight-laced part, and doesn’t even show up until the last half hour. Lo Meng shines as a bean curd seller who learned Mantis Fist from a teacher whose name he never learned. Kuo Choi shows off his own comedic talents and acrobatic skills as a smart-ass waiter who doesn’t mind stealing food from customers’ plates. Kuo’s kung-fu skills were taught to him by his dad, who showed Kuo how to fight with a bowl and chopsticks. Lo and Kuo are best friends, and spar with each other constantly, much to their respective bosses’ dismay.

When injured Shaolin student Hung Sze-Kuan, the only escapee from Pai Mei’s attack, shows up in Lo and Kuo’s town, they take it upon themselves to heal him. Sun Chien joins them, as the expelled student of a local Shaolin school whose evil master rejected Hung Sze-Kuan’s request for aid. The three drum up cash to buy the exotic potion required to heal Hung, stirring up the curiosity of Lu Feng and his henchmen.

Lu Feng plays his usual role, of course: cruel, evil, and deadly. He’s Pai Mei’s right-hand man, and he’s been sent out to find and kill all Shaolin rebels. Joining him is a muscle head who wields a humorously-large hammer, a guy who fights with wooden shield and sword, a punk who wears metal hoops, and a couple other stooges. Lu himself wields a spear and carries a pair of miniature claws that come in handy for tossing at his victims. In one memorable scene, Lu and his companions take on a Shaolin rebel who refuses to give up.

The laughs come on consistently with Kuo, Sun Chien, and Lo Meng’s parts, with Lu Feng giving the film it’s moments of brutality. As the film continues, it takes on a more serious approach, with the final battle being the usual life-or-death Shaw Brothers climax. And it should be noted that this final battle is one of their best. It features the usual breath-taking acrobatics, combined with more weapons than I could keep track of. Spears, swords, chairs, tables, chopsticks, weird-looking blades, the works; just about everything’s used.

Avenging Warriors of Shaolin is lighthearted through most of its running time, and provides a different look at the Venoms actors. I wouldn’t say it’s one of their best, as it quickly becomes apparent that most of the plot is just an excuse to set up the next fight sequence. This movie has more fights than any other Shaw Brothers movie I’ve seen. But it does feature two of the best fight sequences I’ve seen: the final battle, and the fight between the lone Shaolin warrior and Lu Feng’s men.

In a final note, there are currently two releases of this movie available. There’s the Ground Zero version, which goes by the name “Shaolin Rescuers,” and has shots from the movie on the cover, and the Venom Mob version, which is called “Avenging Warriors of Shaolin,” and for some reason has a photo of Gordon Liu on the cover. Both are the same length, and uncut. Opinion varies over which is better quality, but neither are pristine, and both were obviously dubbed off of a second or third-generation video. I bought the GZ version, as it’s cheaper. However, this movie is so rare that I’d recommend purchasing either of the releases, as it’s worth tracking down for the Venoms fan.

Joe909’s Rating: 8.5/10

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

Bells of Death, The (1968) Review

Posted on January 20, 2011 by JJ Bona
"The Bells of Death" Chinese Theatrical Poster

"The Bells of Death" Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Griffin Yueh Feng
Cast: Chin Ping, Chang Yi, Chiu Sam Yin (Chao Hsin Yen), Lam Kau (Lin Chia), Tien Sheng, Guk Fung (Ku Feng), Paul Chun Pui, Yeung Chi Hing, Wu Ma
Running Time: 84 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

Bells of Death is the story of Wei (Chang Yi) , a young man who seeks revenge on the three bandits responsible for slaughtering his family and kidnapping his sister. Armed with his blood-thirsty sword and a bracelet of tiny bells – which symbolizes his murdered mother – Wei is an unstoppable, tortured soul and he will not rest until he gets a chance to piss on their graves.

Bells of Death is a revenge movie that doesn’t waste any time getting to the ‘revenge’ part. They even skip the whole ‘kung fu training session’ and leave it to your imagination. Throughout the movie, I was waiting for the training scene to kick in via-flashback mode, but it never came; In a way, not having the scene was strange, but once the rest of the film got going, it really didn’t matter.

For a movie made in 1968, Bells of Death feels more like something that was made in the late 1970s. That whole jolty camera style of the 60’s era Shaw flicks is absent; instead we get more of Westernized approach, which is restrained in comparison.

The tone of the film is very grizzly and dark. The costumes, set designs and backgrounds are mostly neutral in color. Even when someone is wearing red, it appears to be darkened, with very little contrast. The tone also applies to the gloomy soundtrack, which becomes haunting at times (like most Shaw flicks, a good portion of the film’s soundtrack was probably borrowed from Western films).

Bells of Death has a good amount of satisfying action. If you like blood and gore, it’ll put a smile on your face. There are a couple of scenes where sliced heads and limbs fall to the ground – and they show it!

Bells of Death gets the award for having the freakiest kung fu villain of all time, thanks to that stubby guy with a huge prosthetic nose and beard. As he attacks his victims, he does this eerie, horizontal head shake – and you can hear the cracks his neck makes when he does it. I think most people find it goofy, but it freaks me out for some reason.

Highly recommended.

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 8/10

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

Cheap Killers (1998) Review

Posted on January 19, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Cheap Killers" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“Cheap Killers” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Clarence Ford
Writer: Wong Jing
Cast: Sunny Chan, Kathy Chow, Alex Fong Chung Sun, Henry Fong Ping, Stephen Fung Tak Lun, Lilian Ho Ka Lei, Ku Feng, Michael Ian Lambert
Running Time: 94 min.

By Raging Caijin

“Cheap Killers” springs forth, guns blazing, from the twisted imagination of writer/producer Wong Jing. It’s a sweaty ode to machismo and bullets that at times plays out like “Happy Together” with guns. Fortunately, whenever any of Wong Jing’s excesses threaten to sink the entire endeavor, some solid performances and the stylish direction of Clarence Fok are there to redeem the picture. If you can handle the blatant homoeroticism that simmers just below the movie’s surface, then you may enjoy “Cheap Killers” for the stunning return to HK cinema’s glory days that it is. That’s right: this is a genuine ‘heroic bloodshed’ flick and one of the best in years.

The story follows Sam Cool and Yat-Tiu, two of the most successful hitmen in all of Hong Kong. They’ve got the house, the cars, and the women. Well, only Yat-Tiu is into the women but we’ll get to that later. Of course, his penchant for the ladies gets both men into a lot of trouble. Yat-Tiu falls for a femme fatale and it ends up his undoing; betrayed and left for dead, the two men have little choice but to pick up the pieces of their broken lives…and plot their revenge. And you can bet it’s going to be a sweet, bloody revenge.

This is all pretty standard HK action stuff, but what separates “Cheap Killers” from other movies of its kind is the relationship between the two lead characters. When you first load up the DVD and see the menu with both actors dressed in flowing white clothes, shirts open to expose their chiseled abs, looking like two male models – it is merely a hint of what is to come. To put it simply, Sam Cool and Yat-Tiu are close. Very close. The nature of their relationship is ultimately left ambiguous by the filmmakers, but be prepared for many scenes where the two men hold each other in their arms and cry together. And watch out for that scene where Sam Cool bathes Yat-Tiu. But don’t worry; there is good reason for these moments: something happens to Yat-Tiu and Sam Cool must take on an almost paternal role for his friend. To me, these scenes imbue the movie with more emotion than your average triad flick – or at least, as much real emotion as a Wong Jing movie can have.

There are strong themes of brotherhood and loyalty at play here. It’s unfortunate that Wong Jing has to ruin it by making the female characters either manipulative or weak. He seems to be saying “all men are brothers” and “all women are bitches”. Thus, it’s not surprising that some parts of this movie resonate and others do not. At one point, a character even says “Never trust a woman” without a hint of irony. While I wish Wong Jing had reigned in his misogyny a bit, I must say that in this case the woman-bashing helps make “Cheap Killers” even more a guilty pleasure. This is a trashy movie but the filmmakers know it – hell, it was directed by Clarence “Naked Killer” Fok, after all. It’s best just to sit back and enjoy it, without taking it too seriously.

And if you’re just looking for action, “Cheap Killers” is sure to please. This movie is violent as hell. People are shot, stabbed, cut in half, chopped by shears, impaled with harpoons; others have their eyes cut out or plummet to their death. It’s all delivered with a visual punch from Clarence Fok, who knows this kind of grimy neo-noir like the back of his hand. His kinetic pacing, unique camera angles, and excessive use of slow motion mean that “Cheap Killers” is a feast for the eyes as well; which is good because the eye candy tends to take your mind off of some of the plot holes, implausibility, or sleaze in Wong Jing’s script.

Sunny Chan does a decent job as the womanizing pretty boy Yat-Tiu, but the full depth of his acting talent isn’t realized until half-way through the film. He’s very convincing as someone on the edge of sanity. That said, this movie belongs to Alex Fong. His portrayal of Sam Cool is one of the most complex and fascinating characters out of HK in years. Honestly, an exploitation movie doesn’t deserve a performance this good! He comes across as tough and vulnerable all at the same time; he projects an impossibly macho attitude while still showing tenderness and love to his male friend. He does a consummate job and makes up for Kathy Chow and Henry Fong, who are content to mostly ham things up. They’re not bad performances per se; they’re just more typical of the genre (femme fatale and sleazy gangster) than Alex Fong’s three-dimensional portrayal. Stephen Fung shows up in a supporting role as a nice guy cop. His turn is nothing to write home about but he’s a welcome presence in the movie. His character is an honest beacon of righteousness in a movie otherwise consumed with debauchery and murder.

Overall, if you can’t already tell, I loved “Cheap Killers” . It’s not a good movie at all but it’s a hell of a lot of fun to watch. It’s a trashy b-movie, an exploitation flick, and tasteless to the extreme. But guess what? They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore. When was the last time you saw a movie where the heroes armed themselves to the teeth to exact their vengeance in a rousing finale of choreographed ultra-violence? While “Cheap Killers” cobbles together elements of “A Better Tomorrow” and “Bullet in the Head” , it stands on its own thanks to the strong chemistry between the two main characters as well as some stylish cinematography…and the fact that there hasn’t been anything like it since the year it came out.

What I love about “Cheap Killers” is summed up entirely by the final shot of the movie. I’m not going to ruin it for you but once you see it, there’s no way you can resist from shouting out “Hell yeah!” It’s just one of those moments that gets your blood pumping and reminds you of the good old days of Hong Kong action. The moment, just like the entire movie, is completely unrealistic, impossibly over-the-top, and stylized to the hilt – and that’s exactly why I love it. I’m not scoring this film higher because it’s admittedly just a guilty pleasure with little artistic merit; and I can’t help but think how much better it would have been if produced by someone like Tsui Hark instead of Wong Jing. But if you’re like me and you have a soft spot for the heroic bloodshed genre, then watch this movie as soon as friggin’ possible.

Raging Caijin’s Rating: 7.5/10

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

Kiss of the Dragon (2001) Review

Posted on January 18, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Kiss of the Dragon" American Theatrical Poster

“Kiss of the Dragon” American Theatrical Poster

Director: Chris Nahon
Cast: Jet Li, Bridget Fonda, Tcheky Karyo, Laurence Ashley, Burt Kwouk, John Forgeham, Colin Prince, Max Ryan, Cyril Raffaelli, Didier Azoulay, Vincent Glo, Ric Young, Vincent Wong
Running Time: 98 min.

By Mairosu

Liu Jian (Jet Li) is a top drawer Chinese cop, and also a master acupuncturist (yes, sounds silly, I know). He is summoned from China to help the local DEA bust a Chinese drug lord in Paris, but what he doesn’t know – or expect – is that the French chief policeman Richard (Tchéky Karyo) plans on killing the mobster himself, seizing his property and then setting up Jian for the whole thing. As that happens, Jian manages to escape and obtain a tape with visual evidence underway, and faces a daunting task of uncovering Richard’s shady web of corruption while trying to help a street hooker (Bridget Fonda) whose daughter is held hostage by Richard himself.

From the four films – not counting Lethal Weapon pt. 4 – Jet Li did since coming to Hollywood (other ones being Romeo Must Die, The One and Cradle 2 the Grave), this one is probably the easiest swallowable of them all – and by no means we’re comparing this to any of his Asian martial arts classics. The plot is contrived, full of holes and predictable, but this film relatively manages to redeem itself through a number of good factors which on the overall make this a very watchable action fare.

First, we have the pint-sized martial arts icon Jet Li firmly grabbing the center stage in a style Bruce Lee once did. Throughout the whole film his face is nearly emotionless as he beats up dozens after dozens bad guys, and you can hardly even notice sweat dripping from his face. Li takes his punches in a stoical fashion and delivers them in the same manner, radiating the “coolness” Bruce Lee had in his 70s films, and his acupunctural trait colours his character additionally, giving him somewhat more depth than the usual arsenal of hacks and kicks.

Then, there is Tchéky Karyo, in a role he could do almost blindfolded by now – the near-maniacal psychotic dealing with drugs or some other illegality – and he does it again with success. Quickly turning into the French equivalent of Jack Nicholson, with the filmmakers racing to cast him as many times as a lunatic as possible, the Istanbul-born Frenchman dominates the scenes in which he appears, masterfully portraying a power-hungry cop drifting deeper and deeper to the other side of the law, yet also being lucidically gentle and caring at the times.

Finally, what makes all this work is the brilliant direction of debutant director Chris Nahon. Nahon, who cut his teeth making music videos, blends great action with hip-hop music (without, amazingly enough, looking totally tacky) in the background and the mixture of both helps this film look visually – and aurally – as good as it does, slick and enjoyable. The martial arts choreography is done by Corey Yuen, a long-serving accomplice to Jet Li, and is on a reasonably high level – although some scenes, most notably the shot in which Li volleys a pool ball straight into the head of one of the baddies, are a bit over the top. Also, are we to believe one man can handle a room full of black belt martial artists who are armed with sticks ?

The annoying fact no. 1 with this film is that it acts as a 50s Hollywood WW2 feature – the Chinese speak English with Chinese accent to themselves, and the French communicate between each other, accordingly, in Flanglais , relegating the authenticity to zero level. I have been to France and frankly, if SO many people spoke English in there, the place would have been much more fun than it was. It would all have looked much more better if the characters were left communicating in their own languages, as it’s really silly to watch Karyo run through the local police station yelling “sound ze alarm !”. Bridget Fonda does her job routinely as a poor American farm girl who goes astray, but the few emotional scenes and humour lines don’t help her character – at least they didn’t involve a romantic aspect to the story.

So, when we ignore those couple of flaws and a emmenthaler-holed script and plotline, Kiss of the Dragon is a quite acceptable modern “kick flick”. For some different flavour, try obtaining the French version of the disc and watching it in French with subtitles, and don’t miss Burt Kwouk, legendary Cato from the Pink Panther films, who has a minor role as Jet Li’s Parisian-based uncle.

Mairosu’s Rating: 7/10

By Woody

Ingredients: 1 Jet Li , 1 Bridget Fonda, Cool French Locales, 1 teaspoon “The Professional”, and 1 tablespoon of Corey Yuen.

Instructions: Sprinkle Jet Li and Bridget Fonda among the cool French locales, mix in a tablespoon of Corey Yuen and a teaspoon of “The Professional”, strain out any bit of plot you may happen upon, and voila! You’ve got yourself the best American martial arts film I think I have ever seen.

The plot here is unimportant…this is pretty much just a showcase for the choreography of Corey Yuen and the undeniable coolness of Jet Li. This is pretty much wall-to-wall fights with pauses here and there to set up even more fights. And what great fights they are. My personal favorite comes near the end, when Jet fights these two huge blonde haired twin dudes. You can tell they had a lot of fun with that one. What I don’t remember is whether that scene comes before or after the scene where Jet Li fights all of the guys inside the dojo that is inside of the police station. So the movie doesn’t make much sense. The coolness of it all more than makes up for that.

Jet is also equipped with some really cool acupuncture needles that can make people fall asleep, become paralyzed, and wait ’till you see what the one he uses on the bad guy at the end of the film does. It’s pretty icky. As a matter of fact, there is a pretty good amount of icky stuff in this movie…the violence is actually violent, unlike the ultra-tame “Romeo Must Die”.

The acting is not bad either. Jet Li’s English is much better than before, and he is charming as always. Bridget Fonda gives a better performance that her underwritten role deserves. She gives what could have been an overly melodramatic, tragic character (a woman forced into prostitution by a man who is keeping her daughter from her) a very funny and ditzy attitude that makes her scenes rather enjoyable to watch. The only weak link in the film, in my opinion, is Tcheky Karyo, who plays the villain, a corrupt French police captain. The character wants to be Gary Oldman’s twisted cop form “Leon: The Professional”, but Karyo lacks the presence and demented charm that an actor like Oldman can give such a role.

That weak point aside, this is Jet Li’s best movie in a while, so don’t let the bad box office totals fool you into thinking this is a bad movie. It is truly Hong Kong in feel, with one well done fight after another, lotsa violence, and a fast pace. Right up there with “Enter The Dragon” and “Drive” in my list of best American martial arts films. Worth a rental, and, if you are a big martial arts fan, worth buying.

Woody’s Rating: 9/10

By Klotera

Ok, the basic premise of the film is fairly generic. But, I can accept that – as it seemingle exists to push along the action. What I can’t accept is the utter disaster of a screenplay that flows from that premise. It’s just pathetic. The dialogue, particularly between Li and Fonda, is so forced and fake its nauseating. Like I said, though, the film is mostly to push along the action – as it clearly demonstrates by getting into a long action scene within minutes of the film’s opening credits.

So, how does the action hold up? Well, it looks like Corey Yuen has some decent fights choreographed for us… I think. I’m not quite sure cause I COULDN’T SEE WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON! The fight scenes are filmed horribly, with tons of close shots, quick cuts, and handheld camera action. What seems like solid action is hard to appreciate given the camera. I didn’t even realize that the last fight was with two guys until halfway through the fight – if that gives you an idea how bad the quick cut camera is. So, maybe an okay one-time viewing for the action if you can stomach the camera. Other than that – this is a no go.

Klotera’s Rating: 5/10

By Yi-Long

First of all – Fonda SUCKED in this movie. Maybe it was her acting that sucked (I have seen no other movies that she’s in so I have no idea if she is always this annoying in a movie, but in this movie she sucked) or just the part her character has in this movie that sucked (I know I mentioned the word ‘sucks’ 3 times already in the first sentence which is never a good sign in a movie review unless I was reviewing a Cat-III movie, which this isn’t, but stick with me. I DID enjoy this movie…really…I swear…

Second of all, the acupuncture-thing was a bit lame I thought…original…but lame…it kinda ruined the ending for me. Ok then…those were the things I didn’t like about the movie, here come the good things; Jet Li is soooo COOL in this movie, it’s just great to watch him in these kinds of roles. For example the scene in which he escapes from some thugs in the hotel by the window to some room below and he just casually walks through someone’s bedroom – the way he glances over to the man in the bed who watches him walk by while he is calmly reading a book is BRILLIANT!…and there are so many of these small but very cool moments in this movie.

The fight scenes are fun and better then the ones he had in Lethal Weapon (duhhh!) or in RMD, but they are NOT as good as the ones in Fist of Legend (but that would be very hard to do anyways so even though we all hoped they would be, it would have been pretty surprising if they had matched that level of excellence). Sometimes I had some trouble seeing the action but that was probably to blame because I was sitting in a HK movie theatre where they had a pretty big screen in a pretty small room so I was a bit too close to the screen to really take in all that fast action. The fights are pretty sweet, it was nice to see Jet fight many people at once like he did in Fist of Legend and in My father is a Hero but the fight isn’t as long in this one, which is too bad. The 2 gwailo’s show talent but they are all brawn and no brain, plus they aren’t really the REAL bad-ass in this movie that has to get a beating, so it was pretty disappointing to see how Jet takes care of the main villains.

The double-gwailo fight didn’t really feel like a FINALE-fight…more like a WARM-UP fight be-4 jet would take care of the REAL villain, but I also understand that his character’s lack of fighting skills wouldn’t really have made an interesting fight-scene. The story in this movie isn’t really great, new or original or anything like that – just a simple story about a man that gets falsely accused and has to run to prove his innocence (btw..what’s Harrison Ford been up-to lately?) Nothing special in the story department but that’s not ‘really’ important (actually it IS but I liked this movie so in THIS case I say it ISN’t…ok!?. Thanks for understanding) if it’s entertaining to watch cause then u can just simply call it mindless entertainment which I will do in the following sentence which also happens to be my conclusion to this review…coincidence?? I think not…

All-in-all, this is a pretty straightforward action movie which isn’t really innovative or original, but does happen to be very entertaining which makes it a mindless fun (there it is) movie which will certainly only further establish Jet Li reputation as today’s coolest and most talented action-star in the world. I rate this movie an 8/10, simply because of Jet’s performance (although the lame acupuncture thing and Fonda role SHOULD have cost this movie a point).

Yi-Long’s Rating: 8/10

By Dan-O

Things I learned from this movie.

  • Jet Li still blows apes. Haven’t really liked one movie of his yet.
  • I have better things to do with my time than sit through a Jet Li movie, like castrating myself with a thumbtack.
  • Did I mention… yeah, Jet Li blows apes.
  • There were no apes in this movie, but I’m sure Jet Li was found on occasion scouting the Planet of the Apes set… you know…. for companionship.
  • My god, it’s the French guy from “Addicted to Love”!!! Ooooh… What a bad ass (French=Lameass, not French=Badass… silly rabbit)!
  • Um… Bridget Fonda. GAWD what a load. WhineWhineWhine, my daughter this, my daughter that. Give Jet a BJ already.. sheesh. Like he REALLY wants to hear YOU talk.
  • ANYONE can perform acupuncture! Just stick a needle somewhere, and watch the fun!! Shit… make it into a board game!! Anyone up for a round of “STICK-EM” tm?!
  • Jet Li’s career occasionally revolves around trying to “recreate” Bruce Lee fight scenes… homage or flaming-flying-fucking-ripoff.
  • No wires in this movie. I guess I’m supposed to like this then, eh? Then why do I watch this film and go… “ooookaaay, great, whatever, I’m fucking bored…. lalalalalalal….. “.
  • Ok, get that motherfucker who scores these Jet Li movies with those BLARING rap tunes that fuck up the flow (and the credibility) of the movie and nail him to an upsidedown cross on Sunday infront of the Roman Cathedral.
  • I did not see “Addicted to Love” on purpose. My girlfriend made me watch her copy. Really. I’m not into Matthew Broderick’s soft, sparkling eyes and pouty lips… I AM NOT!!! STOP IT!!!
  • Why, oh why, OH why, are you reading this horseshit. Your brain is oozing out your ear as you read this (LOOK DAMMIT NOW!!).
  • Jet?? What, the word “Dirigible” not good enough for ya?! What a pansy.
  • Twin blonde guys fighting. “Attack of the Swedes”. Maybe one guy should have colored his hair green or something. Perhaps a bandana. It would be nice if we knew just who the fuck is who, ya think?
  • Oh, the cueball-out-of-the-pocket-kick….. CGI. Jackie would have actually done it. There, I said it.
  • Don’t trifle with those wiggy Australian Airline pilots. They routinely pack enormous twin automatic weapons that could atomize a large elementary school

This movie sucked. Next.

Dan-O’s Rating: 3/10

By James H.

Firstly, I do not see this film being a big success in France. Why? Watch it and it becomes obvious. There is not one single French person in the film that is not a villain. I may have given something away just now, but no matter, it’s a martial arts movie.

Secondly, the film stars Jet Li as a Chinese cop (dare I say Supercop?). He is set to France to work with their police to capture the bad guy from “The Corruptor”. Things go wrong. Things go very wrong. Chaos ensues as does several gunshots, punches, kicks and a gory explosion. All in the first ten minutes.

There have been some critics who have said that the film’s plot is hard to follow. I disagree. There is no plot to follow. Sure there are some elements that resemble a plot, but it’s not fully there. It serves as a clothesline from which action sequences are hung. Anyway, the plot involves French conspiracies and an ex-junkie/hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold (played by a very un-showered Bridget Fonda).

From the aforementioned clothesline are several fights. These fights are handled with grace and hyperkinetic energy by first time director Chris Nahon. The fights are quite violent and just so damned entertaining. It is a fun movie.

However, I cannot fully and completely say that “Kiss of the Dragon” is a great movie. I had huge problems with the non-fighting or “plot” scenes. They were too slapped together and poorly written, but still has more brains and logic than “Romeo Must Die”.

Li has a great screen presence and is on the right track. His English has improved as well. One can only wish him well in the future. He has plenty of talent that I think Hollywood doesn’t want to go to waste.

“Kiss of the Dragon”” is a very violent, fast-paced and energetic martial arts film. And when it isn’t pretending to be a serious film, it’s bloody entertaining.

James H’s Rating: 8/10

By Numskull

I suppose the first thing I should say here is that I have not yet seen Romeo Must Die, so I can’t compare this to Jet Li’s other American film (his sixth-billing role in Lethal Weapon 4 doesn’t count). So don’t expect a comparison.

At the end of the day, Kiss of the Dragon is a quality action flick that certainly won’t hinder Jet Li’s Hollywood career, but it’s got its share of flaws. None of the characters has a whole lot of personality. Jet is the strong but silent type in a genre where strong but silent types are a dime a dozen. Bridget Fonda is little more than a talking head with a body attached, and her whiny speeches aren’t too convincing. And Tcheky Karyo is one of the most lame-ass villains in recent memory. The crooked law enforcement official seeking evidence of their own crimes is nothing new, and, even worse, there’s no viable explanation for this guy’s actions. He acts kind of like the Anti-Christ but, until Jet Li shows up, nobody seems to notice.

The storyline may be simple, but at least there’s no romance in it. Jet Li came up with the original plot and he is to be commended for not following in the footsteps of so many other shitty action movies by having the good guy fall in love with (or at least bone) the girl for no reason. They get the gratuitous sex scene out of the way early, where a guy and a girl are going at it on the floor of a hotel room with their underwear on. I didn’t think that was possible, but what do I know about sex…

The fight scenes are very well done…better than anything in one of Jackie Chan’s Hollywood movies, that’s for damn sure. They’re also more violent than you might expect. Chopsticks jammed in people’s throats, guys getting trapped in industrial strength washing machines, and so forth. The sound effects add to the in-your-face-ness quite nicely. An argument could be made in favor of wider camera angles and fewer cuts, but the way it’s done here adds to the claustrophobic feeling of fighting in close quarters, and boosts the adrenaline level.

The musical score does a great job building the atmosphere, and the rap songs do a great job driving people out of the theater to wash their ears out with soap. I’ve never tried to hide the fact that I despise rap with every fiber of my being, but I’m willing to put up with it in a movie like this if it doesn’t get too intrusive. And it doesn’t until the end.

In the climactic battle, Jet walks into a large room filled with office cubicles, and there’s this badass guy with blond hair waiting for him at the other side. Then another one shows up behind him, and they play cat-and-mouse with him before the real hell breaks loose. For the first time, Jet is put in a situation where he’s fighting a guy who can give him a serious run for his money. This scene should have been extraordinary…and if you watch it with the sound turned off, it is. But the stupid fucking bastards RUINED IT by putting this incredibly lame rap (or hip-hop or urban or whatever the fuck you want to call it) song on while they’re fighting and tearing up the place. I wanted to cry. No music at all would have been better than the shit they used. If you’re planning on sending me hate mail critiquing my taste in music, save your energy, because there exists no force on Earth that can change my mind on this. Rap fucking sucks. The scene would have been infinitely better off if they’d gotten the composer to write something for it instead. End of story.

Hmmm…now, it appears I’ve little else to write about. The ending was rather formulaic, but the credits start rolling before it gets too saccharine. If this had been a Hong Kong production, I suspect Bridget’s character would have been killed off, leaving Jet to care for the kid on his own. Yeah, I just gave away the fact that a lead character DOESN’T die, but big deal. That’s par for the course in American action movies.

See KOTD, but don’t buy the soundtrack album, or you will die.

Numskull’s Rating: 7/10 (8/10 without that damn song fucking up the fight with blondie!!!)

Posted in Asian Related, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , |

Maximum Risk | aka Bloodstone (1996) Review

Posted on January 18, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Maximum Risk" Japanese DVD Cover

“Maximum Risk” Japanese DVD Cover

AKA: The Exchange
Director: Ringo Lam
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Natasha Henstridge, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Zach Grenier, Paul Ben-Victor, Frank Senger, Stefanos Miltsakakis, Frank Van Keeken, David Hemblen, Stéphane Audran
Running Time: 100 min.

By James H.

I swear, Van Damme must have a curse on him. This curse gives bad luck to all involved with his movies. This curse has struck acclaimed Hong Kong film director Ringo Lam. It happened to Lam, Tsui Hark and it almost happened to John Woo. Lam is an accomplished director, and could have a bright future in Hollywood, if he never works with Van Damme again.

“Maximum Risk” is about a cop (Van Damme) from Nice who discovers he has a twin brother who is with the Russian mafia. The plot is definitely not new or original by any standard, but it has the potential to be done well and keep the viewer’s interest. This film had that potential, but it was discarded for action sequences. The mystery is pretty much solved in the first half hour of the movie.

The characters, as in all Van Damme (and ‘B’ grade action movies), are cliched cardboard cut-outs. The cops follow the same rules as all ‘B’ movie cops do: kill first, ask questions later. The female lead is played by Natasha Henstridge (“Species”). And I can say I’m glad I’m not her boyfriend. She shows very little concern when she finds out the love of her life was killed. She also shows little loyalty when she doink’s her dead lover’s brother. But really, that’s as far as Henstridge’s acting abilities can go. Did you see “Species”? She didn’t become famous because she gave a stellar performance, she showed her titties. And she does here too.

The action in “Maximum Risk” is generally well done by ‘B’ grade American Action Movie standards (or BAAM for short). But for HK, or rather Lam’s standards, it is below average. Lam, who directed the excellent “Full Contact”, is not used to his full potential. Van Damme has this thing where he thinks he knows more than the director. There is only one small fraction of a scene that truly show’s Lam’s talent (you’ll know it when you see it).

“Maximum Risk” is nothing to write home about. Van Damme still can’t act and still has trouble with the English language. The villains aren’t very villainous or convincing, especially the two FBI agents. As far as BAAMs go, it’s not bad, but for a Van Damme movies, it’s pretty good.

James H’s Rating: 5/10

Posted in Asian Related, Reviews | Tagged , , |

One, The (2001) Review

Posted on January 18, 2011 by JJ Bona
"The One" Chinese Theatrical Poster

“The One” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: James Wong
Cast: Jet Li, Delroy Lindo, Carla Gugino, Jason Statham, James Morrison, Dylan Bruno, Richard Steinmetz, Dean Norris, Harriet Sansom Harris, Archie Kao
Running Time: 96 min.

By Joe909

Basically this movie is nothing more than “The Highlander” meets your basic comic book/parallel universe plot. The acting’s stiff at times and there’s no character development to speak of, but still, I had a good time watching it.

The basic story: Evil Jet Li has killed 123 versions of himself in different realities. Absorbing their power, he’s almost a god. But there’s one last duplicate: good Jet Li, who as well has absorbed the energies of his dead copies, albeit unwittingly. Evil Jet comes to good Jet’s reality, and all hell breaks loose.

The best part of the movie is the opening. It’s around 10-15 minutes of pure action. Gunfights, kung-fu, a car chase, the works. Probably my favorite part of the movie, though the end image of evil Jet beating down his countless opponents on a hellish mountaintop was pretty cool.

Overall, I’d say “Kiss of the Dragon” was a much better film. The One is more of a goofy movie, something to watch for the occasional thrill. The “Matrix” effects got on my nerves; here they came off as very slow and unimpressive. Especially the shot of evil Jet picking up two motorcycles. I mean, what was that supposed to be? “Dragonball Z: The Movie?” It just looked fake. Same goes for when evil Jet flew into the air and kicked good Jet.

Like I said, good if you want to watch something fun and mindless. For some reason, it reminded me of a less bloody (but nowhere near as good) modern-day Shaw Brothers movie, mixed with a Marvel comic book.

Joe909’s Rating: 6/10

By Numskull

Lay to rest any fears you may have about Jet Li doing a “Matrix wanna-be” movie. The bullet dodging bits are pretty much the only element that The One swipes from The Matrix. It should have swiped more, because The Matrix is definitely the superior film.

There are a grand total of 125 Jet Lis running around in 125 parallel universes (at least one of which has Al Gore in the oval office), and from the very beginning, one of them has killed 122 of the others. In the first action scene, he takes out #123, leaving just him and one more. But, whenever he kills one, he doesn’t just absorb their power, Highlander-style…instead, their life force gets distributed amongst ALL of the survivors. So, when it comes down to the final two Jet Lis, the only advantage the evil one has is that he knows what the hell is going on, while our hero, to no one’s great surprise, wants nothing to do with the whole mess and thinks the problem will go away by itself if he ignores it.

The badassed Jet Li is pursued from universe to universe by two agents, one of whom is a strictly-by-the-book veteran, the other of whom is a rookie who wants to rush in all guns blazing. Yes, I know you’ve heard that before. No, it’s not any better this time around.

Considering that Jet Li is often labeled a martial arts star, I don’t see a whole lot of martial arts going on here. g The evil Jet beats up one agent, then the other, then fights the “good” version of himself in a fairly lengthy, but not terribly exciting duel which uses too much slow motion and loses some integrity due to the “metal” song they insisted on playing. Mercifully, there’s no rap to be found here, although the “new metal” stuff they use (Drowning Pool, Papa Roach, etc.) isn’t really to my taste either. You want REAL heavy metal, listen to “Whoracle” by IN FLAMES or “Endorama” by KREATOR, or, for something a little less abrasive, “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” by IRON MAIDEN (cast off any preconceptions you may have about these guys if you’re not familiar with them…they’re MILES above and beyond other 1980s “hair bands” like Poison and Guns ‘n’ Roses).

Where the hell was I? Oh yeah, The One. I find it funny that Jet Li stated that this movie would be more suitable for younger audiences than Kiss of the Dragon was. KOTD wasn’t more violent, it was just bloodier. The body count in The One is probably just as high as that of KOTD, if not higher. People get blown away left and right, and one poor sap gets crushed between two motorcycles. Also, when the hair-trigger agent is describing his favorite gun, he says it has an “antipersonnel warhead” or something like that. “Antipersonnel.” Doesn’t that just mean it kills people? Why dress it up? It’s a gun for fuck’s sake.

This isn’t a bad movie, but I hope Jet Li returns to more traditional ass-kicking. And without rap. Dear God how I hate rap. Dub this movie’s soundtrack onto Kiss of the Dragon and use the score, rather than a licensed song, for the last fight. THEN you’ve got a winning combination.

Numskull’s Rating: 6/10

By Williams

Take his evil character from Lethal Weapon 4, his dramatic charm from ‘Romeo Must Die’, and the energy from ‘Kiss of the Dragon’ and you’ve got One badass Jet Li flick right here. Wachowski brothers are shitting their pants! Should’ve given Jet the money he wanted for the Matrix sequels….

This isn’t the first film to duplicate it’s main actor to star and fight against himself. (Twin Dragons, Double Impact) but this is definitely the most successful. It seems like Jet Li takes the best of his performances since he’s entered Hollywood and fused them together as ONE (sorry, couldn’t resist). The story is original and leaves a lot of room for the audience to fill in the missing pieces. It doesn’t dwell on the story too much and I like how we find out what’s going on the same time with everyone else in the film.

And the fight scenes… oh boy! If you’ve liked The Matrix – then you will enjoy this movie. And if you liked Jet in his pre-Hollywood era you’ll love it even more. Jet performs pure Wushu – the martial art he studied as a youth. Looking back he always has so much emotion in his fight scenes – from facial expressions to physical movement (we first started seeing this in again KOD). Believe it or not he uses the martial art to tell the story of both characters he plays – such as the Yin/Yang soft and hard components of not only the art but the ONE who has developed them (sorry couldn’t resist again!) Moreover, their ability to to perform the art is enhanced with their understanding of their place in the universe.

The finale is nothing short of incredible. You really believe it’s Jet fighting himself. He performs traditional Wushu intensely as both characters! They do an unprecedented job of showing his face in the same angle while performing complex fight choreography. As a filmmaker that’s something to keep you hard for about a month!

Williams’ Rating: 9/10

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Romeo Must Die (2000) Review

Posted on January 18, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Romeo Must Die" American Theatrical Poster

“Romeo Must Die” American Theatrical Poster

Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Cast: Jet Li, Aaliyah, Isaiah Washington, Russell Wong, DMX, Delroy Lindo, Henry O, D.B. Woodside, Jon Kit Lee, Anthony Anderson, Francoise Yip
Running Time: 115 min.

By Numskull

Once upon a time (though presumably not in China), someone said, “Let’s take someone who has sold a lot of records but has never starred in a movie and team her up with the bad guy from Lethal Weapon 4. One can’t act and the other can barely speak English, so their weaknesses will make both their own and the other’s strengths seem that much more impressive. Gentlemen, I am a fucking genius. I demand the presidency of this company.” Or words to that effect.

As the title implies, this movie is a spin on the story of Romeo and Juliet, with a guy and a girl who become close, against the wishes of their wealthy, warring families/factions. Jet Li’s and Aaliyah’s characters do not fall in love; if they did, the film could be categorized as fantasy just as easily as martial arts/action. She seems to think he’s kinda cute, and he’s just gotten out of (well, escaped from, actually) prison, so pretty much anyone with ovaries is probably gonna look good to him. But, God be praised, that’s as far as it goes. There are occasional stabs at humor, such as the out-of-place football match and pretty much every scene with Maurice, but none of them hits a vital organ.

Jet and Aaliyah both lose their brothers as a result of the feud between black and Chinese gangsters, so they team up to find out, specifically, who the killer(s) is/are. If they paid more attention to camera angles and music cues, they would know which characters their real enemies are…but they don’t, so we watch them plod through a story that vaguely resembles a mystery, at the climax of which we are able to sneer “DUH!” at them. Jet gets into a few fights along the way (Aaliyah helps out in one; they had to give her something to do besides talk), and they’re mostly dull and one-sided. The exception is the final showdown with Russell Wong, who tears some of the skin off of Jet’s badly burned hand and then stomps on it. I don’t know about you folks, but I like the added level of hatred and sadism; fights to the death really shouldn’t be neat and pretty.

Once in a while, it’ll do this stupid-looking x-ray shit during a fight to show a broken bone or something. I found this annoying, but not half as annoying as the presence of the noise pollution known as “rap”. I don’t think I’ve ever tried to hide the fact that I detest rap with considerable intensity, and I resent the hell out of the assumption that it should go hand in hand with martial arts movies, for demographic reasons or whatever. (In his review for Kiss of the Dragon, Dan-O states that the “motherfucker” who adds rap to the fight scenes should be “nailed to an upside-down cross on Sunday in front of the Roman Cathedral.” In the interest of poetic justice, I think the ecclesiastical nature of that particular punishment would be better suited to the likes of Bernard Law and Jerry Falwell, but I whole-heartedly agree with the general sentiment.)

How to tell this movie was released in 2000: the DVD package has no less than four references to The Matrix on it, and in the “making of” featurette, Joel Silver (producer of both films) mentions The Matrix in every other breath, without ever saying the name “Romeo Must Die.”

To summarize: “Ho-hum.” Kiss of the Dragon remains, in my opinion, Jet Li’s best English language film by a comfortable margin (despite the outrageously intrusive and inappropriate rap “songs” during two major fights, including the finale). What a mercy for the deceased Aaliyah that she is remembered more for her recordings than for this here movie. Bleh.

Numskull’s Rating: 5/10

By James H.

I like rap music as much as the next average Caucasian, but the amount of rap music in “Romeo Must Die” is overwhelming. The music in this film is like nothing I have witnessed. It was constant and unrelenting. I began wondering whether the producers were trying to sell Jet Li or the soundtrack. It becomes irritating when you want to hear what the characters are saying, but can’t because the soundtrack is just booming over the actors.

It’s a shame the soundtrack is so loud because there are some very talented actors in the film. Delroy Lindo, Isaiah Washington, and surprisingly Aaliyah, all give good performances, even if the characters are under developed.

However, the most disappointing thing is that Li’s character (the main character may I remind you) is the most underwritten and one dimensional in the film. This is unfortunate because Li is a fine actor and has a good screen presence, although his English is something to be desired. Not only that, Li and Aaliyah had virtually no chemestry together.

Wait, there’s more. The story and script itself is very amateurish. The subplot involving the NFL seems like it was taken from a generic 70s cop show. As well, the script seems like it is missing some key scenes, and has a lapse in logic. How does Jet manage to get a passport before going to America? He’s a fugitive in Hong Kong, the first thing the police would do is stakeout the airports. Also, how did he know Aaliyah ran that business? Nothing was said to him about it. Other questions that arise are things like, where does he get all of his clothes and money? He didn’t take them from HK. He also drives several different cars, where did he get them all?

But that is neither here nor there. Fights are what put the asses in the seats There are quite a few of them, not to worry. Unfortunately, the fights are not that entertaining or very good for that matter. When watching HK films one can admire that Jet Li is actually hanging from those wires, and while being obviously fake, it is more believable than the use of digital effects on the fights in “Romeo Must Die”. The other problem is that the x-ray shots are not only distracting, but very cartoon-like.

Over all it is not a very entertaining film, and should really be avoided. If Romeo must indeed die, consider it a mercy killing.

James H’s Rating: 4/10

By Rintor

I had basically four reactions to this movie while watching it: DAMN! That was smooth…; Hey, that looked pretty fake…; Where the hell is Jet Li? I thought that he was the main character…; Yes! DMX died. The problem with this movie was that there was not enough of Jet Li and too much story development. Also the computer graphics were not needed. Especially since those are what detracted from the fight scenes. I watch HK movies to try and see the most realistic fighting I can see, and not this computer generated llama-spew. However, there are a some really cool fight scenes. My personal favorites were the Jail Beating and the scene where Jet Li beats the hell out of those guys at the apartment. My main point is that I enjoyed the film and didn’t walk out wanting my money back, and that’s all that really matters right? So, I do recommend that you see this film.

Rintor’s Rating: 7/10

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Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) Review

Posted on January 18, 2011 by JJ Bona
"Cradle 2 the Grave" American Theatrical Poster

“Cradle 2 the Grave” American Theatrical Poster

Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Producer: Joel Silver
Cast: Jet Li, DMX, Gabrielle Union, Tom Arnold, Anthony Anderson, Mark Dacascos, Kelly Hu, Drag-On, Paige Hurd, Johnny Tri Nguyen, Ron Yuan, Michael Jace, Daniel Dae Kim, Arnold Chon
Running Time: 100

By Numskull

I’m one of those people who stays in the theater after the closing credits start rolling. I want to see if they put in some little scene at the end. Usually, there’s nothing. Once in a while, there is. Example: Jeepers Creepers. Too bad I didn’t find out until afterwards that the guy who wrote and directed it (Victor Salva) likes to have sex with 12-year old boys (well, ONE 12-year old boy, anyway).

Anyway. When I went to see Cradle 2 the Grave, I broke my own tradition. As soon as the names started rolling and yet ANOTHER blaring, abrasive, obnoxious rap “song” cued up, I peeled my sorry ass off the seat and made for the exit. But then, I heard Tom “What the fuck was I thinking when I married that fat bitch RoseAnn” Arnold’s voice over the rap (talk about the lesser of two evils) and knew something was happening. “What the hell,” I thought. “It can’t get much worse.” I turned around and watched an exchange between Tom and the guy who played Maurice in Romeo Must Die (a lackluster film from the same director which is absolutely dazzling compared to this one) in which the former describes his plan to write a movie about the events they’ve just survived and the latter offers various bits of input. This scene’s idea of “wit” is a proposal that the female thief be played by Winona Ryder. And, the really scary thing is, this is probably the best part of the whole movie.

My original plan was to write a review filled with numbers in place of syllables and syllable fragments, emulating the “2” in place of “to” in “Cradle 2 the Grave.” I even preemptively made a list of number/word hybrids that I could use, such as “satur9” and “4thwith” (my favorite was “defenestr8”). Obviously, I ditched that plan, because A) I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought of it, and B) this movie is not worth the effort it would require to sustain that kind of wordplay for more than a sen10ce or two.

So…we have DM “Why the fuck is my name only three letters and consonants at that” X leading a quartet of thieves, whose “no guns” policy and exclusive victimization of drug dealers and other unsavory types don’t make them any more likable. The other members are Maurice, the buxom ex-stripper Daria, and some other guy whose only reason for existence is to get Jet “Why the fuck am I here playing second fiddle to some crapper…uh, RAPPER when I could be back in Hong Kong making REAL movies” Li involved. In the opening scene, DMX and no-name break into a room full of safe deposit boxes while Daria uses her womanly wiles (read: big tits) to distract a security guard named Douglas. Alas, it turns out Douglas is gay; Daria realizes this when he resists her charms and she notices some gay porn sitting on his desk. (Something else she might have considered before spotting the magazine: maybe the guy actually had some sense of discipline?) Time for Plan B: Maurice comes in, pretending to be gay himself, and comes on to Douglas (no, not THAT way, you perv), who, being a plot device disguised as a character, takes the bait.

DMX & co. wind up with a bag of what appear to be black diamonds which are actually an inert from of super-explosive being sought by a Taiwanese gang led by Mark “Why the fuck is this shit getting a wider release than Brotherhood of the Wolf” Dacascos and his playmate Kelly “Why the fuck did those CBS dickheads have to cancel my meal ticket Martial Law” Hu. They are former government agents who, at some point in the past, betrayed and tried to kill Jet’s character. However, this is revealed only through dialogue, and details are extremely scant. Hence, when Jet and Mark have their final showdown inside a circle of burning helicopter fuel, we have very little reason to give a damn.

A la Kiss of the Dragon, the bad guys kidnap DMX’s daughter, bind her with duct tape, and stick her in a stolen van with spray paint blocking the windows. We never find out who this kid’s mother is, but since she manages to cut through the tape with a gold necklace hanging on the wall, I guess it was MacGuyver’s long-lost sister or something. After she has outlived her usefulness to the villains, she is inexplicably kept alive while they demonstrate the explosive capabilities of the “diamonds” to an assembly of international black market tycoons. This “demonstration” consists of one of the stones being placed in a fancy-looking device that emits bright beams of green light (goggles required) while the guy operating the machinery verbally states the destructive level that the stone is reaching as a graph on a computer monitor climbs higher and higher. No low-powered explosion is triggered to prove that these guys aren’t bullshitting, and no visible, tangible evidence is given to indicate that these things are, truly, anything other than shiny black rocks placed inside a machine that puts on a light show. Nevertheless, the arms dealers in attendance begin to drool all over themselves and erupt in a bidding frenzy.

To no one’s great surprise, cut-crazed editor Derek Brechin fatally injures Cory Yuen’s fight choreography, and then the overall shittiness of the film puts it out of its misery. This is by far Jet Li’s worst American film (probably his worst film, PERIOD, for that matter), and also his most bland, generic role to date. (He’s a law enforcement official from Taiwan who can beat people up. That’s it. There is literally NOTHING else to the character, unless you count his unnamed, unseen 15-year old daughter. I mean, shit, at least he had his needles in Kiss of the Dragon.) Cradle 2 the Grave is not recommended even for the unintentional comic relief, or for completist purposes. There is simply no excuse for a movie this bad. Andrzej Bartkowiak, John O’Brien, and Channing Gibson should all be defenestr8ed.

Numskull’s Rating: 2/10

Posted in Asian Related, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , |
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