Ichi (product link) Martial Arts / Drama This is an excellent redux of the Zatoichi franchise! Haruka Ayase is incredible in this movie and I very pleasantly surprised at her performance! I am a huge Zatoichi fan and I was skeptical of this movie. This was not an attempt to remake Zatoichi into a female version. The only thing I didn't like was the ending. The finale was very anti-climatic, which was disappointing. It had the potential and build up for a great finale, but IMO, fell short there.
Five Fingers Of Death (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Absolute SB CLASSIC! IMO, it's best to watch it with the classic English dub as found on the Dragon Dynasty DVD.
Five Deadly Venoms (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Absolute SB CLASSIC! IMO, it's best to watch it with the classic English dub as found on the Dragon Dynasty DVD.
Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition And Torture (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime Pinky violence star Reiko Ike is phenomenal in this movie, as was she in SEX & FURY. Get both and watch together! "Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition And Torture" is highly recommended for fans of the Japanese pinky violence genre!
The City Of Violence (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime The action in this movie is just incredible! That alone makes this movie worth having. The story is very good, but the acting gets a little melodramatic at some points. Plus the back and forth flashbacks get a little annoying at times. Overall, I recommend this movie!
Chanbara Beauty: The Movie / Dororo [2-Disc Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Chanbara Beauty" is worth 1 star, as it is one of the most idiotic movies ever made. "Dororo" is worth 0 stars, as I couldn't even get through 20 minutes of it.
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Dororo is god awful Japanese pop culture retardation at it's finest.
Bohachi Bushido: Code Of The Forgotten Eight (product link) Erotica / Drama This movie is a wild ride and highly recommended for fans of Japanese cult cinema. It is complete with good samurai swordplay, along with plenty of samurai sword-wielding naked Japanese women. If you try to make sense of it, it won't make sense. So just watch it with a grain of salt and enjoy it for the classic cult film that it is. If you're not into pinky violence or Japanese cult cinema, you will not like it.
Blind Woman's Curse (product link) Thriller / Action/Adventure Absolutely a classic cult film by the stunningly gorgeous Meiko Kaji. The action is excellent and the film is beautifully shot. Highly recommended for fans of Japanese cult cinema and of Meiko Kaji!
B13: Banlieue 13 (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts It's hard to watch bad asses talking in French, but after you get past that, this is a pretty good action movie. Cyril Raffaelli is awesome, but I expected more martial arts action from David Belle.
The Angry River (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Not one of my favorite Angela Mao films. A little bizarre and not as much Mao action as I was expecting.
Okatsu The Fugitive (product link) Crime / Erotica The LEGENDS OF THE POISONOUS SEDUCTRESS series is awesome, and Junko Miyazono is hotter than sin! Okatsu The Fugitive is the third in the 3 film series. The odd thing about the series is that each film is not related to the other films. They all can stand alone individually. So, it's not really a 3-part series. But, all 3 films are excellent, with this one being the best.
Quick-Draw Okatsu (product link) Crime / Erotica The LEGENDS OF THE POISONOUS SEDUCTRESS series is awesome, and Junko Miyazono is hotter than sin! Quick-Draw Okatsu is the second in the 3 film series. The odd thing about the series is that each film is not related to the other films. They all can stand alone individually. So, it's not really a 3-part series. But, all 3 films are excellent, with the 3rd, Okatsu The Fugitive, being the best.
Female Demon Ohyaku (product link) Crime / Erotica The LEGENDS OF THE POISONOUS SEDUCTRESS series is awesome, and Junko Miyazono is hotter than sin! Female Demon Ohyaku is the first in the 3 film series. The odd thing about the series is that each film is not related to the other films. They all can stand alone individually. So, it's not really a 3-part series. But, all 3 films are excellent, with the 3rd, Okatsu The Fugitive, being the best.
Drunken Master (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Drunken Master" is the greatest kung fu comedy of all time. A true classic that you cannot watch enough.
Dance Of The Drunk Mantis (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure For a Hwang Jang-Lee film, I was not impressed with it. It was too much of the same thing.
Chinese Super Ninja (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure One of the all-time greatest SB movies. A must-have for any self-respecting kung fu fan. Highly recommended.
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Wuxia fan I agree my all time favorite but ,this is response to Stroke Of Death. I was referring to Chen Kwan Tai's IRON MONKEY. You might want to research your films before you submit your opinion!
Broken Oath (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Abosultely awesome Angela Mao revenge flick. Think of this film as the kung fu version of LADY SNOWBLOOD.
Zatoichi [2003] (product link) Drama / Swordplay/Sword(s) Beat Kitano does an excellent portrayal of the classic character. However, Shintaro Katsu will always BE Zatoichi.
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The two actors' physicalitis and acting styles are quite different from each other's, but Takeshi Kitano does nothing to detract from Shintaro Katsu's excellent films. This is a good film on its own terms.
I think the two actors have totally different takes on the character. What impressed me about the 2003 film was how creative and original they were with things while still remaining true to the classic character.
The Princess Blade (product link) Martial Arts / Swordplay/Sword(s) I was hoping that this film would be in the vein of AZUMI, but it was not. It was too dark, too futuristic, and it tried to blend the past with the future, which did not work. If you're looking for something similar to AZUMI, this is not it. Get AZUMI 2 instead.
Lady Snowblood Collection [2-Disc Set] (product link) Swordplay/Sword(s) / Drama The Lady Snowblood films are absolute classics, especially the first film. You can clearly see the inspiration that Tarantino had with Kill Bill from the first Lady Snowblood film. Meiko Kaji was brilliant in both installments. You can feel her intensity through the screen. Both films are highly recommended.
Augustin, King Of Kung-Fu (product link) Comedy / Romance This was an interesting and funny film. The ending took a twist that I was not expecting, and it somewhat left me unresolved with respect to Maggie Cheung's character. I bought the DVD because I wanted to see Maggie Cheung in a different role. Maggie Cheung was excellent, but I would like to have seen more of her in the film. It was a very different role for Maggie Chueng. Overall the acting is excellent.
This review refers to the Japanese extended version of the film [Japanese Basic Edition].
The extended version of the film is much better than the shorter versions out there, which is all of the other versions. There is dialog that adds to the storyline in many scenes and there are a number of scenes that were cut that just add to the entire film. The longer version of the film allows the viewer to get into the character of Azumi as the director intended and watch her mature by the end of the film. The shorter version just seems to hurry along and you are left with somewhat of a "that's it?" feeling when it's over. So, get the Japanese Basic Edition while it's still available.
In order to enjoy this film, you have to be a genre fan and have an understanding of Japanese samurai cinema. The film contains some brutally violent scenes that western audiences will have a hard time understanding, but they are in context to the storyline and the period that the film takes place. Once you understand that, the film is excellent. Aya Ueto is absolutely beautiful and plays the role perfectly. She is Azumi. VERSUS director Ryuhei Kitamura was the only Japanese director who could pull off bringing the graphic novel character to life. Kitamura knew Aya Ueto was the one to play Azumi. She hung in there even though she was injured on the very first day of shooting. Kitamura thought it was over (see the special feature on the UK version for this story).
AZUMI is highly recommended for genre fans, but especially for fans of beautiful samurai-slashing leading ladies.
Fearless [2006] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I would consider "Fearless" to be one of Jet Li's finest performances of his career, not only as a Wushu master, but also for his acting ability. "Fearless" and "Hero" proved that Jet Li can act, in addition to putting on outstanding martial arts performances. "Fearless" is a film that should be watched not only for the incredible action, but also for the engrossing and dramatic story of Huo Yuanjia. Jet Li is completely believable in this role and he draws you in to the story. No matter how many times I watch the film, I experience the same engrossment every time, and I'm always saddened at the ending.
Jet Li has now played both master and student. With "Fearless", he played the master; and with "Fist of Legend" he played the student. If you want a perfect double feature, watch "Fearless" [Director's Cut], then watch "Fist of Legend" [Uncut].
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Jet Li's acting in this film was almost flawless- He really captured Huo Yuanjua spirit
Lady Kung Fu (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Hapkido" (aka "Lady Kung Fu") is one of the all-time greatest kung fu classics. This is far and away Angela Mao's best performance, and she just kicks ass all the way through the film. Also, this is one of Sammo Hung's best early films. He is fantastic as well. But Angela Mao is the beautiful centerpiece. Any kung fu fan should own this film.
The Iron Dragon Strikes Back (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure [Note: This review refers to the US DVD by EVG.] For old school kung fu fanatics, this film is an all-time classic! It is pure old school, from the English dub to the superb fight scenes, and yes, the dopey storyline. We are even fortunate enough to have the same 3-4 guys that we all know doing the English dub. The final fight scene is great--even though Bruce Li does take the head off a dummy! I laughed out loud--it was a classic scene for an all time classic kung fu flick!
I would like to personally thank HKFlix for obtaining this DVD and for offering it at such an incredible price! THANK YOU!!
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