I'm usually quick to criticize wire-fu choreography, but some of the scenes in "Iron Monkey" were amazing. I still think that some parts were a bit excessive, but the choreography from Yuen Wo Ping, Yuen Cheung Yan, and Yuen Shun Yee was, for the most part, incredible! Donnie Yen was tremendous in his role as Wong Kei-Ying and really showed his great fighting abilities. Even Yu Rong Guang was convincing as the Iron Monkey, handling his duties admirably. Tsang Sze man was also impressive as a young Wong Fei-Hung, especially since the character was played by a girl.

It's a shame that "Iron Monkey" was a box office flop because it is certainly one of the best martial arts films of the 1990's. With that said, "Iron Monkey" has thankfully gone on to receive the respect and admiration that it deserves, even becoming well known in the West.

If one wanted to sample a wire-fu film for the first time, there is no better place to start than "Iron Monkey".

Highly recommended!

As ludicrous as it sounds (and it is), "Sex and Zen" has a very solid and entertaining story for your typical softcore Hong Kong CAT3 sex romp. I believe there are 3 categories that define a great Hong Kong CAT 3 sexcapade. Those are creative sexual scenes, ridiculously raunchy comedy, and beautiful settings, costumes, and cinematography. These three elements separate the good CAT 3 films from mindless sleazy softcore porn. Films such as "The Erotic Ghost Story", "Eternal Evil of Asia", and "A Chinese Torture Chamber Story" (To name a few) have incorporated those elements effectively, but few, if any, have excelled at the level of "Sex and Zen". This may be the holy grail of CAT 3 madness and well worth the praise from Penthouse which is the first thing you see in the closing credits!

The sex scenes are very creative and range from sensual to downright bizarre. Another important aspect of this type of film is to create that one memorable moment that the viewer will always remember. "Sex and Zen" has several of these moments, but its hard to get past the image of CAT 3 legend, Elvis Tsui, ravaging his wife (Kingdom Yuen) on the floor leading to the point where he decides he should toss a chain to the rafters like a grappling hook to further spice things up. Wow! I never thought to do that! There are also some creative uses of sticks, flutes, and paint brushes on display.

The second strongpoint of "Sex and Zen" is its raunchy and hilarious dialogue. The interaction between the characters is great as some scenes are legitimately gut wrenchingly funny. The horse prick transplant scene is one of the most bizarre and funny things I have ever scene in a CAT 3 film, which is saying something. I recommend the English dub version that really highlights the absurdity of the dialogue. Who can forget Lo Lieh discovering that for the first time in his life he gave a man a stiffy with his swordplay or when the Doctor's dog runs off with Lawrence Ng's severed penis resulting in him calling out, "Hey dog give me back my dick, its not a bone". Haha classic material, indeed!

There are several CAT 3 thrillers that incorporate great cinematography along with beautiful costumes and locations, but few rival "Sex and Zen". The use of sexual art (Yuen Dynasty porn) and the silk rolls was a nice touch that added to the beauty of the film. The settings were also phenomenal as some of the tea houses, whore houses, and other outdoor scenery rivaled locations from more respectable productions.

The only negative aspect of the film was some the final scenes that seemed lazy and out of place although the film did manage to end with some words of wisdom that seemed straight out of a fortune cookie.

Sometimes I feel sleazy for watching and reviewing these types of films, but they can be a hell of a fun time if given a chance and "Sex and Zen" does not disappoint on any level. I always thought that there was no way a CAT 3 sleazefest should get more than 4 stars, but "Sex and Zen" is as good as it gets from this genre making it the holy grail well worth a recommendation from Penthouse and I.

Highly recommended as long as your over 18 and don't think sex is dirty!

Ted (Jackie Chan) is a police officer who has dreams of becoming a sailor and seeing the world, but is unfortunately straddled with his mentally challenged brother, Danny (Sammo Hung). Danny mistakenly gets caught up with a gang and some stolen jewels resulting in Ted having to come to his rescue further delaying his personal aspirations and adding to his burdens....

"Heart of Dragon" is similar to Jackie Chan's "Crime Story" as both receive some criticism from fans who didn't enjoy Chan trying something different. I admire Chan for wanting to improve his dramatic acting skills and I believe he did a fine job. "Heart of Dragon" is probably more of a Sammo Hung film as he was the director and did a bulk of the action choreography. In my opinion, Sammo also was the better actor playing one of the best mentally challenged characters in Hong Kong film history rivaled only by Lily Chung in the shocking CAT 3 film, "Red To Kill", and Kent Cheng in "Why Me?". Sammo did a terrific job portraying a helpless, but sympathetic character.

The action is very limited except for the end where Jackie Chan and Dick Wei beat the holy tar out of each other. The few action scenes are well done and extremely intense fitting the mood of the film perfectly. It should be noted that "Heart Of Dragon" is not all gloom and doom as there are some comedy scenes that are very effective at lightening things up a bit.

"Heart Of Dragon" has many other noteworthy appearances such as Chin Kar Lok, Melvin Wong, James Tien, Lam Ching Ying, Meng Hoi, Phillip Ko, Lee Hoi San, Cory Yuen and a brief cameo by Yuen Biao.

"Heart Of Dragon" may not always get the respect it deserves from all Jackie Chan fans, but it did do well at the box office winning several awards and is well worth a look for anyone that would like to see Jackie and Sammo try something different.

Recommended!

The plot is very straightforward. A lonely man (Andy Lau) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, resulting in him playing a cat-and-mouse game with a police negotiator (Lau Ching Wan). The negotiator is also a lonely man that dedicates all his time to his job, having no personal life at all. The two form a bond, or even an awkward friendship, as Andy Lau continues to outsmart and be one step ahead of the police. This motivates Lau Ching Wan, who guarantees he will make an arrest, as Andy Lau is determined not to die in a police station. But some conflict arises as both men realize that their supposed enemy may really be the only friend they have in their otherwise lonesome existence.

"Running Out Of Time" has a great story and some superb acting. Andy Lau is excellent in this role, and Lau Ching Wan continues to prove why he is one of Hong Kong's most underappreciated actors. The score is also tremendous, which is often a strongpoint in a Johnnie To film, and will stick in your head for a long time. Another great aspect of the theme song was that it was only used in key situations, so it never got boring or repetitive. This is also a great film to see Andy Lau in various different disguises, which was well done. Other Johnnie To (Milky Way Productions) regulars, such as Lam Suet, Hui Siu Hung, Yoyo Mung Ka Wai, and Ruby Wong Cheuk Ling, can also be spotted throughout the film.

"Running Out Of Time" is an excellent film with a great concept and story that will probably be discovered and exploited by Hollywood some day.

Highly Recommended!

"Protege" is one of the finer films to come out of Hong Kong in recent years, plus it's hard to go wrong with a Derek Yee film. Yee has an amazing ability to direct films that are not only commercially successful, but artistically acclaimed. Yee has also succeeded in getting star quality performances from relative newcomers.

I've always thought Daniel Wu was kind of hit or miss as a leading man, but I will acknowledge that he did a fine job here, as he did in Derek Yee's "One Nite In Mongkok". It was also interesting to see him onscreen with Andy Lau, because in some ways I see a bit of a resemblance between the two--not that I'm predicting Wu will enjoy the same level of success in his career. I believe the two standout performances came from Louis Koo and Zhang Jing Chu as two individuals addicted to heroin. Zhang Jing Chu was particularly effective and was involved in many of the film's most powerful scenes.

"Protege" is also a very smart film, giving a lot of insight on the drug trade. Yee also does a fine job bringing all the characters and story full circle to the climax, where the supposed hero must put his confusion aside and make a life-altering decision.

Highly recommended.

The story involves a young man (Cheung Kam Ching) that own a barbeque restaurant in Hong Kong that doesn't get many customers, beyond a low level triad (Jamie Lik Kim Ming) and a mischievous cop named Officer Lazy Boots (Anthony Wong) that always loses his gun. Aside from his rocky business, Cheung also has marital problems as he cannot "make it" (as the film describes it), and his nymphomaniacal wife takes all his earning to go shopping to impress her new boyfriends that can "make it". Cheung is a nice guy with absolutely no self esteem because of his crappy life and the fact that everyone knows his wife is cheating on him and he is worthless in bed. But Cheung's life gets a bit more interesting when his wife (Yeung Faan) invites her cousin (Paulyn Sun) to move to Hong Kong from Mainland China. Cheung is totally oblivious to the fact that she witnessed the massacre of her entire family and she is totally insane. She quickly notices that Cheung is a great guy and his wife treats him like dirt, leading her to take matters into her own hands to carve out a new life...

"The Untold Story 2" bares little resemblance to the original, aside from Anthony Wong and people being served for dinner at the crappy Hong Kong restaurant. Anthony Wong does a decent job playing the dimwitted, Officer Lazy Boots but is no comparison to his brilliant performance in "The Untold Story". The highlight of the film is definitely the acting from Paulyn Sun and Cheung Kam Ching. Paulyn Sun accurately portrays a loveable, sometimes innocent looking girl that is really a total nut job. Cheung Kam Ching is even better as the sympathetic loser that can get nothing right as his inefficiencies in the sack and passive nature result in him falling into Paulyn Sun's trap. What makes this film creepy is not the splatter used for a shock value, but the slow transition of Paulyn's character, along with the other solid performances and the eerie nature of the events. This is more of a psychological thriller than a splatterfest.

"The Untold Story 2" is not as groundbreaking as the original but well worth a look, unless you have a weak stomach.

The story is fairly decent, but has a lot of problems. First off, I got the impression this wanted to be more of an epic martial arts film, incorporating historical political issues on a more grand scale, but this goal fizzled out quickly, which may or may not be the fault of a limited budget. Another problem is that the filmmakers tried to add an element of intrigue which completely fell flat. We are introduced to a female ninja (Fanny Wang) that is an agent of the Ching Emperor, wearing a pendant around her neck. In a better film, the viewer would be left guessing who this individual was, resulting in her showing up at an opportune time. Instead, we get a female (the only female in the film) that shows up immediately after that scene whom we are told has Japanese ties, with tattoos reminiscent of Yakuza artwork. If that doesn't make it obvious, killing the element of intrigue, she drops her top in a gambling hall, revealing her pendant, among other things. I'm all for adding female nudity in kung fu films, so that scene does get a star or two out of me.

The acting was mediocre at best, but the action scenes were pretty strong. I'm not a huge fan of Wang Tao, although he seems to be in the best shape that I can remember and his martial arts skills are very solid here. The problem with him as the leading man is that he has the charisma of a Buddhist statue, breathing no life into his character. John Liu is impressive as always and probably does the best acting work in the film, accurately portraying a smart-ass loner. Liu's kicking skills are very good in "The Death Duel Of Kung Fu", as he even manages to avoid his tendency to completely miss his opponents, which can be seen quite a bit in his other films. Eagle Han Ying did a decent job as the lead villain, but in my opinion he is nowhere near the elite class of kung fu baddies. His hair is ridiculous, which didn't bother me that much in the dialogue scenes but became a real distraction in the battles where he is extensively doubled.

"The Death Duel Of Kung Fu" has its pros and cons, but I believe it is not John Liu's or Wang Tao's best film, let alone a kung fu classic worthy of mention or a rating comparable to all the great Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest films of the era.

With that said, "The Death Duel Of Kung Fu" is a solid bargain basement addition to any collection.

The story centers around a supreme martial artist that trains a group of five delinquents with no previous kung fu training to rescue a revolutionary being held in an impenetrable mountain fortress. There are some lengthy training scenes mixed with preliminary battles, and some comedy thrown in for good measure. After the ragtag band of kung fu commandoes are trained to the best of their abilities, they embark on their incredible kung fu mission, facing many obstacles and ambushes.

The pacing of the film and the character development is excellent, as the deaths in the film really mean something, which was an important element in the success of "The Dirty Dozen". The action choreography from Robert Tai is very solid, and he also does a fine job as the lead villain. [Possible spoilers.] Another welcome addition was a twist following what most viewers believe to be the final battle. This gives everyone a bonus fight after the epic final showdown. Well done! [End spoilers.]

"Incredible Kung Fu Mission" or "Kung Fu Commandoes" is a real crowd pleaser that is highly recommended.

All three films in the franchise have very basic plots, but I believe "Erotic Ghost Story 3" has the strongest storyline. This is probably the only aspect in which this film triumphs over the previous two installments. This is a beautifully shot film but doesn't quite match Part 1's lighting and cinematography or Part 2's star power and wackiness. With those comparisons aside, "Erotic Ghost Story 3" is a fine addition to the franchise and a solid film in its own right.

Of course the highlight of the film is all the extended sex scenes that are very well choreographed with a sense of purpose. "Erotic Ghost Story 3" has just as many scenes of gratuitous sex and nudity as the previous films. This film also has several comedic moments, which is another element to expect from the series. Of course much of the humor is as raunchy as one would expect from a Hong Kong CAT 3 film of the early 90's. There are also some solid scenes of swordplay choreographed by Phillip Kwok of Venoms and "Hard Boiled" fame.

"Erotic Ghost Story 3" is a very solid sex/spirits/swordplay flick that is recommended to fans of the series or anyone that is interested in Hong Kong CAT 3 mayhem.

The only real issue I had with "Sonatine was the middle of the film, when the gangsters were hiding out on the beach. This was where most of the humorous moments occurred but seemed to drag on forever, causing me to stir a bit. This scene led to the final battle, which was a bit of a disappointment after I was itching for violence after all the extended scenes of male bonding, male and female bonding, and yakuza members playing childish games.

"Sonatine" is an entertaining and noteworthy yakuza film that is highly recommended.

I thought "Zatoichi" was beautifully shot, as the location seemed very intimate and tranquil--aside from the clans that threatened the citizens' normally happy lives. Enter the nomadic blind swordsman, Zatoichi, and his superior skills. I'm not going to get into the whole plot, but it is very well done and executed effectively. "Zatoichi" also had some humorous elements and the action was swift and deadly. I thought the action scenes were very strong and added many creative elements, which should be expected from a great filmmaker like Kitano. I also thought Kitano did a good job playing the blind swordsman, as his acting was stiff, but pretty solid. [Begin spoilers.] I also really liked the twist at the end, as the viewer was thrown a bit of a curveball as he got people to believe that Zatoichi's condition is not what everyone thought it was, only to reveal he was lying and everyone was right all along. Nice touch! [End spoilers.]

I only have three minor complaints about the film. First off, I thought it was a little too long, as some of the scenes seemed a bit unnecessary. Secondly, I thought his final duel with the samurai (Tadanobu Asano) was over too quickly. A large portion of the film was dedicated to building this guy up as a badass with unmatched skills, and I would have liked to see him put up a better fight. Finally, the dance number was pointless and ended the film on a bit of a negative note, although the blending of the young and older versions of people was well done.

The blind swordsman "Zatoichi" may or may not stay true to the "Zatoichi" legacy, but I think this was a very solid film and is recommended for everyone.

I won't go in further detail on the events that follow because it may include spoilers, but this film has a few twists that will keep the viewer glued to the screen.

"Shutter" is often very reminiscent of some popular J-Horror films ("Ju-On", "The Ring", etc.) but can definitely hold its own. In fact, I believe "Shutter" is one of the best horror films to come out of Asia in years. The cast did an admirable job and the two young directors really did their homework, creating a well thought out story with some compelling evidence. What I mean by compelling evidence is the use of real pictures of spirit photography which takes a major role in the film. The directors went out and researched spirit photography to see if it had a high level of interest, resulting in individuals and universities allowing them access to ghostly photos, some of which are quite amazing and can be seen in the film. Another spooky aspect of "Shutter" was that they filmed what they believe to be a real ghost in the scene where the young girl is hit. This is the direct result of the directors investigating different stories, deciding to film in a region that has been notorious for sightings. The filmmakers really seemed engaged in the subject matter, resulting in a top notch horror film.

"Shutter" is a very compelling and eerie horror film. With that said, it shouldn't shock anyone that Hollywood producers chose this as their next remake--or the next Asian horror film that needed a serious butchering. Hollywood filmmakers could seriously learn something from these two young Thai directors because this is how it's done!

Highly recommended.

I get the sense that the filmmakers wanted to immediately capitalize on the success of "The Machine Girl" and forgot to present a sensible story, as much of it seems kinda' mashed together and unorganized. Another vital piece of the puzzle that is missing is the charm and the kinda' wink-wink approach to gory filmmaking that was seen in "The Machine Girl".

With that said, I still believe "Tokyo Gore Police" is not a serious film, aside from a few scenes used to push the story of Ruka's (Eihi Shina) father being murdered. Although Ruka dosen't speak much and never cracks a smile, her level of destruction is so absurd that the director is obviously looking for laughs. There is no way some of these scenes could have any purpose other than being purposely over the top. One example is when Ruka runs her car through a pile of bodies that were obviously mannequins. Another is when the police chief gets his legs cut off as his knees spew so much blood he takes off in the air as if he's wearing a jet pack, spinning around and getting chopped to bits even more.

My favorite aspect of the film was all the public service announcements and commercials that were thrown in at random to act as a break from all the gory nonsense. Of course, they were also violent, but many of them were very funny. The best one was definitely the "Wrist Cutter G". I may be a little sick, but somehow the director convinced me that three Japanese girls parading around with cute little wrist-cutting devices resembling a Nickelodeon commercial is hilarious, resulting in my rewinding it several times. The young schoolgirls assured us that wrist-cutting is cute, stylish, and blood starts to taste good. Who thinks up this crap?

It seems that "Tokyo Gore Police" is the product of the successful "The Machine Girl" flick, as the filmmakers decide they needed to up the blood, guts, and bizareness to an even higher level but unfortunately lost some of the charm with a unpolished, sometimes incoherent plot.

Recommended for people that like films that are gory for the sake of being gory, like me! And remember, more gore is on its way! Great, thanks!

If you can make it through the lame attempts at comedy, "My Young Auntie" does offer some solid action from an impressive cast. The always beautiful Kara Hui (even today as she's nearing 50 yrs old) really gives an award-winning performance and can be quite convincing without having any formal kung fu training. Hsiao Ho is excellent, as always, and in my mind remains one of the most underrated martial artists in kung fu film history. Gordon Liu can even be spotted sporting a ridiculous wig and stache as his talents were really wasted here.

I'm not saying "My Young Auntie" is a terrible film, but a bit of a letdown in which the brief but solid action could not make up for all the crappy comedy. This is far from one of Lau Kar Leung's best efforts and even further from a kung fu classic.

The film sticks to the script and never strays a foot from the action or the unfolding plot. I was a little worried when a female character appeared that seemed to take an interest in the hero of the film (John Liu). I thought we were going to see a meaningless subplot involving love and feelings, but was relieved when that never came to fruition. "Invincible Armour" also features a great cast of underrated stars, such as John Liu and Hwang Jang Lee. Even action director Yuen Biao shows up for a cameo only to show his skills and die.

This is definitely a pure kung-fu film that focuses on the action and many different styles and weapons are on display. "Invincible Armour" is a great old-schooler that is a must-see, especially for fans of leg fighters.

The story is pretty straightforward but nothing really groundbreaking. This is a very low budget Thai film that has a direct-to-video look to it. The overall execution of nearly every aspect of the film is very amatuerish, ranging from the bargain basement fog machine to the plastic axe that is used to somehow dig a perfectly rectangular grave. The acting also ranges from mediocre to downright awful. The attack of the garden hose scene is particularly laughable. The special effects and make-up are also pretty crappy, and there are no real chills or scares at all. At times it even resembles another poorly done "Ju-On" rip-off.

"Diecovery" is the Thai horror equivilent of a bad Sci-Fi Channel original movie and should be approached with caution.

I thought the director did a brilliant job setting the mood throughout the film as the suspense and terror gradually grew to the mind-bending climax. Other elements that had a powerful effect were the lighting, use of fog, close-ups, fetishistic killings, and of course the eerie music. The work of the crew was excellent, but the same cannot be said about the cast that seemed amateurish at best. You know that the budget is low when you hire a couple of porn queens and ask them to go beyond their obligatory sex scene and actually give acting a stab.

Some people may consider "Evil Dead Trap" a classic, but I don't for one simple reason and that is the ridiculous ending (or multiple endings in this case). I would have loved this much more if they stuck to the lonely serial killer storyline instead of plunging into the supernatural or whatever it is they did here. After my initial viewing I was very upset and disappointed, but after that I expected it in my second trip through the "Evil Dead Trap", actually paying attention looking for answers that explain the madness. Unfortunately, I only came up with a few theories, many of which center around a multiple personality disorder based on having a Hideki. I won't go into any more detail to avoid spoilers, but I still never figured out exactly what the hell is the Hideki or where it came from. I guess some things are better left unexplained...

"Opium And The Kung Fu Master" is excellent, especially among the later Shaw Brothers productions. I liked how they took a serious issue like opium use--which undoubtedly is a sore spot in Chinese history (which is evident when a character in the film states "that's why foreigners think we are weak")--and incorporated it into a martial arts film, which I cannot recall seeing done before at this level. The first half of the film had some comedic moments, but the tone drastically changes when a family's suicide is the direct result of opium use. We also witness the deteriorating kung fu skills of the master, the leader of the Ten Tigers Of Kwangtung (Ti Lung) and its effects on his own well-being and the people around him. Before he can get his revenge, he must realize his addiction plunged the town into peril and cost the lives of close friends, requiring him to get help to sober up. This film is unique in that I never saw the typical martial arts training sequences used to help cure drug addiction.

"Opium And The Kung Fu Master" is a top notch film with strong action, great performances (Ti Lung especially), and a legitimate message that far exceeds most films of this genre.

The story centers around the Kang family starting when the father (Park In-Hwan) gets fired from his job and moves his family to the mountains where he buys a lodge that seems to be cursed as various guests slowly begin showing up and croaking the first night. He decides the bodies should be buried because if the news got out it would hurt his dismal business even more. As the bodies begin to pile up, the family's level of desperation and creativity increases.

Other members of this family of degenerates include the short-tempered mother (Na Mun-Hee), Uncle Chang (Choi Min-Sik) who is a lonely loser, the only son (Song Kang-Ho) who loves peeping and has a criminal record, and the two 17 year-old sisters (Go Ho-Kyung and Lee Yeon-Sung) who are cynical and lazy.

The entire cast did an amazing job, but the standout performance for me was Song Kang-Ho, whose laughter, mannerisms, facial expressions, and crappy attitude were highlights of the film.

Another aspect of the film worth mentioning was the soundtrack. The first WTF moment of the presentation happened in the opening credits when you hear the song "Tres Delinquentes" by Delinquent Habits. I haven't heard that song for years and how it fits in a Korean film is beyond me, but it was great. There were many other strange musical choices throughout the film, but none match "I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family during the final credits. After some thought, I believe it was a brilliant choice for nothing more than highlighting one last time that the grim and cynical Kang family are no Partridges.

In many ways "The Quiet Family" reminded me of Takashi Miike's "Visitor Q" as both are great films that explore how violence and dead bodies can bring an otherwise disconnected and dysfunctional family together in a crisis. With that said, it should not be a surprise that Takashi Miike remade this film taking many of the same elements of "The Quiet Family" and turned them up a few notches resulting in "The Happiness Of The Katakuris". Miike made a few changes as he added a grandfather and young girl along with ridiculous sing-alongs, zombies, zombie sing-alongs, and of course, claymation. "The Happiness Of The Katakuris" is a very entertaining film but doesn't come close to "The Quiet Family's" cast performances, charm, or storytelling abilities.

"The Quiet Family" is a very tightly wound flick full of sharp and subtle humor with an excellent script and a talented cast and crew. This is a film that one could watch multiple times, always finding something they never noticed in the previous viewings.

I strongly recommend "The Quiet Family", especially to people with more of a dark sense of humor.

"Erotic Ghost Story 2" is definitely the wackiest film in the franchise and at times can be pure Hong Kong Cat 3 gold. The main reason for this is of course the presence of resident slimeball Anthony Wong, who apparently loves these sleazy roles and really rises to the occasion. Wong plays a sex-crazed demon that looks straight out of an 80's rock video, fully equipped with a plastic sword and a tail that resembles something I'd rather not mention. He gets into his love making so much that he can be seen doing some impressive growling, biting, teeth baring, and even ripping a girl in half. He must really love his job and is definitely in the zone for this role.

Aside from the many lengthy sex scenes, "Erotic Ghost Story 2" also adds many other interesting visuals such as eyeball licking, laughable special effects, and a midget Buddhist monk that is green for some unknown reason and can turn himself into a fireball, to name a few.

Like the previous installment in the series, "Erotic Ghost Story 2" is beautifully shot, which is quite surprising for films of this genre. I thought part 2 was definitely wackier than the first and recommend it anyone that is interested in this type of mind-numbing, no-holds-barred filmmaking that can be a very entertaining experience.

The first half of the film seems to focus more on plot development and humor as Sammo is a third rate P.I. and Yuen Biao and Jackie Chan are selling burgers, visiting wacky people in the mental institution, and trying to impress a woman with sticky fingers. Some of the humor works well, but other parts kinda' fall flat and seem outdated. Overall, there is enough here to keep you entertained until the second half, where the plot and relationships between characters come full circle, resulting in more action which is what really makes "Wheels On Meals" stand out. After some goofing around, the final fights were very intense and hard-hitting. Well done!

Highly recommended for everyone.

After dismissing the audio issues, I found "Sukiyaki Western Django" to be a solid film and couldn't wait for the near 20-minute gun-blazing finale that didn't disappoint. This film seemed to be an ambitious, risky, but admirable project that should be viewed as successful.

Well worth a look.

The first half of the film highlights the bumbling idiots and their quest for jujitsu immortality as an army of zombies begins to throw a monkey wrench in their dreams. These idiots hardly take the zombies seriously, giving the impression that this is designed to be a buddy comedy, not a serious zombie movie. They think then can survive on potato chips, smokes, and of course jujitsu. There was even a scene where Fujio (Tadanobu Asano) was searching through a desk and didn't even bother to grab the gun and boxes of bullets in plain view. This guy is a certified dumbass for sure. Soon after, they meet up with a foul-mouthed shrew of a woman that constantly calls them dumbasses and idiots, which is harsh but accurate. After this, some zombie madness ensues and the film takes a turn for the worse.

Fujio and Mitsuo (Show Aikawa) get split up and the film fast-forwards five years to where the Tokyo survivors are crowded in a region blocked off from the zombies beyond. Fujio apparently developed a relationship with the shrew girl, resulting in a daughter who is mute. The woman is as nasty as before, as she constantly calls him idiot and dumbass while throwing bags of potato chips at him, cursing the shrine Fujio built for Mitsuo or the old bald guy.

The theme of the film changes drastically in the remaining half, as it takes a more serious approach and tries to highlight social problems and class differences while trying to remain funny, but most of the gags fall flat. I found myself losing interest as the film was moving along, hoping for a good ending. After a fairly weak 40 minutes, I must admit the final 10 were pretty funny. The little girl takes an important role and has a funny revelation that was undoubtedly influenced by her often critical mother. I recommend watching this scene with the English dub because the dubbing is hilarious.

"Tokyo Zombie" was a pretty entertaining buddy comedy and Tadanobu Asano and Show Aikawa exhibited great chemistry together. Unfortunately, the middle to end of the film felt awkward and out of place. For that reason alone I believe "Tokyo Zombie" is a good movie but far from great. This film often reminded me of Wilson Yip's Hong Kong film "Bio-Zombie", which also featured two buddies doing goofy hijinx with a large supporting cast of zombies.

Like "Bio-Zombie", "Tokyo Zombie" is an entertaining and often amusing lighthearted film that is recommended.

One point of interest for me was the casting choices. I thought it was odd that Chen Kuan Tai (fully equipped with the badass grey hair) played a good guy as the wise teacher and Lau Kar Leung stepped in the villain role. It seems natural that those two roles would be the opposite, but the theme of this film seemed to be that the legendary martial arts director, Lau Kar Leung, wanted to try some different elements, resulting in mediocre results.

I don't want to say this is a bad film, but definitely not a highlight in the career of any of the talented performers involved. My main recommendation is not to expect too much going into this one, especially in the kung fu department.

I believe the film can be summed up with a series of "S" words: some story + stripping + sex + swordplay + sex + spells + sensual seduction + sex + sorcery + sex + special effects + of course still more sex = strange and sexy stuff. The only thing worth noting other than the sex/nudity is the extremely comical special effects that may be a reason to watch on its own. The image of the three-headed demon devouring his sexy and nude prey as he rips off her face is very ridiculous and will stick in the viewer's mind for a long time.

"Erotic Ghost Story" is a must-see film in the grand realm of HK CAT 3 mayhem and should not be missed by anyone interested in this type of strange but erotic filmmaking.

It's obvious that some effort was put into character development, but that is not the main priority of the film, which is fine since its real appeal is their mission and all the mysteries surrounding it. In this aspect "R-Point" really shines. This film has an amazing aura of creepiness that lasts from beginning to tragic finale. Every shot was beautifully done and the locations were extremely eerie. I loved the first ghost scene, which reminded me of stories of phantom regiments reported in Gettysburg. I think that some of the ghost scenes after that were not as effective because they had too much of a human/human contact feel to them. I also would of liked a better explanation on the history of a certain character that emerges at the end of the film.

"R-Point" does a great job of emphasizing the solders losing touch with reality as the mission becomes even more intense and unbelievable with each passing day. It is evident that a lot of work was put into this production, but I think it falls a little short of being a horror classic because of a few minor flaws, although it is quite innovative and highly recommended.

"Red Cliff" was reported as being the most expensive mainland Chinese film to date (around $80 million), and legendary director John Woo didn't waste a penny on this production. The cast was fabulous and really matched my vision of what these folk heroes may have been like 1800 years ago (could this film be a literal anniversary production?). The action was also fantastic as the lengthy scenes were very gutwrentching and realistic, making action director veteran Corey Yuen a vital piece of this film's success. I could go on forever about the positive aspects of the film, but will leave that for the viewer to discover on their own.

I am a major fan of the novel and the video game series and was prepared to complain especially after reading that some changes have been made to the story, but actually found that the film was pretty consistent with the book. The changes that I did notice were done to make this a more interesting movie, and I think they worked very well. The most noticeable change was Sun Shang Xiang (Vickie Zhao) luring the Wei army into a trap near the end of the film. This was not a historical event, but who cares since the "Three Kingdoms" novels are only about 70% historical anyway? This scene was a clever addition to add some more action after a long period of dialogue as the film was nearing the end and also further establishing the allied generals as phenomenal warriors.

There can't be enough said about the overall quality of this film, and I can't wait to see part 2. I also hope the rumor is correct about a part 3 that could highlight the souring of the Shu and Wei relationship over the Jingzhou province, resulting in the rivalry between Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Zhou Yu (Tony Leung) reaching its ultimate climax.

Release the doves, John Woo has returned to greatness.

Unfortunately, I found some aspects of the film that I didn't enjoy as much. I know this is a Wuxia fantasy, but I thought the wirework was a little excessive, and it seemed as if every action scene was either sped up too fast or in slow motion, taking away from the beauty of the rest of the film. I also found the evil Siamese twins to be annoying. I read that this film opened a lot of doors in the acting career of Francis Ng, which I still can't figure out. Luckily for him, he does get better roles.

It's easy to see why "The Bride With White Hair" has become an arthouse favorite, but I still think it is a little overrated, although I still recommend it, as many people have different viewpoints on this one. I'm still stuck on whether it deserves 3 1/2 or 4 stars, so I'll unofficially give it 3 3/4.

Like many westerners, I'm not knowledgeable enough about the background and rules of Chinese ghost stories and afterlife procedures to fully understand everything that was going on, as many things seemed contradictory, but that didn't damage the entertainment value of the film. The film offered romance that was never too sappy and added some other interesting elements, such as singing, opera, and some bizarre ghost antics in the final scene that are definitely good for a laugh or two.

"Spiritual Love" is far from a must-own classic but can be entertaining and is recommended for people who enjoy seeing the great chemistry between Chow Yun Fat and Cherie Chung.

Aside from its bizarre nature, this is an excellent film. The film features an all-star cast full of martial arts stars and attractive Shaw Brothers actresses. Everyone involved does a solid job, but Lo Lieh undoubtedly steals the show as the crazed skin collector. It was also nice to Lo Meng make an appearence as a guest assassin.

This is easily one of Sun Chung's best directed films, as everything was spot on. The eerie lighting and gorgeous set locations were superb, and one of my favorite aspects of the film.

"Human Lanterns" is a great addition to anyone's Shaw Brothers library or for collectors of quality cinema in general.

This was a very solid film with great performances from the entire cast. Lo Meng was definitely in top form, but I think it was Phillip Kwok that really stood out in this one. His ring and stick work was phenomenal, not to mention his convincing role as a blind man, especially when the camera focused on his eyes. The martial arts were fantastic, reaching almost a level of poetry in motion in the final sequences. I also liked how the rings that were used in the previous training sequences became relevant in the final battle.

Director Chang Cheh was on top of his game with this one, showing an attention to detail and adding many clever ideas to enhance the plot. Some of the little things that made this film great were the use of mirrors and drums to either help or hurt the heroes' handicaps, and how the sound was cut off in scenes involving the deaf man. Another minor but good touch was how Chen Kuan Tai's hair grayed from the time his young son was handicapped to when he was grown. I like this because aging is often an overlooked event in martial arts films, and Chen Kuan Tai looks more bad ass with the grey streaks.

I have to admit that I have two minor complaints about the film. First of all, I would have liked to see the heroes struggle more in their training regiment, as it seemed like they caught on too quickly, even if the viewer was told it took three years. The final result was the crippled avengers seeming almost superhuman, probably being able to go toe to toe with the X-Men if needed. I also didn't like the final scene as the victorious Venoms exited the battlefield without noticing their fallen comrade, who was vital to their success.

"Crippled Avengers" is a highly recommended film not only for Chang Cheh and Venoms enthusiasts, but all martial arts film fans.

This is a pretty bizarre film that is often more grotesque than scary, featuring a full cast of nasty critters. Some of the highlights of the film include snakes, worms, maggots, cockroaches, digging up corpses, dismembering corpses, severed teeth and fingers, LASER shows, forcefields, puppet heads, lactating, and some T&A added for good measure. That is quite a lineup, resulting in quite an odd film which is really amped up by a disorientating and head-pounding soundtrack.

As far as the performances go, I would never accuse Ti Lung of phoning one in, but he clearly seemed out of his element in his first horror film role. Lo Lieh also did not clock in his finest hour of screen time, but it is funny to see them dressed as if they were going to a disco. The two best performances easily go to Tanny Tien Ni as the bitchy seductress and also the always entertaining Ku Feng, who has mastered the art of portraying a sleazy black magician.

Although "Black Magic" may have lost some of its shock value over a 35 year period, it should be commended as a film that paved the way for even more deliriously weird horror films from Shaw Brothers in the following years. Definitely worth a look.