Geez, where do I start? Well, how about the stupid anti-American attitude that is very blatant and seen throughout the film. I don't mind people being critical of U.S. foreign policy as long as it is intelligent and honest. "Battle Royale 2" fails on both accounts not to mention trying to have some deep message that is never even explained. Its quite obvious the adults (the teacher and Japanese government) are made to symbolize the Americans and the oppressed children are the terrorists with hearts of gold. They even go as far as showing beautiful scenery and a bunch of happy shining faces in Afghanistan which I guess are getting killed by B-52's of the great Satan whom the film says bombs dozens of countries, even naming them. Apparently the survivors of the previous film, Shuya & Noriko, escaped to Afghanistan where they learned how to shoot an AK-47, rubbed elbows with Al-Qaeda, and taught them the art of the haiku. Give me a break! Even Shuya's Wild Seven headquarters resembled an Afghan cave as they were fully equipped with that style of clothing. In reality, Japanese kids in Afghanistan would be kidnapped by terrorists, tribal leaders, or drug lords just like the South Korean missionaries that were killed there. The fact that the mission was held on Christmas seemed like they were not only taking a shot at America, but Christianity as well. "Battle Royale" served as a brilliant case study on stereotypes and Japanese society, but the story here has no substance and its preachiness is pointless and unwarranted. Ok, enough politics its time to go on to why this film really sucked.

The absolute worst aspect of this film (beyond the stupid political message) was the total lack of character development which was really what made the original great. In "Battle Royale 2" we learn nothing about the 42 students other than they are delinquents, some lost relatives in the bombing, Shiori Kitano (Ai Maeda) is the previous teacher's daughter, and the main character from Shikanotoride junior high, Takuma (Shugo Oshinari), was dropped off at school by his mom. Equally frustrating was that every time a remotely interesting character emerged they were killed off almost immediately leaving a generic looking group of individuals by the end of the film. The remaining girls were attractive, but looked alike never standing out in the film mainly because they had no character development. Why be so quick to kill off the punky looking plump chick, guy that resembles Keiji Maeda from Samurai Warriors, and the scared little fat girl that pissed her pants? Hell, I was rooting for the girl that pissed herself because she was the only relatable character in the film! Not only didn't we find out much about the junior high students, but we know next to nothing about the Wild Seven group either. Instead of the who'll-die-next-and-how suspense of "Battle Royale", we get a roster of students that are nothing more than a body count.

Another awful aspect of "Battle Royale 2" is the atrocious acting. Another strongpoint of the original was that everyone did a terrific job in their roles which is not the case here at all. I think Shugo Oshinari and V-film star, Riki Takeuchi (the teacher), turned in two of the worst performances I ever saw. The overacting from these two is just ludicrous as I keep thinking of Riki Takeuchi snarling in the camera with a mouthful of aspirin. There were also a few scenes of sappy melodrama that were poorly executed.

The action wasn't all that terrific either as many scenes were shot too close as blood spurted on the screen. To make thing worse, the students wore full battle garb and helmets so I didn't even know who was dying most of the time. This resembled a poorly shot war movie more than anything else. The mission's opening scene of the generic students storming the beach like Normandy was laughable. If the filmmakers think America is so bad then why are they adding a 3rd rate Omaha beach scene straight out of "Saving Private Ryan"? I was cringing as I watched the students running around aimlessly under a storm of gunfire as few got hit. It reminded me of the old GI Joe cartoons where the Joes and Cobra would trade gunfire for hours as no one got hit. Since the student's collars was linked I think most of them would never of got off the beach, like the real Normandy.

As my rant of the year is coming to a close (although I could go on for hours), I must admit that I liked the concept of the linked necklaces even if the film gave a lame explanation for it. But, Unfortunately, this wasn't used to its full potential and was even discarded halfway through the film. Some of the production values were decent, but really not praiseworthy.

Even if I never saw the original masterpiece, I would say "Battle Royale 2" was a very bad film. I would also nominate this abomination as one of the worst sequels ever made. I wish the Japanese government never set up this game and just bombed the terrorist compound so I never would of seen this crappy movie. I will give it a 1 1/2 stars mainly out of respect for the "Battle Royale" legacy.

Thoroughly not recommended!

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!

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

The martial arts and acting were very strong, even though the Japanese and Chinese swordsmen (Norman Chu, Damian Lau) were given superhuman abilities as the wirework got a little excessive. For reasons unknown, the director decided to add some weird moments that sometimes seemed out of place from the story of the two chivalrous warriors and the ulterior motives of this decade's tournament. Some of these include a talking parrot, tunneling ninjas, a female ninja that can make her clothes explode off her body, and more ninjas on kites.

"Duel to the Death" also managed to grab a CAT 2B rating, which is above the normal rating of films from this genre. The reasons for this are probably the naked ninja and the large amount of blood and dismemberment. In fact, "Duel to the Death" is a very violent movie that features decapitations and many shredded body parts.

I also found "Duel to the Death" to have some of the most beautiful locations, lighting, and backgrounds I have seen from this era. It may take multiple viewings to notice, but this is a gorgeous film.

As the abbot said to the naked ninja, "Buddha's name be praised".

Highly recommended!

To briefly sum up the story, Dr. Yuen travels to the Thailand/Yunnan border to research AIDS remedies when he comes in contact with a local tribal girl (Chi Sau Lai) named Betsey (Betsey? What?) after being told not to enter this region by his professor (Ken Boyle). He tracks her to the village where she is about to be sacrificed to the old ancestor, and he tries to save her but is captured and given the 7th curse for his troubles. A year later he is approached in Hong Kong by Black Dragon (Dick Wei), as he learns he must return to find the cure before all of his veins explode.

The "7th Curse" is another crazy 80's Hong Kong film that blesses its viewers with typically insightful subject matter such as fighting, shootings, rocket launchers, explosions, Rambo-style jungle adventure, human sacrifice, splurting blood, T&A, monsters, alchohol, spinal cord removal, and of course the undescribable Little Ghost all packed into an insane 81 minutes.

If that is not enough reason to watch, you also have a pre-stardom Chow Yun-Fat in a supporting role, and a fairly early role for Maggie Cheung, who plays a spoiled and annoying reporter that follows Dr. Yuen around. Another notable appearence is Elvis Tsui who plays the evil witchdoctor named Aquala, as it is apparent that being involved in a strange movie like this was just another day at the office for him.

There was also some decent martial arts action, highlighted by the battle on a giant Buddha statue. It is also obvious that several scenes were inspired by "Indiana Jones" and "Aliens", but given their own twist of Hong Kong wackiness.

This film is a bizarre ride that starts from the opening credits, finally reaching absurdity factor five at its gruesome climax, and even manages to pitch in a few words of wisdom when it's all said and done

Recommended!

The film opens with a man with a weak bladder and his buddy arriving on a remote island to find themselves caught by local savages and chopped up and served to the cannibal population. From beginning to end, the film maintains a furious pace as it quickly gets into the main plot of agent 999 (Norman Chu) looking for an accused thief (Melvin Wong) on the island of human flesh addicts.

The citizens of the island look like a band of circus oddities, including a deformed Taoist Priest (Fung Fung), a large gland case (Tam Tin Nam), a woman addicted to human hearts (Margaret Lee), a giant in drag (Siu Gam), and of course the psycho police chief (Eddy Ko). This is a funny band of characters to look at, but there are many more hijinks and comedic lines to be found. Possibly the best quote of the film is when a wandering thief (Hon Kwok Choi) wisely informs agent 999 that "A cigarette without a match is like forgetting toilet paper after shitting". Other memorable moments include when agent 999 is asked when agent 998 and 997 are coming to save them and how agent 999 kicks the police chief's ass to the point that he thinks he looks like Abe Lincoln. Speaking of the action, Corey Yuen does a fine job with the choreography adding many creative and comical moments.

"We're Going To Eat You" is another over the top crazy film from the early 80's that shouldn't be missed.

The action was as good as was expected from Wu Jing and the other fighters, and Ronald Cheng did a nice job too. My only gripe in this department is that there could have been more fights and less wirework.

The story was so-so, and I think they tried to add too many other elements to a film that should be purely martial arts, coming up with messy results. The melodrama was very forced and unneccesary, especially towards the end.

Finally, when will Hong Kong filmmakers cast female actresses based on talent rather than looks? My patientence is growing thin with these cutsey hello kitty catalog girls that are in way over their heads with little upside. There has to be a young Bridgette Lin or Maggie Cheung out there somewhere...

As expected in his films, the martial arts--and especially the stunt work--was top notch as he continues to push the limits of the amount of damage the human body can absorb. I liked how he paid tribute to the Hong Kong heroic bloodshed era (John Woo) in several scenes, and the opening sequence that was very reminiscent of the classic opening scene of "Police Story". The fighting was intense and brutal, and the stunt work was even crazier as people were set on fire, crashing down on hard objects from high places, and inches away from getting their head squashed by a semi. Add in some nice scenic visuals and that sums up its positive aspects.

The major problem of the film is that it has a very weak story, which should be expected when the majority of the 97-minute runtime is one large action sequence. We don't learn much about the supporting characters, which gives me nothing to care about anything other than the mindless violence. Hell, we don't even get any details on the origin of the drug cartel/terrorist group, other than that they are mean people. Are they Thai? Are they Burmese? And how the hell did they get a nuke and why do they want to blow up Bangkok? Thank God it's not that easy to obtain a nuke in the real world.

I also thought some of the action was cartoonish, and I do have a bias against films that try to combine martial arts and machine guns. Does anybody really think that martial arts, gymnastics, soccer balls, and bouncing off a wall flipping 25 times would stop a band of killers running around with heavy duty military hardware? Of course not.

"Born to Fight" has many great elements. I would give the stunt work 5 stars, but the plot dosen't deserve more than 2. As a complete package, I believe "Born to Fight" is overrated, but is recommended for people looking for superb and dangerous stunts with lots of action but little substance.

I still found this to be a good, entertaining film that could have used a little more polish in certain areas. "House of Traps" is far from a dud, although it is not one of Chang Cheh's or The Venoms' best works. But even a mediocre outing from these individuals' careers would be a highlight for another.

Oh yeah, and where can I buy one of those umbrellas?

"Crime Story" was also Chan's first film based on a true story and one of his first major dramatic roles. The action was also pretty good as Chan took more of a streetfighting approach and showed no sign of his normal lighthearted sense of humor which is probably why some fans do not like this film. There was a lot of intensity in the fighting and Chan and his stunt team took many nasty falls. The explosions and fires were also well done as the old Kowloon walled city was burned and leveled.

The acting throughout the film was very good as Jackie Chan more than proved he can pull off this type of role. Kent Chang was great as always as police inspector/kidnapper Hung. It was also amazing how actor Law Kar Ying and actress Au-Yeung Pooi San looked like the real Teddy and Nina Wang.

I think this is a good film that allowed Jackie Chan to take on a new and challenging role that could be used as an example to critics who think Chan cannot act or take dramatic roles as he progresses in age.