Blood: The Last Vampire [2000] (product link) Animation / Horror Fantastic but, as mentioned before, it's too freaking short. Short to the point that it feels unfinished.
Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (product link) Comedy / Horror This is a boring, lazy, and unfunny musical. I imagine if I were one the friends or hangers-on who were IN the movie, I might have cared to watch it; if only to see the other friends and hangers-on. If you weren't in this, move along, there is nothing for you here. If you were in this, don't tell anyone, just stay stoned and stay out of the film industry (not that you ever entered the "industry" per se).
The Chaser (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime For those of you who like crime dramas and serial killer flicks but thought that Fincher's "SE7EN" was too happy-go-lucky, I recommend you check out this "hard hitting" thriller.
Two Champions Of Shaolin (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Solid Shaw/Venom classic. You've got rebels, counter-rebels, and anti-counter-rebels. Some of the bad guys are actually given a reason for their position which often isn't bothered with in classic fu movies.
"Blade Runner" meets "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"? Sadly, no.
Stylistically, "Repo" is closer to a live-action comic book musical. It is trying very, very hard to be an "instant cult classic" which, by definition, is impossible. Don't get me wrong, I am not rating this 1 star because I don't like singing. For reference, I'm a guy who likes musicals, science fiction, and horror flicks. I like Anthony Stewart Head and Sarah Brightman as actors and singers. I like Paul Sorvino as an actor. This should have been a genre-blending film that I would love. Unfortunately, it is just too much of a mess. "Repo" can't decide what it wants to be; the singing is all over the map in style and quality, the plot and characters were confused, and the true villain, the writing is as stiff as a corpse. If this were written by Joss Whedon ("Buffy", "Serenity", "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog"), I'm sure it could have been great. As it is, I can't recommend it. Rent it if you're curious.
Ong-Bak 2 (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Ong-Bak 2" features some really, really fantastic fights. The rest, as folks have noted, is a bit of a mess. Directly, editing (pacing, in this case), and writing are all over the map. I didn't buy "Ong-Bak" 1 or 2 for anything other than the action I'd seen in the trailers. While expectations have been high for the "prequel", go into this looking for great fights executed well; anything else you pull from the movie is just a bonus.
The Iron Fisted Monk (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Just a star-rating here, really. I'd write about what I thought, but the review from Cinema! said it all better and in more detail than I would have mustered.
Fantastic setup even though the basic plot is rather silly. Amazing effects, cast, etc. If you can see this in hi-def, I highly recommend you do so.
I have been a big fan of director Danny Boyle since "Trainspotting". Cillian Murphy was fantastic in this as he was in "28 Days Later". Michelle Yeoh turned in an excellent performance of pure acting sans martial arts. The rest of cast is great too!
This film is bit of a throwback to the "thinking" sci-fi movies of the 70's. If you've heard about this movie at all, you might have heard that the second half kills it. Well, I'd say that the final third goes "off course" a bit. I won't go into the details, as you should discover them for yourselves, but it didn't "ruin" the film for me. Go into this with an open mind and you'll be able to take away some truly great movie moments.
Finally, despite the whole "let's go kick-start the sun" premise, there is some really compelling physics presented which is discussed further in the extras and commentary by scientists hired to help with the production.
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The final third is a little wonky, but the movie is well worth seeing.
Silver Hawk (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Not horrible but generally forgettable. My expectations weren't high, but it would have been cool to see Michelle Yeoh as a superhero (again...if you count "Heroic Trio").
Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem (product link) Science Fiction / Thriller Bad, not good. Not so-bad-it's-good. Just regular-type crappy-bad. Instead of Space Marines (per the AVP comics), we are subjected to hick-town teen romance. Oh and babies are killed. It's bad. Not good.
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now, what is wrong with terminal infancy? j/k (does this make sense anyways???) Anyways this film sucks my fat!
Flash Gordon [1980] (product link) Science Fiction / Action/Adventure Fan-friggin-tastic! It's mathematically impossible for this movie not to rock. Here's the proof:
(1930's Sci-Fi Serials) - (Every Iteration Made for TV since the 50's) + (Max von Sydow/old racist stereotypes) + (Timothy Dalton + Mustache) x (Brian Blessed + [2 x Wings]) + (Ornella Muti + tight clothing) x (Queen) x 11 + (Hot Hail) = Flash Gordon = Awesome.
On a side note, Breck Eisner has a new version in the works for 2010. While there is now way it can compete with this version, I'm still a bit curious.
Streets Of Fire (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime I was probably 13 when I saw this. It was frickin' awesome! I haven't seen it again. I don't know how dated its alternate-rock-n-roll universe has become. I will assume for now that it is still awesome.
The Serpent And The Rainbow (product link) Horror / Thriller Based on a true story, or true events, or just inspired by event that might be true, Bill "Everyman" Pullman heads to jungles to find the black-magic zombie powder that could prove useful to his pharmaceutical company. Much hilarity ensues. And by "hilarity" I mean terror, torture, and hallucination.
Orgazmo (product link) Comedy / Erotica I avoided this movie for a long time. Friends, even those with taste, told me I had to check it out. I am not a big fan of "South Park" and look-how-shocking-I-am humor, but damn, this is a great movie. It's funny, but here's the best part: it's a Martial Arts film! Yeah, I know, I didn't expect that either. Sure, the fight choreography and execution sucks (which is part of the humor), but at its heart it's a kung fu movie. I think a lot of the jokes are funnier if you you've watched a few fu films.
There isn't, by the way, a "shocking" amount of porn (there's barely any nudity), and Mormonism isn't "attacked" or anything. Anyway, it's not perfect and won't appeal to all, but I highly recommend you check this out.
Ke Ke Xi Li: Mountain Patrol (product link) Drama This beautifully filmed movie, based on real events, is so well made and intimate, it feels like a documentary (it helps that many local non-actors were used in the film).
Heroes Two (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Pitch-perfect Shaw classic. This is more complicated and better put together than most movies about the aftermath of burning the Shaolin Temple. Oh, and it's almost non-stop wireless fu throughout.
Flirtong Scholar (product link) Nonsense Comedy / Fantasy In “Flirting Scholar,” Stephen Chow is joined by the lovely and talented Gong Li, plus Cheng Pei Pei, Francis Ng and Gordon Liu! If you are a fu fan, the cast alone should get you in the door.
I am not sure why it got a Cat III stamp, but it is over the top with pretty ladies, wire-fu, vomiting, Chinese opera, poetry, rap, pratfalls, and suicide attempts. The amazing thing to me about this and other Steven Chow movies is how much the laughs are based on inside jokes, cultural and historical references, puns and language humor; and yet I still find so much that I “get.” If you are an HK-comedy fan, you really should check this out.
Dog Soldiers (product link) Horror / Thriller Great little monster/army flick. The director said he was making "Saving Private Ryan" with werewolves. He made fun movie with almost no money instead.
Ip Man (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Best Donnie Yen film I've seen so far! This really has it all: great martial arts, strong actors, excellent production values, etc.
Reminiscent of Jet Li's "Fearless" in more than a few ways, “Ip Man” begins 25 years after the former’s final battle with China still getting pushed around. This is an excellent film in its own right and has made me curious to learn more about Ip Man’s life.
Black Belt (product link) Martial Arts / Drama This is not an action/adventure. It is not a war film, though the Japanese invasion of China is integral to the plot. This is a great film; a grown-up drama with realistic martial arts. It belongs in your collection. If you do not have a collection, here is your first disc.
Rob-B-Hood (product link) Action/Adventure / Comedy I had no expectations when I found a copy of the HK extended version while on vacation in Canada. Having a blinged-out baby on the cover didn't bode well though.
So, when I watch it, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it and have watched it again with family and friends. Like many Jackie Chan films, this is a good one to introduce non-fu-watching folks to.
Dragon Inn [1967] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I came to this via the "New Dragon Gate Inn" and thought I had an idea of what to expect. As much as I like the remake, the original took me by surprise. Highly recommended on its own merits and as historical context for so many other movies that followed.
The Rebel (product link) Martial Arts / Drama "The Rebel" is an excellent popcorn movie! Don't invest much thought into it; just sit back and enjoy the on-screen ass-kickery.
Asoka (product link) Drama / Action/Adventure I thought this would be a safe "accessible" entry into Bollywood films. I can't say it did much for me. I was prepared for musical numbers and melodrama and didn’t necessarily mind that. In the end, I think I just didn’t care about the characters. Granted, I don’t have the any of the historical or cultural context for these characters and maybe that would have helped.
Taxi [1998] (product link) Action/Adventure / Comedy Fast and, if not furious, funny. Probably funnier if you understand French, but subtitles are fine [by me].
The two male leads are fine and the ladies steal every scene they are in, especially Marion Cotillard who later won an Oscar for her fantastic performance as Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose."
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Love this movie... could have done without the sequels though!
The Green Hornet (product link) TV Shows/Movies / Martial Arts Nice to see these on DVD. The quality isn't perfect but much better than my first exposure on VHS. Editing together three episodes to focus on Bruce is great, but there were many "what the..." moments where continuity, plot, and logic apparently ended up on the editing room floor.
Rush Hour (product link) Action/Adventure / Comedy "Rush Hour" offered a different twist on the buddy-cop formula. It’s also fast and often funny. Tucker can be a bit much at times and Brett Ratner is still a hack, but overall this is a fun flick.
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I thought it was fun too. But I don't really get all the Brett Ratner hating everywhere. I'm not his biggest fan, but he seems acceptable to me... His "Red Dragon" was good too IMO.
Armor Of God (product link) Action/Adventure / Comedy AoG is one of those movies from the golden age of Jackie! I'm glad we didn't lose him in that opening fall.
Rush Hour 2 (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Probably not as good as the first one. Ten times better than the third one (or as you might say with an Irish accent, "de turd one").
Zhang Ziyi and Roselyn Sanchez are a welcome addition to this outing!
Rush Hour 3 (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Just all-around bad. I can't bring myself to go into details but this is cliché-ridden and awkward.
I finally got around to watching this on a plane. It made the trip seem longer. What a waste of talent; except for Brett Ratner who doesn't usually display any anyway.
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THE UILTIMATE REVIEW! LISTEN TO REASON PEOPLESTH! :)
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