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.
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.
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.
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.
Police Story 3: Supercop (product link) Martial Arts / Comedy With "Drunken Master 2" as his best period piece, I think that "Supercop" is Jackie's best modern film.
The Ultimate Jet Li Collection [4-Disc Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Ultimate" Jet Li Collection is a bit of a stretch... like pulling your Stretch Armstrong doll from one of the room to the other. That aside, these are four great films--and a bargain at twice the price (you can really “stretch” your dollar here). Seriously though, I already owned copies of the wacked-out, ends-too-soon, where’s-the-sequel, "Kung Fu Cult (Colt) Master" and the funny “unofficial” OUATIC entry, "Last Hero In China" (which includes, among other awesomeness, Jet Li busting out drunken boxing). Even already owning half the set, it was worth it for Jet’s Shaolin Temple adventures. Jet looks (and, well, is) so very young in these. They are more like Disney’s "High School Musical" when compared to "Kiss Of The Dragon", "Danny The Dog", or "Fist Of Legend", but both are great fun.
Fist Of Legend (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I have purchased three different versions of "Fist Of Legend" on DVD. When it comes out on Blu-ray, I'll buy it again. Yes, I'm a sucker, but I love it that much.
Shogun Assassin Collection [5-Disc Set] (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts AnimEigo has done an amazing job with Lone Wolf and Cub! This is the only series I would even consider purchasing dubbed instead of subbed. I bought AnimEigo's "Shogun Assassin" releases as they came out and spent more money than they are charging for the box-set. I don't mind at all though, I got to watch this versions earlier instead of waiting for the full set.
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i reckon lone wolf and cub is the best trilogy of movies out there and i would go as far as saying it's better than the star wars trilogy now thats saying something.
Oldboy (product link) Thriller / Action/Adventure Violent and beautiful. Darkly funny and depressing. Taboo smashing and brilliant.
Park Chan-wook is a daring and masterful director. Choi Min-Sik is a fantastic actor and, as in "Crying Fist", gives a great perfomance of an unlikely and generally unlikable hero. There were moments I didn't want to watch but mostly I couldn't look away.
Deadful Melody (product link) Martial Arts / Fantasy This film is a blast (literally, for the poor victims of the Six-Fingered Lyre)! I bought this solely for Yuen Biao and Brigitte Lin. Yuen does his back-flippin' and Brigitte does her cross-dressin' and neither disappoint. True to the genre, this wuxia flick has nearly everything thrown into the blender: separated siblings, drama, battles, double-crosses, revenge, romance, comedy, wire-fu, ghosts & demons, and many Masters of the Martial Arts World. The entire moves along at a good clip while remaining interesting and clear. Overall this comes off as a high-energy fantasy film but also delivers on many other levels. At the core of the plot, for example, are questions about what to do with a weapon of mass destruction like the magic lyre. Do you hide it or use it for good and, like Tolkien’s One Ring, how do you avoid corruption from such power?
Legendary Weapons Of China (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure The martial arts action was as good as I expected and I was pleasantly surprised with the developed plot and characters. I really can’t add anything that hasn’t already been said here, but certainly recommend it to martial arts fans.
She Shoots Straight (product link) Girls With Guns / Action/Adventure This is really an excellent crime drama, comedy, Lifetime-TV special, action movie, and new-wave Hong Kong martial arts stunt classic rolled up in a weepy shoot-em-up Chick Flick. Now, sometimes in Chinese movies (especially in New Year’s Blockbusters) all these opposing components are mixed in jarring ways (to Western audiences anyway). She Shoots Straight, however, really puts these pieces together in a way that moves the story and characters forward.
As to the leading lady, Joyce Mina Godenzi, I had to make up a new word to describe her combination of solid acting, martial arts performance, and Miss-Hong-Kong looks: that word is badassidy. Mrs. Sammo Hung, or “Mina” as she is called in the film, rules every seen with sheer badassidy. Too bad she's made so few films....
Because I don't speak any Chinese, I missed out on puns, cultural references, historical insights, and more. That being said, I never *felt* like I was missing out on anything. I was laughing out loud throughout the movie. This is my favorite Stephen Chow flick hands down. Stephen earned his co-director credit with Chow-classic physical comedy, pop-references, humor, and warmth which really makes this a stand-out movie.
You won’t get many fight scenes but this wuxia parody packs a hefty punch to your funny bone. Hmm, maybe that would sound cleverer in Cantonese. Probably not. Anyway, I highly recommend this everyone.
You could go your whole life thinking that ninjas just hid in the dark and gathered information. Maybe they'd occasionally kill someone quickly with a short blade and run. That’s what ninja would like you to think… This documentary (which some claim is fiction) shows the Real Ultimate Power of the ninja. It demonstrates their ancient power to hang-glide, form many ninjas together to make a much bigger ninja, expose breasts to befuddle Buddhists, and other fantastic feats.
All these shinobi-shenanigans are just the back-drop in a movie that's–really--about the ancient duel between the best of swordsmen of China and Japan. “Duel to the Death” traverses the border-conflicts near the territories of Family, Friendship, Love, and Honor. These abstract concepts are illuminated by the words and actions of our heroes.
Fights are plenty and skillfully blended with the human drama, treachery and tragedy that abound. The final battle is a bloody mess of wondrous wuxia. Don’t say I’m spoiling anything here; they didn’t call it “Duel to the Point-Where-Everyone-Just-Agrees-to-Disagree.”
This is not only a movie that stands up to multiple viewings, it demands them. If you don't own this, order it now. Seriously.
Yes, Madam! (product link) Martial Arts / Girls With Guns Michelle and Cynthia showcase fantastic fights and the stunts are definitely not for the feint of heart! Easily recommended.
Legend Of A Fighter (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Highly recommended. It was not what I expecting for a Fok Yun Gap (Huo Yuan Chia) movie. That's the trouble with only knowing history through movies. This isn't Bruce Lee or Jet Li's (or even Donnie Yen) Legend. This is Leung Kar Yan and Yuen Wo Ping's movie and it is excellent all around.
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Totally agree! Leung Kar Yan and the underated Yusuaki Kurate make this a great old school feature.
I gave this movie five stars because the rating’s drop-down indicates "loved it!" I did not give “New Legend” five stars for being a cinema masterpiece. Caveats aside, I love this movie. After seeing it in a theater, I found the US version but promptly tossed it when I found a non-edited version with subs.
There were many really fantastic moments. Sure, some are stolen and others are totally whacked out, but that didn't ruin the fun for me. And yes, the acid/venom-space-car reminds me of the retarded "baby" alien in Alien IV in terms of boss-fight-lunacy; but what the hell, it was still fun. Finally, I generally hate kids in action movies (most movies, actually), but this time it worked great. Jet has great father-son chemistry with young Miu Tse (same talented kid from “My Father Is A Hero").
Don't buy this if you don't like:
Jet Li
Wire-Fu
Kung Fu Kids
Fantasy Films
Chicken Butt Jokes
Acid/Venom-Space-Cars
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This review is exactly right: The movie is silly and unbelievable. It is also an awful lot of fun.
Drunken Master 2 (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure One of the best action movies of any style or geography. Period.
I saw this in a theater years ago and it blew me away. Whenever I watch it again I am reminded how great it is (even though Jackie is just a -little- too old to be playing Wong Fei Hung at that age).
The Invincible Kung Fu Guy (product link) Comedy / Martial Arts The Invincible Kung Fu Guy delivers just what it should: The Epic Grandeur of The Martial Arts Masterpiece of All Time. Move over Drunken Master, Fong Sai Yuk, Shaolin Master Killer… Make way for the Invincible Kung Fu Guy!
Shaolin Kung Fu Master Collection [8-Disc Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Shaolin Kung Fu Master Collection is the Instant Old School Library!
I have been burned by kung fu box sets before. Sub-par movies that have been cropped, bad dubs without subs, and really bad transfers.
This set is just the opposite. Great movies that are true classics. Celestial did a fantastic job with the disks too. They clean, clear, and crisp. The colors pop out at you. The audio is good. The subs are fine. Nice packaging and notes.
A Better Tomorrow (product link) Action/Adventure / Bullet Ballet Frickin' awesome! You already know that though because you've seen it or read all the other reviews.
Operation Scorpio (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Okay maybe, just maybe, Scorpion Style isn't the most effective martial art ever. It is probably one of the most fun though.
The plot offers tweaks on the themes of "no good deed goes unpunished" and "young pupil seeks master\training."
Kim Won Jin is a blast to watch (even with his "period" hair style). Lau Kar Leung, as always, is fantastic as well. As the callow youth, Chin Kar Lok, does a good job.
Overall it's a stylized, over-the-top, and all-around fun flick!
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.
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.
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.
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