There are lots of little nods to the kung fu flix of old that will likely appeal to genre fans, but I couldn't help wondering while I was watching the film who the intended audience really was. True genre fans would likely find this film to be childish and unengaging on the whole. Casual fans whose primary exposure to the genre has been through crossover films like "Crouching Tiger" would also likely find this film lacking in emotional depth and motivation. And kids--well, kids would probably like most of it, though a lot of the violence did seem a bit harsh for a young'un. I guess the idea was to make something for young teens whose parents might have been Shaw Brothers fans back in the day? I'm just guessing here.

The bottom line is that if you're watching this with your 13-year-old son, you'll probably come away mildly entertained and he'll come away with possibly a new favorite movie. But if there's no 13-year-old boy in your scenario, then you might want to skip this one and seek out something a bit more decisive--a movie that has actually something to say or at least an innovative way of saying it.

The only word that keeps popping into my head when I think about this movie is "cute". If "cute" is enough for you to justify a couple of hours, then more power to you. Otherwise, don't lose any sleep over missing this one.

Would Takeshi Kaneshiro fly through the air in slo-mo while simultaneously firing two crossbows? Would he and Leung bump into each other in the middle of battle, only to turn and put their swords to one another's necks while the camera circles them and they strike the pose until they realize they're both on the same side? Would doves fly?

Would John Woo, in taking on a more serious subject matter and trying to return to his former greatness, play it straight like a "Braveheart" or "Gladiator" and keep the "Hong Kong style" to a minimum? I had no idea. This is, running away, one of the most anticipated films for me this year. And fortunately, it delivered for me on all fronts.

The first thing to note is that this film is massive. We're talking "Lord of the Rings" big. It has got to be the biggest film to ever come out of Asia. It has got everything you could imagine: massive battlefield action, awesome wire-enhanced superhero-type Woo characters that rack up serious body counts all on their own, some comedy, some romance, a nice dose of traditional Chinese culture, a solid story that plays out like the most fascinating chess match ever, interesting characters, and a soccer match. Yeah, that's right, a soccer match. But no worries, you'll recall he shot Nike's ad campaign for the '98 World Cup with all the players on the tarmac and in the airplane terminals. So he makes it cool.

The thing I took most comfort in was that this was, without the slightest bit of doubt, a John Woo film. Now, I know that some of the strict history buffs have poo-pooed Woo's choices of the story and the casting. But it's John Woo, what did they expect? It's like when Michael Bay did "Pearl Harbor". Did anyone really expect that it was going to have the authenticity of a documentary? Not when it costs this much and you're trying to put butts in the seats.

But historical inaccuracies and parallels aside, this is a fantastic movie. Had it been a complete work of fiction, no one would have any issue with it whatsoever, I would imagine. What's great about this film is that Woo found a perfect balance for himself to maneuver inside of history. Sure, the armies fight one another. But the formations they choose tend to be more fantastic and interesting than one would probably witness on the battlefield. The tactics are more reminiscent of fantasy and comic books like "300" than something out of Sun-Tzu. Like was mentioned previously, there are characters that break rank and deal out death by the bucketful all by themselves.

To a Western audience, it may seem out of place in a historic epic. But these men aren't just characters in a film. These are Chinese folk heroes that have become legends. And the Chinese treat their folk heroes much differently than we do. Their most famous (or at least most frequently portrayed) is Wong Fei Hong. What Jet Li did with that character was nothing short of superhuman. He certainly takes it further than Woo does with the characters in this film. So while it may seem out of place to some, what Woo does in this film isn't out of the ordinary in the slightest bit. To me, it makes the film that much more interesting to have these characters that can turn the tide of an entire battle with just a few swings of their respective weapons.

And Tony Leung is in top form, along with the rest of the cast. Even Asia's most famous bedroom eyes, Takeshi Kaneshiro, is bringing his A-game for this one. You can tell that much attention and care was taken to get the performances. John Woo has a reputation for just shooting a lot of coverage from a lot of different angles and then trying to piece it all together in post.

In "Red Cliff" you can feel that the shots were really planned and that the vision was very clear. While this film bears all of his hallmarks and trademarks, it feels like some of his most disciplined, and thus inspired, work. This is possibly the best we've ever seen him handle a camera.

Another thing to note is the CG. We all know that sometimes the CG from the East tends to leave much to be desired. While there are a few things that may register as CG, the overall effect is excellently done. I was impressed many times with just how well the CG shots fit together with the live-action ones. Most of it was quite seamless.

I can't recommend this movie enough. This is John Woo doing what he does, just on a much, much, much bigger scale. It has all his style, and his directorial fingerprints are all over this thing. You're not getting a John Woo that was handcuffed by his story in the slightest. This film really succeeds on so many levels. The only thing I truly didn't enjoy was that it ended just as it was about to ratchet it up a few more notches. But, that was the idea.

For me, the greatest achievement here is seeing a John Woo who is back to where he used to be: uninhibited and unafraid to show what he can do. With "Red Cliff" he reminds us all why we have so much reverence for his body of work and for his abilities. Good to have you back, sir!

Be warned, this is not a movie for children or people sensitive to deathly violence. There is also a graphic rape, actually two. The odd thing is most people don't understand why those scenes are included. In the story, I understand Sammo "needed" a catalyst to justify certain actions, but I cannot explain that comment without spoilers, so you will just have to see it for yourself. First time directorial mistakes are a given, but if Sammo thought it was required, it could have been handled much differently without negating the impact. There are also a few more deaths in vivid detail, but that is not unusual for a period piece, especially set up with Manchu against Han.

Instead of a flowing plot, I felt as though I was in a vehicle teaching someone how to drive a clutch. Forward. Back. Stall. Fight. Humor. Hate.

Sammo made the same mistake many young directors have made: he not only acted, worked on the script, choreographed fights, supervised every action scene, had numerous fights, and directed too. You can't do it all, and well, at least not the first time. With time Sammo honed his abilities and learned to smooth the abrupt changes between scenes. But not here. The fighting seemed uneven and sometimes almost hesitant, milking the scene for more than its worth.

Fortunately, by the second half of the film Sammo starts to pull things together, and it shows! The Manchu officials continue to make life unbearable for the Han. One thing that confused me was that Six Miller (Sammo) was wearing a Manchu hairstyle. For that matter the official was wearing a Han hairstyle. WTH? Ah, well it is a small matter, but for a few minutes early on I wasn't sure who was really on what side of the conflict.

The last 10-20 minutes almost make up for the sins of the first half. Almost. Sammo seemed to begin to find his rhythm. Pacing. The fighting was excellent! Sammo was never in better shape and he was so eager to do everything well! Fighting is probably what Sammo knows best, and yeah that definitely shows! I have no complaints once he stops being patient and is validated in his reasons to kick some serious ass, strewing the path behind him with a large number of obviously dead bad guys.

When Sammo was just a kid, he broke his ankle while at the Yuen Opera school and he never was able to do many story-to-story jumps. The shots were not always framed the best, but there were some innovative setups that worked well and are still used by photographers today. There were a number of very long takes that you just don't see anymore unfortunately. It has reached the point it feels like some movies are using stop animation, moving the person or scene almost like a cardboard cut-out, resulting in even some fight shots running 8 seconds. Sammo was in great shape for this one. What he lacked in finesse he made up for in enthusiasm, and it was wonderful to be able to see that aspect of him! Sammo stated in the movie "Red Trousers: The Life Of The Hong Kong Stuntmen" that even though he had grown quite large he could still do martial arts. True, however this fine display was not to be seen again.

This is definitely a film those who follow martial artists and martial artists movies should view, but I couldn't give it a higher rating because of the numerous problems, especially in the first half of the movie. "The Iron Fisted Monk" merits further discussion, and I hope everyone will consider joining me.

One minor question I have had since a youngster: is Dean Shek really that friggin' disgusting, or is it all literally an act? Wait, maybe I don't want to know.

In a post-apocalyptic future, the D3 corporation had performed devilish experiments to raise the dead. These undead creatures started preying on living humans and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Aya, (upcoming sex siren Eri Otoguro, "Shaolin Girl") is the heiress of the ancient Imichi clan of assassins. Aya cuts her way through zombies created by mad scientist Sugita, on the path to vengeance in search of her sister Saki (Chise Nakamura, "Swing Girls") to avenge the death of their father at the hands of her own sister. Joined by longtime companion, Katsuji and a leather-clad, shotgun-toting woman named Reiko (Minami Hashimoto), Aya is determined to come to a resolution on the conflict between her and her sister Saki. Aya is an amazing swordswoman, Saki is her equal with a Katana sword --what would be the outcome?

The film isn’t to be taken seriously at first glance. I haven’t read the Japanese comic nor have I finished the game; but it is so obvious that this film has been inspired by a comic and the effects are very reminiscent of the video game. The swordplay is a blend of “Dynasty Warriors”, the effects can be compared to “Fist of the NorthStar” and even “DragonBall Z”. When Aya unleashes her “inner” power or mystical “Chi“, her surroundings are set to explode--dirt is being spewed forth and rocks are flying. The flashes and light trails emulates the sword strokes, limbs and blood hit the camera view and extreme close-ups are used to express pain. The fight choreography by Go Ohara is quite good and hard-hitting--and contain a very good amount of Blood and GORE. I rather like the birds eye view of Aya‘s encounter with a zombie army and the final encounter between Aya and Saki is very exciting and fun to see. The fights are the film’s main draw aside from the sexy female trio. Anime-inspired fighting poses is the trio’s forte and boy, do these women look good when they wield a sword.

“OneeChanbara’s” plot is very simple and is quite similar to other Japanese films of this type. I do commend director Fukuda’s decision not to dawdle too much on Eri Otoguro, Chise Nakamura and Minami Hashimoto’s “star appeal” and charisma. The film’s screenplay does have a lot of emotion. The past is told in the form of flashbacks and there is a lot of emotion to be had. The loss of a loved one due to them becoming the “undead” has a lot of emotional potential and the director does manage to flesh them out. Killing a loved one is quite difficult--especially when one is guilty for their current situation.

The zombies in the film aren’t your usual “shambling” undead. They are fast-moving and some of them have been enhanced to perform martial arts and to wield a weapon. There is a zombie who looks like a “Go-go Yubari” reject and one who looks like he is a “Jin Kazama” reject from “Tekken 4” video game. These change of mood doesn’t hurt the film but rather shows its roots from the pages of manga. The main villain himself is a cardboard anime villain. Dr. Sugita is the head of a corporation intent on playing “God”. The sibling rivalry between Saki and Aya is decently developed and builds up its climactic climax. Reiko is a little underdeveloped and Katsuji seems like a minor plot device to lighten the mood somewhat.

The film is a little “campy” at times, but it doesn’t lose its forward momentum. The film is very simple and the plot has been built around the encounter with zombies and the action sequences. There is some sex and nudity to be had--but I was disappointed that Eri, Chise and Minami kep their clothes on. The film is very action-packed and fast-paced. Despite its weaknesses in storyline the film is never boring and does provide the expected entertainment from a manga-inspired movie. Make sure you remember the source material when you are watching this film--Youhei Fukuda is no Ryuhei Kitamura but he does manage to put together a film does justice to its roots.

Still, a katana-wielding woman in red bikini with a cowboy hat, scarf and leather boots proves very sexy. Eri Otoguro is the right woman for the job; joined by Minami Hashimoto and Chise Nakamura--these three Japanese women can make any man’s blood boil with excitement.

“Onee Chanbara” may not be a film for everyone but it sure is fun to watch!

Recommended! To fans of the game and to fans of Japanese cinema [3 ½ Stars]

Now they are back with a bang with the comic adaptation "Dragon Tiger Gate" and "Fatal Contact", starring "SPL" bad guy Jackie Wu Ching.

The story of the film is not of the very original sort but it gets the job done to hold together the various fight sequences. And those are some of the best to come out of Hong Kong for quite some time.

Most of the fight sequences are very realistic in choreography and very well photographed. Jackie Wu handles these scenes with a coolness and agility that makes you remember Jet Li in his good old days in Hong Kong. Jackie Wu even makes a joke about it in one scene of the film where he says to his girlfriend, "If I learn hard enough I can be the new Jet Li". Well he could be right about it, did he go to the same training school as Jet Li.

It's not very understandable why he was not cast in more movies, his first starring role was in the 1996 follow up to Jet Li's "Tai Chi Master", "Tai Chi 2" ,an entertaining martial arts comedy from director/choreographer Yuen Wo Ping. After that he disappeared for quite some time, then he showed up once again in Tsui Hark's "Legend of Zu" in 2001, where his skills where hardly used and his role was also little more than a cameo.

It seems that his talents had to be recovered once again and when Wilson Yip cast him as the white dressed knife wielding bad guy in "SPL" his hour had come and "Fatal Contact" marks his first leading role in a long time. Let's hope that this time he will get the recognition he deserves and can show his impressive martial arts skills in more action flicks to come and let the world know that there are still some martial arts fighters in Hong Kong who are on par with Tony Jaa.

Also starring is "Stephen Chow wannabe" Ronald Cheng, an actor I personally did not appreciate very much in his past movies--instead of giving his own comedic style to his movies he tries too hard to copy Stephen Chow all the time, an attempt that is as impossible as it is also useless. Surprisingly he delivers a good performance here and even shows some martial arts skills, and he handles them very well. I hope in his following movies he will also rely more on his own skills as an actor and tries not so hard impersonating Stephen Chow. All in all this movie needs to be seen and its also a good example to show that Hong Kong action movies are back. Check it out!!!

What's wrong with you folks? I see that this movie has gotten some half- and one-star ratings. That tells me that some of you folks aren't bothering to rate these movies properly. This is a martial arts film and should be graded accordingly. There should be no reason that you would score this material on the same scale of measurement as, say, "Titanic". Genre should ALWAYS be factored into your reviews. Would you subtract points if you saw a horror movie with too much blood? Were you looking for a believable and relatable movie when you watched "The Lord of the Rings"? Every movie is an artistic vision that attempts to entertain while striving to achieve something that is usually case specific. Martial arts movies are for people who like martial arts. Period. This type of entertainment is catered to a specific audience that wants a specific type of action. That is why you watch a kung fu flick: for the kung fu! If you think that the movie's plot, story, directing or acting are poor in this type of movie, then you probably shouldn't deduct more than a half to one star. You didn't come for the other crap, you came for the fu. Unless you are a moron. Then you can perform any task in any irrational manner that you see fit; but if you are going to review movies for consumers that are educated and involved with their interests, then you better know what the hell you are talking about. Leeway should be given to the suspension of disbelief factor of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and martial arts movies. Acknowledge the purpose or goal of the movie before you condemn or praise it.

Now that I have ranted and bitched let me get to giving this movie a fair and reasonable review.

Yes, the drama in this movie is somewhat repulsive, as is the "love interest" in the film. The story did suck, but seeing as how this is a kung fu flick (see what I did there?), I have deducted a half star. The hardest part about grading this particular movie is trying to perceive what the filmmakers were trying to achieve. I personally feel that the people involved in making this movie lost sight of what they were trying to achieve by ineffeciently blending too many themes that don't belong together (melodrama, kung fu, crime, Shakespearian tragedy). For this reason I deduct another half star.

Now for the part of the grading process that is far more relevent. How was the fu? Pretty awesome...to a fault. I find myself having a similar dilemma as I had with "Romeo Must Die", but on a much milder level. The fights and choreography are excellent and very kinetic, but a lot of them seem to end with some big, flamboyant wire-assisted jump-spin-kick. This is annoying because this winds up being the punctuation mark to each altercation which can taint the feeling of the whole fight and devalue it on some level. In almost all of the cases that the wire is used it is pretty much not even necessary. I'm pretty sure Wu Jing can perform a 720 with an air stance (finishing technique of the first fight) without the aid of lines. Wires make moves look fake. Kung fu is real, baby. Why bother with the lines if the performer can do the technique without? Why go out of the way to make it look hokey? Though the lines are used sparingly, I still had to deduct half a star due to the off-putting nature of their use.

FINAL SUMMATION: This is a very good kung fu flick with a bad plot and some annoying characters. So what? You got about fifty of these in your collection already. I say go for it. You will like it as long as you know why you are watching it.