This set really sets a high standard for all else to follow. The packaging is top notch. I liked how the boxed set is kept closed with a hidden magnet so it doesn't accidently come open and the box isn't marred with an unsightly piece of magnet or velcro. Included with this set is a well-done book with some beautifully shot photographs of Bruce and his family. The quality and appearance of the box is well-done. The muted colors and black and white photography give it a classic and non-garish look. The matte printing on the box is nice and a good change from the typical high-gloss boxed sets. As for the actual films, I think everyone who would buy this set have already seen the films, so I will stick to my impression of the quality of transfer. It is a shame Bruce didn't have the benefit to shoot his films digitally, as time hasn't been kind to such great movies. I had the original Fox release of the Master set (as well as two other sets of VHS tapes) and this set really does put it to shame. Although you will get the typical spotting from a transfer, the amount and severity is nominal. I watched this on the Helios 2085 upscaling on an HDTV and I couldn't have asked for more...unless of course as I stated earlier, they were shot digitally. The set is well-worth the investment and it really should be the last time you purchase Bruce's movies.
Tom Yum Goong (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Truly this is one of the best movies ever. Thankfully I was able to get my copy from HKFlix before it became contraband in the US, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to wait for the US theatrical release. How Tony Jaa does these incredible stunts is truly beyond me....as long as he keeps doing them who cares! I liked the tie in of the little history lesson to the end scene and how Tony Jaa doesn't seem to fear bringing into his films dissimilar martial arts styles to compete against and sometimes lose. With his sheer ability and fearlessness, not to mention the combining of Muay Thai and Tae Kwan Do, he is the closest thing to Bruce Lee since, well, Bruce Lee.
Ong-Bak 2 (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Solid four and a half stars. The second half of this film is what makes it truly a Tony Jaa film. I enjoyed watching his usage of non-Thai style fighting, however the excessive use of flashbacks and the abrupt ending cost it the final half-star.
If this film was made by anyone other then Jaa, it would have been declared "unbelievable". However, Jaa has set a high bar for himself with the first "Ong-Bak" and "Tom Yum Goong".
It will be interesting to see if they recut this film for international release as they did with "TYG", or if they leave it alone.
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This is for you "I love you rater haters." I thought Jaa did a fine job using other styles. The problem was when he used them it was so brief what was the point. Also I've seen many others use these styles a million times over already and much better.
Invisible Target (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Overall just a great film with a great cast. Storyline carries the film well and the film's cast is first rate. Jacky Wu-Jing is on his way to becoming a huge international star if he keeps chosing roles like this, "SPL" and "Fatal Contact".
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Director Benny Chan can make bad films & good films & invisible target is a very good pic.
Kung Fu: The Movie (product link) TV Shows/Movies / Martial Arts Another great, seldom seen film with Brandon Lee. Interesting pairing with David Carradine, considering the history with the original "Kung Fu". Sad reminder of the career that could have been, had it not been cut short. Excellent pick-up for the Lee collection.
The guy obviously has talent and skills but for every "Drive" and "Brotherhood of the Wolf" he does an "Instinct To Kill". He had a decent role as the baddie in "Cradle 2 The Grave", where he got to go against Jet Li, but really his talent has been wasted, much like Christopher Lambert.
I really went into the rental of this movie not looking for much more then a few hours of mindless entertainment (and the film I really wanted was already rented out). I had an absolute blast with this film and immediately watched it again. After returning it, I bought it from HKFlix and have enjoyed it several more times. The only drawback to this film is an annoying Brittany Murphy. Other than that, the martial arts action is top-notch. Dacascos' final fight against Masaya Kato, whom he also worked with in "Crying Freeman", was a nice display. I'm thinking this film may have been an inspiration for the "Rush Hour" series.
Blood Heat (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime Solid movie from Kane Kosugi, who should be a bigger star in the USA than he is. Good action and decent storyline.
The Green Hornet (product link) TV Shows/Movies / Martial Arts These Green Hornet DVDs will have to do until someone is smart enough to release the series. Put together nicely to focus on Bruce.
Wing Chun: The Science Of In-Fighting [Instructional] (product link) Instructional / Martial Arts Another great reference for training purposes. Although I don't study Wing Chun, the demonstrations of hip-pivoting were helpful.
Tiger And Crane Shaolin Kung Fu (product link) Instructional / Martial Arts Good video for aiding training. Demonstrates different forms and strikes which can be incorporated into your individual style.
Transporter 2 (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Hotdammit--if the "Transporter" flix aren't fun, I just don't know what is! It's hard to believe, after reading his bio, that Jason Statham doesn't have any formal martial arts training.
Shaolin Soccer [Dutch SE 2-Disc Set] (product link) Comedy / Action/Adventure Fun take on classic Kung-Fu. Chow, taking Kung-Fu Hustle into account, really seems to love these type of unique takes on martial arts. As a fan of both martial arts and soccer, this film really had it all and I defy you to not be cheering the film by the end.
Equilibrium (product link) Action/Adventure / Science Fiction Thus far, the general consensus of this film is this: "Matrix Rip-Off".
Yeah, there are many similarities to "The Matrix", but stylistically it is dissimilar in a photo-negative manner. Where everything in "The Matrix" was dark, everything in this film was light. Both films used some form of drug for enlightenment, in "The Matrix" one had to take a pill to see the world for what it truly is; in this film one had to quit taking their medication to feel. I like the way director Kurt Wimmer used the cross in both the building architecture and interior design, much like he did in his next movie "Ultraviolet" (which I am probably one of the few people who likes that film as well). Of course, the "Gun Fu" is the big drawing point to this film, and it is used with impressive results. It is a good nod for a Western attempt at some bullet-ballet.
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I have to agree with both you and JB5205 on this movie. Sure, it's a matrix rip-off of sorts, but the film truly stands out, artistically and stylistically, as one of the coolest action films ever made, despite the bad timing of its theatrical release.
Black Mask (product link) Action/Adventure / Science Fiction Solid Jet Li film with good action sequences by Jet. I liked his appearance in the film and made me think of Bruce Lee as Kato. Should they ever make a Green Hornet film, the director would be foolish not to give the part to Jet. The only thing I didn't like about the film was Karen Mok's role as the timid library customer. Her role in "So Close" is much better.
The Myth (product link) Action/Adventure / Fantasy Typical high-action Jackie Chan film with all the great stunts you have come to expect from him. Very inspired effort that just didn't work for me. Taken as individual scenes or as two separate movies, it would have worked well, but the jumping back and forth from historical memory to modern times felt forced and disjointed. However, the conveyor belt scene with Mallika Sherawat is great.
Nomad [2005] (product link) Action/Adventure / Drama Interesting concept of a film as I had yet to see a film set and centered around Khazakhstan. Would have been interesting of the differing nomadic tribes each had unique fighting styles, but this wasn't referenced. Cover appears to try and draw in the fan of "300" but the film isn't like "300". Good role for Jason Scott Lee but not enough of Mark Dacascos.
Tabanfire (product link) Martial Arts / Thriller Although the movie was a little silly, the work by Dan Chupong is top-notch as always. I look forward to more work from Chupong, but hopefully they will be closer to "Born to Fight" then "Tabanfire".
DOA: Dead Or Alive (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Movie was better then I expected, certainly good enough for a theatrical release. Collin Chou also makes an appearance.
Circle Of Iron (product link) Action/Adventure / Fantasy Interesting movie--once you get past the constant thought of "I wonder how the movie would have turned out with Bruce?" It is an overall enjoyable movie. Not much by way of fighting, or for the stregnth of the fighting for that sake.
Aside from the wooden acting of Jeff Cooper (I am not sure if his character merely called for him to act like that or he just the way he is), the cast is pretty strong. David Carradine plays four seperate roles, and look for Anthony De Longis (the Spanish fighter in Jet Li's "Fearless") in an early role.
A must for "Kill Bill" fans, as David Carradine used several nuances from this movie for that role.
Born To Fight [2004] (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Not a bad film, it's just "Ong-Bak" has set the bar so high, any film (short of "Tom Yum Goong") will have a difficult time reaching it. The idea of mixing actual Thai Olympians into the film was interesting. Granted, all I have to compare that concept to is "Gymkata".
Crying Freeman (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Not nearly as bad as HKFlix's reviewer states, but not nearly as good as some others state, either. When matching this film against "Drive", "Crying Freeman" will lose every time. When taken as a separate movie with ties to its manga series, it isn't a bad film, just not as exciting as it could have been.
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This is accurate. The film is a very modest success, and certainly no more.
Tokyo Shock Martial Arts Pack [3-Disc Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Three movies for [the price of one] is a bargain. While the films aren't exactly the greatest, they were enjoyable.
Tower Of Death (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Exploitation with a capital "E". Two and a half stars strictly for the archived footage of Bruce. Would have been a halfway decent flick on its own. The poorly interspliced footage of Bruce, while always great to see Bruce, was sometimes distracting.
Gerd Ma Lui (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Should be purchased only by the Tony Jaa completist. While the movie has decent action scenes the age of the movie and the low-budget really is glaring. The remake film with Dan Chupong is an overall better film.
Black Mask 2 (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts I enjoyed the movie for what it was: a silly romp. Andy On impressed me, I had only seen him in one other movie: Jackie Chan's "New Police Story". If you don't have your sights set too high and are looking for a mindless way to kill a few hours, this movie will do fine.
Hard Gun (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts A couple of decent Jaa scenes, but not much to write home about. Several really annoying characters which took away from any enjoyment in this film.
Spirited Killer (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Brief Tony Jaa appearance in this movie. Strictly for the Tony Jaa completist and enthusiast. One star [out of 5] for Tony's part in the film.
Nai Khanomtom Muay Thai (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts The most boring movie I have ever seen. I couldn't even make my way through the whole thing. Skip this film!
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