This film rides on the theme of Tournament movies like BLOODSPORT, BEST OF THE BEST and KILL OR BE KILLED. Veteran martial arts star Jack Long (MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING, BORN INVINCIBLE) plays a famous kung-fu grandmaster who travels across China to test his skills against other grandmasters before retiring. During his journey, he picks up a young man (Lee Yi-Min- MYSTERY OF CHESS BOXING) who convinces him to be his last student in order to avenge his father's (Lung Fei- TIGER AND CRANE FIST, MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE) death.

Jack Long and co-star Lee Yi-Min have been regular players in many of Joseph Kuo's action flicks and 7 GRANDMASTERS were one of their better performances on screen and one of Kuo's greatest highlights in martial arts filmmaking.

Besides Yuen Cheung-Yan who helped provide some of the movie's fight sequences, Corey Yuen deserves props. Corey already made the spotlight in America for his creative martial arts choreography in ROMEO MUST DIE, KISS OF THE DRAGON, X-MEN, CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE and THE TRANSPORTER. His fight designs incorporated traditional kung-fu and hand-to-hand combat mixed with acrobatics and some a little wire-oriented action that creates fancy maneuvers (which includes some ground sliding toward enemies with a kick to the crotch and flipping & kicking in the air). The choreography also allowed the cast to apply various animal techniques into the mix of things.

Corey Yuen has risen from being a regular stuntman and actor in movies to becoming one of action cinema's top filmmakers in Hong Kong and Hollywood along with John Woo, Yuen Wo-Ping, "Tony" Ching Siu-Tung and Tsui Hark. Corey Yuen makes an appearance as a weapons expert who challenges Jack Long in combat. He displays his incredible specialties with the sword, staff, spear, knives and hook swords, which is one of the best on screen weapon fights staged in a film.

Considering the limited budget of Joseph Kuo's movies, 7 GRANDMASTERS shows how well he can work with it, which makes him one of the best Taiwanese independent filmmakers in the business. He made good use of the small sets & locations while capturing all the action perfectly, especially in the widescreen print of the film, without screen block outs. The sequences preserved close-up and the famous zoom-in camera views that allow you to see the fluid detail of the fight moves.

Jack Long and Lee Yi-Min put on a great performance with their acting and physical combat but Joseph Kuo deserves the crown for everything for providing the production with traditional costumes, the set pieces and capturing dynamic choreography of Yuen Cheung-Yan and Corey Yuen. These elements helped make 7 GRANDMASTERS a must-see masterpiece for all movie lovers of the genre

Wushu kung-fu champion/superstar "Vincent" Zhao Wen-Zhuo (Jet Li's THE LEGEND, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA IV-V) plays the lead to deliver his combat specialties under the choreography of legendary action director "Tony" Ching Siu-Tung who provided lots of knockout fights that will appeal to fans of Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen.

Vincent Zhao plays Arthur Dong, a Chinese military agent who gets transferred to Lavernia (a fictional Eastern-European country) as a punishment for disobeying orders on a previous mission. His new assignment is to track down Japanese criminal, Keizo Mishima (Andrew Lin- NAKED WEAPON) who's wanted for multiple murders and has a plan to wreck havoc around the country with his group of terrorists. During his mission, Arthur accidentally runs into his ex-girlfriend (Shu Qi- THE TRANSPORTER) and try to settle their differences while avoiding the corruption that surrounds them.

The movie takes off like PASSENGER 57 and THE DELTA FORCE where a group of terrorists (led by Xiong Xin-Xin- ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA II-VI, action director of THE MUSKETEER) hijack an airplane filled with groups of military forces and other passengers. Arthur and his partner are sent in to stop the terrorists but his partner is gunned down during the process. This fuses rage in Arthur and he uses his own brand of justice to save the hostages. As for Xiong Xin-Xin, he limits his martial arts when fighting Vincent Zhao with only a few knee attacks while Vincent gets the upper hand to pull off elbow attacks, angle kicks, spinning kicks and rapid-fire punches.

The movie would be no more than just another 9/11 influenced flick(even though it was "originally" made before the tragic incident) for people to sleep on if not for Tony Ching's expert choreography and Vincent Zhao's kung-fu skills. The recycled plot and solid acting may hurt the film but viewers will get a kick out of the kung-fu fights that saves this movie from being trashed completely.

My downfall with the film were the fights going from kung-fu to wire-fu. The combination of the two in this kind of modern flick doesn't fit in with the material properly. The fights are also thrown in for the wrong reasons like the scene where Arthur's new partner giving him a "sneaky" welcome greeting in the subway. His partner taps him on the shoulder from behind and Arthur reacts by grabbing his hand to counter him. The two would then attack each other with punches and flying kicks before they recognize each other. That's a little unrealistic in my book. The writing in the film was also limited because it basically relied on the same old thing with kung-fu thrown into the mix. Our hero starts off taking out terrorist, then he travels to another country for a new mission and encounters a deja vu.

Overall, the fights are worth watching because they all delivered something different from a MATRIX-incarnated subway battle, a nicely choreographed bathroom brawl, a rooftop shootout & kung-fu fight to the ultimate fight finale set inside a large building. During the finale, Tony Ching used one of his greater strengths and trademarks in fight choreography by crafting a stylized sword fight that will appeal to fans of swordplay fantasy classics like HERO, Jet Li's LEGEND OF THE SWORDSMAN (aka SWORDSMAN II), DUEL TO THE DEATH and BUTTERFLY & SWORD.

The physically talented Vincent Zhao delivers enough fight moves to impress Jet Li and make him a future action sensation. Unlike some actors, Vincent can deliver the goods as a brave hero (ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA IV-V, Tsui Hark's THE BLADE) and a villain (THE LEGEND) with his acting talent and kung-fu. Andrew Lin did a good job with his performance as the villainous Mishima with his straightforward characteristics, facial expressions and sadistic attitude. He's not a top martial artist but the strength in his acting performance could possibly make him a worthy film star in his own right.

The "real" star of this movie was Tony Ching because he incorporated lots of basic kung-fu and grappling moves to make the movie a great stand out as an action flick. He also proves that even in a bad movie, he won't go down without a good fight. His work in HERO and HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS should be enough proof to show international audiences what he's capable of when it comes to action. Hopefully, this will open the doors for him to work in future Hollywood projects.

The American release of this film was given some misleading advertisement. It was given the title, ANOTHER MELTDOWN as a way to pass it off as a sequel to the Jet Li movie, MELTDOWN (also distributed by CTHE and was originally released in Asia as HIGH RISK). The two films are unrelated and was probably given this title due to the acts of terrorism in both films. CTHE also made other misleading moves on this film where the DVD cover features Vincent Zhao posing like Bruce Lee with three scratches on his chest. This is coincidence that the ones responsible had ENTER THE DRAGON in mind. They also printed Andrew Lin's (the film's main villain) name above Vincent Zhao's picture.

I wouldn't consider ANOTHER MELTDOWN to be classic material from a storytelling viewpoint but I definitely recommend that people to check it out on DVD to witness the kung-fu magic of Vincent Zhao and Tony Ching.

SHOGUN'S NINJA was a historical and adventurous ninja classic that featured a young talented Hiroyuki Sanada (THE LAST SAMURAI, THE PROMISE and RUSH HOUR 3) playing the lead role as Takamaru, a descendant of the overthrown Momochi clan who grows up learning martial arts and unites with his childhood friends and remaining clan members. They prepare for battle against the rebel warlord Hideyoshi Hashiba (Asao Koike) and his right-hand man, commander Shogun Shrianui (Sonny Chiba- THE STREET FIGHTER series, KILL BILL Vol. 1 and THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS:TOKYO DRIFT), responsible for murdering Takamaru's parents ten years earlier.

The story looks like it was orchestrated by someone who was drunk because it gets a little confusing. It starts off with Hideyoshi ordering Shogun to eliminate the Momochi clan and their leaders (Takamaru's parents) than it flashes forward ten years later where Takamaru is grown up with martial arts and ninjitsu skills, and holds one of two daggers with a printed map on it that leads to a hidden gold mine. Hideyoshi learns about the dagger being in Takamaru's possession and orders Shogun to get the dagger. What makes matters worse is that another ninja clan member named Hattori Hanzo (Isao Natsuyagi- G.I. SAMURAI) wants the dagger too. Hanzo sends his loyal sister (Yuki Ninagawa) to steal the dagger but a little twist unfolds when she turns out to be Takamaru's childhood friend-turned-lover. She steals it, Takamaru is captured by Shogun and his two handicapped ninja companions who like to jump off Shogun's shoulders like turnbuckles in wrestling to perform flying attack moves. Takamaru eventually escapes and Ninagawa decides to return the dagger to him. Takamaru also runs into an old ninja warrior (Tetsuro Tamba- SAMURAI REINCARNATION and the Shaw Brothers classic, THE WATER MARGIN) from his past who trains him in higher methods of ninjitsu to prepare him for battle against Shogun and his posse.

Japanese martial arts star Etsuko "Sue" Shihomi (Sonny Chiba's DRAGON PRINCESS, SISTER STREET FIGHTER and KARATE BEAR FIGHTER) makes her special appearance as Takamaru's friend and love interest from his past who joins him in battle to showcase her incredible skills with two nunchuckus. If you don't sit and watch the movie without leaving to make a pit stop, you will be lost and confused but other than that, SHOGUN'S NINJA delivers enough good qualities to make it an enjoyable B-movie flick for martial arts movie lovers.

You will find some of the sequences to be laughable at times because of the things that are pulled off. Hiroyuki Sanada encounters rival ninjas armed with shotguns. He dodges the bullets by swinging on a tree repeatedly like a gymnast. Sue Shihomi hangs upside down on a rope and swings around to attack ninjas with her nunchuckus as if she was performing at a circus. The old ninja warrior jumps off a mountain and floats while falling to his destination and then uses superhuman speed when running (with the help of fast motion camera tricks). These crazy events are just some of which were staples in many of these genre films that adds an extra edge to the entertainment value while some happen to be funny.

Hiroyuki Sanada put on a good performance as the hero and delivered some effective martial arts moves which was lifted under the choreography of Sonny Chiba. Some of the sequences contained blends of slow-motion and fast-paced editing to help give the fights a stylized look. Like in many of Japan's ninja/samurai period dramas, SHOGUN'S NINJA was filled with lots of over-exaggerated violence, especially when it comes to the blood-squirts, flying shuriken and sword attacks, and decapitating bodies, many of which Quentin Tarantino salutes to in KILL BILL Vol. 1 & 2.

As a fan of Japanese cinema movies, I've watched Hiroyuki Sanada in numerous movies during my youth days and learned now, that he's come a long way though out his movie career going from a young pop star to becoming one of Japan's top martial arts icons aside his on-screen protégé Sonny Chiba. The two have worked together and appeared in Hollywood and Hong Kong cinema films. Sanada retained his film resume through out the '90s and the millennium in Japan appearing in movies like RINGU (the original Japanese version of THE RING), TWILIGHT SAMURAI and jumped into the Hollywood scene to play a supporting role in THE LAST SAMURAI with Tom Cruise, and RUSH HOUR 3 with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Sonny Chiba, who starred in classics like SAMURAI REINCARNATION, THE KILLING MACHINE, THE EXECUTIONER and of course, THE STREET FIGHTER series, has already made little-known appearances in countless Hollywood films before catching the eyes of a larger audience in KILL BILL Vol. 1 and THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS:TOKYO DRIFT.

If you enjoy old school ninja or samurai flicks like SHOGUN ASSASSIN or the LONE WOLF AND CUB series, then SHOGUN'S NINJA is one to get because packs plenty of quality martial arts, ninjitsu and gravity-filled fights with a cast of martial art masters to pull it off and make it an enjoyable B-movie classic and a collector's item for Sonny Chiba and Hiroyuki Sanada fans.

Steven Seagal plays Chris Jones, a special service soldier who gets released from a military prison and is offered a chance of freedom by helping the U.S. government track down a scientist who performs mind-control experiments that turns people into expandable killing machines.

SUBMERGED wouldn't be your typical Steven Seagal action flick because it struggles to ride the themes of military movies like UNDER SEIGE but fails miserably as it becomes a bad shoot em' up thriller that leaves lots of holes for which director Anthony Hickox tries to seal up with some stylized direction while throwing in a dab of Seagal's Aikido combat firepower.

Even though Seagal fights and gets his hands dirty, the sequences were poorly edited to a point where his fighting shows a lack of detail of what he's doing to his enemies. The movie also suffers from bad acting and even poor lighting & coloring of the camera lenses that will make you color blind. The plot falls into the category of Playstation 2 video games like Tom Clancy's RAINBOW SIX and the METAL GEAR SOLID series. The action/shoot em' up sequences are unrealistic where you'll think you're watching a video game demo.

The character Steven Seagal plays wouldn't be anything different from his usual roles seen in previous movies except for the fact that he seemingly speaks like he's loosing his voice while trying to use a country accent. He's released from prison along with a group of buddy Navy Seals to take on a special assignment of destroying an underground compound set on a submarine where the scientist performs his mind-control experiments. The scientist holds 5 prisoners (one played by B-movie martial arts star Gary Daniels- Jackie Chan's CITY HUNTER) hostage and eventually become the victims of the mind-control.

This leaves room for lots of poorly edited shootouts and fight scenes to take place that fails to live up to Seagal's hype. One of the disappointments will explode at the fans of Gary Daniels when they witness his fight against Seagal. Daniels doesn't deliver any of his martial arts and the fight turns into a copy of UNDER SEIGE's "Seagal vs. Tommy Lee Jones" fight finale. This fight is edited with another one-on-one fight between the mind-control specialist (Christine Adams- BATMAN BEGINS) and her female foe. The skills that Gary Daniels possesses, he deserved a fair fight with Steven Seagal but instead, he becomes Seagal's defenseless sparring partner. Seagal, and his crew ditch the submarine when the scientist escapes to continue his operations.

The ending to this movie left the doors open for a possible sequel to emerge but I don't think it's necessary for this poor piece to get one unless Anthony Hickox or another filmmaker can work a better budget and provide Seagal with a better script. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

Ever since HALF PAST DEAD, Seagal has been progressing his movie career in countless B-grade movies, mostly distributed by Columbia TriStar releasing them straight-to-video, where some are pretty decent while the others turn out to be a waste of his talent. SUBMERGED falls into the category of a poor C-grade movie with the elements and Seagal not maintaining his usual non-stop Aikido combat which brings lots of hurt in this movie and probably a bad strike in his career.

I consider this movie to be one of Seagal's worst but a little quality action should lift the movie from the rock bottom it falls on but regardless, the fans will be disappointed with it.

I admire Anthony Hickox for his work the big budget horror movies, HELLRAISER III and WARLOCK: ARMAGEDDON but to see him try his hand at other genres and create this poor movie, the results aren't pleasent, at least in my eyes but hopefully, he will work in better projects while fans await for a huge comeback for the Steven Seagal they remember in HARD TO KILL and EXIT WOUNDS.

The movie was originally conceived for WWE wrestler The Rock but backed out of the role to work in THE SCORPION KING, THE ONE was rewritten for Jet Li along with some kung-fu & gunplay action to blend in for the mix which unfortunately might not meet the expectations of Jet Li fans who are use to him fighting on the ground and on extended cables in previous movies.

THE ONE centers on Yulaw (Li), a former cop-turned-killer who travels through parallel universes to eliminate every alternative version of himself in order to obtain their combined strengths and gain superhuman abilities. His final replica, Gabriel (Li) is the only one determined to stop him with the help of two cops (Delroy Lindo- CLOCKERS and ROMEO MUST DIE; and Jason Statham- THE TRANSPORTER 1 & 2) who are from the same time line as Yulaw.

The movie's concept mimics HIGHLANDER where Li even says "There will be only one" (real line "There can be only one") which pays a little homage to the series. Some of the elements are also similar to James Cameron's sci-fi action flicks and the opening, where the narrator explains the "multiphase", was an incarnation of the '60s, '70s & '80s sci-fi classics such as STAR TREK. Li's presence as Yulaw comes of like THE TERMINATOR with his one-man killing spree while he uses supernatural kung-fu and gunplay against the cops. He also dodges bullets like Neo from THE MATRIX.

Fans will probably be disappointed with the action because Li's martial arts skills are shelled by CGI effects that makes it look like a digitized video game and it doesn't live up to his true abilities in combat. Li pulls off some "real" kung-fu under the fight choreography of legendary action master Cory Yuen (THE TRANSPORTER 1 & 2, KISS OF THE DRAGON and X-MEN) who allows him to use two fighting styles for for his characters. Gabriel uses the Ba Qua kung-fu style which relies on circular movements made to challenge his alter ego's straight line-oriented Shin Yi kung-fu. These two fight forms makes the final battle a little interesting, especially when the CGI effects aren't used.

The CGI technology used today, which helped put Jet against Jet, would have been a perfect tool for a lot of things back in the '70 & '80s. THE CROW is a perfect example of how they used it to keep the late Brandon Lee in the movie. It would have worked for films like Bruce Lee's unfinished classic GAME OF DEATH and the barely-related GAME OF DEATH II (aka TOWER OF DEATH) to help cover all the noticeable flaws that basically ruined them.

There's a little known factor about this movie where former Vietnamese child actor Jonathan Ke Kuan (aka Ke Huy Kuan) took part of the production where he was the English speaking interpreter for Cory Yuen during his interviews in the behind-the-scenes featurette (if you recognize the high-pitched baby voice from his classic movies). He's probably best known for his roles in Richard Donner's THE GOONIES and INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM. He also coordinated some the the stuntwork.

This flick was basically a B-movie trying to pass off as a mega budget blockbuster and it wouldn't be considered one of Jet Li's best American movies. The fight sequences had their ups and downs because of the CGI effects but Cory Yuen's choreography still lifts some of Jet Li's fighting methods but they won't get the full taste of pure Jet Li kung-fu.

The ending will leave some viewers hungry for a sequel but I guess we'll have to wait and see but in the meantime, you can still check the movie out if you've never seen it because it offers enough action to please his fans.

Jason Statham reprises his role as Mercenary and professional driver-for-hire Frank Martin, whose specialties are put to work again when his latest client, the son of a wealthy official (Matthew Modine- FULL METAL JACKET), becomes the target of a criminal who wants the use the kid to unleash a deadly virus that's capable of wiping out mankind.

TRANSPORTER 2 proves to be a balanced action gem like its predecessor, thanks to the support of Luc Besson, Steven Chasman and protégé/director Louis Leterrier. You get more car chases, boat chases and of course, plenty of hard-hitting martial art fights to keep the adrenaline pumping for action lovers.

The martial arts training that Statham obtained served him well in the film. He mixes his physical combat with some traditional kung-fu, freestyle fighting and weaponry. The aid of Cory Yuen's choreography helped Statham employ submissions, close range takedowns and disarming techniques while using kung-fu as a secondary fighting tool. The kung-fu takes its turn when he wields a pole and uses a fire hose against a group of axe and sword wielding enemies. He also delivers some impressive kicking techniques while hanging upside down on a pipe.

In addition to the movie's bag of goodies, Statham gets a little competition from a young seductive female fatale with a killer instinct. She sports stilettos and uses twin machine guns like Chow Yun-Fat, which coincidently seemed to be an inspiration from Luc Benson's LE FEMME NIKITA.

The villain fights people with a kendo stick that makes you think he is a master but then, he switches up and exchanges many words with Statham and becoming a lesser threat than Gary Sinise was in RANSOM.

Some CGI effects lifted up some vehicular chase sequences. A car jumps off a building to land "perfectly" on another, and the finale concerns an airplane rotating like a toy on strings, which were all unrealistic but can be forgiven because Louis Leterrier offered quality set pieces, stylized action, B-grade villains and Cory Yuen's expert fight direction that helped lift Statham's screen fighting abilities. These combinations make TRANSPORTER 2 an entertaining action piece in its own right.

Jason Statham may consider doing another sequel if the filmmakers decide to pull the strings because there is still plenty of room for him to do some damage but I guess we will have to wait and see.

This is an action movie that attempts to balance bone-crunching brutality with some heart and soul. This also marks Jet Li’s second teaming with Luc Besson who blends some exciting fight scenes with a refreshing sincerity rarely seen in high-octane Hollywood blockbusters.

The film’s theme also borrows from Besson’s LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL with the characters being manipulated for evil means rather than an innocent soul corrupted by tragedy.

Jet Li and Morgan Freeman (BATMAN BEGINS, MILLION DOLLAR BABY) play two men, affected from the world in different ways, who meet up and become friends while avoiding the danger that comes their way.

Unlike Jet Li’s previous films, UNLEASHED has the kung fu master portraying someone who has the mind of a child which allows him to show off some strong emotions but can still kick someone’s ‘hind pots. He limits his Wu Shu skills to employ some freestyle fighting with basic kicking, spinning kicks, quick-witted body blows and punches, and close-range attack moves. This was probably one of Li’s most challenging performances in his career. It was also a different vehicle for him compared to previous movies.

Legendary Hong Kong choreographer Yuen Wo-Ping (THE MATRIX, FEARLESS, KILL BILL Vols. 1 & 2, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON) used his famous fight directing talents to construct realistic combat without the use of any extended cables or CGI effects, and help make the battles believable as possible. Wo-Ping incorporates street fighting, kickboxing, aerial Tae Kwon Do, and weaponry. The set pieces allowed Li to fight in a large pool against 4 fighters, armed with weapons (a mallet, axe and a long spear), and exchanges blows with a Tae Kwon Do expert in a tight space that limits their fighting abilities and allow viewers to see what close-range attacks the two fighters pull off on one another.

The film’s soundtrack featured techno, rock-n-roll and hip-hop beats, composed by Massive Attack and famed Wu Tang Clan hip-hop headliner The RZA, to help add an adrenaline edge and help viewers get into the flow and excitement of the film.

Some of the things that were unrealistic in the film was the fact that Morgan Freeman’s character was too nice to Danny (Jet Li), who is a complete stranger and doesn’t know what he is capable of doing. He lets Danny live in his house with his stepdaughter only days after they meet. He shows no suspicion toward this unknown man and the stepdaughter develops an attraction to Danny while Freeman does his Ray Charles thing with the face tilt and smile.

This was probably Freeman’s most kind-hearted role to date in any film but it works for him as an A-list actor. Bob Hoskins’ role was something taken from GOODFELLAS with his sense of humor, funny lines and a nasty temper to shape himself as a wicked godfather.

The screenplay by Luc Besson combined dark aspects with some humor and a little brutal violence while making room for the fight-action to take it’s turn to keep the energy pumping for the fans but I think that Li still has a couple of more kicks and acting gigs to throw out to make a U.S. hit.

UNLEASHED unfolded a different side to Jet Li but he still performed his usual screen fighting expertise. The film itself was targeted toward adult viewers due to it’s dark and brutal violence but the martial art brawls by Yuen Wo-Ping provided enough energy for the typical fans to salute to and not be disappointed.

SPIRITED KILLER was another unknown action movie from Thailand that featured loads of stylized fights along with the amazing skills of a then-unknown young Tony Jaa and the talented Panna Rittikrai who choreographed the stunning fights for ONG-BAK and THE PROTECTOR.

However, Jaa isn't the star of this film and the advertisement on the box cover was material from Tony Jaa's first two films that were patched together to capitalize on his new founded fame in America. He has a small role that finds him showcasing what would later make him famous. Rittikrai plays the title role and reveals himself as a respected martial arts star in Thailand. The film is set in the jungles of Thailand where an unstoppable killer (Rittikrai) goes on a rampage under the control of a voodoo priest. A group of travelers (who are seemingly stuntmen proteges and martial artists including Tony Jaa), search for hidden treasure only to encounter this essence of evil and engage in combat while they try to flee out the jungles. Of course, this was structured to have non-stop martial arts fights (staged by Rittikrai) to give action lovers a reason to watch the movie. As the star, Rittikrai showcases his impressive martial arts skills and weaponry. Jaa's screen time lasted a couple of minutes but it allowed him to engage in combat against Rittikrai with some amazing acrobatics and kicking techniques.

Even though the film packed loads of martial arts action, it suffers with dents and holes that include poor dubbing, a lame story and even a reused musical score taken from the 1994 Jack Nicholson film, WOLF. First, you see a voodoo priest giving villagers brew that supposedly extends their youth and makes them immortal but instead, it kills them instantly. The witnessing survivors beat down the priest and knocks him into a lake. Next, a traveling bunch drives through the jungle and finds a mysterious man standing in the middle of their path without any explanation. The man stares at them and eliminates them one by one with martial arts while chasing the remaining survivors around the jungle with superhuman speed (with the help of MTV-style fast motion camera tricks). The priest is seen again later on to unravel more trouble for the villagers.

The only great thing you'll probably get out of this film are the expertly choreographed fight scenes and the impressive combat specialties of Panna Rittikrai who's engagement in martial arts, swordsmanship, nunchukus and the staff were phenomenal enough that it will appeal to fans of Bruce Lee's movies and classic gems like HERO, KILL BILL Vols. 1 & 2 and BLADE. Tony Jaa's short screen time is worth checking out just to learn what he was already capable of as a young newcomer. The only bad thing about the choreography is the fact that it resembles Hong Kong action to closely instead of the formula used in ONG-BAK and THE PROTECTOR.

The film's cliffhanger ending left the doors open for a sequel and to have viewers come up with their own conclusion in the aftermath. Hopefully, if a sequel is ever made, it will be better scripted, have a bigger budget and better character development. In the meantime, the movie is worth watching if you want to witness the talents of the two skillful Thai experts but don't expect it to be another ONG-BAK or PROTECTOR-style movie

Veteran Hong Kong producer and director Tsui Hark, the man responsible for uniting former NBA re bounder Dennis Rodman with action star Jean-Claude Van Damme for his American directing debut, DOUBLE TEAM, followed by KNOCK-OFF (also w/ Van Damme) and producing some of HK's top fantasy gems of all time, presented this story about a young Chinese martial artist (Li) from Hong Kong who travels to the United States in hopes of finding his master, Uncle Tak (played by Yuen Wah, the Landlord in KUNG FU HUSTLE) but learns that he was badly beaten in a fight by a former American student named Johnny (Light Welterweight World Kickboxing Champion, Jerry Trimble) who's obsession with being the # 1 fighter in L.A. leads him to terrorizing martial arts dojos across the state. While Tak recovers from his injuries, Li tries to settle his differences with him while preparing for an all-out kung-fu brawl against Johnny and his group of students in order to regain his master's lost honor.

Shot on location in L.A., THE MASTER was sort of what RUMBLE IN THE BRONX was with Jackie Chan where a Chinese kung-fu expert travels to a crime ridden area in America to achieve a simple goal while encountering thugs and impressing people with his combat methods. He teaches an entire Police Force healing secrets as if he was instructing a Tae Bo class, trains a Latino gang kung-fu to help them beat off bad guys and fighting an American martial artist to save his master and the other hostages held by Johnny's students. The plot was a simple one that seemed to have been constructed to allow room for non-stop fight action.

One of the film's greatest achievements were the nicely choreographed fight scenes, courtesy of co-star Yuen Wah who incorporated traditional kung-fu and weaponry. The fancy wire work or computer generated effects were put aside so the fights would be believable and realistic as possible. Yuen Wah revealed his incredible kung-fu specialties against a group of fighters on a building rooftop. He uses close-range takedowns, Wu Shu-oriented butterfly kicks, acrobatics and other fight moves to show audiences that he's a true master of the art. Jerry Trimble exchanges blows with Jet Li on more than one occasion but the one-on-one finale features Trimble using Tae Kwon Do to execute his cinematic footwork while dealing with Li's counter attacks, fast-flowing jabs and Wu Shu kung-fu. In addition to that fight, Li gets his leg stuck in a circular pipe handle but is still able to pull off kung-fu.

Li helps his newly-befriended Latino gangster wannabes fight off Johnny's posse (two of them who were played by stuntman/martial artist Steven Ho-Liu Kang's brother in MORTAL KOMBAT, ART OF WAR 2, and Ju Jitsu expert Stefanos Militsakakis- BEST OF THE BEST 2, MAXIMUM RISK, DAREDEVIL) before facing off against Johnny on top of a car.

Yuen Wah was known for his recent role as the Landlord in Stephen Chow's KUNG FU HUSTLE but is probably remembered best by fans as the man one who caught the apple in ENTER THE DRAGON and doubled for Bruce Lee in some of the sequences. He also had a small role in Chinese CONNECTION (aka FIST OF FURY) as the Japanese who taunts Lee by telling him to walk like a dog. He was a regular in old-school kung-fu flicks produced by the legendary Shaw Brothers (recently saluted by Quentin Tarrantino in KILL BILL VOL. 1's opening).

THE MASTER was originally made in 1989 but it still wouldn't earn a then-unknown Jet Li his crown to superstardom. The film was delayed until 1992 because Li and Tsui Hark were unaware of what was to come that year when they collaborated again to launch ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, which was a box-office success and Li's ticket to superstardom (in Asia).

To help capitalize on Li's fame in America, THE MASTER finally got an international DVD release in 2002 by Miramax Films to give viewers the chance to witness the stunning talents of this kung-fu master.

World Karate Champion and Tae Bo excercise founder Billy Blanks made a quick-second cameo as a gang thug but unfortunately, he didn't do any fighting which was a disappointment. The reason why the filmmakers didn't let him fight will be a mystery but with his martial arts skills (shown in countless B-grade Hollywood movies), he should have fought someone but instead, he's depicted as an unknown extra. Too Bad.

Other than those factors, THE MASTER was a decent fight-flick that went underrated in the States but deserves a full view because it was one of a few modern kung-fu movies to feature lightning-fast, raw and street-effective kung-fu while Jet Li unravels himself in attack mode like Tony Jaa did in ONG-BAK and THE PROTECTOR acting as the kung-fu special effect.

Jaa plays Kham, a young Thailand native and caretaker of elephants who goes to Australia in search of his two elephants that were kidnapped by a crime organization led by an evil sinister named Madame (Xin Jing). He's forced to use his martial arts skills to take out thugs and corrupt cops with the help of Mark (Petchtai Wongkamlao- ONG-BAK), a righteous cop who happens to have more trouble in his hands when a corrupt Australian cop frames him for murder.

Upon Kham's (Jaa) arrival in Australia's Thai town, Sidney, his search leads him to the organization's headquarters where Madam has her operations in the 'Tom Yum Goong' Thai restaurant. He fights his way through a long line of thugs with close-range attacks and arm-bending takedowns while throwing them through balconys, tables, flower vases and other equipment before facing off against Johnny (played by stuntman and Wu Shu martial artist Johnny Tri Ngyuen) in a one-on-one martial arts brawl. Mark and Kham find themselves working together after a senior policeman, linked to the organization, frames him for the murder of another corrupt policeman and a business executive.

Like ONG-BAK, this movie has a simple plot which was made to allow room for non-stop fights. This time, instead of traveling to recover a stolen statue, Jaa sets out to recover his two pet elephants. As a result, director Panna Rittikrai and Jaa determined to overwork the action sequences to please their fans the way Jackie Chan puts his life on the line for his.

Speaking of Jackie Chan, there's one sequence, set in a wherehouse, that comes close to CITY HUNTER and RUMBLE IN THE BRONX where Jaa encounters a gang, equipped with BMX Bikes, Rollerblades, 4-wheelers and foes who wield florescent bulbs at him. This allows Jaa to showcase his stunts, martial arts and acrobatics on furnature, cars, fences and other equipment that will appeal to Chan movie lovers.

Pinkaew also salutes Jackie Chan in a scene where Jaa arrives at the airport and accidentally bumps into a man who turns out to be a direct look-a-like of Chan that will have you thinking twice.

The film is packed with loads of spectacular fights to check out. One fight concerns Jaa being challenged by three skilled fighters in a burning Buddhist temple, flooded with water. The first one is played by Zero Gravity Stunt Team Member and gymnast Lateef Crowder, who puts on an incredible display of Capoeiria. His second foe is played by Jackie Chan Stunt Team member Jonathan Foo, who engages in Wu Shu kung-fu and uses traditional swordsmanship. Jaa's third challenger is played by Australian wrestler Nathan Jones, who out matches Jaa by size, weight and strength. Jones is probably best remembered as the wrestler who fought Jet Li in FEARLESS, he battled Brad Pitt in TROY and even wrestled in the WWE years earlier for a short time. Jones delivers a variety of wrestling moves and leaves the battle unresolved, at least until the finale.

Some of the most notable fights take place in a five-story circular room where Jaa battles countless bad guys from the bottom floor to the top, and the finale where he uses freestyle martial arts against 50 henchmen with some bone-crushing grappling moves, close-range takedowns and a variety of combination attacks.

Some mixed events fall in place during the film as Mark and Kham hide out from the police while Kham continues his one-man martial arts attack on the operators of Tom Yum Goong. Madame takes over the family business by killing off the owners. Kham comfronts her and her army of henchmen as they go out to do battle while Mark goes out to rescue his kidnapped sister who's also a victim of Madam's evil doings.

The overall rating of THE PROTECTOR was a downfall because of the solid story but thankfully, it can be overlooked with the trademark tools of Jaa, fight choreographer Panna Rittikarai and director Prachya Pinkaew who help put the film in the shape of a cutting-edge martial arts piece that can be appreciated without being framed as a bad National Geographic nature program on elephants.

It was good to see ONG-BAK co-star Petchtai Wongkamlao, remembered as the humorous con artist, re-team with Jaa and make people laugh with his comedic humor and jokes. Johnny Tri Ngyuen delivered some of his martial arts skills against Jaa but it should have been a longer fight. He deserved more screen time and his supporting role revealed him as a talented actor that will hopefully give him bigger roles in future projects.

Hopefully, Jaa's next movie will improve on some of the flaws that THE PROTECTOR suffered from and his proteges will create better character development for his acting and a creative plot to go along with it so he won't be looked at as only a martial artist. The results of his screen fighting expertise can possibly put him in the category with his heroes Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li as America's next action star.

The good news about this film is that distributor 'Dragon Dynasty' gave it the ultimate treatment on DVD and included the original uncut TOM YUM GOONG version to unravel all the missing material not shown in the American version along with it's original dialogue that will definitely please the fans (familiar with the original).

Billy Lo (Bruce Lee and doubles) goes to Japan for the funeral of his friend right before a helicopter flies by and steals the casket. Lo tries to save the casket but falls to his death after the pilot shoots him. Lo's younger brother Bobby (Kim Tai-Chung "aka Tang Lung"- GAME OF DEATH) is informed of his brother's death and goes to Japan to find the killer.

The story bites ENTER THE DRAGON and was structured for lots non-stop kung fu fights, which were some of the film's strongest features and some of Yuen Wo-Ping's best fight work.

GAME OF DEATH II (U.S. version of TOWER OF DEATH) wouldn't be considered a Bruce Lee film but more like a tribute to the legend that unfortunately tried to continue the story of an already cut-and-paste movie that should have been left alone. Lots of footage of Lee from his films was combined with the use of a double to finish this one just as director Robert Clouse did with GAME OF DEATH. The fact that Lee was not alive during the production of this movie in 1981 makes the whole idea worse. However, as an admirer of this independent filmmaking legend, I'll give director Ng See-Yuen some credit for using some set pieces and enlisting the aid of stuntman-turned-fight choreographer Yuen Wo-Ping to shape the stunning martial arts action for kung fu fans. This will give viewers a reason to check it out while overcoming the disappointment of the flaws and that interfere during the movie.

Many noticeable flaws will take effect during the film that will make you laugh or have you think twice if you don't pay close attention. One features then-unseen footage and Lee from ENTER THE DRAGON where the Abbot (Roy Chiao- BLOODSPORT and INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM) talks to Bruce in the garden. What they did was add in re-shot scenes of Chiao talking to "Bruce" (all you can see is his shoulders) from a different angle to hide the fact that it isn't Bruce. Each time the angle changes, look at Chiao's robe as it changes colors from yellow to orange (most notable in the Chinese version of the film, TOWER OF DEATH). The double is actually Kim Tai-Chung if you have good eyes. Tai-Chung can also be spotted in the original GAME OF DEATH in between the Bruce cut-ins.

Another laughable flaw is where “Bruce” hunches his shoulders at Chin Ku (Hwang Jang-Lee- SNAKE IN THE EAGLE’S SHADOW, DRUNKEN MASTER) before his fight against the American. That "shoulder hunch" scene is used again before “Bruce” fights the Korean fighter (Casanova Wong- WARRIORS TWO, THE IRON-FISTED MONK) in the greenhouse.

However, the films's greatest achievement was the expert fight choreography by Yuen Wo-Ping. The martial arts experts who follow Wo-Ping's fight direction with skill to create on-screen fighting excellence. Korean Tae Kwon Do expert Hwang Jang-Lee delivers his remarkable footwork and maneuvers that made him kung-fu cinema's top screen villain. The "Bruce" vs. Casanova Wong battle was a test of phenomenal Tae Kwon Do moves as Wong executes some non-stop kicking and spinning kicks in seconds. American martial artist Roy Horan (SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW) dishes it out with kung-fu and animal techniques against two fighters.

The fights incorporated traditional old school kung-fu, and lots of kick-oriented Tae Kwon Do action that come in place to allow Korean experts Hwang Jang-Lee, Casanova Wong (in a small role) and Kim Tai-Chung screen time to execute their footwork techniques. Some of the fights feature some mixing of open-arm techniques and weaponry.

Fans will notice a few cameos by martial art stars such as Yuen Biao (Jackie Chan's PROJECT A, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA) who plays a Shaolin monk fighting another monk with the staff. Yuen Shun-Yi (THE BUDDHIST FIST, IRON MONKEY, and IN THE LINE OF DUTY 4) plays another monk who demonstrates kung-fu in front of the Shaolin Temple. Lee Hoi-Sang "aka Lee Hai-Sheng" (THE BUDDHIST FIST, John Woo's LAST HURRAH FOR CHIVALRY, THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN) also appears as a balled coffin guard and monk, and Korean expert "Tiger" Yang Wu-Chung (WARRIORS TWO, BLIND FIST OF BRUCE) appears as the Wildman who sports caveman-style Leopard clothing.

Many scenarios in the movie mimic other flicks such as Bobby Lo's viewing of the film of Lewis (Roy Horan) and his palace surrounded by guards in Karate uniforms, and Lo sporting all-black tights to investigate. These elements were a reincarnation from ENTER THE DRAGON. The high-tech underground tower and Aluminum foil-looking costumes were a throwback of the '60s Japanese sci-fi movies.

GAME OF DEATH II was one of Yuen Wo-Ping's less talked about efforts as a fight choreographer and it shows countless examples of his mastery fight directing, all which were captured nicely. If you can overlook all the Bruce cut-ins and lame elements of the movie, then you will appreciate the outstanding kung fu action that's worth praising, especially for Wo-Ping fans.