Agreement:85% of 21 voters agree with Prayingmantis888's reviews Gender: Male Age: 38 Location: Taiwan Lists:WISH LIST (5)
Bio: I am an Alaskan living in Taiwan, teaching English in a university and studying Hung Gar. I used to study and later teach 7 Star Praying Mantis as well.
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Ninja Fantasy [DOUBLE FEATURE] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I have watched literally hundreds of martial arts movies and am very tolerant of things like plot, acting, production values, etc. This, however, was the bottom of the barrel. The worst martial arts flick in the history of mankind. The plot made no sense, the special effects were beyond laughable, and the fighting ludicrous. It looked liked a high school Super 8 film project!
Ninja Fantasy [DOUBLE FEATURE] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I am often asked which martial arts movie is the worst out of all the hundreds I have ever seen. Hands down, "Ninja Fantasy" is it. It looks like it was made by high school students with no money or experience, and who were seriously drunk at the time. I gave it 1/2 star because if one is with a group of friends late at night and in the mood, it can be hysterical. It's that bad.
Coward Bastard (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Not even the mighty Wan Long-Wei can save this stinker. There are a couple of fight scenes loosely inspired by Jackie Chan, but the rest of it was horrid comedy that just falls flat for Western viewers.
Erotic Fantasies And Female Phone Fantasies (product link) Erotica / Fantasy This highly edited version of a hardcore movie is watchable, but only just. Since there was almost no plot to begin with, hardly unusual with the genre, reducing it to softcore has made it rather silly. On the plus side, it stars the legendary Asia Carrera, who is drop dead gorgeous and always worth tuning in for.
Legend Of The Drunken Tiger (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I had high hopes for this film. It was post-Shaw era but before the new wave wire fu movies. It had Kara Hui Ying-Hung, who I always list as a plus. Unfortunately, the plot is just a little silly and worst of all the martial arts are all modern wushu, no traditional kung fu. Without good fight scenes, it is hard to overlook all the little flaws.
Zatoichi [2003] (product link) Drama / Swordplay/Sword(s) Most movies really don't require a remake. "Zatoichi" is definitely one of them. The odd computer effects and odd plot detract seriously from the film. The original series was a true top shelf classic, so I wish people would stop remaking movies unless the original was flawed enough to justify it.
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There were already 26 fine Zatoichi films starring Shintaro Katsu before this was made. Takeshi Kitano's sequel is good on its own terms and does nothing to erase Shintaro Katsu's work: His 26 films are still there, and this sequel is no outrage.
I don't have a problem with remakes unless they have nothing to say. This is a great example where the filmmakers really DID have something new to say with an established story/character. A fresh and enjoyable re-imagining IMO.
Lightning Kung Fu (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Of all the Chen Kuan-Tai movies I have seen, this one is the least exciting. Aside from the fact that his character is not sympathetic (I can accept that as a plot point), the fight scenes are few and far between and not very inspiring. A glum film that would have been better with a bit more unhinged kung fu.
Eagle Fist / Lady Iron Monkey [DOUBLE FEATURE] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This double feature is truly a Jekyll and Hyde combo. "Eagle Fist" is a decent meat-and-potatoes low budget kung fu movie with a nice and unusual plot twist at the end. Definitely worth an afternoon. "Lady Iron Monkey" is simply weird. A monkey/girl goes around getting into trouble with lousy fight scenes. Anyway, it is worth getting for "Eagle Fist".
2002 (product link) Action/Adventure / Ghost I file this one under "guilty pleasure!" A triumph of hairstyles over evil, with a cheesy but addictive soundtrack. The reasons for how the plot works out in the end are never explained, but it doesn't really matter. The actors pose, deliver their lines with a straight face, toss their hair, and pose some more. Nice cameo by Anya as an evil elemental spirit.
Showdown At The Cotton Mill (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I am feeling charitable and giving this film 3 stars. The editing was criminally bad, entire conversations were missing, and important chunks of fight scenes! On the plus side, it has Chi Kwan-Chun, playing Hu Huiqian as usual. The fight scenes that aren't totally chopped up are good, with Chi demonstrating his signature Hung Gar five animals to good effect. Nothing new in the plot or acting department, but worth a watch.
Chinese Masters Of Kung Fu (product link) Martial Arts / Documentary I was a little disappointed by this collection of interviews with kung fu masters living or visiting the UK. Setting aside the martial artists themselves, there is a lot of repetition as they show the same scenes over and over again. That might be acceptable, but not at this price. For that much cash, we should be getting a lot more demonstration. Just my opinion.
Tales Of A Eunuch (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This was better than I had thought it would be. There was more kung fu and less comedy than the cover suggested, which always makes a film more palatable! Unfortunately, Gordon Liu Jiahui had more of a walk on roll, pity. The only real drawback to the movie was the plot. It was trying to be convoluted and full of twists and turns, but didn't quite achieve that. It just ended up being a bit non-sensical! An entertaining movie, but not one to rave about.
Descendant Of The Sun (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I never would have imagined "Superman" remade as a Chinese kung fu hero movie, but here it is! Complete with secret identity that people can't figure out, super powers including flight and costume change, and vulnerabilities that make the hero weak and mortal. Lots of um...interesting special effects.
Opium And The Kung-Fu Master (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure We can look past the simplistic preachy anti-drug tone of the move since it is a fairly good story. It's always good to see Chen Kuan-Tai have a chance to chew scenery as a villain. The real problem with the film is the overuse of sped-up photography [undercranking] for the fight scenes. These actors can all pull off a well-choreographed brawl, so there is no reason for it.
The Park (product link) Horror / Thriller This movie doesn't really break any new ground, but it is an entertaining 3-D ghost flick. Any movie with Kara Hui Ying-Hung in it is worth a look, she is still hot decades after her starlet years!
The Kid With The Golden Arm (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I love Shaw movies, and this one is full of interesting characters and Wang Lung-Wei, my all time favorite screen heavy. Unfortunately, the fight scenes were not quite up to snuff for a real Shawscoper. The whole gold arm, silver spear, iron robe, brass head thing was kind of neat, and there was a sort of mystery plot twist at the end.
On the whole though, this one is lacking some steam.
Fist Of The White Lotus (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Following up "Shaolin Executioners" both vaguely in plot and closely in narrative structure, this movie delivers some good fighting, and some odd plot devices. Gordon Liu Chia-Hui does his usual stand-up job of training for revenge, though Lo Lieh's millionth version of Pai-Mei the white browed priest gets a bit silly. His indestructibility and super powers get wilder every time they use the character. Some of the comedy is limp, but it is kept to a minimum. Also, the movie features Kara Hui Ying-Hung, and there is nothing wrong with that!
Iron Bodyguard (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Chen Kuan-Tai does a fine job holding up his end of this historical action piece. His character shows proper honor and virtue, and the necessary ability to beat the tar out of his enemies. Unfortunately, most of the history at that volatile time goes on off-camera, including Tan Si-Tong's famous attempt to free the jailed emperor by sword. This makes the plot sort of flat and dull, but by no means unwatchable.
The Brave Archer (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure If you are unfamiliar with Jin Yong's epic kung fu stories, this movie is a good introduction. The plot is baffling and wide sweeping, so try and follow it at your own risk. On the plus side, "Brave Archer" has much better fight scenes than its sequels, and the sheer labyrinthine plot makes it an intriguing show!
The Lady Is The Boss (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure The good: Hui Ying-Hong having some fun and kicking butt and swearing in bad English. Wang Long-Wei being evil while wearing truly dreadful fashion. Liu Jia-Liang doing what he does best: old school Hung Gar. Liu Jia-Hui and Xiao Hou making fun of their earlier famous roles.
The bad: a lot of the movie is silly comedy which only occasionally makes you laugh.
The movie does a really good job of showing not only how kung fu schools were trying to cope with modernity in 80's Hong Kong, but also how the Shaw Studios were trying to catch up to Golden Harvest who had breezed past them with new styles of martial arts movies.
The Iron Monkey [1977] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Chen Kuan-Tai's labor of love, "Iron Monkey" stands out as a solid independent fu flick. A monkey fist expert himself, Chen tries hard to demostrate all aspects of the style, rather than only focussing on monkey imitation, which gets old after awhile. A short while. The plot is standard training for revenge, but the fight scenes are plentiful and watchable.
The Foot Fist Way (product link) Comedy / Martial Arts This mockumentry of a strip mall McDojo-type Taekwondo instructor whose life is falling apart is hysterical. It is full of great quotes and cringe-worthy diatribes by lead actor McBride. For anyone who knows a martial arts instructor who takes themselves way too seriously, this is the film.
7-Man Army (product link) Martial Arts / War I bought this with few expectations, other than bulking up my extensive Shawscope collection. I was pleasantly surprised. Though it looks at first glance to be an old school war film, there were quite a few kung fu flashback scenes, and a lot more depth to the characters than one might expect. A nice addition to the avid Shaw-junkie's library.
Shogun Assassin [2-Disc Set] (product link) Action/Adventure / Swordplay/Sword(s) This was most of our introduction to chambara movies way back when. A compilation of the various "Lone Wolf And Cub" movie versions of the manga series, it has plenty of action and blood. The only real downside is that as a compilation, the plot is a bit bizarre and they had to totally restructure it so that it would make sense in an English dubbed version. If you just ignore the plot and enjoy the slashing, however, you won't be disappointed!
Mercenaries From Hong Kong (product link) Action/Adventure / Thriller This modern (well, modern at the time) action flick was pretty good. Though the surprise plot twist wasn't a surprise to anyone, the action is plentiful and pretty good. One of only two times I have seen Wang Lung-Wei as the good guy!
Cyborg Girl (product link) Romance / Science Fiction For me, this movie had all the marks of being a top notch film, up until the end. It had a delicate balance of sci-fi, action, romance, and comedy that is really rare in this kind of genre-mixing film. The ending, however, tried to be too clever with all the time travelling in order to have something like a happy ending. I give them points for trying to establish plot twists, but...
Also, the film has, ah, borrowed quite a lot from the "Terminator" movies. Maybe a bit too much to call an homage.
Flaws aside, it was still a very fun movie. I don't often watch romantic movies, but this one was touching without being saccharine.
The 18 Bronzemen (product link) Martial Arts / Historical This classic is a lot better than I remember from seeing it in my youth. The training scenes are very good, there are a couple of nice plot twists near the end, and the fights hold up pretty well. The bronzemen themselves seem a little silly, but they can be overlooked. A good solid old school fu flick!
Chinese Odyssey 2002 (product link) Comedy / Historical This odd action romantic comedy has always had a special place in my heart. It involves cross dressing-crossed starred love, a bit of kung fu, and a nice soundtrack. Okay, I am a huge Wong Fei (Faye Wong) fan, so I love the movie for her having a decent starring role for a change. It is a quirky feel good sort of movie, which a lot of Hong Kong films attempt to be but usually fail at.
The Skyhawk (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I gave this movie 4 stars not because of the production values (2 stars), the plot (maybe 3 stars), but because it is one of the few examples of Kwan Tak-Hing you can find outside of Hong Kong (off the star chart). Kwan is a god to the kung fu community and Hong Kong film industry, but until we can get our paws on the old black and white Wong Fei-Hung series, this is one of a handful of movies we can watch over and over again.
Kwan, even at the advanced age he was when he made this movie, represented the best in kung fu film tradtion: morality, tradition, and unhinged martial skill. It is also good to see young, buff Carter Wong in one of his better roles. Decent fight scenes, though I would have liked to see more of the training scenes with Kwan beating up Wong and Sammo Hung.
Executioners From Shaolin (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure A necessary addition to any Shaw collection. Chen Kuan-Tai gives his usual solid performance with decent tiger style fight scenes. Gordon Liu Chia-Hui has a cameo with the MANLIEST death scene in Shaw history! The actor playing Hong Wei-Ding is annoying and way too effeminate to be taken seriously, but we can overlook him. This is the film that stuck Lo Lieh playing Pai Mei (Pak Mei) the White Browed priest for more than one movie.
Legendary Weapons Of China (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I have mixed feelings about this movie. The first two thirds are a write off, a combination of dreadful "humor" and uninspiring plot; but the last the last third is unhinged kung fu. Liu Jialiang gives his usual spectacular display, with a solid cast of fighting co-stars. I just wish the whole film was like that, not just the latter part.
The Magnificent Butcher (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Though featuring Kwan Tak-Hing and boasting some truly great fight scenes, this movie gets burdened down by slapstick "comedy." I appreciate any chance to see the mighty Kwan in action, but I have to fast forward to the action to avoid grinding my teeth to powder. "Dreadnaught" was superior!
Shaolin Mantis (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure David Chiang's finest hour. He was always more of an actor and stuntman than a kung fu man, but he gives it his all in this one. The fight scenes are great (especially the weapon scenes!!!), and Lily Li is a nice saucy romantic interest, but the plot slows way down after the introduction. Halfway through it gathers steam and goes full speed ahead towards the bloody eviscerating finale!
The Lady Assassin (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I usually go more for meat and potatoes kung fu movies, but this sword epic made me sit up and take notice with a decent plot and very tight fight scenes. It didn't surprise me at all to find out this was directed by Liu Jia-Liang, of more standard kung fu movie fame. One of the best wu xia movies Shaw produced in my opinion.
My Young Auntie (product link) Martial Arts / Comedy Any film with Hui Ying-Hong is worth watching, and this is one of her shining moments. There is good and effective comedy and comedy that is painful to watch here, but enough fight scenes to make up for it. Liu Jia-Liang does his usual spectacular job of making the rest of us Hung Gar men look slow, and his fight with Wang Long-Wei is worth watching again and again and again...
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I love your reviews, and I totally agree that Kara Hui is a stunner--as well as my favorite female onscreen martial artist.
Shaolin Martial Arts (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure The only surprise here is that after training like madmen, the first couple of Shaolin men who set out for revenge get creamed. Aside from that, the plot is standard with the usual trimmings. Wang Long-Wei as always is a pleasure to watch as the ultimate bad guy, and the guandao form scene in the beginning was great. Nothing new, but lots of action and training.
Master Fighters Of Classic Kung Fu [3-Disc Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This three disc set is a mixed bag, but still worth a look!
"Green Dragon Inn" has surprisingly good fight scenes for a non-Shaw Brothers film of its time. Usually the swordplay is very general and secondary to the plot, but this one had some surprisingly subtle choreography as well as some quite pretty brutal violence!
"Buddha Assassinator" is a good meat-and-potatoes kung fu flick. The fight choreography is above average and the plot is watchable, even with the limp attempts at comedy.
The only reason I didn't give the set 5 stars is the "Bloody Mill Fight", which was high on plot, but low on fight scenes. The scenes are okay, but wading through the storyline to get to them is trying on the patience.
Shaolin And Wu Tang (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure For a non-Shaw flick, this one does a great job of keeping up the standards for a kung fu movie! Great action, interesting plot, not too much comedy, and decent training scenes. A solid meat-and-potatoes fu movie.
Godzilla: Final Wars (product link) Science Fiction / Thriller I love Godzilla movies. I love the old ones for the cheese factor, and the later generations for the combinations of better rampages and pretentious human acting. I was sad to see the end of the series, but this was a suitable end to the era. Crammed full of Godzilla mayhem, excellent effects for a G-film, and a human side story that didn't put me to sleep, it was also full of subtle nods of the head to a wide swath of pop culture from Streetfighter to soccer games. High entertainment as the big G walks off into the sunset for (possibly) the last time.
Shaolin Challenges Ninja (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure A classic. One of the only Shaws where I actually think the comedy is funny, and the comic situations not totally absurd. The fighting is mostly top shelf, no one dies and yet it is still unhunged!
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