The Magnificent Ruffians (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Another Five Venoms showcase that doesn't get started until the third act. And it's the third act that delivers a plot twist that catapults the film to another level.
Great performances by the best physique (next to Bruce, of course) in kung fu cinema: Lo Meng and the villainous Lu Feng. The kung fu techniques are nothing spectacular, however all the Venoms are skilled martial artists.
This film, although not one of the greatest, is still one for the collection for the true HK flix fanatic.
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Not my favorite Venom film but still a good effort from the Venom gang.
36 reasons why I didn't like the film "The 36 Deadly Styles":
First, the opening sequence was way too long and boring. Second, there were countless scenes that had no real meaning. Fourth, the [Mei Ah] subtitles should have been proofread.
Fifth, regarding fight scenes, most seemed to be inserted just to add action to the film with no real build-up.
However, one good note about the action in the film was the training sequences that showed the leads practicing martial arts forms and techniques.
The sixth reason I didn't care for this film was the comical hair and make up. Bolo ("Enter the Dragon", "Bloodsport") in a red weave?!! Need I say more?!
Reasons 7 through 36 are that the film had no coherency whatsoever, and failed to deliver on at least 30 more reasons, even with some notable character actors like Hwang Jang Lee. Hate to say it, but you can skip this one.
WOW!! From the moment I saw the trailer for "Black Belt" (or "Kuro-Obi", which I like saying by the way), I knew I was in for something special! The first 15 minutes alone stopped me in my tracks and compelled me to sit back and enjoy this work of art!
"Kuro-Obi" works on all fronts: story, script, cinematography, cast and especially the martial arts. Leads Akihito Yagi (Int'l. Meibukai Goju Ryu Karate Instructor) and Tatsuya Naka (Japan Karate Association General HQ (Corp) Instructor) surprisingly give acting and film fighting performances rarely found in one thespian. Once I saw their martial techniques, I knew I was looking at truly skilled martial artists.
Regarding the action, you won't find the highly dance-like Peking opera style of choreography like Hong Kong films, or the MTV style quick editing most US films use (to hide under trained stuntmen), but what you will find is very realistic fight scenes that are very entertaining!
"Kuro-Obi" is a great film that presents a story of honor, loyalty and how we must cope in a world of good and evil. Definitely a must-have for any fan of martial arts and/or film, period! Buy it, share it!
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I knew these performers could do the moves, but they're very affecting actors, too.
Fearless Dragon (product link) Martial Arts / Comedy Cast is everything when marketing a film. That's probably why I even gave this sub-par film a look. With the likes of Leung Kar Yan, Phillip Ko Fei and Wang Lung Wei, I thought this must be halfway decent!
Boy, was I wrong! Cast can only take you so far. With a story that lacks substance and silly comedic scenes, your best bet is to fast-forward to the end fight, which is at least entertaining, mainly because of the talents of the cast. Check it out only if you've seen everything else.
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I agree, this should have been much better considering the cast. They should have kept this one serious and skipped the comedy.
The Fists Of Righteous Harmony (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Fists Of Righteous Harmony" is a great indie film that centers around a group of masked crime fighters who battle evil forces with martial arts and psychic powers.
Along with the great story is a riveting soundtrack/score by George Shaw that adds a level of suspense that compliments the film with dynamic impact. A very entertaining film!
Immortal [2008] (product link) Martial Arts / Thriller Well I have to admit I was a little reluctant to check out this indie film from the STUNT PEOPLE. If it wasn't for their films "Contour" and "Undercut", I might not have tried this one out.
They've (THE STUNT PEOPLE) done it again, produced a feature film that is fun and entertaining. Co-star Eric Jacobus is a hidden gem, and should be contending for leading man roles in Hollywood soon!
Now, I must say the production values aren't top Hollywood standard, however, this production team is up and coming. The story, dealing with immortality, good and evil, is sometimes hard to follow; however, it's paced good enough to keep you intrigued. But don't forget this film is about the martial arts and the action is top notch and entertaining. Great camerawork and choreography!
IMMORTAL is a fun alternative to mainstream action films and, if graded with a curve, is very enjoyable.
Dirty Ho (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Great technical kung fu footwork choreography, great acting by Gordon Liu. The plot and ending are a little questionable. Check it out for the kung fu and opening scene.
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Agreed! One of Gordon Liu's best acting performances.
I agree with your rating, but was probably less disturbed by the ending than you. Yes, it was abrupt, but not really unsupportable with the court intrigues of the day.
Films Of Stephen Chow [SE 3-Disc Set] (product link) Comedy / Drama This set gets 3 1/2 stars due to an incredible fight scene within a brothel, in the early minutes of one of the films in the set KING OF BEGGARS.
Chocolate [2008] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure
While viewing the movie, I couldn't help but think of how awesome it would have been to view this film in a theater with other kung fu cinema fans!
The action in this movie is the kind of action that makes you say, "Daamm!! Did you see that?!" I could vividly see the downtown movie theater exploding with excitement, with every action scene.
I have to admit the start was a little slow, but something keeps you glued. Maybe it's the anticipation or curiosity of seeing martial arts cinema's newest sensation, Jeeja Yanin, strut her stuff. Or maybe it was the track record of the filmmaking team that produced this film and Tony Jaa's two smash hits. Whatever the reason, this film captivates the viewer.
The fight choreography is innovative and exciting and long overdue! My only hope is that the stunt men didn't permanentely injure themselves. Stunt work should be realistic LOOKING, without get seriously injured. Safety should always be the priority for any filmmaker!
All in all, this is a very engaging film. Go get it!
Sorry but this movie is entirely too overpraised. While it is somewhat entertaining, watching one fight is the same as watching all of them. This movie is pretty darn tedious.
Death By Misadventure: The Curse Of The Dragon (product link) Documentary / Martial Arts As an avid Bruce Lee fan, I had to see this documentary. Naturally I was looking for some new tidbits that I hadn't discovered in my many years of admiration of my childhood hero.
The info in this below-par production (use a boom or a lapel mic next time) is hard to swallow. The doc reveals aspects of Lee's life that most fans don't want to hear. I don't know why the producers feel they have to expose very personal aspects of someone's life, especially after his death. No one is perfect!
If all the information in this film is true, so what! I don't think what Bruce did hurt anyone, and we all have our vices in life. Why is it so easy to bring someone down and so difficult to uplift our fellow man?
This film is only for the die hard Lee fan who has seen all or most documentaries on the greatest martial artist of all time.
Seven Swords (product link) Martial Arts / Swordplay/Sword(s) I gave this film 4 stars for effort. The film had moments of greatness, but failed to deliver the final blow that should have catapulted this film into martial arts cinema's hall of fame.
Great cinemantography, sets and costumes were a plus.
The Young Master (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure You can't go wrong with this Chan classic! Great story and characters, along with an all-star cast that includes Yuen Biao, Whong In Sik and Shek Kin, make this a must-see!
The end fight with Jackie vs. Whong In Sik is really something to witness. You will be ehausted just watching the Chan man in action. Definitely an early Jackie Chan classic!
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Among the most remarkable of Jackie Chan's physical efforts. Almost every take must have hurt.
Shaolin Master Killer (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Almost perfect! Captures the true essence of martial arts. Made Gordon Liu an international star!
A very good Stephen Chow film that showcases his athletic and comedic chops once again. Great fight choreography by the Yeun clan, great Yuen Cheung Yan, most notably the duel between Stephen Chow and David Lam Wai in the brothel, which is worth rewinding again again to capture its true greatness!
Engrossing plot about a spoiled, wealthy but illiterate martial artist who tries to capture the heart of a young lady by winning a competition that would award him the title of KUNG FU SCHOLAR. Events end up casting him and his father out of their home and into the streets as beggars for eternity. Add in some plot twists and the two find themselves in an all-out war between the beggars and corrupt officals.
This movie is definitely worth checking out. However, I would have liked to have seen more of the great hand-to-hand kung fu battles that Cheung Yan and his team constructed in some of the earlier scenes. Also, some of the wire work and speeding up of the film didn't work for me.
Cinema Of Vengeance (product link) Documentary / Martial Arts Well made doc on the Hong Kong film industry. Rare shots of the Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest Studios which were the two main studios from the genre's heyday.
Also, great behind the scene and historical clips and interviews from Hong Kong cinema's hall of fame superstars. Great for the serious fan!
Stephen Chow plays a student of kung fu, living on an island near Hong Kong, who would rather play snooker than practice his martial arts. Once his con man Uncle (played by the legendary Leung Kar Yan) finds out his nephew has useful skills, he convinces his kung fu teaching brother to let his nephew join him in the big city of Hong Kong to make it rich and famous.
The unscrupulous uncle quickly tricks his naive nephew into playing snooker, for money, even though the nephew has sworn to his father that he would not gamble in the big city. The uncle soon finds himself behind the 8 ball when he must mislead his brother into gambling the family land on the island to secure a life changing wager.
The wager: Lung (Chow) must defeat real life snooker champion Jimmmy White in a snooker competition, in order to save the family land.
In between the snooker action, which is quite entertaining, Chow is his usual humorous self, revealing that he has narcolepsy and falls asleep at the most inappropriate times. Stephen Chow is a master at physical comedy.
Don't expect too much martial arts in this one. It's all about the comedy and snooker. There are a few fight scences choreographed by Corey Yuen Kwai and Yuen Wah in various parts of the film. However, they are very short in length and lack a little imagination.
Chow, being a Bruce Lee super fan, references Bruce a few times in the film, when Yuen Wah's character informs us that he worked as a stunt double on Mr. Lee's films.
Look out for brief cameos by Amy Yip and Lee Hoi San, to round out the cast.
To sum it all up LEGEND OF THE DRAGON is an okay film that shows Stephen Chow's upcoming comedy greatness that would soon be arriving in the likes of SHAOLIN SOCCER and KUNG FU HUSTLE.
For several years I overlooked this film because of the movie stills and lobby cards I saw in magagzines and at local Asian movie theaters back in the day. The photos seemed to show a film that was geared more for Asian audiences (which is probably true) than the typical US martial arts movie fan. Since I'm not the typical US martial arts fan, I had to see for myself.
Lau Kar-Leung has done it again! The fun and creative story was a nice change from the mediocre revenge stories usually produced by Hong Kong film companies.
The story centers around the star of the show, Kara Hui Ying-Hung (YOUNG AUNTIE), who must marry her dying sifu in order to keep his inhertiance and estate from the sifu's evil brother, played by the reliable Wang Lung-Wei. The safest way to keep the inheritance out of the evil brother's hands and stay alive is to deliver the sifu's last will and testament to one of his kung fu practicing nephews (Lau Kar-Leung) in Canton. Sounds pretty easy, until the nephew's son (played by the energetic Hsiao Ho) can't come to grips with his youthful great AUNTIE's prescence and spends most of the film devising pranks and challenges to show her who's boss.
Once the silliness concludes, the REAL kung fu starts! With the action direction of Lau Kar-Leung, with the help of Ching Chu and Hsiao Ho, YOUNG AUNTIE explodes with some fantastic martial arts choreography. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it, Lau Kar-Leung has done more to promote true martial arts in film than any other film star except Bruce Lee.
Add in great performances by Tong Wai Shing, Yung Moon, and a cameo from Gordon Lui Chia-Hui and the silliness in act two was somewhat tolerable. I also enjoyed the film opening Hung Fist form by Lau Kar Leung.
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the fights were great but i hate lar kar leung's crappy comedy.
Ron Van Clief Collection [2-Disc Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Too bad the production values on these two films--"The Death Of Bruce Lee" and "Way Of The Black Dragon"--were so poor. The only good thing about either of the films are the talents of master Van Clief.
Good martial arts technique by master Van Clief, bad movie otherwise. Only for the nostalgia buff or hardcore kung fu cinema junkie, like myself. I give the three stars to "The Death Of Bruce Lee" ("Black Dragon's Revenge"), zero stars to "The Way Of The Dragon". Almost forgot, there is some behind the scenes footage and film commentary that will interest the old school kung fu and blaxsploitation film buff.
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Mr. Van Clief could have shone with better production values (and scripts, too, really.)
The Magnificent Butcher (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Come ooon now! As for fight choreography goes, how can you not rank "Magnificent Butcher" as one of the all time great kung fu films ever made? The cast alone should convince you that the film is one for the history books.
The script is somewhat basic, but the performances are extraordinary! Sammo, Yuen Biao, Lee Hoi-San, Lam Ching Ying, Chiang Kam, Kwan Tak Hing, Fan Mei Sheng, Fung Hak On, Wai Pak, Chung Fat and Yuen Mao all turn in some of the best work. Add in the direction and action direction of genuis Yuen Wo Ping and you have a bona fide masterpiece!!
The DVD cover convinced me to check out this Shaw Brothers 1979 hidden gem. As a fan of Hong Kong cinema since the early 70's, I thought I had seen or at least heard about all of Shaw's classics,but this one was not on the list. I'm glad I took the risk and bought this must-have for the collection!
The movie centers around three martial arts students and their master seeking revenge on a mysterious and very angry kung fu villian, played by Kwan Feng, who enjoys challenging and humiliating local kung fu masters.
The story gets interesting when the three students run away from their sifu after he loses face in a defeat to this traveling master of disaster. The students run away to learn better fighting skills in order to take revenge for their embarrased teacher.
The students eventually find masters to teach them various kung fu skills and now it's revenge time.
Hats off to action director Hsu Hsia and the always flawless Hau Chiu Sing. "Five Superfighters" is a very entertaing kung fu film.
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It could have used more budget, but there's nothing wrong with the action. It's a good film.
Undercut (product link) Martial Arts / Comedy Filmmaker Stephen Reedy delivers an exciting action film that rivals most Hollywood martial arts films in recent history!
Fun and entertaining, UNDERCUT will keep you ready to hit the back button on your DVD remote several times wondering how they did that with out killing each other.
Hats go off to the entire STUNT PEOPLE team. Hollywood take notice!
Contour (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure The STUNT PEOPLE are the most under-rated action stuntmen/stars currently in the movie business! CONTOUR, even with its limited budget, ranks as one of the best choregraphed action films in years!
For a low budget indie film, CONTOUR delivers on all accounts, as a very entertaining and fun film with interesting characters and great martial arts action.
Kudos go to the entire cast and crew, most notably writer/director Eric Jacobus and cinematographer Stephen Reedy.
These guys have skills. Get this DVD for your collection!
The Stunt Woman (product link) Drama / Martial Arts "Stunt Woman" (aka "Ah Kam") quickly tells us, by the opening music track and scenes, that this film is a behind the scenes look at Hong Kong moviemaking. The film, starring Michelle Yeoh and Sammo Hung, is a gritty, realistic examination of the life of stunt men and women in the Hong Kong film industry.
The film is short on action sequences, even though Tony Ching is in charge of the fight choreography. Due to an injury to Michelle Yeoh during filming, director Ann Hui had to adjust the script a bit, and I believe it hurt the flow of the film. This film is only for the true Hong Kong cinema junkie.
Drunken Master (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Drunken Master" stars Jackie Chan as a young Wong Fei Hung who, as a troublemaking youth, is taught a lesson for starting a fight in the local town by his martial arts master father. The lesson is to learn an obscure form of drunken kung fu from master So, played by the legendary Simon Yuen.
The team behind "Drunken Master" is like a who's who in kung fu cinema. First you have Yuen Wo Ping as the director/action director; assisting in the action directing is Hsu Hsia and Corey Yuen Kwai; add in the fantastic kicking ability of super bad guy Hwang Jang Lee and you a have a well produced Ng See Yuen classic.
Dreadnaught (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Don't hesitate on this one! You have the Yuen clan directing the action and Yuen Wo Ping himself directing th entire project.
The all-star cast of Yuen Biao, Leung Kar Yan, Kwan Tak Hing, Phillip Ko Fei and Yuen Shun Yee are at their flawless best. Some of the best Peking Oprea style kung fu on film. Give a golden horse to Yuen Shun Yee as the psychotic White Tiger--the ruthless villian.
Good plot, great characters and an end fight that shouldn't be missed!
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i def agree with you though i would give it 4 stars still it's a good entertaing fu movie.
Ten Tigers From Kwangtung (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Ten Tigers of Kwang Tung" starts out like many films Chang Cheh churned out in the 70's and early 80's: basic hand-to-hand and weapon combat with one or two fatal fights thrown in to move the plot along. It's not until the third and final act that the action really makes you wake up and pay attention.
While watching this film, I almost gave up on this old school Shaw Brothers offering because of the cookie-cutter first half.
I'm glad I stuck with it! Chang Cheh and his group of action directors really came through with an action packed second half full of great hand-to-hand and weapon duels. Kudos go to Wong Lik and Chan Shu Kei as well-cast villains with great skills.
I recommend this film because of the all-star cast and the awesome ending fight sequences. A must for the genre collector.
Fearless [2006] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure
2005's BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR! This is filmmaking at its best!
Props go to writers Chris Chow and Christine To for a heartwarming and entertaining story showcasing the true meaning of martial arts. Jet Li said that this film mirrors his philosophy in life very closley-maybe he added some of the dialogue also. In any case FEARLESS is a great film that takes you on an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish.
The martial art techniques in the film, however, are your standard Yuen Wo Ping flavor (which is always good ) we have all seen before. One of my favorite martial arts scences was a fantastically filmed chi kung empty hand set, performed by the very underrated Collin Chou.
I definitely recommend the Hong Kong Director's cut version to any version available, to experience this superbly directed Ronny Yu film.
I also enjoyed the locations, costumes and set decoration. Overall a well produced film of any genre! The academy missed one again.
P.S. Did I mention I really like this film! I think I have made my point. PEACE!!
The Master Strikes (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Hey! Where did my movie go? That's how I felt after viewing this film most recently. If not for the superb kicking skills of Casanova Wong, the film would have been a total waste.
Casanova stole the show with his surprisingly good acting and martial arts skills. Playing an emotionally disturbed transporter of valuable goods, Casanova was tricked into thinking he had failed his important mission. So distraught Casanovas character spends most of the movie in a daze wondering why and how he failed his mission.
Even though his character was not all there he could still execute great kicks and punches when provoked. After that the movie was incomprehensible with little or no plot and before you know it, the final fight scene is ready to take place.
Performances by Yen Shi Kwan and Meng Yeun Man seemed dialed in and sub-par at best. Give the three stars to Casanova Wong!
Lady Kung Fu (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Lady Kung Fu" (aka "Hapkido") has an all-star cast: Mao Ying, Kam Bo, Jin Han Jae, and Wang In Sik, among others. However the story and sets are very similar to Bruce Lee's "Chinese Connection" ("Fist Of Fury"). In retrospect, it was very entertaining to see Sammo and Jackie (stunts) as young men early in their careers. Also, Mao Ying did an above average job headlining this movie. Regarding the story, it's the basic Chinese against Japanese revenge plot, with the twist being the Chinese heroes protecting the honor of the Korean art of Hapkido.
Speaking of Hapkido, watching the masters of this spectacular and deadly art, Jin Han Jae and Wang In Sik, was a very special treat. Once they strut their stuff on screen, one can see right away the difference between true martial artists vs. Chinese opera-trained screen fighters. No offense, Sammo and Jackie.
Once Upon A Time In China Trilogy [UK SE 3-Disc Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Once Upon A Time In China" is a genre classic! It literally started the new wave of the kung fu period film. Jet Li is at his best and Yen She Kwan is one of the most underrated cinema fighters ever! His night time battle with Yuen Cheung Yan is one that must be viewed a second time to really absorb the artistry.
Regarding OUATIC II And III, as they say it is never as good as the first time. However, OUATIC II has Donnie Yen and Jet battling it out with Chinese staffs, and part III has great locations from Mainland China, interesting camerawork, and lion dancing!
All and all this set will please any true martial arts movie fan.
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#1 is among my favorites; #2 & 3 are a little bit less, but they have much to recommend them. Jet Li broke both legs (I think in the ladders battle) making #1 - but any doubling or trickery is invisible.
Sun Dragon (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I really wanted to give this film 5 stars, but I could not stop laughing at the ridiculous dubbing on this movie.
And if it wasn't for the fine choreography by action director Leung Siu Chung and the great performances of the stars Billy Chong and the underrated Carl Scott, this film would probably be found at your local supermarket bargin bin. But, with the addition of some interesting and sometimes hilarious villains, this typical revenge story keeps rolling right along. Great fight and training sequences throughout. Only for kung fu film fanatics!
Bruce Lee 30th Anniversary Commemorative Box Set [6-Disc Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure A trip down memory lane! Of course you get all of Bruce's films (except "Enter The Dragon"), plus rare trailers from the 70's! Great behind the scenes info and interviews from people like Bruce's siblings and Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen. A must have for any genre fan!
Five Fingers Of Death (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I have to give this film five stars first and formost because of its historical significance. This is the film that started it all, in the US. Before Fist of Fury, Snake and the Eagles Shadow and Jet Li's Shaolin Temple, there was Five Fingers of Death.
Like most old school films of the 70's you have to view this film with a curve, due to the fact that is almost 40 years old. The martial arts techniques are pretty basic compared to films from the 80's on, even though the legendary Lau Kar Wing was the action director.
Five Fingers of Death is a classic revenge story, that really has a great supporting cast such as a young Bolo from Enter the Dragon among others.
You can not call yourself a kung fu/martial arts movie fan without this film in your libary.
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I call myself a kung fu/martial arts movie fan. It's one of the first HK martial arts films I saw long ago: While I liked it then, it shines brighter now that I know the genre better. Lo Lieh is a great protagonist.
yes i totally agree with your review this is without doubt one of my favorite lo lieh films.and your right every self respected fan of kung fu films should have this shaw brothers classic sitting on there shelf.
Martial Arts Of Shaolin (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure What do you get when you team a young and super-energetic Jet Li with the legendary Lau Kar Leung? You get a fantastic, poetry in motion martial arts film! Add the beautiful landscape of Mainland China and you get a visually stunning gem of a movie!
I have to give props to the remaining "Shaolin Temple" movie's supporting cast also, for great forms and fight choreography in this Hong Kong/Mainland China callboration.
Some of the camera angles showed that Shaw Brothers and Lau Kar Leung were at the helm of this genre classic. However, the story could have been told with a liitle more depth, extending the short 89 minute runtime.
All in all this film is beautiful to watch and shows skilled wu shu practictioners in their prime.
Drunken Tai Chi (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure If the filmmakers had more money to work with on this production, I think this film would have been a five star movie. Take away a few stars for production values. Other than that, great story and great martial arts choreography by the great Yuen Wo Ping and company. Donnie Yen delivers Tai Chi moves with fantastic flare!
I agree. The merits of this movie go unsung. I like the idea of drunken tai chi. I'd like to see this style against a style like Muay Thai (i.e. Donnie Yen vs. Tony Jaa).
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