Review: In a shocking change in style from the first two entries in the film series, RUSH HOUR 3 finds director Brett Ratner and stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker engaged in a complex study of cross-cultural relationships, examining detective work in a post 9/11 globalised world, amid a labyrinthine plot that works on several thematic and symbolic levels.

Of course, I'm lying.

If you've seen either of the previous RUSH HOUR films, you should know the drill -

Cue: the fish-out-of-water scenario - this time Carter and Lee find themselves 'out of their depth' in France.

Cue: the racial stereotyping. At least in the RUSH HOUR films everyone is a target (equal opportunities racism?) but it's also surprisingly, and refreshingly, un-P.C.

Cue: the Asian bad guys (but include an upper class white man to distract from any sense of blanket stereotypes).

Cue: whiny wisecracks from Tucker and a slightly confused look from Jackie Chan.

Cue: the excellent score from Lalo Schifrin.

Then we're good to go.

It's been six years since Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker were last partnered up in RUSH HOUR 2. The latest film in the series kicks off with some singing and dancing from Tucker and it's clear from the outset that there's going to be a reliance on plenty of jokes from the first two films. The idea seems to be that if you found it funny the first time, you'll think it's funny again. This only works to a point – it's a bit hit and miss. The success of the film depends wholly on the familiarity of the two leads doing exactly the same things that they've done before.

This time around Carter and Lee manage to find themselves in France - although the plot and locations of the RUSH HOUR 3 are almost unimportant and are only really there to provide a link between comedy and / or action set-pieces. This works two ways – while it might seem like lazy filmmaking and writing, there's still something quite pleasing about being able to see the jokes before they arrive. RUSH HOUR 3 has its fair share of gags that fall flat (Carter posing as designer 'Bubbles' is a non-starter), but also a decent bunch that no matter how obvious they seem, how old they are or how heavy handedly they're delivered will still have you laughing along with them. While there's no truly 'inspired' moments in RUSH HOUR 3's script – the closest they come is a scene with a bilingual nun – there's also a few moments that are genuinely good quality. The best example of this is the appearance of George the taxi driver. Allaying fears that the Paris setting would just be an excuse for a lot of cheap 'French' gags (which there still are – part of Carter's chat up schtick involves the line 'I wanna shave your armpits'), it's good to see that George throws a lot of American stereotypes back at them. And it works very well.

The cast of RUSH HOUR 3 is certainly stronger than it needs to be and while maybe this adds to some of the appeal - seeing top actors engaging in such silliness - it also feels a bit of a waste. Hiroyuki Sanada proves he can act anyone here off of the screen adding more credibility to his straightforward villain character with a simple sneer than anything in the script. It's just a shame that credibility isn't important here. Elsewhere, Max von Sydow looks a little uncomfortable and is underused, and there's a bizarre appearance from Roman Polanski that's neither funny nor necessary. In the lead roles Chris Tucker seems as happy and whiny as ever and tries to steam-roll every scene, but this doesn't work quite as well this third time around partly because Jackie Chan seems a little too serious and the chemistry is lacking. While there's nothing exactly to criticise about his performance, Jackie will never compete with Tucker verbally and his subdued appearance here sometimes has the effect of relegating him to the background.

Action-wise RUSH HOUR 3 is okay but also pretty lightweight. Previously the series has never provided more than only very average Chan action and that still proves to be the case here too. While a few brief fights are fun you also may get the distinct feeling of deja vu (Jackie rolls around the floor, he flips items over his head, he lifts himself off of the floor in a door frame) and even the finale at the Eiffel Tower (we're in France!) feels a little bit flat. There's a brief moment of above average excitement during a face-off between Jackie Chan and Hiroyuki Sanada, but it's a highlight that's over all too quickly. The action highlight instead appears quite early in the film as a car chase through the streets of Paris. It's slapstick, but it's amongst the more tightly paced scenes in the film.

RUSH HOUR 3 does exactly what you would expect it to do: more of the same. Whether this is a good or bad thing depends largely on your opinion of the first two films. If you hated them then RUSH HOUR 3 won't convert you and suddenly make you a fan. If you liked them then you'll probably find enough here to enjoy – although the formula is wearing so thin you can almost see the numbers. There's nothing here that we haven't seen several times before, but as far as mindless action comedies go - and as long as you enjoyed the earlier films - RUSH HOUR 3 is a still a pretty fun way to spend an hour and a half.

The Kalevala is Finland's epic poem, once part of the tradition of folk poems, it tells of the creation of the world and struggles between good and evil. One of its main characters is a heroic smith named Seppo, creator of a machine named the Sampo, a machine with the power to be the source of happiness. In Chinese mythology (according to 'JADE WARRIOR'), Nocktress had nine sons; the ninth, nameless, son is said to have stolen a machine called Sampo, a machine that could bring hell to earth.

Berg and Weckstrom believe they a significant discovery, related to the Sampo, deep in a marsh, clutched by the arms of a mummified man. When this object reacts to Kai's belongings, Berg takes it to him; an act that re-ignites an ancient conflict between good and evil, bringing Kai's destiny, and past, into his life. As the link between the past and present becomes stronger, the life of the warrior Sentai, who struggled against fate, the ninth son and his love for Pin Yu (Zhang Jing-Chu), collides with Kai's, as he attempts to craft the Sampo. Will it be the source of happiness or will it bring hell to earth?

REVIEW:
'JADE WARRIOR' is a strange kind of film. It is the kind of film that you read about then, after it drifts from your consciousness, something will click in your mind and you'll think; 'Did I really read about a director, who had combined a Finnish folklore saga with Chinese wu xia, or was it a surreal dream?' In this case, it wasn't a dream. Another such example would be Yuen Wo-Ping's 'SNOW AND THE SEVEN' which, according to IMdb, is "A re-telling of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" set in British colonial China, where Shaolin monks take in a refuge girl." The mind boggles...

Antti-Jussi Annila, the film's writer and director grew up in a small town near Helsinki, as a child he was fascinated by cinema and grew to love Hong Kong cinema, in particular, wu xia and kung-fu films. He wanted to be a ninja, when he grew up but, instead, he studied film, producing a dissertation on the construction of action sequences in Hong Kong film and even making several short films which reflected his passion for the genre. When Annila read about possible links between Finnish and Chinese mythology (thanks to the research of Castren) he decided that his next step would be to combine the two in a film. In 2001, he'd created ten minutes of 'MUNAVALA', which would become his show-reel and a useful tool when trying to secure funding to make a feature length production. Five years later, he finished 'JADE WARRIOR'.

So, exactly how well does ancient Finnish and Chinese legend combine with the story of a couple breaking up in modern day Helsinki? Surprisingly well...

From the start, I feel as if I should point out that this is not an action film, wu xia or otherwise; this is a fantasy-drama, with a couple of action sequences thrown in. If you're expecting the Finnish version of 'HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS', you'll be disappointed. Despite the director's love of the genre, he has only included touches of it, instead, fantasy and drama are at the forefront. The idea behind the narrative, that fate will catch up with those who try and escape it, is not particularly original, but its transposition to the Kalevala and China is and, thankfully, it works well. And, to these ends, Annila has done a good job in constructing a narrative which embraces the past of Sentai and Pin Yu, and the present of Kai and Ronja. The cyclical nature of fate is expressed through the narrative of these two sets of characters, both of whom are struggling to the same ends, battling internal and external forces.

The Finnish cast were completely unknown to me. Tommi Eronen puts in a great central performance, in the dual roles of Kai and Sentai, having spent months preparing for both his action sequences and the large amount of Mandarin dialogue, required for the scenes in China. As Sentai, he is a warrior, isolated from the world, waiting to fulfil his destiny, when he falls in love and finds himself straying from the road that has been mapped out for him: as Kai, he is heartbroken, isolated and lost, when fate catches up with him, pushing him back towards his destiny. The main support for Eronen comes from Markku Peltola and Krista Kosonem, a veteran and a newcomer respectively. Peltola is great as the Kalevala researcher, who becomes a Kai's spirit guide, and brings so much to every frame of the film he appears in. In her debut feature, Kosonem puts in an assured performance, as she struggles to leave Kai behind her. As for the Chinese cast, I'd forgotten that it was led by Zhang Jing-Chu, who you may recognise from Tsui Hark's 'SEVEN SWORDS' or the excellent 'PEACOCK', in which she was fabulous. Zhang is a rising star and turns her talents to the role of Pin Yu with ease, whether she's battling with her feelings, or with Sentai, her qualities are evident.

Complimenting Annila's direction and narrative, along with a great cast, are the film's visuals. The set design, be it Kai's forge or Pin Yu's village, is very impressive and packed with detail yet, somehow, both worlds sit comfortably together. The sets, along with the countryside of a snowy, northern Finland, Estonia (doubling for rural Finland) and China are captured with some quite beautiful cinematography, which is as frequently understated as it is slick. If that makes any sense? All of these elements are enhanced by some extremely well employed CGI, sure there's a couple a moments where its use is a little obvious, but they are countered with elements that I would never have thought were CGI, if they hadn't been pointed out on the commentary track.

And finally, to the action. Choreographed by Yu Yan Kai, who relocated to Sweden, having worked with Sammo Hung and Corey Yuen in his native China, is a nicely stylised take on wu xia and kung-fu. There are several choreographed sequences, all of which are different in style and tone; from a strange confrontation with saplings instead of swords, to a bar fight with some nifty chopstick usage, to a more conventional confrontation, which turns into a mating ritual and a final showdown, where sledgehammers are the weapon of choice. Yu, and the cast, do a fine job.

In summary, Annila et al have produced a very watchable, enjoyable film, which successfully blends drama and fantasy, utilising both European and Chinese aesthetics with great success. I, for one, am interested to see what Annilla does next; he closes his commentary by joking that he'll be back soon with his "ninja musical", I wouldn't be surprised...

Li and Lai Xi will finally meet, but agree to delay their final fight until Li finish his agreement to bring back to safety a caravan carrying a Buddhist monk. However to Li’s ignorance, the monk is secretly carrying a sacred and powerful pagoda that attracts the attention of a region’s ruthless overlord. Followed by his former friends soldiers, Li will face the cruelty of the desert, the region’s barbaric bandits and the brutality of the overlord’s men before he can finally face his ultimate fight with Lai Xi.

Review: The long and old Silk Road, there were always all kinds of people: merchant, foreigners, soldiers, and of course heroes. In a lot of Chinese legends, the west of China, the place forever covered by the sands, where the Silk Road passed by, was always where the knights appeared. This is where this story takes place, it happened in the strongest period of Chinese history—Tang, and the director He Ping used almost 20 years’ preparation to describe it.

There has been a lot of discussions in China about how people compared this movie with Hero directed by Zhang Yimou. Maybe it was because of their similar names in Chinese. I personally cannot see any strong similarity. These are two completely different movies: from the history background, the way they shot, the characters, the story type and whatever. If we must do some comparisons, that is: both movies tried to create big epic story, however Warriors at last forgot the creation of the characters; Hero’s story line was a bit pale, but at least all the characters were plentiful.

In fact, if someone watched the South-Korean movie Musa, they should find much more similarity. Both happened in the desert, both needed protect something to somewhere, both had enemies tracking them and both had a woman as the vase. A strange coincidence? Or an incredible similarity? However, I don’t think the director He Ping just wanted to make a copy, or else he wouldn’t have used 20 years to prepare his film.

If the first half of the movie is a Wu Xia type or 8th century’s police action type, the last half fall in the fantasy genre. Comparing to the ending of Musa, this movie’s ending gave us a lot of unbelievable elements. Seems it wanted to tell us that heroes are not born as heroes but in fact normal as everybody. However, one day they had good luck and God choose to help them, so they become heroes. Does this means that the heroes in Warriors of Heaven and Earth are not true hero but heroes for the situation? Did it want to proof the old Chinese word: “the heroic appears by the current situation”? What exactly are we were really forward to is not very clear as it seem that the director began to fell insufficiency of idea in the middle of the shooting.

This time, I won’t talk about Jiang Wen as there is no doubted about it, he’s an excellent actor. But how about Nakai Kiichi, the famous Japanese actor? I didn’t had chance to watch any of his movies before, except a TV series he played with Faye Wong several years ago. This time, he plays a Japanese emissary who is strong in appearance but soft in heart. He always wants to go home but can’t, so his missing become the words in his letters to his old mother. He always speaks Chinese with very strange accent, but every time he speaks, you can feel the power. He didn’t say a lot, but he is such a good player that you cannot neglect his existence.

Watching this movie, you will get some great surprises in the beginning, but also few disappointments when you reach the end. It’s not a perfect movie, but it is a beautiful movie that shows us the different scenery of the western China. As a Chinese recent commercial movie, Warrior of Heaven and Earth, is a fine example at what we can expect in quality for future Chinese movie.

Review: If you enjoyed the first EVIL DEAD TRAP, you must've asked yourself: a) why is the third part of that series still unreleased in any English-subbed format? and b) why are we, in the West, not seeing more of its director's stuff? Other than his pinku classic, ANGEL GUTS: RED PORNO, the rest of his opus remains woefully unknown. Well, here's one step towards getting to know Mr Ikeda's work.

Unfortunately, this two-part film is aimed at a different demographic than Ikeda's best work –namely, at the young adult crowd which may enjoy a mild spook or an ounce or two of gore once in a while, but is more comfortable with a sappy teen-romance-drama that's more reassuring than disturbing. This means that you should not expect Ikeda's trademark shocking visuals, elaborate gore or disturbing and perverted sexuality (minor traces of those are seen in an occasional tilted angle or filtered shot, an OK impalement, or a succubus-induced wet dream). What you get is, basically, a Japanese equivalent of a PG-13 horror aimed at teenagers, based on a manga which tries to ape the success of RINGU and JU-ON, but without the imagination, terror or dread of those films.

This is most obvious in the fact that the two male leads are real-life brothers, otherwise known as the pop-rock band 'Doggy Bag' (!?!): their sweet-looking faces and even sweeter excuse for pop 'music' are exploited to the max, thus revealing the true agenda behind the flick. If you came to SHADOW OF A WRAITH hoping to see what this whole thing about Japanese horror is all about, you may be slightly bored by being subjected to at least three full songs performed by the Doggy Bag, which serve no valid purpose within the film's storyline, but are there merely so that their female (and other) teen admirers can enjoy ogling the boy-band turned into movie-'stars'. To be honest, the boys are not too bad as actors, but that's mostly because they're not given much to deal with in the first place: as one-dimensional, ordinary teen characters they are doing just fine. They are joined by two sisters whose pretty faces may be more familiar to horror fans: the Miwa sisters acted together in JU-ON: THE CURSE, and appeared separately in MISA THE DARK ANGEL, UZUMAKI and CRAZY LIPS. They have a more physically demanding roles, but don't expect high drama here – nor any erotic exploitation either, considering the tame origin and purpose of this product.

Ikeda proves to be a pro by working bravely and honestly within the limitations of this production, and delivers precisely the kind of thing he was hired to: a watchable, decent, but ultimately generic ghost flick aimed at younger audience, with restrained gore and solid mild frights. It looks like a TV movie, with most of the shots resembling your ordinary TV flick, only occasionally reminding us that it's coming from the guy who delivered the slick, polished, over-stylized Argento-like EVIL DEAD TRAP. This is a fine choice for something to see with your girlfriend who does not particularly like strong horror, or at least with your younger brother if no girlfriend's around. If you prefer stronger stuff, you'd better pray that the third EVIL DEAD TRAP be released soon on a R1 DVD. After all, there's more than enough of American PG-13 horror: someone better import stuff that's lacking in the USA – really shocking and gory stuff that Ikeda is best at!

Review: The Chinese Vampire, or kyonsi was once a powerful force in HK cinema, and the success of the Mr Vampire movies and its various spin-offs and imitations produced some memorable horror flicks. Tragically, after China’s most famous vampire hunter Lam Ching Ying died, the genre seemed to die with him, never to be reincarnated. A few recent attempts have jumped out of the grave, but Vampire Hunters (2002) felt a little decomposed and Vampire Combat (2000) was just plain rotten.

As far as bringing the genre back to life, Shaolin Vs Evil Dead may just be the light at the end of the tunnel. It captures the soul of the Mr Vampire movies with some success, in part due to the involvement of Gordon Liu. The former Shaw Brothers star who also appeared in Tarantino’s Kill Bill steps into the dead man’s shoes, and seems to have modelled his performance on Lam Ching Ying’s. There’s something there in his mannerisms that reflects the great man, and assuming it’s on purpose, it’s a fitting tribute.

Shaolin Vs Evil Dead isn’t a straight up rehash of the original Kyonsi movies, though. Director Douglas Kung updates the formula with a few computer generated special effects. Some of the nicest CG out of Hong Kong has left movies like Legend of Zu and a Man Called Hero feeling a little shallow, but by using it sparingly, Kung has ensured there is still a heart beating in the movies chest . The effects aren’t going to challenge The Matrix, and you should expect something more akin to the better effects seen in TV shows, but nothing brings a game of ‘Phantom Chess’ alive like a giant CG scorpion.

Aside from Gordon Liu, the cast aren’t going to attract too much attention from a Western Audience. It’s nice to see ‘Story of Ricky’ star Louis Koo still has a career, and he makes a decent enough bad guy, but most won’t know who he is. The rest of the cast are relatively unknown names to those outside of HK, but for the most part, are an effective ensemble. This is billed as a horror comedy, but it’s ‘light hearted’ rather than ‘hilarious’, and the cast don’t really strain too hard to get laughs, though they are an amiable bunch.

There is one bad egg in the basket, though. ‘Egg Head’ is possible the most irritating character ever created. Child vampires have always been a staple of the genre and they’re always irritating, but Egg Head is in serious need of an exorcism. I know this is a young child actor, but when you only have to say one word over and over again, and you still can’t act, the it’s time to drag your ass back to drama school.

When all is said and done, this is a good movie, but there’s one major problem that leaves you with rigor mortis, and that’s the ending, or lack of one. Shaolin Vs Evil Dead is sometimes a slow boiler, but just as things finally start to get really exciting, the credits come out of nowhere! It seems that the director was so impressed by the two-part structure of Kill Bill that he went and copied it. Yes, it’s a cliff hanger ending, and we have to wait until part two comes out to find out what happens to our heroes. It makes a fair review of Shaolin Vs Evil Dead a little tricky. There is a trailer for the sequel during the end credits, which looks really promising, but then, that’s the idea of a trailer. Have I just reviewed the build-up to a spectacular main event or a three hour lecture on why the dead should stay dead?

Review: Offerings to the Wu Xia genre have been internationally publicized since the enormous global success of Ang Lee's CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGONback in 2000. Following in its footsteps were Zhang Yimou's Hero and HOUSE OF THE FLYING DAGGERS, each garnering global appeal from cinema-goers everywhere. The Promise is the latest film to get movie critics on each continent wet with excitement, but does it deliver the same strong, cinematic standard of its predecessors?

This CGI opus starts off more akin to a LORD OF THE RINGS film than those mentioned above, but then steadily evolves into an entity of its own. Comparatively it contains all the visual bravado of a Zhang Yimou epic, with stunning production design from Tim Yip just about dominating each shot. A gripe, however, was how the CGI tended to distract from this factor. A lot! It's a tool which works best to subliminally enhance the standard and quality of a movie, but this felt like a case of special effects-overkill; and sometimes scenes were spoiled by how false and engineered the CGI forced everything to look.

As far as direction goes, that's undecided. While there were a number of inventive shots, you couldn't help but get annoyed by the consistent manner in which the camera kept panning from one direction to another. It felt like in every other shot the camera was moving. The intention of this didn't seem entirely clear? Whether or not they were hoping it would keep a constant level of action, perhaps? But it didn't really work to that effect. Of the 121 minute running time, I'm pretty sure the camera spent all of 15 minutes static.

For all its faults, however, there's a little pot of gold over that horizon, because it was by no means a bad effort. The acting was suitable, and the trio of Jang Dong-Gun, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Cecilia Cheung worked really quite well off of one another. Their manage et trois gone-wrong became steadily more interesting as the film progressed, with all credit to them. And you can't neglect to mention Nicholas Tse whose character Wuhuan takes about 100 minutes to find his feet, but ends the film in good stead after spending the duration as your typically clichéd villain.

Another plus to take from THE PROMISE is the manner in which the story gets progressively better and better as you watch. You could find yourself struggling for the first 40 minutes, but then as things finally start to develop it will open out into an engrossing movie. That's not to say that this tale is flawless, there are quite a few clear dips in quality sprinkled throughout, but they're out-weighed by redeeming plot evolutions.

Chen Kaige hasn't delivered another HERO with THE PROMISE; as I said, this film isn't without its flaws. But if you were a fan of the former than it really wouldn't hurt you to give this one a try. It's a worthwhile experience if you have the persistence to see it through.

Review: NEIGHBOR NO. 13 is the kind of a movie that can be hurt by false expectations. It is marketed as a vengeance saga (after all – vengeance sells! Don't we all dream of one kind or another?). The DVD package presents it as an over-stylized action flick: you see two cool dudes, one of them sporting a bloodied samurai sword, and the dark blue wall behind them is splattered with blood. Oh, yeah! The fanboys are drooling already. Below the title, you see the magic words: 'director's cut'! (Japanese DVD) 'Aha', you think, 'so there was some other, censored cut? There must be plenty of gore and nudity to be cut from here!' On the back cover (Japanese DVD) you instantly recognize Takashi Miike scowling from a photo. 'Damn! Miike is in this too? This must be cool beyond words!' If you cannot read Japanese, the rest won't tell you much, since there is no English on this DVD cover, but then you go on the internet and find reviews that mention that it's based on a manga ('Hell yes!') and you also find all the talk about 'brutality', 'gore' and... yeah – 'nudity'! Your hand, with a will of its own, is already in your pockets, counting the cash.

Wait a minute.

First you must be warned of the following: I am not aware of there being any other cut of this film, but if anything *was* cut, it must be mere seconds, since there is not much explicit stuff here to begin with. The most 'shocking' thing you'll see is a close up of a big fat turd. The violence is mostly offscreen, or shot from a distance, while its aftermath –if shown at all- can be seen only in glimpses. Of course, that's a legitimate aesthetic decision – as long as you're aware of it, and do not expect something else. Something more Miike-like. Talking about whom – his cameo is the smallest 'blink-and-miss' cameo you'll ever see in your life: he is onscreen for the whole three seconds. And as for the nudity: no, the cute wife (Yumi Yoshimura) does not bare much more than a single shoulder. The only bare flesh you'll see here belongs to the boyish Shun Oguri: of course, this being an Asian film, you cannot expect full frontal (that's still a big No-no!), but you do get to see almost every other inch of his slim bod. If that's your thing – you've been warned.

OK, now that we've discussed the exploitation parts (or lack thereof), let's talk about art. After deciding that this is neither action nor horror film that the package might lead you to believe, how about drama? Is it a 'revenge saga' along the lines of Chanwook Park's vengeance trilogy? Well, not really. The revenge is utterly uninspired and takes the most predictable route. No ingenious and convoluted plans here. Nor is it emotionally searing in the way that Park's films inevitably are. Admittedly, there is some creepiness involving the bully's kid, but that's about it. (Of course, if you're on a strict diet of recent American fare, then you *will* be shocked by a lot that goes on here, but I assume that readers of this site are well versed in Asian cult cinema, and are therefore not easily shocked.) Our protagonist is reduced to a cipher and his 'struggle' with the double (the two of them fighting in a lonely cabin in the wasteland under gloomy skies) is shown in stylized imagery where visuals from the director's commercials creep in. Unfortunately, none of that makes the drama any deeper or more layered – just prettier, especially in contrast with the drab, claustrophobic environment of the tenement building which takes the bulk of the film.

The greatest fault with NEIGHBOR NO. 13, however, is its 'deliberate' pacing. The story is too simple and the characters too conventional to fill the two hours' running time, and the pace is too often too slow. Our debutant director shows signs of promise, especially in instances where he refuses to go the easy way and provide cheap thrills, but on the other hand, a story like this *requires* something more visceral – either in terms of imagery or emotions. The detached attitude (e.g over-reliance on long, wide shots, which place the characters and events in the distance) is not the way to go; when mixed with a really uneven, stop-and-go pace (with more stopping than going) and an utterly underwhelming ending, it all boils down to a solid, if overlong exercise in nothing special, although occasional flashes of quirkiness make it more palatable. The patient viewers will certainly find some rewards in this film, but the common viewer might not be predisposed to enjoy a too-simple story unnecesarily complicated and prolonged.

Review: SHOGUN'S SAMURAI can seem a bit overwhelming at first. As the rousing opening theme and credits come to a close, the narrator sets up the plot and whizzes through an exhaustive list of characters involved in backing one of the two heirs to the Shogunate. Though it looks like a Dramatis Personae from hell, once the narration ends Fukasaku's handling of the story and introductions to key characters flows perfectly and there are no problems in following the exciting blend of fiction and fact.

As Patrick Macias mentions in the [Adness] DVD's liner notes (a document you'll find to be much richer in the historical aspect of this film's creation than what little is touched upon in this review), SHOGUN'S SAMURAI was Kinji Fukasaku's first attempt at making a period film, only preceded by his 1972 TV series SURE DEATH!. The movie itself doesn't try to disguise its mixed history lesson. Strung together with could-have-beens and maybes, the narration proclaims in the end that what truly happened is not entirely known. This "What If?" script penned by Fukasaku along with Hiro Matsuda and Tatsuo Nogami puts interesting spins on what is known about this bit of history that has been told time and time again.

One big example of uncertainty is the tale of Yagyu Jubei (another character we have all doubtlessly seen before, whether it be in the anime NINJA SCROLL or films like SAMURAI REINCARNATION and the REBORN FROM HELL series) and the true fate of heirs Iemitsu and Tadanaga. Regardless of what may or may not have truly happened, the taste of what's brewing in Fukasaku's pipe is a sweet one.

Kinji Fukasaku's skill at drama and conspiracy shines in SHOGUN'S SAMURAI. Throw suits, guns, and a different dialect over everything else and you would have one of his finest yakuza movies, a genre that this Jidai Geki isn't far separated from. There's betrayal around every corner and an ever-developing sense that "something bigger" is really going on behind all of the disputing over the Shogun's heir. Aside from that correlation, which is a major result of all the in-house brewings and secrecy, this Fukasaku "joint" is just ridiculously epic. It's really important to watch the whole movie in one sitting, despite a few parts that some may find slow and consider taking a break on, the impact of the ending is inevitably dulled by consuming the film in smaller portions.

Action is crucial and the violence is never gratuitous. While it's not completely full of amazing swordplay, the battles in SHOGUN'S SAMURAI are spread out evenly and used to the maximum effect at focal points of particular moments of political conflict in the story. The intensity of the fights grows along with the scale as the movie progresses, and the final battles are brutal and heavily aided by some sporadic handheld camera action, really driving this home as a Fukasaku flick.

To say that the cast in this movie is astounding is an understatement. It's like a huge Japanese film nerd was given the ability to pick his dream cast and put them all in a rousing period epic. Sonny Chiba's first appearance in this film is just as you would expect it, revealing himself as the legendary Yagyu Jubei moments after cleanly lobbing a ninja's head off. It's a shame that Sonny Chiba is now more well-known in the US for his brief role in KILL BILL than anything else. For fans that have been living off of the cheapo sets like any of the hundred variations of STREET FIGHTER multi-packs or the more recent "Kill Chiba" movie collection, SHOGUN'S SAMURAI should be essential viewing. Add the fact that Tetsuro Tamba, Toshiro Mifune, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Kinnosuke Yorozuya front the star marquis and you have a deadly combination of legendary Japanese film figureheads.

Just watching the movie, you can imagine the Japanese trailer with endless strings of boastful slogans and enthusiastic selling points splattered across the screen. "A tough drama about strong people" is one set of characters actually strewn over the film during the trailer, and that sums up the movie, however general it might be. This plays into the fact that you can watch the movie without a "good guy" predetermined for you. While Iemitsu might seem the likely candidate for "evil", the true villains in the war for the Shogunate are those manipulating every facet of the struggle. The web of deceit is long, sticky, and strung in and out of characters to the point that you'll wonder what is or isn't a trap waiting to happen. Nobles, farmers, Samurai, Ronin, and more all play an equal part in deception and battle. There is a lot going on in the movie and it is all pretty damn fantastic.

SHOGUN'S SAMURAI is a long and rewarding watch. Period conspiracies make for a beefy viewing experience that everyone should enjoy to the fullest. There's no need to insert any "if you're a fan of…" lines to this recommendation. If you haven't seen it yet, watch it, period.

Review: SHOGUN'S SHADOW offers something not truly seen in many Swordsplay/Samurai films. The movie uses an anime-esque style in its approach to the film, making it a live action cartoon, and it suits it perfectly.

For the record, the connections to anime are numerous: thousands of arrows, an evil governing body, a fallen hero, a unique blend of mercenary heroes, and even the fighting styles. Surprisingly, all these elements are blended perfectly to create an excellent movie that pleasantly surprises and even separates itself from the majority of action movies out there.

But moving off the anime connections, one will quickly enjoy the fight scenes in Shogun’s Shadow. Although they may not be as impressive by today’s CGI-crazed standards, they truly are cool. Making it more impressive is that every one of the mercenaries has their own unique style that plays out well. So, when you find yourself watching a 20-30 minute stretch of nonstop fighting, you won’t be bored by a repeat blend of action. In fact, you’ll probably find each scene just as impressive and unique as the last.

Going along with the unique fighting, the characters in Shogun’s Shadow are exceptional and engaging. The only drawback is that some of the characters’ personalities are underdeveloped, but this was probably due to time constraints (and may have proved to be a bore if they were developed). Sure Ken Ogata and Sonny Chiba’s characters are pretty standard, but that doesn’t mean they still don’t kick-ass. And both actors do an impressive job of doing the little things to develop their emotions and actions.

By far though, the best character is the man with the staff. This silent character may be cheesy but he is reminiscent of the Ninja Turtle’s Michelangelo- which is a most enjoyable connection.

Speaking of connections to other films, one would swear that several American movies must have ripped off certain scenes from Shogun’s Shadow. Whether it’s a battle near a river that is reminiscent of something out of LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING , or an end scene that looks eerily similar to YOUNG GUNS or BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (ok Butch and Co came out before it, but the fact remains) one will see the similarities.

However, despite all its enjoyable aspects, there are a few problems that end up almost crippling it. In one tense part, SHOGUN'S SHADOW suddenly gains an 80’s style Japanese pop soundtrack, which instantly turns the nerve-racking scene into a laughable one. The music, while hilarious, destroys that scene completely- and you’ll be glad if no one walks in on you watching the movie at that point (yes it’s that bad).

The ending also drags on way too long- throwing in back story that could have served the story better in an earlier spot. The end scene also turns into this Springer-type of shouting match where the audience knows the result about 10 minutes before it actually occurs. Unfortunately, it all builds up to a poor ending that leaves a bitter taste in ones mouth.

Looking back though, SHOGUN'S SHADOW is a great film that turned out to be surprisingly clever. If you want an introduction to Sonny Chiba (although he is barely in it) this may be a good start. Or if you obsess over anime, this may be a good film to ease yourself into the world of live action cinema. Heck, if you like American Westerns, or crazy characters or even movies in general I would recommend this. It sports a great cast, an interesting plot, and has more than enough action scenes to keep you entertained.

Satomi decides to start her own investigation with the help of a strange psychic woman who may know the whereabouts of Satomi’s daughter. However, things will take a strange twist when two undercover FBI Agents involve her into a big political conspiracy in which visitors from another planet are trying to take over Japan.

Review: As the sequel to CRAZY LIPS, GORE FROM OTHER SPACE is another cinematic abnormality from Japanese director Hirohisa Sasaki. However, except for a few aspects such as the style, the actors and the crew, the sequel doesn’t really follow the first one. In other words, it is not necessary to have seen the first film in order understand the second one.

Just like CRAZY LIPS, the movie starts like any other ordinary Japanese horror film, but the aesthetics end up evolving into this weird comedy/cheap sci-fi hybrid. The main idea of the story may sound pretty believable and original on paper, but the execution on screen was not. The development with the Alien and the habitants is not very interesting and became overwhelmingly confusing.

Some of the actors appearing in the first movie also took part in this one. The strange psychic woman is there again but her assistant is this time absent as the actor now plays the role of the police inspector. The main actress who played the role of Satomi has also been replaced by a new one, unfortunately not as charming as the first one. Good points at least is that our favourite FBI agents are back and played by the same duo of actors and are by far the most memorable character of this second instalment.

A major difference between the first and second movie is that the second one had a different approach to the style. As explained by the writer Hiroshi Takahashi, the first one had a very serious script and director Hirohisa Sasaki shot the film as a comedy. The end result, not exactly on purpose, was a very entertaining black comedy. However, this time Takahashi decided to write the script as a comedy and asked the movie to be shot as serious as possible. The final product unfortunately didn’t ended up as interesting.

There are still some very wacky moments in the movie, such as a rather strange fight between a killer and the group of policemen or the ingenious idea Satomi finds to get inside the house where she thinks her daughter is kept. But since it was meant to be a comedy at first, the jokes are not always very funny and end up more awkward if anything.

Don’t get too thrilled about the sci-fi aspect of the movie either as it never goes beyond assuming things. We never witness any Alien or space ships. There are both in the film but Aliens have human appearances, a disguise of course and UFO’s only appear as bright lights. To think of it, that flying house was rather funny and interesting… Well, at least for a few seconds.

At least there were two things that were very enjoyable. First, the cameo of the famous Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, which is rather amusing if you know the man of course and also the surprisingly very elaborate kung fu fight scene near the end of the film. The fight, which was again choreographed by a Chinese team, involves a Chinese prisoner against a group of guards. The fight is very dynamic and looks like those 80’s Hong Kong action flicks.

In the end, this is unfortunately a very average flick. It’s worth a watch if you enjoyed Crazy Lips, but don’t get your expectation too high. If you never saw the first one, simply skip GORE FROM OTHER SPACE and try to catch CRAZY LIPS as it is a much more original and surprising film.

Review: Thanks to the success of RINGU, the demand for creepy Japanese films starring villainous girls with long black hair has been plentiful. But sadly, most of these movies are cheap rip-offs that have milked every little aspect of RINGU in lousy attempts at recreating the largely successful horror film. SHIKOKU is no exception. Someone has got to put a stop to this!

The word "shikoku" can mean one of two things, depending on the type of kanji used. The first being "four countries," and the second is "land of the dead." Very clever title indeed since it suits the story of the film to a tee.

SHIKOKU was based on a book written by Masako Bando. It should be noted that Bando had nothing to do with the screenplay and is probably embarrassed as hell that this film was ever made. What may have once been a good story has now become a piss-poor horror film of the ages. Don't let it tarnish the good man's name!

Director Shunichi Nagasaki (SOME KINDA LOVE) is a filmmaker that has never been apart of any reputable films, so it's kind of hard to go in with grand expectations. Just after the first five minutes, you can see how weak the film is going to be with the ghetto handheld camerawork and cheesy lighting that clearly displayed the fact that it was definitely amateur night.

It is really frustrating when you see a horror film that lacks the horror part. Understandably, audiences today are much harder to scare than fifty years ago, but at least put some effort into it. Come on! There was not a single character that I was rooting for, or wishing dead. It's unfortunate when you lack any and every emotion for all of the films participants, especially when the story is supposed to be one with deep content. SHIKOKU failed to create enough character and relationship development as well as the reason for conflict. The lack of these things doesn't mean that the film is hard to follow, because it's definitely not (it's pretty formulaic). Instead, we are left with is a hearty and overwhelming dose of boredom.

Obviously many people have the desire to see SHIKOKU because it stars Chiaki Kuriyama (KILL BILL, BATTLE ROYALE). But don't let this be the sole reason you seek out this one because she simply offers nothing to the movie. Her acting ability is below average, (which fits in nice with the rest of the cast since they have nothing special to offer either) and her character barely has any screen time in the film until the end, despite the fact that the whole film is based around her. Actually, it was a good thing that we didn't see much of her because she was quite irritating (seemed as if she suffered from mild retardation) and not even her supposed sex appeal could save her.

Yui Natsukawa (ONMYOJI) and Michitaka Tsutsui gave equally dull and awkward performances and had no chemistry whatsoever. Luckily Ren Osugi (UZUMAKI, HANA-BI) was there to save the day with his role as Hinako's father. But wait...oh that's right! He only had about 3 minutes of screen time with almost no dialogue. How could I forget?

With a weak cast backed by an even weaker crew, it was inevitable that SHIKOKU was going to suck. Rarely do I find a film this lifeless and intolerable. It may have been one of the most boring films ever made. There aren't any real positive aspects that come to mind, which is too bad because it would be only fair to touch upon those things as well. If a film (especially horror) has a weak story, at least make up for it with some kind of fun and entertainment, a good cast, something -- anything. It's easier to forgive and forget when you have something with which to work. But with these things in mind, if you choose to skip this one...you won't be missing out.

REVIEW:
I have never been a fan of drama movies; in fact the first thing that brought me to the Asian genre was action and kungfu movies. But since the last few months I decided to give a chance to Asian drama movies, maybe they also have something different from those US cliché movies that I love to hate so much. To my surprise I have been really impressed by Korean drama, I still hardly believe that some titles really touched me in a way that no movies have ever done. In my opinion those who really master the drama genre are the Koreans, with great movies such as Il Mare, Christmas in August and Failan just to name a few. I didn't have the chance to see a lot of Japanese drama, but I decided to give a chance to Aprils Story just to see if they can compete against the Koreans.

I remember a Japanese movie that I have seen a few years ago called "Swallowtail Butterfly", I was not really impressed by the movie but a lot of people that I know really loved it. I was really surprised when I saw that April Story was also directed by the same director: Shunji Iwai. But April Story and Swallow Tail are very different, even if both share a very beautiful cinematography, Swallowtail is a lot darker that Aprils Story which is a drama with some subtitle humor, about a young girl who tries to fit into her new situation. The story is very simple, believable and especially fun to follow. The only down side of the story is in my opinion the ending...I wanted more! It would have been great to know what will happen to the characters. The movie is also really short, about 1H5 min, but it stills a great story and even with the short ending I found it very enjoyable and heart cheerful.

The movie really focuses on only one character, which is Nireno, played marvelously by Takako Matsu. There's a great deal of development for that character and even if the movie doesn't give a lot of screen time to other secondary characters, we are never bored to watch that small girl trying so hard to fit into her new life. It's true that the character was not really original, stereotyped as the beautiful girl who is very shy and doesn't have a lot of friends. But I think that was a strong point of the character, in the sense that the story would not have worked the same way with a girl who would have had a strong attitude toward the life.

Expecting a typical drama, I was really surprised with the humor in the movie, it also ended up being my favorite aspect of the whole movie. But wait, don't expect April Story to be a comedy or you will miss the whole point; the humor is there to only create a balance between the dramatic and comedy aspect of the story. The humor is very light and subtle, in fact very simple and typical Japanese humor. The drama part was also very simple, but it was not the type of love story that tries every trick in the book to make you cry. Instead it developed on the theme that life can be sometime hard but great things can happen when you least expect it.

As much as it can surprise you with the great scenery or by his cheerful story, April Story is a really beautiful movie that has a lot to offer. Maybe those who cant live without bloody action will probably have a good sleep but if you are attracted by this kind of movie, be sure to not miss it.

THE DVD:
[Region Free] The Japanese release of April Story doesn't have English sub, but fortunately for us, a Korean distributor had the excellent idea to release this title with English subtitles. The image quality is an excellent anamorphic widescreen transfer and for the sound you also have a very good original DTS audio track. The English subtitles were of near perfect quality, as for the extra they consisted of a chapter selection, cast & crew section, synopsis, shoot pictures, video clips, music video, trailers and a TV commercial. This is another excellent Korean DVD release; I hope that in the future, Korean companies will release more Japanese movies on DVD, because at least their release has English subtitles.

6th grade student Riichi lives a tough life. Between the endless battles with a gang of local punks, and his less than functional home life, it is safe to say the poor kid got a raw deal. Despite his hand in life though, Riichi manages to make the best of things with the help of some thick skin, a few good friends, and a true sense of resilience.

Review: In an interview located on the Artsmagic DVD, Takashi Miike is translated as saying that Young Thugs – Nostalgia is his most favorite cinematic creation. When one takes into consideration the scope and intensity of Miike’s canon, it becomes easy to appreciate the true weight of that statement. Much like the director himself, those who follow Miike’s work undoubtedly have a personal favorite and a reason behind that decision. Whether it be Audition for its unsettling atmosphere, Ichi The Killer with its over the top characters and cartoon-like gore, or any of the dozens of other films that comprise the man’s filmography; if you like his style you more than likely have a favorite that strikes a chord with you, for better or for worse.

After seeing Young Thugs – Nostalgia (the second in the series, though not directly related to the first), I find myself evaluating my own personal Miike favorite, and coming up with a very similar answer. It is rare to see a V-Cinema production (Japanese straight-to-video) with so much heart, especially one of Miike’s. That is not to say that any of Miike’s films lack passion, quite the contrary in fact, but often it seems that style or circumstance overtakes that necessary aspect of character development, leaving a slight void which only manages to hinder the overall product. On the other hand, we find in this particular production just what happens when the plot does not lend itself to excessive expressions of style. The characters can take a minute to breath and the result is rewarding, and particularly in Miike’s case, refreshing.

Now for those who revel in Miike’s typical insanity, fear not. While there is not the overabundance of something like Dead or Alive, there still exists a strange quirk at times that shows all the distinguishing marks of its maker. Naoto Takenaka in particular shows us his Miike alumni roots as he manages to be both the bastard and the charmer all at once. As useless as he is crazy, this street-punk-turned-father manages to beat his wife, son, and his son’s teacher all within a few seconds, only to wrap the scene by having an unforgettable altercation with a broomstick.

Another slight calamity that often befalls Miike’s earlier works is that of the cinematography of the film reflecting the budget. While Young Thugs – Nostalgia is not exactly the type of film that would require a slick look, it still manages to have been photographed in a clean yet artistically sound way that complements the story perfectly.

As for the premise, there is not much that can be said without running the risk of overcomplicating what most of us know as the family unit. Riichi’s a young boy who lives with a comically strange grandfather, an overstressed and terribly underappreciated mother, and a father who does not seem to realize the typical obligations that usually come with being a human being, much less a husband and a parent. Riichi manages to cope with his home life without turning the plot into a pity party, and the rest is just life. Most of us live it to some degree or another and it is this common thread that the average viewer will connect with and relate to.

Review: Japan has a long tradition of stories about boys who refuse to grow up as well as of those about artificial 'boys' unable to fit in their society. With the technological development of this nation, SF was used more and more to express some burning contemporary issues, and so story about Pinocchio was merged with sci-fi motif of the robot, thus making the classic story for kids (written by an Italian author) into a very Japanese, very adult motif – a cultural archetype which obviously resonates with the nation's psyche, since we find it over and over again in both manga and feature films.

Unlike PINOCCHIO 964 (the first title I reviewed for KFCC and thus especially dear to my heart), HINOKIO is a film aimed at kids. The titular character is not an android but a robot whose function in the plot is entirely different. Hinokio is not an independent character at all: 'it' is merely an empty shell, a proxy through which our young protagonist attempts to re-enter the world. Thus, the film's promo material is a bit deceiving: the image on the DVD cover (a boy hugging the cute robot) would make you expect yet another variation on 'a boy and his robot' theme, with a tinge of E.T. vibe suggested also by the nonsensical subtitle ('Inter Galactic Love'). It is not really so. Satoru does not have any relationship with the robot: he has relationships through the robot. Hinokio's origin is not 'inter galactic' but very, very domestic, as it's created by Satoru's father, and the only hint of love in the film is, again, not inter-galactic, but very inter-human...

HINOKIO deals with serious issues, like childhood trauma, abandonment, alienation, suicide, retreat from the world into an otaku-existence in a cyber-world of video-games... In this case, the boy's alienation is triggered by a tragic accident in which he saw his mother die, while he was left temporarily shell-shocked. His key problem (dealing with the rest of the world) divides into three: coping with his schoolfriends (some of whom bully his robotic proxy); creating a real human touch (romance) with a girl; and, equally important, re-establishing contact with his father. HINOKIO does not shy away from the occasional 'darkness' of its themes and cruelties that the boy is subjected to, both physical and emotional, and for something that could too easily (and wrongly) be dismissed as a 'kiddie flick', it is surprisingly mature and honest in dealing with its themes. Some of the situations (especially the scenes in his school) may seem familiar and generic, but even they are accomplished with a real emotion, and manage to be both funny, entertaining and touching. HINOKIO turns a bit too sappy only towards the end (with the inevitable 'dead' boy resurrected by love and sacrifice), but even the over-emotional ending is well deserved by what preceded it.

For a film like this to succeed, the key lies in its convincingness, and HINOKIO packs a wallop in that regard: you'll believe every second of it thanks to the excellent performances of all involved, especially Kanata Hongo who has a difficult task of portraying an emotionally scarred six-grader Satoru. Of course, in a story centered around a robot you'll have to believe 'its' performance as well, and Hinokio itself (or should I say 'himself'?) is made real through an amazing mix of puppetry and CGI. No wonder, since Takahiko Akiyama's experience as an F/X designer (most notably for FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN) comes into play, and will challenge you to spot rare occasions in which you can be sure whether you're watching a robot-puppet or a CGI creation. Other than the seamless execution, Hinokio should be also commended for its design, which makes it/him rightfully take a place in a pantheon of memorable characters for children. HINOKIO is one of those cherished films aimed primarily at kids, but highly watchable for adults as well. In terms of its themes and imagery, it is a Japanese counterpart of what would probably be rated PG-13 in the USA (well, perhaps even PG), and is thus strongly recommended for both kids and their parents. Watching it with your kid may help establish a new connection and deal with some important issues that you may not have come across so far.

Meanwhile, former concubine Li Zhenfei had been sanctioned to live in the forbidden palace, where she may never see the prince, who is truly her son. Coincidence brings the young prince before her, and a sea of deceit and conspiracy is revealed.

REVIEW: Known primarily in the U.S. for the outrageous kung fu films they produced, the Shaw Brothers’ studios also managed to pump out films in just about every other genre imaginable. Inside the Forbidden City is oft-revered as their ultimate “huangmei opera” costume drama, and is based on an old Sung Dynasty story which takes place during the period of Emperor Jen Tsung. The tale which unfolds here is as classic as can be, and ripe with colorful characters and some beautiful music.

The first and foremost noteworthy aspect is the costume and stage design. True to Shaw Brothers fashion, this film excels in all regards relating to the costumes worn and the locations ranging from a hermit-like cave to lush royal palaces. It comes as no surprise, though, as this is an incredibly vital characteristic of Chinese operas and costume dramas. It also seems to be a Shaw staple to create lavish sets that capture the imagination in both their creativity and their effectiveness.

One thing that might turn people off from trying out a huangmei opera in the first place would be an aversion to musicals in general. It should be said, however, that these films and the stage plays that they represent are drastically unlike the typical musical an average moviegoer may have in mind. They eschew fancy song numbers and dance routines in favor of more subdued and personal songs that merely act to advance the narrative. Many characters engage in musical soliloquy in efforts to concrete their dilemma and question the situation. Other instances worthy of song are grand announcements or entrances, central conflicts coming to a rushing climax and other key moments of the story.

Truth be told, the singing in this film seems few and far between. I was relating this movie, while I was watching it, to an old Chinese Opera video we had to watch in class last year. It was called “Legend of White Snake” (Not the band, though that would have been nothing less than astounding), and despite having this epic final battle between the demons, I recall it being liberally peppered with songs in most every scene. Such is not the case with Forbidden City, so newcomers to the genre needn’t be too wary prior to seeing this.

Inside the Forbidden City’s story, with the exception of a few select areas, is one of sorrow and separation. Li Zhenfei is a mother doomed to seclusion and fated never to act as protector of her child, who has been written out of her life and claimed as the child of another. The leading lady’s plight is further accentuated when she is allotted a brief meeting with her son, as he brazenly entered the corridors of his mother’s forbidden area, despite direct commands to steer clear. The child is full of questions, none of which Li can answer with complete truth. Spilling the beans would probably result in her death, though the fate she is resigned to is arguably worse.

The narrative of the story actually begins with an age-raddled Li Zhenfei living in a cave, far from society. She relays her story to the passing Bao Zhen, adorned in bold makeup and togged up in ornate clothing. He agrees to hear her out, and what he heeds is the aforementioned tale of betrayal, a story of competition for one man’s (the Emperor) affection that ended her in ruin. The story told leaves Bao Zhen in awe, finding it hard to believe that such a betrayal could happen within the confines of the palace. He vows to uncover the lies within and set everything right for Li.

Kao Li’s direction is careful and well paced, letting the story settle into it’s own, and giving proper introduction to each character, preventing confusion. It’s much more akin to the flow of an actual live Chinese opera, complete with long static shots that provide the actors center stage. The performances, especially Ivy Ling Po’s, are well executed in a classic fashion, and are for the most part engaging and memorable.

If anything, the story’s conclusion leaves a bit to be desired. Perhaps a story with such a cold-hearted woman as Li Zhenfei’s rival Madame Liu needs more of a payoff in the end. Li’s situation is so dire and she does such a good job making the audience feel for her, that the latter part of the movie seems a bit anticlimactic.

Regardless, Inside the Forbidden City is a classic story put on film adeptly by a talented group within Shaw studios. With a script co-written by the legendary Chang Cheh (pre-blood in your eye, knee to the groin, head splitting kung fu god Chang Cheh, but Chang Cheh nonetheless) and some great performances, you’d do well to give this film a shot. Set aside any preconceived notions you have of the Chinese opera, and you may be surprised.

Review: For most Kung Fu fans, there is something special about the few films in which Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao share the screen. However, in the case of ‘My Lucky Stars’, there is some false advertising in effect, because for the most part this movie belongs to the ‘Lucky Stars’, a gang of comedians who fail to amuse.

The film kicks off with some promising action. Jackie Chan and Yuen Biao chase Lam Ching Ying through Hong Kong and into a theme park. There is a quick burst of fighting, and it’s easy to fool yourself into thinking that we are in for a treat. We then hand over to Sammo Hung, and just as things seem to be heading in the right direction, the Lucky Stars turn up and the plot grinds to a halt, wallowing in a sticky mess of forced and desperate comedy. Sammo himself is usually on screen, but seems to hide at the back worrying about how to rescue his movie from the hands the Lucky Stars and their farcical cack. They lust after Sibelle Hu, they order food in sign language, and they make the average Westerner reach for the fast forward button. One ‘joke’ involves Eric Tsang losing some money outdoors, but he is searching the floor for it indoors. When asked why, he explains that it’s too dark to look for it outside. Sorry to spoil the joke, but please try and read the rest of this review through your tears of laughter. The box office profits in HK for this film were huge, but maybe that was more to do with the famous names attached to the project. Most of them are cameo roles, but just look at that cast list!

Finally, after an eternity, there is some decent action. Jackie finally resurfaces, and chases the bad guys through a spooky funhouse. It’s reminiscent of Sammo’s comedy horror output, but with a modern day setting. The climax of the film is a nice chunk of kung fu action, with Dick Wei showing up for a rumble, and Sibelle facing off against Michiko Nishiwaki, but the fight against Lam Ching Ying that we have waited for lasts seconds.

My Lucky stars certainly isn’t as good as it’s sequel, ‘Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars’, which was average at best, and is nothing more than a plotless ‘comedy’ book-ended by some half decent Kung Fu action. The action scenes in ‘My Lucky Stars’ are worth checking out, but to claim that this is a Chan/Biao/Hung movie is simply a lie. For the 20 minutes the trio are on screen, it’s fun, but the antics of the Lucky Stars are irritating rather than funny, and the movie is well below the high standards that Sammo Hung usually sets.

REVIEW
'The Buddhist Fist' is an old-school martial arts revenge flick with a smattering of comedy. With Yuen Wo Ping directing, and his brothers helping to choreograph the action, this is yet another Yuen Clan classic, despite the fact that many fans of the genre have probably passed this one by.

It's flawed, so let's get the negativity out of the way. It's the plot that lets Buddhist Fist down. There is reference to a valuable Jade Buddha statue that everybody in China wants to get their hands on, and some superfluous search for a missing man, but any excuse for a story is picked up and dropped faster than an ugly baby. There is a period of about 45 minutes early on in the film where the plot seems to be confusing, until you realise that it's not you that lost the plot, but the writers themselves. As you would expect, the plot is only there to provide excuses to start fights, but we'll come back to that later.

As for the cast, everybody does a sterling job, and the characters are all beautifully cartoonish, just as you would expect from the Yuen Clan. It's easy to tell even the cameo players apart, because in the Yuen universe, everyone has a huge hairy mole, a humpback, buck teeth, or a lazy eye. It's a good job, too, because characters (especially bad guys) often come out of nowhere to provide a fight or set-piece, and then vanish without a trace before briefly popping up later to provide some minor exposition.

Yuen Cheung Yan, for example, pops up for ten minutes as a gangster, hams it up gloriously, has a fight, and then spends the rest of the movie behind the camera. Simon Yuen Senior does the same thing, and its even possible to spot Simon Yuen Jr as long as you don't blink, or have transparent eyelids like some kind of man-fish.

This is Sunny Yuen's (Yuen Shun Yi) movie, though. Usually seen playing maniacal bad guys, he is bizarrely given the role of leading man. His physical abilities are impressive, but apart from the fact that he now seems retrospectively typecast, he just doesn't have the right face to play the wide-eyed and smiling good guy. With his big round head and intense stare, he walks around looking like some kind of evil boiled egg. It's like seeing Vinny Jones singing along with Barney the Dinosaur.

Obviously, there is Kung Fu in the film. Lots and lots of Kung Fu. The fighting rarely stops, and it's dazzling from start to finish. There are no special effects here, and only a little wirework, yet the fighters punch, kick, grapple and contort with breathtaking results, punctuated with moments of humour. Dull choreography can be the death of a martial arts film, but 'The Buddhist Fist' is alive and kicking, unpredictable and inventive. Most impressive is the agility of the older cast members, and Simon Yuen Senior's 'Sleepy Kung Fu' is great. This isn't a movie you would see because of its story, but fans should put this high on their list of essential viewing.

1. The Elevator: late at night a young woman comes home: in the elevator of her building, there is a whole family of weird looking people, 'going down'. Belatedly, she realizes that they were... a) Zombies; b) Werewolves; c) Poor relatives; d) Ghosts; (you circle the most likely option).

2. School Excursion: In a hotel where her class is staying, a girl sees an apparition in the toilet... No, nothing is wrong with her digestive tract: the apparition is of the familiar, grudgey kind...

3. Kengo Nishioka : a lone wife hears someone in the next room: a certain Mr Nishioka, existentially challenged, claims that her husband is responsible for his demise, but for unknown reasons keeps tormenting the housewife instead. In the end, she duly informs us that her husband innocent. Yeah, right...

4. The Visitor: someone's knocking on the apartment door; a little girl refuses to open, but her elder sister does. The little one hides in the bathroom, but the ghostly hand with bright red nail polish opens the door and... teaches her the ways of manicure? It's anyone's guess after the abrupt cut, but -- someone must've been left alive to tell this 'true' tale to the objective producers of this series, right? Right?

5. Covering the 100 Tales: A reporter at a temple hears the stories of ghosts who narrate rather uninteresting tales of how they died. Then, they ask her what's she doing among them. Really, that's an answer I'd like to hear.

6. Cassette Tape: A member of an amateur rock band hears the last message from another (recent suicide) member on a cassette tape... Or is it just the result of poor tape-playback quality? Naah! It must've been ghosts!

7. Spilt Water: Mother and daughter, walking in the park, realize that their deceased husband/father is still 'watching over' them... How sweet. Nothing extraordinary happens. They just 'become aware' of his presence. The case immediately entered all annals of world's greatest unsolved mysteries!

8. The Backward Suit: A girl mocks her often drunk father and his explanation of how he ended up dressed backward -- until one evening she takes the same detour and comes home -- with her clothes backward... Did she go to the same 'haunted street', or the same liquor store as her dad -- I guess we'll never know. A true mystery!

Review: One thing needs to be clarified immediately: this is NOT an omnibus. This is NOT a collection of FILMS. Even a short film has to have a story. It has to have some twist, some climax, some kind of point. The short pieces presented here (averaging at 5 minutes) have none of that. Their 'structure' is as simple as they get, and can be reduced to a formula: person X meets/sees/is confronted by a ghostly manifestation and -- then nothing. It just happens, with no lasting consequence, other than turning the 'witness' into a lifelong reader of National Enquirer (although most of them must have already been regular readers of similar material!)

One might expect that the reduced running time, coupled with the let's-get-to-the-business approach, would produce the all-meat-and-no-bones result, something like a show-reel of the best of Japanese scares without the 'boring' interludes of character development and/or ambiguous, slow build-up of thick atmosphere. Not so. The stories lack suspense, precisely because there is no build-up. One moment you see a person, the very next 'a ghost' is banging on her door; after some unoriginal fumbling with the door and crawling on the floor -- the story ends. And that's it. Move to the next. The stories also lack the morality that is inseparable from the omnibus format: there is no punishment of the wicked, there is no revenge motif, there is no subtext whatsoever to what you're presented with.

This collection perfectly corresponds to Homer Simpson's legendary retelling a story as 'a bunch of stuff that happened': but the problem is not so much in the fact that 'it's full of sound and fury, signifying nothing' (to borrow a quote from a slightly more academic source than Homer). The problem is that 'the sound and the fury' are so lame. The apparitions here are pathetic, unmotivated, ephemeral in the most literal sense. They just don't matter. There are some minor creeps in the School Excursion segment, but even there the horror is spoilt not only by the ridiculous environment, but also by the ridiculously 'twisted' ghost itself (her head appears, horizontally, where her belly should be). And that's the closest to horror you're likely to get in this anthology of the nonsensical and shallow 'true encounters'.

You'll have to be twice as shallow to go for this DVD: first of all, you're supposed to buy the whole 'true' angle; second of all, you're supposed to pay some real money for measly 40 minutes of uninteresting short 'films' plus 11 minutes of even more pointless talk from Ichirô Nakayama, who collected these (and then some) stories. For unknown reasons (compassion towards viewers?), this selection is made up of only 8 tales. There is at least another edition, also available at HKFlix, titled Tales Of Terror From Tokyo And All Over Japan Vol. 1 . In that one, you're treated to no less than 15 of these! And if that does not satisfy your craving for 'true' tales of quasi-terror, there's more where these came from... However, if your mortal life's minutes are dear to you, and if you have any love for your hard-earned dollars, keep them for stuff that's worthier than... this cheat!

Review: People are limited by their environment but also by their own inner being. And yet they try to reach out into the world, into someone else's existence and make a meaningful contact in their own very peculiar way. In Kim Ki-Duk's films this contact is never verbal; never could the debased words establish a real communion between souls. The method can be violence (BAD GUY); it can be eroticism (SAMARIA); it can be sado-masochism (THE ISLE); it can be even silence (THE BOW) – but never, never words. This director distrusts words more than any other I can think of; and whatever they do, his characters almost never talk to one another. It is not because they have nothing to say. On the contrary, it is precisely that they have too much on their minds, things too important to convey for them to be dragged down in words. In a world in which every soap opera or 'Reality TV' person is ''madly in love'', in which feelings are all too easily labeled, Kim Ki-Duk's protagonists cherish their private world too much to even try to verbalize it. Words like ''love'', ''hate'', ''passion'', ''revenge'', and the like do not even BEGIN to describe the essence standing behind their motivations (often mysterious to themselves as well).

Such is the case with 3-IRON, Kim Ki-Duk's best work so far. It is best because here he manages to capture the elusive essence of complex emotions in such a pure, unadulterated manner that by the end of the film his characters become more ethereal, more mysterious than they were in the beginning. The two outcasts, outsiders in a world governed by money, power and violence, ''live'' their solitary lives of Kafkean detachment verging on non-existence: Sun-Hwa broods, silently rejecting her husband's brutishness (undiminished – or, one could argue, even augmented by his wealth and social status), while Tae-Suk leads a vicarious existence assuming, at least temporarely, other people's lives. Both of them are trying to diminish themselves – to hide from the outside world, to be too small to be noticeable – to become no one, to be nothing. These are the same sentiments that made Gregor Samsa metamorphose into a bug. But in contrast with Kafka's universe, in Kim Ki-Duk's there is also love. Often strange, unspeakable, indescribable, beyond the grasp of external observers – but none the less powerful or life-changing for that.

So, the two outcasts meet, and immediately form a microcosm of two. It is through silences that they speak, it is through looks that they touch, it is through music (the stunning, elegiac Oriental mood piece by Slvain repeated several times in the film) that they make love. Never has Kim Ki-Duk been so adept in using silence, or music, or sparse sounds from the outside world. Never has he been so lucky with actors as in this film: Hyun-kyoon Lee practically carries the film through his body language and his looks, making Tae-Suk an astonishing character – one of the most likable (while, at the same time mysterious) in recent cinema. He's immensely helped by Seung-yeon Lee's portrayal of an abused but undefeated wife who is brought to life through the contact with her own silent partner. Together they are alone against the others, and with the newly-found power of love they dissolve from this world.

3-IRON is pure poetry in film: a visual, aural and atmospheric treat unlike anything you've ever seen, a great existential love affair painted with subtlety (and occasional burst of violence) by one of the greatest masters of world cinema working today. Absolutely recommended for all those who do not mind their entertainment heady, sentimental, ambiguous and a bit slow-paced. If, however, your idea of entertainment is mostly fast-paced action, suspense/gore-filled horror or laugh-riot comedy, be warned that the 'entertainment' score for this film would probably be 3,5 or 4. But I guess that no one comes to a Kim Ki-Duk expecting the usual fun. For the lovers of the unusual, the score is certainly 5.

Review: Juzo Itami paints a fantastic picture with "Tampopo", one that is equal parts sprawling city love story and an homage to Westerns. Many other parodies lie within the story, which is one of the high points of the film. The plot is simple, allowing the exploration and introduction of a much wider variety of characters, including many random side stories that are inexplicably included.

A comedy through and through, "Tampopo" presents characters that are both believable, compassionate and hilarious at the same time. Goro, played by Tsutomo Yamazaki is the quintessential Western saloon style bad ass, cowboy hat and all. He's a lover and a fighter, so ladies watch out! Seriously though, Yamazaki steals the show. His partner Gun doesn't really have too much presence in the film, at least nothing comparable, though he acts out the laid back sidekick part well. Rounding out the main cast is the beautiful Nobuki Miiyamoto as the title character Tampopo. She simply glows on the screen as the owner of a not so popular noodle shop.

The rest of the secondary characters are equally memorable, and they all band together with their respective talents to help rise Tampopo's noodle shop to the top. One of the best characters is Piskin, who's instant rivalry with Goro transforms into a great partnership, as he helps Tampopo out by remodeling her shop. There's also an old wise master to assist in the crafting of perfect noodles, among a few others.

The aforementioned side stories in the film were a real treat. They all seemed to echo a different role that food played in Japanese society, ranging from objects of lust and sexual desire to the importance of food in the Japanese economy. It seemed that anytime the film would get too wrapped up in the main story, it would quickly cut to the side stories, reminding the viewer that in the end, it's all about the food. Their inclusion could come off as initially confusing to some viewers, as they have no immediate connection to the films main cast, but in the end they are the extra spices added that round out "Tampopo"s unique flavor and style.

To some it may be worth mentioning the smidgen of animal cruelty in the film, which claims one turtle. But such is the price of fine cooking. The scene is in fact simply displaying a real process they use to cook this animal, but some may find it offensive in the end, if not simply because it flies in from left field without much warning.

That said, the pacing never comes off as slow or unbalanced, and readily bounces from scene to scene with enthusiasm. It is an absolute celebration of food and its inexhaustible role in the world, but specifically Japanese society. Itami shows outright fascination with the culinary arts, and it really shines through the lens with his inventive, funny and intelligent filmmaking.

An absolutely concrete recommendation for this film simply must be made. "Tampopo" should be watched by everyone at least once, if not for its fascinating concept then for the brilliant execution. Fire up the DVD player and a hot pot full of Ramen for maximum enjoyment.

Everything seems to be going to be going well until a group of heavily armed guerillas arrives, with a nuclear missile in tow, taking the sleepy village hostage. The ransom they demand is the release of nefarious drug lord General Yang. The clock is ticking. Can Deaw and the athletes rescue the village from the mercenaries? Can they save Bangkok from nuclear disaster?

Review: The filmmakers who made ONG BAK follow up with BORN TO FIGHT, another action flick that will make you sit up and take notice for the outrageous stunts, which could only be pulled off by a stunt team seemingly bent on self-destruction or a self-fulfilling death wish. ONG BAK set the martial arts world on its ear when it introduced the phenomenal talents of Tony Jaa (Panom Yeerum). This time around, the fight choreographer (Panna Rittikrai) directs and the director (Prachya Pinkaew) produces. BORN TO FIGHT moves to an ensemble cast of athletes to execute the stunts, with tributes to John Woo, GYMKATA and Jackie Chan's POLICE STORY.

BORN TO FIGHT's premise is amazingly simple and the film is, at times, very bloody and violent, as it introduces machine guns, mercenaries and drug lords to a remote Thai village. The screenplay is really just an idea stretched wide and barely fleshed out and only adequate enough as a framework on which to hang the stunts. Director Panna Rittikrai, who provided the hard-hitting choreography for ONG BAK, goes with total out-and-out chaos. There is no subtlety in BORN TO FIGHT.

While there are martial arts in this flick, they take a back seat to the stunt work. Though the athletes do perform martial arts moves based on their specialty, such as the uneven parallel bars or gymnastics (think back to 1985 and Kurt Thomas in GYMKATA). BORN TO FIGHT contains some of the most amazing motorcycle, and other moving vehicles, stunts to be filmed since THE ROAD WARRIOR. I don’t know if anyone died making this film, but there were plenty hurt on the set (see outtakes and rehearsals during the closing credits). The filmmakers understand that some of the best thrills exploit the ordinary everyday occurrences, and that excitement can be generated without relying on CGI (CGI is used with the nuclear missiles), wires, or nets in the execution of the stunts (e.g., a flaming 2” x 4” to the head). Director Panna Rittikrai takes advantage by removing all thresholds to common sense and amping up the action to 11. “Reckless” and “crazy” would be accurate ways to describe the stuntmen. The universal language of pain is used to tell the story, and like its predecessor, ONG BAK, no subtitles or dubbing necessary, just a lot of wincing in acknowledgment: “oh, that must have hurt.”

The two sides are sharply defined: the bad guys are really evil and the villagers and athletes are noble and heroic. The major problem is the script, which doesn't provide enough back-story for the athletes, while treating the villains as blood-lusting sadists. When the village is invaded, each member of the cast is left to fend for his or her self. The crucial scene missing is the one in which the athletes come together to formulate a plan of action. This would have provided some sympathetic link between the cast and the audience. When the villagers and the athletes try to overtake their captors, the melee that ensues is unfocused. The movie slinks into a symbolic venue as the villagers sing the Thai national anthem before storming the guerillas. One villager literally waves the Thai flag for the last 15 minutes of screen time, which may set you off laughing, groaning, or possibly even celebrating along with nationalistic spirit, depending on your particular mood while watching BORN TO FIGHT.

While waiting for the next Tony Jaa flick, TOM YUM GOONG, BORN TO FIGHT is a nice distraction, and at 97 minutes, the film does breeze along at a good clip. Your fingers will get a major workout as you hit the return button on your remote control, going back time and again to view the jaw-dropping action set pieces, like a semi-truck plowing through a shanty town (ala POLICE STORY); a bad guy getting knocked from atop a moving semi, bouncing off a van onto the hard-dirt ground; a motorcycle hits a stationary object at high speed, throwing the driver into the air through a burning wooden structure, from which he crash exits. The list goes on. BORN TO FIGHT isn't great drama; just a series of viscerally painful stunts that will leave you shaking your head in disbelief long after the movie is over.

Review: Easily one of the most prolific directors of our time, Takashi Miike has proven again and again that he is a powerful force to be reckoned with. He has the ability to turn a low budget, and potentially worthless picture, into a gem. Whether by the use of excessive sex and violence, or through mature and competent storytelling, Miike turns heads. That’s a fact, like it or not.

Fans of Takashi Miike seem to know him more from his extreme efforts and sometimes they can be unsure how to react to a movie like THE BIRD PEOPLE IN CHINA. The Miike fan base has grown significantly over the last couple years, largely because of films like the DEAD OR ALIVE trilogy, ICHI THE KILLER, and the infamous FUDOH. Because of this, expectations develop and can easily cloud your viewing experience if his film isn’t totally excessive.

Spawned from a novel by Makoto Shiina and adapted for the screen by Masa Nakamura, THE BIRD PEOPLE IN CHINA sums up much of Miikes' talent to create one of his most compelling works to date. The rate at which he matured since the original V-cinema days is more than obvious if it had not been previously with films such as KENKA NO HANIMACHI and RAINY DOG (only to be surpassed later on by YOUNG THUGS: NOSTALGIA, AUDITION, AGITATOR, and GRAVEYARD OF HONOR).

Gone are the bloody limbs, gratuitous sex and black humor. All that remains is pure, untainted content with a new approach (at the time) by an outstanding crew in a far off place. This is the real thing folks, a real quality film with a new depiction of a traveling theme between many Miike movies – a man in a foreign land forced to contemplate his surroundings, and to seek the very depths of his soul in finding of himself.

As we adventure with Wada, Ujiie, and Shen through China in search for another place to desecrate and industrialize, we are able to sympathize with the characters’ emotions easily. Initially we understand the greed for this potential jade mine, then we see the village near the mine and its inhabitants and feel compelled to put a stop to the evil. The people of the village are above us and are at peace with themselves, which is ultimately the reason they can “fly.” Ujiie finds himself helplessly drawn to the simplicity of things and Wada secretly begins to question his own plans to invade the village.

Masahiro Motoki‘s (GONIN, GEMINI) portrayal of Wada was almost too convincing. As we follow his character through the mountains of China we can clearly see the deterioration of his sense of supposed normalcy. The materialistic needs begin to shatter and his desire for the contrived, polluted world begins to dissipate. Although for Wada this happened at a much slower rate than that of Ujiie, who was excellently played by Renji Ishibashi (DORA-HEITA, 47 RONIN). Ujiee’s need to escape the yakuza life must have been in the back of his mind all along, which eventually becomes more than obvious after he violently tries to put a stop to the discovery and standardization of his new found, secluded love. With these two strong actors, the story unfolds with a copious amount of believability. It should also be noted that the choice to cast Mako (best known for his roles in the CONAN films) was a wise one. Without him, this would have been a whole different movie.

Surely, making the film was an arduous journey full of many difficulties to both the cast and crew. Luckily, the great Koji Endo and Hideo Yamamoto give their signature contributions once again to a Miike film. Endo’s score is beautiful and suiting; Yamamoto’s photography is able to capture the beautiful landscapes of China with ease.

Hailed as an adult fairytale, THE BIRD PEOPLE IN CHINA helps us to momentarily live out each of our own fantasies of a simple life. Rarely does one get something out of a film, and because of this I am thankful. A sentimental, emotional stroll through our hearts’ desire sounds appealing, doesn’t it?

Review: Surely many of us have had the pleasure of viewing a Toshiaki Toyoda film, most likely BLUE SPRING (Aoi Haru), and after reading many different thoughts and opinions, I think it’s safe to say that the majority of us have been more than happy with his work. Sure Toyoda is still young, but that’s just it. He has that special ability to connect with much of the younger generation -- whether you are Japanese or not. There is definitely an overall sense of growth and maturity since his last effort, so imagine how much this will increase in the upcoming years.

In 9 SOULS, we follow a group of nine escapees who try to re-claim there own sense of freedom. Each of the men have been jailed for a different crime, whether it be murder, drugs, underage sex or general misdeeds. But these guys are simply not meant for the outside world, and once they are out, they end up getting into all kinds of bad situations that sometimes have even worse repercussions. After viewing the film, I get the feeling that Toyoda is an existentialist. In his films he tends to give off that notion, so if he is, then that would surely explain a lot because the overall theme of the film is similar to that of BLUE SPRING and PORNOSTAR -- one being full of the individual’s plight towards ownership of actions in a world in which the threshold between good and bad is blurred.

While initially, 9 SOULS feels lighter, it is only in the first half of the film that we are treated to a more comedic approach. This was somewhat of a new twist on things for our young director, but it worked out quite well because of how much it aided the difficult, yet vital, character development. We come to understand the intricacies of each individual’s psychology through the scenes of comedy. (Obviously one can’t go too in-depth seeing as there are nine central characters and the film is less than two hours long.) Once you reach the second half though, things change. Sunny skies transition into sudden storms, ominously foreshadowing things to come. The comedic approach is gone, and all we are left with is pure and powerful, raw emotion. It isn’t until then that we realize how much we have been affected by each of the characters as we see these terrible things begin to unfold. Because of this it is important to note that this film gets better with repeat viewings.

The cast is a phenomenal team whose chemistry simply cannot be matched. Everyone from the great seasoned Yoshio Harada (ONIBI, HUNTER IN THE DARK) and Akaji Maro (THE MOST TERRIBLE TIME IN MY LIFE, KIKUJIRO and father of ICHI THE KILLER’s Nao Omori) to the younger, but equally amazing, Koji Chihara (PORNOSTAR, YOUNG THUGS: INNOCENT BLOOD) and Ryuhei Matsuda (BLUE SPRING, GOHATTO) offered excellent and memorable performances. Each of the other actors offered so much to the overall feel of the story, so it is difficult to imagine this film being made any better with different actors thanks to Toyoda’s talented direction. Even the not so well known stars were successfully molded into their respected characters with the utmost believability. A prime example of that would have to be Mame Yamada (who is actually a magician) and the large amount of heart he displayed with his character, Shiratori, the master escapist -- definitely the most memorable of the film.

9 SOULS was Toyoda’s chance to work with many of his actors for a second time. He had used Koji Chihara, Kee and Akaji Maro in PORNOSTAR and Ryuhei Matsuda and Mame Yamada in BLUE SPRING. The only actor who has worked in more than one film with him previously is Onimaru.

As with Toyoda’s previous work, the music was part of what made the whole film so memorable. And no, we do not have Thee Michelle Gun Elephant this time, but I assure you that you will be just as pleased. On the more technical side, Junichi Fujisawa’s cinematography was beautifully proportioned and thought out, and Mototaka Kusakabe’s editing was as fluid as it gets. Everything was right on the money and it’s because of all these contributions that 9 SOULS worked out as well as it did.

Inspiring to say the least, it is a movie like this that retains the ability to rekindle and accentuate one’s love for cinema. Rarely do we get the chance to truly bask in a somber film and all of its existentialities. Thank god somebody has the balls to make one like this.

Review: Jimmy Wang Yu's ONE ARMED BOXER starts out just as any old-school martial arts movie should, inside a tea house. Enter Tien Lung, opposite a gang of bastards and brutes starting a fight with weaker men over some birds. Tien Lung's noble defense of these people sets off a chain of events, and the following fight sets the stage, but not the standard for this 1971 kung fu flick. The standard isn't set because the opening showcases so little of what this Wang Yu flick has in it, whimpering out of the gate with a dull little squabble right out of the bargain bin.

As the movie progresses, though, so does the quality of the fights. This is how a martial arts movie should be paced anyway; who wants to expend all the potential energy right at the beginning? There's not a whole lot of breathing room in here, as brief dialogues are book-ended by fights that are book-ended by even more fights. The range of martial arts styles is definitely the major pro in the 89 or so minutes of running time, with monks meeting Chinese boxing, which in turn gets pitted off against a bevy of other styles from across the surrounding eastern countries.

And thus, fans of the follow-up MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE will notice a lot of similarities between the two movies. Most notable is the aforementioned country-spanning collection of fighters that are set up to challenge Tien Lung's school, and eventually Wang Yu himself. There's a fighter from India that isn't too far off in the ridiculous category from the Dhalsim-like brawler in FLYING GUILLOTINE. The scenes with these fights are the most enjoyable sheerly for the sake of variety. The wicked, long-haired arm-breaker from Okinawa has some stand out moments, not least of which includes the titular cause of Tien Lung's crippling injury. Then there are the obligatory lame duck fighters like the Tibetan monks, with "body pillow" pressure point protection on deck to bring the guffaws in droves.

First and foremost, Wang Yu's presence in the film is a reminder of why he was such a powerhouse star during his work with the Shaw Brothers. Though his independent productions would hit a steeply angled slope, movies like this and its sequel are great showcases of a charismatic kung fu star. He helps brighten the screen among a collection of wax museum villainy as the archetypal revenge hero, even if mid-moments of ONE ARMED BOXER (like the still frames montage sequence) are arguably laughable.

With the help of action director Chen Shih Wei, though, Wang Yu keeps the contents afloat and creates a martial arts flick that pretty much anyone can enjoy. The blaxploitation-esque pure '70s "wakka wakka" theme music seals the deal on the whole package. The action in the latter fourth of ONE ARMED BOXER is reason enough to pop this movie in more than once on an all-night action bender, with the one-armed Tien Lung poppin' up left and right like a speed-junky Nosferatu. Though there are Jimmy Wang Yu flicks of higher priority on the purchasing scale, keep this one firmly on the list at all times.

Review: How is it that a Japanese film colossus like Teruo Ishii has only a small trickle of exposure in North America? You'd think his sprawling filmography would have found a home on shelves next to the Suzukis and the Kurosawas (both of 'em even), but that's not the case. If you're looking for Ishii flicks on this side of the ocean, you're probably knee-deep in a Chinatown tent shop or learning Japanese on the quick surrounded by region 2 discs and an empty checking account.

This should be exciting though, not discouraging. From SUPER GIANT (1957) and its sequels to the legendary Edo-era torture flicks and his eventual sans-studio work, Ishii's catalog is ideally set to be the "next big thing." Hell, despite his open disdain for martial arts movies, he made two completely bonkers (read: incredible) EXECUTIONER films in 1974 with Sonny Chiba (which are set for a subbed region 1 release by Adness). Ishii spent so long taking studio orders like "Make Ken Utsui's (SUPER GIANT) package look bigger" and "Make more and more and more ABASHIRI PRISON films (a long running popular '60s series starring Ken Takakura) until your head explodes" that his turn to the independent side with movies like JIGOKU is no surprise at all.

1999's JAPANESE HELL (JIGOKU) is as good a place to start as any. Though Nobuo Nakagawa's 1960 film of the same name set the standard, there are only a few things that Ishii's version shares with the original. The spirit's still there in this remake though; it's the setting that has changed drastically. Multiple tales of the immoral share bookends that visualize Hell as a typically torturous and bleak pit, but these are real people. Somewhere in someone's head, "Back to life, back to reality" is droning in and out to the beat of this scenario.

The details don't fall on the sets themselves, which are really just darkly painted rooms with scattered rocks and smoke machines. The "meat" of Ishii's Hell is thick on the bones of the punished, who enjoy slow and vicious torture sequences. The blood runs bright red and, in contrast to the minimal set design, there's some really outstanding makeup work (especially on the demons). Different levels of Hell are explored, and the sound stage look of the film actually allows for a lot of freedom in other departments. Consequently, a rainbow of colors flow behind the Queen of Hell, rotting heads reflect neon green, and the blue hue of the river styx bounces boldly out of the television set. Hell has never been so sickeningly bright, like a red traffic light welcoming those who cross it to an early grave.

Because of the way this combines with the slower pace of the dramatic scenes, the moral of the story doesn't try for subtlety in any way. Rather, it pronounces its message on a massive, scrolling, electric-neon banner for everyone to see. In an interview in Asian Cult Cinema magazine (no. 28) shortly after the time of JIGOKU's release, Ishii admitted that he had never planned on making a "preachy" movie, or a movie with such an overt and unwavering message, but he made this one the way it is because he was just plain pissed off.

And there's plenty to be pissed off about. Miyazaki (not Hayao) molesters and cult leaders bust out dirty deeds on their inevitable paths to hades. It really helps to be at least somewhat familiar with the culprits in question here, especially the AUM Shinrikyo cult that was most notorious for the sarin gas attacks on Japan's subways. Founder Shoko Asahara is portrayed in the same scuzzy, unkempt way he always appeared. The majority of the movie is spent following his deceptive ways while leading the cult, planning gas attacks and luring women into his bedroom with the promise of enlightenment. It's a bit much at times, a little over the top (as if that's a bad thing), but it drives the point home with no room for argument. This guy is going straight to Hell.

The cast plods along admirably with some made-for-TV style performances that mix well with the barren backdrops/deadly serious atmosphere contrast. The transition between their solemn and slow upper-Earth scenes and the Gwar-esque underworld landscapes of despair is almost comedic. A self-referential nod rounds out the insanity of the film, as Tetsuro Tamba slides onto the screen reprising his role from Ishii's own PORNO JIDAI-GEKI. The short scene is like some savage time capsule explosion; the perfect exclamation point to punctuate the movie with.

If you're into JAPANESE HELL, you'll likely find yourself in a Teruo Ishii snowball right away, searching for import gems and bugging Media Blasters and other companies to hurry up and release more of his movies. That's not to say that this movie is representative of his oeuvre, but it's still a wild (and actually semi-informative) time in the hot, hot heat.

You can love it or you can laugh at it, but don't just sit there during the finale while everyone else dances.

Shortly after this review was written, Teruo Ishii passed away at the age of 81. He will be missed, but his films will keep him alive.

After doing everything for their new master, Chia finally decide to take them as students. With the new techniques that Chia teaches them, Taipao and Yipao are becoming great kung fu fighters but their old bad habit kick back again and it doesn't take too much time before they are in trouble with the town people. But meanwhile two strangers have just arrived in town and both of them are looking for Chia. After some investigation the two suspicious strangers manage to locate Chia and a physical confrontation is unavoidable. Yipao, by pure chance, witnesses his master killing the two men with no remorse. His new master seems to hide a dark past, which Yipao would have preferred to never hear about, but now it too late and Taipao and Yipao now have to battle against their master.

REVIEW: I thought I saw the best from Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao with Millionaire's Express and Prodigal Son, but I was wrong. Knockabout is indeed one of the finest Sammo/Biao productions. I had heard a lot of good comments about this flic before watching it but I was not expecting the movie to be so good and spectacular. It's true that the story is not original and follow the usual Kung Fu movie path but the characters and the fighting, especially the fighting, make Knockabout an essential movie to watch if you are a fan of Yuen or Sammo.

As I said the story is very typical, nothing really unexpected happens and you can easily find the usual kung fu movie clichés. This of course doesn't really bother me but a good story never hurts a production. At least the story is always pleasant to follow and never fails to be interesting, but nothing more so don't expect too much from it. The movie doesn't really kick in before the first 45min, when the "Master against Students" twist start. But anyway, this is a kung fu movie after all, so there's always something more to get a hold on to...like fighting.

Nothing really spectacular on the character side either, except for the all star cast itself. Yipao, the brain of the main duo is played by no one else than the amazing Yuen Biao. His character is very typical but was always great to watch, especially when he was fighting or making fun of his partner in crime, Taipao. As for this second character it was played by another well-known figure in the martial art genre, Leung Kar Yan. Both actors created a very memorable duo on screen. Of course Sammo Hung himself, who also directed the movie, stars in the movie as a beggar with special kung fu ability, the Garbage Style. His role is very minor, don't expect to see him all along the movie, but his presence was there enough to please any Sammo Hung fans.

Now what about those crazy fighting scenes, because yes there's plenty of it of course. But nothing really extraordinary happened during the first 45 min, I mean there's a couple of nice fight sequences but nothing to make you say "wow". But when it finally starts, you will not be disappointed for having waited. There's also a lot of different fighting style used in the movie, such as drunken, and monkey performed by Sammo Hung and also that strange Garbage style. But my favorite part was the training sequence with Yuen Biao who blows away the intro sequence of Drunken Master with Jackie Chan, where by the way Yuen Biao doubled for Jackie Chan. In that sequence you will witness and wonder why Yuen Biao never had much more exposure than Jackie Chan, that I personally think didn't have as good abilities as Biao.

The kung fu is also very traditional and believable; you won't find any arial flying kick a la Jet Li here but only pure old school kung fu. The fighting choreographies, directed by Yuen Woo Ping, were also very impressive, as I said the movie starts really slowly but as the story progresses the fights get better and longer which of course make the ending fight the highlight of the movie.

Combining an outstanding martial artists cast with some spectacular kung fu fighting sequences, Knockabout is a must see for any kung fu movie fans. After seeing this movie, when you will talk about Yuen Biao, Knockabout will ring in your head for sure. If you are a fan of Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung and like movies such as Prodigal Son, Eastern Condors and one of my personal favorite Millionaire's express, be sure to not miss Knockabout, because you have seen nothing yet.

Review:
"Have you got Burning Paradise?"
"No, it’s just my pants. They’re cutting right up my crack."

OK, bad jokes aside, considering that ‘Burning Paradise’ is produced by Tsui Hark, with Ringo Lam taking a break from his usual contemporary movies to direct this dark and sinister period kung fu flick, which despite being absolutely brilliant, remains unseen by many action fans.

Burning Paradise takes place in the Red Lotus Temple, a hellish prison in which people are tortured, killed, beheaded and skewered. There are booby traps, hidden chambers, an arena, and underneath lies a cave full of dead bodies (except for one guy who lives down there). It’s a nice place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live there.

The Temple itself reflects the film’s atmosphere, which is dark, sinister and drenched in blood. The stark hyperrealism of Burning Paradise means that it isn’t exactly a fun film, but rather a compelling one. The horrors that unfold provide a real sense of danger, and at times the movie can feel like more of a horror film than a martial arts movie.

Which brings us to the bad guy, Lord Kung. He is evil. Very evil. Eeeeeeevil, if you will. He is a truly warped character, and one of the best bad guys around. He’s particularly scary in one scene in which he shows his power over his concubines, and to say that out of two girls, the one who is raped gets off lightly doesn’t even begin to describe how dark the scene is.

Despite the fact that it didn’t do too well at the box office, Burning Paradise is an excellent film. Apart from some occasional (misplaced) comedy, this movie has an atmosphere you could cut with a very big sword, and a kick-ass hero in the shape of Willie Chi as Fong Sai Yuk. Just don’t expect the same cheeky chappy as portrayed by Jet Li. This Fong Sai Yuk has seen his mates cut into bite sized pieces, and he’s pretty annoyed about it.

Review: For such an ambitious thought of a dog falling for his master, I have to actually commend the writers and makers for trying to achieve such a bizarre storyline. The absurdity of the plot just got me so interested, but Dog Star falls short of its sight due to plot holes and the glaringly underdeveloped relationship between the characters. This is exactly what happens when you take on such a daunting task.

Shiro is a blind man’s dog who suddenly fall victim to a car accident. His master dies of the car accident and is given the opportunity to enter Heaven if he helps one soul on Earth. That one soul just so happens to be his dog Shiro. He grants Shiro a wish to become a man and with the new body that Shiro is given, he goes to find his first master which whom he’s always cared about. This becomes the conflict of the film that Shiro and his dead master must overcome.

Well, as enticing the plot may seem, the holes that were created throughout the film was surely a pain. I was unimpressed with the characters and the relationship that was supposedly brewing between this attractive woman and this dog turned male. Shiro was characterized as this stoic male whose emotions were hidden deep within his soul. What didn’t seem believable, however, was how quickly this young woman fell for this stranger. Most of the time, the director would display at least one scene that would glorify this blossoming of love and I was waiting for it all the way till the end. It never came of course. I’m being a bit too harsh, I know. However, when compared to a film like Fly Me to Polaris, where the characters fell in love within this short period of time, I can’t help but realize how unmoving the characters in Dog Star were.

If the creators’ of the film took the time to work in a decent romance and a few more scenes that would convince us of this, then this film would’ve been the magical story I know it could’ve become. This film fails in displaying the power of love overcoming all obstacles because it couldn’t overcome this one flaw; not enough heart.

Review: It appears my hunch was right on this one, but since I’m such a fan of mystery and watching youngsters uncover a diabolical scheme, I went against myself and decided to view this film. Honestly speaking, I had a much better time watching late-night Scooby Doo cartoons on the Cartoon Channel than this less than after-school level movie. I remember taking Japanese class in my high school days and watching some uber-cool ghost and mystery shows on Fridays. The class would watch and actually be entertained at the sheer pleasure of being spooked. However, Shinjuku Boy Detectives fails in all departments.

Sosuke is the scooter-riding protagonist with a rebellious side. His best friend, Him Tae Ron, is a computer geek whose mother forbids him to hang around Sosuke. Mei Hang is a TV commercial model who is forever haunted by the press. She meets another girl, Honji, who quickly becomes her best friend. This motley crew of teenagers make up, please excuse what I’m about to say, the sorriest bunch of detectives ever known to mankind. All four characters have their background stories, which I didn’t care for much after even two viewings. You see, I gave the film two viewings just to give it another chance, but what a waste of time that was.

The movie’s plot I’m sure is the cause to my disinterest. The character development tried very hard to explain itself, but it just didn’t flow well enough for the viewers to become involved. It seemed like a short TV show elongated with some scenes that shouldn’t have been printed at all. I was left with this sort of clueless look on my face, something I don’t do normally unless pushed to the very limits of my tolerance for stupidity. Well, despite the mess this film had become and also jumping into my all-time worst movie list, there were a couple high points to the film. The Mei Hang character is very cute indeed and the other high point is of course we are treated to NO sequels.

If you’ve been with Kung Fu Cult Cinema for a while and have read some of my reviews then you would know I never give a bad recommendation nor do I not suggest a viewing of a film. I believe that viewers are given the opportunity to watch a film for themselves and have their own thoughts and opinions, but trust me on this; you may want to stay away from this movie as far as humanly possible. You can be doing something more useful with your time and money like buying the Region 1 DVD version of Versus.

Review: When the sixth generation of filmmakers arose in China, Their motto was instantly coined simply as, "Not like the 5th generation". A conscious effort was employed to veer as far away as possible from the works of their seniors, more specifically directors in the class of Zhang Yimou etc. It was this outright rebellious nature that gave many of their films notoriety, and was also a catalyst for the governments disapproval.

Banned most definitely for the fact that it was an independent feature, and not necessarily due to its content, "Frozen" allows an interesting glimpse at the world of various artists living in Beijing. The director of "Frozen" hides behind the pseudonym Wu Ming, or "No Name". The story is told in retrospect, thus allowing the viewer more of a second hand insight into main character Qi Lei's disturbing mental outlook. It's hard to care too much for such a man initially, as he practices a cold point of view that eschews any form of compassion for anyone around him. It paints a common view of the suicidal in that they are driven by selfish thought. Whether or not this is true in every case isn't the point, but it makes it hard to concentrate on observing Qi Lei's life when his distance from it is so overwhelming.

Through the course of the film it becomes easier to stand and get a feel for his emotion and motivation for his art, or lack thereof. Half of those close to him plead to him not to go through with his impending ice burial, as he says plain and clear that he plans for it to be his final performance. Closest to him is his girlfriend Shao Yun. While she mostly begs him not to kill himself, at times she seems fairly indifferent to the whole idea. It becomes apparent that those close to him eventually take his suicide talk with a grain of salt.

Eventually he goes through with the ice burial, which seems to be carried out in more of a documentary fashion than the rest of the movie, dragging a bit, and perhaps not packing the ultimate punch that it needed to. But aside from that the film comes off as haunting to say the least. The original music by Roeland Dol is at times very atmospheric and at others more at home in a Lifetime movie. But when it accompanies the carefully filmed scenes that explore Qi Lei in his solitary state of confliction with life, it most certainly becomes very effective. These are the moments in "Frozen" that completely make the movie. Jia Hongshen, who played Qi Lei, is at his best in these silent brooding moments that ooze bleakness.

Most important in the end is how this film paints suicide so vividly, or at least the psyche of one contemplating it. The entire idea Qi Lei presents of escaping from everything and lifting the everyday burden of life from his shoulders. With the combination of the narration and Qi Lei's own explanations, we are offered a convincing slice of the suicidal mind, or at least the way writer Pang Ming and writer/director Wu Ming envision it.

While at times the films hopeless nature and dark outlook on life can be a bit much to sit through, not necessarily emotionally but more in a "who really wants to kill himself here? Qi Lei or Wu Ming" sort of way, the end wraps everything up completely unexpectedly. Without going into too many details, the end arguably changes the entire viewpoint of the film. "Frozen" survives more on its story than it does Wu Ming's manipulation and execution of it, and is a rare and interesting, albeit not classic, piece from China.

Review: The original 'Once Upon A Time In China' trilogy are undeniable classics, but when it came to creating the fourth entry in the series, Jet Li and Tsui Hark had apparently sworn never to work together again after an argument. Not wanting to put the series to bed, director Yeun Bun helmed this film, and the legendary starring role was handed over to Chui Man Cheuk. OATIC4 isn't the worst film ever made, but the magic of the first three movies is absent.

The very first scene seems to try and calm our fears about the new leading actor. Wong Fei Hung stands in front of hundreds of martial arts students, and spends a couple of minutes going through a kata routine. It's almost as if they are proving that Chiu Man Cheuk is more than a match for Jet Li. The problem is, while the guy is an evidently an impressive martial artist, he lacks Li's star quality, charisma and authority. Li was always a little too young to play Wong Fei Hung, but Cheuk looks practically pubescent.

The action is more stylised than previously, relying heavily on wirework, elaborate death-traps (fighting atop a giant domino rally is a brief highlight) and Lion dancing. In fact, seeing as the Lion dance was the focus of OUATIC3, you have to wonder why this film simply revisits old ground. The foreign invaders bring huge 'lions' shaped like various giant creatures. Among the creatures are an Eagle, a Dragon, a caterpillar and strangest of all, Flamingos. Basically, the climax of the film entails a bunch of guys floating around on wires with giant paper-mache animal heads. It's just too silly to take seriously. If the foreigners want a war, why not just start a war instead of a costume party? At least then the audience might get to see Wong Fei Hung kick some ass, instead of feeling like this is some peculiar Chinese version of Disney's 'Lion King on Ice'.

'Once Upon A Time In China IV' is a weak entry to a classic series. It suffers from poor casting, a contrived plot which serves up weak excuses for more Lion dancing, too little regard for the themes of the series, and nowhere near enough Kung Fu. Hardcore devotees of Wong Fei Hung will probably still want to see this, but for anybody else, this is not so much 'Once Upon A Time In China IV' as 'Once Upon A Time In China Too Far'.

Review: 'The Ghost Snatchers' is a mid 80's comedy ghost story that recalls events from so many similar films ('Haunted Cop Shop', 'Beauty of the Haunted House') that throw slapstick scares into the most ordinary of situations. Televisions come to life to ensnare couch potatoes, pot noodles turn into worms, and those with certain gifts can see the sinister demons lurking amongst the living. Without giving too much away, the devices used to frighten us have been seen before, especially for those of us who have seen more than a couple of HK horrors. It's a mixed blessing. There's little new here, but that depends on how much you love HK horror (or not).

It's a real shame, because director Nam Nai Choi was responsible for the insane pleasures of 'The Seventh Curse', but 'Ghost Snatchers' is more akin to 'The Cat', in that the whole never manages to be the sum of its many crazy parts.

It's not all that bad, though. Wong Jing is unusually likeable in the lead role, and his self-penned script provides plenty of laughs for those who appreciate his off-kilter schoolboy humour. Jing, who usually casts women in passive, eye-candy roles, really surprises us by portraying the men as damsels in distress, while it's the women who are in control through most of the film.

Of special note is the Mah Jong scene (it's a game vaguely similar to dominoes). According to 'The Ghost Snatchers', a mischievous ghost turns up to Mah Jong games to unfairly sway the odds in favour of a player. So, a really shoddy puppet shows up to the game. He's furry, he has a nose like a trumpet, and a pair of shades on. The local textiles college must have spent a whole hour stitching it together. Our heroes use magic to reveal its presence, and proceed to win the game by kicking the fur out of the gambling gremlin. It's weird. Very weird.

Check out 'The Ghost Snatchers' if you can, but everyone involved in the production has produced better work. The pacing is initially slow, characters are never fully developed, and instead of being loveably cheesy, the special effects are just crap. This reviewer is starting to give more and more HK horror films bad reviews, and what's really disheartening is the thought that I may have already seen all the good ones. Go see 'The Seventh Curse' instead. It's fantastic, and has a much cooler fight with a skeleton.

Review: The hip and musical opening CG cutscene to JAM FILMS consists of cowboys, silver women and art deco shuttle rides to distant planets of vibrant designs. It is indeed an exciting way to prepare you for what is to come in this wonderful series of short films from Japan. Though, it is fitting at the same time as they all carry a rare and distinct voice, thus becoming a worthwhile expedition into the realm of contemporary cinema, ranging from genres of science fiction to obscure comedy to arthouse drama. This collection introduces us to some of Japan's most promising modern filmmakers.

THE MESSENGER Written and Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura
Ryuhei Kitamura starts us off with THE MESSENGER, a very stylish and stirring story about an underworld boss who is visited by a mysterious woman known as The Messenger. Her supposed myth is that she is a voodoo assassin that curses men to death, but not all is what it seems as she uncovers a fateful secret about the life this particular boss lives. THE MESSENGER concentrates on atmosphere and dialogue and delivers a fantastic climax which includes the most unusual and coolest gun battle ever.

KENDAMA Directed by Tetuso Shinohara
Fujikara receives a kendama as a present from his boss after winning the company sumo tournament. At first glance, the kendama means nothing to him and hands it off to fellow worker, Akagi, apathetically. But when Fujiwara asks for it back, Akagi runs off and begins an afternoon chase that sends the kendama in the hands of another.... KENDAMA is very whacky indeed, a cute switcheroo adventure that has a very sweet message about relationship and love.

COLD SLEEP Written and Directed by George Ida
"Time to wake up" is heard in unison with the beating of a heart. The cold sleep machine opens and a confused man wakes up in a children's school house. As he stumbles his way through, blanket wrapped around him, he discovers that he is not alone, but with full grown adults dressed in childish costumes shooting at him with toy ray guns! COLD SLEEP, while silly at first, comes into rational fruition as the story unfolds flamboyantly and strangely in this humorous science fiction short.

PANDRA--HONG KONG LEG Written and directed by Rokuro Mochizuki
A woman scratches her toes relentlessly in the hot shower, feeling shame at the same time. It is this shame that leads her to a strange man that claims he will cure her of her secret itch. When the treatment comes in the form of a silent man in a box licking her toes, she becomes obsessed with who he is. Perhaps the strangest of the JAM FILMS shorts, Mochizuki does a fascinating job providing mood and tone for this almost Lynchian-like tale.

HIJIKI Written and directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Hijiki is a type of dried, black seaweed that is used in soups and other dishes. But what does it have to do with a criminal holding up a family of three? As HIJIKI begins, a disclaimer from the director appears to warn people of its unhappy ending. Yet, the films attitude is very surreal and almost comes off as a dark comedy at times. Though, it is very abundant in character development as they each preach about their lost dreams and ambitions and hope for a new life.

JUSTICE Written and directed by Isao Yukisada
An English speaking teacher is instructing his Japanese class about the Potsdam Declaration. As he paces around the classroom reciting the text off of his book, a few of the students are preoccupied by other things. One in particular stares out of the window and begins counting the snapping of the girl's gym tights during a track practice. Entertainingly edited and paced, Yukisada's use of a boy's appreciation for jiggling thighs and colorful tights as the main metaphor in his story is quite interesting indeed.

ARITA Written and directed by Shunji Iwai
ARITA is a short film told in pictures and in small moments. It is about a girl whose first friend is a small drawing named Arita, a cute nosed endearment she found everywhere. From her notebooks to her illustrations and school supplies, Arita appeared silently and still. Growing up with such a friend would raise questions and as she became older, she attempted to answer them. Iwai, one of Japan's most exciting directors, tells a beautiful and dream-like story through the precious eyes of Ryoko Hirosue. The heavenly tint of the picture and the serene piano playing makes ARITA easily an audience favorite.

On another day of cyber bike racing with Jazz, Nova fights and befriends Iron Surfer, a rock and jock, goggle wearing, red haired punk kid who ends up being a key figure in finding the man who killed Nova's father and becomes the love interest to Belle. Dark, an enigmatic figure and detective emerges and all it set loose on the table as an explosive special effects extravaganza hits the screen and becomes an all out martial arts fest driven by Corey Yuen's fight choreography and Andrew Lau's direction.

REVIEW
Sigh.

In many ways, I've avoided writing this review, avoided putting on the hate I have for this film. But at the same time, I wanted to avoid the praise I wanted to give to a film that sucks so bad and hurts so much that it's almost inexplicably cool.

Do you see my dilemma?

Could there be a movie that can be considered the worst film of all time, but also one of the most groundbreaking and interesting films to come out in a long while? I don't know. Maybe I'll be flamed for this, maybe not. Usually, I hate hating on a film as much as most people do. My general philosophy is that every film deserves to be seen, but as a critic, I have an obligation and job to save people's money, to save their hard earned cash and to preserve their waking hours from being wasted on films that could be considered a mockery to filmmaking. Not that "The Avenging Fist" is a mockery, but it's definitely a film that crashed and burned on hype, leaving an after rot of wreckage and despair. Though, much like Pandora's Box, there is a glimmer of hope, because of the high amount of invention and creativity that flows throughout this film.

I've always considered Andrew Lau as being the Jerry Bruckheimer of Hong Kong. He created the first event film with his smash hit "The Stormriders" and introduced Centro Digital and CGI to the world of Hong Kong Cinema. Since then, there have been a slew of films utilizing the new CGI craze, even Andrew Lau himself in his last few endeavors with "A Man Called Hero" and "The Duel." Even though his films have created a definite amount of income for one of Asia's most ambitious director, it seems that Lau continues to overflow his films with more of the same old thing. Though reinvention and ingenuity is a habitual fare for his films, he never learns nor attempts to fix the mistakes that flood his past films.

What ultimately fails "The Avenging Fist" as a film is that it lacks the humanity in its story, damaging the bind the audience may have on the main characters. The sense of tragedy is there by focusing on the development of Nova and his father, Thunder, but the other supporting characters lack any depth to truly be "supporting." The main evil force behind everything, Combat 21, is so excessive as a character, that it destroys every moment of coolness for its actor, Roy Cheung. Who, arguably, played the best villain in the "Young and Dangerous" series.

Lee-Hom Wang departs from being Aaron Kwok's sidekick from "China Strike Force" and jumps into the main lead of Nova. Being somewhat young and almost infantile for the counterpart role of Jin from "Tekken," he lacks the tragic aggression and fury that keeps him from being a true force on the screen. Wang doesn't do too terrible in the later parts of the film when he realizes the truth about his father, but it never surpasses the plateau of melodrama to be of any emotional worth. It's interesting to see though, that somewhere in the midst of all that hair and made up testosterone, lays an actor waiting to come out. For being a famous pop singer, the charisma and magnetism is there, but Wang is going to have to go through some bad roles before he can fully make the most of his favoring characteristics and attributes.

I may be bias with the inclusion of Kristy Yang (Belle) and Gigi Leung (Erika), since I'm in love with them and swear on my life that I will somehow be in bed with the both of them in the near, near, near future, but they played their roles remarkably. As in, being pretty and standing there smiling and looking ferociously hot. I hate to say it, but they were Lau's Barbie Dolls in the film. By dressing them up, and putting them in pretty poses, both Yang and Leung were just one dimensional love interests for both Stephen Fung's Iron Surfer and Wang's Nova respectively. I would have loved it to have Gigi Leung's character to have more insight and back story, since she didn't have any other connections to the storyline other than looking beautiful for Nova, but it's too bad she was wasted in this manner. Even Yang, who played the sister to Nova had some small moments of importance in the film, but ultimately was used as an instrument for unnecessary tragedy.

The main reason most people will want to watch this film will be the re-teaming of the dynamic duo, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. Sadly enough, both are used sparingly and almost ridiculously to satisfy the appetites of old school fans. In retrospect, Biao does some pretty impressive CGI fighting, but the silver mask on his face totally kills all expectations for his character. Why put a famous and very likeable star such as Biao in a pathetic role as Thunder when all you're going to do is cover up his face? Even Hung suffered from a terrible character design with the worst use of a trenchcoat matched with a silver, metal hat. The funniest part though, is the cameo role of Ekin Cheng who played Hung's slimmer self during the flashback scenes. It's almost too surreal.

The one saving grace for "The Avenging Fist," though, was the fact that it had Andrew Lau's signature direction all over it. With the sweeping camera movements and the stylish editing of the action and overall scope of the picture, Lau definitely does an amazing job at painting a portrait and creating new worlds of imagination and intensity. From the first shots of the film, you have a technopolis never before seen in any Asian film, filled with flying cars and skyscrapers that never seem to end, obviously paying homage's to Luc Besson's "The Fifth Element" and George Lucas's "The Phantom Menace." But what is most satisfying is the inventiveness and utilization of CGI special effects. For some, it may seem too much and in many ways, an overabundance of CGI can kill any form of real acting and drama from the picture, but can also become eye candy, filled with as much sugar to give cavities to your eyes for a long while.

For fans of "Tekken" out there, this is not a "Tekken" film. Due to the court battles, Lau and company had to remove all the references to the video game. Though some character designs may reflect players such as Jin and Hwoarrang, "The Avenging Fist" does not follow the storyline whatsoever. The film may seem more along the lines of "Star Wars" if anything from the obvious allusions that the film makes to the trilogy, but it ends up being a mess of everything that it never really contains an ounce of originality in its plot when it's attempting to separate itself from "Tekken."

In the end, the extremes of "The Avenging Fist" hurt it the most. The excess and surplus of special effects and CGI titivates the picture, but destroys almost all substance the film carries on its shoulders. It's almost as if the film was attempting to break through the flashy effects and gratuitous action and struggle as much as it can to show the world, that underneath the entire make up and gloss, lays some heart and emotion.

DVD
The DVD from Deltamac is a one-two punch of goodness because of its superior sound. I believe this one of the only handful of DVD's that has come out recently that has both Dolby Digital 6.1 EX and DTS 6.1 EX. If you have a great sound system attached to your television, turn it up, crank it up and you can definitely feel the awesome power that is "The Avenging Fist." The film comes widescreen with awesome clarity (dark in some cases), due to the fact that the film relies on a clear picture to deliver the visuals. The subtitles are a decent fare in English and Chinese along with the original Cantonese and added Mandarin track. Overall this edition is a pretty damn good one if you're interested in seeing this film.

Review: "I'd been having diarrhea since this morning, so I took a shit on my teacher's desk."

One student's statement uttered around the mid-point of Toshiaki Toyoda's "Blue Spring" goes as far as it needs to sum up the attitudes and actions of the student body at Asa High. Ruled more by an intense gang scale of authority than it is by the faculty (of which there is little present save occasional moments of adult degradation), The halls of Asa High reek of blood as thick as the layers of dark black spray paint that marks territory next to typically banal high school tags.

As Kujo (Ryuhei Matsuda) claps for the eighth time while balancing on the highest ledge possible, his place as "boss" is solidified, whether or not everyone else agrees with it or chooses to recognize it. Cue fast, energetic chords that wrap themselves around the scene and "Blue Spring" has already established a latex-tight focus from the audience, due mostly in part to its insistence not to waver from the principal players, resulting in a refreshingly linear ride that doesn't get bogged down in side-stories.

Youth loses itself to whatever, fades away with fleeting sports dreams or hopes of academic success dashed and climbs in the back seat with ambivalence and survival in a hierarchy with death at both the top and the bottom. Kujo is a wholly accepting character. Accepting of his position as boss as well as of his possibly futureless life, as a student in a violent position of leadership he's humorously enough the most indifferent. In an empty, cutthroat world, the only things that are remotely frightening are dreams, ambitions, goals, and more specifically, those who have them. Kujo himself is as stone-faced as possible, yet unafraid to admit, "People who know what they want, scare me".

School is shown from a few perspectives in "Blue Spring", but never as a tool for education, a mold for college and ultimately a career, or even as an escape from whatever mundane family situations the characters may carry on their shoulders. It's a venue for growing up too fast, and a scouting grounds for hard nosed yakuza seeking the newest rising stars fit to go to the Koshien of the crime underworld. Like "Fudoh: The New Generation", Toyoda's work is somewhat of a yakuza jr. tale. The comparisons stop there as it's good enough to get a general idea of what we're working with. "Blue Spring" isn't as sensationally violent, but doesn't end up being as much of a reprieve from reality either.

Ryuhei Matsuda is perfect as Kujo, and the rest of the cast fills everything out pretty nicely. Maybe it's his porcelain, ready-to-shatter face that creates the character. Playing opposite Matsuda as Kujo's best friend turned rival, Aoki, is Hirofumi Arai. Subservient heel for one portion, and challenging upstart the next, Arai nicely shows his eventual disdain for the lowly position under Kujo. One of the greatest saviors of this movie was the decision (conscious or not) to make sure these kids don't come off as screaming, whiney, angsty "Battle Royale II" rejects (The fact that it was pre-BRII notwithstanding). They dish out punishment and face it on the receiving end. There may be a busted jaw across the school floor, but at least no one's calling their mommy or delivering a pouty-lipped soliloquy over the whole ordeal. Roll with fate and stay under someone's foot forever, or more ideally, make it to the top or die trying.

Topping everything off is the music, which starts and ends the film on an equally sombre yet paradoxically energetic note. Thee Michelle Gun Elephant does for "Blue Spring"s temperamental underage yakuza rage what The Pillows did for Gainax's wide-eyed frenetic anime "FLCL". It musically expresses a lot of the feelings and atmosphere that's projected by the movie itself, and in no uncertain terms does it rock the balls off the walls.

Without having read the Taiyo Matsumoto (of the equally spirited and dark manga Black and White, previously released in the states in PULP magazine) manga to compare the movie adaptation to, it's impossible to say how faithful Toyoda's work is. Either way, "Blue Spring" stands on its own as an entertaining and at times equally dark and beautiful piece of cinema, definitely worth watching.

Review: xForced into the ranks with the many successful contemporary Asian horror films, The Uninvited attempts to bring a different approach to a genre that has begun to grow soggy with the over-saturation of ghastly phone calls, cursed video tapes, and undying grudges. Where its peers have taken the route of the full-on scare, The Uninvited opts for a more psychological journey where the frights take the form of character revelations, making it more dramatic than horrific. When dealing with the supernatural, a film of this sort must rely on either abundant scares, or atmosphere and interesting characters. Fortunately, since its scares are more subtle and greatly spaced apart, the creators of The Uninvited acknowledge this necessity, by presenting the viewer with a plot that is fairly fascinating, despite some dragging through the middle, and central characters who are sufficiently played as to properly convey the haunting theme of the story.

The plot of this film is often at the mercy of scenes that both haunt and bewilder. Fortunately, the digressive pacing of the film is made more tolerable when viewed through the eyes of Jung-Won. We experience the same confusion, fear, and depression that he does, enabling us to better understand the man and the situation. While Shin-yang Park’s performance is in no way award winning, he does an adequate job of delivering when necessary. The cornerstone of his performance is undoubtedly found in his interaction with the characters around him, namely that of Yun. Fans the world over were undoubtedly aquiver with anticipation over the announcement of International superstar Jun Ji-Hyun’s next project. Perhaps fifty percent of that same crowd found their enthusiasm subsiding though, when it was revealed that the picture would be billed as a supernatural horror film. It is also probably safe to say that the remaining fifty percent, after seeing the film, lost their excitement as well when the realization set in that The Uninvited was neither a horror film, nor a predictable follow-up to its sassy predecessor. Now with that knowledge in mind, the viewer is more likely to free himself up for a far more rewarding experience. No, we unfortunately do not get to see our spunky leading lady smacking the love out of her clueless beau; and in all actuality, Jun Ji-Hyun’s performance in The Uninvited would probably be best described as “The Ultra Depressing Adventures of the Not-so-sassy-girl”, as her delivery is dark and lifeless at times. Fortunately though, a film of this variety calls for just such a portrayal, and our South Korean sweetheart delivers her spades by the melancholy truckload. Laden with despair, Jun Ji-Hyun’s role as the vulnerable enigma definitely brings to the picture a certain value, even if that value is based on star power.

Good intentions and sassy girls aside, the film does suffer from some horrible pacing at times, and could have really used a script revision or a more meticulous editor. If a film is going to be an excess of two hours, it should be continually engrossing throughout. Unfortunately, with The Uninvited we see multiple cases where a scene is long in the tooth for the sake of getting a point across or hammering home an idea. Sparingly, this method of story telling is acceptable if not welcome, but when the entire film is built upon a slow burn, you are likely to lose some viewers along the way.

As for the visual aspect, atmosphere is the name of this game. The cinematographer breathes life into his landscape using a palette of washed out hues and dismal textures that effortlessly conjure some of the bleakest emotions to come out of South Korean cinema to date. If you are the type of person who enjoys a rich sense of dark atmosphere in your drama, then you might be able stay afloat during the slower moments based solely on that.

All in all, this film will definitely find mixed emotions from all types of viewers. Some will be able to enjoy its lavishly grim atmosphere, deliberate pacing, and scattered sense of story telling, while others will not be able to get past the slow delivery, occasionally wooden performances, and depressing subject matter. Either way, it is a film that deserves to be seen before judged.

Review: By 1995, Jet Li and Tsui Hark had gone their separate ways, and the ‘Once Upon a Time In China’ series had been handed over to a new star and director. Wong Fei Hung was a real person and not a copyrighted fictional character, so Jet Li produced this movie himself, employing the inconstant talents of Wong Jing as director. While very different in tone to Tsui Hark’s vision, ‘Last Hero In China’ can be considered an unofficial addition to the OUATIC series of movies which succeeds in being very entertaining, despite it’s dishonourable intentions.

In the OUATIC movies, Wong Fei Hung (as a metaphor for China itself) has to adapt to the strange, alien ways of foreigners. In ‘Last Hero In China’, Wong Fei Hung (as a metaphor for the director himself) has to adapt to the strange, alien ways of women. Wong Fei Hung is portrayed as quite misogynistic, spouting such classic quotes as ‘They dress so little and are look bitchy’. Even Aunt Yee is absent from this interpretation of the legend, leaving a largely male cast to slow the plot down and wallow in boob gags, anti-gay humour, cross dressing, and fart jokes. Despite it’s low brow, broad humour, it’s usually quite funny, and one fart gag in particular is so obvious that you wonder why you haven’t seen it before.

So far, you are probably wondering how this movie qualifies as a Wong Fei Hung film. Well, all the series staples are present and correct. The action revolves around Po Chi Lam, where our hero spends his time tutoring his students, including Buck Tooth So (but no Butcher Lam, for some reason). There are loads of kung fu fights, a few lion dances, suspicious Europeans plotting to exploit the locals, and the classic Wong Fei Hung theme. What really clenches it is the inclusion of Jet Li himself, and he is on top form, guided by action choreography of Yuen Wo Ping, as long as you don’t mind wirework and under-cranking. Li performs Fei Hung’s signature moves, including the ‘No Shadow Kick’, and for the finale, goes into a glorious bout of Drunken Boxing, just like Jackie Chan’s portrayal of the hero in ‘Drunken Master’ (same action choreographer, you see). Infamously, he also goes into battle dressed as a big red chicken. It makes sense in the film. Nearly.

Worth considerable note is the presence of former Shaw Brothers star Gordon Liu as the maniacal head of an evil cult. Oddly, he looks older and porkier than in this year’s ‘Kill Bill’, who has a decent fight or two, and spends a lot of time flying around in a lotus shaped lantern throwing an iron claw at people (a supernatural power never explained).

‘Last Hero In China’ shouldn’t work, but somehow this rapid fire fun gun of a film manages to hit the target.. It’s slightly reminiscent of Jackie Chan’s ‘City Hunter’ because, like Chan, Jet Li teamed up with Wong Jing to play an established character, and make an extremely sexist and silly film which splits opinion down the middle. You are either going to love or hate ‘Last Hero In China’, but this reviewer loved it, even with it’s chicken costume on.

Review: Chinese Ghost Story is one film that has a special place in my heart, in fact this is the very first asian movie that I have ever seen. It was years and years ago, long before I knew anything of asian cinema or culture. I was surfing through the channels and came upon this weird movie where this samurai looking guy was shooting fireballs from his hands and slicing up undead and soon after followed by giant evil tongues and sexy Chinese ghost ladies. In a word I was in awe, I had never seen anything quite like it. This was a world apart from conventional north American cinema and perhaps that was the appeal, something completely different.

It would be only years later that I would have the chance to see this movie in its entirety and I enjoyed it as much as the very first time that I caught this movie in the middle. Being an older movie the special effects and the overall look of this film pretty much borders the cheesy factor and this may put off certain viewers who are more used to the modern day state of the art cinema but personally I believe it is that cheesy quality that gives this movie its charm. As I’ve long said it is not the overall visual aspect that will give a movie its soul but good characters, a good story and the resulting on screen chemistry is what give a movie soul.

Chinese Ghost Story manages to have a bit of everything in it, swordplay action with some horror-esque elements along with a love story and some Chinese humor that comes off a little strange; I still don’t get half the jokes. These story genres are well blended together and non really take the forefront, a mixture of a ghost story and love story that works well together. The development and the pace of the story is great, all elements simply fall into place and everything is easy to understand and enjoy.

The characters also play an important role in making this movie as good as it is. You have the young and naïve tax collector that gets involved in this crazy story by pure misfortune, he makes for an unusual central / hero character. Then you have the Taoist swordsmen which is by far the coolest character in this movie, his Taoist magic and swordplay steals the show, it’s a pleasure to watch him kick undead ass and get our lost hero out of trouble. Then there is the ghost, the love interest of our hero, she is the innocent girl stuck in a bad situation. She is not really evil but she is forced to commit terrible acts, unfortunately for her she falls for the hero and is unable to do what she must putting her in great danger. As for the villain it seems to be some sort of cross dressing monster, nothing exciting but it gets the job done for the bad guy role.

Another element of this movie that I really enjoyed was the stormy nighttime scenery; being a ghost story much of the film takes place at night of course. Many of those scenes have a stormy feel to it, leaves and stuff flying all about and trees shaking and what not. It may not look realistic but I find it really provides the proper ambience. I always liked the blue nighttime filming of these over fantasy swordplay movies of this time period, once again it’s the charm element or am I just being nostalgic.

Chinese Ghost Story should not put you off because it is an older film, it is very much of a classic. Be prepared to not see state of the art special effects and enjoy the movie for its good story elements but then you may just consider plastic stop motion undead and an evil giant tongue that attacks people as bonus. Seriously Chinese Ghost Story is worth a try and if your familiar with old HK fantasy swordplay movies like swordsman or bride with white hair I am sure Chinese Ghost Story will very much be your cup of tea.

The most charming film I've seen all year comes in the form of Hiroyuki Nakano's "Stereo Future." This romantic comedy is a smoothie blend of adrenaline and sheer wit, foaming at the top, and spilling over in an almost Parker Posey like fashion. It's a unique ensemble driven comedy that plays off itself in interesting and creative ways and is motivated by a very Earthly, Pro-Environmental theme and message.

Review: In Nakano's last outing with the amazing and very underrated "Samurai Fiction," he gave us a hip mix of equal parts Akira Kurasawa and Doug Limon in a Tomoyasu Hotei infused rock and roll paced epic. While most people dismissed it as a samurai parody rather than a comedy within the backdrops of feudal Japan, it's only now that many are discovering this fresh new director whose prolific music video resume includes the infamous club video "Groove is in the Heart" by Dee-Lite and the rock hit from Glay, "Be with you."

The sequel to "Samurai Fiction" is an even more ambitious film as his sophomore installment to the "SF" series. Taglined as "Episode 2002," "Stereo Future" is probably one of the most fun you'll have watching a film of this caliber all year. I have to admit, I was smiling all throughout the film because it was simply so fresh and beautiful and carried itself on an aloha wave of enthusiasm and optimism.

The cast definitely does a lot to help out "Stereo Future," though. Even with its great story and humor, the cast played itself well beyond the needs of the film. There was a certain element of class with each character and their delivery that ranges from outrageousness to absolutely adorable and cute.

My favorite parts of the film were the two female characters of Eri Momosaki (Akiko Monou) and Mika (Kumiko Aso.) While Monou was credited among the cast of "Samurai Fiction," it was pretty difficult to notice her as the Ninja Akakage. But in "Stereo Future," Nakano gave her the role of the female lead and she absolutely shines in the brightest of ways. Her profile on the train to the delightful and endearing flashback of Keisuke taking pictures of her in his apartment can totally make you fall in love with her in more ways than many. This is probably why the cover of "Stereo Future" has her profile holding an orange.

Kumiko Aso's role of Mika is a double whammy of cuteness as the second love interest to Keisuke as the lead actress on the set of film he's in. In one particular scene, we have a slightly beaten up Keisuke sitting on the stairs trying to take care of a nosebleed and Mika walks on up and puts a piece of tissue to his nose to stop the bleeding. As opposed to having the characters nose bleed when he's horny around a attractive girl, Nakano sets up this scenario to make fun of it. It's this type of subtle humor and play on Japanese culture that gives "Stereo Future" its more engaging and sweet qualities.

But the true driving force of the film is Masatoshi Nagase's role of Keisuke Katsura. With his forlorn face and his stereotypically Japanese gesticulations, he becomes more than just his comic character, but a representation of the overall premise of the film; a character of seasons that is slowly dying inside when he's not cultivating himself in his acting or being true to himself in life. Eri represents the sun in his life that he's willing to do anything in order to make her smile and lay upon him the rays of her aura and beauty. And even through all of this, everything comes winding down in a beautiful state as he does his best impersonation of Bruce Lee!

Running simultaneously with the filming of the most craziest, funniest samurai film ever, "Stereo Future's" present day mischief and mayhem is a cast full of eccentrics and hopefuls, living life fast and downright delirious. Hiroyuki Nakano's "Stereo Future" is hilarious, beautiful and quite possibly going to be my favorite film of 2002 (released in 2001) and it's still just January!

"Rainbow is Love"

Review: Directed by director Hiroyuki Nakano who was the mastermind behind the classic “Samurai Fiction,” Nakano gives his camera lens another go and tries to bring us something new in the form of his second feature film “Red Shadow.” Going for something new in the ninja genre, we are treated to hip-hop ninjas. Yeah, that's right, hip-hop ninjas! Sounds crazy, and I'm not saying it's not, but I thought it worked out perfectly fine in the end. Red Shadow is basically a ninja movie revamped for the new millennia, and like most movies remade for a new audience, this is follows suit as well. Incorporating nifty new gadgets, CG enhanced scenes and a rockin' hip-hoppish/techno soundtrack, Nakano takes the age old Ninja movie to new heights.

Red Shadow follows the tale of three ninjas brought up from a young age to carry out missions in the name of the empire. The movie takes place in the year 1545 during the Warring States Period. The Kageichi clan who these three are brought up in are known for the Heavenly Steel that they found in a meteor now are under the rule of Lord Togo who give them orders to carry out. Ranging from smaller missions like stopping a general from sending out his troops to much grander missions, the Akakage, Aokage, and Asuka bravely take on formidable forces under the cover of the night. There place in life is to live and die in the shadows. However when Asuka is fatally injured in a mission, Aokage contemplates his life as a ninja and disbands the childhood group. Going on with their lives, they split and go their separate ways. However as the master of the Kyogoku clan passes away in a web of conspiracy, Akakage is caught up in the life of the heir to the throne, Princess Koto. Now working as Princess Koto's personal bodyguard, he is brought further into the web of lies and treachery of the Kyogoku and the puppet masters controlling it all. It is on one fateful night that Akakage and Aokage are destined to meet each other once again, and lead the fight to save Princess Koto and the kingdom of Kyogoku.

How does this new rendition of the ninja genre fare? On paper and storyboards, I think it probably looked and sounded much better than the final outcome we have here in Red Shadow. Typically, ninja films stick to the stigma of being dark and gritty with buckets of blood. With this movie, we're treated to colorful and bloodless fights. With all the visual panache, it really doesn't work out that great as Nakano had hoped. Maybe for him, but it didn't do much for me. Effects such as ninja stars, sparks, flips, and a couple of other things looked a little too noticeable and don't help in bringing all the content together for one cohesive visual experience. Had the effects team worked on this a little more, the movie could stand a chance of being much more than what we're given in the final product. Some nice camera angles here and there serve to give a look of originality, and that helps this one stay afloat a bit. Another gripe I had with is the overall flow of the movie. In the beginning, the film is very lighthearted and there's a bunch of jokes that made me laugh out loud. The characters were constantly engaged in silly situations, one after another. If, and only if this same feeling had been kept for the duration of the entire movie, the movie would have been stronger. However, Red Shadow changes the mood and feels at almost a blink of an eye's timespan. One minute it's a comedy flick, and the next it's a drama with some action scenes mixed in to break up the monotony and serves to push the story forward.

Overall, I suppose this was an entertaining flick. It's purely meant for entertainment purposes only and to just take everything as is with a grain of salt. It's a fun movie, and that's all there is to it. I only wished the movie could have been more solid effect-wise and made up its mind what kind of movie it wanted to be.