If you ever decide to check this movie out, try not to watch it back-to-back with any other martial arts movies. If you do, Black Belt will expose just how light, unrealistic and cartoony those titles really are - all 95% of them.

If you’re looking for some over-the-top Tony Jaa/Jackie Chan/Jet Li type stuff, you won’t find it here. There are no guys flying around on wires, nobody flipping around on moving vehicles, and not a single elephant to walk on; the choreography in Black Belt consists of fights, which appear to be as natural and realistic as they possibly could for the camera. As cut and dry as the sequences are - which is not to say they’re not technical - they’re very intense.

The non-action segments of the film are simple and straightforward. I’m not the biggest Japanese film connoisseur, but a similar film that comes to mind would be Kitano Takeshi’s Hana-Bi (aka Fireworks). They both have a calm, somewhat generic, but beautiful, feel to them. But low and behold, when it’s time for some violence, the viewer WILL notice.

One thing’s for sure, that scene in Fists of Fury - where Bruce Lee walks into a dojo full of karate men and kicks their asses with no problem - will never feel the same again.

Martial arts movies aren't supposed to be this good.

Soon after the events of the attack, Hung Hze-Kwan flees to Canton where he marries the girl of his dreams (Lily Li), and the two have a baby boy named Wen-Ding (Hsiao Hou). In between being a family man, Hung Hze-Kwan begins his Tiger Syle training and practices it for 10 long years.

Thinking he’s ready to take on Pai Mei, he heads over to his temple and prepares for the ultimate battle. To make a long story short, Hung Hze-Kwan loses. However, he gains more knowledge about his weakness, and observes that you have to hit certain areas, at certain times, in order to defeat him.

I first saw Executioners From Shaolin about 20 years ago. It was the dubbed, panned & scanned VHS version. The film stayed fresh in my mind throughout the years, but what really stuck in my head was how it broke the usual kung fu film mold: intead of your typical ‘train, then take on the main bad guy and win’ routine, we get a ‘train, then take on the bad guy, lose, train again, take on the bad guy again, then uh oh...’ followed by -- ‘a different guy trains, with a different approach, then takes on the bad guy’... It’s a long and winding process, but you know what, it’s entertaining the whole way through.

I’m not sure if I can put the brilliance of Liu Chia-Liang’s filmmaking into words: You have the well-configured choreography, crazy techniques (what’s up with Pai Mei’s crotch hold?) and inventive training devices (I don’t know about you, but I never saw a training dummy filled with moving-metal balls in Black Belt Magazine) - not to mention slick production values - which is a norm for most Shaw Brothers flicks.

Then you have the pre-credit sequence... actually, no, it’s a fight scene that plays during the credit sequence. How cool is that? You get to see who’s in the movie while there’s some chunky action going on. James Bond flicks don’t give you that.

Lo Lei’s portrayal of the indestructible Pai Mei became such a popular villain amongst fans, that the character was resurrected various times, in some way or another, in a handful of films - most notably in Fist of the White Lotus (where he's called 'White Lotus'). Pai Mei even appears in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 2, where he's played by Gordon Liu.

If you’re looking for a straight up kung fu flick with no bullshit, it doesn’t get any better than this. Yeah, some people will say it’s slow, dull or whatever; only someone who owns the Criterion Collection DVD of Armageddon would be dumb enough to say something like that.

Executioners From Shaolin is a must see.

Everything I said then about Jaa rings even more true NOW with his latest release of Ong Bak 2. This is his directorial debut and you can see such a difference with his last films and this one. Specifically, the other films had an observant, tripod, watch-the-stunts-on-film feel to it. Much like all of Jackie Chan's films. In Ong Bak 2, Jaa shows style, visuals, flashbacks, themes, he shows it all. Everything you see on the screen has a purpose.

The story has a similar theme, young boy trained in the martial arts. But this film adds a Soap opera feel to it, keeping you involved in the story as it is revealed to you parts at a time. And involves the history and motivations of not just the main actor, but the supporting actors and villains as well. And it doesn't drag.

There is no one who can touch Jaa. The actions is SPECTACULAR! Of 90 minutes. There is 30 minutes story, 60 minutes action. He shows the martial arts on film in a way not seen since Chang Cheh and Shaw Brothers film of the 70s. There is even a 11-second one take fight scene. Over 10 different weapons, 8 different styles you can see he poured his heart into this one. Grouping a few scenes together, I'd even say it is borderline X-Rated violence. Definitely R.

If there were any debates that Jet or Jackie was the next Bruce Lee. Then you gotta give Jaa his props. He pays an homage to Jackie Chan's drunken master and crushes Chan's performance. One scene that impressed me was his Kung Fu Fist and Muy Thai fist vs 2 opponents. He switches styles back and forth throughout the fight.

Other elements, the music score is really fitting. Head banging right along with the action. Even the Koon dance, that I thought would be a drag, they scored it just right and was great to see. Cinematography, thankfully, the camera pulls back and doesn't chop up the acting or the fighting.

Proper martial art film - it's the hard, raw, kick ass ma film we have been waiting for since the days of Bruce Lee. - Kioko, cityonfire.com

"The Chaser" is about an ex-cop turned pimp (yes, you read that right) who realizes his "bitches" are sporadically disappearing one by one. He backtracks through his paperwork and figures out that the latest missing girl was sent to the same guy the previous missing victim was sent to.

That's basically all I'm going to tell you about the plot. Telling you any more would be too much typing for my lazy ass; more importantly, I'll probably give too much away in the process.

"The Chaser" is director Na Hong-Jin's first full-length feature film (prior to this, he received some buzz for some short film he made). I like his directing style and his approach to storytelling. He's a director with balls and not some lame filmmaker who has to reference the feel of Hollywood movies to please the mass audience. I'll definitely be keeping a close eye out for his work.

Both the lead actors (Yun-seok Kim and Jung-woo Ha) put on amazing performances. I could tell you right now that Yun-seok Kim is special. He's got that certain something about him. He’s one of those cool Asian cats that you just love seeing on screen. You know, another Chow Yun Fat, Song Kang-Ho, Lau Ching Wan or Tony Leung... get my drift? I really should get off my ass and seek out more of his films.

"The Chaser" is entertaining as hell. Paced just right. It’s brutal, dark, funny, bloody and beautiful. The best flick I’ve seen this year. Period.

No, it's difficult to review solely because of the fact that any little bit that's revealed about the movie kind of spoils the fun of it.

The only thing that you need to know about the film's plot is that Oh Dae-Su gets locked up somewhere for 15 years. Upon completion of said incarceration, he is released and left to his own devices to determine who did it and why.

The movie has cemented my adoration of Park Chan-Wook and his output to date. From Joint Security Area, to Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, through to Oldboy, he never ceases to amaze me with his films - simply because after viewing each film, I can't stop thinking about them.

Case in point - I watched Oldboy about a month ago and still find myself thinking about all the intricate twists and turns that befall the protagonist of Oh Dae-Su. I lent the movie to a co-worker of mine who watched it with his girlfriend one weekend - he, too, couldn't stop thinking about the movie afterwards. My father also watched it with my mother - again, the same result.

I'm beginning to sound like a raving idiot but I'm being completely serious here. I really felt that viewing Oldboy was quite an experience, resulting in this movie landing firmly in any list of my all-time favourite films. However, you should be fairly warned - the movie was very disturbing. If news about an American remake of the film really do bear fruit, I can only imagine how watered-down it will turn out to be.

I conclude this half-assed review of Oldboy by telling you that my mother now thinks that I'm a fucking nutter for lending my dad the movie. With praise like that, you can't go wrong with this film. - Owlman

As expected, the cinematography and music are absolutely outstanding, and the entire film is, without a doubt, a technical marvel. However, the pace is at times, a little slow, and admittedly, Tony Leung's Chow Mo Wan is one of Mr. Wong's least likable lead characters (very different from the Chow Mo Wan of In the Mood For Love, although the differing characterization makes sense from a story standpoint).

For me, it's probably one of my least favorite Wong Kar Wai movies, but that really doesn't mean anything, considering I've loved every single one I've seen up to this point. There's really nothing particularly better or worse about 2046, and I'm sure someone will find this to be their favorite, depending on what they take from the experience. In any case, it's not to be missed. - Iuxion

In The Mood For Love: Exquisite. From the lush hues of the set design, to Maggie Cheung's seemingly infinite supply of cheongsams, to Shigeru Umegayashi's haunting music, to Tony Leung's performance, to Wong Kar Wai's direction--everything about "In the Mood For Love" is exquisite. And while I've praised the beauty of a film's cinematography ("House of Flying Daggers"); the beauty of its performers ("Hero"); the beauty of its performances ("Oasis"); and the beauty of its story ("Il Mare"); I've yet to see a film that was completely beautiful, from the costuming to the acting to the direction to the story to the score. Simply, "In the Mood For Love" is the most beautiful movie I have ever seen. - Alexander

For those of you who still question Tsui Hark's abilities as a storyteller/filmmaker, I highly suggest hunting down this unforgettably disturbing piece, which is dark and nihilistic to the utmost extreme. From the horrific opening images (containing a scene of animal cruelty which would undoubtebly incite protests from animal rights activists in the states) to the carnage-filled finale, it is quite obvious that Dangerous Encounters was extracted from the mind of an angry individual.

According to Dangerous Encounters, the world is a festering shithole deprived of any modicum of goodness and humanity. This barren wasteland is clearly represented by the characters of the story, who are distanced from any positive traits whatsoever. The 3 teenagers are foolish creatins who show no regard for anyone but themselves. This is effectively conveyed in a scene in which they casually dismiss a child's gravestone. The American mercenaries, in the mean time, are blood thirsty savages who are willing to spill buckets of blood in order to get what they want. And let's not forget the main character (effectively portrayed by cute actress Lin Ching-chi, who is anything but in this film); a mentally disturbed teenage girl who spends her leisure time driving needles into the brains of helpless mice, among other sadistic shortcomings to numerous to detail in a single film review.

With a seemingly unlimited amount of stage blood, Tsui and action director Ching Siu-tung (who collaborated for the first time on this project) utilize experimental camera angles, expert editing, gloomy lighting techniques, and old fashioned ingenuity to craft some impressive action/suspense sequences. The finale, pitting the heavily armed American mercenaries versus the hapless teenagers in a cemetary, is one of the most intense setpieces Tsui has ever committed to film.

Not surprisingly, Dangerous Encounters ran into trouble with the Hong Kong censors (but mostly for political content). After extensive editing, the film was released, and predictably failed at the box office. Tsui Hark followed up Dangerous Encounters with the commercially successful All the Wrong Clues....For the Right Solutions, which is the antithesis of Dangerous Encounters in every sense of the word.

Tsui Hark has built quite a prolific filmography in the years to come, but it is unlikely that he would have the balls to make a film like this ever again.

Notes of interest: Finding a decent copy of Dangerous Encounters can be quite the task. Mei Ah did issue a laserdisc edition a while back, but it is of course out of print and nearly impossible to find. A European VHS edition (the version I saw) is more readily accessible, but it is cropped, dubbed in English, and subtitled in what appears to be German. Although it obviously isn't an ideal release, the film itself still packs quite a punch. Finally, a letterboxed DVD was released in Japan, but it has no English subtitles.

- Political activist/prolific producer/Lucky Star John Sham Kin-fun has a minor role in the film as a cop. Also worth noting is actor Ray Lui (most famous for his role opposite Chow Yun-fat in the Shanghai Beach (aka The Bund) TV series), who also appears as a cop. Tsui Hark himself makes a brief appearance (still boasting the trademark goatee) as a men's room attendant.

-The music in Dangerous Encounters consists entirely of cues from stolen sources. According to John Charles in his book, The Hong Kong Filmography (p 203), the music is derived from sources such as Dawn of the Dead and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (!?). In addition, I recognized bits and pieces stolen from the soundtrack to Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury. - Vic Nguyen

I first saw this movie on a local channel when I was a kid. It blew my mind and I knew I was witnessing something special. I saw it again years and years later; in fact, I know exactly when it was: Summer of 1992. It was on the USA Network on a Saturday afternoon, and I remember my Mom came into the living room, right at the part when Shao Tien-Hao's about to take care of a little "Nuisance," and my Mom said, "What in the hell are you watching?" She said it more in horror than annoyance, because it's a pretty shocking scene: something you won't see the normal Hollywood hero do, that's for sure.

The movie already had great importance to me, but it rocketed into the mythic stratosphere just a few months later, when I entered college and met a guy who loved the movie as much as I did. But the important fact was that he had a copy of the original US video release, which was, cue fanfare, UNCUT. In fact this movie was partly responsible for the friendship between me and this guy, Ken, a friendship which continues to this day. So that's just one of the many reasons I'm such an admirer of this cinematic tour de force of violence, heroic sacrifice, and "forced prostitution."

I'll usually complain if a movie has too much action and too little story, and it's true that Five Element Ninja (or as I'll probably always call it, Super Ninjas) is mostly action. But when it's done this well, when the movie's this cool, who really cares? If you want crackerjack kung-fu choreography, bizarre yet deadly weaponry, cool characters in cool costumes, sexy ninja chicks in fishnet stockings, and warriors tripping over their own intestines, then boy do I have the movie for you.

Cheng Tien-Chi stars as Shao Tien-Hao, a cocky young kung-fu whiz kid. We really don't get to meet him for a while, though; instead, the opening half of the movie concerns a sparring match between Shao's school and a rival school. Things don't go so well for the rival school; even their guest fighter, a samurai, is defeated. The samurai calls in his ninja pals right before slicing open his own stomach. Eventually the ninjas issue a challenge to Shao's school. Their teacher, who's lost his kung-fu due to a poisoned dart the samurai threw at him right before committing suicide, sends off several of his best students, but keeps Shao and Chi Shang (portrayed by Venom Lo Meng) by his side.

Shao's schoolmates are slaughtered by the ninjas. There's no other word for it. Representing each of the five elements, there's the water ninjas, who come out of the water, the fire ninjas, who use fire and smoke tactics, the earth ninjas, who erupt out of the ground, the gold ninjas, who blind their opponents with their golden shields, and the wood ninjas, who hide inside of trees. During this long battle sequence the movie offers many grisly moments, with the aforementioned intestine-tripping, multiple hackings and dismemberings, and even (in the uncut version) a quick glimpse of a female fire ninja's breasts.

The ninja leader then sends in female ninja Senshi to gather information on Shao's school. Cozying up with the gullible Chi Shang, she successfully gathers enough details for the ninjas to mount a nighttime assault. This leads to the destruction of the school, the murder of the teacher and Chi Shang, and the capture of Shao. He's able to escape, due to a lesson he once received from an elderly Chinese ninja master. Shao finds this old man and learns the ninja arts. Eventually he's able to issue his own challenge to the ninjas, he and his three new brothers meeting each group and kicking ass. Along the way he settles his score with Senshi ("I was right. WAS I right?"), wastes tons of ninjas, and gains his vengeance.

The fighting in this movie is great across the board. It's one of the few kung-fu movies you could watch over and over, and never get bored. The Venoms movies can be seen as the peak of the Shaw Brothers kung-fu flicks, but sometimes their choreography was a bit too "hey, look at me!" sort of stuff. Five Element Ninja has acrobatic leaps and kicks and punches, just like the Venoms, but it's all certainly more hard-hitting. Weapons fighting takes predominance over kung-fu, but this isn't your typical swordplay movie at all. The choreography is flawless and shows off the obvious skill of the performers.

I have a feeling that if the Shaw Brothers had continued making films, the actors in this movie would have gone on to become Chang Cheh's "New Venoms." Most of them had already appeared in the final Venoms movie, House of Traps, but here they get a chance to shine on their own. In particular I've always liked lead actor Cheng Tien-Chi, who seems to me like the "Voltron Venom." If all the other Venoms combined, he would be the result: he's got the lead-actor qualities of Kuo Choi, the on-screen charisma of Lo Meng, the comedic talents of Chiang Sheng, the weapons mastery of Lu Feng, and the kicking ability of Sun Chien. I wish he'd made more movies, but he faded along with the Shaw Brothers moviemaking empire. A footnote to the Cheng Tien-Chi story is that he was good friends with Venom Chiang Sheng; it was Cheng Tien-Chi who discovered Chiang's body, dead from a heart attack, in 1991.

The other actors who stand out for me are the mustached Tien Hsiang-Lung as Brother Li, who makes a lone stand against the fire ninjas, the evil ninja leader Chin Tien-Chun, played by Chan Wai-Man (who'd been appearing in Shaws movies for at least a decade), and the three brothers who join Shao's cause. Then of course there's Lo Meng, who'd quit the Venoms crew years before, but stayed with the Shaws until the very end. He's always been one of my favorites. According to his biography on the new Celestial DVD release of Five Venoms, Lo's a TV star in Hong Kong these days, and lately he's been attempting to refashion his image as a comedic performer!

The pacing of the narrative is perfect. You might think this is just a schlocky fight-fest, but there's emotional content here. In fact, the ending gets me every time. Seeing the punishment the ninja leader puts his three new brothers through, Shao realizes what he must do. His final mad dash toward the leader, as various clips from the film flash before his eyes, is to me one of the many highlights of the movie.

This film is one of Chang Cheh's best, even if the sets are a bit cheap-looking (at one point you can see paint bubbles in the sky), and the costumes at times are too outrageous. (I don't know too many ninjas who would wear bright gold costumes, and believe you me, I know lots of ninjas.) In some ways, Five Element Ninja can be seen as an ultraviolent combination of Chang's earlier, more artsy (but bloody) movies and his later kung-fu fests. It's unfortunate that this was his last movie to make any impact, but at the same time, it's fitting.

I could go on and on, make this review epic length, but I'm trying to hold myself back. Hopefully I've managed to convey my enthusiasm. You know how sometimes you'll be watching a movie, and you'll wonder, "wouldn't it be cool if?" Like, "Wouldn't it be cool if ninjas erupted out of the ground?" Or, "Wouldn't it be cool if that dude killed himself with an axe?" Or, "Wouldn't it be cool if they fucking ripped the main villain in half?" Well, Five Element Ninja meets and exceeds your every "wouldn't it be cool if" wish.

As a final word, I advise all to out the Panmedia-released, uncut DVD of this film, which is generally listed as "Chinese Super Ninjas uncut." It's just a bootleg dub of a video, much like the NS DVD version you can find in stores is a bootleg dub of a video, but whereas the NS release is sourced from an edited version, the Panmedia disc is truly uncut, as it's taken from the original US video release. The same version my pal Ken showed me, all those years ago. And then when Celestial finally gets with it and releases the remastered version on DVD, buy that one, too. You'll want both. I'm dreaming of the day when Celestial releases this movie, but dreading it, too. Because I'm so familiar with the English dub (I could quote lines from it all day and not get bored), it's going to be hard getting used to everyone speaking in Mandarin. But, just to see this movie in widescreen, I can deal with that, no problem.

If I had to make a list of my top five favorite Shaw Brothers movies, Five Element Ninja would rank in the number one position. That's about the highest praise I can give it. I'm patiently awaiting the Celestial release. (By "patiently," I mean I'm kicking puppies every chance I get.)

Okay, I'll limit myself to just one more of my favorite lines in the English dub: "Look at this one! His GUTS are all over!" - Joe909

Here's the basic plot without any spoilers (promise): Two dorks (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Ronald Wong) decide to rob a bank. Things start to go wrong and they find themselves trapped inside surrounded by an army of Hong Kong policemen. To make matter worse, one of the hostages turns out to be a ruthless murderer (Ti Lung) who ultimately takes over the whole situation with his own personal motives.

If you want to see John Woo-type shoot em' ups (forgive me for using that cliche bullshit line), or any sort of action, you'll be disappointed. If you're a fan of slick entertainment, great dialogue, and want to see one of Hong Kong's best kept cinematic secrets, then, by all means, watch this film.

The performances are stellar. It's great to see a young Tony Leung Chiu-Wai in action. Even back then, the guy was just as intense and charismatic as he is today. Same goes for Shaw Veteran Ti Lung and to a lesser extent, Tony Leung Ka-Fai (who plays a negotiating cop), since he doesn't have any major scenes that really stand out. It's not surprising that People's Hero won a couple of Hong Kong film awards for Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Elaine Kam's acting.

And remember, whether you loved or hated, watched or didn't watch - or even thought Dog Day Afternoon was just "okay" - I still highly recommend People's Hero.

Oh, and to all you whiny "Hollywood-Likes-To-Steal-From-Asian-Movies" assholes? I give this Asian "copycat" film a perfect 10. So, uh, fuck off. Originality isn't what makes a great movie, it's the filmmaker's execution. Got that?

The movie takes place at the Qin Palace with Nameless (Jet Li) telling the Emperor 4 different stories that eventually lead up to the truth. The four stories are uniquely told by representing each story with 4 colors: Red, Blue, White and Green. Its amazing. The clothes, sets, props, everything is so precise and unique, really detaching every story from one another. I've never seen anything like this. Ever...

The characters are great, and with so many main ones it's hard to focus on all for the whole length of a movie. Zhang Yimou has done this tremendously, giving all them sufficient time on screen, with the exception of Donnie Yen who is only in this film for the first 15 minutes. These first 15 minutes just happens to be a fight scene with Jet Li. Yeah, forget Once Upon a Time in China 2, this is it folks: Jet vs Donnie, and it's raining in the scene. After seeing this duel, I was thinking "can it get any better?", and the answer is "Yes". The lack of Donnie was a bad thing, and despite his appearance in some later flashbacks, they were just clips from the first 15 minutes, but that aside, there are way more positive aspects of this film...

Christopher Doyle has proved himself again to be one of the great cinematographers of our time, this man is amazing. The color in this film is just jaw dropping. I even missed a few lines of subtitles just gazing at the backgrounds and amazing detail in this film. Again, this screams epic and Chris Doyle should win an Oscar for his work - if and when he would ever be nominated for this film.

The martial-arts in this film is also amazing. Choreographed by the amazing Tony Ching Siu Tung. Each character has there own unique weapon and fighting style. With a lot less "dancing and prancing" than CTHD; and since there are 4 stories you get to see most of the fight scenes more than once. Oh, and I forgot to mention Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung take on 5000 troops...amazing.

Tan Dun won an Oscar for his CTHD score, and this one is just a worthy. Even though it sadly lacks Yo Yo Ma, this score is less soft and touchy. It has louder percussion and has guys chanting and yelling in the background which kicks ass. You can hear elements of CTHD throughout the score, and this proves to be just as good if not slightly better in my view (maybe because this is a better film). On this print of the film, it didn't have the Faye Wong track so I can't comment on that. I guess I'll have to wait for my copy of the soundtrack. So even with no Yo Yo, another great score for Tan Dun.

Every aspect of this film combines some of the most talented people in the industry, and this proves to be a powerful driving force behind this Epic film. They all come together to make a very powerful, and emotional film with a powerful message. This film will be compared to Crouching Tiger, as it should I guess, but is ultimately better. I love CTHD and without that film we would not get to see the greatness that is Hero. This goes down as the best movie of 2002 for me. Do yourself a favor and see this movie.

One of those "near future" thrillers (released in '92, set in '97), Hard Boiled looked dated as soon as it was released, with its "Miami Vice" fashions and jazzy score. It didn't do very well in the Hong Kong box office, which isn't very surprising when you consider how "Hollywood" it is (this was, of course, well before HK movies became as glossy as Hollywood productions, themselves). In some ways, Hard Boiled seems like Woo's demo reel for Hollywood producers, sort of like a "look what I can do" project. Every gun fight is stretched to its limit, explosions are aplenty, and everything from the lenses used to the angles chosen seem more like something framed by a Western director than Hong Kong's finest. But beyond all of this, I think Hard Boiled is one of the best action movies ever made, if not THE best.

Sure, the story isn't too involving, the drama isn't as gripping as "The Killer" (which, movie-wise, is the superior film, but the action scenes in Hard Boiled are just staged better), and in some instances it's just too chaotic for its own good, but if you crave action (and by that I mean countless gun fights, slow-motion escapes from death, possibly the coolest henchman in film history, masked and armed SDU guys adding to the chaotic mix, and two lead heroes who kill more people than the average dictator), then Hard Boiled is the perfect fix.

Tony Leung pulls off one of the most impressive acting jobs I've ever seen. The image that has always most struck me about Hard Boiled is the slow-motion facial expression Leung goes through after killing his kind-hearted boss, as he walks by Anthony Wong. Chow Yun-Fat doesn't get as much room to show off his skill as he did in other Woo films, but still he's effective as the superheroic cop Tequila. Anthony Wong goes over the top as the villain, and Kuo Choi is probably my favorite character in the movie; Woo further proved his genius by having Kuo, who was always the hero in Shaw Brothers movies, play Wong's deadly henchman Mad Dog. I'd say my favorite action scene in Hard Boiled is the warehouse attack, mostly because we get to see Kuo drive around on a motorcycle and blast guys apart with his Mac-10.

The gun battles are staged with a lover's care. No detail is spared. Another thing I've always liked about Woo is that he's never limited himself to just showing one type of gun in his movies. Most heroic bloodsheds feature guys who only carry around handguns; very rarely will you see any heavy duty equipment. But just about every gun (from single-shot to automatic to missile launcher) is employed in Hard Boiled. I like it.

I've read online speculation that Tony Leung's character dies in the end, and the mock funeral Tequila et al have for him in the police station is the real thing (in fact, they're just having a funeral for Leung the cop, not Leung the man, who's started a new life). So according to this speculation, the shots we see at the very end, of the bandaged Leung at sea, are apparently glimpses of Leung in Heaven. But let me ask you this: why would you wear bandages in Heaven?

This movie has it all: great action, story, acting, drama, comedy, and most importantly, some kick-ass martial arts that (I hate to admit) actually makes Shaw Brothers fighting look tame in comparison. Whereas Shaw Brothers movies starring the Venoms belie their Peking Opera training, with plenty of flips, acrobatics, and precisely-timed choreography, the actors in Prodigal Son go at it with ferocity, and really look like they're beating the shit out of each other.

Yuen Biao plays Chang, a spoiled punk who thinks he's a kung-fu genius. Traveling Peking actor Lam Ching-Ying shows him otherwise, and Yuen forces himself into Lam's life, begging to become his pupil. When Lam's challenged by Ching official Ngai into a "friendly match," tragedy catches up with Lam's opera troupe, as they're attacked in the night by ninja-like assassins. This scene is probably the best in the film, as Lam and Yuen Biao take on these ninjas in a burning theater. Lam and Biao retreat to Sammo Hung's home, where Lam finally relents and teaches Biao wing chun. Now ready to take on anyone, Biao ends the film with a magnificent "friendly match" with Ngai that has to be one of the most hard-hitting, fast-paced, brutal kung-fu matches ever seen on film.

There's comedy interspersed throughout the film, which in truth comes off a bit jarring, especially when placed directly after a disturbing scene of people being murdered cold-blooded in the night. Sammo though is very funny, and his braggart character is one of the film's most memorable. He has a great scene where he attempts to master calligraphy, and also instructs Biao on the more offense-based aspects of wing chun. But whereas the comedy in "Dreadnaught" totally derailed the movie, the humor in Prodigal Son is less slapstick and doesn't get in the way of the action.

Some familiar faces pop up in smaller roles: Wei Pai (the "Snake" Venom) plays one of the opera actors, but he doesn't do any kung-fu. James Tien (who appeared in all of Bruce Lee's Hong Kong movies except for "Way of the Dragon") shows up in a cameo as a guy looking for a rematch with Ngai. But Biao is the true star, excellent in his role as the spoiled brat who eventually becomes a kung-fu master.

Bey Logan put Prodigal Son in the number one spot in the "Top Ten Kung-Fu Movies" list he published in Stefan Hammond's book "Hollywood East." I don't know if it's the best ever, but it's up there for sure. If I had to lodge any complaints against the movie, it would be that the way in which the murderers of Lam Ching Ying's opera troupe are dealt with is anticlimactic, and the meshing of comedy and drama is off-setting at times. But that doesn't detract from what is otherwise a near-perfect film. It's certainly a classic, and I recommend it even to those who don't like martial arts movies.

oh oh the Japanese soldiers in those cheap cars with the nazi swastika and the Japanese general in German uniform...hahaahaha!! This film is a laugh and the perfect thing to watch with your friends when your bored and need a laugh!

In the movies finale, Chan takes on an assassin whose has a mastery of the chinese tonfa (basically a cop's knight stick). Chan defends himself by the use of an ordinary crutch. This climatic scene demonstrates some of Chan's greatest speed and agility. While watching this film, one can't blink or 8 to 10 lighting movements can be sorely missed. To keep the battle in as realistic as possible, Chan's crutch gets whidled down to a matchstick! If this were a Hollywood scene they would have replaced the crutch 12-20 times, no joke. If you haven't seen this classic Jackie chan flick you are missing out. Chan is at his best and has nothing else to prove. Highest possible recommendation.

Invincible Shaolin is a 90-minutes spectacle of deceit, annihilation and kung fu; and talk about a climax where all bloody hell breaks loose. In between the crisp choreography lies some great interaction between the fighters and their social surroundings. Unlike most kung fu movies, the characters are gleaming with personality. They're smooth with women, honest to their friends, but naive when it comes to their enemies.

To simply put it, Invincible Shaolin is one slick flick. You can thank Chang Cheh for this. Chang Cheh is the man Lo Wei wanted to be. While Bruce Lee was perfecting his one-on-one bout with Sammo Hung in Enter The Dragon, Chang Cheh was doing some pre-John Woo/Ringo Lam crime shit with Police Force. While a drunken Jackie Chan was farting in people's faces and sticking frogs down his underpants, Chang Cheh was gathering up the "Venoms" and forcing the North and South Shaolin masters to a false state of martial combat. Chang Cheh didn't want to make kung fu movies, he wanted to make movies with kung fu in them. It's just something we took for granted, because the action was always as solid as the plot.

Highly recommended.

Years ago, back when kung-fu movies were hard as hell to find, I would order videos from Far East Flix. At the time (early '90s) I thought it was a great deal: $20 for a dubbed, bootleg tape. Hey, it's all we had. I used to call the owner and talk with him for long sessions over what movies he thought were good. He always told me Invincible Shaolin was "awesome," but I'd read online that it was one of those movies that's mostly made up of training sequences. I've always more been into movies where the heroes already know kung-fu, so I passed on Invincible Shaolin. My loss.

But after reading some positive reviews online, I decided recently to pick up the dvd, which is put out by NS video. Surprise surprise, it's actually uncut, letterboxed, and of above average picture quality. I have read, though, that Celestial Pictures (which now owns all of the Shaw Brothers movies) has slated Invincible Shaolin for their first wave of releases, so sooner or later a better print will be on the market. But for now, the NS release will do just fine.

The guy from Far East Flix was right, the movie is about training. But it's training for guys who already know kung-fu. And it's also entertaining training, of the type seen in "Master Killer." But beyond that, the training scenes are benchmarked by life-or-death battles. The end battle in particular is one of the bloodiest fights in Venoms history. Not of "Super Ninjas" caliber, but still pretty bloody. For example, one guy gets his chest torn open, and several characters are impaled by spears.

What sets Invincible Shaolin above the usual, old-school theme of good-versus-evil, where some characters are clear-cut good, and others are clear-cut evil, is that every Venom in the movie is a hero. Yes, even Lu Feng, the constant villain in just about every other Venoms movie. But still, these men find themselves in a battle to the death, as the South Shaolin fighters (Kuo Choi, Lo Meng, and Wei Pai) are tricked into believing that the North Shaolin fighters (Lu Feng, Sun Chien, and Chiang Sheng) have killed their classmates. So while the North Shaolin fighters obliviously go about their lives, courting fiancés and upholding virtuousness, the South Shaolin fighters train to kill them.

The training sequences are entertaining, but do slow down the movie. This is the only thing that keeps the film from being perfect, as the pace plods in the middle half. Lo Meng has the best training sequences, learning Mantis Fist. He proves again that he's as equally funny as Chiang Sheng, the Venom normally referred to as "the funny one."

The end fight is both exhilarating and tragic. Driven by their teacher's dying words, Kuo Choi, Wei Pai, and Lo Meng confront the Northern Shaolin masters on Sun Chien's wedding day. As their shocked fiancés watch on, Lu Feng, Sun Chien, and Chang Shieng grudgingly accept the South Shaolin masters' challenge. To make matters worse, a cadre of Ching soldiers show up, making this final battle one of the best in both Venoms and Shaws history.

Though it doesn't feature the outrageous costumes or exotic weapons that are normally associated with Shaw Brothers films, Invincible Shaolin is one of the best movies Chang Cheh and the Venoms were ever part of. For once, the craziness is toned down and the characterization is turned up, way past the usual Shaw Brothers movie. Invincible Shaolin has real heart and soul, and I recommend it entirely.

While Beautiful Boxer could've been just an ordinary boxing biopic, it actually does more than that by exploring sexual values and roles in Thai culture. In addition, you get a detailed insider's view into the world of Muy Thai combined with gorgeous costumes and lush settings. ( Even a run-down shack looks glorious against a serene but majestic backdrop. Eat your heart out, Peter Pau!) But the performances are what really make it come together. Full of energy and realism, it's easy to connect with the actors through the emotions that come with the triumphs and tragedies experienced by the protagonists. (In fact, I almost got teary-eyed in a few key scenes which would be Oscar bait if BB could compete.) The only reason I [give] Beautiful Boxer a [9.5 instead of a] 10 is that I don't feel the filmmakers delve deep enough into Toom's childhood, and some of the fights go by too fast to catch, but neither issue affects the narrative. So unlike a certain American boxing movie featuring a chick with an overbite who can't really box, but which cops out by making her kill herself, Beautiful Boxer delivers. It's a shame it's already two years old, because it deserves to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film. It's that good.