Legend Of Seven Monks (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure [Note: This review refers to the US DVD by Westlake.] Watching the film, I felt like I was missing something. More like a TV movie. I was disappointed until I watched the "Behind the Scenes" bonus. I believe this movie is over edited (only 92 minutes). While there are some interesting scenes involving the two superstars, it is choppy, and not very coherent in terms of the younger actors characters and plot flow. Even the filmographies and biographies of Chiba and Kurata are truncated to a laughable degree. A big disappointment except for the "Behind the Scenes" which hints at a much bigger movie.
Alfred Hitchcock: Legends Of Hollywood [12-Movie Set] (product link) Thriller / Crime I rated this highly for the number of excellent movies and scope. One of the best is "The Lodger" with movie idol Ivor Novello; and "The Lady Vanishes" a comedic, suspenseful jewel. Worth the price for these two alone.
Azumi (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Overly harsh and not so engaging. I felt like I had seen it all before in other films about vengeance and young swordswomen.
AGREE?
READER COMMENTS
AUTHOR
Y
Amen. This movie is so much like dozens of other, I can't understand the kudos heaped upon it. It certainly doesn't win them for originality or plausibility. The female lead is the only thing this movie has going for it.
Baian The Assassin Collector's Box [4-Disc Set] (product link) TV Shows/Movies / Action/Adventure I love Japanese TV. This has great stories, characters and even some romance. Who could ask for anything more than assassins, acupuncture, home cooked meals, and double crosses? Excellent TV viewing.
Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicle (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Can't get enough of this film. Gorgeous, humanistic, political, supernatural. Fantastic acting. Over the top and satisfying. Wow!
Infernal Affairs Complete Edit [Thai 5-Hour Edit] (product link) Drama / Crime Choppy to say the least, but a good way to get the whole saga at once. Fun and a little confusing.
Juvenile (product link) Science Fiction / Action/Adventure A fun and well-made ET type of movie. Gives the viewer more than expected. Great for all ages. A little sleeper that should have been released in the US.
Samurai Fiction (product link) Comedy This is a funny but respectful film. Mostly for fans of samurai movie drama. In B&W to give it that 70's feel. It is well made and easy to watch with stock type characters who are still very human.
Score [1995] (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime Almost so cheesy it is funny. Typical straight to video yakuza fare. There is only one really good character/actor. See if you can guess.
Sonny Chiba Action Pack [3-Disc Set] (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts I only bought this for "Virus" and it was worth it. Fukasaku's great BIG picture. I love all his stuff, even this one. Worth a look-see. "Golgo 13" is better in Japanese as is in this set. But still pretty lame, and this comes from a Chiba fan.
Toshiro Mifune: The Ultimate Collection [5-Disc Set] (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts What an excellent collection. What a buy! I cannot choose my favorite, but possibly the ultimate tragedy, "Samurai Assassin". I know that the others could be favorites, too.
Frankenstein Conquers The World (product link) Science Fiction / Thriller Pure Toho cheese. A great "B" movie, and the end (which was cut out in the US version) is like, "where did that come from?"
Domain Of Murder (product link) Animation / Mystery Nice, very nice. Slice of ordinary, soap-opera type detective yarn. The animation style is beautiful, with so many touches of daily life objects and scenes. Highly recommended.
Silent Service [DOUBLE FEATURE] (product link) Animation / Action/Adventure Well done. This is really a "war" anime, and if you like subs this should be up your alley.
Shadow Warriors: The Complete First Season [7-Disc Set] (product link) TV Shows/Movies / Martial Arts Despite my adoration of Chiba Sama, this is kinda slow going and a bit confusing due to the miriad of characters, clans, branch clans, double-crosses, and only fair dubbing. However, as a fan, I am glad I bought it. Worth the effort.
Masked Rider: The First (product link) Action/Adventure / Science Fiction If you liked the "Masked Rider" television series of the '70's, you will like this one. A bit thin, but the Shocker gang is back and this time--well, I won't spoil it.
The Legend Of Dinosaurs And Monster Birds (product link) Science Fiction / Action/Adventure For an old rubber monster movie, this is really gory. Maybe it's because I am used to Toho movies of this period and not those from Toei (the studio which made this one). The plot is a bit choppy, and the hero is never very likeable as a playboy. Also a bit of nudity and implied sex. I'm no prude, just suprised that this movie is really more modern in some respects than the '70's. Not for the kiddies.
Killer Tattoo (product link) Action/Adventure / Comedy Just couldn't go any higher on the stars because of the fingernail torture. I admit the acting is excellent. Would have liked to see more character development of Iron Cop and his daugher. Her show and what happens there is the funniest part of the movie. Then it gets messy.
Samurai Commando Mission 1549 (product link) Action/Adventure / Science Fiction While the idea was a good one, it seemed that the movie was rushed and thin. Special effects are good, but so much more could have been made of the premise. It looked like TV, I'm not sure if it had a theatrical release or not. I recommend Sonny Chiba's "GI Samurai" (1981) over this one. It too has a similar time travel motif, but far superior action and coreography. Also, the characters are people you can connect with.
Iron King: The Complete Series (product link) TV Shows/Movies / Action/Adventure Cheese and more cheese. Cowboy duds, songs, robots and a water burning transformer, plus buddy jokes. I like it. Soothes the brain after politics.
Kitaro (product link) Fantasy / Action/Adventure If you like Yokai, you might like this very light story. The characters are very sweet and kind but not cloying. It really grew on me.
The Ping Pong Club: Make Way For The Ping Pong Club [5-Disc Set] (product link) Animation / Comedy This is all over the place. Sometimes hitting the comedy mark, other times not. We fell on the floor during the episode with the grannies.
Renaissance (product link) Animation / Action/Adventure I liked the black and white animation, but the story was so-so. I might have to watch it again to appreciate it more.
Yereru (product link) Drama I guess I just didn't get this movie. I did not find myself liking any of the characters. If sacrifice and guilt were the themes, than I guess I did get it, but maybe not.
Zatoichi: The Television Series Vol. 6 (product link) TV Shows/Movies / Martial Arts All the TV Zatoichi are excellent. Like little movies. There is one in this group directed by Katsu that is very surreal and not like any of the others.
Zatoichi: The Television Series Vol. 1 [2-Disc Set] (product link) TV Shows/Movies / Martial Arts I can always watch a Zatoichi show. It slows me down and appeals to the emotions. Katsu is a genius.
Triton Of The Sea [2-Disc Set] (product link) Animation / Action/Adventure Cute but older anime. The translation [on the version I watched] really is laughable at times, but you still get the point.
Story Of The Detective (product link) Mystery / Romance This is a good detective-sorta' romance with excellent acting. As in any movie like this, there are some tender moments, funny situations, sex and bloodshed. The leads are very, very good.
Install (product link) Drama / Comedy A strange movie to my eyes. Very well done, and the end twist gives it more meaning. It is difficult to do a movie such as this, where internet sex and kids' lives collide, but it is done tastefully. The lack of grown-up adults in these kids' lives makes their plight even more poignant. Thought provoking, and I did have worries about the trajectory of the younger boy, more than the teenage girl. I would watch this one again.
AGREE?
READER COMMENTS
AUTHOR
N
I didn't even have the patience to finish this. Boring.
Fight And Love With A Terracotta Warrior (product link) Fantasy / Comedy Wow. This movie is so wonderful, with many levels of storytelling and flawless acting, sets and photography. This is one I would like to see given the royal treatment in terms of its DVD transfer. I am just glad to have gotten to see it at long last.
Mask Of Zeguy (product link) Animation / Action/Adventure A good story, characters and animation. Blending the past and current characters with lots of heroics and fantasy.
Maze (product link) Animation / Action/Adventure Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Funny and dumb and not well explained, but worth a little bit of time. Not for children, but for immature adults, like me I guess.
Girl Of Time (product link) Science Fiction / Romance Rather slow for a SF movie and dated special effects, but it is a pretty good teen romance, and I liked the setting and the laid back pace of the community.
Inspector Pink Dragon (product link) Crime / Action/Adventure The inspector is so irritating that he is not funny. This is the type of person we all want to get away from, so why watch a movie about him? The supporting cast is way better than the lead.
One Last Dance (product link) Crime / Action/Adventure I give this movie 0 stars for having an 11 year old girl who trades a hoodlum chess lessons for watching him have sex while she hides in a closet and then him explaining it all to her later. BUT she is NOT having sex with this guy. Right, in what world? In fact, what world is this movie? It is well acted, beautifully filmed, slick, self-conscious and utterly seductive, but nothing about it is for real. I am a huge fan of Ti Lung, and I wish he had passed on this one, though his part is better than what he usually gets these days.
SECURE CREDIT CARD PROCESSING BY VERISIGN.
1137 users online right now / 373842 visitors since 11/29/2009 5:34:49 AM All content copyright 2000+ HKFlix.com, not to be used without written permission.
