IP MAN has done for the martial art of Wing Chun what the groundbreaking 1949 kung fu classic THE STORY OF WONG FEI-HUNG did for Hung Fist, another southern Chinese martial art that came to dominate Hong Kong's kung fu movie output for roughly 35 years. Although IP MAN is unlikely to leave as large a footprint on Hong Kong film, it does finally give a substantial face and personality to a popular but once obscure combat system that was initially exploited in film by Bruce Lee and has since found its champion in Sammo Hung.

This film is the first entry in a planned trilogy centered on Ip Man and loosely recounts the grandmaster's conflict with a rival northern wushu exponent (Louis Fan) and a karate-trained Japanese officer (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi) in Foshan just prior to and during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Scribe Edmond Wong (DRAGON TIGER GATE) keeps the story focused on these two conflicts while ignoring Ip Man's past and delving only lightly into the character's relationship with his wife, son and residents of Foshan.

After years of fighting his way through B-movie after B-movie, martial arts actor Louis Fan, star of the gruesome guilty pleasure that is STORY OF RICKY finally gets his due in a major film as junior heavy Jin Shan-zhao, an overconfident northern wushu master who struts into Foshan, the home of southern kung fu legend Wong Fei-hung, looking to build his reputation by besting every local kung fu master in the city. This proves to be Ip Man's second challenge after having previously indulged in a friendly sparring match with a more respectful local kung fu master.

After war breaks out with Japan, Foshan is occupied and resources now controlled by the Japanese military grow scarce for local residents. The once independently wealthy Wing Chun master is forced to work in order to provide for his wife and son. When one of his friends, a fellow martial arts master named "Zealot" Lin (Xing Yu) goes missing after agreeing to fight Japanese karate practitioners for bags of rice, Ip is drawn into a deadly conflict with Miura (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi), a vicious karate-trained Japanese officer who takes a strong interest in Ip's uniquely proficient fighting skills.

As a rivalry between the men intensifies with a Chinese interpreter (Gordon Lam) of uncertain loyalties holding Ip's fate in his hands, wushu fighter Jin returns with a gang of axe-wielding thugs to shake down a local cotton mill run by Chow Ching-chuen (Simon Yam), a close friend of Ip Man. With no money to spare, Chow and his workers are bullied until Ip steps in to help before facing his greatest challenge, a public duel with Miura.

Although several books have been written about Ip Man, most of what is known focuses on his martial arts expertise and more prominent years living and teaching kung fu in Hong Kong after the war. Ip's eldest son, Ip Chun, was a consultant on the film and had a hand in advising Yen on his Wing Chun. Its unclear how much input Ip Chun had in the script as it ever stays at a respectful distance from the character and his associates. There is a strong sense of reverence for Ip and nationalistic pride that colors the film and its depiction of various events in the figure's life. This unfortunately leaves Donnie Yen's portrayal lacking a measure of depth that is not his fault, while the Japanese are left appearing as we have seen them portrayed so many times in countless Chinese vs. Japanese themed kung fu movies, as two-dimensional baddies with no other ambition than to kill and torture Chinese. Granted, the Chinese suffered greatly under Japanese occupation and some of these depictions may be justified but after nearly 40 years, seeing basically the same simplistic Japanese fighting villain that was introduced to the martial arts genre by Jimmy Wang Yu in THE CHINESE BOXER in 1970 is a little disappointing for a film that clearly aspires to be more.

Likewise, the supporting characters, while possessing good chemistry with Yen, are woefully underdeveloped with pop singer Wong You-nam having little to work with as Ip's wife. Most of her performance consists of silent staring apart from a scene where she scolds Ip. There is a clever undertone of whimsical understanding between husband and wife in better times that translates particularly well during a lighter fight sequence. It would have been nice to see a little more interaction between the two because Ip doesn't seem particularly close to anyone else.

It's refreshing to see Simon Yam in something other than a police or gangster role but he plays his character so understated that just about anyone could have filled his shoes.

The best supporting role is filled by Louis Fan who at least brings life to his character, stereotypical though it may be. Fan has really developed over the years, both as an actor and a martial artist. He deserved this role and hopefully the success of the film will see him land more choice roles in quality martial arts films and TV series.

Combat in IP MAN is what makes the film, as it should be. Drama aside, audiences are in attendance to see some serious kung fu and this movie delivers in spades. Sammo Hung and his assistant action director Tony Leung Siu-hung, in conjunction with a fantastic performance by Donnie Yen and consultation with Ip Chun, cook up not only some killer kung fu fighting but easily the best depiction of Wing Chun forms ever committed to film. It is the culmination of years of personal study and past fight choreography from Sammo that included initial Wing Chun films WARRIORS TWO and THE PRODIGAL SON, as well as 2007 TV series WING CHUN, starring Yuen Biao. Of course, considerable credit for the success of the film's action is a result of Donnie Yen's brilliant performance.

Donnie is a polarizing personality who has both devoted fans and unwavering critics, the latter often citing his apparent cockiness while picking apart his early screen fighting as sloppy and/or overly undercranked to artificially speed up his movements. LEGEND OF THE WOLF, one of his few self-directed projects is one of the most controversial martial arts movies ever made due to Donnie's experimental approach to shooting and editing action. Some of the criticisms may be justified but there is no denying that the man has come a long way since his playful, b-boy antics under the guidance of Yuen Woo-ping in the 1980s. If nothing else has yet put the masses in agreement, IP MAN should plainly identify Yen as a martial arts actor on equal footing with Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Tony Jaa, and anyone else people care to stack him up to.

The fact that Yen took up Wing Chun just for this movie with little or no prior training says a lot about Yen's character, as well as his ability to adapt his innate skills, honed from years of training in wushu and Hong Kong screen fighting. His onscreen performance in a series of fight sequences is breathtaking in its presentation, power, clarity, and authenticity. I do not profess to be an expert on Wing Chun but having read up on the art and watched considerable video footage of Wing Chun training in preparation for this review I have to say Donnie took the core precepts of the kung fu style and nailed them beautifully. In the process of pushing himself to perform an exacting art with highly controlled movements Yen's screen fighting execution has never looked so clean and controlled. What is best about his performance is that he manages to introduce moves to the genre that I believe may never have been filmed before.

Wing Chun is actually a very distinctive fighting style, while related to other kung fu styles, it is unique in that it is one of the few that has always been designed for practical real-world use, rather than exhibition. Also, it favors balance, deflection and rapid close-quarter engagement using direct strikes that draw power not from muscle strength or some arcane build up of inner energy but from simple limb extension and momentum. It's a style that was originally developed by a woman for use against stronger, male opponents. It's something I wouldn't expect Donnie Yen to excel at, especially with his heavy muscle development and foundation in wushu but he has proven to be an exceptional learner when it comes to new screen fighting techniques.

The film's fight sequences show the advantages of Wing Chun extremely well while allowing us to see highly unusual movements for a kung fu movie such as low kicks to the chest and shins, elbow and knee strikes akin to Muay Thai, Aikido-like takedowns, and successive punches delivered with lightning speed. This is kung fu closer to what one might expect to see applied in a real-world scenario. It's fast, punishing and relatively simple. Of course, the scenarios in which it is applied have been choreographed in an idealized and slightly exaggerated fashion to keep the movements interesting and the fights exciting.

As I see it, this is the best of stylized Hong Kong fight choreography merged with an authentic self-defense fighting form. Pair this movie with FLASH POINT and a trend emerges where Donnie Yen is on the verge of reinventing modern Chinese fight choreography.

Wing Chun is best known for its punishing open-hand technique but it also incorporates weapons use and the film has Donnie wielding a staff and in a lighter moment, a feather duster, both against Louis Fan. The scenes are nicely arranged and executed with the same emphasis on directness and exploitation of openings. This is what separates a style like Wing Chun from screen fencing or wushu swordplay. Ip Man doesn't duel with his opponent for the sake of dueling. He deflects attacks and strikes through openings. The only thing that keeps his opponent fighting is Ip's reluctance to injure or kill, something he is less reticent about when facing the Japanese with his fists.

Speaking of fists, I thought it was a very nice touch to see Ip Man's wounded knuckles being treated by his wife after his initial fight with the Japanese. It suggests that Ip Man, while skilled enough to defend himself, was not accustomed to serious brawling and lacked the heavily callused hands that a street fighter or professional boxer might have. It adds another dimension to the depiction of a martial artist that is usually neglected.

The only faults I can find in the action relate to laws of physics being broken and infrequent reliance on common genre tricks including undercranking and wire use. A film like this that attempts to tell the story of a real-life martial artist needs to keep its action grounded even while it's being presented in a dynamic and exciting way as we see here. As previously stated, there is little noticeable wirework but it does appear in ways that could have, and should have been avoided. Several recoveries from a knockdown where fighters would magically bounce back to a standing position look just as artificial as Kristin Kreuk performing aerial kicks in STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI and that's not a martial arts movie that should be comparable in any way to IP MAN. There is also a scene where a Chinese fighter laying down gets kicked in the head by a Japanese fighter and his entire body goes spinning into the air several feet. Where are the MYTH BUSTERS when you need them? Take a 180-pound (81 kg) sandbag that is at least five feet (1.5 m) long. Try kicking one end and see how far it uniformly flies, let alone rolls in the air. That's the kind of exaggerated and implausible action that belongs in a fantasy Ching Siu-tung wuxia movie, not a serious biopic of a real-life Wing Chun master. The shame here is that Wing Chun is an art that can naturally propel an opponent back or knock them down dramatically. Sammo and his team had lots of opportunities, some of which they took advantage of, to show this but then they occasionally insert old wire-fu gimmicks in odd places where they're not needed. "Power powder" use to visually enhance strikes is another trick that is used, although thankfully far less than we have seen in past Donnie Yen films where fighters would magically have their clothes covered in talcum powder before the end of a fight.

Wing Chun training in the film is unfortunately limited to forgettable montage sequences. While often a staple of kung fu movies, training sequences have been largely sidelined by modern kung fu moviemakers. This is a shame because any seasoned practitioner of martial arts would likely agree that training and body conditioning is at least 90 percent of martial arts. The rest is performance or self defense application. Sammo Hung's previous Wing Chun films were dominated by training and this is where the audience learned much of the philosophy behind the art that later came to light during the films' final fights. Considering that this film largely concerns itself with the years before Ip Man began widely teaching Wing Chun, I suspect that Wilson Yip intended for this film to focus on Ip's romanticized life experience while the sequels may focus more on the training of his students.

With a sizable budget of $40 million, production values are unsurprisingly top notch. No amount of effort was seemingly spared in recreating 1930s-era Foshan and production designer Kenneth Mak's award-nominated work is highly commendable. It cannot be overstated how rare it is to see such lavish details as a completely recreated period cotton factory or city streets providing the backdrop for hardcore kung fu fighting. This kind of visual panache has become more common among modern kung fu movies when considering KUNG FU HUSTLE and FEARLESS but compared with the hundreds of low-budget kung fu movies that have come before its still unusual and very welcome to see.

It's interesting to note that a film with such a one-sided depiction of Japanese soldiers has not only a notable Japanese actor to play the villain but also a notable Japanese composer to provide the score. While Kenji Kawai's music is rousing and cinematic, the film's main theme sounds distinctly similar to the march from Stephen Chow's comedy actioner SHAOLIN SOCCER. Music has often been an area where Hong Kong film productions have lagged behind other major film industries. It doesn't compare to the iconic score to ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA but it's a step in the right direction. There is good use of traditional Chinese instruments and orchestral sounds that increase the quality of the production and its presentation.

As a pure kung fu movie, IP MAN follows in the tradition of Tsui Hark's ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, Jackie Chan's DRUNKEN MASTER 2 and Ronnie Yu's FEARLESS by further elevating the genre out of grindhouse production values and simple, revenge-driven storytelling to a more widely respectable playing field populated by A-list product like crime/thriller INFERNAL AFFAIRS and wuxia epic HERO. It is also the most ambitious and sophisticated collaboration between Wilson Yip and Donnie Yen following three highly successful genre releases including KILL ZONE, DRAGON TIGER GATE and FLASH POINT. With IP MAN, it can safely be said that these two have now become the standard bearers for Hong Kong's dwindling yet undefeated martial arts genre. Their continued collaboration and subsequent commercial successes bode well for the future of this genre so long as their associates including Xing Yu, Louis Fan and Tony Leung can branch off successfully on their own to sustain momentum. I would also like to see them incorporate more fresh talent. The IP MAN sequels, which will include a newcomer as a young Bruce Lee, may do just that.

When the moon turns red in the heart of New York City, a mysterious masked man (Darren Shahlavi) appears to take on heavyweight boxing champion Eddie Cunningham (Hakim Alston). The killer, dressed in black, has steel-toed boots and uses his kicking skills to his advantage over the boxer. Teaching him a lesson in victory, the boxer resorts to using a bench as a weapon only to get a dose of the second weapon of the masked man: two steel fingers, which he embeds in the heart of the champ, utlimately killing him.

Cunningham’s death marks the fourth death in four days. Detective Chuck Baker (Chuck Jeffreys) is assigned to the case. He has been unable to figure out the connection of the four deaths and when he tends to mock the chief of police, he gets threatened with a transfer to Poughkeepsie. That night, the masked man returns and this time, he challenges bar owner Dutch (Rob Van Dam), a former toughman champion. Using his steel fingers as more of a distraction, he lets his kicking do the talking and like Cunningham the night before, kills Dutch and sends him flying out of the window.

The next day, the chief of police decides since there has been no progress in the investigation, he would like Chuck to track down Ken O’Hara (Gary Daniels), a retired expert in serial killers. At first, Chuck is not happy with the fact that he has to now work with a partner, but he doesn’t even know the guy. When Ken, a divorcee, takes his daughter back to his ex-wife, he mistakes Chuck for her new boyfriend. Chuck makes the offer to Ken, who thinks hard about taking the case as his last case nearly had him in a body bag, which is why he decided to retire.

Ken decides to take the case and joins Chuck, who still cannot stand him. That night, the masked man arrives and broadcasts over the Internet a swordfight between himself and Master Takeda (Ken Kensei), a respected martial arts instructor who just happens to be Ken’s former teacher. When Master Takeda recognizes the killer, the killer ends up using his steel fingers to kill the Master and slices him with his sword. When Chuck arrives at the scene, the school explodes.

With Ken and Chuck now teaming to track down the killer, they are joined by Kelly (Brandie Rocci), Master Takeda’s adopted daughter. As the three get closer to the killer’s track, they soon learn the connection. Two years ago, there was a special tournament called Master of Champions. All except two are dead from the tournament. One of the two has believed to have been killed in a car accident so they suspect the other man. However, all is not as it seems as Ken learns his ex-wife and daughter have been kidnapped by the killer. Now it’s time for Ken to enter the final match, one in which the prize is either life or death.

Hong Kong-based Seasonal Films has come out with some of the best martial arts films in history, from THE SECRET RIVALS films (1976-77) to Jackie Chan’s breakthrough films SNAKE IN THE EAGLE’S SHADOW (1978) and DRUNKEN MASTER (1978). In 1985, Seasonal broke through with crossing over to the United States with NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER (1985), combining Hollywood style cinema with Hong Kong action choreography. After six films, Seasonal makes its final U.S.-Hong Kong crossover a routine serial killer film, but with an edge to it, courtesy of screenwriter extraordinare Keith Strandberg.

This time around, Ng See-Yuen decided not to cast any real newcomers to the front as he did with his previous films. Instead, the lead role goes to Gary Daniels, a former British kickboxing champion who became well-known after appearing with Jackie Chan in CITY HUNTER (1992) and nailed the lead role in the live action adaptation of the popular anime and manga FIST OF THE NORTH STAR (1995). Daniels, who has both acting talent and martial arts skills to boot, plays retired serial killer expert Ken O’Hara, whose troubled past involves getting divorced and leaving the police force after almost getting killed in his last case. However, this new case offers him a chance at redemption both professionally and personally as well.

Wushu expert Chuck Jeffreys returns after co-starring as a villain in SUPERFIGHTS and plays wisecracking detective Chuck Baker. Baker tends to lighten the mood and brings comic relief in the role when he is acting alongside the likes of the late Frank Gorshin, best known for playing The Riddler on the television series BATMAN (1966-68). However, when it comes to action scenes, Chuck shows why he is a fantastic martial artist, showing his kicking skills and acrobatic skills as well. All this before he became Wesley Snipes’ top fight choreographer.

The highlight reel however, comes in the form of Darren Shahlavi, a British-born martial artist who makes his American film debut in the role of the lethal masked killer. Shahlavi, who got his start in Hong Kong and even had the distinction of fighting a young Wu Jing in the finale of TAI CHI II (1995), shows off some of his best moves yet. Under the direction of Tony Leung Siu-Hung, Shahlavi shows off some impressive kicking combinations and some powerful fists as well. What is great is that this killer tends to have a philosophy about winning and utilizes it to full advantage when he begins to attack his opponents. He has an obsession with games and considers his fight with Ken the grand championship match.

Speaking of Tony Leung Siu-Hung, he once again dazzles the screens with his frenetic style of fight choreography. Despite some obvious wirework, seen in the finale, he makes the trio of Daniels, Jeffreys, and Shahlavi look fantastic in their fight scenes. In Daniels’ first fight scene, look out for former karate champion Joe Hess and a brief cameo from Keith Vitali as two beach thugs who gets theirs. A highlight fight scene involves the cops fighting off the killer at Kelly’s apartment and Brandie Rocci’s double does a picture perfect 360-degree spin onto a table after receiving a powerful roundhouse kick from the killer. It is this fight scene that makes BLOODMOON an underrated American film when it comes to its fight scenes.

BLOODMOON would mark Seasonal’s final foray into U.S. cinema, however, with the casting of veterans Gary Daniels and Chuck Jeffreys, and virtual newcomer Darren Shahlavi and the frenetic fight scenes of Tony Leung Siu-Hung, it ups the routine serial killer theme just a tad.

From the start, director Stephen Sommers had engineered the MUMMY franchise to be a big, brainless summer event that largely relied on over-the-top digital effects, light humor and conventional adventure themes culled from the same serialized Republic Pictures-era material that gave inspiration to the INDIANA JONES films. With previous director Stephen Sommers taking the producing role and handing direction to XXX helmer Rob Cohen, TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR manages to hold on to the high energy and overall formula of the two previous films yet his approach is less coherent and we end up with something truly geared for only a grade school mentality and not even ample fighting action, explosions and stunt work can rescue it.

Although the villain has changed, the plot is still a rehash of past entries. In one of his least engaging roles to date, Jet Li portrays a near-mindless world conqueror who is tricked by a magic user played by Michelle Yeoh. After Li kills her lover (Russell Wong), Yeoh puts a curse on Li and his army that turns them into stone. Really, have we not had enough Terracotta references yet? You would think the producers might have learned something from Jackie Chan’s stinker THE MYTH but chances are their knowledge and understanding of Asian action cinema is limited, otherwise they wouldn’t have even bothered to film the embarrassment their efforts produced.

Yeoh narrates an entirely forgettable back story at the beginning that is actually helpful as it provides the perfect opportunity to step away from the screen to grab a bucket of popcorn or use the crapper. Really, you won’t miss a thing, except seeing ROMEO MUST DIE star Russell Wong in period garb. I really don’t like beating down Chinese-American actors but Wong has been like the harbinger of doom for everything he has touched. It’s like having Billy Zane or Lorenzo Lamas in your cast list except less unintentionally amusing. Thankfully, his Mandarin dialogue is minimal.

Forward to the present and we’re burdened with the painfully bad chemistry of Brendan Fraser and Maria Bello. Fraser got on with Weisz well enough in the previous films but here with Bello it’s horribly forced. Their dialogue, mixed with the awful antics of John Hannah, is mostly played for laughs, laughs that never come. There was one person in the half-filled theater on opening day who could be heard lightly chuckling at two or three bad gags. Other than that, the audience remained silent.

The entire cast was horrid and their interactions worse. Luke Ford, who only happens to be 13 years younger than Fraser, unconvincingly plays his adult son in one of the worst father-son depictions in movie history. After witnessing Harrison Ford’s similar onscreen relationship with Shia LaBeouf in INDIANA JONES AND THE CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF A CRYSTAL E.T., this must be the year for depicting estranged father-son relations in adventure movies. Fraser looks and acts too young to be the father of a grown child.

Ford’s character comes off as an ass and his romantic relationship with Isabella Leong doesn’t work. Leong is attractive to be sure but looks like just another insubstantial actress like Huang Shengyi or Cecilia Cheung. Hong Kong has a lot of pretty faces but few actors - you know - who can act. Anthony Wong is one of those actors but his talents are completely wasted in another example of throwaway casting, much like Simon Yam in the equally atrocious TOMB RAIDER. I guess I should be impressed that a Hollywood movie can even manage to get a Chinese actor to play a Chinese role.

The real problem, apart from a rudimentary script is Cohen, a filmmaker whose inability to direct people rivals George Lucas. Too bad his action is just as bad. Some of the scenes have salvageable material, thus showing some talent was involved behind the scenes. After all, the film does have veterans like Vic Armstrong (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3), Mike Lambert (THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, Mark Southworth (TROY), and Jet Li’s Hong Kong team all contributing to the action. Cohen has the tools to make great action, even if it is devoid of meaning or purpose. He fails miserably though with bad camera angles, incomprehensible hyper-editing, too much unnecessary CGI and wirework, and rollercoaster pacing that never knows when to let the audience catch up to what’s going on and appreciate it. This is action filmmaking for inattentive children.

The fights between Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li and Brendan Fraser are disasters. When the camera, which is consistently too close let’s us see it, some of the moves are actually good. Half the time, actors are either blocking the view of a fighter’s move or have been pushed off screen. The best shots we get are from stills posted online. Good luck trying to make anything out on screen. The abuse of short-take editing is beyond comprehension and I wonder how much Lambert and Southworth had to do with this. At least in their BOURNE films where I still felt it was excessive, the Jabberwocky cam as I like to call it, at least fit the realistic tone. It’s meant to be a way to put the audience into the perspective of people thrust into a situation that threatens to overwhelm their senses. That’s what the action scenes in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN were all about. This approach has no place in a lightweight adventure movie where the heroes are rescued by CGI yetis that look like they stepped right out of a Pixar movie.

Yetis?! What the hell were the screenwriters smoking when they thought that one up? I literally dropped by jaw when they showed up. I understand this is a fantasy movie that puts fun ahead of realism. We are talking about undead armies battling each other. It was way too random though. It just reinforces the perception that the writers were stabbing at the dark and had little or no real control over their own story. The whole movie plays like this. One random thing happens after another and little effort is made to mask the fact that the audience is literally being taken for a ride. The problem is, the roller coaster keeps jumping tracks.

Another annoyance are the many digital action cliches such as a rain of arrows, thousands of neatly lined up soldiers and the dramatic overhead pull away to reveal digital creatures clashing. Are we supposed to be impressed by this? It’s like the MATRIX bullet-time effect or the explosive ring in space cliche that turned up everywhere after debuting in STAR TREK 6: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY. Once these things appear in a movie, expect to see them used over and over again by filmmakers with few ideas of their own.

Randy Edelman’s score is yet another reminder that soundtrack composition is practically dead as an art form today. He runs through every clichéd modern adventure riff known to man and gives nothing unique or memorable to the movie. Then again, the movie doesn’t deserve anything creative.

The only praiseworthy aspect of this production was Rob Cohen’s excellent production blog which I consider a model for how filmmakers should reach out to their fanbase.

THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR is the epitome of soulless, artless and meritless genre drivel. As far as I am concerned the movie ended after Jet Li briefly fought fellow wushu action star Jacky Wu Jing, appearing in a cameo in the first ten minutes. If I seem a little angry it’s because once again Hollywood has dumped Jet Li into yet another bad movie that completely wastes his talents, much as WAR did. Rob Cohen deserves some kind of award for actually making Jet Li look bad. That isn’t easy to do folks. On top of that, he wastes Michelle Yeoh’s talents, wastes Anthony Wong’s talents and lets far less talented actors bumble around in a movie that better damn well put the lid on the coffin of this rotting franchise. This garbage is how Hollywood blows $150 million. That’s staggering when you consider that Jet Li’s best movies in Hong Kong were made for a fraction of that amount. At $40 million, THE WARLORDS is Li’s most expensive Asian film to date and that was largely a result of his salary which was almost half of the budget. And Tony Jaa is having a stress-related breakdown for mismanaging $8 million for ONG BAK 2 which so far is shaping up to be an excellent martial arts movie. There is no justice in this world, only creatively challenged morons holding all the money.

In his second feature-length film after CONTOUR, Jacobus plays a suicidal assassin named Jack who is hired by a Triad boss (Rudy Chu) after rescuing his mistress, Jin (Huyen Thi), from Mafia thugs. While carrying out missions against the mob and honing his fighting skills, Jack secretly falls in love with Jin and befriends a Chinese martial arts master (Brian Lee) working for the Triad. After a Russian hitman hired by the mob begins targeting the Triad’s operations, Jack attempts to bring them all down single-handedly. Jealous of the favored position this “gweilo” has attained in the Chinese crime organization, a ruthlessly ambitious member known as The General (Carbonel) uses a startling revelation about how the gang war began in an attempt to destroy Jack and his closest friends.

In terms of production standards DOGS OF CHINATOWN is near the bottom of the stack but deserves praise for achieving more in terms of visual flair than most films at this level. Lack of funds show up in the choice of sets, extras, casting, acting, and wardrobe. For instance, Jacobus generally wears the same clothes he does in his Stunt People films and I even caught him wearing a KWOON t-shirt. That may have been an intentional inside joke but it’s still amateurish and easily remedied on a budget by having characters wear “uniforms,” a cheap set of clothes they wear through the whole production that maintains the image your characters are supposed to have. Too often I felt like I was watching Eric Jacobus and not Jack, a problem not helped by the star’s limited acting experience although he did a decent job for coming from an almost exclusive stunt/fight mentality. He has the looks and moves of a star and need only improve on his acting.

DOC does look a lot more polished than CONTOUR and I credit Moore for coming up with consistently interesting images marked by intentionally artificial cityscapes, atmospheric blue tone filters and lively camera work. This is hampered some by unevenness with the visuals including fake gun effects and dull-looking locations such as a generic dojo. Good lighting, the bane of no-budget productions, is not an issue and Moore seems to have mastered a few techniques that give his film a unique, atmospheric look similar to a live-action Mamoru Oshii film. There is a gratuitous dance club sequence that is overlong but does feature some cool lighting that I have not seen before. Coupled with dramatic perspective cinematography and swooping handheld work during action scenes, Moore displays traces of filmmakers like Wong Kar-wai, Tsui Hark and Corey Yuen. The Hong Kong influence is strong with this one.

Speaking of the Hong Kong influence, the action of Jacobus and Ray Carbonel is first-rate. Fans of their short films will not be surprised but those unfamiliar with their work will be. Although they learned their craft entirely on their own, the level of their screen fighting is superior to Hollywood standards and favorably comparable to Hong Kong’s best standards. I believe they have done better work, particularly with regard to using the environment around them but this is still a strong showing for them.

Jacobus delivers an amazing physical performance, highlighted by an aerial flip onto a breakaway table during an intense duel in a restaurant and a fierce last-man-standing rampage through the Triad’s headquarters following a final match with Carbonel.

Some of the back and forth sparring is a little repetitive but what makes up for it is a sprinkling of killer finishing moves. Moore and his action directors seem to understand the importance of ending a fight with a strong exclamation mark. What I like most about the film’s fight scenes is that they’re elaborate and creative yet functional. Its Hong Kong style action but with grappling, locks and deadly self defense maneuvers mixed in. I cannot stress this enough. Jacobus and his cohorts are working with the latest trends in screen fighting and doing it better than a lot of professionals who are still obsessed with gimmicks employing shaky cams, MTV editing and wirework.

A third cast member who deserves credit for his screen fighting performance is Brian Lee, a trained martial artist who in Jacobus’ words had to “untrain himself” in order to adapt his real-world skills to film fighting. It seems to have worked. Lee’s match with Carbonel features phenomenal sparring and is only hindered by the setting of a plain-looking martial arts studio.

There is less action than I had hoped for. Moore seems determined to balance his film’s action with his story. I would applaud this decision if it actually made his film better but that’s not the case. Besides his better visuals, the film’s greatest asset is the stunt fighting. Because of this, the film could have benefited from more martial arts and less bad line delivery from amateur actors like the guy playing the Russian hitman. That’s a perfect example of bad filler. His scenes should have been cut from the movie. His character is non-essential and his performance drags down the rest of the cast, most of whom are only marginally better. A good rule for any filmmaker is to build around the strengths of available assets and cut out or minimize the weaknesses. This is the major mistake that Moore makes. He tries to tell a story that is beyond his means to adequately convey. Always match your budget, otherwise you end up with a previsualization of a quality movie at best and a really bad B-movie at worst.

Bill Oberst Jr., playing the mob’s second in command is the film’s best actor and with his unique looks I can see him carving out a successful dramatic career in Hollywood as a heavy, something he seems to be doing with roles in a couple upcoming horror films. Moore should have given this guy far more screen time and a meatier role and cut out some of the other supporting “actors” altogether. The crime bosses would be at the top of my list, right under the Russian.

The film’s soundtrack is unusually strong for a production of this small scale. Some good decisions were made on incorporating moody tunes that generally enhance the intended tone of the film. There are a few musical missteps such as the loud track playing over the fight between Lee and Carbonel. This sort of gritty noir film works better with a minimalist approach when it comes to music, especially during action scenes. But still, I love the choice of Radiohead-like pop music that is used more towards the end and during the final credits.

I can easily find fault with DOGS OF CHINATOWN on a host of issues that mostly boils down to the filmmakers taking on too much for their first project. Another issue is the excessive adult elements in the film that include profanity, partial nudity, sexuality, drug use, and extreme violence such as stabbing a guy in the neck with a broken bottle or implying the splitting open of another guy’s jaw on the edge of a table. If handled correctly, I don’t have a problem with any of these things but they mostly come across as shallow in this film largely because the film rarely succeeds in achieving a suspension of disbelief. It’s a little like watching a porno or exploitation movie that is trying and failing to be taken seriously as an art film. That isn’t to say DOC is without merit. It’s actually quite entertaining for a low-budget movie and displays a level of unapologetic audacity, visual panache and ass-kickery rarely seen outside of Asian action cinema. Viewers just need to approach it with the right expectations.

Scott Wylde (Avedon) is an American martial artist who has arrived to Bangkok, Thailand to visit two people. One is his fiancee, Sulin Nguyen (Thai television actress Patra Wanthivanond) and the other is his former martial arts teacher and best friend Mac Jarvis (Max Thayer). When Sulin is kidnapped by Vietnamese military refugees who are avenging a betrayal by Sulin’s father, Scott and Mac team up to rescue her in Cambodia. They find an unexpected ally in Terry (Cynthia Rothrock), a helicopter pilot whose martial arts skills are top notch, yet she has a grudge against Mac, who is her ex-boyfriend.

The villains come in the form of the militaristic Yuri (Hues), a Soviet warlord who lets his fists do the talking. His number one man is Ty (Hwang Jang-Lee), a Vietnamese general whose martial arts prowess is excellent. In one short but memorable scene, a kidnapped Terry takes on Ty in order to get to Yuri. At first, Ty’s kicks gets the best of Terry, but then she unleashes her fury. Yuri grabs Terry by the neck and throws her.

Keith W. Strandberg, who wrote the original screenplay, was apparently upset by rewrites from Roy Horan and Maria Elena Cellino. Nevertheless, a highlight in the film in terms of plot is the love-hate relationship between Terry and Mac. During the course of the film, these two bicker like a married couple and the reason behind their problems. As Mac puts it, “She’s pissed because I won’t jump her bones” and Terry’s response, “He’s threatened because I used to break his.” The bickering brings at times a comic relief to the otherwise seriousness of the overall film.

In terms of the action, Corey Yuen once again comes up with some intricate martial arts fights that make the cast look great. Avedon, Rothrock, and Hwang showcase their amazing martial arts skills while Thayer is doubled. Matthias Hues had no martial arts training prior to the production of the film, but under the training of Corey Yuen and his team, Hues did actually very well. Hues would go on to star in many martial arts films afterwards, from KICKBOXER 2: THE ROAD BACK (1990) to FISTS OF IRON (1995).

Some of the highlighted action sequences include Scott taking on three of the kidnappers in his hotel, Scott and Mac taking on more kidnappers at a local restaurant, and a mind blowing fight that pits Terry, Scott, and Mac against a group of rogue Buddhist monks. With the help of Mang Hoi, “Hollywood” Lam, and Lee King-Chu, the martial arts action is very well choreographed with virtually no undercranking as well as plenty of bullets flying and explosives. After all, this does have a military theme to the story.

As much as the return of McKinney and Van Damme would have upped the ante on this sequel, surprisingly, Loren Avedon and Matthias Hues make for some pretty good replacements and once again, Corey Yuen does an excellent job on this action-packed sequel.

The U.S. cut, released in 1989 by Shapiro Glickenhaus Entertainment, cuts approximately seven minutes, including the opening montage of Vietnamese refugees being executed, a scene with a pimp trying to get Scott to pay for a hooker, and the love scene between Scott and Sulin.

If you can find it and you’re in the mood for both martial arts action and some powerful military warfare, then check out NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER II: RAGING THUNDER.

Little effort has ever been made to give Chan a real Hollywood script to work with. His films in the U.S. have always just been vehicles to carry a fading measure of what was once one of the most entertaining and talented physical comedians and martial arts stars rolled into one. RUSH HOUR 3 takes this sorry trend to new lows.

With flimsy justification, Detective Carter (Tucker) and Inspector Lee (Chan) team up three years after their previous exploits to investigate the assassination of a Chinese official who was about to pull the veil off the secretive Triads.

In a potentially promising casting choice a few years too late, former Japanese idol and martial arts star Hiroyuki Sanada plays Kenji, Lee’s wayward adopted brother who is now a prominent Triad member. After Kenji acts as the trigger man in the assassination, he and Lee become destined to clash from opposite sides of the law.

Clues in the case lead Carter and Lee to Paris where they get mixed up with a local cab driver who has a love-hate relationship with America and a burlesque starlet marked for death by the Triads. Along the way, film legends Max von Sydow and Roman Polanski fill out throwaway supporting roles that will likely go unappreciated by fans of either the actors or this franchise. Routine car chases, comedy exchanges and ultra-light screen fighting mixed throughout provide a weak buildup to a final confrontation high up on the Eiffel Tower. Didn’t we see something similar with Chan on Big Ben in SHANGHAI KNIGHTS?

After pitiful Hong Kong entries like THE MYTH and ROB-B-HOOD it was hard to imagine Chan falling any more flat, until now. It’s depressing to see him this way. Imagine watching a champion racehorse limping down the greenway long after his prime while his talentless rider vainly eggs him on to the finish, knowing that audiences will stay on their seats just to see the sorry spectacle.

Chan manages a few token fighting moves reminiscent of the good old days but really, those days are gone. The only fight worth mentioning takes place between Chan and Sanada and only because of the people involved. In this and all other action scenes green screens, poorly disguised wirework and stunt doubles do most of the actual work. Chan has become an artist without an inspiration, a singer without a voice. Actually, the latter is untrue. Chan makes up for Tucker’s annoying attempts at comic karaoke by revealing his Chinese opera-trained singing voice which has been put to use on past Hong Kong soundtracks and Canto-pop albums. Chan might want to keep that throat in shape because it’s increasingly looking like his action-comedy acting days are numbered.

The only part of RUSH HOUR 3 that possesses any spark of creativity is the original score where Lalo Schifrin freshens up his pervious RUSH HOUR theme music with a funky new twist. The rest of this film is a dismal affair that I can’t recommend to anyone in good conscience. A pair of ten-to-twelve year olds that I was sharing the theater with seemed to be having a good time. I guess jokes about rectal exams, conning dancehall girls out of their clothes and casually generalizing all Americans as gun-crazed murderers are popular on schoolyards today, although the uninspired physical humor got the biggest laughs. Oh but the movie is once again another commercial success, if less so than its predecessor, and marketed perfectly for a mainstream audience fed on a daily diet of media reports covering the latest pop star meltdown.

Congratulations to Brett Ratner. If his goal was to direct lazy commercial fluff, the equivalent of cheap filmic fast food, then he has definitely earned his pay. It looks like Hollywood officially has its own latter-day Wong Jing. After X-MEN: THE LAST STAND and RUSH HOUR 3, I am afraid to see what franchise Ratner demolishes next, whether his own or someone else’s.

If like me, you’re suffering ill effects from watching this waste of 90 minutes then I would prescribe a sizable dose of DRUNKEN MASTER 2, followed by either POLICE STORY 3 or PROJECT A.

Solid Snake… er, Tallis’ mission is basically over. He’s the last surviving member of his elite fighting unit sent to combat cloned cyborg drones that have exceeded their intended purpose of being next generation law enforcement. They are now taking over the United States and suppressing any and all resistance. Tallis is basically just surviving in occupied territory, until a nameless woman enters the scene.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA’s Katee Sackhoff is a freedom fighter that Tallis rescues after her comrades are wiped out by drones in an ambush. It is Katee’s fighting spirit that gives Tallis the motivation he needs to stop surviving and start fighting to win, even while hopelessly outnumbered.

The pair set out to destroy the command and control center of the drones, but their mission is further endangered by the presence of a second generation model that proves to be a far greater threat.

What ever promise this premise held during the initial phase of development falls apart in practice. The whole movie plays out like a rough sketch of a bigger-budgeted, yet essentially bad genre movie. Paul Anderson’s SOLDIER starring Kurt Russell comes to mind.

The film’s only positive element is the casting of Don Wilson in the lead. He’s perfect in the role of an aging, battle-scarred warrior of few words. Everything else is underdeveloped or poorly executed.

The major problem is an inability to convey purpose. There’s lots of generic shooting, explosions and close-quarter knife fighting, but half of the time I have no idea what the immediate goals of the characters are. It feels like they’re just running from one end of a set to the other because the script told them to.

Action sequences are disappointing. I didn’t expect perfection on a budget, but I did expect more from Johnson after seeing the potential he showed in PIT FIGHTER. The best way I can describe the action scenes is stagy and artificial. A few combat scenes that replicate the chaotic atmosphere seen in BLACK HAWK DOWN are adequately constructed. Yet where it counts is where the film fails. Wilson’s more personal fighting against mindless drones is simply dull, unimaginative, poorly shot, and sloppily executed. I won’t go so far as to say it’s amateurish. Johnson knows his business, but the whole movie feels rushed and lacking attention to detail.

For instance, in one scene Wilson rolls the “dead” body of his friend, played by Bokeem Woodbine, into the water. We can clearly see the supposedly dead Woodbine glaringly jerk his head up to keep from getting dunked by Wilson. Why was this take left in the movie? Chances are the filmmakers didn’t have time or money for re-shoots or more preparation before shooting.

I love Katee Sackhoff’s work in the new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA series and I believe that she brings much needed personality to this otherwise colorless film. But like just about everything else in the movie, her role is underdeveloped. Her onscreen chemistry with Wilson isn’t terrible, but isn’t great either. Unfortunately, these two have to carry almost the entire movie, save for the cheesy voice acting of Keith David and Dawnn Lewis as A.I. respectively for a mini gun and assault rifle. The only other dialogue comes from clichéd military chatter in flashbacks and poorly-made newsreel footage.

The enemy remains faceless, zombie-like “storm troopers” in slick future armor who bleed blue Glowstick fluid and present Wilson with virtually no real challenge. I laughed when a policeman being interviewed during a newsreel states that they never miss. Quite the contrary, their aim appears lousy for the most part. After seeing the armored fighters in BLADE 2, in the big budget flop that is ULTRAVIOLET and now this, I have thoroughly grown tired of what has obviously become a massive visual cliché that filmmakers are relying on to try and make their bad guys look cooler than they really are. The proof is in the awful reveal at the end of the movie when one of the elites finally removes his mask. Believe it or not he’s Anakin Skywalker, or Billy Corgan of SMASHING PUMPKINS fame.

THE LAST SENTINEL was supposed to reinvigorate Don Wilson’s image and career. I can’t say I was a fan of his to begin with, but I do think his role had a lot of potential for him. I don’t know where it went wrong exactly, but the end product is no better than some of the throwaway movies Wilson has spent years starring in. I know Johnson was shooting for a higher standard and I still think he’s capable of it, even on a budget. Yet something more intangible than fancy production standards is missing from this movie. PIT FIGHTER had it. Here’s hoping his next feature hits the mark.

Collection Agency: A group of weapon suppliers (mainly swords) send a huge shipment out to a customer. Four weeks pass and the customer still hasn’t paid. When the boss sends three people to collect dues, these money collectors and in for more than they bargained for. What ensues is goofy shenanigans and ass-kicking.

Mummy Dearest: An ancient curse has been discovered on the tomb of a mummy. If the mummy is in any way verbally abused, then it will be awaken from death! Three kung-fu enthusiasts decide to heckle the dead corpse and are in for more than they bargained for. What ensues is goofy shenanigans and ass-kicking.

REVIEW:
I was skeptical when I received my copy of Kwoon. To tell you the truth, I can’t stand these types of independently made films. I’ve seen some of them and let me tell you, a majority of them is a heap of crap. When first episode began to play and the phrase, “Bad acting, good kung-fu” appeared, I knew I was in good hands.

A big problem with many of these independently made kung-fu films is the actors take themselves far too seriously. Sure, they showcase some impressive fight sequences, but they could never match up to the big budget stuff that they draw inspiration from. The thing about Kwoon is they parade their weaknesses like it’s a golden trophy. Right off the bat they tell you they can’t act. Instead of trying to develop characters and unravel a deep plot, they just make up a simple story and saturate it with pure entertainment. And really, isn’t that what these type of films are all about anyways?

The man behind Kwoon, Todd Roy, resembles Sean William Scott in the strangest way. The resemblance is also accentuated because he is usually the one to take the humor to another level in these shorts. An ongoing gag in each episode is Todd’s nipples somehow get injured and bleeding uncontrollably. Also, he gets trashed (literally) and emerges with a condom stuck in his mouth. Immature? Yes. Funny? You’re damn right.

The fighting can’t really stack up to the Jet Li and Jackie Chan stuff, but standing by itself, it’s impressive. The thing that makes these scenes so great is the heart that went into it. You can tell that these people really have a love for what they do. Even though their moves won’t drop your jaw or make you go “DID YOU SEE THAT?! DAMN!, the sheer will and heart that went into each scene really gives Kwoon its character. If you’re tired of Jackie Chan’s bland “comedy” and you have played the Jet Li line “I am Yulaw. I am no one’s bitch. You are mine!” 200 times, then Kwoon will satisfy your appetite for comedic kung fu.

The trend seems to be that with each new episode, the Kwoon team gets better and better. Who knows, by episode 51: Gigolo of Shaolin, the Kwoon team just might be walking down a red carpet at its premiere! Todd Roy may very well be on his way of becoming the John Waters of kung-fu films. With gags such as the ongoing nipple-torture and the constant “I’m going to kick your ass!”-es, I think with more nurture, Mr. Roy may be able to leave a mark in the action film genre. In fact, he could possibly create a whole new subgenre! Seriously, don’t tell me you wouldn’t want to see ‘Pink Flamingos’ meet ‘Once Upon a Time in China.’ Who knows what the future will bring to the Kwoon team, but at the present, this compilation of Kwoon shorts will do. Like the back cover says, it’s like watching porn, but with kung-fu. Invite a couple of buddies over, pop out a few beers, and just kick back and relax with ‘Kwoon.’

The story opens with a raid on an opium field as the military attacks with a vengeance and leaves everything decimated. The people behind this lucrative enterprise are not too happy with this sudden turn of events so they meet to decide on a course of action. Madame Sue (Yukari Oshima) wants them crushed and reveals a plan of action that everyone agrees on. Soon, agents involved in the operation are dying all over the place and Madame Sue's boss believes it's affecting business. He warns her but Madame Sue is determined to teach them a lesson so the killings continue.

Meanwhile, the Army discusses how best to counteract this wave of killings. A CIA operative (Alex Fong) explains to the General of the Army who is behind the killings. Alex suggests he hire a group known as the “Iron Angels” to sort out the problem. The General agrees and the Iron Angels are brought in. The Angels consist of Moon Lee, Elaine Lui, David Chiang, and Hideki Saijo.

I've never seen ladies come any tougher than Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima. These two are extraordinary ass-kickers. And when they finally face each other it's brutal. That's not to say the film solely relies on the end fight scene between Lee and Oshima, but it's one of the main highlights.

The film is obviously made on a lower budget and it shows. But when it comes to the action sequences, it's simply mind blowing. One of the highlights is a rescue operation for Alex after he is caught trying to infiltrate Madame Sue's property. The team crashes into her house with a vengeance, killing bad guys and blowing stuff up.

While the action scenes are brilliantly filmed, other elements are mishandled such as the comedy involving Elaine Lui. Lui seems to be stuck with the role of an airhead who thinks of nothing more than shopping and doing as little work as possible. As hard as she tries, Elaine can't seem to make the character likeable. The film suffers as a result because the comedy elements don't work. In spite of these flaws, ANGELS still holds up as a film to be seen. It should also be regarded as the first official "Girls with Guns" film that spawned its own sub-genre.

For the story, the film sticks closely to genre conventions and plays out unevenly. Lau Kar-leung is Man Bill, rider for the Chun Yuen Delivery Service in 1930s China who discovers that one of his associates is secretly smuggling opium. This is unfortunately a tiresome throwback to the dozens of early '90s kung fu movies that used the evils of opium as the instigator of conflict. Nothing new is added to this tale as Man Bill is attacked and left for dead by all of his fellow riders who are all part of the smuggling ring. This opening is about 20 minutes long, grim, and full of bloody action with Lau right in the middle of it. Flash forward one year and the film's tone switches to near-slapstick comedy as we meet a young artist named Kai-yip (Lau Wing-kin) who is trying to create a Monkey Fist kung fu manual with the aid of his stereotypically conniving mother and Tak (Wu Jing), his great-uncle by marriage who happens to be approximately the same age. After a series of "comical" scenarios, Kai-yip and Tak are sent to a new school far away from home which allows them to search for the legendary master of Monkey Fist kung fu known as Man Bill. The pair not only find him, but also his feisty student (Shannon Yao) and Inspector Hung Yat-fu (Gordon Liu), Man Bill's close friend who has been looking for him all this time. A subsequent reunion is short-lived as word gets to Man Bill's enemies that he's still alive. After a deadly fight, Man Bill takes on the two men as his students. Fast-paced, yet intensive training in Drunken Monkey Fist follows and then the heroes confront their enemies with their combined skills.

I don't think anyone could say they looked forward to seeing this film more than I. It is fair to say that in his day, Lau Kar-leung was a genius with unparalleled skill in crafting realistic and entertaining kung fu action for film. His prolific work with director Chang Cheh and subsequently on his own led to some of the finest martial arts films ever made. But he never recovered his momentum following the fall of the genre in the mid-'80s. Operation Scorpio and his ill-fated collaborative efforts on Jackie Chan's Drunken Master II were his only real successes in the '90s. An attempt at thumbing his nose at Chan by directing an unofficial sequel titled Drunken Master III in 1994 ended up a flop. Nine years later and in his late 60's, Lau came to the conclusion that Hong Kong film needed to return to what it once knew best and offer something that Hollywood never could, namely real kung fu action.

Lau did succeed in part of his mission. Drunken Monkey does feature some terrific kung fu action, the likes of which have not been seen for years. Amazingly, Lau himself is the most energetic cast member who jumps right in there and shows us all how its done. Sure, he's doubled for some of the wide shots involving acrobatics, but I don't think I've seen a man his age look as spry or as fierce onscreen. Despite his age, he delivers the best action performance of his career since Mad Monkey Kung Fu (1979). The choreography throughout the film is uniformly excellent. Purists may not care for a few extravagant scenes with characters leaping between trees in a monkey-like fashion, but Lau's trademark display of precision, power, and clarity in the movements of the actors is clearly evident. In addition, the camera work and editing isn't obviously used to cover up any lack of skill.

Wu Jing (The Legend of Zu) is definitely the best and only choice to lead this film. Putting Jet Li aside, Wu is the go to guy for martial arts leads in film and television programming in China thanks to his tremendous skills. He appears to easily adapt his Northern Wushu training to Lau's Southern Shaolin forms. Unfortunately with a poor script and a weak character, Wu's physical prowess is diminished by a snotty demeanor and Lau's failure to fully give him the spotlight. Wu's onscreen partner Lau Wing-kin fares worse as he really isn't shown to be of any great skill, is rarely seen training, and yet unconvincingly manages to stand with Wu against their enemies. Likewise, the token female as played by Shannon Yao is nothing special. She also lacks Wu's abilities and is misused.

The treat for old school fans is three-fold. First there is the early appearance of Lau Kar-wing in a short, but sweet fight with Kar-leung. Then midway through, Kar-leung's real-life student Gordon Liu shows up which leads to the film's highlight, a forced battle between Gordon and Kar-leung. I didn't care for the contrived circumstances that lead to the fight, but watching them go at each other is worth it. Finally, the talented Chi Kuan-chun, who sports an even more muscled frame than in his Eagle's Claw (1977) days and looks very fit becomes the central villain whose special ability is using a number of hoop bracelets on either arm.

Where Lau goes wrong is unfortunately on everything else outside of the casting and choreography. The worst aspect is the plot which starts out strong, but drops out when comedy is introduced. Instead of keeping its focus, the film flirts with unnecessary situational scenes ripped from the likes of '90s films like Fong Sai Yuk. Then Lau counters this with sappy drama and acting such as when he is shown caring for Shannon while her character suffers from a drug overdose. The conclusion to the film just falls together with Lau showing up with an improbable "secret weapon" that comes a little too close to stealing from Drunken Master II.

Drunken Monkey ultimately lives up to its title, but barely. You'll see the title kung fu style in well-crafted action, but its nothing new. In addition, the film lacks the magic that fueled Lau Kar-leung's greatest works while it safely sticks to the more uninspired plot outlines of the genre. But for classic kung fu enthusiasts, there is still much to enjoy in the action, where it counts. And Lau Kar-leung proves even in old age that he is still the Master of this art form.

Although filled with beautifully-shot imagery that includes the majestic steppes of Northern Central Asia, hordes of galloping horsemen in full tribal regalia and elaborate and bloody battle sequences, NOMAD cannot overcome Rustam Ibragimbekov’s bland script, the flaccid acting of the mostly non-Kazakh leading cast nor the generic, made-for-television grade direction of Sergei Bodrov and Ivan Passer. It probably doesn’t help that the production was plagued by problems related to financing, bad weather, key crew changes, and the meddling of The Weinstein Company who may have pumped additional funds into the production yet also ordering up additional battle sequences and greater emphasis on a stereotypical romantic angle. To be fair, they may have saw greater shortcomings early on and made the attempt to salvage their investment.

Unfortunately, the film’s story is a stale, plot hole-riddled snoozer that neither does the Kazakh people justice nor should be seen by many as any more entertaining or involving than watching snails mate. The gist is that in the 18th century, a wise Kazakh tribesman named Oraz (Lee) rescues an infant from marauding Dzungar (aka Jungar) warriors who are led by Sharish (Dacascos). Oraz miraculously identifies this child as a prophesized, future leader of his people and sets out to raise and train him along with a select group of children from different Kazakh tribes. The film glosses over their equestrian and combat training during their growth into young men. Little attempt is made to create any identity among them save for the hero, Mansur (Becker) and his buddy Erali (Hernandez). These two become rivals in their shared affection for a young tribeswoman named Gauhar (Ayanat Yesmagambetova).

The middle act is mostly a goofy sideshow as Mansur, Erali and Gauhar all find themselves individually captured by the Dzungar and struggling to gain their freedom. Mansur and Erali must both fight in a gladiatorial contest to earn their freedom and not surprisingly they end up pitted against each other while the frightened Gauhar looks on.

Eventually, this little captive love triangle is resolved and Mansur gets back to the business of fulfilling his destiny by making his escape and prepping the Kazakhs for war with the invading Dzungar, now equipped with foreign cannons. One hundred days of fighting are compressed into roughly 10 minutes of mounted skirmishes, sieges, massive explosions, and one graphically drawn and quartered luckless sod.

Everything is predictably laid out in routine fashion. We’ve seen it before in countless other historical epics possessing far more substantial characterizations and gut-wrenching battles. Aside from the polished production design and a few token references to the culture such as reverence held for horses, NOMAD looks mostly like a pitifully desperate cry for international attention and respect. I really don’t mean to knock Kazakhs, especially when they have already been kicked around enough by BORAT but putting foreigners into leading roles, dubbing their English dialogue into Kazakh and putting them into a flag-waving plot dominated by high school-level romantic drivel that could have appeared in any U.S. made-for-TV movie is not the way to successfully break onto the international stage.

At least martial arts movie fans can appreciate the involvement of three individuals, Jason Scott Lee and Mark Dacascos in key roles, along with fight choreographer Richard Norton. Lee doesn’t perform any substantial fighting but Dacascos does. He notably duels Becker in a Kazakh-style joust that ends with a very satisfying and gruesome finishing move.

It’s spread way to too thin, yet the action choreography is almost as slick as the cinematography and is refreshingly put together with few noticeable gimmicks such as computer effects or stylized editing. I don’t know how deeply involved Norton was in the crafting of the film’s massive battle sequences but they’re put together with the proficiency of a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. A lot of sword and spear work is displayed although I do wish the directors had given the combat techniques more distinction. For instance, the Dzungar were well known for their mounted archery skills yet this is never emphasized. With a long history in the area of tribal and regional warfare dating back to the conquests of Ghengis Khan, there must be distinct martial traditions that have survived in some form. It may seem unimportant to non-action filmmakers, yet well-defined, signature combat techniques play a vital role in a movie like this. It can be seen quite clearly in the likes of BRAVEHEART, MUSA and KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

Not enough quality movies concerning the history and culture of Eurasian territories like Kazakhstan get made or gain international attention. Like any other culture, Kazakhs deserve to have their greatest moments in history immortalized in world cinema, for the benefit of their local economy, their national pride and for international audiences who gain new understanding and appreciation for their culture. NOMAD is far from the worst filmic representative imaginable but it sure falls far below the potential is eludes to.

To put this review in perspective, it is very difficult to make a great historical epic, even for talented modern filmmakers like Oliver Stone. David Lean, Sergei Eisenstein and Cecil B. DeMille are rare masters of this particular genre. Few filmmakers with far greater resources than the makers of NOMAD had at their disposal have faired any better. With expectations held in check, I recommend that anyone curious about this production at least rent it once. It possesses enough merit to warrant that, if not a DVD purchase from less discriminating viewers.

REVIEW:
This is a silly little film. Okay, I'll elaborate further. The story is actually refreshing for an old kung fu yarn and reminded me of the farcical antics of Danny Kaye in The Inspector General which shared a similar plot. Unfortunately, the acting is too over-the-top for any real laughs giving one the impression that the actors were trying outdo each other with contorted facial expressions.

The main character's kung fu is meant to look bad in a comical fashion but never comes close to the charm and creative movements found in comedy classics, Encounters of a Spooky Kind and The Drunken Master. An opportunity to spoof the styles of kung fu is never fully exploited by the likes of the "Stumbling" or "Nasty" used in the film. And you'll definitely get a chuckle out of the surgical tubing that miraculously becomes a defensive kung fu style. Then again, maybe you won't.

Of course, if your tastes in kung fu lean towards the absurd, you might still enjoy the film. It does feature many recognizable Shaw Brothers regulars and the bald-headed lead plays a great ignoramus.

Despite its few entertaining moments, Crack Shadow Boxer's lackluster story, humor too juvenile even by classic kung fu standards, and sleep-inducing fight scenes lead the film to not only "stumble" but fall flat on its face.

Chong's father in the film returns as a ghost to ask his son to avenge his death at the hands of the town's leading citizen, Kam Tai-fu. In preparation for just such an emergency, the aging Kam has hired a sorcerer (Dai Sai-aan) to make his skin impervious to attack by coating it with the boiled down hearts of young couples caught in the act of copulation. This sorcerer also happens to be accomplished at kung fu. This combination of fists and magic forces Chong to rethink his strategy. He uses a magic manual to summon a number of sympathetic undead corpses to help him. In retaliation, the sorcerer summons Dracula himself out of thin air. When Chong's groovy ghoulies bolt, he's forced to retreat again. Next, he teams up with a government agent (Alan Chui) sent to investigate Kam and they plan a trap for the villain's sorcerer that nearly backfires literally until they extinguish his magic powers and settle into a fierce kung fu match. Finally, Chong storms Kam's residence with an angry mob of townsfolk to seek justice.

While the film begins with generic narration describing how the dead return on a certain time of the year, it leaves a lot of other elements unexplained. For instance, why does the sorcerer get sick and stop using magic after a bunch of scantily-clad women toss feminine napkins on him and while someone else douses him with what appears to be blood? Not having cultural references points, I can only cite a 1990 fantasy film entitled Kung Fu vs. Acrobatic where it was more clearly shown that dumping human waste on a sorcerer supposedly cancels out his powers. But viewers shouldn't get hung up the specifics of fanciful occult practices in China when a sorcerer is capable of conjuring Dracula at whim.

This is a low budget picture hindered by sloppy production standards as witnessed by the blatantly obvious wire sticking out from the neck of a pasty-faced gweilo dressed as Dracula who swoops around. But then it really doesn't matter when a film is this goofy. Pretty much everything is unconvincing, but there is still a certain idiotic charm. Billy Chong is the perfect lead for this film as he's cocky, sly, and able to bust out impressive moves whenever it's needed. His straight man approach to the absurdities he's faced with only makes it better. His legwork doesn't rank him among the top bootmasters like Hwang Jang-lee, but he consistently shows off good skills during long takes. Veteran kung fu actor Lo Lieh doesn't leave much of an impression here in what amounts to a fairly small role, but the droopy-eyed Dai Sai-aan sure does. He goes the extra mile in an excellent fight against Chong and Alan Chui. One minute he's shooting fire and the next vomiting repeatedly throughout a long and grueling battle that shows him to be capable of great screen fighting. As an evil sorcerer, he outshines Peter Chan's similar performance in Encounters of a Spooky Kind.

Kung Fu From Beyond the Grave ultimately lives up to its name by mixing lots of supernatural hijinks with kung fu action. Unfortunately, it never attempts to scare its audience. The cheesy visual and makeup effects do not help in this regard. But there is comedy value for anyone who enjoyed Encounters of a Spooky Kind or Mr. Vampire. Above average kung fu from choreographers Alan Chui and Sung Kam-shing is worth checking out, especially Billy Chong's energetic performance.

REVIEW:
Stephen Tung Wai is in good company starring in this zany comedy that features great scenes of Sammo Hung in action.

The story begins when two martial arts masters and brothers defeat Chin Fung (Phillip Ko) and soon fall in to a feud over whose kung fu style is better. They open seperate schools. One day a wealthy patron with two sons sends one to each school to learn. But, it turns out that the patron is actually Chin Fung's brother and the "sons" are his spies. While this is going on, an ambitious young man who calls himself "Kung Fu" Ching (Stephen Tung Wai) decides to join both schools without the other knowing. Both masters eventually find out and throw him out of their schools. Ching ends up studying with Fei Jai (Sammo Hung), a wine seller who teaches him to use the best of various styles of kung fu. This training comes in handy when Chin Fung and his brother finally decides to get revenge on Ching's squabbling masters.

The Incredible Kung Fu Master boasts a large pool of talent among cast and crew that helps to keep this film entertaining, although they don't push any boundaries. Stephen Tung Wai, who has gone on to greater acclaim as an action director of such films as The Blade (1995) and Hero (2002) sparkles with plenty of charm and dexterity. While not directing choreography this time around, Sammo Hung turns his attention solely to his role as Tung Wai's third teacher. He portrays his usual wacky persona from this era, but its interesting to see him spouting martial arts philosophy that Bruce Lee would have approved of. In essence, he tells Tung Wai to combine the best aspects from various martial arts styles. Appropriately, his analogy compares his love of different foods with different styles.

As should be expected, the training sequences are superior to the average classic kung fu scenes from the '70's. Tung Wai really shows off his incredible flexibility. But, while his frame and dexterity might resemble that of Yuen Biao who assisted in the choreography, Tung Wai doesn't display much in the way of acrobatics. A great scene involving Tung Wai's troubled attempt to reach his dinner on the opposite side of an oil-slicked platform becomes a matter of pride after Sammo tells him to eat like a dog if all he can do crawl like one.

The story and characters maintain a light-hearted tone, despite a few killings and none of the villains are spared ridicule. This feeling is maintained in the action as well. And while it creates consistency, there seems to be little effort at innovation. With the film's star power and choreography led by Leung Kar Yan and Lam Ching Ying, anyone expecting an outstanding film will be sadly disappointed. The Incredible Kung Fu Master is average stuff on Sammo's quality scale, but that means its still an enjoyable effort overall.

Review: Monkey Fist kung fu has appeared in a number of films but never shown as more entertaining or as masterfully executed as in Mad Monkey Kung Fu. Not only that, but ample humor and top notch choreography makes this film a joy to behold. Director, choreographer, and leading man Lau Kar-leung, also the leading master of the genre, is at the peek of his creative prowess here.

A Chinese opera performer named Chan (Lau Kar-leung) finds his life ruined overnight. In order to gain possession of Chan's sister (Kara Hui), brothel owners Duan (Lo Lieh) and his wife make it appear that Chan has made sexual advances on Duan's wife. To spare him, Miss Chan becomes Duan's concubine and Chan's hands are crippled. Several years later Chan meets a petty thief named Little Monkey (Hsiao Ho) who ends up learning Chan's Monkey Fist in order to defend himself from local gang members. When its discovered that the gang works for Duan, Chan joins Little Monkey in seeking revenge on Duan and saving his sister.

Within director Lau Kar-Leung's many films, he has always striven to retain the traditions of kung fu by portraying the styles in an authentic fashion. Mad Monkey Kung Fu features meticulously choreographed scenes depicting the unusual and dynamic style of Monkey Fist amid incredibly entertaining fight sequences. The real treat is seeing Lau Kar-leung in his first leading role. The man was already an established master of kung fu choreography behind the camera, but he proved himself capable of acting and fantastic kung fu displays to rival any of the performances provided by his star protégés. The opening fight is Lau's opportunity to really show off his stuff. As he becomes increasingly drunk, his style becomes more fluid in contrast to his opponent's "hard" styles.

Looking at Lau's pupils and co-stars, Kara is impressive in a short match with Lo Lieh, but her role is short. The acrobatic Hsiao Ho, who never really took off as a leading man, still offers an incredible performance on par with Yuen Biao and Chiang Sheng. Later in the film, Hsiao delivers an outstanding performance as a character who naturally apes the movements and gestures of a monkey. His master is also well known for setting up complex fights involving large numbers of opponents and doesn't disappoint here either. Hsiao's two battles in the brothel are pure genius. Its all fast-paced with props such as tables and nets being put to good use. While its nice to see Shaw Brothers veteran Lo Lieh going at it with Lau, this isn't one of his better performances overall. His kung fu is no match for the rest of the leads, but he holds his own.

While having the standard revenge angle along with a few deaths, mangling of hands, and drama, the film is actually quite intentionally funny. Hsiao Ho sparkles as the mischievous thief who is constantly getting into trouble. The choreography is often playful, but always intense and intricate. The dialogue features a mom joke and other comic gems (best presented by the original English-dubbed version).

Old school kung fu fans should not miss out on seeing this film. With brilliant choreography and loads of humor, Mad Monkey Kung Fu is a genre classic with superb kung fu.

REVIEW:
I think I can safely say this film would be nothing without Bruce Lee. Lee's charisma was probably strong enough to carry just about any film. This was Lee's first American production after working on three previous films in Hong Kong. While not as well received in Asia as his earlier works, Lee's ENTER THE DRAGON was certainly a success internationally. In fact Lee's untimely death just prior to the film's release fueled the Bruce Lee craze even further.

The film is highlighted by a series of battles which shine when Lee is on screen but dim when others try to match him. John Saxon, a student of Lee and Jim Kelly are examples of why martial arts in American film is mostly forgettable. Their performance is wooden and uneasy next to Bruce. Several Hong Kong stars of greater skill and notoriety do appear. Hong Kong legend, Angela Mao gets her kicks in as Lee's sister who attempts to fend off a motley gang out to do her wrong. Its a terrible shame that two future kung fu superstars in the film appear only briefly. Sammo Hung is featured as the sparring partner who gets floored by Bruce at the Shaolin monastery before the starting credits. One the best scenes sees Bruce, having infiltrated Mr. Han's underground operations, wade through a small army of hapless evildoers. A young Jackie Chan can be seen grabbing Bruce from behind before he receives a death blow.

The story as mentioned before is simple and tries to capitalize on the popularity of the James Bond franchise by casting Shih Kien as the maniacal villain, Mr. Han. Mr. Han has many qualities which suit his profession such as the absence of a left hand which is useful for attaching various slashing and blunt instruments. Mr. Han also has the requisite white fluffy cat, hidden elevators and the vanity to install a hall of mirrors, featured in the final battle sequence...

Compared to later Hong Kong films featuring Jackie Chan or choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping, ENTER THE DRAGON appears dated. Nevertheless, it remains a remarkable film for the intensity of Lee's performance and his lightning-quick martial arts skill.

REVIEW:
I have to give this one high marks quite simply because its so much fun to watch. Fight scenes are plentiful and although not original are made interesting by the playful verbal sparring of the three Tiger Village men. There are a few scenes and angles that for the late 1970's are quite good. There is a certain kinetic energy that propels you forward when watching. I can only compare it to Yuen Woo Ping's Iron Monkey (1993). No wirework here but lots of trick photography and rapid editing that keeps the film moving without chopping up the narrative. On the down side, some poor editing occurs such as a room full of men suddenly disappearing in the next angle as a fight begins in the same room.

The plot is pretty shallow considering the layers of intrigue. Through all the subterfuge of flirting women with knives hiding behind their backs and plots to ferret out traitors, the story is really just a long series of fights that become more dangerous near the finish. They never tell you much about this Yueng Zi Kai or why Minister Tai feels the need to keep him from power. There is also no motive for these Tiger Village men to fight for the minister until the end when they start counting losses. In addition, the protagonists seem to have little regard for their enemies even when they beg for mercy but this film really isn't about good guys vs. bad guys. Its about whoever has the best kung fu!

This film is part of the "Shaolin Boxer Collection". Due to the lack of extras and film, actor, and production information I'm led to believe these films are probably unofficial transfers. The sound and video is actually not bad though. The dubbing is acceptable with some of the same voices you've probably heard on other films.

While I would like to see a better packaged version of this film, I will say its one of my favorite "old school" kung fu films. The solid kung fu melees by genre regulars, Meng Fei and the high-kicking Dorian Tan are enjoyable. The film also has plenty of intended humor that stays above the "Half a Loaf of Kung Fu" slapstick but knows better than to take itself seriously. If you're looking for a classic kung fu film that has a little of everything, I highly recommend Boxer's Adventure.

REVIEW:
Bruce Lee: A Dragon Story was the first semi-biopic to cover the life and death of Bruce Lee. Its a highly fictionalized account that gets many of the facts wrong and aside from a few exceptions, manages to trample over Lee's memory without being even marginally entertaining.

You know the filmmakers were using their imaginations rather than research when the film opens to Lee delivering "Washington Post" newspapers, while he was supposed to be living in the state of Washington, not the capitol. The film skips over his education at the University of Washington and shows him participating in a competition through a series of sloppily edited montages. While with some of his students from the "gung fu" school he's opened, he's asked to join the cast of the Green Hornet. His happy marriage to Linda and the birth of his two children are glossed over and he decides that he's unhappy living in the United States, especially since random Japanese thugs continue to challenge him?! Lee flies to Hong Kong, but returns home after getting a lame offer from Run Run Shaw to work for Shaw Brothers. The wife of director Lo Lieh (it was actually the wife of Raymond Chow, Golden Harvest's chairman) convinces Lee to sign a contract and he begins work on his first film.

Aside from some really bad directing, acting, and voice acting, the film has been a marginal facsimile of Lee's life. But at this point the story shifts to a supposed love affair he had with Betty Ting Pei and completely loses its footing. While this reviewer does appreciate the way in which Lo Wei is portrayed as a real jackass, which from all accounts is true, a decision to spice up the story with a sordid love triangle between Lee, Betty Ting Pei, and Nora Miao (Lee's co-star in Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon) kills the film.

Its really impossible for anyone to capture Lee's intensity and charisma and Bruce Li doesn't even seem to be trying in this film. Then to have Lee's remaining life reduced to revolving around a love affair with Ting Pei, played by an actress who really hams it up, Li becomes nothing more than a supporting cast member in the movie he's supposed to be starring in as one of the most fascinating personalities of the 20th century. Instead of seeing how Lee fought for respect in Hollywood and worked to show his philosophy in his films, we're treated to Lee shown as an indecisive young man who has abandoned his family to cater to the whims of a spoiled film starlet. This film is the tabloid version that magnifies the rumors and ignores the facts. Yet the worst was to come when Ting Pei herself starred in an even less flattering exploitation piece entitled Bruce Lee and I in 1976 that dealt with the same affair.

Although this is a hideous film on many levels, the action is fairly decent, if sporadic. Li is probably the best of the Lee clones and his martial arts skills were actually impressive. Li doesn't make a huge effort to replicate Lee's moves, but physically, he does a better job than Jason Lee who portrayed Bruce in the overall best biopic to date, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993). Its actually a shame that the filmmakers had not taken their subject matter more seriously since Li could have done a much better job if given the chance.

This film really isn't for anyone except Bruce Li fans or anyone fascinated by the exploitive world of Bruce Lee knockoffs. While it at least does not try to pass off Li as a clone of the real Bruce which lesser films attempted, it does degrade his life by playing loose with the facts. Did Lee ever have an affair? I don't have an answer, but I do know he wasn't the near lifeless husk of a man who appears in this near lifeless husk of a film.

Review: Hong Kong actor Stephen Fung makes his full directorial debut with a different take on the well-trod triad film genre. In Enter the Phoenix, Daniel Wu plays a reluctant successor to a crime family who is openly gay. This premise gives Fung the freedom to delve broadly into comedy, drama and action. There is a little bit of everything here including a dramatic cameo by Yuen Biao. Yet the blending of these elements is too disparate with watered-down results and minimal action.

In a brief non-action role, Yuen Biao plays an aging triad leader in Hong Kong who dies, leaving the business in the hands of his gay son Georgie (Daniel Wu). Yuen's number two man, Cheung (Law Kar-ying), heads to Thailand to pick him up, but mistakes Georgie for his roommate Sam (Eason Chan). Sam readily steps into the position as head cheese that Georgie is reluctant to fill. Cheung and his son are the only two gang members who know that Georgie happens to be gay and for fear that the men will not accept this, they try to keep it hidden. But it's only a matter of time before the truth about who and what the real Georgie is comes out. This becomes all the more certain when Julie (Karen Mok), the daughter of a rival gang leader, falls for an indifferent Georgie while Sam, who is pretending to be gay, has fallen for her. Making matters worse, the rival gang leader's number two man (Stephen Fung) has an old grudge against Georgie's family and attempts to discredit and eventually kill him.

It shouldn't be hard to tell just from its title and promotional art that Enter the Phoenix is a misguided feature. The title sounds like the premise for a movie about battling martial artists stranded in the desert after their plane crashes. The artwork plays up the big names involved, but leaves everything else to the imagination. The premise is actually a little too sophisticated for typical Hong Kong fare. It might have worked on a romantic and dramatic level in the hands of Wong Kar-wai, or on a comedic level with Stephen Chow, or as an actioner from Johnnie To. But Stephen Fung unwisely tries to do it all.

To be sure, the cinematography is excellent, the production values are slick, and the score continues to rely on heavy synthesizer work, but is better than usual. The action scenes are nicely constructed, but are in short supply and there are only two martial arts battles of note, both featuring Daniel Wu. First, Wu takes on thugs in a narrow alley and for the big finish he takes on Stephen Fung. Anyone hoping that Karen Mok continues to work on her screen fighting after So Close will be disappointed with her non-action and rather generic role. The action editing flows nicely during these scenes with takes lasting just long enough to get a sense that the stunt actors are doing more than just making single swipes in front of the camera. Wirework is misused in a Romeo Must Die fashion with leaps and kicks unnecessarily exaggerated. It's not poorly done, just inappropriate for the setting. Because of the limited fighting and its lack of creativity, there isn't much for action buffs to get excited about.

While on the topic of what's inappropriate, Fung takes what could have been a funny or challenging exploration of homophobia in organized crime straight into the toilet. He does this with a series of drawn-out and crude sexual gags that fall flat. To his credit, Wu does give his character a touch of humanity. His troubled relationship with his father as played by Yuen Biao could have made for a great film all by itself. Yet the usual, broad Cantonese comedy creeps in unchecked and we end up with enough cheap sexual gags and gay stereotypes to offend viewers of almost any persuasion.

Enter the Phoenix is not a bad directorial debut for Fung, just overly-ambitious. It tries to satisfy too many different tastes and suffers as a result. It doesn't excel in any area, but does show Fung's potential as a filmmaker willing to step out of genre boundaries.

REVIEW:
This film signaled Shaw Brothers return to feature filmmaking after nearly two decades of producing only television programming. Unfortunately, it never lived up to the standards set during Shaw Brothers heyday in the '60's and '70's. An awkward plot never really comes together, while the acting is generally flat. Only Corey Yuen's inventive action scenes really make this film worth seeing as they evoke images from John Woo's bullet ballets to Tsui Hark's hyper kinetic action pacing.

Starting with the positive elements, the action is enjoyable even if most of it has been seen elsewhere. An ageless Yuen Biao is in great form, whether trading blows with Takeshi on a speeding horse carriage or battling an army of hatchet-wielding assassins single-handedly. Japanese import, Takeshi Kaneshiro manages to perform convincingly in an action lead physically in terms of looks and ability yet lacks the charisma to draw us into his character.

On the downside, the film never seems to know where its going in terms of plotting. At one time or another it seems like a send up to The Godfather, THE MAMBO KINGS, and even The Shaw Brother's own BOXER FROM SHANGTUNG (1972) which is essentially the same film. At one painful spot in the film, our "hero", Ma seems to lose his memory after a disastrous series of events and his friends convince him that it was all a dream. Then follows a series of humorous lies concocted by Ma's friends which Corey feels compelled to show us. The scene taken by itself is actually funny but just doesn't belong in the film. The finale is rushed with our protagonists performing over-the-top acts of violence which is unsatisfying.

Review: With the release of Azumi, swordplay action in Japan has a new master and his name is Ryuhei Kitamura. To fully appreciate this director's epic and stylized manga adaptation, one must know the genre's history.

The jidai geki (period drama) or chambara film in Japan originated as simple action tales of good versus evil and was first elevated to epic works of art spearheaded by Akira Kurosawa in 1954 with the release of Seven Samurai. By the '70s, a split took place that saw artful chambara like Kinji Fukasaku's Shogun's Samurai growing larger in budget and fewer in number, while more violent and modest actioners such as the Lone Wolf and Cub films flourished. But by the 1990s, both styles of chambara virtually disappeared.

Now in the new millennium, writer/director Ryuhei Kitamura has emerged as the leading force in a new trend towards reviving at least one-half of the chambara genre, the populist actioner. Following the international success of Versus (2000), his zombie, yakuza, and swordplay-infused first film, Kitamura takes the chambara actioner to new heights with loads of kinetic and bloody swordplay. In Azumi, Kitamura's signature taste for offbeat characters, irreverent humor, and gratuitous gore has been toned down for this mainstream release, but still remains in enough quality to season this film with plenty of kitsch flavor.

The story of Azumi is adapted from a manga title of the same name by Yu Koyama. Its a little hard to swallow, but through the course of the film the diminutive title character as played by pop starlet Aya Ueto will cut her way through no less than 200 warriors made up of samurai, ninja, deranged mercenaries, and mobs of Road Warrior-inspired cutthroats. She reaches a gruesome climax with one of most memorable beheadings seen in film.

Azumi is one of ten teenagers plucked as orphans from the aftermath of the Battle of Sekigahara, and brought to a mountain retreat where they are trained as assassins by Gessai (Yoshio Harada), a martial arts master and war veteran for the purpose of stopping any would-be warlord from sparking another war. Before they even leave, their numbers are reduced to five in a final test of fortitude and loyalty. Descending from the mountain, the remaining warriors begin a mission to eliminate three warlords. All goes well until their second hit against Kiyomasa Keto (Naoto Takenaka) is foiled by his crafty general, Inoue Kanbei (Katsuki Kitamura) who has set a trap with Saru (Minoru Matsumoto) and his crew of ninja. Now the assassins find themselves being hunted as Kanbei recruits a trio of bloodthirsty mercenaries known as the Sajiki Brothers and Bijomaru Mogami (Joe Odagiri), an effeminate and psychopathic master swordsman with a taste for carnage and roses. A finale trap is set in the port village of Gamo, best described by a certain Jedi master who once stated, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." This leads to a massive melee with Azumi literally blasting her way in and charging into a throng of swordsmen as gunners fire from cover, mercenaries turn on their samurai masters, Saru preps a cannon with disastrous results, and Bijimaru transforms from delighted onlooker into a dancing frenzy of death as he cuts down everything in his path, friend or foe.

Much like Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Kitamura relishes in exaggerated violence, its many inspirations, and a stylized presentation. The film borrows heavily from cult chambara classics and appropriately from its source material. This is then filtered through a worldview that draws from Kitamura's love for Western cult cinema. If there is any notable progress made in the genre's evolution, its found in Kitamura's dynamic camera work and the sheer scale of destruction depicted. Dialogue is often shot from a distance by a sedentary camera, which is contrasted sharply by near constant swooping, panning, and forced perspective angles during the action. This reaches a dizzying extreme in a 360 degree rotation around a duel between Bijimaru and Azumi who stand on an elevated plank. Crane shots capture the impressively large Gamo set and the hundreds of fighters who fill its narrow streets.

Ample swordplay is adequately choreographed by Yuta Morokaji. Interestingly, his best-known work before this is choreography for Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a Nintendo 64 game released in 1998. Love it or hate it, a few wire-assisted tricks and CG effects are mixed in with the standard, Japanese-style swordplay. While the action is perfectly enjoyable, none of the cast is particularly adept at their sword-handling, except for Yoshio Harada. It is fitting he should play the seasoned master as he's a veteran of the genre with his starring role in Ronigai being his last, best example. Its a shame then to see his only action scene near the end and his character reduced to an emotionless drone. Aya Ueto fits the image of Azumi as portrayed in the manga and she is certainly charming, but she doesn't sell her action performance. Her sword-handling and movements are too slow to possibly convince me, even in this exaggerated world, that she could be able to stave off an army. Worse yet, there isn't enough emphasis on what makes her so special as a swordswoman. And unlike better-written chambara films, tactics - that were so important to Japan's greatest swordsman Miyamoto Musashi - are ignored. These oversights make the film shallow as an actioner while the comic book-style characters make the story shallow.

Yet if you can put up with shallowness of the film, an element which resides in the bulk of the film industry output in most countries, you're still in for a very entertaining action film that consistently spits out gleeful violence in bucket loads. Aside from the action, Kitamura's comic touches are refreshing and keep the film grounded in fantasy, where it belongs. Don't let the tragic moments of fallen comrades, mild romancing of Hyuga (Kenji Hohashi), or the introspection of Azumi fool you, Kitamura clearly wants his audience to "have some fun" (see Versus audio commentary for quoted reference). His source of fun derives from screwing around with oddball characters, something he let get out of control in Versus. An introductory scene with the Sajiki Brothers who are engaging in a rather brutal game of arm-wrestling is a kick. Also, the return of Minoru Matsumoto who played the shrieking yakuza thug in Versus is welcome. He plays a monkey-like ninja who midway through the film starts to make these shrill animal noises during fights. His fight with Hideo Sakaki, another Versus alum who plays Nagato, a rival ninja is pretty slick. Fittingly, Minoru caps his role with a real bang.

Azumi is pure, popcorn entertainment with no real depth, but with non-stop eye candy, gratuitous violence, and a wry sense of humor. That's what Kitamura is striving for in his self-professed desire to bring back the cult chambara film and that is what he succeeds in doing perfectly. I do wish the soundtrack, with its generic rock guitar riffs and stale orchestrations could match Kitamura's energetic and quirky filmmaking style. But as a Japanese swordplay film, this has all the guts and glitter that is lacking in present Hong Kong action films. As one of the best action-heavy chambara films released in years, Azumi is highly recommended.

Review: Why is it that some of Jet Li's best movies take the longest to be released in the States? Hero sat on the shelf at Miramax for two years and Unleashed, picked up by newcomers Rogue Pictures, finally arrives two years after the end of production. Released as Danny the Dog in France, this is the second collaboration between writer-producer Luc Besson and Jet Li, and a decided improvement over their first.

Unleashed finally marries a competent story with Jet Li's proven screen fighting mastery. In fact, I'd say it was more a poignant drama of a troubled man's effort to escape a life of physical and mental torment than actioner. That is, if not for the bloody martial arts and gunplay violence brought to vivid life by master choreographer Yuen Wo-ping and director Louis Leterrier.

The story is pared down significantly from those in Li's previous Hollywood efforts and it's to the movie's advantage. It's about a man named Danny (Jet Li) who grows up treated like an animal by a petty English mobster named Bart, played with colorful flair by Bob Hoskins. Trained to attack when a collar around his neck is removed and kept locked in a cage, Danny knows no other life then that of a dog until an accident separates him from his master. He's taken in by Sam, a blind piano tuner (Morgan Freeman) and his stepdaughter Victoria (Kerry Condon), who takes an immediate interest in this shy stranger.

From here, we get to watch as Danny explores the world outside of endless violence and abuse as he bonds with his new friends and begins to recall his turbulent past. Freeman adds an air of validity to the character interactions, despite the fact that his acting chops have been dulled by too many similar roles in suspense thrillers. Adding needed color is the relatively unknown Kerry Condon as a young piano major who teaches Danny to laugh, eat ice cream and generally enjoy life for the first time since he was a child.

It's all well acted and Li deserves credit for stepping out a little from his usual roles to play a flawed character who is emotionally and mentally vulnerable. He also plays well off his costars and manages to come off as charming, despite his violent tendencies. But for the sake of keeping Li's fans happy and for dramatic punch, this lightly comical situation cannot last and we're soon thrust back into the action as Bart comes looking for Danny to put him back to work. This is where Bob Hoskins works up to a knockout performance where he waffles between displaying a suedo-genuine fatherly relationship with Danny and being the despicable criminal that he really is as he attempts to manipulate Danny.

It's almost ironic that one of Jet Li's most dramatic movies also happens to be one of his most violent. The movie literally kicks off with Li beating the tar out of thugs. The emphasis is on brutal and almost reckless combat as Li tears into his opponents. There is none of the elegance of his Wong Fei-hung roles. To add more excuses for him to go nutty, Li finds himself forced into an underground fighting circuit. This tiresome concept is thankfully kept in check. It basically comes down to two matches, the second being one of the film's action highlights. Danny, who no longer wishes to kill, suddenly finds himself facing multiple opponents armed with axes and spears intent on killing him. Yuen Wo-ping and Li do not disappoint with this fight.

The finale also pays off as Danny takes on his former master and his thugs in an old apartment building. All of the sets play a big role the film, but they really come to the fore as Li makes use of nearly every crawlway, railing, window, and bathroom to outmaneuver gun-totting gangsters and one hired martial arts fighter with a nasty blade.

Having worked with Corey Yuen on The Transporter and now with Yuen Wo-ping on Unleashed, director Louis Leterrier has really shown himself to possess notable aptitude in crafting stylish Hong Kong-style action sequences There is also a very clear visual style to the film, both in the cinematography and art direction that compliments both the gritty violence and the drama.

What may be most compelling about this movie is Jet Li's obvious desire to show the ugly nature of violence when martial arts is subverted and used for ill. It may be one of Li's most graphic depictions of his philosophy yet, next to Hero. It succeeds admirably in contrast to his effort to show the need for balance in martial arts and life in The One.

Philosophies or not, Unleashed is a winner that adds depth and memorable characters to a Western Jet Li movie for once and yet doesn't compromise on fans' desire to see him kick ass. While this combination should appeal to a wider audience, it is definitely an adult-oriented film and may not be suitable for younger audiences.

Tommy Lee (Phillip Rhee) is a single parent who raises his daughter Stephanie (Jessica Huang) with a caring hand. But one of his friends’ daughter has collected evidence on Russian mobsters who plan to make large amounts of counterfeit money. During a violent shootout in her father’s shop, she manages to slip a tape with all the evidence into Tommy Lee’s jacket, unknowingly to Tommy. Soon afterwards the mob is after the tape and Tommy has to protect his daughter and himself from the ensuing mobsters. It might not be a terrific story, but it does fit the film nicely. Why pretend to have some complex plot when you just want to do an action film? After securing his daughter in the care of a Priest (Paul Gleason), he decides to tackle the situation head-on. The first thing he learns is that the cops can’t be trusted, not even his own friend who he is forced to kill. At the end of the day he can only trust one man, Detective Gresko, played by veteran actor Ernie Hudson. Detective Gresko may be a tough cookie and impossible to work with, but at least he’s a honorable and honest cop. The rest of the film carries on this premise to the very end when Tommy Lee has to face the Russian brothers as they try to leave the country.

As mentioned earlier, it’s the action that makes the film worth seeing. Phillip Rhee’s brother, Simon Rhee, headed the fight choreography. Besides having trained famous stars such as Beau Bridges, Heather Locklear and Faye Dunaway, he holds a 7th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a 4th degree black belt in Hapkido. While he doesn’t appear on-screen in the film, you can witness his martial arts talent in the first two Best of the Best films. On the other hand, brother Phillip Rhee is no slouch either with three black belts to his name. He has a 6th degree black belt for Tae Kwon Do, a 3rd degree black belt for Hapkido and a 1st degree black belt in Kendo. Together the two siblings form an amazing set of fighting sequences. The fights in the film are hard and as realistic as they come. Phillip Rhee’s favorite way of attacking is to throw someone, and he does a fine job of varying the different moves. The best fight in the film is staged inside the mobster’s gym as he takes on the whole training group. While films like Fist of Fury (1972), My Father is a Hero (1995) and the more recent Kiss of the Dragon (2001) have admittedly done a much better job, it is surely way above the average low-budget fight scenes we are so use to seeing in American films. The gunfights in the film are there to carry the film along and when they do occur they are rather good, although they are very short-lived. They don’t cut away when someone gets shot, which would have been the easy and bloodless path, and this type of action does a nice job of introducing guns into the film. Towards the end Tommy Lee also gets to drive a freakin’ cool red bike and he does a stunt or two on it.

Speaking of the ending... it will probably disappoint most people and it features a ridiculous scene where he throws a bomb into a plane’s wheel mechanism from far away! And what would a film be without music? The music is nothing special though, but it does its job. The film has one of those generic electronic soundtracks that some guy generated on a keyboard. It doesn’t detract from the action though, but it didn’t grab me either.

Phillip Rhee might have done as good a job as he could with his budget and limited acting abilities, but it remains a low-budget film. And that is unforgivable to some people. If you just want a simple action flick with a terrific real-life martial artist then by all means go and at least rent this film. Phillip Rhee hasn’t been involved in the film industry in many years now, but I hope that he gets the chance prove his worth in Hollywood sometime in the future.

REVIEW:
Not to be confused with Jackie Chan's Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, this film bears its own distinction for displaying some terrific snake style kung fu versus a wicked drunken monkey technique.

John Cheung is Lung, a fishmonger who spends more time than he should dreaming of learning kung fu. After arriving late to the village's leading family with a shipment of old fish, Lung is beaten and sent packing by the Yan's eldest brothers. He eventually gets his revenge after talking Ho (Hau Chiu Sing), a local kung fu master into allowing him to join his school. Lung is relegated to cleaning the place but proves his devotion by practicing everything he has seen performed by the other students at night. Ho finally takes Lung on as a student and teaches him drunken boxing.

While showing off his skill to Ting Sang (Pomson Shi), a monkey style expert, Lung humiliates the two Yan sons which only causes their father to seek a fight with Teacher Ho. This time Ho beats the father and his two sons which only adds more fuel to the flames. Yan hires two fighters who kill Ho and even kill Ting Sang who was an old adversary. Lung is beaten, but survives to train further by combining the drunken boxing and monkey style to defeat the duo's formidable snake style.

Snake in the Monkey's Shadow is simply old fashioned kung fu goodness. The story is indistinguishable from countless other Hong Kong films of the '70's, but the actual combat stands out. John Cheung plays an affable protagonist who ends up performing some rather entertaining training sessions and combat. The highlights include his sparring with a revolving set of poles while hopping around on tables and his final battle with the two villains. At one point, he bites the hand of Charlie Chan and throws him over his head with his teeth still clenched. He flips over and deals Chan a death blow, all while biting the guy's hand. Its a brilliant, if seemingly ignoble piece of choreography.

While some of the early action is somewhat dull, the creativity of the action scenes increases as the film reaches its conclusion. Pomson Shi, who is relatively unknown does a great job performing monkey kung fu. The whole significance of these combat styles which is set up at the beginning of the film is that monkey style beats snake. Since Charlie Chan, who plays the lead villain loses with his snake attacks, he comes back with screen veteran, Wilson Tong to double-team his old foe. Tong really shows off his experience as fight choreographer in these scenes towards the end.

There is nothing new to be seen, but with fast and furious old school action and a lot of great talent going into this production, its a safe bet that most classic kung fu fans will enjoy this title.

REVIEW:
In the final chapter of the acclaimed Musashi Miyamoto trilogy, director Hiroshi Inagaki combines the final events of this famous story with a touch of romantic embellishment to create a hurried, yet enjoyable conclusion.

A monk challenges Musashi to combat after Iori, his young pupil draws attention to his master during an open martial arts competition. The intervention of an elder monk spares Musashi from harming the overzealous man. The two then stay at a nearby inn while Musashi takes his sword to be sharpened by a master bladesmith. While there, he is invited by a court official of the Shogun to apply for a position as the Shogun's official sword master, a highly enviable position for any samurai.

In a arrogant display of skill, Kojiro leaves his mark after killing three members of a local sword school. Musashi takes their bodies to the school's aging teacher whose pride keeps him from openly admitting that they were his students since they were defeated. Shocked and angered by this heartless display of indifference, Musashi postpones a duel with Kojiro whom he meets soon after and takes up residence on a farm with Iori and another older student. Ignoring the advise of a Buddhist monk, Otsu travels alone to see Musashi but is discovered by bandits who plague the area. After escaping with Iori's help, she joins Musashi on his farm, although he remains distant, fearing what she must think of him after he made a sexual advance the last time they met.

Troubles mount when Akemi also decides to see Musashi once more. Also traveling alone, she ends up taken by the bandits who turn out to be former associates of her mother. She is instructed to tell Musashi and the villagers that the bandits have been captured. Once she does, the villagers decide to celebrate despite Musashi's disbelief and the bandits attack while their guard is down. With Musashi's leadership, the townsfolk manage to defeat the bandits, but not before Akemi is killed attempting to save Otsu.

The time finally arrives for the great duel between Kojiro and Musashi which is to be held on the beach of a small island, away from the eyes of the anxious townsfolk. Having previously discarded Akemi, who had always remained loyal to Musashi, Kojiro became the Shogun's swordmaster, a worldly position Musashi purposely discarded in favor of enlightenment. As the time of their duel approaches, Kojiro awaits his foe with his unusually long samurai sword ready for action. Musashi meets Otsu one last time before the duel. While being transported to the island, he fashions a long wooden sword from an oar. Having narrowly defeated Kojiro, Musashi sheds a tear for his fallen opponent declaring him the greatest swordsman he will ever fight.

What is most striking about this story is the ending. Musashi lives in an era when the feudal wars of Japan are over. The once powerful samurai class would soon fall prey to the tradesmen and the commerce they would propagate. This was the last time that men would be able to find honor through combat and whether Musashi weeps for the loss of his fallen foe, for the futility of worldly gain, or for the passing of an era is uncertain. Of course, the real Musashi may never have been so noble, yet the closing scene is no less effective.

To contain the rest of the original story in under a two hour running time , the filmmakers condensed several of Musashi's adventures into one. While fans of the book may be a little miffed, it works quite well. Unfortunately several aspects are trivialized such as the young boy's important father/son relationship with Musashi. Also, its not made very clear as to why Musashi runs off to clear land and begin farming for a year aside from one reference to his dislike for such work as a younger man. The worst aspect of this film's version of the story is the whole rivalry between Otsu and Akemi and their relationship to Musashi. Its already been well established that Musashi doesn't really know how to relate to these women and their suicidal devotion to him is overplayed. Director Inagaki determinedly ties up all the loose ends, but the more rambling nature of this last film makes for a less cohesive narrative.

The final fight is well done and both Mifune and Tsuruta play their roles marvelously, despite a few distracting artificial backdrops. This film has less action overall though and the center bogs down in relational drama. Now taking all three films into account, this is a great story that has a bit of everything from action to romance and subtle humor. The production values are generally high with great cinematography, costumes, and music. The original story by Eiji Yoshikawa is outstanding and this is the best film adaptation you'll likely ever see.

REVIEW:
The epic saga of Japan's most famous samurai warrior continues in this second part that features fewer location shoots, but more action.

The film starts with Musashi (Toshiro Mifune) preparing to duel with Baiken, a master of the chain and sickle as a young homeless boy looks on. Unprepared for such a weapon, Musashi finds himself at a disadvantage when his long sword is bound up by the chain. He is forced to use his second smaller sword to finish the battle. (This would lead to his noteworthy use of two swords in combat although the film doesn't dwell on this fact.) Musashi leaves the boy behind to challenge the Yoshioka sword school. The young master is not around and after defeating a number of students with a wooden sword, Musashi leaves a challenge for him. With the school up in arms over the affront, Musashi is escorted to a pleasure house where he is entertained by a famous call girl. A hasty challenge by the schoolmaster's older brother, Denshirchiro reaches Musashi and he sneaks out to engage the man in combat.

Meanwhile, Kojiro Sasaki (Koji Tsuruta), an ambitious young swordsman who sees Musashi as his only worthy opponent waits in the wings to see the outcome of this fight between the school and Musashi. He has also become enamored with Akemi, more so for her continued blind and hopeless affection for Musashi. Musashi's old companion, Matahatchi has become nothing more than a freeloader, living on the graces and whims of Oko (Akemi's mother) and her worldly excesses. He makes the mistake of impersonating Kojiro and trying to impress his mother, Osugi, whom he meets while she continues to hunt down Musashi in vain hopes of killing him. After nearly being killed by Matahatchi on his mother's fanatical order, Musashi's true love, Otsu retreats to a Buddhist Temple where she meets Takuan again and the young boy who now considers Musashi his master. She eventually meets up with Musashi again but scorns him in an unexpected moment of passion that leaves the two confused and separated.

Knowing that Seijuro, the headman is no match for Musashi, the Yoshioka school prepares a trap near Ichijoji Temple. On his way to meet them, Musashi is warned of their treachery by Akemi. Musashi engages the entire school in a pitched battle. Although initially successful, the shear number of foes threatens to undo him and he retreats across a rice field. In a secluded spot, Seijuro challenges Musashi alone. Previously chastised for his brutality, Musashi spares his life.

Although this second part features the same crew with Mifune reprising his role, a few changes occur including Matahatchi's role that is filled this time around by Sachio Sakai. More notable and unfortunate is the increased use of sound stages in the first half of the film. Most of Samurai I was beautifully shot on location. While the sets are elaborate in their reconstruction, they pale in comparison. Also, while the first film essentially keeps most of the first part of the original story intact, this film begins to condense it down to a greater extent, although not as much as the third and final installment.

The performances are once again well played out with Toshiro Mifune now as the able young samurai apprentice. One element of the story that remains consistent throughout the film trilogy is Musashi's growth. Mifune expertly portrays the wild youth who grows into a man searching for wholeness. Even though he outwardly appears to be running about doing nothing more than challenging one fighter after another, there is a real sense of struggle to overcome his own aggression and to become a righteous man. Likewise, his confusion and frustration in regard to women is aptly displayed. Yet, one most admit that most of the women who pine for his affections have many faults of their own, especially Akemi and this only makes his journey more challenging. It may also begin to challenge the viewer who will wonder how an unruly and emotionally detached swordsman could command the devotion of women who have had so little contact with him. Although more prominent in the third film, Koji Tsuruta as Musashi's nemesis is excellently played. Dressed in gaudy kimonos while wearing locks of hair usually cut off by adulthood, he manages to capture Kojiro's boyish arrogance perfectly. Kojiro is destined to be unlikable, although not evil and while the two swordsmen's paths are destined to cross, the roads traveled are very different.

Of the three films, this has the most swordplay climaxing with the duel at the end. Again, the action is realistically portrayed, without emphasis on gore and remains generally entertaining. If not for the use of artificial backdrops and the continuing soap opera saga of the women who adore Musashi, Duel at Ichijoji would have scored as perfectly as the previous film. This is still a solid second outing and considering the close nature of all three, it deserves to be seen just as much as the first one.

REVIEW:
In 1955, one of the greatest novels of all-time was finally adapted for the screen nearly twenty years after its author, Eiji Yoshikawa first published it in serial form. This first part in a trilogy on the life of Musashi Miyamoto is a brilliant piece of filmmaking that captures the soul of the samurai and Japan's most famous example like no other film.

The story begins with a wild and burley youth named Takezo (Toshiro Mifune) convincing his friend, Matahatchi (Rentaro Mikuni) to join what turns out to be the losing side in the famous Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. With Matahatchi wounded, the pair escape from the battlefield to end up at the house of Oko and her daughter Akemi. After several months, Takezo defeats bandits who assault the household and Oko attempts to seduce him, but he runs away. The two women leave with Matahatchi who decides not to return to his mother, Osugi and his fiancé, Otsu. Takezo fights his way through border guards to get home to tell Osugi of her son's fate, but is nearly trapped by the bitter old woman. Takuan, a wise and good-natured Buddhist priest becomes Takezo's mentor and eventually sets him on the path of a samurai when he locks him in a castle room for three years with nothing to do but read. Renamed Musashi Miyamoto, the young samurai is sent out into the world to further his learning in the ways of the sword and samurai. Although torn by his love for Otsu, Musashi leaves her behind while she vows to wait patiently for his return. Meanwhile, proud Osugi and Matahatchi's docile Uncle Gon begin their search for Musashi in order to kill him.

I'll begin by saying that I've read the 970 page book and had huge expectations for this trilogy. The original story is a fictionalized account of the real Musashi Miyamoto who wrote The Book of Five Rings after the supposed adventures chronicled in this tale. What is so compelling about him and this story is that he is a brilliant example of a man of faults who overcomes them while not becoming a victim of the evil's of the world. In fact, this is exactly what happens to most every other character in the story. The film captures this aspect of the original story perfectly.

Toshiro Mifune owns this role. He was born for it. Even in his early days as Toho after World War II, he was considered an actor of raw intensity. Although quiet and respectful off camera, once filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa set him lose, he was magnetic. In this case, his role as Takezo, the wild man is perfect. And after he emerges from his transformation into Musashi, Mifune pulls a masterfully subtle 180 that renders him with a convincing level of composure befitting the character's state of mind. Although Rentaro Mikuni would not return for the sequels, his performance as the weak-minded Matahatchi is well played. Kuroemon Onoe as Priest Takuan adds the necessary combination of vitality and maturity to the role of Musashi's mentor.

Most of the women in this tale are portrayed as highly dependent and trite which will likely seem a bit confounding to Western audiences, given the circumstances. Keep in mind that in feudal Japanese society women had little or no status. Kaoru Yachigusa plays Otsu, Musashi's true love who decides to devote her life to him even though he chooses the way of the lone warrior over being with her. At the same time, Akemi (Mariko Okada ) has also fallen for Musashi, but as the remaining films will show, her state of mind is much less stable. All of this effectively points to Musashi's clear vision. Where love seems to be a temptation that leads to ruin, there appears to be a noble purity in mastering the sword. Of course, Musashi still has much to learn about both.

It would have been great had the series been filmed in wide screen. The Japanese actually were the first to fully take advantage of the technology once it become common a number of years later. As is, the camera work is excellent and the lighting deserves special mention. Most of the film is shot in scenic outdoor locations and adds tremendously to the film's realism. The fights are performed less like the more heroic chambara films of Toei and more realistic, much like Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) which had a strong aesthetic influence on this film. This is essential to the story since part of Musashi's success was the fact that he wasn't afraid to fight and die. Most of his lesser opponents simply didn't have the courage or will to fight and they would often attack in groups and were quick to make glaring errors in judgment that any kendo student could point out.

Quite simply, Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto is a flawless film. No movie adaptation could capture every element of the book, but this one does a fine job. The acting is superb, the pacing and the production is first rate. You must read the book, but if can't manage that then you better watch this film or you'll be missing out on some of the best Japanese cinema you'll ever see next to Akira Kurosawa's works.

REVIEW:
This wicked tale of lesbian assassins, male mutilations and steamy sex is filled with crass humor, language and violence and if that sounds like a good way to spend 90 minutes of your life you'll be licking your plate clean after a generous helping of Naked Killer.

This excessive cult favorite begins with the murder of a man by a sadistic female assassin who leaves her victim with broken limbs, all five and thankfully we don't have to witness the deed. One of the police investigators on the scene is Tian (Simon Yam) who is recovering from accidentally killing his brother in a gun battle which results in him vomiting at the sight of guns. While at a styling salon, he meets Kitty (Chingmy Yau) who stabs one of the male stylists in the groin after he physically abuses his girlfriend. This implausible scene becomes even more so after Tian runs her down and the two seemingly develop instant chemistry. A relationship blossoms, although Kitty is clearly in charge. That all changes after her father is killed after discovering an extramarital affair. In a rage, Kitty storms the offices of the killer who is linked with the triads, shooting everyone in her path. She escapes with the help of Sister Cindy, a professional killer responsible for slaying numerous male sex fiends. Now wanted by the law, Kitty has no choice but to change her identity and join Cindy in becoming a killer herself.

After investigating a new murder, Tian discovers Kitty in her new life which leads to the renewal of their relationship, much to the rancor of the man-hating Sister Cindy who happens to keep male miscreants chained in her basement. More trouble arises when Cindy's former protégé, Princess (Carrie Ng) and her lesbian lover/accomplice are hired by Japanese criminals to kill Cindy and Kitty. A final showdown of assassins occurs with Kitty and Tian fighting to stay together.

Before going on, I must admit to being biased against this film. I am not a big fan of Wong Jing's latter work which generally reaches for extremes. Also, his obvious infatuation with Chingmy Yau, whom he had a short-lived romance with is all too apparent onscreen. And as much as I enjoy campy excess when it comes to the film's violence, the gratuitous scenes of sex and unconvincing romantic entanglements derail the potency of the action. But, for most fans of the femme fatale action in Luc Besson's Nikita (1990) or Black Cat (1991) with Jade Leung, this takes the whole unhinged female assassin genre about as far as it can go and you'll likely be loving it.

Technically, the film is classic, early '90's Hong Kong gunplay. The action scenes, particularly the gun battle in the parking garage are very well staged. Its all fast paced with wild acrobatics and blazing firearms. Wong also tapped into the whole mainstream Category III film erotica that was popular at the time to include ample amounts of female groping and lip-locking and a bit of sex and nudity. Like most similar Hong Kong productions, its campy and over-the-top. The success of the film led Wong to feature Chingmy Yau and Simon Yam in an unofficial sequel, sensationally entitled Raped by An Angel (1993) which spawned a series of lesser films.

It all comes down to the fact that you'll not likely see a more wild and raunchy example of Hong Kong-style sex and violence all in one film. Naked Killer is going to be a film you either love or hate. Its flagrant adult themes will no doubt offend sensitive viewers while others will consider this to be fine entertainment. Frankly, the film does a very good job of delivering on the content to which it intended. As a result, I'm giving this film a generous rating despite my own belief that it was just an attempt by Wong Jing to exploit his lust for Chingmy Yau, masked as a pale imitation of Nikita (1990)...

REVIEW
The Executioner is one ultra-violent and over-sexed film that will definitely offend sensitive viewers with its depiction of brutality and womanizing. For those who are still interested (shame on you), the film offers some of the best action scenes of Sonny Chiba and Yasuaki Kurata's career and a lot of raw humor.

The film begins with Chiba as a young boy, played by Henry Sanada who is a prisoner in his grandfather's house. The old man vows to teach the boy all he knows of the secret arts of ninjitsu, such as sticking to ceilings. Years later, Chiba is working for a quazi-government organization, whose leader orders his men to put a stop to the drug trade in Japan. Working outside the law, the leader recruits a dangerous hitman and a mentally unstable but vicious convict who Chiba is sent to break out of prison. These three less than morally upright citizens target the Mafia and devise a plan to steal a briefcase full of cocaine, sell it and split the earnings. After several run ins with the mafia, they finally track the local boss to his home where the drugs will be and hoping to get away with the stuff alone, Chiba attacks first. He's eventually joined by the hitman and briefly by his student (Yasuaki Kurata) as they drive right through the front door and begin kicking ass in every direction. But, having grabbed phony drugs, Chiba and the hitman chase down the fleeing mafia boss and his bodyguards for a final showdown.

This is definitely one of those "its so bad its good" films. On the one hand, Chiba has never looked better. He's every bit the tough guy from The Street Fighter and even more assured in his actions and facial expressions. He's undoubtedly one of the best fight choreographers Japan's film industry ever had and this is a terrific showcase. A very young Henry Sanada appears at the beginning, displaying a small portion of the skill he would exhibit in later films such as Shogun's Ninja. Yasuaki Kurata, who is well known for his roles in Hong Kong action films such as Heroes of the East has a small role that amounts to nothing more than a guy who decides to join the group for a little action and ends up dead after a brilliant fight sequence. Kurata, looking like a Japanese Bruce Lee cuts loose like I've never seen him do before.

What hurts the film is its ludicrous excesses. One scene has the hitman whacking a guy on the head which causes his eyes to literally pop out of their sockets. And gory scenes like those are not nearly as common as the blatant and senseless female nudity. After Chiba is captured towards the end, the mafia boss tells his party goers that he's going to put on a show for them. This leads to a public beating on Chiba. Okay, fine. But why does the mute Caucasian girl who is basically his slave remove her clothes and start groping her boss? An earlier scene where Chiba is seen attacking various lesser drug traffickers includes a ridiculous moment when he pushes his target away and leaps on the woman in bed! There are other intentional jokes including a reference to copulating with the back end of a car and erectile dysfunction that will either offend or amuse the viewer depending on their tastes.

This film is definitely recommended for a select audience including exploitation and Sonny Chiba fans based on its offensive content. Its somewhat of a shame too since the action scenes are so well executed. But best part about The Executioner is the irreverent and free-spirited tone that is maintained by the film's pace and Chiba's acting. From a purely visceral level, this is one of Chiba's best.

Review: There's something about fart jokes that transcends language barriers, even as much of Stephen Chow's nonsensical, Cantonese witticisms often do not. Justice, My Foot! is a generally amusing effort with a healthy mix of Chow's shenanigans and action director Ching Siu-tung's slick wire fu. But like most of Chow's early films, the comedy is wrapped up into fast-moving, colloquial dialogue and situations that will baffle many Western viewers.

The film is a parody of both courtroom dramas and Qing-era period pieces that follows Chow's well-used formula of a talented jerk falling flat on his face and rising up to meet the challenge as a more humble being. But this time, the formula is not as well-defined or as entertaining as in later works like The God of Cookery. Chow plays a celebrated criminal defense lawyer named Sung Shih-chieh who retires from guilt over his successful defense of the guilty and the accidental death of his infant son. While this may not seem like much of a comedy, Chow displays a knack for riding the line between nonsense and drama. Sung is soon drawn out of retirement after his sassy wife (Anita Mui) comes to the defense of a woman framed for murdering her husband. But just as the trial begins, a corrupt official (Ng Man-tat) has Sung arrested for contempt of court. On his way to jail, Sung is nearly skewered by assassins hired by the real killer (Yuen King-tan), but is rescued by his kung fu-fighting wife, her two servants, and a martial arts hero caught up in the struggle (Eddy Ko Hung). Sung pretends to go insane in order to get released from prison and after recovering vital evidence returns to the trial which is now presided over by a weak-kneed Inspector General (Paul Chun) and three corrupt magistrates all guilty of ignoring or covering up the murder.

As a comedy, Justice, My Foot! relies heavily on the dialogue which doesn't do non-Cantonese-speaking viewers much good. Seasoned Chow fans and Hong Kong movie viewers will pick up on some of it, but the film just isn't as funny or easy to follow as Chow's more recent films. But the film is far from a lost cause. Chow is at his best when spontaneously beating a client while making Bruce Lee yelps or buying elevated kung fu shoes in order to look down on his wife who is normally taller than he is. More visual, or audible gags are generally base, but undeniably funny. Highlights include Chow's homely maid (Mimi Chu) who stuffs her petticoat with a pair of water balloons, a reference to Silence of the Lambs, pictures of Chow's parents who look suspiciously alike apart from a wig, and the simple sight of a pair of guards, one tall and thin matched with one short and fat. Chow also pokes fun at a pair of homosexual men and tosses his kid's dirty diaper on a guard's face. The topper is Ng Man-tat's chronic flatulence that gets better when Leung Kar-yan chimes in with perfect comic timing. Ah, yes. Nothing but highbrow entertainment here.

Chow and Anita Mui make a great screen couple with Mui delivering another standout role as Chow's feisty wife. Her main gag is that she's this pregnant woman with great kung fu skills who repeatedly has to come to her poor husband's defense. This is where Ching Siu-tung's excellent wire fu action comes in. My favorite moment is Mui's light step kung fu display as she barely lands her foot on a jiggling cube of bean curd that is being held aloft by a vendor. There are several decent wire fu battles involving Mui and longtime Ching Siu-ting associate Eddy Ko Hung who plays a stereotypical kung fu hero. Ching is truly the master of making non-fighters look good onscreen and Mui becomes the perfect picture of martial grace and fierceness despite limited training. Vividly-lush cinematography from award-winning DP Peter Pau also provides a big boost to the film's look while director Johnnie To proves to be just as capable of doing comedy as he is action.

A story less-focused on Chow's verbal sparring in the courtroom would have been nice, particularly in the end, but Justice, My Foot! manages to remain engaging and consistently peppered with just enough stylish action and slapstick.

Although I’d chiefly label The Silent Swordsman as a historical wuxia pian, it is really a curious and sometimes confused blend of genres that incorporates song and dance, political intrigue, romance, and heroic daring do. Though seemingly lacking in a clear direction at times, the film’s jumbled offerings are not without merit.

The movie's crisis of identity amid a field of more routine wuxia films coming out of Shaw Brothers in the mid-1960s might be attributed to its director and former screenwriter Kao Li. The Silent Swordsman was the first of only two wuxia films he directed, although Kao did write The Invincible Sword in 1963. In tackling the swordplay genre, Kao brought with him the experience of having directing several period operas. Kao attempts to bridge these two genres by incorporating a few songs and one choreographed dance number in between sword fights. This wasn’t unheard of at the time, but the musical elements of Chinese opera influence on martial arts cinema was definitely waning with the emergence of Chang Cheh’s more violent brand of heroic storytelling.

Kao delivers songs tritely celebrating matchmaking as noble swordsman Shen Bingyi (Chang Yi) gets sidelined in his mission to save the country by two tribal beauties. This may have been a mere diversion, but later Shen melodically muses on a topic more pertinent to the plot and the film’s intended audiences when he boldly sings, “The nation’s rise and fall is responsibility of all men. I wish we could claim back our lands soon” (Celestial Pictures translation). In this impassioned statement, Shen not only establishes his nationalist view, but whether intended by the director or not, also speaks for the many Chinese exiles living in Hong Kong at the time of the film’s release.

The story, though rich in complexities by genre standards, is nearly as rambling as any low budget kung fu flick bereft of script. Things start out clear enough. Faced with mounting invasions by Manchu forces, famed Ming general Yuan Chonghuan sends for reinforcements under the command of General Lu Qiang (Goo Man-chung). But as happened in real Chinese history, Yuan is betrayed by the very people he is trying to protect. General Lu has sided with a corrupt official and chooses to withhold aid. Enter the Sun Moon Club, a leading martial arts sect led by Yuan’s friend Chief Hong Zhong (Yeung Chi-hing). After Yuan requests their aid, Hong investigates and discovers General Lu’s plot. Before it can be dealt with, the villains behead Hong and capture his top lieutenant for painful interrogation.

Hong’s martial brother, the young and noble Shen Bingyi arrives on the scene after being dismissed by his reclusive martial arts master to assume control of the Sun Moon Club. This is where things start to get fuzzy. Shen sets out with Daiyun (Lisa Chiao), daughter of the captured lieutenant to rescue the captured clansman and also complete the mission Hung began by trying to convince the official to order Lu’s troops to the front in support of General Yuan.

But somewhere along the way Daiyun, the likely romantic match for Shen is replaced by two sisters belonging to a small Mongol tribe. Despite a single-mindedness to help Yuan at any cost, Shen finds himself in the otherwise enviable position of having his attentions competed for by these two lovely ladies, who are both hopelessly love struck. At this point, the film is driven off course by this sibling rivalry and its subsequent melodrama as the martial arts action and poor General Yuan are forgotten for a time.

Shen and his clan cohorts eventually get back to the task at hand, just in time to nearly fall into a painfully obvious trap, if not for the selfless intervention of one of the Mongol sisters. A big fight ensues with Hong Kong legend and non-credited action director Lau Kar-leung briefly leading the charge in an attempt to wipe out the heroes.

With Lau Kar-leung and presumably Tang Chia orchestrating the action, fight scenes are as good as one can expect from this era. Chang Yi effortlessly unleashes stylish sword moves with one hand, while shooting darts hidden in a fan with the other. In true wuxia fashion, one of the elder clan leaders harnesses his chi or “Jedi” power if you like, to compel fleeing enemies to close within striking distance. Despite a fair amount of these displays, Kao Li is hardly obsessed with them or the exploration of martial heroism as emerging genre filmmakers like Chan Cheh and Chor Yuan were. Battles are short and far between. Chang's character, though unrivaled in his physical abilities, is naïve in his dealings with the world. There is no sense that his martial skills have in any way made him a shrewd player in the game of life. Nor does he go through any sort of development or fundamental change, physically or emotionally. He doesn’t even have a foe of remotely commensurate skill to fight with. In short, he's one dull sword hero.

The Silent Swordsman runs in too many directions to be thoroughly enjoyable, even though the places Kao Li goes are often entertaining on their own. What could have been worse though, were to see Kao completely lose track, which he doesn’t. Chang Yi’s character says a few things before getting back to the business of beating the bad guys that I wish more protagonists in recent mainland Chinese wuxia melodramas like House of Flying Daggers would say and that is, “I don’t have time for romance….I’ll make it up to you in my next life.”

Review: I finally got to see Hapkido and I wasn't disappointed, not one bit. For those expecting a plot, forget it. This one is old-school all the way. No wires or any of that shit. Its just people beating the holy hell out of each other.

When we first meet Angela, Carter and Sammo, they're sitting down and talking in a park. Some Japanese come across them and their leader notices Angela, he begins to make unwelcome advances and Angela tries to ignore it. It's Sammo who finally hits first and we're off. These three have just graduated, learning the art of Hapkido and they return to China in the hopes of setting up their own school, which they do. The Japanese, who consider it an inferior martial art, try to run them out of town with some traitorous Chinese, including Pai Ying. Angela, Carter and Sammo don't want any trouble as it goes against the wishes of their master and his teachings. It's Sammo who finally loses it after being insulted by some Japanese. This doesn't go down well and Sammo becomes a wanted man, having to hide out while Angela and Carter try to reason with The Black Bear Gang without much luck. Finally the Japanese go too far and Angela, Carter and Sammo are forced to fight back with devastating results for the Japanese.

Like I said, this isn't a film where the plot is important. It's not terrible but it won't win any awards either. It's there to serve the action and it has plenty of that. Angela Mao is just lethal in this. Each one of her fight scenes is a classic. My favorite being when Angela goes to the Japanese dojo and destroys everyone in there without breaking a sweat. Sammo gets two or three fight scenes to show off his skills and he's just great. Carter Wong is also very good in a number of fight scenes, although he only really gets one fight scene and spends the rest of the film helping Angela. Pai Ying also provides suitable menace as a Chinese with powerful kung ku skills who sides with the Japanese.

All-in-all, this film rocks and should be mandatory viewing for any kung ku movie fan, even with the dubbing.

REVIEW:
Setting the tone for subsequent films like Tiger vs. Dragon (1973) and Rage of the Wind (1973), Bloody Fists portrays a brutal confrontation between Japanese and Chinese martial artists with Chang Sing as the only man tough enough to meet the challenge.

Suen Lam plays the Chinese traitor who returns from a forced two year exile in Japan to lead a group of vicious fighters to a rare Dragon herb needed to treat the growing threat of plague in China. The townsfolk refuse to sell the herb or disclose the location its and the Japanese begin to challenge the kung fu schools. Chang Sing plays a fugitive from the law who enters the town and gets caught up in the struggle after contacting the deadly plague. He's treated by members of the community and recovers. He discovers just as he's leaving that his benefactors have been murdered by the Japanese. Worse yet, while he was being treated, various kung fu students were taken prisoner and several woman were kidnapped or murdered and raped. Chang confronts the Japanese just as they begin executing the kung fu students. He convinces them to release the men on condition that he'll disclose the whereabouts of the herbs. But, with a price on his head and nothing to lose, Chang leaps into action in a raw finale.

Chang Sing was at the top of his game in the early '70's, before he fell into playing mostly villainous roles later on. He starred in a series of films (several aforementioned) that set him up as the seasoned hero defending China from pompous and cruel Japanese fighters and their conniving Chinese accomplices. This film was actually his first starring role, a big leap from playing a Japanese karate expert in The Chinese Boxer (1970), only two year prior. He's the quintessential Chinese anti-hero with grizzled looks, raw intensity and a powerful boxing technique that isn't pretty, but looks devastating.

Yuen Wo Ping's second action directorial credit goes unnoticed as his latter trademarks including humor, dynamic choreography, and fluid wirework would not begin to surface until films like Instant Kung Fu Man (1977) and Snuff Bottle Connection (1977) appeared. Probably the most dynamic stunt occurs right at the beginning as Chang Sing jumps onto a car intent on running him down. A similar scene appears in Tiger vs. Dragon. The rest of the film contains a lot of fights, but they're too long and not creative enough which is something casual viewers will lose interest in. Chang Sing and most of the principle Japanese fighters do a great job and the blame falls on director Ng See Yuen who proved to be better at producing and writing.

Bloody Fists is definitely one of the most violent and dark films from the early '70's Japanese vs. Chinese sub-genre. The bad guys resort to despicable acts of murder and rape, the Chinese villagers are constantly fighting the relentless Japanese, and our hero is a wanted criminal. The action is raw with fingers impaled into chests, bloody beatings, and a beheading. In short, the film is aptly titled. The rape scene is exploitive and overindulgent, something you'd expect to see in a Sonny Chiba film like The Executioner (1978). The film's rapist is San Kuai who appeared in a much more memorable role as the hunchback in Yuen Wo Ping's Buddhist Fist (1979).

This film's flaws include walking Japanese stereotypes, a simplistic story not unlike at least a dozen other films of the period, and overlong brawls. But, if you haven't seen many early Chang Sing films, this is not a bad one to start with and certainly shows him in great fighting shape, although his final duels with Yasuaki Kurata in later films are probably superior.

It’s really hard to get into the story and not because it’s complicated or convoluted. On the contrary, it couldn’t be simpler and that’s the problem. The fiery-eyed Angela Mao is a boxing swordswoman on a quest to find her missing master, who is locked away by some dastardly villains. When she comes snooping around, they try to stop her. Don Wong is the typical enigmatic warrior who shadows our heroine, remaining somewhere between being a rival and ally. There are some other elements such as Man Kong-lung playing a poisoned swordsman forced to fight for the bad guys to gain the antidote and the villain’s desire to get his hands on Mao’s “Jade Lion” figurine so he can somehow rule the martial world with it, but it’s all just lame filler.

Fu fans may get excited by the prospects of seeing Mao and Wong tangle onscreen. Both possess equal parts screen fighting skill and charisma. They do go head-to-head, but it’s a letdown. The action choreography favors fantasy fighting, with emphasis on a lot of trick editing, stunt-doubled acrobatics and cheap Ed Wood-style wire-work with hurling props. There’s nothing wrong with having these stars, who more commonly appeared in traditional kung fu movies, do a wuxia pian. However, the action directors fail to adapt their abilities to it.

Another problem with the choreography is a complete lack of creativity. Most of these independent movies copy one another, but the set ups and executions in this one are painfully redundant for a 1979 movie. Mao and Wong square off in the typical teahouse encounter that begins with tossing bowls and teacups to size up ability. A finishing move shown towards the end looks exactly like a routine in MILITANT EAGLE (a superior wuxia pian minus big name stars), where a fighter leaps back and forth over the head of his opponent repeatedly before delivering a killing blow. Just as derivative, but more enjoyable is a scene where Mao battles Doris Lung and her fighting formation army. Like the ubiquitous training sequence, formation fighting is a genre staple and often a highlight of films. Here we have a group of “female” fighters (mostly made up of male stunt actors with wigs) wielding identical ball and chain weapons. The “ball” looks like a plastic flower bulb or shower head. Initially, they look quite harmless until spikes and sparks begin to shoot out from them.

Later, Lung makes more trouble for Mao when she unleashes a series of booby traps on the heroine as Mao attempts to infiltrate the baddies’ lair. Typical nonsense like flying discs of death and shooting acid is thrown at Mao, until she’s captured and forced to wait for someone to come along and save her.

Mao’s weapon of choice throughout the film is a short spear with a handle that collapses for use in both close and mid-range fighting. It has to be one of the flimsiest-looking weapons I’ve seen on film. It always appears bowed, as if made of cheap plastic or rubber. I expect that from a long bamboo or wooden spear, but not a short weapon painted silver to look like it’s made of metal.

The bigger problem with MOONLIGHT SWORD is the direction. The camera work is solid, but Karl Liao Chiang-lin doesn’t know how to handle his stars or make a fun movie. His previous film THE STORY IN TEMPLE RED LILY was another wuxia clunker that misused talented stars Dorian Tan, Chia Ling and Lung Fei. If ever there was an example of shooting a martial arts movie from the hip, this is it. It misses time and again with sluggish and pointless transitional scenes that fill up places that should contain action or least some comedy, anything to maintain a modicum of interest.

So while Sammo Hung, Yuen Wo-ping and Lau Kar-leung were creating kung fu movies that were actually creative and pushing genre boundaries with their action and comedy, Karl Liao was stuck in a ten-year-old rut and trying to put a square peg into a round hole with his kung fu stars miscast in a dull swordplay yarn. Fans of Angela Mao and Don Wong may want to pick up this title just to see them doing something a little different. Beyond that, there is little to recommend.

Review: On the drawing board, Star Runner looks promising. An impressive array of notable past and present kung fu movie stars fill out a cast supporting newcomers Vaness Wu and Kim Hyun-joo in an indie-flavored film with semi-real martial arts and a romance that challenges cultural and student-teacher boundaries. Writer/director Daniel Lee scores points for the attempt to craft a well-rounded film, but fails to make the grade when it comes to execution. The story is formulaic, the characters are distant, action is cut to ribbons by awful editing, and the film ends up a gushy, feel-good retread that wastes considerable talent and potential. But it still contains a bit of nifty training and three Shaw Brothers legends all in one film which makes it at least worth glancing at.

Pop star Vaness Wu in his first film is alarmingly similar to the unremarkable likes of other recent discoveries like Edison Chen and Daniel Wu who all need more acting lessons and substance. Vaness is about as emotive as a lump of cold oatmeal. As a kickboxer named Bond Cheng, he's emotionally detached, spends his days training slavishly or talking to his grandfather (David Chiang) who's been in a coma for two years, and sleeping through his school classes. In other words, he's a real charmer, or so the new Korean-language teacher thinks. Early on, Kim Mei-chiu (Kim Hyun-joo) is conveniently accosted by unruly youths after leaving school and it's Bond to the rescue. Despite talk among faculty and the efforts of Kim's homely male roommate to court her, love blossoms between Kim and Bond. Meanwhile, there's drama at the gym. A big, mixed-martial arts competition is coming up and Bond's kickboxing coach (Gordon Liu) makes a late decision to replace him as the fighter to take on the current champion. Bond angrily walks out and hooks up with a former fighter (Max Mok) who pairs him with masters of Wing Chun (Ti Lung) and Hung Kuen in order to prepare him for the competition. When a fair-weather former love of Kim's shows up, Bond must endure the possibility of life without her as he takes on Tank in the finals.

Films centering around ring matches have the distinct disadvantage of generally having nothing new to offer that Rocky didn't provide back in 1976. Sure there's a wider variety of moves on display here, but it all comes down to the same scenario of two men beating the crap out of each other in a small square. Daniel Lee flubs the action half of the film, which is generally the only reason anyone reading this would bother to see it in the first place. Vaness has one street fight and it's awful. Vaness is no martial arts star, the choreography is sloppy and the editing is choppy. The film begins to redeem itself slightly when he begins some outdoor training with two martial arts masters. It's a pure joy to see Ti Lung back in action, if only for a short, non-speaking role. He displays his real Wing Chun skills in sparring with a wooden dummy and later with Vaness. The other master is Father Sun, played by an unidentified aged gent who displays some very slick Hung Kuen forms. It should probably be stated at this point that David Chiang and Gordon Liu, the film's other two SB alumni are only in supporting dramatic roles. David only appears either in a coma or in flashbacks.

The final thirty minutes is devoted to the martial arts competition and it's a thorough disappointment. The whole thing is shot like a manic montage with takes that get shorter and shorter, until literally every punch or kick is met with a new camera angle. It goes on and on and there's no sense of real tension or progress. It might as well be the nightly news running sports highlights, except that this is a lot more annoying. Chin Kar-lok directs the action and also appears in a supporting role as one of Vaness' former gym mates. The choreography is solid enough, but the way its edited and scripted ruins the flow. It's chaos, really.

The other half of the film is devoted to the romantic and dramatic elements that are all disposable. The story is too broad and loose with excessive, rambling diversions related to the former life of Vaness' grandfather, Alfred Cheung's wooing of Kim that tries to play for laughs and fails, Vaness's broken relationship with his coach, and the chilly relationship between Andy On and Ken Lo who plays his brother and coach. This last item is seemingly an afterthought to "humanize" the lead antagonist.

Daniel Lee plays around with too many different angles in the story and in the editing room. Star Runner is weak on just about every other level as well. It's like a rough cut or a first draft that is in desperate need of revision. Gordon Liu, David Chiang, and Ti Lung deserve better in their later years than to be marginalized in this mediocre martial arts film that plays lip service to the genre without having even a portion of the entertainment value of the trio's many great classics.

REVIEW
The Bare-Footed Kid is a Shaw Brothers co-production and a remake of Chang Cheh's Disciples of Shaolin (1995). With cast members that include Aron Kwok, Ti Lung and Maggie Cheung, not to mention choreography by Liu Chia Liang, this is a remarkably fine production with a story that actually has bite.

Aaron Kwok plays Kuan Feng Yao, a naive and shoeless beggar with impressive fighting skills. He is in search of Tuan Ching Yun (Ti Lung), a fugitive who was a friend of his father. Kwok finds him working at a dye factory run by Miss Ho, played by the always charming Maggie Cheung. A powerful official named Ke Hu-Po (Kenneth Tsang) is trying to take over Miss Ho's factory at all costs and resorts to extortion and violence. Feng Yao attempts to defend the factory, but ends up causing Miss Ho to lose face through his thoughtless actions. He is even suckered into working for Hu-Po who offers him money and new clothes. A political struggle between Hu-Po and another individual results in Ching Yun being used as an expendable pawn after his criminal past is made public. Distraught by Ching Yun's fate, Feng Yao redeems himself by turning on his employer.

This is slower-paced martial arts film with more drama at the onset thanks to the direction of Johnny To (Wu Yen). As the subtle story unfolds, the intensity builds up to a powerful and tragic ending that has more significance thanks to the carefully layered character development. Everything hinges on Aaron Kwok's performance and he does a fine job of playing a simpleton who through his own ignorance, causes a lot of grief for himself and his friends. He goes through several phases beginning with idealism. Trying to help Maggie Cheung by returning her deed to the factory using force doesn't get the approval he seeks, leading to disillusionment. This turns to anger and he decides to use his martial arts skill for material gain. But his indirect role in Ching Yun's death fosters despair. Finally, we see Feng Yao "wake up" from his state of self-loathing and the best quality in Kwok's character emerges which is self-sacrifice.

Maggie Cheung is stunning in her role of a woman who shares a love with Ti Lung's character, but keeps it hidden. For his part, Ti Lung gets to do two things he's great at, playing a character of noble spirit and giving the best martial arts performance since his days at Shaw Brothers in the '70's. The fact that characterization is so strong in this film only enhances those limited fight scenes, all masterfully directed by Liu Chia Liang. Chia Liang successfully merges the old school techniques he perfected over a decade earlier with the glitzy wire-fu that emerged in the early '90's. Although Ti Lung is past his prime as a martial arts star and Aaron Kwok is not a strong martial arts performer, Chia Liang brings out great performances from both of them.

The Bare-Footed Kid is a thoughtful kung fu film with an unusually strong story that winningly delivers a message that strength and fighting ability is useless without morality and sound judgment. While the viewer may be wishing the title character had come to his senses sooner, the final outcome is satisfying. I recommend this film to anyone tired of the infantile plots and uninspiring characters sadly all too common within this genre.

Review: If anyone were to ask, coming across a gem like Ten Brothers of Shaolin is why I watch and review countless bad kung fu movies, particularly from Taiwan. The truth is, if you know your 'fu' then seeing The Hot, The Cool and the Vicious alum Tommy Lee and Don Wong Tao on the credits, you should know you're in for killer kung fu.

The plot is pure adventure packed with action as a Ming leader known as King Chu (Lau Lap-cho) is forced to leave Shaolin Temple and escape the closing grasp of Qing forces led by Kun Ting-ho (Chang Yi). Shaolin layman Chi-hong (Don Wong Tao) is charged with escorting him while nine of his fellow Shaolin brothers are sent out in disguise to run interference. Assisting is the lovely, but fierce Ming rebel Liu Shao-hua (Chia Ling). Ting-ho sends his forces out repeatedly and each time they fail to capture Chu. Even his top general, Tsao (Leung Kar-yan) and his own son are unable to succeed. But through a fluke, Chu is eventually captured and used as bait by Ting-ho to lure Chi-hong and his remaining brothers.

Within this sweet and simple story is ample opportunity for kung fu duels and they're all good. What really separates action like this from mediocre fare as seen in the likes of Shaolin Monk Fights Back is something that's difficult to explain, but easily apparent when viewed by even genre newbies. It comes down to kung fu choreography that is tightly edited (but not choppy), coveys real power, and is endlessly creative. Dong Wong Tao is the right man to tap for screen power and he makes a terrific lead as usual. The rest of the main cast features several equally strong performers who come close to making a 'dream team' for genre fans. In a change of pace, the great Phillip Ko Fei takes on a heroic role. Also starring is one of the the genre's most popular stars, Leung Kar-yan, or "Beardy" as he is affectionately known by his fans. He plays a Qing general whose duels with both Wong Tao and Chia Ling are excellent. I absolutely must mention Stephen Tung Wai's magnificent kung fu display. He plays Chang Yi's son in the film and doesn't get a lot of of scenes. But when he does, he enters the fray with elegance and precision by wielding a fan with great skill. Tung Wai may have eventually found his true calling directing action, but any chance to see him in early roles like this one is highly recommended.

Chia Ling deserves special mention. She's one of the genre's most enduring fighting female leads who weathered the male-dominated early '70s boxer boom and consistently turned out strong performances in some of the better Taiwanese films. She's in top form and finishes extremely strong with a wicked fight wielding a spear. After dispensing with a mob of baddies and polishing off Tung Wai in front of his father's eyes, the whole film takes on a new dimension. Chang Yi has always been a solid villain in kung fu movies, but with the addition of being a grieving father out to avenge his son's death he turns into a real villain with a real purpose. Watching the anger simmer under his sharp-angled face as he launches into an unstoppable attack against Chia Ling is awesome. Rest assured, she doesn't hold on to that spear for long and he wields that thing like it was a mere toothpick. There is rarely a better lead in to a final fight than in this film. As villain, Chang Yi isn't fighting for the Qing anymore, he's fighting for his dead son and you know both Wong Tao and Ko Fei are going to have their work cut out in trying to put him down. The finale gets two enthusiastic thumbs up.

Ten Brothers of Shaolin rocks from start to finish and gets especially good in the final quarter. The only thing working against the film is the standard Shaolin versus Qing theme that has been covered to death. But a near perfect cast of genre veterans and an increasingly tense story, added to Tommy Lee's kung fu excellence still makes this classic a must see for any old school fanatic.

Review: Ambush at Blood Pass is one of two rare instances where Japanese screen legends Toshiro Mifune (Yojimbo) and Shintaro Katsu (The Tale of Zatoichi) came together on screen. Unlike Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970), this film saw Katsu stepping out of his beloved blind character to portray a rough-edged criminal both at odds with Mifune and on equal terms, an aspect devoted fans of both icons surely demanded.

The director is Hiroshi Inagaki who helmed the internationally acclaimed Samurai trilogy fifteen years prior with Mifune in the lead playing Musashi Miyamoto. The classical direction he used for these films was by 1970 somewhat outdated. By this point there were far bloodier films available with more action or artistic brilliance. Ambush is ploddingly slow at times, awkward in it's execution of action scenes, and leaves Mifune recycling his Yojimbo character to far lesser effect. In contrast, Shintaro Katsu comes alive in a much darker role.

The story begins with Mifune as an unnamed ronin only known as a 'yojimbo' (bodyguard) being hired by an enigmatic character named 'The Crow' to journey to the Sanshu Pass for reasons left unsaid. On the way, Mifune rescues Okuni (Ruriko Asaoka), a woman abused by her husband and together they arrive at a roadside teahouse. She becomes enamored with him, but resigns herself to be hired at the teahouse while Mifune continues. A series of events follows at the teahouse that leads to a number of thugs taking over the teahouse and threatening the aging owner, his granddaughter played by a bubbly Mika Kitagawa (James Clavell's Shogun), Okuni, and a pompous official. The leader of these bandits turns out to be a former physician turned fugitive and criminal named Gentetsu (Shintari Katsu) who is planning to attack a convoy of officers and their retainers carrying a large shipment of gold. Having previously returned to the teahouse and left again while awaiting further instructions from The Crow, Mifune shows up to confront Gentetsu who is planning to kill the teahouse residents. Complexities mount as Mifune discovers that Gentetsu had been previously wronged and has now been set up by The Crow. He then struggles to protect the teahouse residents from Gentetsu and help Gentetsu confront the approaching officers.

Katsu is virtually unrecognizable with shoulder-length hair, a beard, and a crazed look. Fans used to seeing him as the humble masseur are in for a surprise. He's a wild man with intense presence who seethes with hatred and menaces the lovely Ruriko Asaoka until he finally erupts into a savage frenzy of death against a group of officers. You pretty much despise this guy until Mifune surprises you by showing him some compassion. Its ironic that earlier in his career, this is the sort of role that Mifune himself would have played. Instead, Mifune does the no-name ronin bit with little bite. As he always does, Mifune still fills the scene with his presence, but possibly because of the staid direction he comes off as fairly wooden. He remains passionless to Ruriko Asaoka's advances and to everything else going on in the film.

Mifune's fistfight with a gambler early on betrays the actor's limited martial arts abilities. The two just sort of swing arms and tumble about in a John Wayne fashion. I'm not expecting Sonny Chiba karate action here, but you would think that a character who lives to fight would look a little better doing it. His last fight isn't much better, even though he has a sword in hand. In a rush to complete the story, Mifune wanders off to face The Crow and his men in the middle of no where. The battle is shot in silhouette from a distance and lasts all of thirty seconds before the closing credits role. Katsu's last fight is much better. Yet, this film as a whole fails to offer much in the way of sword fighting and what is present is mediocre. Add in that aside from a faint, Mifune and Katsu never square off and action buffs are going to be disappointed.

Kinnosuke Nakamura has an interesting role as an officer with some major self-esteem issues who barks orders and looks down upon those around him. He captures one of the thugs before their plan comes together and ends up wounded in the process so that he's forced to stay at the teahouse for a time. But, this character undergoes an unexplained change of heart at the end that makes little sense.

The best aspect of this film is actually the soundtrack by Masaru Sato. He's the Ennio Morricone of Japan who scored hundreds of films from Godzilla to chambara movies and everything in between. The anthem in particular is a rousing piece that outplays the film.

Ambush at Blood Pass is a solid effort for a classical samurai film that outlived it's era with good characterizations, picturesque outdoor photography, and outstanding music. But the pace is too slow, Mifune walks through his role, and Hiroshi Inagaki directs with little flair. If nothing else, Shintaro Katsu fans should take note of his robust performance that proves he was a better actor than some might give him credit for.

Some movies try to inform. Others try to innovate. Most at least try to entertain. Then there are a very small number of movies that detonate from the first reel with a ceaseless barrage of unrestrained absurdity that floors the viewer with a 10-megaton palm blast to the senses. DEMON OF THE LUTE fits the bill as a fantasy wuxia pian created to end all fantasy wuxia pian with distinctive chi-powered fighters battling like Super Saiyan gods as driving guitar and synth rock erupts amid a steady stream of eye-catching visual effects and stunt work.

It is as if martial artist and first-time writer-director Dang Tak-cheung had unloaded every idea he had ever absorbed or conceived of in over 12 years of stunt work, acting and action directing in over 50 Shaw Brothers classics beginning with RETURN OF THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN in 1969. There is never a dull moment as MR. VAMPIRE star Chin Siu-ho and leading martial arts actress Kara Hui headline an eclectic cast of talented performers in a family-friendly (by PG-13 standards) update to the classical Chinese fantasy genre.

The story unfolds like a twisted children’s fable, as if Terry Gilliam had directed a Hong Kong movie. The plot itself is standard genre material, but its presentation and the energetic cast performances keep it very lively.

Kara Hui is Feng Ling, an animal-loving sword heroine wielding the power of fiery balls, spider’s silk and a remotely-controlled Rainbow Flying Sword. She is sent by her master (Kwan Feng) to put a stop to a would-be jiang hu conqueror known only as “Demon of the Lute.” This villain has threatened the entire martial world ever since he got his hands on a rare lute strung from the ligaments of six pre-historic monsters, with its body reinforced with steel and capable of making music to put the smackdown on even the greatest of kung fu masters. Ling’s best hopes rests in locating a “fiery bow and arrow,” the only weapons capable of destroying the lute, and secure the help of a top kung fu expert to battle the demon.

Along the way Ling befriends an odd assortment of quirky martial heroes who come to her aid. First there is Venoms star Philip Kwok as The Thief, a three-armed Robin Hood character who is thoroughly upstaged by his young onscreen son Xiao Ding-dong (Kei Gwong-hung). He’s a fearless, pint-sized bundle of destruction who plays a critical role in saving the day despite his small stature and lesser skills. His special attack is the “Ding Dong Flying Kick.” This child actor is fantastic, especially when he has to play drunk after he winds up downing some wine.

Ling also enlists the aid Yuan Fei (Chin Siu-ho), a wild young man with a facial birth mark, weaned on agility-enhancing stalactite drippings and raised alone in a cave with only a skeleton, instructional kung fu hieroglyphs on the walls and a mutt to keep him company. Although quite able, it takes the strength-enhancing and meridian point-clearing powers of Skinny Elf (To Wai-wo) and Fatty Elf (Chiang Kam) to unlock his true potential. Yuan Fei doesn’t have a special attack, but gets to wield the powerful (and phallic) Elf King Sword that feeds on his inner strength to extend in length.

Acrobatic stunt actor and successful action director Yuen Tak (THE MYTH) also threatens to steal the show as Old Naughty, Feng Ling’s perpetually drunken brother with a mass of white hair who rides around on a horse that trots backwards. He’s a Monkey King-like trickster wielding oversized Golden Scissors.

The heroes may be strange, but the villains are stranger. Harkening back to the earliest days of Chinese cinema is the Eagle Man (Ngai Tim-choi), a soaring birdman looking something like DC Comics’ Hawkman. His fellow henchmen include the gender-bending Hermaphrodite, the Viking-like Demon of Horn and The Long Limb Evil, whose arms stretch out like Mr. Fantastic to deliver punishing blows from a great range.

The main threat Feng Ling and her friends face is the Demon of the Lute himself, along with his masked bodyguards. The Demon is also masked initially. He’s a killer baddie, definitely rock star potential born to front a band like Spinal Tap. He ends up in a titanic clash of spinning mayhem with the Woodcutter (Lung Tien-hsiang), his old nemesis and a reluctant ally to Feng Ling. The Demon’s use of the lute as a weapon should be familiar. Yuen Wo-ping worked with the same idea in KUNG FU HUSTLE when he crafted the memorable CGI-infested fight featuring two harpists.

First prize in this pageant of kung fu clowns goes to Lee Hoi-sang for his turn as the Red-Haired Evil. He has the best kung fu around. Balding viewers everywhere will be tossing away their Rogaine in favor of learning his secret to rapid hair growth as he transforms into a Super Saiyan with red troll doll hair. This power allows him to wield a flying axe the size of an economy car. Genius.

DEMON OF THE LUTE is a brilliant live-action cartoon that will keep you amused from start to finish and possibly left bewildered. It could easily be compared to a lot of fast-moving action anime and some of Japan’s more bizarre fantasy movies such as Takashi Miike’s THE GREAT YOKAI WAR (2005). What sets it apart is the high-caliber wirework and acrobatic stunts that are unique to Hong Kong. Live-action effects that turn a horse cart, an enormous silver orb and multiple weapons into bouncing, twirling and zooming objects of ruination hold up very well by today’s standards. Limited animated visual effects and a cheaply animated opening credits sequence are quaint at best, but do have a certain style of their own, like any medium. With the added visual flair of Shaw Brothers’ house art direction, the film looks a lot more vibrant than most of the early ‘90s wirework films such as KUNG FU CULT MASTER.

Dang Tak-cheung only wrote and helmed one other movie, LONG ROAD TO GALLANTRY, where many of the cast members from DEMON including Kara Hui returned. It’s too bad he didn’t have more opportunities to direct. With this film he not only shows a mastery of the most elaborate wuxia and fantasy action, but also displays an interest in trying new things like casting a young child as a prominent kung fu hero. The film itself is shot with kids in mind, hence the opening dedication to children, the many animals featured, and cartoon action and visuals designed to hold the viewer’s attention indefinitely. This idea of making martial arts movies from a kid’s perspective has rarely been exploited as successfully until films like SHAOLIN POPEY and MY FATHER IS A HERO came along a few years later. While talented young wushu performers were featured, all of the characters in those martial arts movies pale in comparison to the mighty Xiao Ding-dong and his Flying Kick!

The surreal kung fu comedies of the Yuen Clan form the basis for this maniacal rollercoaster ride of Taoist sorcery, severed limbs, fat jokes, body slamming kung fu, and enough bizarre gadgetry to fill at least two James Bond movies.

DRUNKEN DRAGON (aka EXCITING DRAGON) is essentially a loose reworking of Yuen Wo-ping’s THE MIRACLE FIGHTERS (1982), the first in a series of surreal kung fu comedies released near the end of Hong Kong’s classic kung fu movie boom. That makes a lot of sense considering that the writer, director and co-action director is Chiu Chung-hing, a protégé of Yuen. Joining Chiu is MIRACLE FIGHTERS star Leung Kar-yan essentially reprising his role as an aged master, with Venoms alum Chiang Sheng filling in for Yuen Cheung-yan as the aged female master. Chiu also borrows elements from some of Yuen’s other nonsense movies including SHAOLIN DRUNKARD, TAOISM DRUNKARD and DRUNKEN TAI CHI. While not as purely zany as Yuen’s latter surreal kung fu films, DRUNKEN DRAGON is still fiendishly fun.

The movie opens with a scene that’s hard to top. In glossy rock star gear that would make Sun Ra look dowdy, stunt actor Philip Ko Fei leads a deadly assault on a Taoist temple to obtain a powerful martial arts artifact. He wields a vicious mechanical hand weapon that cleverly simulates, with a spring-loaded device, the magical effect of flying palms as seen in the movie BUDDHA’S PALM. But his two henchmen are more than a match for the unsuspecting priests. One uses a large red candle mounted on his head as a flame thrower to incinerate his victims, while the other sends an aeroprop emitting poison gas whirling over the heads of more victims. In the same stroke, the gas triggers the temple’s own booby-trapped food testing apparatus which kills the abbot with an arrow through his skull.

Once they get past a series of traps and arrive inside the chamber that houses the object of their desire, the assault team is faced with a crippled old master who uses two paddles and a mini row boat on wheels to fight back. Too bad for him the baddies came prepared with an extendable dumbbell weapon with spinning saw blades for weights that’s capable of severing heads and legs with ease. Yet the mission turns out to be a failure when Ko discovers that the only way to unlock the artifact is by getting his hands on the Seven Star Armor, which is now hidden away with one of the Taoist master’s disciples.

The pace at this point slackens a little, but the insanity continues as we’re introduced to the heroes. Venoms star Chiang Sheng takes on the gender-bending role of Granny, the aged protector of the Seven Star Armor who has raised Doggy (Suen Kwok-ming) and trained him in kung fu.

In a minor subplot, the pair gets mixed up with a local ruffian who poisons a woman’s husband so he can take advantage of her. When Granny steps in to use her Taoist magic to cure the victim, the villain tries to have her arrested for using witchcraft.

Meanwhile, Doggy’s concern is the reappearance of an old childhood sweetheart named Ms. Tiger who turns out to be anything but sweet. She’s big, bossy, has superior kung fu, and as Doggy’s supposed bride-to-be, is making his life miserable. She’s played with gusto by Chow Mei-yee. Despite bearing the brunt of numerous fat jokes and having a kung fu style that involves literally throwing her weight around, Chow ends up being the most entertaining cast member. She eventually returns home with an armload of meat buns, vowing to get thin and we sadly never see her again.

Philip Ko and his thugs eventually turn up looking for the armor. This leads to a couple of incidental run-ins where Doggy’s inferior kung fu is barely able to keep him from getting torched while Granny spars with a Peking opera performer whose body has been turned into a living marionette. The performer is briefly played by Taiwanese acrobatic ace William Yen, a discovery of cult filmmaker Robert Tai, who appeared in a number of similarly outrageous kung fu movies including SHAOLIN VS. LAMA.

Acknowledging that Doggy’s kung fu stinks, Granny sends him to train with an old Taoist temple schoolmate and entrusts him with the armor as well. Thus enters kung fu star Leung Kar-yan (LEGEND OF A FIGHTER) in one of his strangest roles. He’s an eccentric inventor of oddball contraptions ranging from a blunderbuss fitted with a shower head for a muzzle and a love letter made of Chinese characters scrawled on a Rubik’s Cube to an elaborate silhouette-making camera in the shape of an owl that also happens to be explosive. Although reluctant at first, Leung puts Doggy through a bizarre training regime set to the theme music from STAR BLAZERS that includes pounding rocks with a sledge hammer and getting poked with needles or beaten with a Looney Tunes-sized mallet. Doggy is even subjected to having a kung fu manual read to him in his sleep by Leung, although it mistakenly turns out to be a sex guide.

After dispatching with Granny, Ko takes her place in an attempt to fool Doggy into handing over the armor when he comes to visit with the amorous Leung in tow. After a brief fight, the pair make their escape, but not before getting some snap shots of Ko’s techniques. After more training, Ko catches up with them and a final match ensues.

Action direction appears to have been a collaborative effort with Chiu being one of as many as five choreographers. Like Yuen’s movies, the choreography emphasizes highly imaginative and often humorous combat with some truly painful-looking stunt flips and falls. The camera is frequently undercranked to achieve unrealistic speeds while fighters frequently get punched, kicked or thrown insane distances, but this only enhances the ridiculous nature of the movie. It helps that the stunt actors are genuinely talented screen fighters, stuntmen and acrobats. The trick editing and camera work accentuates their abilities rather than covers for a lack of skill as with lesser films.

DRUNKEN DRAGON regularly veers into the territory of lunatic genius when it comes to B-movies and comedy. The movie is raunchy, excessive in every way and full of amusing surprises despite being a rip off of the Yuen Clan’s work. (I hail the fishbone comb used by Leung Kar-yan as one of the best used movie props of all time.) Even when it drops to the basest of levels where juvenile puns are made out of farts and erections in an open challenge to what little pride any discerning cinema viewer might still possess, the overall fun factor cannot be denied. This is Hong Kong cinema at its best and worst and like a car wreck you can’t take your eyes off it.