Review: How do you take some of the genre's top talent including director and action choreographer Corey Yuen Kwai, Donnie Yen, Jackie Chan, and rising action starlet Gillian Chung and turn out a complete waste of a movie? Try making The Twins Effect II (AKA The Huadu Chronicles). Saying this film falls flat on its face is too kind. It's an embarrassing piece of filmmaking and a perfect example of what's wrong with the state of Hong Kong cinema in the first decade of the New Millennium.

The Twins Effect II started out as a sequel to Emperor Classic Films' (formerly EMG) modestly entertaining vampire-slaying adventure Twins Effect (2003) starring the Twins, pop stars Gillian Chung and Charlene Choi. However, as the makers saw Mainland China as their main market they bowed to Communist censors who took a dim view of content that "perpetuates" the occult or folklore, in this case vampires. So with their central theme gone, the makers simply created an unrelated fantasy world for the Twins to continue their tailored brand of teen-friendly humor, romance and wire-assisted action.

Not even five scriptwriters were enough to salvage this project. It's basically a martial arts and fantasy version of Flash Gordon meets Star Trek: Insurrection. Where Mike Hodges' serial remake at least had camp value, number nine in the dying Star Trek franchise has no redeeming value. Imagine the worst elements of these two films brought together with a ton of overblown CGI nonsense and you have The Twins Effect II.

The premise is B-movie material all the way. A fictional kingdom ruled by women subjects men to slavery. The man-hating Queen (Qu Ying) and her former lover (Daniel Wu), who made a Eunuch out of himself after being caught getting cozy with the Queen's sister, are desperately searching to destroy a man prophesized to be the next Emperor. That man turns out to be a simple, peace-loving street performer named Charcoal Head, played like a block of wood in his first film role by Jackie Chan's son Jaycee. But for the time being, it's uncertain whether he or his friend Blockhead (Wlison Chen) is the true Emperor and with a "dumbbell" slave trader (Charlene Choi) and the queen's enforcer (Gillian Chung) who unconvincingly falls in love with Charcoal Head, they go on a quest to see who may claim Excalibur... yes, the sword from the Arthur legend. Along the way they encounter Morlock-like creatures who tunnel underground, devour aggressive people and party with fun-loving people. Bear with me here. Guarding the sword is Jackie Chan as a Terracotta-like warrior who comes alive to challenge Donnie Yen who plays a general with the idiotic name Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. He's in charge of an underground resistance group intent on overthrowing the Queen's tyrannical rule and making the sexes equal. The two battle until they realize they're both on the same side and Charcoal Head steps up to reluctantly claim the sword. Donnie leads an army against the Queen's forces, but they all decide to team up and the audience gets shorted a battle sequence. In response, the Queen unleashes her magic to turn all men into men with breasts... okay, enough of this.

The Twins Effect II is crap. As a full-time reviewer I usually try to come up with some witty description, but none suffice in this case. The film is laughable and/or dull from start to finish. The sets, especially in the town are horrendous and make Shaw Brothers' '70s-era sets look like the Taj Mahal in comparison. The costumes are worthy of a Dr. Who episode. Overall, the art design is the equivalent of using Pink Flamingos and porcelain gnomes to decorate a weed-infested lawn. Nearly everything is an eyesore that bears no consistency from one scene to the next.

The script is a jumbled mess with bad dialogue and bad acting to deliver it. The Twins are as attractive as ever, but that's all they have going for them. Their romantic hijinks with Wilson and Jaycee that takes up too much of the running time is their usual pop garbage targeted at 10 to 14 year-old girls. Gillian shows some signs of being a competent action star, but it will take a serious action role for her to make all of her physical training worthwhile. Jaycee Chan seriously needs more acting lessons. The rest of the young cast are just poor actors period. Wilson Chen, Edison Chen and Daniel Wu are all overrated and actually deserve to be in this film. Donnie Yen, who is capable of so much more, is reduced to playing a throwaway supporting character. In the most embarrassing scene in his career to date, he takes a whiff of a love potion and gives Tony Leung a look that will make your skin crawl.

Corey Yuen is capable of crafting some of the best action choreography on the planet, but it all goes horribly wrong in this film. Excessive use of slow motion, wires and heavy CGI drown out any life or excitement to the action. The CGI is also sub-par to Hollywood standards and looks more like a direct-to-video effort. One scene rips off what I thought was one of the worst camera usages in Azumi where it spins around two fighters dueling on a platform. It's not even done as well. The featured battle is between Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen and it's a big disappointment. It's only their second face-off after Shanghai Knights and ends up anything but the ultimate battle of screen fighting masters that it should have been. What we get is the two spinning on wires in slow motion while CGI swords fly around in the air. And making matters worse, there is no connect with the characters, story or anything else. We really have no idea who the characters are or why they're fighting. This fight alone is a perfect example of how not to shoot a screen fighting scene. Considering who all was involved in making it, it's a shameful disgrace.

The Twins Effect II goes far beyond the mediocre product that Hong Kong has been producing (with few exceptions) to be an exceptionally bad movie. My hat is off to the makers for unapologetically showing just how bad it can get. I just hope it never happens again.

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.

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.

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.

REVIEW:
Another tale of nationalism begins as Fong Ping (Hsu Feng) and her fellow escorts are taking King Tan south, out of the grasp of the Ching Emperor when the party is stopped in a town and Tan is imprisoned, although his captors are unaware that he is the Ming Emperor. Ping is joined by her brother, Shou Chan (Carter Wong) in an attempt to rescue Tan. Their first attempt is unsuccessful but their second succeeds and King Tan is hidden in Shaolin Temple. Yet Ching spies lurk even in Shaolin and the Ching governor agrees to a plan to capture King Tan devised by Mai Yu Ming, an assassin who wields the Bloody Birds, a set of razer-sharp, spinning blades. The governor, Yu Ming and a small band of Ching infiltrate Shaolin with the aid of their spy only to discover a carefully set trap. Yu Ming soon turns on his former allies in a single-minded bid to find the 18 form of kung fu but Ping and Shou Chan are prepared to stop him.

"Shaolin Kung Fu Mystagogue" is a generous grab bag of kung fu conventions. There is Ching vs. Ming conflict, Shaolin temple scenes, loads of traps, tons of outrageous weapons, and mounds of wicked kung fu action. None of it is particularly convincing, the wobbly spikes protruding from moving walls, powered by paper thin gears is laughable, but still, its fun to watch. The so-called Bloody Birds is one of the best weapons ever conceived of in kung fu film. The wielder unsheathes folded and serrated blades that become saws of doom that scream as they fly through the air, cutting down men and trees with deadly accuracy before returning to their owner. Other interesting weapons include a three-section sword that unfolds, spinning discs with lighted candles mounted on them, not to mention numerous other chained projectiles that impale their victims and once yanked free, spring from their owner to strike again.

Hsu Feng ("A Touch of Zen) stars in one of her lesser roles, although her stern portrayals always add a bit of validity to these inconceivable plots. Carter Wong has the charisma of a block of wood but the overused plot doesn't really ask for anything more so he fits right in with the rest of the cast who manage to maintain the dubious integrity of a B-grade kung fu flick.

While the story, acting and production values are below standard, some dynamic editing employing close-ups, the use of appropriate music and a plethora of gimmicky props makes "Shaolin Kung Fu Mystagogue" a reasonably entertaining film.

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.

REVIEW:
"The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter" is without a doubt, one of the all-time greatest kung fu films that features director and fight choreographer Lau Kar-leung at his frenzied best and "36th Chamber of Shaolin" star Gordon Liu in top form.

From the get go the viewer is hit with a classically over-the-top Shaw Brothers-style melee as the Yang family is slowly and brutally cut down by a mob of Mongols (played by Shaw regulars). It turns out that the Yang's, who are normally capable fighters have fallen into a trap set by the traitorous Sung general, Pan Mei. Raving mad following the carnage, Brother 6 played by the late great Alexander Fu Sheng stubbles home to his mother (Lily Li Li-li) to report that he is the sole survivor of the ambush. Unbeknownst to him, Brother 5 has also survived.

Gordon Liu plays the second grief-stricken Yang brother who had to step into the starring role originally meant for Fu Sheng who died in a car accident during the film's production. In an ominous side note, Fu Sheng had been living in the same house that once belonged to Bruce Lee before his death in 1973. To a superstitious film industry, Fu Sheng and Lee had fallen victim to the same curse. Thankfully for filmgoers, the production appears to have suffered little despite Fu Sheng's obvious disappearance by the second half of the film.

As the story continues, Brother 5 finds his way to a hunter's home and the first of the film's greatest fights begins. Director Lau Kar-leung makes an appearance as the general turned hunter who sacrifices himself to save Brother 5. It won't take long for Jackie Chan fans to see similarities to the choreography in this film in comparison to "Drunken Master 2" which Lau is credited for directing even though he left midway through production. What sets Lau's best fights apart from the pack is the amount of sheer energy and creativity unleashed as men and props are thrown together in an inconceivably fast and furious display of traditional martial arts and dynamic stunts. This film is even more remarkable because the fights start out strong and just keep getting better.

The story then shifts to Brother 5's stormy induction into the monastery, leading to the film's second show-stopping fight and perhaps the best staff fight ever filmed between Gordon Liu and Philip Ko. Shaw regular, Kara Hui displays some good moves as Sister 8 who is sent disguised as a man to bring Brother 5 home. Lau has the Mongols using some unique staffs that are jointed at one end, allowing them to wrap around an enemy's weapon or limb to subdue them. This is exactly what happens to Sister 8 and it doesn't take long for Gordon Liu to come racing to the rescue for a massive final fight that earns the film's title if nothing else does. Liu ends up facing the Mongols with not one, but a whole cart load of bamboo poles. He proceeds to impale, flay and pummel his victims with a cool swagger not seen since Jimmy Wang Yu's appearance in "Return of the Chinese Boxer" (1975) and not to be repeated until Jet Li donned shades for "Fong Sai Yuk" (1993).

If anything is wrong with the films, its the heavy-handed acting which is particularly oppressive at the very start. Yet, you'll soon realize there isn't any other way to approach a film with such adrenaline-pumping battles. With everyone involved performed to the best of their ability, "The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter" earns every one of it's five stars and more. Don't miss out on this one!

REVIEW:
Without a doubt, Drunken Master is the greatest classic kung fu comedy of all time and also the most influential Hong Kong film of the latter half of the 1970's. After the initial success of Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978), Jackie Chan was finally able to unleash the full force of his comic and physical genius under the masterful direction of Yuen Wo Ping.

The story firmly established stock conventions like the irreverent student-master relationship and the concept of gaining fighting prowess through inebriation that appeared in dozens of subsequent films such as The World of Drunken Master (1979) and Kung Fu of Eight Drunkards (1980).

Jackie Chan plays the famed Cantonese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung who for years, actor Kwan Tak Hing had played as a stately and wizened nobleman. Chan's version, which is heavily influenced by Yuen Wo Ping's slapstick comedy leanings flipped this image upside down and turned Fei Hung into a rebellious youth. Chan went on to successfully repeat this formula years later for Drunken Master II (1994) with Lau Kar Leung.

As the story begins, Fei Hung ends up in a heap of trouble with his father after making advances on a woman and fighting with her mother who turns out to be his visiting aunt (Linda Yin Ling). To make matters worse, Mr. Li (Fung Ging Man), the father of a bully that Fei Hung had beat up on the same day demands justice for the offense. Along with enduring long hours of difficult kung fu stances, Fei Hung's punishment is to learn kung fu from his great uncle, Su Hua Chi (Simon Yuen), a beggar and drunkard known for his harsh training methods. An attempt to escape lands Fei Hung directly within the grasp of Su who begins a torturous regime of training him in the "Eight Drunken Gods" style of kung fu. Despite Fei Hung's reluctance, mastery of these skills prove to be the only thing capable of keeping his father from being killed by Thunderleg (Hwang Jang Lee), a professional fighter hired by Mr. Li who will stop at nothing to sell off the local residents' land for profit.

A martial arts film cannot help but excel when you have so much talent pooled together. Producer Ng See Yuen (Ninja in the Dragon's Den) is responsible for some of the genre's best films and his willingness to take calculated risks, such as casting Jackie Chan, who despite his success with Snake in the Eagle's Shadow had remained stymied by a contract with Lo Wei and had yet to really prove that his brand of comedic kung fu would sell. As director and lead choreographer, Yuen Wo Ping was in a historic position to highlight his own skills as a filmmaker who would come to be known as The Master. His collaboration with fellow Yuen brothers Corey, Shun Yi, Chun Wei, and Brandy allowed for an unparalleled collective of wildly creative skills ideally suited to action choreography and comedy. The film's action sequences remain some of the best from the period thanks in part to their efforts.

Aside from Jackie, the casting of Wo Ping's father, Simon as Beggar Su was genius and provided the elder man with the most celebrated period of his entire career. You can't help but like him. His mop-haired dew (which was a wig), ruddy nose, and mischievous grin modeled the exaggerated Cantonese stereotype, but Simon's performance contained a warmth and authenticity that few actors could muster.

For action, three men magnificently lead the film. Tyrone Hsu gives a terrific performance as the staff-wielding King of Bamboo who fights Jackie in a memorable scene. Superkicker Hwang Jang Lee, who was re-cast along with Simon and Jackie from Snake in the Eagle's Shadow deservedly became a superstar after this film came out. Although the final fight with Jackie is well done, their first encounter midway through the film features quite possibly Jang Lee's best kicking. At one point, the camera catches him delivering eight or nine rapid kicks to Jackie in succession and from multiple positions within a relatively confined space. Its one of those moments that demands to be seen repeatedly. Jackie's shining moments are in the second half of the film as his character learns drunken boxing. The more personal, maniacal energy that he exuded internally as well as externally at the end of DM2 is solely defused into his physical abilities which are at a greater peak here. If you compare his actions in this film to that of most other stars from this period, you'll discover a subtlety to his movements that challenge the way the body moves in a fight or even a training exercise. His ability to communicate character through his actions in a constantly fresh manner is thrilling.

As a whole, Drunken Master is a perfect example of the ideal kung fu movie for all seasons. It represents the old school era where wires were more likely to be used to mend broken jaws than propel actors over rooftops as Wo Ping would go on to specialize in. The budget may be small and the camera work dated by more modern action film standards, but the actors and stunt doubles perform outstanding martial arts that you're unlikely to see today. There is plenty of rambunctious humor that doesn't go quite as far a field as some of Wo Ping's early '80's films do. Its also a great introduction to Jackie Chan for the novice who wants to see him in his glorious prime. For its level of influence, quality of choreography, comedic tone, and sheer enjoyment factor, DM cannot be matched.

Premise: Wang Liu is a famous movie star and also a kung fu expert. After helping an Interpol agent during an attempted murder on his life, he finds himself in trouble with an Italian crime family. With his brother killed there can be only one outcome, bloodshed!

Review: Bruce Leung (as Bruce Liang) stars in this Ng See Yuen outing. After founding Seasonal Film Company, Ng See Yuen was very innovative and never afraid to experiment with new ideas. Little Godfather from Hong Kong was to be a fusion of kung fu and the popular Italian crime genre. The result is not entirely satisfying and the script is at times horrible, but Bruce Liang shows that he can surely kick! And for those wondering about the exploitation part with a star named Bruce Liang, don't worry! Bruce Liang is his own man in the film and I wouldn't call this an exploitation film at all.

After a couple of titles, the film jumps right into the action with a series of executions. At the scene of the murders a card with the word "Interpol” is always left. What it comes down to is that a certain group of people has hired a crime family, known as the Carro's to eliminate Interpol agents from around the world. As luck would have it, Wang Liu (Bruce Liang) is there to help one Interpol agent escape from death. The Carros' reputation is hurt by this incident and they decide to get rid of this movie star and avid martial artist. They lure him to Italy with the false pretence that he's going to star in a film, called The End of Kung Fu no less! Wang Liu didn't realize the trouble he had gotten into though and his brother is the first victim of the Carro family. His insurance company thinks it's too dangerous for him to stay in Italy, but he has other plans. Thus, Wang Liu and his son stay in Italy so that they can take revenge!

I must say that his son is pretty annoying, always fiddling with everything and his dubbed voice isn't great either. Actually, the dubbing in general is terrible! The whole look of the film is very European, yet the dubbing doesn't do the visuals any justice. Shirley Corrigan also joins the cast playing one of Wang Liu's co-stars in the film he's playing in. Now she's really worth looking at, and they even include a lengthy nude scene for those interested.

Now the bad guys are made from your pretty standard crime family material. The father has three sons working under him and two of them are adopted. One being Yasuaki Kurata (as Kurata), who is as underused as he has ever been. You get this feeling that he's going to have a kung fu showdown with Bruce Liang, but it never happens. His end "fight” with Bruce is a terrible letdown with maybe ten seconds of actual fighting. And during the whole fight they seem to run halfway across Rome, all the way from the city into some random snowy landscape! The best scene is definitely when Wang Liu has to face off against the twisted adopted son (Gordon Mitchell) who walks around in Nazi uniforms! There is one thing I have to mention though, and this will probably offend viewers, but it's in the script. To give you an idea of how twisted the head of the family is, he says the following when they remember the wonderful times of his recently deceased son, "One day he killed two Negroes. He came home as if nothing had happened, and I knew he was the type of son I'd be proud of." What a nice family... A couple of hired thugs also get their butts kicked by Bruce and his kicks nearly make the film worth seeing. The kung fu does look a bit out of place in the Italian setting though, but in the end it all nearly comes together.

An effort worth seeing by Ng See Yuen fans, but don't expect a miracle. Besides two pretty ladies and a couple of nice fights, I can't really recommend this film on anything specific. At least it's better than the average exploitation films that were being made at the time.