This one doubles as not only my favorite Gordon Liu movie but also as my favorite Shaw Brothers movie. I know there are so many to choose from and you think that one is the best and dude over there is all like "what about the '36th Chamber'?" Well, chill, we're talking about my favorites now, not yours. We talk about your favorites in your review, sucka.

Lau Kar Leung crafts this movie and its fight scenes with inspired perfection. Gordon Liu dishes out the goods with the jack-of-all trades fu by demonstrating that old school multiple proficiency that pretty much died in the 90's when everyone could just have a single gimmick and still get by. This movie is not only arguably Gordon Liu's best martial arts performance but also Yasuaki Kurata's as well. You have to wait all the way to the end to see Yasuaki finally get down; but when he does, HOLY SHIT, he's a fuckin' smokin' now! (Maybe, just maybe, there is one "Family Guy" fan out there who got that reference. Probably not.)

Anyhow, this film has got one of the best complilations of variety in martial arts styles and weapons put to use. The Japanese performers and characters are all straight-up bad-asses, and really Japanese, unlike many other Chinese films that used Chinese actors and portrayed the Japanese as bitch-made predatory miscreants. I'm not judging, I'm just sayin'. Well, I guess to truly complete a review for this movie I got to give up my favorite fight. Damn, there are so many to choose from, but if I had to pick one favorite I would cheat and say the entire end fight with Gordon and Yasuaki, which is basically like 3-4 fights in one. I don't mean to beat a dying horse (unless it's called for or I'm bored or something), but Mr. Kurata is so frickin' slick it's unreal. The man handles a ninja-to like he was born holding one, and his crab style is one of the dopest, slickest and most creative things I have ever seen. This movie has everything for martial arts lovers including a tough chick.

I also got to say Buddha bless Dragon Dynasty for releasing these perfectly digitally remastered fu classics with the original subtitles and dubbings while including all kinds of sweet bonuses like interviews with the legends that made these movies possible. Make sure this is in your collection. Essential and severely enjoyable.

"Crime Story" was also Chan's first film based on a true story and one of his first major dramatic roles. The action was also pretty good as Chan took more of a streetfighting approach and showed no sign of his normal lighthearted sense of humor which is probably why some fans do not like this film. There was a lot of intensity in the fighting and Chan and his stunt team took many nasty falls. The explosions and fires were also well done as the old Kowloon walled city was burned and leveled.

The acting throughout the film was very good as Jackie Chan more than proved he can pull off this type of role. Kent Chang was great as always as police inspector/kidnapper Hung. It was also amazing how actor Law Kar Ying and actress Au-Yeung Pooi San looked like the real Teddy and Nina Wang.

I think this is a good film that allowed Jackie Chan to take on a new and challenging role that could be used as an example to critics who think Chan cannot act or take dramatic roles as he progresses in age.

If you don't have it, I would give it my highest recommendation; and if you do have it, you should probably watch it at least once every year to keep good company with a well crafted story. Thanks for the time, campers, I got to peel.

I was cheated. I was robbed. Just about any amount of money you paid to see this movie that exceeds four U.S. dollars is a vicious ripoff. Was the fight sequence with the ladder phenomenal? Absolutely. Was that pretty much the only thing worthwhile in this flick? Absolutely. This movie brings shame to the immensely entertaining "Police Story" series by skimping on the fu and fight scenes. Of course there is an underwater fight at the end--meaning slow and lacking the type of dynamic aesthetics we have come to expect from a Jackie film. "First Strike" basically is a meandering, through-the-motions, on auto-pilot Jackie film. Perhaps I was mildly entertained at random throughout, but for the most part I just can't justify giving a movie that I only appreciated for one fight scene more than one and a half stars. Sorry but this is only for strict Jackie completists. I love Jackie just like you folks. That's why this film doesn't do it for me. He's better than that.

Do me a favor: at the next wedding you attend slap a bridesmaid on the ass during the ceremony. If you are questioned on this just tell them you got the idea from a bastard. Enjoy your movies, kids.

A lot of folks seem to think that this is one of the greatest kung fu movies of all time. Those folks know what they are talking about. This ball of thunder laced lightning hits rougher and heavier than a Kimbo Slice uppercut. We all know the deal and we all know who's in it. The real eternal question is: which match-up is sicker? Jet vs. Yasuaki Kurata, or Jet vs. Billy Chow? There's a stumper for you. They both rock so hard that if you bring up this question among your friends who are into fu flicks it will usually spark a pretty wild debate. I personally lean slightly toward the Jet/Yasuaki showdown. Something about wind and blindfolds--it just gets me going, dude.

"Fist Of Legend" is possibly the closest thing to perfect fight choreography around (perfect is relative, but honestly it might be perfect) and incorporates many martial art styles, such as Longfist, Ditang Chuan, Tong Bei, Chin Na, Aikido, Karate, boxing, Judo, Jujitsu, and quite a few more that I am probably forgetting. I know some cats say that the general was using Muay Thai. They have either poor eyesight or just improper schooling. Billy's just busting out with hardcore Karate.

This movie is the dope shit and every last one of you know it. If you haven't seen it, you better head for the hills, son, because we will hunt you down and staple you to something so we can force you to see this awesome piece of kung fu cinema history. You'll probably thank us afterwords and maybe even offer us a beer. And we'll accept. 'Cause we like beer. Keep kicking for the stars, folks. I'll be around.

Basically we follow the Archer and his big mouthed wife (Fu Sheng and Nu Nu) as they steal Lo Meng's kung fu manual...Nu Nu really suffers for this. Then we follow the two to Ching Li's house and of course she herself has a lot of drama going on. She sends them to Ti Lung who now a monk, has some sort of kung fu that if he uses a certain part of it he can heal the injured, but he himself will become vulnerable to attack...which is what Ching Li wants.

Once we get to Ti Lung we learn the back story between himself, Ching Li and Kuo Chui. Now I'm not sure if she was Ti Lung's wife or just a live in girlfriend, but basically 20 years early Ching Li layed eyes on a very young, very muscular Kuo Chui and went for it. Yup they had an affair which just didn't seem right because the Kuo Chui character had some serious mental issues...but that is pretty much played down so...anyway. When Ti Lung finds out about the affair he wants Ching Li and Kuo Chui to get married, Ching Li likes the idea, Kuo Chui says he would rather be executed. Once given the opportunity Kuo Chui can't get out of there fast enough. Ching Li ends up pregnant, she had the baby, Lo Meng thinks that the baby belongs to Ti Lung so he goes and Iron Palms it (hey, Venom's have no shame!) thinking Ti Lung will save it and leave himself vulnerable to Lo Meng's attack. Ti Lung wants to save the baby, but hey, it isn't his kid. Ching Li end's up killing the baby so that it doesn't suffer and instead of blaming her cheating slutty self or the man who ran out on her she blames Ti Lung. The man she cheated on yet he still let her stay at his palace even after he found out she had a baby.

All of this comes to a head when Ching Li tries to attack Ti Lung, get's turned back by those protecting him. On her way out she runs into Lo Meng, Fu Sheng jumps in to help and the 'brawl for it all' is on. This is one of my favorite Venom's brawl, which is why the film got 4 stars from me. Lots of weapons, lots of energy, lots of air and some of these boys got some good hang time.

Yes, Jet Li's character struggles with a Hong Kong overrun with British imperialists and the woman who loves him and all the drama that follows and, honestly, no one really cares. The story is an odd mix. When there aren't action sequences, much of the story plays out like a routine period piece. The story is decent and worth a look, but subsequent viewings will have you simply skipping ahead to the action sequences because...

...these are simply the best collection of HK/kung fu/wire fu fight sequences you will ever find. You have an actor at the top of his kung fu game with choreographers who are given a lot of freedom and creativity to use the actors' talents, all captured by a director at the peak of his powers. These fight sequences are the stuff of legend, the yardstick that all kung fu fights are measured against. Not to take anything away from other flicks of Jet's like "Fist Of Legend" or "Fong Sai Yuk", but these are the best. And to get them all in one package for such a cheap price is nothing short of criminal. I paid a small fortune to get these three films from HK before this version was released.

You'll see some of the most innovative and intense wirework, skill, and choreography you've ever witnessed, stuff that makes "The Matrix" look tame by comparison, despite coming out years before the Wachowskis ever put word one to paper. Every scenario you can imagine is captured, Jet vs. one, Jet vs. some, Jet vs. many, Jet with weapons, Jet with bare hands, Jet with props like an ubrella, Jet vs. flaming arrows, Jet vs. boss characters in the most insane environments you can imagine. I can't stress it enough, this is as good as it gets. Even skipping over the story, the fight scenes will entertain you and your next several generations long after you're gone. Simple as that. If you're into kung fu flicks and somehow have slept on this one, just buy it.

A former prisoner tries to escape from an enchanted forest teeming with zombies and demons, all the while protecting a girl while kicking, punching, shooting, stabbing, and slicing everything that gets in his way.

For those who are looking at the different versions, the Ultimate is the only version to get. The new music is a big improvement over the old stuff. The extended action scenes are fantastic. And the new color correction and visual processing definitely add to the overall film. Plus, all the extras are great. Ironically, this is actually more of a director's cut than the original director's cut. The original DC was just the best the director could do with what he had. Ultimate Versus actually had Kitamura going back out and shooting new scenes and extended fight sequences to cut into the original DC. Now that we've cleared that up...

This is not a film for everyone. In fact, this isn't even a film for most. This is definitely a niche film for those that love movies that are just fun, cheesy, completely unrealistic, and straight-up awesome. To most, this film is just a bunch of people running through a forest for 2 hours with some cheesy acting, lots of senseless violence, and more blood than your local Red Cross has on hand. Yes, they do run through the forest the whole movie, but it's so epic. The characters all have their "cool" turned way up, more than you would in any 'regular' film, but this is not a regular film.

The action is super mind-numbing. The gore is super-violent in a very over-the-top way. The dialogue is oddly paced and sparse and way more dramatic than is necessary. Blood flows freely as zombie limbs fly through the air time and again. But it all works. This is not a movie to critique for film class or to be studied for its deeper subtleties and symbolism. It is, in fact, unapologetically campy and violent. If you're into "gore fests" or "action bonanzas" all done with that Asian cool, then you absolutely must see this film.

The action in this movie is the kind of action that makes you say, "Daamm!! Did you see that?!" I could vividly see the downtown movie theater exploding with excitement, with every action scene.

I have to admit the start was a little slow, but something keeps you glued. Maybe it's the anticipation or curiosity of seeing martial arts cinema's newest sensation, Jeeja Yanin, strut her stuff. Or maybe it was the track record of the filmmaking team that produced this film and Tony Jaa's two smash hits. Whatever the reason, this film captivates the viewer.

The fight choreography is innovative and exciting and long overdue! My only hope is that the stunt men didn't permanentely injure themselves. Stunt work should be realistic LOOKING, without get seriously injured. Safety should always be the priority for any filmmaker!

All in all, this is a very engaging film. Go get it!

"City of Violence" is at its core a really tight revenge flick that plays out kind of like "Four Brothers" meets "Kill Bill" with, of course, a fairly standard twist. The martial arts aspect of the film is first class with Tae Kwon Do being showcased as an all purpose weapon that is clearly more vicious and functional amoung the people who originated it. The fights had true grit and a rawness that was mixed well with plenty of flash that gave them a distinct flavor. As for the end fight finale--it will knock your wobblies around. Wall to wall style and substance with a good story told in a good way using good talent.

If at this point you are still not interested in giving this movie a chance then fine but please move to the back of the bus and don't say shit when we pass your stop. Thanks for reading and remember nothing says "happy Easter" more than strippers and crack. I gotta go, the warden's coming.

There are many moments of creative brilliance and comedic excellence, yet it still maintained a good amount of homage content. Completely needed for a complete Asian film collection if only to see soccer balls get jump-spin-kicked. All around fun. And it's that good kind of humor that just makes you feel good inside like when you watched Paris Hilton go to jail.

"Tower of Death" is quite the oddity. It is actually the best Bruce Lee movie available that doesn't even have Bruce Lee in it. The choreography is top notch. Yuen Wo Ping does an extraordinary job in capturing Bruce Lee's fighting style and his brand of choreography. The fights are just rockin', and this is actually probably one of the best random-as-hell kung fu movies that a lot of people are not hip too.

Hwang Jang Lee, as always, is a Godsend. The "King of the Leg Fighters" deserves a lifetime achievement award for depicting so many of the most bad ass screen villans of all time.

This flick is pretty essential and I would have given it perhaps a perfect rating for the martial arts alone if not for one detail. I had to take off one and a half stars for the plain and simple fact that the movie is fucking tasteless. Exploitation is always some ugly shit, but this movie goes so completely overboard and attempts to cash in on a dead icon and hero to millions by incorporating scenes from his other movies as well as archival footage. Grimy, just grimy.

Despite the fact that whoever put this movie together just loves the cock, it's actually pretty worth the purchase. Ignore the overwelming cheese and the naked broad that has make up that looks like it has to be removed with a sandblaster, just get it to see some dude fight like he was Bruce. Way better than all that Bruce Li and Dragon Lee garbage. Trust me, folks, I wouldn't lie to you. Unless I was trying to acquire money or sex. Speaking of which, I have a Pokemon that I am holding captive in my basement. Does anyone want to buy it? I ran out of stuff to do to it and I think it's hungry...

First off, "Arahan" comes to us from the same director/star of "City of Violence". You can expect the same well-choreographed and stylish action, all captured with a slick visual style. Engaging characters are another trademark you'll run across in this film. Only here, the mood is lighter than COV and there are quite a few genuine laugh-out-loud moments. I was really surprised how many times I heard myself cracking up.

Anyways, the story is similar to that of "The Matrix", except for the fact that these people are funny and don't take themselves so seriously as opposed to chewing up the dialogue with psych 101 teachings. Plus, this entire cast has some serious martial arts chops, none of them learned everything in the few months preceding principal photography (a side note: I love "The Matrix", just trying to make distinctions. "Matrix" is a 5-star in my book). Also, the story takes place in modern day Korea, not the Internet. But it's about a boy finding his untapped potential with the help of a hot chick and some "masters" that must fight their own Mr. Smith. You get the point.

The story, although not anything complicated, is fun and quite entertaining. The true gem of this film is the character interaction. The comedy is genuinely funny. The love/hate relationship between the male and female leads is brilliantly done. The interplay between all the characters it really a treat.

And that more than makes up for the fact that the first half is light on action. This director tends to backload his films with action because he wants to draw you in and get you invested in the characters during hour one...and it works. Understand though, once he turns it on, it doesn't stop. The second hour is one great sequence after another. It's mostly all live, with some wire-fu and CGI spots. All three elements are exceptionally well-balanced. He doesn't over-rely on CG or Wire to make up for any deficiencies in skill or creativity. It's fast, graceful, creative...these are phenomenal fight scenes.

Lastly, the contemporary setting adds a nice element. Watching people hop from skyscraper to skyscraper while the regular folk go about their business below is very creative. While the story is normal, the outstanding action and great three-dimensional characters (and their funny and caring interplay), along with some new perspectives on things, really make this a stand-out in the martial arts film genre. Like my business partner always says, "I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel. I'm just trying to put a new rim on it."