Agreement:62% of 29 voters agree with KungfuManiac's reviews Gender: Male Age: 27 Location: Hollywood, CA
Bio: I am a Kung Fu Maniac. I love a lot of martial arts films. I usually like the underdog stories where the hero has to take a transformation to be something. The destiny of a human is so greater then anything else.
I live in Hollywood, CA. I studied & trained in many martial arts competitions. My job is a stuntman & personal trainer. I have done a lot of really bad B-movie action films, but none the less it's work, it's a stuntmans job.
The Machine Girl (product link) Action/Adventure / Girls With Guns WOW, what a film. I don't think I have seen so much gore in a film like this one before. There are some crazy weapons in this movie, such as the flying guillotine 'chainsaw' and--who could forget?--the drill bra. If you like to see plenty of limbs get the chop and loads of blood squirting everywhere, then you've come to the right place. This is the beautiful Minase Yoshiro's debut film and she doesn't disappoint either. This is sure to entertain.
The film is over-hyped by many reviewers. I did say "Chocolate has good action scenes" It's for the action person. A good kung fu film has a good story 2 follow, so that were not trying to dumb down asian cinema. U need to watch more real fu films.
Shinobi (product link) Action/Adventure / Fantasy This has got to be the worst ninja movie ever. I don't understand why people rated it so high. Sure, I watched the manga and anime version, it's great, but the live action version sucks because they don't have the budget to make the special effects look real, and the actors look so fake. I can't believe how dumb this movie is. As I said, if you have no brain and still believe in fantasy and fairy tales, then this movie suits you perfectly. But if you are a hardcore kung fu action fan like me, stay away from it at all costs. I think that's why we're here in the first place!
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I neither agree/disagree with your review but you watched a Japanese "ninja" movie for hardcore kung fu action? Lolz
In fact NO WAY, if you have no brain then you wouldn't notice the great storyline that this movie offers. Man, this movie has everything. Each to their own. But shit, you missed a magic movie here.
I'm not sure if I would call this a ninja movie and I could see where some hardcore kung fu fans could dislike it, but I felt this was well done and quite interesting. I couldn't help feel like I was watching a superior version of the X-Men
"Death Trance" was a film made by the star and action coordinator of the wildly popular film, "Versus". It seems that Tak Sakaguchi and Yuji Shimomura tried to capitalize off the previous film's success by creating the same style of action in the same never ending forest. What we have here is another stylized film that somehow managed to have less of a sensible plot than versus that disguises itself as a period piece from an unknown time and place. Unfortunately for "Death Trance", this time the mayhem and style couldn't make up for the lazy script unlike the incredibly entertaining film, "Versus".
I do really like Tak Sakaguchi's screen presense and action sequences showing great promise when he figures out a believable story is important. The action scenes were intense and very believable since he would really hit people with his padded hands that were covered by his costume sleeves.
This film also included fun but very over the top action such as bazookas with homing missiles, zombies?, and strange pale people similar to the ones in "Seven Swords".
Still this film is fun but it comes back to questions like who are these people, what's the purpose of those girls, where did that weapon come from, etc...
Many people who like mindless violence and mayhem like I do will have a great time if they are able to put their mind on stop and "Death Trance" on play, but to people who ask questions during movies--beware
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This is a pretty weird movie, but its entertainment value is at least the three stars you gave it.
I agree with everything you said, and 3 stars to me as about right. This had the potential to be as good as Versus, but in my mind falls a little short. As you said, too many holes in the story to be a great film, but it is fun to watch.
A low level gangster (Wong) kills his boss (Shing Fui On) and his wife after he is caught sleeping with her, causing him to flee to South Africa where he works in a Chinese restuarant. His new boss (Lo Meng) hired him to work cheap and his wife always bullies him, prompting him to kill them too and return to Hong Kong with the dreaded Ebola Virus he received after raping a Zulu woman. It turns out he is one of a small percentage that is immune and is able to carry and spread the disease. Wong takes it upon himself to return and spread the virus in response to a lifetime of being bullied.
This film is another collaboration between director Herman Yau and Anthony Wong as they clearly tried to push the envelope even farther than the cult classic, "Untold Story". This is a very sleazy and dark film, with Anthony Wong rising to his repulsive peak. Like "Untold Story", Wong perfectly portrays a vile human being that alone makes the film worthwhile for viewers with a strong stomach.
Also included are several comedic quotes from sleazeball Wong that add lighter moments before and after the mayhem. Some of these lines are very amusing but probably not suitable to repeat. Director Herman Yau is an expert at setting the mood for these kind of films with many intense and repulsive moments. One great scene was when a mouse was run over by the cab Wong was riding in, showing that death follows this man no matter what type of breathing creature or the circumstances. Not even children were spared in this one.
Despite its many disgusting moments, "Ebola Syndrome" is a well made film with another great preformance from Anthony Wong in a role he seems all too comfortable in. This may also be the most unsanitary film ever made as blood, sweat, semen, and saliva were flying all over the place throughout the 98-minute runtime. I like that Herman Yau brought back the human beef buns from "Untold Story" (Africa Buns in this film) and also added a nifty spit cam that gives the audience an extra disgusting close up view. The moral of the story, if it has one, is to watch who you bully.
Took me awhile to finally check out this flick. It was completely worth it.
"Cloverfield" is packed with high energy thrills and unyielding momentum. The story told is very simplistic, but that may add to the classic qualities of this feature. This is the best monster movie that I have seen in years. It even trumps "The Host", which is no small feat. You got a little something for everybody: action, excitement, drama, and humor. I know the whole shaky-cam thing did bother a lot of folks, but honestly I thought it was a very good device for the whole movie as it added to the frantic nature of the film while grounding it in a gritty and realistic manor that almost seems to give the monster that much more credibility.
FINAL SUMMATION: This flick is more fun than you can have with a German shepherd, a hooker, and a whole jar of peanut butter. Go check this one out. Highly entertaining, you won't be let down. Now, I got to bolt. I have to fly a 747 to England in 20 minutes and this whiskey isn't going to drink itself.
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4 1/2 stars is a stretch but this is a clever and entertaining film that is worth more than just an assortment of special effects like some other movies
When Cloverfield came out, everybody was so hyped out about it. I saw the picture and it's not that great. I admitt it's a better version of Godzilla US version. This movie is just plain stupid & really bad.
The Way Of The Dragon (product link) Martial Arts total dis agree, the fight were slow, story is boring, i don't see any special about this film, why people say bruce lee is so great? has he win any world boxing match? no, has he defeat any champion? no, so he just an average human being, his movie is nothing special, just some basci kick and punch, i feel like i can do better!
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mike you are an ignorante- read the books so you can understand what he accomplished and then read the books written about you.
Again Mike, this film is a product of the seventies. Bruce Lee directed, and did the fight choreography. Besides the great Chuck Norris fight, Bruce turns in an awsome comic performance!
Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai (product link) Art / Drama You people need to get aware. There was only one review for this and it sucked. Pay attention, folks, damn. Anyhow, this flick has cult king written all over it. I rarely disagree with the HKFlix evalutation of a movie but they were unreasonably hard on this one. This movie is actually quite brilliant and probably tied with "Throw Down" for best adaption of the samurai code and methodolgy to a contemporary setting in films.
"Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai" is evenly distributed entertainment that is filled with great performances from a diverse and talented cast, timeless quotes from the "Hagakure" (the book of the samurai), laugh-out-loud humor and good portions of gunfire. You won't be bored for one minute if you have any kind of an attention span at all. Intelligent, provocative, funny and highly entertaining I would recommend this film to anyone.
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I'd rate this slightly lower, but you are basically correct.
JJ is a director you either love or you get put to sleep. I was expecting an action flick, to my first viewing was a disappointment. Once I removed my expectations and gave it more viewings I saw what it was doing. A cameo from RZA to top it off.
This movie tried to hard to explore a character's mind set. The movie didn't not go anywhere, 4 an art picture is was just bland. The movie as a whole was not clear on wht kind of story it wanted 2 tell-therefor the actors we're distracted in their roles
The film does entertain but it's mostly for the people that are into the samurai pictures. I love samurai movies but when they modernize it, I just can't get into that stuff.
The movie was all right, I think the performances were good- I just couldn't get that much involved with it though. The movie is not for everyone, I guess I came with high expectations going in. Tht is 1 mistake tht nobody should do in a pic such as this.
Hey thnks for the comments, your right I only had one review. I thought "Ghost Dog" was an entertaing pic but it's not my taste. The film is well shot but compared to "Throwdown" that was amazing.
i just read the comment you left kungfumaniac and i'm totally with you on that one i think the reviewer in question is fubar if you dont know what that means watch tango and cash.
I agree man. This is Jim Jarmusch's vision of the samurai code, the film is entertaining. Check out Jean-Pierre Melville "Le Samouraï" it's a 1967 hitman film, the guy follows the code too. It's Johnnie To's fave film, & John Woo models his films from it.
Damn, was it something I said? Seriously, though, I would like to thank all of you for all the comments that you have been posting. It's cool to see that some of you are enjoying my rants and diatribes. I really appreciate all of the honest feedback and insights as a writer, a reviewer and as an Asian cinema fan. You folks have been really great and helpful in my ongoing growth as a writer, so again thank you all. Now, let's talk about a movie.
"China Strike Force" is an oddball throwback to the glory days of Hong Kong cop actioners with a new school twist and a touch of Americanized compost. In fact the movie is in English even though that is not the native dialect of over half the cast. And it shows. The acting was, let's say, slightly less than serviceable. Oddly enough, Coolio wound up delivering his lines pretty well and was funny more intentionally than not, unlike some of his co-stars. And of course there's Mark.
Mark Dacascos is always a pleasure to watch--his acting is halfway decent and his martial arts skills are A-list quality. It's kind of a bitch that he never really blew up the way he should have. But isn't that always the way? JCVD gets famous and he bites. Pop stars and Hollywood megastars get highly funded kung fu vehicles and they are all undeserving. But what of Mark Dacascos, Ernie Reyes Jr., Scott Adkins, and Brad Allen (and many others)? Where are their big contracts for major action movies? Someone or something out there controlling the cosmic balance has the most twisted sense of humor. I mean, think about it. John Lennon: shot and killed; Martin Luther King, Jr.: shot and killed; Ronald Reagan: shot and wounded, survived. What kind of shit is that?!? People, we must protect the balance if God won't. Live your lives with some degree of honor and stay vigilant. Hopefully we can protect what is sacred.
Whoa, sorry about that folks, I'm starting to wear this soapbox out. Before I shot out into left field I think we were dicussing a movie of some kind. Right? So, "China Strike Force" is inconsistant in the acting department and plain and standard on the whole plot thing, but how is the action? Pretty good, actually. Stanley Tong always seems to craft some kinetic fights with high energy, and this movie is no exception as we are given some very functional choreography. The previously mentioned Mark Dacascos gets to shine in this arena. While he only really gets two fights and is basically gypped out of the end fight, he still gets to show off his goods with style, grace, and power. The stunts are well done, but despite the enjoyable action there are still lags here and there due in part to poor direction and choppy acting. The end fight was kind of disappointing as well. Though it had a definite element of danger, it did not have the pace or quality of the rest of the fights.
Overall I did enjoy it and I would say it is worth checking out, but it won't necessarily become one of your favorites. Thanks for the time. Stay up on the down. I got stuff to do but we'll catch up.
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Those who can appreciate a Mark Dacascos film have already admitted they can let good action outweigh terrible writing and acting. I'd rate it a bit lower than you do, but on purely action grounds it's not too bad.
I think people are a little too hard on this movie. Of course it's gonna be goofy when it stars a rapper and a pop star. The violence is worth it and I don't mind the stunt doubles either. And come on, if you like Mark Dacascos, suck it up and watch it.
Stanley Tong's 2000 movie "China Strike Force" is a messy film, the action was very weak. And the Coolio character did not belong at all even though he was the main villan. Though your reviews are great. This movie was messy.
Seven Swords (product link) Martial Arts / Swordplay/Sword(s) How could one review a movie such as "Seven Swords", and try to be brief but still be fully expressive of the enjoyment, and satisfaction one will feel when they view a movie that shows the Western cinema world the Asian market has surpassed them. You want an epic movie of blockbuster capacity? Or maybe you're looking for a film that merges old - school with tommorrow's stars. Here one will own a movie that will forever be a favorite. One will watch this movie and save it...not for a rainy day! No...that does it no justice. Save it, to forget the beautiful martial arts, exciting plot/story and wonderful choreography, save it, to only re - live that same elating experience, where the back of your chair becomes your seat...and your seat becomes your foot rest. Save it, for a good day to only get better. Suggest...NO! I demand one to add this to their repertoire.
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Valid points, good review..maybe a half star less. Ignore those who have no knowledge of film Asian Wu xia or the world in general.
i can understand how this film got more than 2 stars. There were so many involuntary humorous moments, so much pretense, .... I think Tsui Hark should stick to producing
I am saying no because I do not know which version you are referring to. The international version is a mess, it slaps together with no ease & a lot of confusion. The original cut of the film has a better story telling & the pace is fantastic.
A very interesting entry from those wacky folks with snotty accents whom we call the French (sometimes we call them worse). "B13" has high energy and excellent momentum that carries through. There are some excellent acrobatics and martial arts techniques in this film, and it's nice to see a halfway decent exhibition of Parkour (a French psuedo-martial art that is really kind of a knockoff of Peking opera performers' acrobatic tricks in kung fu flicks--i.e. Jackie, Sammo, Yuen, Yuen, Yuen, Yuen, etc. style). Very entertaining and a fun ride. Although, I have to make a side note. The film is only a four star movie the first time you see it. Each additional viewing is more like three and a half stars, as the pace is very good but if you were to evaluate it more thoroughly you will notice it is actually quite short in the fight department. Your first viewing will sort of trick you with its good pacing, fun chase scenes and hyper active filming style, but the fights that are present are quite enjoyable and worth checking out (even though I think that there might only be two of them). Get it just to give your fu collection more diversity. You got plenty of Chinese stuff, a bunch of Japanese stuff, some good Korean stuff, that cool German one, you might as well just have to make room for some more fu from the frogs. The French, I mean. I said French. I got to cut out, Interpol has found me again. Where the hell am I gonna hide all this crap?
The plot is thin and the acting barely competent, but I don't care: The parkour, fighting and general energy level make this a very fun movie to watch.
You also got a Chile fu film "Kiltro", plus I saw a Denmark fu movie called "Fighter". It's amazing how martial arts styles influence other countries. If we all knew fu, the world would be peaceful. B:14 is in pre-production get ready for more.
Everyone and their mommas got to review this flick so pretty much everything that can be said about this flick has been said already. I guess I shouldn't even bother. Wait a minute, screw that, I want a piece too.
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.
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didn't like it as much has some cuz I hate remakes but this is the schitzer, ACHTUNG! :)
I've seen a lot of reviews for "Fist of Legend" this week. I am pumped for the Dragon Dynasty release. This is one of the best kung fu movies ever made, I still remember watching it in theaters-it was a great experience.
Like a high-speed shootout in a flying car, I'm 'bout to get all over the place. Before I get going, I want to address the whole perfect-rating 5-star thing. As some of you may know, I have awarded the coveted 5-star rating to quite a few movies. I want to make something perfectly clear: I do not just pass that shit out haphazardly. I put a great deal of consideration into each of my reviews, and like many writers here I have seen thousands and thousands of movies, so after all that sampling it is not odd to come up with many pieces of brilliance and perfection. And that is what a 5-star rating entails to me: perfection. Perfection on many levels as well as a sense of accomlishing everything and more of what was intended by the filmmakers. A 5-star movie should entertain in ways that will instantly become memorable and capture many emotions. For me "A Man Called Hero" is such a movie.
This is my favorite Andrew Lau movie hands down. Maybe it's because I love comic books or something, but this film really appeals to me. It's very dark and moody with beautiful fantasy action. Loaded with interesting characters, wild special effects and a decent amount of martial arts. This is one of those grand fantasy movies where the line flying and special effects didn't bother me or detract from the movie, in fact they were necessary and enhanced the experience entirely. While I do dig "Storm Riders" and "The Duel", this will always be the one that stands out the most to me. Truly epic. This should have been a trilogy. Just about as cool as "Star Wars". I'm just sayin'.
STUFF THAT KICKS ASS: Ninjas with elemental super powers. Classic. Man with no arms who kicks like a hell raiser. Classic as well. Showdown on the statue of liberty that leaves the old girl looking like she got mugged by the jolly green giant. Wild, just wild.
MY CLOSING STATEMENTS BEFORE I GO GET SOMETHING TO EAT: This movie rocks and will appeal to fans of comics, fantasy and various old school classics.
I liked this movie but not enthusiastic as your review- The movie was a decent adaptation of the comic- but of course the comic is more detailed- but I enjoyed the flick it was fun.
Director Andrew Lau gets nailed a lot by some people, but I say he's the underappreciated pimp of 1990's HK cinema. He reinvented the triad genre with the Y&D flix, and took CGI fu well into the next level with the Storm Riders/Man Called Hero/Duel flix.
Millionaires' Express (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts What a big disappointment--I mean, literally everybody and their momma was in this movie. And this movie was like this!!!! WOW, you got to see it to believe it. Because this film, especially at this budget, should have been the best movie in history for all martial arts movie lovers. This movie, as slow as it was, could not make up for the lost time of the final scene. I am very, very unhappy right now.
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You are right on the spot MAN!!!! What a disappointment.
You gave Forbidden Kingdom 3 stars and this you only gave 2 and half. Are you serious? this movie is great, did you see the fight scenes. I don't think you saw the movie.
Whenever Millionaires' Express is brought up in a discussion among fu fans there is always 2 sides- people tht love it or hate it. I found the film fun & enjoyed the fights. The fights at the end are terrific. & the stars being silly is always nice.
I have to disagree. The last twenty or thirty minutes is one long, beautifully chaotic, explosive fight-fest. I found the filler between fights to be more compelling than most kung fu movies. I'll admit, some of the comedy antics are over-done.
Nope. You seem to be disregarding how well done and plentiful the action is toward the end. I also thought that there was enough humor and plot development throughout the film the keep things interesting.
I agree that the film was a let down, but I do think it had a lot of really cool fights and stunts in it. It was a bit bloated and meandering, but if you can look past that, I think you'll find the action to be quite enjoyable and noteworthy.
Sadly, this sequel is nowhere near as sharp as the original, with Ekin Cheng replacing Andy Lau and Lau Ching Wan returning to his previous role. I'm normally not a fan of Ekin Cheng, but he does a decent job here, although he is still no Andy Lau. There is more comedy in this one, mainly provided by a sad gambling-addicted character played by Johnnie To regular, Lam Suet.
This film tries to be stylish but often comes up empty. It really has no resemblence to the original except for some of the charcters, a charity donation, and Lau Ching Wan enjoying a bucket of chicken after failing to capture his suspect. The previous ultra catchy theme song was also brought back and given a French sounding remix. There were some good scenes, such as the bike ride on a rainy night, but I thought the ending was a complete letdown and never fully understood the use of the bald eagle.
This is still a decent film, as Johnnie To appears to be incapable of making a total stinker. It can be recommended but never compared with the original.
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I truly admire the first film, but this is a pointless, inferior rehash. Andy Lau's character engaged me, while Ekin Cheng's just made me restless.
It was not as bad as zero stars but its not 4 star material either. It has a good cast with Chang Yi as the villain, and Ho Chung Tao ( Bruce Li ) as the Hero. It has entertainment value.
Im still waiting to see a copy with good English subtitles to comment on the plot. The action is pretty good. Jija does the moves very well but her power is not believable. She needs to work on delivery of impact but other than that action is pretty good.
Chocolate [2008] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Bravo! Yet another Thai action blockbuster. Good action and good story. In terms of action, I wasn't bored any second during the whole movie. I thought about giving it 4 stars all the time, but after the last huge fight which looked like it was cut from a 2-D coin-op action arcade, and which made my jaw fall down, I give it four and half.
This give this movie 4 and half stars is crazy talk. Did you watch the movie? the whole movie? or just the action? The movie is just a bunch of drag queens and there was no main villian. Watch the movie again and then review.
i totally agree i rated this film 4 and half stars and i found the film really entertaining and i am someone who watch's plenty of fu flix probably too many.
I agree with everyone else man this movie was not good- You should watch more fu flix, because the action in this film is not amazing & the way you explain it to be a 2-D coin up game- well I would really like my money back. This film fails in everything.
It was an all right picture the story was lacking any character development- the audience I saw it with couldn't really identify with the hero. The action looks great but the action scenes all look the same except for the jumping from sign to sign chase.
The film was very sloppy for a martial arts film. Plus this is the man that made Ong-Bak & the protector, Chocolate just ruins his streak of fu films. The fights were all boring, the film lacks thrills & story. It was not a 4 and half star movie.
Chocolate [2008] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Chocolate" was an all right movie that features a new fighting talent, JeeJa Yanin. The film really should have focused on her talent more. The fights were great but nothing really amazing. The fights were basically her just dodging, punching and kicking guys, though the people she fought were really not that great or up to Jeeja Yanin standards--they could of filmed an awesome fight with somebody that knew how to fight.
Like I said before, the action is great but not amazing. So if you're an action fan then check this one out. But if you're a person that wants a good story with amazing action then pick up director Shunichi Nagasaki's "Kuro-Obi" aka "Black Belt".
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YoMama says it best. This is high quality entertainment, but makes no pretense of artistry.
I am glad you criticize this movie, but if anything you rate it to high. I am continually amused by the responses of people who act like it is heresy to claim this mildly entertaining is anything less than the greatest thing since sliced bread.
The movie does deliver action. The action is not amazing as we seen it done before. The story is very sloppy and it did feel long. I agree with "Black Belt" is a great & smart martial arts movie.
got to disagree with your review lets face it how many martial arts films have good story's there aint many most people watch them for the action so in my opinion this film serves its purpose.
Chocolate [2008] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure A pretty good movie with some awesome fighting in it. This girl knows how to fight. She kicks and flips all through the movie using little or no doubles. The action in this movie is spectacular and is probably only topped by Tony Jaa. Watch this if you like kung fu flix.
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YoMama is essentially correct. The action is only slightly inferior to Tony Jaa, while the other factors are superior.
Yes, its an awesome movie. I don't get these people who say the action sucked, or the story was lacking. The story was far better than Ong Bak, production values were better, and action just as entertaining.
Return Of The 5 Deadly Venoms (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This is without doubt my favorite Venoms film. The fight choreography in this Chang Cheh classic is some of best I have ever seen. This is a must-have film. Just get it; you won't be disappointed.
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Yes! Five stars is eminently appropriate. This is in my top three Venoms films - very high praise indeed.
Ten Tigers From Kwangtung (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I really enjoyed this movie. The only letdown is the story. Apart from that, the action is unbelievable and there is lots of it. Good to see Ti Lung and Fu Sheng with the Venoms mob. If you like loads of kung fu and don't care too much about the plot, this is the film for you.
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Each of the constituent parts is extremely good. The problem that the parts don't fit together intelligibly brings my score down a bit - but the cast is great, and each part has many charms. Your score is justifiable.
this was like a bad edit job. nothing made any sense. I'd rather watch a good movie with 4 good fights then a bad one with 10.alright ones no matter who's in it!
You need to watch real kung fu movies, because the story and martial arts are important in Asian Cinema. Without a good story with the action your missing the point of a true fu film.
Crazy Shaw Bros. film that involves kickboxing, revenge and sorcery. This film is far out there with two plots that involve Chen Hsiung (Phillip Ko) pursuing revenge on a Thai kickboxer (Bolo) who paralyzed his brother in a match and Chen getting involved in a ancient battle between Buddist monks and black magic sorcerers.
This is a strange film that offers a naked zombie chick that is born from a dead crocodile stomach, an army of crocodile skulls, a character inserted in the film to further reach the T&A quota, an odd green head that looks to be either made of green slime or otherworldly that drips wax, bats that look like evil Beanie Babies, a decapitated wizard's head that spawns tenacles, regurgitation for consumption by your friends, and much, much more--a little something for everyone!
Highly recommended for anyone wanting to spend a wacky 1 1/2 hours or people curious about some of the darker Shaw Bros. films.
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A bit too weird, even for me *gasp* but all around entertaining.
The Way Of The Dragon (product link) Martial Arts I think "Way Of The Dragon" is an amazing kung fu movie with some of the greatest action you're ever likely to see. This was one of the first kung fu movies I remember seeing when I was a nipper and was blown away by Bruce Lee's ability as a martial artist--especially the confrontation between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in the coliseum. It is just breath taking, and to this day I still think it's one of the best one-on-one fights ever filmed. The plot and the acting leaves a lot to be desired, but who cares, it's still a classic kung fu flick. This film brings back all the memories, and that's why this film will always have a special place in my heart.
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Bruce Lee had something he wanted to express, and it came out most clearly in this film. It's a masterpiece - not my favorite of his, but I have no defense of my gauchery.
A must have classic . I have all of bruce lee films on video, They are so great that i got them again on dvd, thanks to HKFLIX, this site is amazing if you are a kung fu movie fan .
Chocolate [2008] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I've read a lot of mixed reviews about this film. Some say the plot is weak and others say the action is over the top and badly choreographed. Personally, I loved the film. I must admit the plot is weak to a certain extent, but the action definitely makes up for that. Jeeja Yanin's ability as a martial artist is incredible. She is without doubt in my opinion the best female action star I have seen in a long time. The last 25 minutes of the film is truly astonishing: the way she fights her way through 30 odd bad guys has to be seen to be believed. You can see as the credits roll there were a lot of injuries due to some crazy stunts, Jackie Chan style. I would say if, like me, you enjoyed "Ong-Bak" and "The Warrior King", then you should like this film. I just hope Jeeja Yanin goes on to make more films and not be a flash in the pan. What a waste of talent that would be.
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The film is entertaining from start to finish. It isn't a retread of anything else, but something very good in itself.
4 and half stars thats crazy talk. The movie does deliver good action but other then that it's just very bad on storytelling. But give me a break and watch the whole movie again and then review.
the movie was alright, nothing really amazing- the movie could of showcase JeeJa Yanin talent in a much better fu flick. and it's not def. 4 and half stars
Don't tell me that I don't finish what I start. Speaking of which, I don't know where to start. Quentin pulled the old pretentious artist schtick by doing exactly what he wants to do rather than consider the essence of the story and core audience of the first volume. See, the first one was basically a samurai flick, this one is a spagetti western. This does not make for a natural or fluid transition. QT has managed, through this somewhat selfish and Hollywood-esque method, to capture the attention of many types of crowds and creating a movie whose two parts may have completely different fan followings. Kind of gimmicky corporate mess in my opinion but whatever. There is just insufficient action in this one. Everone talks about the big cat fight with Uma and Daryl and how it was this great fight. Too bad it's not. What fight were you folks watching?!? That fight is garbage. Just plain ridiculous. This expert female killer can't figure out a way to draw or use her sword in an enclosed space so it starts to play out like an SNL sketch. Quentin was gracious enough, however, to cast Gordon Liu as a stereotypical throwback of the generic, mean, but dilligent crusty turd of a master. All the fights suck! The best fight in this movie isn't even in this movie. It was removed. David Carradine vs. Michael Jai White. It is short but somehow very satisfying. The final showdown? Fucking disappointing. This was the ultra thick, cushy pillows of padded bras. We were kind of promised so much but we got so little. Ten fucking seconds and it ends with a corny "special secret technique"--the kind indigenous to all those goofy old schoolers that were great when you were young but now you have to watch them drunk to really get a kick out of it. The saving grace of this long winded station of smoke and mirrors is one actor's performance. An actor I hate. I still view David Carradine as a tool of a corrupt and racist system that got his entire career off the blood, sweat and hard work of an icon. In my personal opinion he is one of the men responsible for Bruce Lee's death. Bruce Lee developed the concept that the show Kung Fu was based upon. The idea was catered for Bruce to be the star. Unfortuately thanks to good old bigotry, Hollywood opted for a young Irish dancer to portray a Chinese kung fu master as opposed to an actual Chinese kung fu master portraying something that comes naturally with credibility. Back then David Carradine was probably like he is now. A shameless, greedy, unethical, corporate bitch of a prick that apparently liked the idea of pretending he was Chinese--as he went on to do so for over two decades. When Bruce didn't get this part he had to work much harder to achieve the promises he had made to himself years earlier. All that extra work and effort wound up take its toll on Bruce and he was dead by 32 and nobody knows why. It is entirely possible that if doors were opened to him earlier he would not have had to travel so much, campaign, work and train while dealing with the jet lag and malnutrition that comes with an extraordinarily busy lifestyle. Perhaps it could have turned out much better if in your struggles society itself is not against you. But perhaps I have tripped too hard and too far off topic. As I was saying, this movie features David Carradine's best performance around. It is honestly (and I hate to say this) quite captivating and perhaps even pitch perfect (the Superman speech was fantastic). However a fine performance and some well written dialog can't offset the fact that it unbalances the entire flow and meaning of the first volume. As volume 2 I give it 3 stars. On its own maybe 3.5 to 4 stars but it is not on its own. Thanks for reading and support your local dojos, gyms and Kwoon. Peace out.
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Almost anything Tarantino could throw at us which didn't have the battle in the House of Blue Leaves (ie Part I) would be a visceral letdown, but I like this a lot more than you do.
Kill Bill as the whole is a good movie that mixes and matches different genres. I think you really missed the whole point of the Kill Bill movies. The fight in the trailer was not great but still entertaining.
I hate how the films are split up. To review Kill Bill u have to see the whole pic as 1 big epic film mixing spagetti & fu genres. U can't dislike the other 4 not going all kung fu. The 2nd played as noir & spagetti with lil fu, but more detail backstory
I think I hated this film much more than you did. But I can't honestly tell if it's because of its endless, mastubatory speechifying or because it's so clearly inferior to part one. Either way, a big let down.
POSSIBLY CONTROVERSIAL BUT COMPLETELY HONEST REVIEW WARNING: You might not like it but somebody's got to say it. Holy overhyped bowl of piss on the classics, Batman! Many folks are calling this one of the greatest martial arts movies of all time but I can give you one reason that it will never make the all time top twenty. All the greats star REAL martial artists! Only one of the three main stars is a real martial artist--oh yeah and the villian, but Cheng Pei Pei is getting old, campers. She ain't what she used to be. I guess the biggest problem with the movie is that it was a Chinese kung fu/fantasy that was tailor made for the viewing sensibilities of western audiences. Mistake #1. In doing that and trying to expand to a wider crowd it winds up detracting from the offering for true Asian cinema fans by recycling so many themes that it just becomes insulting. Now, I never read the comic but I hope to god that it is better than the writing in the movie. The story of the film is basically a hodge podge collection of every single kung fu movie plot device and stereotype ever used such as: secret style, legendary hero, legendary weapon, young martial arts prodigy, forbidden romance, warrior student(who has become a master) seeks revenge of master's death by super villan, wise master must enlighten young upstart, etc. What brings the horrible generic plot together is the wonderful performances of the cast which are all quite noteworthy. I also think that something should be said of Zhang Ziyi. What is wrong with you folks making this bitch famous just because she's, what, cute? She does not look all that great or convincing doing martial arts. Apparently, now, everyone with some kind of dance background is all of a sudden a martial arts/action star. $#@*&^*!!!!! Michelle Yoeh and some phenomenal choreography from Yuen Wo Ping that is nothing short of brilliant kind of save this movie from becoming a complete Chinese/Hollywood bastardization of the classics. It is honestly a beautiful and entertaining movie and if you haven't had too much exposure to Asian cinema then I would say it's a four to four and a half star movie. However, if you have already seen most of the movies that this flick bites off then you will get where I'm coming from.
TWENTY MOVIES THAT KICK THE SHIT OUT OF "CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON" IN EITHER MARTIAL ARTS OR OVERALL GRANDEUR: (in no particular order)
"Seven Samurai"
"Once Upon A Time In China"
"Fist Of Legend"
"A Man Called Hero"
"Seven Swords"
"In The Line Of Duty 4"
"Tom Yum Goong"
"Ong Bak"
"Iron Monkey" (the Tsui Hark one)
"Prodigal Son"
"Enter The Dragon"
"Blade Of Fury"
"Hero" (Jet Li)
"Dragons Forever"
"SPL"
"Dragon Tiger Gate"
"Lone Wolf And Cub" (all of them)
"Versus"
"Duel To The Death"
"Star Wars" (again, all of them)
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While I rate this higher than you do, each of your concerns is valid. Rather than a revolutionary departure, the film is a very competent retread of what had come before, with strong cinematography and art direction. Zhang Ziyi's character is a problem.
The story was completely incoherent. What the hell do people mean that when these people fly, their bodies are doing what their hearts aren't? THIS IS ART FILM RETARDATION AT IT'S PEAK!
Yuen Wo ping choreograph this picture- with his abilities & talent he makes any actor look amazing. Did you see the Matrix? wires can be great, & with this picture it did. Just because it is hyped up to Westerners you don't like it tht does not make sense
I think you may have rated this one a little too highly. But I am glad someone is willing to puncture the hype balloon that is Crouching Tiger. This movie seems to have been made to appeal to people who read the New Yorker. Too much wirework also.
I agree with everything that has been stated - This will never be a classic in the same way non real fu fans will consider the Matrix and Kill Bill having legendary fu status - I would Have to say Hero was a far Superior movie on every level
It's true, Zhang ZIyi, she's really not that great. I remember when this film came out in theaters I wasn't that impressed, I've been watching kung fu flix my whole life. But this movie open a lot of doors to people who never saw a martial arts pic.
Hand Of Death [1973] [5-Movie Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Not so bad. The fight scene were okay--halfway decent--but most of all, the flying and jumping made it less believable. Other than that, it was a pretty good movie.
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60 minutes of kung fu and 30 minutes of useless plot. Stupido!
5 stars are you serious- this movie was good but not great. Do you like martial arts movies? Because this & "Chocolate" are all right pictures but not worth more than a 2 or 3 star rating.
Pursuit Of Vengeance (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Not Ti Lung's best. I love him but I could not rate this higher. The second part of the movie is so-so with too much comedy/humour and I hated the end. The action is alright, above average, but nothing commemorable. Lo Lieh plays a secondary role and is a good guy. Worth watching once.
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never seen the film huh? Well I highly recommend this film. Trust me you'll like it!
Enter The Dragon (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Well not too bad, an okay film, with some good fights. I rate "Game Of Death" as Bruce's best film, this one is okay, but the rest is just rubbish. Bruce did show some good action, but not much. Compare thie movie to "Ong-Bak", it just total suck, why Bruce become so famous? I reckon is becuase he starts his film career early. If he tried to do his film today, he would not stand a chance compared to Jet Li or Jackie Chan!
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dude, a mentally deficent 2 year old could refute your asinine reviews.
Another classic mike lee review. Given your previous reviews, I am not too surprised that your favorite Bruce Lee movie is one in which they had to use a stand-in in some scenes.
Now Mike, If Bruce Lee were here today making martial arts films in his prime, I believe they would be as good or better than films starring Jet Li and Tony Jaa. This particular film had a good story with the good fights!
Fist Of Fury [1972] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This is Bruce Lee's worst film, totally stay away, the fight is slow and boring, totaly overrated. I was fooled by those so-called reviews, this movie is a big rip-off of "Fist Of Legend", watch the Jet Li version is way better, the original is always the best. I totally agree Bruce Lee is a a good actor, but not a real fighter. He is so small, and he has proved nothing in real fighting. Bruce Lee is always the most overrated person in the world, he is not the best as it seems!
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uh.... I can only asume you are 3 years old. No insult, it's just your grammer is a bit lacking.
You are correct to a great extent. The movie is worth seeing, but it is mainly Americans who have seen few or none among Chinese movies who are overly-impressed with Bruce Lee. I am from China, and I have seen thousands of Chinese movies, so I can judge.
I almost agreed with this review simply because I couldn't quit laughing at it. Anyone who thinks the Jet Li version is the original should probably pick another genre of film to watch.
Remember this film was made according to the production standards of the seventies. It was not the greatest but it was a pretty decent old school production introducing us to Bruce Lee!
You have no logic. This movie is amazing and so is Bruce Lee. And didn't Bruce Lee prove that he was an excellent martial artsist and one of the most physically fit people ever? And didn't he pretty much create the Jeet Kun Do?
Your belief that an original film is a ripoff of a remake from twenty years later is a serious problem. Bruce Lee had legitimate martial arts experience - a grounding in Wing Chun developed into his own Jeet Kun Do - rather than artistic Wushu.
The Big Boss (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts this film suck, complete over rated, the fighr is slow, and story is boring, bruce li make me wanna go sleep, his acting is so bad, i think he got to be the most over rated person ever lived, why people think he is the best? tony jaa got way better skill than him!
You are correct. Bruce lee is over-rated, and this is hardly his best film. I am from China and saw thousands of Chinese movies. This one is not memorable.
This was not Bruce Lee's best but again the time frame is 1970-1971 when this film was made. Bruce Lee's charisma carries this film and makes it a classic as his first full-fledged martial arts movie for Western audiences!
If you're looking for a strong detailed story with good acting then stay away; but if you want insanity, gore, cool weapons, and most importantly a fun time then watch this. The plot could be summed up in two sentences but that's not what people are here for. Who needs that when you have ninjas, machine guns, chainsaws, flying guillotines, drill bras, and a fine meal of tempura Ami (Minase Yashiro)?
A great thing about this film is that it never takes itself seriously and people are slaughtered in comical fashion. I'm pretty sure that even unlimited machine gun rounds would not turn someone into a bloody skeleton. Adding to its over-the-top nature is the famous Japanese blood fountain which operated in overdrive in this one. The gore and makeup team did a great job in this as many of the kills were well made (especially the gangster that got shot in the back of the head).
This is a very fun film, but probably not recommended for the squeamish or people who ask questions. Turn off your brain and enjoy the ride as the cult classic hall of fame should be rolling out the red carpet for this one while Quentin Tarantino wishes he could make a film this cool.
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other than the prolonging gore scenes this film is grindhouse cinema of the new millennia. SUCKAZZZZ!!
The City Of Violence (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime This movie was just too violent. I know the director tried to give his interpretation of what it looks like from the inside of violence, but I wanted to see action with style like every other good martial arts film. In my opinion, this movie was meant to satify the thirst of European moviegoers and not so much that of the American ones. So if you are American and you like European style filmmaking, well then this is the movie for you.
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Ryu Seung-wan does an excellent job of differentiating South Korean action from Hong Kong martial arts. While I enjoy the choreography of the sort of HK films you prefer, the realistic action here impresses me very highly. It 's not what you want but...
this film wasnt all the european style and more crime and old school hong kong styled,which explains why the action is more raw and brutal and i believe that this film is actually not that violent
I did not understand your review, but I thought this was worth more than 3 stars. The story was good & the action scenes were nicely done for the low budget it had.
I didn't think this movie was suppose to satisfy European moviegoers or fans of Euro films. The director Seung-wan Ryoo is highly influenced by American films. The film shows a lot of American film references. I didn't find this film too violent ither
Hard Boiled (product link) Action/Adventure / Bullet Ballet I just watched this film, it's a very average flick. The gunplay looks very fake, and the storyline is slow. I think "The Killer" is the better movie to see; this film is also a bit overrated, good to watch it only once!
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ok, this whole "being yourself" thing is nothing more than self-served denial. You have got to be kidding me! this film is great. Compliances towards others thoughts is irrelevant!
Come on Mike, this is one of John Woos greatest classics along with the Killer! I loved this film, Chow Yun Fat and Little Tony were excellent in their portryals. Though you prefer the Killer, this film rates more than two stars!
Really? just 2 stars? Mike Lee watch it again, I mean did you see the action warehouse scene or the ultimate action man's dream the gun play in the hospital or the awesome beginning in the restaurant.
You just dissed the biggest, baddest and best action movie of all time. You clearly don't know what you are talking about. Please stop writing your idiotic reviews.
I've seen this movie on the big screen, watched it about 50 times, and I understand all the craziness surrounding it, but I just don't see it as a 5 star flick.
This was an odd entry at the time, since Jet Li was turning out one crazy wire fu movie after another. Then, in 1994, this thing comes along. The fight choreography is good, but most of it doesn't have enough flair and intricate choreography, since it's a remake of a Bruce Lee film.
The power and skill of Jet Li is evident and it is one of his better flicks, but I enjoyed Jet's work in "Shaolin Temple 3" and "Once Upon a Time in China 2" better.
I can't give it a better rating since it comes down to the choreography, which becomes lackluster, especially during the final fight scene. I'm sure I'll get a lot of people disagreeing with this, but forget the hype and give it an honest look.
Everyone wanted this to be the greatest Jet Li film. I feel unsatisfied after viewing it in the same way that I'm unsatisfied with "Fearless". There's something about the camera angles and the staging of fights that I can't get over.
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yes only because this film is overrated. sorry people!
My friend not only is the choreography outstanding in this film, but the acting from Jet Li and his supporting cast help make this the best remake of a Bruce lee movie ever made!!!
The movie has to be higher than a 3 star rating. It was enjoyable and it does offer great choreography. "Fearless" was great too, a good Jet Li fu outing.
Yeah there is a lot of debate over this film because of it's wire fu. For me I really enjoyed this film, the pacing was fast & intriguing. The choreography was done really well. But everyone has their differences on fu films, especially with this pic.
Sorry, but nope. The choreography here is top-notch, and the fact that it's a remake of a Bruce Lee film has no relevance to the quality of the choreography.
The fight choreography doesn't have enough flair and intricate choreography?!? 360's,540's,butterfly twists, Longfist, Tong Bei, Karate, Boxing. Dude, you need to enroll in a martial arts class of some kind very soon. Extraordinary misconceptions.
The Secret Rivals 2 (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I really enjoyed this film better than I did the first one. "Secret Rivals 2" was better choreographically than the first film. I recommend part 2 as the better choice to buy because it was more entertaining.
Dude, both make a good collection. 4 & half is the same as 5 man, don't hate on my reviews because you don't know how to review or rate. If you can see not a lot of people think u review good. again both make a good movie.
Intimate Confessions Of A Chinese Courtesan (product link) Drama / Erotica I think this film is amazing. Chor Yuen made a masterpiece with truly astonishing sets and costume design. I was very impressed with
the equally beautiful Lily Ho and Pei Ti's performances, both as actresses and sword fighters. I also think Yueh Hua played a decent role as the chief policeman always on the trail of Lily Ho's character Ainu. Being that the film is set in a brothel, if you're expecting plenty of nudity you'll be disappointed. There's a little but not a lot. Overall I would highly recommend this Shaw Brothers classic to anyone who likes this genre of film. The acting and swordplay make for essential viewing.
Dragon Tiger Gate (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Dragon Tiger Gate" is not a disaster of a movie. It delievers a fun time, but for me I don't really enjoy watching metrosexual heroes fighting a man with a mask that throws fire.
The movie has great choreography, but what is lacking is that there isn't really anything amazing about it. I enjoyed the fights in the restaurant and on the baseball field, but nothing really amazing.
The movie is fun, but I don't get into the whole metrosexual heroes fighting it off and wearing tight shirts and flexing. This is definitely not a movie for me, but again I was never bored, the movie did go by fast. I guess all I am trying to say is maybe this is a martial arts movie for the girls.
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