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.

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.

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.

The characters in "Election" 1 and 2 want absolute power. And we learn that it comes with an extraordinarily high price. We also learn that regardless of how noble one's intentions may be, there are serious consequences to chasing such a lofty goal.

"Election 2" is a direct sequel following the same group of characters from the first film and taking place a little less than two years later. Those that have seen the first film will understand the significance of that.

If you loved the first film, there's little doubt you'll enjoy this one as well. What really draws me in to these movies is the way that the characters are expanded upon, especially in the second movie. Triads are usually so generic and cliched that tend to be the same in movie after movie. But in these movies, we see characters that could almost exist in the same reality as ours. They get sick and injured, they make mistakes, they don't always have a plan or a way out. Instead of the caricatures we're used to, here we get real characters with families, flaws, weaknesses, and mortality.

What makes "Election" 1 and 2 so strong is that they are smart films. Instead of seeing who can get a higher body count and strike the meanest pose, both films play out like chess games. You can see the players making move after move, sometimes anticipating several moves in advance. Only here, the wrong move can cost lives. These aren't the types of films that reveal themselves early. They play their cards close to the chest so you're always riding along with the characters instead of being a passive observer just waiting at the finish line for the inevitable end.

There's not much left to say. This film is an excellent finale to the two-part saga. Performances, style, story, emotion--it has it all. Anyone who loves a good gangster drama will love these movies. This film holds up its end of the deal by offering a strong conclusion. And while the end is anything but closed or final, it will have you playing out many different scenarios in your mind as to what will happen after the credits roll--a power to live beyond the screen, one of the hallmarks of a great film and a great filmmaker.

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.

TWENTY MOVIES THAT KICK THE SHIT OUT OF "CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON" IN EITHER MARTIAL ARTS OR OVERALL GRANDEUR: (in no particular order)

1. "Seven Samurai"
2. "Once Upon A Time In China"
3. "Fist Of Legend"
4. "A Man Called Hero"
5. "Seven Swords"
6. "In The Line Of Duty 4"
7. "Tom Yum Goong"
8. "Ong Bak"
9. "Iron Monkey" (the Tsui Hark one)
10. "Prodigal Son"
11. "Enter The Dragon"
12. "Blade Of Fury"
13. "Hero" (Jet Li)
14. "Dragons Forever"
15. "SPL"
16. "Dragon Tiger Gate"
17. "Lone Wolf And Cub" (all of them)
18. "Versus"
19. "Duel To The Death"
20. "Star Wars" (again, all of them)

So let me get this straight. We the viewers never get to see the actual reality of this mythology, we only get to view various layers of "The Matrix". The story in its entirety takes place in a computer program that runs through "Neo's" mind. This destroys all of the grandeur of the movie and its overall significance by the simple fact that none of anything we see really happens and we don't know if any of the characters we see actually exist or if they are part of the program. Basically the film's meaning and credibility are now shot, so let's look at the "story" that played out in some dude's head. In the future a war breaks out between the last city of humans (who live near the center of the earth) and the machines that took over earth. How is this epic war for humanity concluded? Do the humans take the fight to the machines' territory and sabotage some vital junk to turn the tide (a la "Star Wars")? No. Is some brilliant plan established to gain the upper hand and thereby prove the resourcefulness and imagination of the human mind? Again, no. Perhaps the last city of Zion unites and against extraordinary odds defeats the overwelming adversary presenting the triumph of the human will and spirit? Afraid not. Or could it be that Neo steps his bitch ass up to the front lines in all his super powered glory and lays the smackdown on the machine invaders? Not even fucking close. Basically this war and movie are "concluded" with a peace treaty with cold, calculating, unfeeling, immoral machines. Doesn't that make perfect sense? Unfortunately they left out the complete ending of the movie that takes place five minutes later when the machines decide to just lie and attack the city of Zion when their defenses are completely down, thereby killing every last human.

What a great trilogy. Not only did they get us from behind storywise, they also left out that nice concentration of fu throwdowns that the previous two incorporated. Sure there were fights. Like three. The previous one had nine or so. The big end fight of Neo vs. Agent Smith always leaves me kind of on the fence. I wanted a little more fu but I did really enjoy all of the special effects and mid-flight Superman-style battling. Always good to see stuff getting broken. The man vs. machines battle was really good too, and it is because of these two big action sequences, the special effects and Collin Chou as Seraph that I don't just brand this punk ass flick with 0 star rating. The end result is a compost heap of overhyped Hollywood bullshit. As a movie, but especially as the end of a trilogy, it is the most incomprehensive crap that I have ever seen or heard of. It could have been the defining science fiction trilogy of this younger generation. But no, the ending killed it all and morphed the overall essence of the project into the ugly truth: we just watched a bunch of Keanu Reeves' flicks. Damn.

The first time I saw this film I was a bit skeptical because I thought it was another feminist on a grudge to kick ass. I was surprised how detailed the plot was and how each character was driven to kill. It was a mind-blowing experience for me. This film takes no time to set up, with hacking and slashing at the get-go, and there is no stopping this killing machine until the final reel. Though with all this violence in this open hell world, there is some essence of beauty--for example how the wind was blown right before a kill or how there were gardens of flowers in many shots.

"Azumi" was successful to the mainstream audience for two reasons: for its over-the-top violence and its simple shots of beauty which gave the audience hope that these characters could make it out alive. "Azumi" is a wild and gory experince, but once in awhile if you look away from the violent acts you can see something nice.

This is a 4-star recommended movie for everyone and yet I have not yet achieved my goal of getting the comic. But just thinking about this film, I can't wait to get my hands on one.

I decided that I would come back large by reviewing the undisputed champ and all time greatest action movie. Yeah, that's right, I said it. All time, bitches. There are only really two types of people that can reasonably disagree with the previous statement: 1. those that have not seen it and 2. those that do not know what the word action means. I honestly have not met anyone that has seen this film and cannot admit that it is the best action flick around. Ever. This flick packs way more bang for your buck than anything that you have previously encountered in the States. Gratuitous, balletic, wild firefights are interwoven through a well designed story that is pumped full of not only ammunition but stellar performances from an excellent cast. Tony Leung is enigmatic. Chow Yun Fat is a brooding, unhinged wrecking ball. Anthony Wong is fucking Tony Montana. Phillip Kwok is that killa. This is the apex of cop/crime/noir/action entertainment. Saying that the action sequences are phenomenal would actually be making a vast understatement. The action is so plentiful and just unstoppable. Expect a variety of violence goodies involving not just wild gunplay but also quality stunts, explosions when needed and of course one straight up dope throwdown that brings as much hardcore noise as any trigger pull. "Hard Boiled" is the action gift that keeps on giving. Make sure you own this because you are a man and the absence of this in your library could bring that fact into question. This is Bastard Ronin delivering the goods the way you won't shut up about. Light some fires, kids. I'm 'bout to raise hell...

The trailer of the movie was hands down awesome! But don't be fooled by what you saw in the trailer because it is not what you get on-screen. The film is a total chick flick with short and uninspired action sequences for the men. Plus this movie is not a Donnie Yen actioner. He is one of the supporting characters. The main stars of the film are the empress and the medicine man.

There is a lot of sentimental feeling in this movie. And with the sentimental feeling comes cheesy and cliched dialogue, such as "I'll wait for you". And with the cheesy dialogue we get a homemade balloon ride over the forest with some modern, poppy, and romantic song in the background.

The action scenes are rare and brief--we get the empress protecting the medicine man's tree house. The empress in a battle scene. The empress chased in the forest. And the notable action piece, the two-minute battle with Donnie Yen kicking ass. The final action scene has the empress fighting a one on one fight. Though it may seem like a lot, it is not. Again the action pieces are short. There are too many cheesy love scenes.

I cannot recommend this film to anyone. There was bad editing, too many sappy moments, and not enough action. The film is short but there weren't enough thrilling moments. I am giving this film a half star for the Donnie Yen scene, where he fights dozens of men. Again, there is no reason to buy this flick for that one reason because it is short and not too memorable for any DVD collection.

"An Empress And The Warrior" is a chick film with so many corny lines. It's as if the director saw "Titanic" and "Musa: The Warrior", then took the background of "Musa: The Warrior" and the lines from "Titanic", and cut all the action scenes from "Musa" to make a film about an Empress and a medicine man. This film is a waste of time and talent.

The story is fascinating, about Byung-du who is a 29-year-old career criminal working for the middle-rank enforcer Sang-chul. Burdened with a terminally ill mother and taking care of younger siblings, Byung-du is feeling financial pressure as a substitute patriarch. When the big boss President Hwang is cornered by a corrupt prosecutor, Byung-du volunteers for a whack job and wins the big man's trust. However, his real trouble begins when friend Min-ho, an aspiring movie director, asks him to be a consultant for the latter's debut film.

The performances from the actors and actresses were wonderfully done. The cast made it look easy, and that is a trick, especially in a movie full of twists and turns.

I absolutely love the score of the picture. It has a classical instrumental French vibe to it, and somehow it fits perfectly in this Korean crime movie. The action--or should I say killings--was realistic and it shows. The punches, kicks, and stabbings were done realistically. There was no Hollywood element to it. The director and writer, Ha Yu, made an excellent gangster movie. “A Dirty Carnival” has beautiful shots. Though it is violent and gritty, Mr. Ha Yu has a great eye of the world. In this film we see two sides: the civilian side of living, and the gangster side of living. It’s an achievement how he captures them both.

“A Dirty Carnival” is the most realistic and violent gangster picture I have ever seen. The performances and story are captivating to watch. The score is amazing. I love this picture.

Upon viewing the film for myself, I could definitely agree that it was weird. It seemed as though the director and cast all had some type of oddball shorthand that was unique to them and them alone. In the context of "normal" movies, it was quite unusual. But in its own context, it totally worked.

There are about 35 different Wilson brothers in the film--maybe even a couple dozen more that I didn't notice--but it's Owen that really steps up and makes his mark here with what has become his trademark overly-sincere buffoonery. Coupled with director Anderson's tendency to focus on the insignificant and the anti-climactic, the result is an impossibly quirky, original, and fun story about a group of pathetic would-be robbers.

In my opinion, this is far and away Anderson's best film. I also loved "Rushmore", but this film is much more innocent and fun. As for Anderson's later films--well, I'd just as soon he keep his mopey, depressed, self-indulgent white people to himself. Stick with the early flix for a quirky good time.

Americans were not privileged to see this classic picture until 2005. Upon its initial release, the movie was banned because of an uproar in Vietnam. Though the movie is set in World War II, the story could work for any generation. The film is based upon Joseph Kessel's classic novel about French resistance fighters' lives and how they kept their cool amongst their enemies. The novel was also about traitors and the paranoia of being caught. Director Jean-Pierre Melville gave a lot of input to this film for he was a resistance fighter too. He knew the risks that every fighter took.

The score is amazing and catchy, it makes the film so vibrant. Johnnie To had updated the score for his bodyguard masterpiece “The Mission”. "Army of Shadows" and "The Mission" share a lot of resemblance. Johnnie To claims to be Melville's biggest fan--he tributes his work in many of his movies. If it's not the catchy theme he takes, then he references Melville’s coolness of characters. The list of talent that admire Mr. Melville's phenomenal work goes on and on. It amazes me how a French director made such an influential impact on movies and people today.

“Army of Shadows” is a gritty film about real people and their war. The movie may not have epic gun battles or fights, but the film relies on its characters and their ongoing battle with the enemy. The story plays as a suspenseful cat and mouse game with danger at every corner.

The film is an ignition of daring moments and it’s courageous that resistance fighters would go the extreme for their country. Jean-Pierre Melville has directed a movie that demands to be seen by everyone. The picture is worth every penny, and especially in today’s society the film will question your portrayal for your country. What is a patriot? And would you risk your life for others?

Of course we all realize that a film needs to have a well developed plot and characters as well as a diligent director to be of any true value, but, let's face it, some well placed and relevant sex and violence can always add a little more fun. Sue me for keeping it real. If you are about your crime-caper movies you need to check this out. This is an excellent film and is keeping in the tradition of highly entertaining crime/noir/caper flicks coming from the Brits.

RECOMMENDED VIEWING: If you dig this flick check out "Lock Stock And 2 Smoking Barrels","Snatch" and of course the truly bad-ass "Layer Cake". Gangster, bitches.

It was April 2007 and I spent almost three and a half hours in a darkened theater room full of fan boys and girls. The event of this elbow-to-elbow show was "Grindhouse", one of the best movie experiences I have ever had. It's great to be in a room full of people that have the same taste in films, it makes any movie venture amazing. The film that most of the screaming fans were waiting for was "Death Proof", and it was a complete joy as soon as the title came to the screen. The film of course started with a foot fetish galore, because it is a Tarantino film.

There's is a lot of debate that this film has two halves, to me this is just another grind house experience. "Death Proof" starts off with disc jockey talk leading to bar talk. Plus a cameo from gore hound Eli Roth as a drunken partier. The film doesn't really kick into high gear until the presence of Kurt Russell's creepiness at the bar. His role of "Stuntman Mike" is funny, offbeat, and scary. The true stars of the film are muscle cars, a 1970 Chevy Nova and a 1969 Dodge Charger. The car gave Stuntman Mike's momentum to actually cause true danger, without the car he's basically harmless but still creepy. I believe it's the car that makes someone a bad ass, and without it you lose all the bad ass appeal. The same theory goes with the man with a gun, without the gun he better know some kung fu, and if he doesn't know he's screwed.

"Death Proof" is a wild ride, the last half switches gears from creepy Kurt Russell to playful Russell. Plus the stunt work from Zoe Bell is jaw breaking. The car chase is great and it never slows down, with wonderful dialogue that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The film's ending is the best I've seen from 2007. "Death Proof" is a true grind house experience mixing horror, car chases, car crashes, foot fetishes, women out for revenge, stereotypes, amazing stunt work, catchy dialogue, and a nice score. This movie has it all.