Agreement:100% of 20 voters agree with Black Dragon's reviews Gender: Male Location: New York Lists:WISH LIST (11) / OWNED LIST (44)
Bio: I have been collecting Asian cinema since I was 14. I Have been watching kung fu movies since 1985. I am now 26 and threw the years of buying kung fu movies wherever I could find them I have accumulated over 1000 DVDs in my collection(no exaggeration). I'm not a film critic, but I do know a thing or two about kung fu movies.
Crash Masters Vintage Bundle (1968-1972) [4-Disc Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Not impressed with this set, but for the price I can't complain.
Kung Fu Dunk (product link) Action/Adventure / Comedy I don't know why I picked this one up. I admit my expectations were not high, but sometimes you can be surprised when actually watching a film.
I should have left this one where I saw it. What kills this movie is the main star (I don't know his name off my head, but he was in "Initial D"). Anyway, this guy was not funny or convincing. He has this dead style of acting which didn't fit well with his character, or the film in general.
I gave it 2 stars for the supporting cast and beautiful backgrounds. In my opinion Steven Chow owns this genre, and everyone else just stinks it up.
Mantis Combat (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Nothing special about this movie. Confusing story with an unoriginal plot. Only thing that makes the movie worth the watch is my favorite bad guy, Chan Sing.
The Last Princess (product link) Action/Adventure / Drama Every once in awhile I go out my comfort zone and pick up a new Japanese movie. "The Last Princess" was my most recent choice. This film carries an "Indiana Jones" type of feel to it, with a samurai twist.
There is a hidden fortune in gold belonging to a defeated kingdom, and a Princess who is running from an evil general who wants the gold. Add in two escaped P.O.W.'s that run into the princess and help her on her way, and you get a plot that is very redundant and predictable.
With all that said, I definitely got a nice PG-13 buzz from this one.
Ashes Of Time (product link) Swordplay/Sword(s) / Art I went into this film thinking I was going to see something special, due to its high praise and superb cast of stars. I was let down once again. This type of film is definitely not my style. They call it art, well I guess I'm going to skip class and go watch "The Bride With White Hair", a far superior film from that era of Hong Kong film in my opinion.
AGREE?
READER COMMENTS
AUTHOR
Y
You're right, BWWH was way better than this flick.
Butterfly Lovers [Live Action] (product link) Romance / Martial Arts A little too much drama for my taste. Not much fighting 'til the end. If you like romantic tragedies or kung fu love stories, this is for you. Not my cup of tea.
Cobra (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure To start, Dragon Lee is not in this movie. Still, all in all, this was a solid Brucesploitation film. The editing and dubbing are pretty bad, but the plot is solid and the fights are enjoyable. The film looks like it was shot in Indonesia.
Legendary Assassin (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Nothing "Legendary" about this movie. It has a solid cast and a fair amount of fighting scenes, but I couldn't get over this B-movie type of feeling from the beginning. The plot is lame and lacks substance. The background settings are repetitive. I was expecting more out of this one. Wu Jing's martial arts skills saved this movie. Still, I was disappointed when the credits rolled.
Hero Of Shanghai (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Another one of his 20's Shanghai films. If you are a Chen Kwan Tai fan, this movie should satisfy.
K-20 (product link) Crime / Action/Adventure "K-20" is a visually stunning film tailor made for Blu-Ray. It takes place in an alternate reality 1949 Japan, where WW2 never happens and Japan has a strict social class system. The poor are peasants and the rich are totally isolated. In the mix here comes K-20.
In the introduction they say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor, but we find out fast that he is no Robin Hood. He is more a chameleon-like villain running around in a cape.
I definitely enjoyed the stunts and the camerawork, but the plot and action were a bit weak for my taste. For me this was the first time I have seen Takeshi Kaneshiro act in his native tongue. I think TK portrayed his role very well as a lighthearted circus magician/acrobat who gets manipulated by K-20.
I won't give away any more , but I will recommend "K-20" for Takeshi Kaneshiro fans.
Blood Brothers [2007] (product link) Triad / Drama I found this film a highly entertaining period drama. Daniel Wu gives a solid performance. Don't go into this one expecting much action, what you will get is a beautiful, well scripted gangster drama.
Master Fighters Of Classic Kung Fu [3-Disc Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure A nice collection of old school movies for an excellent price. All three movies have high replay value.
Champions (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I found the plot was kind of corny. The film had more of a family movie feel to it. Still don't count this one out yet. The fighting choreography is top notch, the display of techniques and hand to hand fights are some of the best I've seen in recent films. It's also good to Jet li's "son" Xie Miao all grown up.
Election (product link) Triad / Crime I was expecting a lot more dead bodies in this one. Still in all this was an entertaining film, with tremendous star power. It definitely has replay value.
Samurai Bells Of Death (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure An above average swordplay mystery flick. Ling Yun is always entertaining as an unbeatable swordsman.
Red Wolf (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure A good HK action flick with tons a gunfire and nice fight scenes . The acting was not great but still a good watch.
Seven Promises (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Mang Fei leads a great cast in this kung fu mystery. A nice addition to any classic kung fu collection.
The Sword [1971] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This movie was surprisingly good and had a powerful message. It was refreshing to see Wang Yu play a role different from his usual witty, righteous hero. Instead we get a conniving, spoiled nobleman. I won't say that the film is high on action, because it's not; what you will get is great acting from one of Asia's greatest stars, Jimmy Wang Yu.
AGREE?
READER COMMENTS
AUTHOR
Y
You bet your ass Jimmy is one of Asia's greatest stars.
Yellow River Fighter (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I definitely enjoyed this Mainland production. This is a little-known classic that I'm glad I got my hands on.
Protege (product link) Crime / Thriller This is a powerful film. "Protege" gives a several views into the HK heroin trade. All of the characters are well portrayed and Derek Yee shows his great directorial skills. I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. Andy Lau and Daniel Wu have great screen chemistry and are a pleasure to watch together.
PTU (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime I had this movie for months and could never watch it all the way through. Man I didn't know how I was selling myself short. The ending basically makes the whole film worth watching. What kept throwing me off was the amount of characters and sub plots, but that is what makes "PTU" such an interesting film.
AGREE?
READER COMMENTS
AUTHOR
Y
I had a similar experience! Had to watch it like four times to fully appreciate its brilliance!
Election 2 (product link) Triad / Crime I enjoyed this on more than the first. In this one you get to see the true colors of the main characters, and most importantly the body count rises. The dog kennel scene is my favorite.
Rich And Famous (product link) Crime / Drama I really enjoyed this Triad drama. This is not your usual Chow yun fat bullet ballet that we have come to know and love. "Rich And Famous" shows the importance of loyalty and brotherhood. The plot is straightforward, and with Andy Lau and Chow Yun-Fat the acting is always solid. A good watch for any HK gangster fan. The movie also has a sequel called "Tragic Hero", which I have yet to see.
Martial Arts 50-Movie Pack [12-Disc Set] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Has a couple of gems in this one . Some movies are corny which can be expected in a 50-movie set. But definitely worth it.
Revenge Of The Kung Fu Master [SE 2-Disc Set] (product link) TV Shows/Movies / Martial Arts I have grown to like these TV show movies. This is a satisfying conclusion to the "Kung Fu Master" series. A lot of crazy plot twists, but that is expected in a TV drama. Donnie doesn't disappoint in this one.
Lightning Kung Fu (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This is a great no nonsense kung fu flick. Chen Kwan Tai is great in this one and takes no prisoners.
AGREE?
READER COMMENTS
AUTHOR
Y
Agreed, Chen Kwan Tai puts duty ahead of everything in this film!
The Sword Stained With Royal Blood [1981] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Excellent fight scenes, good story, and the great Venoms cast. Top-10 Venoms movie.
Killer's Romance (product link) Action/Adventure / Triad "Killer's Romance" is Phillip Ko's best directorial work. Simon Yam in a 90's HK actioner, what's not to love?
Shinjuku Incident (product link) Crime / Drama Derek Yee does it again. He finds a way to inform, entertain, and shock you in his own way. I really enjoyed "Shinjuku Incident". I have found a new respect for Jackie Chan, who shows his range as a serious actor in this crime drama. The supporting cast is also wonderful, and Daniel Wu almost steals the show.
This is my type of movie, serious and gritty. The story is very captivating and shows us many of the dealings in the shady underworld as an illegal immigrant. If you like a good crime drama or Derek Yee films, then I highly recommend this film for you.
Fatal Move (product link) Crime / Martial Arts I really enjoyed this movie. It has a great cast, nicely done action scenes, and it's straight gangster. One wrong move and you're dead. My only knocks are the computer blood and sudden ending, otherwise it's a great movie.
The Blood Brothers (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure To start, I have been watching this movie since I was a kid, and seen it more times than I can count. I could never get over the way it ended! And I even hated the the movie for awhile. Now as an adult I appreciate the great story for what it is.
Return Of The Sentimental Swordsman (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure What an outstanding film from Chu Yuan, a pleasure to watch . The cast, the plot, and the fight choreography are all top class in this wuxia masterpiece. As a collector and Asian film connoisseur, I often prefer to watch films in their original language. But it still puzzles me why one of Shaw Brothers' highest grossing films, and possibly one of the best wuxia films I've ever seen, does not have an English dub so more could enjoy.
AGREE?
READER COMMENTS
AUTHOR
Y
This is definitely a must see for fans of wuxia. One of the few times I can remember Fu Sheng playing a nasty villain with no posing.
Full Contact (product link) Action/Adventure / Crime Over the top action. I never get tired of watching this classic. CYF is as tough as nails, and Simon Yam in a role to remember. This film is HK action at its best!
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