Agreement:18% of 245 voters agree with mike lee's reviews Gender: Male Age: 25 Location: nz
Bio: collect and watched every good kung fu movie out there, i start watch kung fu film when i was 3, so 20 years experience, collect over 1200 kung fu dvd. i call my self the true kung fu movie collector!i always tell the truth about kung fu film, that's the reason we all here, bruce lee is not a god, donnie yen is really try hard, 36 chamber is not the best classic........., be honest to your self, do you really think a film is great? or because every one else say it's good? i like to be myself!
Being a warlord amongst your blood brothers is a tough line of business. "The Warlords" is an epic movie, epic in scope, sound, set design and cast. The film is also a remake of a Shaw Brothers classic movie "Blood Brothers". Why remake that? Anyways, "The Warlords" is another epic war/costume flick--I've seen so many of these films, now with "The Warlords" it just looks like all the other war movies we've seen in the past. This film really does not showcase the war, there are only about three action scenes and they were not exciting. You'll also find the sappy emotional war music that we've all heard before. This movie is not about the war, it's about the characters. The cast is simply perfect for this movie, but if you're expecting a violent style action war epic you're in the wrong movie. Watch the flick for the acting, because it's another period piece. But then again we've seen films like this before.
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This film is not just like every war film. I can't agree with any of the snide negative comments.How much more freaking violence is required? Some people have no clue.
Agree- we've seen this all before but in better films, people only like this film because they have a crush on Jet Li, but this film is same old same old-nothing original in it.
will since you so picky, why don't you make a film like that? we never get enough of jet li, that's the reason we see this film, if you are better than him, why don't you proof it????
The 7 Grandmasters (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure A classic Joseph Kuo low budget flick, jam packed with fights of the highest quality. More or less the whole movie is fights. And that leaves little room for a solid story and character development. But the fights are so good, that you easily forgive the lack of a coherent narrative. Yuen Kwai and Yuen Chung Yan’s choreography is super tight. And besides a few gimmicky moves and camera tricks, it’s just straight up Kung Fu galore as it should be. Great cast as well. And although Lee Yi Min is the "leading man" here, it’s really Jack Long’s movie. And he gets to show his full range here, hand to hand, weapons and acrobatics. If for no other reason, then get this movie for the awesome fights.
Once again it is time for me to play fire starter and conflict with the popular established opinions of this movie for the sake of balance and fairness. That was a bit over the top. Moving on...
To begin with, I dug it. A lot of folks are mad that Jet Li didn't really showcase enough of his martial arts ability and that he somehow gave a bad overall performance. Well that's kind of bullshit. First off, if you folks are the big Jet Li fanatics you pretend to be, then you already read his numerous interviews where he flat out stated that "Fearless" was going to be his last epic martial arts movie. There it is. He told you himself there would be no more wall-to-wall kung fu movies coming from him, and here you people are waiting for him to be proven a liar.
So "War" is an action movie that feels like an anime and not a kung fu flick. So what? Nobody seems to mention that the dialog, basic story, and plot twists are well written. Nobody seems to mention that there are some pretty decent performances from the cast and that the action has a raw tactical quality that feels more real than a bunch of action and fu flicks circulating currently. Nobody mentions this because they all wanted to see what they expected to see, and it's not fair to factor in your preconceived notions into your reviews, kids. I know you're annoyed that you didn't see enough Jet fu. Well guess what? I'm fucking annoyed that I didn't get to see enough Jet fu; but I can't deny when I see an enjoyable movie, and it is what it is.
Jet Li's performance as an ice cold killer who is always ready to put a few rounds in somebody is quite captivating as he smirks and utilizes subtle mannerisms that convey maximum menace. Definitely a movie for people who love bad guys.
If I was totally unbiased I would have given it 4 stars, but even I was petty enough to hope for a few more flashy kicks. Shame on all of us. If you can leave your expectations at the door and watch this movie objectively I think you will see it is a pretty cool action flick that is worth a look or two. If you want to see a real crappy Jet Li movie, check out "Bodyguard From Beijing" or "Romeo Must Die"--his two worst.
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I have never wished for suicide, but this movie has made me see things in a whole new light.
This film was horrible. If you like Jet Li so much this is not a good film the story was messy & the goofy plot twists was a disaster. The movie is a mess that is why it came out in late August.
this movie total sucked, who ever like this movie must got no brain, how can you say it's good? the writer of this film must be drunk when he wrote the script, the action director corey yuen must be half asleep when he direct the movie, jet li worst film!
Chocolate [2008] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure The action choreography was a bit of a let down and a bit too unoriginal for my taste. After viewing "Born To Fight" (the new version), I went into this film hoping it could match or at least compare, but in the end I felt like this flick was nothing more than an alternative version of "Ong-Bak". Worth renting but I have no plans to purchase it on DVD.
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Totally agree. Calling the action choreography unoriginal may well be the understatement of the year. Every fight is the exact same, and the outcomes of some are just not plausible.
no, the action is really great, my favouite movie at moment,jeeja is not as good as tony jaa,but she is the best female actioner at moment,must see film!
This isn't exactly one of my favourite Leung Kar Yan movies. He looks kinda' slow in the fight scenes, compared to some of his other films of this time. And his character is a little bland.
Wong Yat Lung, playing the kid, has some incredible acrobatic skills and nice moves; but he is pretty damn annoying, mostly due to the awful [English] dubbing by the most nerve-grating woman's voice I have ever heard. Yet, somehow I doubt it's much better in the Cantonese version, since they also dubbed child actors with female voice artists.
Yuen Siu Tin plays the same role as always, and is doubled for more or less everything but close-ups, as usual.
Eddie Ko is a good screen fighter but doesn't have much to do as the villain of the piece. Overall, it's not a bad film per se. The sleeping fist style is cool, but you can see a better display of it in BUDDHA ASSASSINATOR, courtesy of Hwang Jang Lee.
I would say that, more or less all of the problems I have with this film were fixed in the semi sequel, THUNDERING MANTIS. So I recommend that instead.
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This is a shoddily made, extremely poorly dubbed film, but I was taken with Leung Kar Leung's charisma and Wong Yat Lung's agility. Yuen Siu Tin must have needed no script - it's the same role as ever.
The man cannot be stopped. Donnie Yen once again chooses too dazzle us and proves that classic Hong Kong action still thrives and amazes. I mean, really, hit after hit: "Seven Swords", then "SPL", then "Dragon Tiger Gate", and now "Flash Point". This player ages like wine. Donnie provides some fresh choreography utilizing a wide range of styles and techniques from boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jujitsu, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Chinese boxing, and God knows what else. The movie is just about as good as "SPL", with one exception. In "Flash Point" you only get one grand wall-to-wall throw down of an epic nature whereas in "SPL" you get two. This movie had a good feel and was littered with raw intense moments as well as pretty decent performances from the cast. The end fight was absolutely tight and one of the best within several years, causing it to break into the top 25 all time best end fights (also like "SPL"). This flick is definitely worth your time. I mean, seriously, "That is a tasty burger". If you are interested in end fights done right see the following: "SPL" (duh), "In The Line of Duty 4", "Shanghai Express", "Gorgeous", "Drive", "Fist of Legend", "Dragons Forever", "Who Am I?", "City of Violence", "Lethal Weapon 4", "Freddy vs. Jason", "Final Fantasy: Advent Children", and many others that I can't think of at the moment. Thanks for the time. Later.
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I can't agree with rating it as high as SPL, which is a far more accomplished film - but this really is a well constructed thriller which delivers what it promises. ****, but no more.
I liked the film, but compared to Wilson Yip's "SPL" this movie falls flat on originality, the action does not really show until the end. I thought Mr. Yip could of made a remarkable picture, but it just lacks original style.
Donnie Yen is one of the best in the business today. Unlike Jackie and Jet, he's not slowing down yet. It's nice to see him adding the repertoire even after such a long career.
donnie yen is a try hard, he could never match jet li or tony jaa, he is really traying too hard , i think he would not last in a real fight, if all the action star fight for real, i rate bruce lee no.1, jet li no.2, sammo hung no.3, tony jaa no.4, donie
Twins Mission (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts The Twins are David Copperfield-loving twin acrobats. Wu Jing and Sammo are monks. Yuen Wah is a leader of a gang of thieves made up of twins. There's a MacGuffin they are all after.
There's some action and martial arts sequences; twins fighting twins and 2 Yuen Wah's. Tacky Wire-Fu. Some very, very sad CGI (check the snakes scene near the end). Muddled direction and ridiculous script complete with cheap plot device (a terminally ill young girl). Fun and brainless or just brainless and boring?
Welcome to the Museum of Overrated Motion Pictures, everyone! My name is Numskull...well, that's not my REAL name, of course, but, you know...and I'll be your tour guide. If you'll be kind enough to deposit some of your hard-earned money in the donation box so the security guard can steal it after visiting hours, we can begin.
Here's our first exhibit: 36th Chamber of Shaolin, starring Gordon Liu, also known as Lau Ka Fai, and directed and choreographed by Liu Chia-Liang, whom many of you may know better as Lau Kar Leung, the man who directed most of Drunken Master 2 but got fired by Jackie Chan because he...meaning Liu...wanted the martial arts element to be more accurate than was customary for that film's illustrious star.
Is there a question back there? The restrooms? They're over there. Down the hall, on the left. You're welcome.
This film is one of many from the period...1978, to be exact...that has multiple titles. It also goes by the names of "Master Killer" and "Shaolin Master Killer." We believe that "36th Chamber of Shaolin" is the most appropriate title, however, since there comes a point when the lead character, San Te, proposes the institution of a 36th training chamber in the Shaolin Temple for the benefit of the general Chinese public. But I digress. To start things off...
I'm sorry? What's that? Oh. That way. Down the hall, on the left. You're welcome.
To start things off, there's a secret revolution of sorts against the tyranny of the Manchus, and our hero enlists after watching his family and friends get brutally slaughtered. Not the most imaginative impetus, perhaps, but it serves, and many similarly-themed martial arts films followed. San Te manages to con his way into a sort of unofficial Shaolin scholarship, and...excuse me, young man, but we don't permit museum patrons to touch the exhibits, especially patrons who have just finished jacking off to the Naked Killer display. Those ropes are there for a reason, you know.
San Te, for some reason, fails to mention his motivations to the temple elders until a whole year is passed, at which point he...
Yes? Oh. Down the hall, on the left. You're welcome.
At which point he begins a series of grueling training sequences which, in many other kung fu films, would be replaced by fight scenes. 36th Chamber of Shaolin has the distinction of being one of the most, if not THE most training-intensive martial arts films of all time. Mind you, not ALL of the temple's 35 chambers get their own sequence; that would make for an intolerably long movie.
Speaking of "long", it seems that some of our guests are really taking their time in the restrooms. Can I have a volunteer to go and make sure everything is all right? Woah! I only need ONE volunteer! You there, why don't you go? That's correct, down the hall, on the left. Hurry back.
Where was I? Oh yes, the training chambers. Well, eventually, San Te completes the gamut, and the elders offer him the chance to become the overseer of any one chamber of his choice. Instead, he suggests a 36th chamber be opened so that people other than monks can learn Shaolin self-defense techniques. This proposal outrages the elders, who cast San Te out. From there, the film's previously laborious pace accelerates drastically.
Huh? Oh, for...down the hall, on the left. Where all the others have gone.
So, San Te goes and starts fighting the Manchus, which is something the film has built up to for about an hour and a half. When all is said and done...
WHAT?!? Are you deaf?!? Down the fuckin' hall, on the fuckin' left. Yeah, you too, asshole.
After all I've done for this place, here's where I end up; alone in front of a kung fu movie that's almost all training sequences, behind glass, roped off, on a fuckin' pedestal it doesn't deserve, talking to myself. A tour guide without a tour group. A fine thing! Hey Mike, tell the boss I quit. I'm heading someplace where my skills will be appreciated!
comlete agree here, i don't know why people over rate this film, just like bruce lee, he is over rated too, sure he is a good fighter, but he never proof it?
This movie one of the most over rated of all along with a handful of other gordon liu movies. If you like dull kung fu movies with a bunch of comedy and training sequences then buy this movie.
The training sequences are the entire point of this great film. Lau Kar-Leung/Liu Chia Liang was finally giving the audience the meat of the "train hard and get revenge" cliche: This is how one becomes a Shaolin master.
Invisible Target (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts I had high expectations for this movie, but unfortunately it fell flat. I thought the storyline was very contrived and corny. The characters were not engaging in the least, and I found myself not really caring what happened to them. Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue did not put in convincing performances. Jaycee Chan may be the only of the three who actually put some emotion to his character.
Also, the action was mediocre at best. The fight scenes weren't explosive enough to compensate for the weak story. I found it frustrating to see Nicholas Tse and Shawn Yue open up the movie kicking a lot of butt then as soon as they meet Wu Jing and his gang they're unable to even remotely keep up.
This movie could've really used a cool plot twist or some clever elements, but unfortunately that only happens in one scene involving the guys after a fight. I don't recommend this movie at all.
I have to question your state of mind when watching this movie, perhaps your expectations were set way too high. Please get a legit copy of this movie and see it again. Definately near classic material. Remember, it's an action movie
Wow, I TOTALLY disagree. Even if you were let down by this film, I don't see how zero stars is reasonable. Just the action alone merits far more than that. Too bad you weren't able to enjoy it.
Philosophy Of A Knife (product link) Documentary / Horror This movie is not for the weak. Trust me on that. I liked the movie a lot when I saw it at the festival. The crowd and I were really shocked about the images onscreen. If you haven't seen this film yet, then pick it up, but watch it with people because if you watch it by yourself then that's weird.
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this is the most in human film ever made, if you want some really sick stuff, than pick this up, what's more friehten is, that everything in this film actually happend, but any way, it did not scared me a bit!
Fighting Beat (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure "Fighting Beat" is a low budget production and it shows. The story about a young man named Khem who has a two jobs that attend to tourist and wants to avenge his father's death. The story just goes everywhere from drama to comedy and some action. The problem with this movie, is that it does not know where to begin. The action scenes are just plain boring, lacking the exciting thrills that we see so much from Thailand. The fighting scenes are terrible because there was too much slow-mo and there was not enough action to call this a fighting movie. There were some parts that tried to be funny but just ended up as stupid. I expected so much from this movie that says on the cover, "in the tradition of 'Ong-Bak'". Sadly, all we get is a people that think this is "Ong-Bak" because it was made in Thailand.
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I saw this movie and read the reviews your review sounded dead on
Returner (product link) Action/Adventure / Science Fiction An awesome futuristic action romp. The visuals and storytelling were compelling from beginning to end. The action was fast and stylish and the effects were mind blowing. A great fun flick!
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I thought this was a great sci-fi movie from Japan. Idk what everyone is saying but it was an all right pic.
Flash Point (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Slightly below average martial arts actioneer from HK. On the heels of the fantastic SPL, Donnie Yen farts out this turd.
Sure, there are some pretty decent stunts and a couple of good fight scenes and they threw in some grappling styles you don't see too often in HK cinema. Overall, though, the story was lame and tired and there was zero substance at all--all the characters were so cliche that they didn't bother giving us any backstory because we have the rest of the movies ever made as reference material.
This movie is best watched on fast forward--like porn--through the talking bits and just go straight for the action and then drop it back off at the video store so you can forget it ever existed. Huge disappointment considering all the hype around this one. SPL is fantastic. See that instead.
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for a modern action thiller it delivers, but I understand your concerns there is a lot of folks that dislike this pic- I thought the last action scene saved this film.
Rapid Fire (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Nobody has written a review for this movie yet? You people should be ashamed of yourselves. "Rapid Fire" is one of the greatest American martial arts movies in history and stars the son of a legend. Brandon Lee busts so much ass in this movie it's retardulous. He shows fools what authentic, high quality Jeet Kune Do is all about while displaying a charismatic and focused presence that hasn't really been seen since his father. The gunplay/action and martial arts are all gelled together in a smooth manor a decade before American directors really got hip to genre blending, so in a lot of ways this film was really ahead of its time. THIS MOVIE IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FOR ANY MARTIAL ARTS MOVIE COMPLETIST. Also at the [HKFlix] price it is quite a bargain. Seriously, go buy it now. Go.
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You are way too praiseworthy of this film. It has a hokey feel to it and the dialogue is way too clunky. Furthermore, Powers Boothe's acting seems to say "What the hell am I doing here?"
My School Mate, The Barbarian (product link) Comedy / Action/Adventure I dont know why I like this film. I honestly couldn't say, but I kind of do. I dont like everything about it mind you. I could do without the weird dream sequences, the cartoonish comedy bits and Joey Yung's excruciatingly annoying acting. I've always liked the chemistry between Nic Tse and Stephen Fung, and it works well here too. The fighting is a bit flashy and stylistic, with no shortage of wire assistance. But Ching Siu Tung does it well, so it fits the film. I enjoy Wong Jing's adolescent antics from time to time. And despite the minor gripes mentioned above, This movie was one of those times.
I agree, there is some elements to this movie that you can't help but dig. It reminds me of anime that I have seen. I probably would have gave it a 3.5 stars but I agree with all the points you made.
The Magnificent Butcher (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This is my favorite Sammo movie of all time (with him in the lead). And it is just pure joy to see him as Lam Sai Wing--and paying tribute to the style of Hung Gar. It also features one of my favourite fights of any kung fu flick ever: Sammo, Yuen Biao and Wei Pai vs. Lee Hoi San, Lam Ching Ying and Yuen Mo. Fierce, tight and flawless execution…. It’s art! All the fights are exellent. And I love all the great styles on display, such as drunken boxing, cat's claw, cosmic palm, and five animals style. All done to perfection, under Sammo’s watchful eye. Round that off with a good story and a great cast, and you’ve got yourself a true classic, worthy of a full five stars.
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Well said, a truly excellent film. I can not add anything to this review except that I could not agree more!
I'm right there with you, man. This film is a true classic. p.s. Thanks for all the comments you have been posting. I notice we have similar tastes in fu viewing. They should probably get some kind of "top 10" thing going here.
Gen-X Cops (product link) Action/Adventure I guess you can say that this film helped usher in the age of the prettyboy pop stars in HK action cinema. But, that aside, this is still a really fun and enjoyable action flick. Tse, Fung and Lee have great chemistry. Daniel Wu and Terence Yin are kinda fun as villains, Jaymee Ong is beyond hot, and Eric Tsang puts the character acting on hold and goes along for the ride here. There are also a few fun cameos from the likes of Bey Logan, Francis Ng and Jackie himself thrown in for good measure. The action is decent and the whole thing flows very well. But it is really the chemistry between the young cast, and the youthful energy of it all that makes this movie so entertaining and fun to watch. Check it out, and forget the sequel.
Hard Boiled (product link) Action/Adventure / Bullet Ballet A fun movie to watch. NO ONE EVER RUNS OUT OF AMMO!!!! If you have a home theater system I suggest keeping some Excedrin on hand. After the end scene at the hospital you may need it. Enjoy!
this film is totaly over rated, i feel the story is very slow, and the action is not that great, gun fight is not my thing,only pretty boy fight with guns!
Contour (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Horrible movie. This movie is a joke. They did not spend a lot of money making this movie. A bunch of stunt actors trying to act. Do not buy.
You must not like martial arts. If so what are you doing watching martial arts movies? More importantly what are you doing reviewing movies that are focused on things that you either don't like or don't understand?
if you think you can learn how to fight by watching an dvd alone, think if you would drive an plane by play video game, best way to learn how to fight is go to a bar, and just pick a fight, jsut fight fight fight!!
War (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts It was a shame to see great stars being lame. "War" is ultimately the worst picture I saw over the summer. I remember watching the flick with a packed crowd of fans of Li and Staham, and as soon as the movie was over all you could hear was a roar of boos. "War" had a lot of potential for it, but sadly it just ended up as garbage. And don't get me started on its ridicoulous plot-twist ending. What a shame.
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i totaly agree about the review, this got to be jet li's worst movie, the story is strange, but the biggest flow is the action, where are they? don't tell me i don't know about asian film, i watch them all, we want action, that's why we all here !
War (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts This film was very well done! It was a surprise what role Jet Li was playing and that's why this is a great film. It wasn't easy to guess the who the killer was and his relations and purpose. And the role the FBI surviving partner played. The ending is a great surprise! All questions are skillfully answered and it's different! I've seen the film four times and I want to watch it again and again. It's like the films "The History of Violence" and "Eastern Promises", "Rear Window", and so forth. It makes you think, and you want to see it again and again.
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I agree with you the film is quite good and severely under played. Mike Lee is a tool.
it you watch this film, and think it make scence, than you no better tha 10 years kid, how can a man get killed, chage his american accent to asian? what da f##k? and when did jet li beceome american? oh my god, watch your review just make me cry!
Dragon Wars (product link) Action/Adventure / Science Fiction Whoever thinks this movie was or is a waste of time is wrong completly. This movie was excellent in the entertainment and action department. Story was eh. But who cares with action this good? There are a lot of movies out there with stories eh, but with action like this, it oh ya all the way. I was entertained throughout the entire movie.
Great movie. Had fun. Jaw was dropped throughtout the action scenes. Read my comment and you will see what I mean!
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whoever will like this movie must got no brain, sure it's got a few cheesy action scence, but the rest is rubbish, trust me, watch the host instead!
War (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Wow Jet Li needs to make more movies like his classics and "Fearless". This movie had the worst camera angles ever during fight scenes. It's one of those bad movies that makes you leave the theater empty inside.
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totally agree, it's jet li's worst performance, it the boring action don't kill you, the strange storyline will, it's got some of the worst review on this film, so stay away at all cost!
A Taste Of Killing And Romance (product link) Crime / Romance The mid 90's was probably the worst time in HK movie history, in terms of quality. And this one didn't do much to change that.
Red Wolf (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Obvious comparisons to UNDER SIEGE and Kenny Ho's lack of leading man charisma aside, there is still a lot to enjoy about this movie. Especially considering it was made during the HK action dry spell of the mid 90's. You have hot girls Christy Chung and Elaine Lui. Superkickers Ngai Sing and Cho Wing. The G7 (Gwailo action team). And Yuen Wo Ping at the helm. Great inventive fights, bloody gunplay, crazy stunts and good production value. Not a must-have in my book, but definitely worth checking out for HK action fans.
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