Agreement:95% of 241 voters agree with Sgt. T's reviews Gender: Male Location: Jackson,MS.
Bio: Born and raised in Chicago, a former Military Police Officer. Now a MS. State Capitol Police Officer. Hobbies include viewing and collecting martial arts films. Reading, weight training, and jogging.
During the early nineties, a lot of wire-fu features were produced in HK cinema. Jet Li, as we know, starred in some of the best wire-fu flicks like the "Once Upon A Time In China" films and "Tai Chi Master"! This film is no exception! Jet Li portrays the early life of Chinese folk hero Fong Sai Yuk. Unlike the Shaw Classics starring Alexander Fu Sheng, we get a Fong Sai Yuk full of fun and mischief. The story begins lighthearted but soon turns serious as Fong Sai Yuk and his mother (portrayed by Josephine Siao) discover that Sai Yuk's father is secretly a rebel.
This leads to Jet Li fighting the governor (portrayed by Chiu Man Cheuk) for his father's life in the grand finale. Granted there is a lot of wire-fu, but I loved the comic performances of Jet Li and Josephine Siao. Josephine Siao makes this movie with her comic portrayal as Sai Yuk's kung fu mama! Great movie for wire-fu lovers, comedy lovers, and Jet Li fans! The Dragon Dynasty version does have the original language version, which I recommend!
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"Josephine Siao makes this movie with her comic portrayal as Sai Yuk's kung fu mama!" OH YEAH, SHE DID! But I will give this movie 5 because it was well-written flick.
Ways Of Kung Fu [Crash Cinema] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Classic kung fu action with a little bit of comedy. Chi Kuan Chun stars as a disciple at a peaceful monastery that is taken over by a ruthless monk. At this particular monastery no one knows any kung fu. Chi Kuan Chun is then sent to his old master's friend Leung Kar Yan.
Naturally Leung Kar Yan teaches him kung fu and Chi Kuan Chun soon puts an end to the evil monk's cruelty. Once the plotlines are established, the action takes off! Good story combined with some nice fight choreography. Recommended for all old school lovers!
Shaolin Martial Arts (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure A classic for its time starring my favorite actor, Alexander Fu Sheng, and Shaw favorite Chi Kuan Chun. Together these two have made some excellent movies! This film is no exception. We have great training sequences, beautiful scenery, and great fighting. We also have Wang Lung Wei and Leung Kar Yan as two invincible Manchu fighters. Bruce Tong and Gordon Liu also appear as top Shaolin fighters helping to overthrow the Manchus. Some people may not care for this movie, but if you're a fan of Fu Sheng and Chi Kuan Chun, this movie is for you!
The Young Master (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Jackie Chan directed and staged the fight scenes in this feature with an amazing all-star cast--Yuen Biao, Lilly Li, Wei Pei, and Whang In-Sik to name a few! This movie has a lot of Chan's physical comedy which some people do not care for. On the other hand it is balanced out with some good fight scenes! Jackie is a true kung fu Jerry Lewis in this film; it will appeal most to Jackie Chan fans!
Shaolin Wooden Men (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Jackie Chan early in his career as Jacky Chan in a Lo Wei production. Very good feature as Chan portrays a mute learning Kung Fu at Shaolin Temple, with the ultimate goal of avenging his father's death. His father died at the hands of an unknown killer, but Chan has the killer's fighting style imprinted in his mind. There is no comedy, this is a serious and refreshing Kung Fu film with a good plot and great action! Kam Kong gives a great performance as a renegade Shaolin monk imprisoned at the temple. Chan through kindness is soon taught by the ruthless monk thus setting up a showdown with an ironic twist as teacher battles student for a grand finale!
Twenty years ago Warner Brothers decided to create a big budget Batman movie. At first rumor had it that Bill Murray had the title role, but the producer decided on Michael Keaton, hot on the heals of his performance in "Beetle Juice". I remember people saying this movie would be terrible because they thought of Keaton only as a comic actor. They were wrong. For me this is the best Batman movie and still number one. Granted I enjoyed the updated versions by Nolan, but Tim Burton's gothic vision of Batman's world was second to none.
Jack Nicholson's portrayal of the Joker should have earned him an Oscar nomination at the time, however screen academy officials were stodgy then as they are now. Any actor could wear clown make up and any stuntman could wear a bat costume. What made this movie good was the performances of Keaton and Nicholson. Keaton was an excellent Bruce Wayne, portraying him as an eccentric man with hidden psychological problems stemming from his parents' death. Nicholson of course will always be the Joker! His performance of a psycho gangster to an incurable mad man was outstanding.
Though some may think this movie is dated. I say Tim Burton's depiction of Gotham and its characters are forever frozen in a timeless world to be viewed over and over!
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Michael Keaton IS Batman to me to this day. This was 100 times better than Batman Begins.
Ugh, I hate to say it but I liked this movie [holds head in dire shame] because of the conception of mental hypnosis, thought cunsumption and the action was eh. But I can't disagree, this was awful.
Dr. Wai In The Scripture With No Words (product link) Martial Arts / Fantasy What can I say? I'm a big Jet Li fan, and I love the "Indiana Jones" movies. With that said, enter Jet Li Jones! This adventure is a story within a story as Jet Li and his writing staff cobble together a weekly or monthly adventure of the great Dr. Wai!
During this, Jet is going through a messy divorce with Rosamund Kwan. The twist is that Jet and company let current events reflect in the story. The movie direction is a bit cheesy and uneven but overall it has a laugh or two! Recommended only for die hard Jet Li fans!
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probably would of gone to zero stars but I guess this has some nice stuff. or whatever
Return Of Bastard Swordsman (product link) Martial Arts / Swordplay/Sword(s) I found this sequel just as entertaining and outrageous as the first film. Norman Chu is back in this Lu Chin-Ku-directed feature. Watch as he battles the invincible clan's leader, and a band of ninjas led by Chen Kuan Tai! As in the first film, there are great special effects as we see plenty of magic and wire-fu. Again like the first, this film is not for everyone. It has over the top comic action and characters. It is however fast-paced and very entertaining!
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I thought this was very good as well, but not quite up to the first movie. It is a fun movie to watch.
The Shadow Boxer (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Frankly, this movie started out with a lot of promise, but did not reach its full potential. The lead actor, Chen Wo Fu, who committed suicide before this film was released, really tried. Using the teachings of tai chi we watch our hero get continuously beat up, his best friend killed, his master murdered, and his girlfriend raped, before he finally fights back. With the lovely Shih Szu portraying his master's daughter, we finally get to the action, which is about the last twenty-five minutes of the film. Frankly, I felt a big let down. Not even the villainous performance of Frankie Wei could save this film from a lackluster pay-off! Lots of slow motion and average fighting.
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Right again Sarge. Plus the fact that the kung fu wasn't very interesting didn't help. It's basically watching a guy get the tar beat out of him for 82 minutes.
Iron Monkey [1993] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure
Let's compare the wire-fu era to the steroid era in baseball. There were some great players during the nineties, however their accomplishments will always be tied up in the steroid era. During the very late eighties and early nineties, wire-fu reached a peak birthing the wire-fu era.
"The Iron Monkey" is one of the top wire-fu movies of its time. The special effects were great and the plot was top notch. Yu Rong Guang gives an excellent portrayal as the masked hero Iron Monkey, who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Donnie Yen also gives an excellent performance as Wong Kai Ying, who inexplicably tries to bring the Iron Monkey to justice, but then battles a corrupt government official (traitorous ex-Shaolin monk) by his side.
Last but not least is Tse-Man's portrayal of young Wong Fei Hung. Considering that she is a girl, she gives an outstanding performance. The action is sped up in places, but on the whole this is one of the best wire-fu films for its time period. A must-have for all collectors!
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Definately a must-have! Good to hear you trusted my review and checked out Protoge and enjoyed it.
This film has garnered lots of criticism for the story and abrupt ending. It has also gotten many thumbs up for the great action sequences by Tony Jaa and the stunt personnel involved in making this awesome feature!
This is a period film of revenge set in a turbulent time of Thailand/Siam's history. Tony Jaa watches his parents die on order from the King's mad heir, in order to secure his power. Tony escapes and is taken in and trained by a community of pirate mercenaries from childhood. When Tony comes of age he leaves the adoptive father and leader of the pirates for revenge! Along the way is plenty of action and a good plot twist leaving the viewer wanting more!
The cinematography was excellent! The stunts and action outstanding. Tony Jaa shows that he is more than just a Muay-Thai expert by using various forms and weapons! The story was straightforward and simple with a great supporting cast portraying the villains, fighters, and family! I think many overlook the acting in favor of the action. The actor portraying Cher Nung, the pirate leader, was excellent. The ending is not what you expect but sets you up for a sequel, kind of like the ending of " The Empire Strikes Back ". All in all this is a must-see film for action lovers. The stunts are fantastic!
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This movie was totally awesome and I also agree about the abrupt ending. I think that some people out there are aware that Tony is capable of more than just Muay Thai. In Ong Bak he unleashed numerous Korean and Chinese kicking and acrobatic techniques.
Once one gets past the abruptness of the ending, this is a great action showcase, with better acting than I had previously seen in Thai martial arts cinema. Tony Jaa is a phenomenal fighter. As for the abrupt ending, Part 3 is coming: Hope for the best!
Oldboy (product link) Thriller / Action/Adventure A truly chilling and haunting film by director Park Chan-Wook that leaves dark echoes imprinted in the mind.
Choi Min-Sik portrays Oh Dae-Soo, a character that is kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years. Upon being freed by his kidnapper, Oh Dae-Soo is taunted with clues as to the why. Thus begins the journey filled with many disturbing plot twists before reaching the ultimate climax! The plot keeps you guessing, the action is great, and the acting is excellent. This is one cinematic experience that if anything, will stay on your mind long after viewing.
The Incredible Hulk (product link) Action/Adventure / Thriller In comparison to the disaster directed by Ang Lee, Louis Leterrier did a much better job with the pacing. I thought Norton was a good Bruce Banner and had good chemistry with Liv Tyler. The CGI Hulk in this feature had a transformed CGI Tim Roth as the Abomination to smack around as well as the army!
Not the best movie based on a comic character, but entertaining for comic fans. If you are a fan of the old television series, Lou "Hulk" Ferrigno has a cameo appearance!
Do we have two of the greatest screen martial artists of all time paired together for the first time? Do the two fight and then team up to help good conquer evil? Do we have great choreography by Yuen Woo-Ping? This film has all of these elements but still does not live up to the great expectations placed upon it for the first meeting of Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Why? Because the film is about our reluctant hero, portrayed by Michael Angarino.
If the producers could have found a better actor, I believe the film would have been better. Not by much, because fans were expecting Jet and Jackie to be the main focus and not supporting characters on a mission of destiny for Michael Angarino. On the plus side, I thought the cinematography, costumes, and supporting cast in the fantasy world were good. The real world scenes left a lot to be desired due again to Angarino's personality. The plot was ambitous, about a teen transported to a land of immortals and tasked with freeing the imprisoned Monkey King. He is helped by a misfit group of companions in his quest and learns about not only kung fu but also friendship, loyalty, and life.
The Hollywood influence is clearly felt on this film. It was not what I expected, but it did keep my interest. As others have pointed out, if I saw this back in my sense-of-wonder days as a child, I would have loved it. Upon seeing it as a jaded adult, I expected more, but I did manage to enjoy what was there.
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Well stated, bro. Your reasoning was honest and spot on.
Oh gosh, Sgt, people hate on this movie.. Thanks for givin this the correct rating and explaining your reason. You are a pure gem [an addition] to this website!
I was hugely disappointed in "Forbidden Kingdom" and thought it could of been a success. I agree Angarino sucked and only liked him when he mentioned classic old school kung-fu films which surprised me a bit.
From the people that gave us "Enter The Dragon" comes the cult favorite "Black Belt Jones", starring Jim Kelly. The plot is simple: a mafia don wants the land a karate dojo owned by Scatman Crothers is sitting on. Of Course the don uses some African American drug dealers in his employ in order to accomplish his mission.
To add to it, a government agency wants Kelly to break in and steal some incriminating evidence hidden at the mafia don's estate. Naturally Jim Kelly completes both tasks with lots of action and fun involved!
I loved the seventies feel and campiness of this film. Where else can you see Scatman Crothers in a karate fight, and the beautiful Gloria Hendry holding her own against the bad guys? Bob Wall choreographs the fight sequences and also appears in the grand finale fight staged at a car wash. This film holds the dubious distinction of mixing Blaxploitation with the martial arts genre. In other words, it's a Black Karate film!
Great film focusing on monkey kung fu, directed by and starring the great Liu Chia-Liang. This feature has a great supporting cast with the underrated Hsiao Hou, the beautiful Kara Hui, and Lo Lieh in a great villainous performance.
Liu Chia Liang is framed by local gangster Lo Lieh. His sister Kara Hui becomes Lieh's concubine in exchange for his freedom. Lieh also has Liu Chia Liang's hands crippled so revenge would be hard to follow. Lieh did not count on local roustabout Hsiao Hou becoming Liu's student and getting revenge for his master!
The action is good and there are many comedic moments showing that Hsiao Hou is a pretty good comedic actor. Great film and highly recommended for Liu Chia Liang fans. If you like this feature, I recommend you check out "Stroke Of Death". This is another great film focusing on monkey style and starring Tony Ching Siu-Tung and the always underrated Hau Chiu Sing!
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The comedy, I could have done without. But it's still a great film!
It's a pleasure seeing Liu Chia Liang/Lau Kar Leung and Hsiao Hou strut their stuff. I'm not sure anyone else would seem so right doing this approach to Monkey Kung Fu.
Fatal Needles vs. Fatal Fists (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure One of my favorite independent Tawainese films. This one stars Wong Tao as a heroic officer of the law who, after suffering a great personal tragedy, can care less if he lives or dies. On top of this he swears off fighting! Unfortunately for him, circumstances bring him around to do battle with a white-haired, needle-wielding, villainous Chang-Yi!
Some action fans may be disappointed, as the movie is slow after a great opening due to plot developement; however the fight sequences are good and Wong Tao delivers a great acting performance. Look for a cameo by Lo Lieh, and view some of action choreographer Tommy Lee's Southern Mantis style, as he portrays Chang-Yi's right hand man. Recommended for old school lovers and Wong Tao fans!
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Good movie! Wong Tao's best acting performance IMO.
Once again Joel Silver's mind melds hip-hop and martial arts with another mindless action/adventure. And guess what: the film as a whole was entertaining. For all lovers of Jet Li's HK-produced films, this is not for you.
Jet Li stars as a Taiwanese agent charged with recovering some stolen black diamonds that are actually tiny plutonium-charged weapons of mass destruction. They were illegally brought to the U.S. by Mark Dacascos's go between, but were soon stolen in a diamond robbery by DMX and his gang of specialists. What ensues is a double cross, kidnapping, and mayhem as all principal players chase after the black diamonds.
like "Romeo Must Die", the great supporting cast makes the movie. Tom Arnold and Anthony Anderson provide the comic relief. Gabrielle "Bring It On" Union and Kelly Hu supply the looks, and a good cat fight. Jet Li goes up against a midget emcee and some Ultimate Fighters such as T. Ortiz, R. Coulture, and C. Liddell in a great cage match. DMX has a great car chase scene, and of course Jet and Mark Dacascos square off in the grand finale.
Like all movies, there are things that do not work. My main complaint is that Jet Li and Mark Dacascos are limited by the script when it comes to showing off their fighting skills. However, this is a Joel Silver action movie and not an HK production showcasing martial arts. If you view this movie without expectations of martial arts action around every corner you may like it.
Recommended for Joel Silver action fans, Jet Li completists only, and hip-hop/blaxploitation fans!
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You have to be kidding me. The final fight wasn't straight. I don't need to see 3 fights going on at once. It's dumb and why I hate most Hollywood action films. All actors are horrible, the story is lame... this movie is just plain god awful.
The Flag Of Iron (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure I thought this was a pretty good Venoms movie with Kuo Chui and Lu feng taking the lead roles. Lu Feng is great as a villain taking unifying two gangs and trying to get rid of Kuo Chui, who is a worthy member of one of the gangs. Look for the Baby Venoms as the Ten Killers hired by Lu Feng to kill kuo Chui! Some fans think this one was just okay, but it was one of my favorites!
"Lethal Weapon 4" was produced by Joel Silver, with choreography by Corey Yuen Kwai, and stars Jet Li going up against Glover and Gibson. Now Joel Silver uses Jet Li as his lead actor in "Romeo Must Die", after his introduction to your everyday western audiences who may have not seen any of Jet Li's HK productions. Jet stars as an ex-cop that escapes prison in China in order to investigate his brother's murder. This leads him to America, where he must find the answers as his father's gang is embroiled in a war with Delroy Lindo's
gang. Asians versus African-Americans with a hip-hop atmosphere! Very ambitious.
I actually enjoyed the film as a whole. Some of what Silver was shooting for worked and some things didn't. I thought the talented supporting cast did an excellent job in this film. Aaliyah in her first acting role was cute and funny. Isaiah "Drum Line" Washington turned in a convincing portrayal as Delroy Lindo's right hand man. Anthony Anderson was the comic relief, and Russell Wong was an excellent gang lieutenant for the Asian gang headed by Jet's father. I even liked DMX's line about guns don't kill, people do. What did not work was the limited use of Jet Li's fighting ability in the film. The x-ray sequences of breaking bones were annoying, but I guess if it worked in Sonny Chiba's "Street Fighter", why not here? I also thought the growing relationship between Jet and Aaliyah could have developed more. They could have at least let the man kiss her! Jet did his best in his second English-speaking role but he did seem limited by the script and his command of the English language at the time of this film.
With all this said, the total package for the script was entertaining in this mix of hip-hop stars and martial arts. Recommended for hip-hop fans, Joel Silver action fans, and Jet Li completists only.
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Sorry Sarge, but I'm non-compliant. Aside from the hippity-hop garbage and uninspiring story, the film ultimately fails in the action. The sloppiest wire fu ever concieved and it made no sense to put it in a film of this nature. And the x-ray scenes suck!
Clan Feuds (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This is a feature based on a Ku Lung novel directed by Chang Peng Yi, and Starring Ti Lung. This one is not as good as the Ku Lung based movies directed by Chor Yuen starring Ti Lung, but it is entertaining. As usual for a Ku Lung based movie there are many plot twists but the story just does not flow together to evenly. Ti Lung and Lo Meng turn in some great performances in a story involving two feuding clans, as they each try to get the upper hand on one another. Good sets and good action. For those who are fans of movies based on kung fu fantasy novels!
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Great pairing of Lo Meng and Ti Lung but unfortunately the story was all over the place. 3 1/2 stars is about right.
Iron Man (product link) Action/Adventure / Science Fiction Growing up, I was an avid comic collector and martial arts movie junkie. In the seventies anything with superheroes was a must-see, especially live action movies. Finally with the technology of today, a good comic-based movie can be made. I thought "Iron Man" was pretty good. The movie was true to the comic material as much as possible, and the special effects were great.
Robert Downey, Jr. was born to play Tony Stark, and Gwyneth Paltrow was a good Pepper Potts. Not everyone enjoys comic-based movies, but for the last few years Hollywood has been cranking them out with franchising in mind. For me, whether they are good or bad, I'm enjoying the ride, because during my childhood comic-based movies were good/cheesy or horrible!
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I'm with you all the way. This movie had good depth and excellent special effects. Robert Downey Jr. played it better then anyone else could have.
I'd like for once to have a Marvel comic movie that doesn't utilize the crappy dialouge "Wooo-hooo"! Sorry, Sgt. T I'm insubordinate to your review. this film was awful.
Kung Fu Hustle (product link) Comedy / Action/Adventure This is a comedy! If you're not a fan of good old slapstick comedy with tons of sight gags and cartoonish humor, you definitely will not like this movie.
Stephen Chow is an acquired taste. Either you like his humor or you don't. Kind of like Jim Carrey and Jerry Lewis, his movies are silly but sometimes fun. With that said, "Kung Fu Hustle" is a parody of those period martial arts films that we love, with a modern twist. I didn't like everything I saw in the movie, but it was funny. I thought the choreography and special effects by Yuen Wo Ping, Sammo Hung, and Chow were pretty good. You could tell that some money went into the CGI effects. Some of the scenes and action were over the top, but that's what made the film!
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Good points as always. Great entertainment for fans of this kind of humor, comics, anime and old school.
For me at least this was an entertaining low budget adventure. It is a mixture of spaghetti westerns, cheese, late eighties and early nineties straight-to-video action flicks, early MTV pop/disco with updated but bad special effects, and lastly extra-cheese!
Main star and choreographer Marko Zaror has some nice moves! For his first starring role I thought he did a good job. Even Jean Claude Van Damme shouted "No Retreat No Surrender" before he moved on to better screen projects. The plot has many holes and the pacing is slow at first, but there is a certain charm as you learn the crux of the story through flashbacks from Zammy (Zaror), and the villain of the story, Max Alba. Not an action extravaganza, but if you take into account the total package, you might like it.
Where else can you see a beautiful Korean schoolgirl, a dwarf leading a secret sect, a cane-wielding villain, and some good bad acting?
Foxy Brown (product link) Crime / Action/Adventure The success of "Coffy" helped spawn another femme fatale role for Pam Grier as Foxy Brown. This role helped cement Pam Grier's popularity as the Queen of the Blaxploitation Era.
In this feature Grier seeks revenge on the people responsible for killing her boyfriend. Her boyfriend, an undercover narcotics agent in a federal witness protection program, is sold out by Foxy's brother, portrayed by Antonio Fargas. Once again Pam stops at nothing for revenge, but she does go through the wringer to achieve it!
Remember to ignore the stereotyping and enjoy the ride!
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Totally fun ride and mandatory for a complete blaxploitation film collection.
The Kid With The Golden Arm (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This is the second film I saw starring the Venoms and is probably my all-time favorite Venoms film. The choreography is not the greatest, but I loved the characters! Kuo Chui gives an outstanding performance as a drunken government agent! Lo Meng is excellent as the villain Golden Arm! Let's not forget Wei Pei's portrayal of an arrogant master swordsman, with whom honor means everything. This film is one of the few starring the original Venom cast, namely Wei Pei ("The Snake"), who also appears in my third favorite Venoms film, "Invincible Shaolin". This film does not have the best fight sequences in a Venoms film, but it is entertaining with a bizarre ending to top it off!
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I don't get why people didn't like it. Perhaps it's natural to hate good things.
Masked Avengers (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This film was a little disturbing in tone, and bloody. It also features some of the best weapons choreography I have ever seen featuring the trident! The Venom gang featuring three old favorites Kuo Chue, Lu Feng, and Chiang Sheng do their usual great job of acting and fighting. Wong Lik and Chen Siu Ho (honorary Venoms), also turn in great performances. A must-see for all Venom fans.
Hulk (product link) Action/Adventure / Thriller First off, the Hulk is a comic book character. It is hard to please everyone when you create a film based on comic characters! With that said, this movie was terrible! Eric Bana was horrible as Bruce Banner. Nick Nolte must have needed a check bad. The CGI Hulk however was entertaining and worth one star.
The main thing wrong with this film is that, other than the army, all the Hulk fought was gamma powered dogs and Nick Nolte transformed into a vengeful cloud creature! Bad movie, bad acting, bad directing, but good comic book character.
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I made use of this joke before and I'll do it again. The Hulk in this movie looks like Sheik on steriods. Da-da che. Hate telling the same joke twice. urgh. Oh this movie was vomit! :)
Five Deadly Venoms (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This film of course is a classic that first introduced the actors that have come to be known as the Venoms. The feature itself is full of plot twists, the trademark intricate Shaw Brothers sets, and beautifully choreographed action sequences when the Venoms clash with each other.
The plot keeps you interested as the action culminates into a great grand finale! Naturally if you're a Venoms fan you need this one in your collection. This is the film that helped influence pop culture along with Bruce Lee, "King Boxer", and "The 36 Chambers Of Shaolin".
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An important and influential film, yes - but mostly, it's great fun to watch. The Venoms are engaging and talented performers.
The 7 Grandmasters (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Great independent old school classic directed by Joseph Kuo and choreographed by Corey Yuen Kwai. Plenty of action as Jack Long's character seeks out and challenges masters of different styles in order to prove that he is with out a doubt, number one!
Lee I Min turns in a great performance as he follows Jack Long until the latter takes the former as his student. All lovers of old school martial arts movies run out and get this!!
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Very good independent flick - among Josephy Kuo's best.
The knock on Jimmy Wang Yu is that he is not an accomplished martial artist and that he just punches and kicks with no style. I call that street fighting! What Jimmy lacks in fighting style he makes up for in acting ability and charisma.
In this sequel to the classic "One Armed Boxer", Jimmy squares off against the great Kam Kong in one of his best villainous performances as the master of the flying guillotine. Kong seeks to avenge his two students (llamas) that died fighting Jimmy in the first film, where our hero becomes the famous one armed boxer. The film has some well choreographed fight sequences by the Lau brothers and plenty of action. You have to suspend your disbelief here as the characters in this movie do amazing things, with the special effects technology of the seventies!
In all the total package is fun to watch! Recommended to Jimmy Wang Yu fans and old school fans.
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If one likes Wang Yu, this is one of his best showcases. It's nonsense, of course, but still a lot of fun.
Did I enjoy this film? Was it totally outlandish and bizarre? The answer to these questions is yes. This is a very strange film by Joseph Kuo with great choreography by Yuen Wo Ping.
Carter Wong is an invincible white-haired superman doing bad deeds along with fellow bad guy Lo Lieh. After killing a heroic teacher portrayed by Lung Fei, the remnants of his school seek revenge in the forms of Mark Long and Jack Long. Eventually an old schoolmate sick of Carter's evil deeds clues our heroes in on how to defeat him!
Carter Wong's character was strange, as is the mythological origin on how he became so powerful. The action was plenty, the choreography above average, the plot easy to follow, which adds up to an enjoyable old school classic--if, and I say again if, you can suspend your disbelief in some areas. This film is bizarre but in a good way.
Highly recommended for action lovers, and lovers of the weird!
Good Dragon Dynasty release of a contemporary action drama starring Jet Li and the late great Anita Mui. Jet stars as a mainland under cover cop infiltrating a gang in Hong Kong. The problem is that everyone thinks Jet is truly a criminal until Royal Hong Kong police woman Anita Mui finds out otherwise!
What made this film good to me were the acting performances of Anita Mui, and Xie Miao who portrays Jet Li's son. Yu Rong Guang also turns in a great performance as the coniving leader of the gang targeted by Jet Li. The fight sequences are good, especially the finale where Jet li and Xie Miao square off against, Yu Rong Guang, Ken Lo, and Ngai Sing.
Corey Yuen does a great job with the choreography though there are a couple of scenes where you can see the dummy substituted for Xie Miao. The Dragon Dynasty version also is full of good extras such as an interview with Xie miao and commentary by Bey Logan! Recommended for Jet li fans.
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I'd put this around the median of Jet Li pictures, which is to say very much worth watching. Anita Mui is one of the two best actresses to appear with Li (Josephine Siao, of the Fong Sai Yuk films is the other). I'm not sure it's good, but I like it.
The Lady Constables (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure A classic old school feature that pairs the two best female martial arts stars of the early to mid seventies, known to western audiences. Angela Mao Ying and Chia Ling ("Queen Boxer") portray tough as nails good guys trying to retrieve some stolen pearls from a gang led by Chang Yi. Add a silent bodyguard sent by the Prince, and the three eventually cooperate, beating the bad guys.
Some of the special effects are over the top, but it adds to this film's old school charm. Naturally our two female stars fight, and I expected a little better than what I got. However, this is a film for all you old school Mao Ying fans!
Five Fingers Of Death (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This is an older Shaw Brothers film that stands the test of time for me. This film literally helped fan the fire started by the late great Bruce Lee's "Big Boss" into the Karate movie craze of the seventies. Tons of exports came to theatres in the United States due to the success of the "King Boxer", retitled "The Five Fingers of Death" for Western audiences. This film has larger than life heroes, wicked villains, betrayal, and a love triangle. This is Lo Lieh's best performance and one of the few that he is cast as the Hero! I really enjoyed this eternal classic, having seen it as a child in the old movie theatre!
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Judged on its own merits, this is an excellent film; Considering the standards of the time, it is phenomenal. Anyone who likes martial arts cinema should pray to his god(s) thanking him/them for this precedent.
Legendary Weapons Of China (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This is an outstanding film testimony to the skills of the great Lau Kar Leung (Liu Chia Liang). This film has spiritual boxing, comedy, outstanding choreographed fights, and character appearances by Gordon Liu and Alexander Fu Sheng. The always underrated Hsiao Ho displays great acting and fighting throughout this feature.
This is a great film culminating in a grand fight finale between Liu Chia Liang and Liu Chia Yung! A must-have for any collection!
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Yes it is an outstanding film! And Hsiao Ho is excellent and amazing. And he can really act! Five Stars!
I did not appreciate this properly when I first saw it. After learning more about Hong Kong film, Shaw Brothers and the brilliant Lau Kar Leung I now find it outstanding.
Executioners From Shaolin (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Chen Kuan Tai reprises his role of Hung Hsi Kuan from the Shaw classic "Men From The Monastery". In this sequel of fate we learn what became of Hung Hsi Kuan after Shaolin Temple burned down.
In this version he ran into Lo Lieh in his greatest Shaw villain role as White Lotus Priest Pai-Mei! The one-on-one fights between the two make this film. The plot is simple: Chen Kuan Tai spends his life practicing tiger style in order to kill priest Pai-Mei. Unfortunately he dies and the task is left to his son Wong Yu, who combines the crane style with his own version of tiger style, and ultimately beats Pai-Mei with his unorthodox technique.
A lot of people may find the comedy uninspired, but this is still a great film for the action alone. Wong Yu's comedic portrayals are an acquired taste, but whether you like comedy or not this film is worth the look!
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This is one of my favorite films. It must be read as the myth of the creation of Hung Gar/Hung Kuen, the style practiced and revered by director Lau Kar Leung's family.
Ode To Gallantry (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Kuo Chui is excellent in this film as he plays a dual role of brothers seperated at birth. One is a naive good-hearted bumbler raised by his parents' arch enemy. The other is a spoiled, un-principled, selfish mother's boy. The action and plot are great! An outstanding Venoms film with Kuo Chui in the lead!
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I guess we're in the miniority of folks that really enjoyed this! Although not the greatest plot, like you, I thought the action was great.
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