Agreement:94% of 319 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.
Rush Hour 3 (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts Well since I watched parts one and two, I decided to give three a fairshake. What can I say. I can attribute a bad script, and bad direction to this uneven third installment. This time our heroes travel to Paris seeking the people responsible for trying to kill the Chinese Ambassador.
The jokes wear thin in this one and sadly enough the action scenes seemed to be missing something. The only plus I can give this one is seeing Hiroyuki " Shogun's Ninja " Sanada portraying Jackie's sworn brother gone bad. I thought the fight scenes between the two could have been better. The duet between Tucker and Chan of the Roberta Flack/Donnie Hathaway classic " The Closer I Get To You ", did make me laugh!
Frankly, I recommend this one for hardcore fans of Tucker/Chan, and completists of the trilogy. Wasted Potential sums up this one.
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A total waste of time. The rush hour series needs to come to a grounding halt. There's no need to subject us with senseless stuff as the storyline is tiring and old. I like both actors but I'm sure they can focus on something different (and better).
crap. total crap. i only line i laughed at didnt come from chan or tucker, but a french cab driver.totally uneccessary and garbage film. ratner needs to go back to music videos.
Warning: JC fan, and I do like kung fu comedies. Like any genre some are good and some are bad! It is 1978 and Jackie Chan completes developement of kung fu comedy began in " Snake In The Eagles Shadow ".
With virtually the same cast and production team, Jc portrays a mischeavous and arrogant young Wong Fei Hong. Fortunately Fei Hong's father hires Beggar So to polish his rough edges in time to fight hired killer Hwang Jang Lee.
Good training sequences, good action, but lots of comedy throughout the film. Of course thats what makes this one important because it establishes the kung fu comedy arch-type. As has been stated by others either you like it or you don't due to the comic element, sometimes the comedy is overdone but thats slapstick/kung fu. Jackie Chan and Simon Yuen ( Sam the Seed or Old Dirty ) fans will love this. If you don't like kung fu comedies this film is not for you!
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Snake In The Eagle's Shadow, for me, is the superior of the two breakthrough films. A more rounded film which features a great physical performance from one of the underrated legends of the industry, Hsu Hsia!
3.5 stars for me. Excellent training and end fight. A little overrated I must admit. I must agree with you that this movie opened the flood gates for kung fu comedy movies to come because this was a box office smash.
Well at least you gave it a 4 rather than a 5 I will say that. But implementing comedy into kung fu doesn't evolutionalize anything. And the agreeing to your is intentional cuz I understand we have different tastes in what is appealing.
good review and youre right to point out that ppl who like kung-fu comedies will enjoy this more. for me, kung-fu comedies are hit or miss and this one is ok because the fights are good but i still feel its a little overrated.
I'm feelin' your review but I think there are some that don't really care for kung fu/comedies that can still appreciate this movie for the merits of its fu.
Danny The Dog (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure What can I say? This movie proves that Jet Li can act as well as he fights. Jet is raised as a mindless dog by evil loan shark Bob Hoskins. Whenever Hoskins removes his collar, Jet viciously attacks what Hoskins points him at. During an attempt on Hoskin's life, and thinking good old Uncle Bob is dead, Jet is taken in by Morgan Freeman and step daughter Kelly Condon.
Jet soon discovers his submerged humanity, and must fight to protect it and his new family when Uncle Bob resurfaces and wants his attack dog back! Brutal fight scenes, dark undertones, and great acting make this an enjoyable film. Naturally people watch Jet for his martial arts skills, but like " Fearless " his acting was fantastic! A great cast combined with vicious street fighting martial arts style. Jet's best English speaking movie to date.
Holy Flame Of The Martial World (product link) Action/Adventure / Martial Arts A wire-fu fantasy extravaganza! This film is full of weird characters, strange costumes, and exotic sets. The plot is one of revenge. A brother and sister team unite to avenge the murder of their parents using the aforementioned holy flame of the title.
Bizzare characters such as Phillip Kwok portraying the Phantom, and Jason Pai Piao portraying the Monster, give this film comic appeal along with their performances. Be warned! This film was directed by Tony Liu ( Lu Chin-Ku ), Who also directed " The Lady Assassin ", and " The Bastard Swordsman ". Expect the same high wire flying stunts, and over the top action! Recommended for fans of wire-fu and fantasy adventure!
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Sgt. T I hated this movie. I'm not a fan of wire fu and mystical magical kung fu with the exception of The Bastard Swordsman 1&2 because it was well done and the plot/story was engrossing. 2.5 stars for me.
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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Marc Dacascos is wasted, but some of the action is pretty good.
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.
"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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If the star weren't the outstanding Jet Li, I wouldn't be so disappointed with this mediocrity: It isn't all bad, but should have been much better.
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!
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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Sorry Sgt. this one just wasn't for me. There were just too many outrageous scenes that became annoying which caused me to lose interest.
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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Correct rating and a fun movie. I'm eagerly waiting for part two this summer after watching the recent trailers.
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.
Clans Of Intrigue (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Chor Yuen directed feature based on a Ku Lung novel. This film stars Ti Lung as the legendary hero/thief Chu Liu Hsiang. We watch as Ti Lung tries to solve the mysterious murders of three clan chiefs. This is a good action movie with good swordplay and a great cast. The end left a lot to be desired, but this is still worth viewing.
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yes, this film should of been 3.12 stars not 3 1/2.
Rated a little too high. Beginning was great but the ending was fatally flawed, as I was not brilliant enough to forecast the twist before Ti Lung even uttered his first lines of dialogue.
Shaolin And Wu Tang (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Good film starring Liu Chia Hui/Gordon Liu, and directed by Liu Chia Liang. Fans of Gordon Liu will enjoy this one. We have the basic revenge plot in which Gordon Liu becomes a Shaolin monk, however the twist is that his co-star Adam Cheng also becomes a Wu Tang monk.
Good frineds in the begining, these two are learning the title styles from their respective masters until tragedy strikes. The Prince, portrayed by villain supreme Wang Lung Wei, hatches a plot to learn both styles and see which is the best no matter who gets hurt! This leads to both stars joining the title monasteries, which in turn leads to a grand finale that demonstrates which style is the best.
A very good film, with good action sequences. Again highly recommended for all Gordon Liu fans.
I saw this such a long time ago that I can't add much - but how could anyone not like the three leads? Gordon Liu is a great fighter, Adam Cheng a convincing swordsman, and Wang Lung Wei among the finest villains.
Dragon Squad [2005] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Considering the all-star cast, this film could have and should have been a lot better. I think the director tries to do a little too much with the characters. You have a crack team of police specialists, led by a reluctant Sammo Hung, going up a against a team of trained terrorists, led by Heo Jun-Ho and Michael Biehn. To me the director tries too hard to get the audience involved with the main characters of both groups. He uses a lot of slow motion and glitzy MTV-inspired flashbacks to tell the various stories of the characters. There is plenty of action but it could have been done better. The biggest bright spot is the acting of Heo Jun-Ho, and the two fight scenes with Sammo Hung! This and the uninspired scenes of Maggie Q as a sniper for the enemy, equal up to about three stars. Decent police drama that cannot quite pull all its pieces together.
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I'm conflicted whether to give a Y or an N. The veteran Chinese performers are good (I can't say that of the American), but the younger are less than pale reflections of them. I don't like most of the models turned actors who confuse posing with acting.
SPL: Sha Po Lang (product link) Crime / Drama Pretty good police movie directed by Simon Yip and chorographed by Donnie Yen. This is a straightforward police drama in which Simon Yam tries to arrest triad boss Sammo Hung by any means, even if he has to tamper with the evidence! Sammo Hung steals the movie with his criminal portrayal of the family-oriented crime boss. The end fight between Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen ranks as one of the top ten best fights of all time captured on celluloid.
As you now Sgt T, I am a huge Sammo fan and I enjoyed every minute of his fight with Donnie. I think people overlook how tight the fight between Yen and Wu Jing in the alley was!
I agree with everything you said with one exception. I honestly feel that this is a five star perfect movie just for how well it handles its many themes.
Kung Fu Hellcats (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Great actioner starring Chen Kuan Tai, with fight choreography by Lau Kar Wing and Wong Pau Gei. Chen and four others help a general escape the clutches of a corrupt president, back to where his loyal forces wait in another province. Once there he can stage a revolution to topple the corrupt official. Good fight sequences throughout, especially the grand finale where our heroes fight a humongous Judo expert from Japan!
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I had a very hard time with this film. While I thought Chen Kuan Tai and Wang Chung were their normal fantastic selves, the other 'Hellcats' didn't have the fighting ability or the acting ability to really carry their roles well.
The Return Of Master Killer (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure A very entertaining sequel to "The 36th Chamber" starring Gordon Liu. In this feature Gordon Liu pretends to be the character he portrayed in the first film, in order to scare the Manchus bullying the workers at a dye factory. Later as the ruse is discovered, Liu goes to Shaolin Temple and learns kung-fu through unconventional means. He returns to battle the Manchus and super villain Johnny Wang Lung Wai!
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"The film's concept was different but La kar leung was aiming for something funny and fresh." Yep and it ruined everything. If Lar wants to do comedy kung fu, do it under a different concept and movie and not under something that was meant to be serious.
Vengeance [1970] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure This film was not what I expected, but it was entertaining. This is a pure revenge movie as David Chiang avenges his brother Ti Lung's death at the hands of some unscrupulous individuals, for the sole purpose of taking his wife. Chiang gets his vengeance but at a costly price. Look for an appearance by the great Chen Sing as a hit man hired to kill Chiang.
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i like your reviews n we normally agree but we differ on this film. i consider vengeance no small potatoes but one of the best and most infuential films of the era
The Hot, The Cool And The Vicious [DOUBLE FEATURE 1] (product link) Martial Arts / Action/Adventure Very entertaining film starring Don Wong Tao and Tan Tao Liang. One of the better 2 on 1 fight sequences for its time. The campy performance by Tommy Lee as a hunchbacked villain is hilarious and makes getting this film worth the action and laughs.
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I thought it was funny when Tan punch a chick in the face. It looked Looney Toonish. Otherwise this film is worthless.
I'm almost embarrassed that I liked this as much as I did. Tan Tao Liang is not a talented actor, but his legwork is very fine. Don Wong Tao is nearly as good a fighter, and a much better actor. It's very good cheese.
Sgt T, you and I agree on about 99% of the movies we've reviewed and once again I agree with you. My only complaint was that I wish Tommy Lee was in the movie more because I thought he played a great villain.
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