donbendell Reviews

Mr. Nice Guy (1997)

Fairly entertaining if you don't go in expecting too much

[6/10 · 26 January 2007]

"Chan stars as a TV chef who gets caught up in the middle of a gang war when he accidentally switches videotapes with a reporter.

I think you have to take this film with a grain of salt. It was Chan's first English-language film in over ten years and, according to rumors, it was more of a test for New Line to see if Chan could handle speaking in English for an entire film. As such, not much attention was paid to the story (it's more of a rehash of Rumble in the Bronx than anything else), and most of the action pieces in the film are recycled from previous Chan movies (the mall fight from Police Story, the construction brawl from Police Story 2, etc.).

All that being said, the film is fairly entertaining if you don't go in expecting too much. The action (as could be expected under Hung's direction) is done well and some of the jokes are actually pretty funny (Hung is hilarious in a cameo as a beat-up bike messenger). There are a few sticky points, though. Once again (as in Operation Condor) Chan has three ditzy female sidekicks dragging on him (and the story) for much of the film, and Richard Norton (a good fighter you might know from the China O'Brien films or another Chan movie City Hunter) is absolutely wasted in his role as the villain; we don't even get to see a decent fight between him and Chan (apparently, Chan hurt himself and could not film a big fight sequence).

Mr. Nice Guy, like many Chan films, also suffers from what I like to call a "Warner Bros. ending," named after those Bugs Bunny cartoons where the creators don't know how to finish the cartoon, so they just have Bugs break into a song-and-dance, crack a lame joke or other such nonsense. The ending here seems to be really tacked on and weak. The story is literally wrapped up in about two minutes. I won't ruin it for you, but I think once you see it, you'll be scratching your head, thinking "That's it?" Yup. That's all folks."

Legacy of Rage (1986)

For a supposed action film, there's very little of it

[4/10 · 26 January 2007]

"A good kid (Lee) is framed by his Triad buddy (Wong), who then attempts to seduce and then rape his wife while he's in the clink. Lee gets out of prison and goes for revenge.

Yawn... oh, I'm sorry, I must have dozed off while watching this clunker. I'm beginning to think that the one Brandon Lee movie I like (Rapid Fire) is a fluke. Simply put, they don't come much worse than this. The plot is stale with a horrible, by-the-numbers script. Both Lee and Wong are (or, in Lee's case, were) not native Cantonese speakers and it shows. I think if you look up "mook jung" (a Chinese phrase meaning "dead wood" used to call someone stupid) in a dictionary, you would see a picture of the two "actors" in this movie. Watching Lee and Wong (long known as one of the worst actors in HK cinema) try to interact with each other is literally painful. Did I mention that Lee and Wong use their real first names in the movie so they would know when they are being spoken to? Agh. The filmmakers should have saved us a whole lot of trouble and just let them speak in English so we wouldn't have to sit through this slow torture. Then again, neither Lee nor Wong are/were that great in English-speaking roles either.

You might ask why am I spending so much time bitching about the acting in an action film. Well, for a supposed action film, there's very little of it. Most of the movie meanders around, at times trying to be a serious crime/prison drama in the vein of Ringo Lam's On Fire series. Which might have worked if Lee could act, but... anyway, the fights (supposedly because of Lee's lack of talent in that area as well) are so short they're barely noticeable. In one scene, Lee beats up Triad enforcer Bolo Yeung in about 10 seconds. I don't think any of the "fights" last longer than that. Mostly it's just Lee giving a tough look, two or three blows and that's it. Back to another ten or fifteen minutes of boring exposition, another mini-fight, and so on. There is a fairly vibrant shootout near the end, but by that point, it's too little, too late.

Unless you're really (and I mean really) curious to see Brandon Lee in a HK movie, avoid this one. It makes most of Cynthia Rothrock's cheesy US B-movies look like Shakespeare by comparison."

Miracles: The Canton Godfather (1989)

Jackie Chan's favorite film of his

[8/10 · 26 January 2007]

"Most Hong Kong film fans know how influenced Jackie Chan is by films from Hollywood's "golden age." Some elements from these movies have crept into many of Chan's own, such as Project A and its' sequel. This movie, however, is not just inspired by those films from years gone by, and perhaps that is why it tends to divide Jackie Chan fans so much.

The movie's plot (most of which is derived from a Frank Capra film called Lady for a Day, which was remade in the 1960's as Pocket Full of Miracles) centers around Chan, who plays a immigrant coming to Hong Kong. He meets up with a kindly old flower seller and decides to buy one -- and just narrowly misses being hit by a car. The car is full of gangsters and Chan helps fight off a rival gang. The gang's leader mistakenly makes Chan his successor and the story is off and running. Chan tries to make the gang go legit by opening a club and things seem to be going well, until Chan learns that the flower seller (whose wares have seemed to always bring him good luck) is facing a crisis. Chan enlists the aid of his gangster buddies to hatch a plan to save the day.

I will admit this movie has its' share of faults -- a somewhat overlong running time, hammy acting, a cheesy music score, a script too convoluted for its own good, a few too many characters in the mix, and a sugary-sweet ending. However, I found quite a number of good things in the film as well. The movie, for the most part, is fun. It doesn't take itself too seriously and that feeling rubs off on its audience. There's also a nice bit of outright comedy, mostly coming from Richard Ng as a bumbling policeman. Anita Mui delivers a wonderful, almost Bubsy Berkely-esquire song-and-dance number. The action (even though there is not as much of it as in most other Chan movies) is done quite well. Some of the cinematography is quite good for a Jackie Chan movie; supposedly a crane shot of Anita Mui entering a hotel room cost more to shoot than many of Chan's early films. Lastly, it was nice to see such a wide range of stars in the film -- everyone from old-school stars like Mars to more contemporary people like Yuen Biao and Amy Yip.

This isn't the usual Jackie Chan fare, but if you're willing to try something a little different, give this film a chance. Despite the bad word of mouth this movie has gotten, you may just be pleasantly surprised.

(As a side note, this is Jackie Chan's favorite film of his.)"

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Still a damn fine movie and well worth watching

[8/10 · 25 January 2007]

"This review no doubt has been colored a bit by the hype (and backlash) this movie has received. And after witnessing some of last year's "best" movies, which ranged from okay action-adventure (Gladiator) to mindless, manipulative mush (Erin Brockovich), I can clearly see why many US reviewers call this the best movie of the year. I agree with them to an extent; Crouching Tiger has everything the best films have -- a credible story, strong script, good sets/cinematography and powerful performances. But is this, as some have called it, "one of the best films of all time?" I would say not. It's certainly a great movie, but it's lacking that certain spark that sets great films apart from classic ones. While watching this movie, I got a sense of déjà vu, as in I've seen most of what's contained in here before.

Perhaps I've watched too many HK movies lately (is that a good thing or bad thing?) or was too critical going into this movie, but I found myself picking it apart by the parts, rather than the whole. I admit that this may not be the best way to view (and review) a movie, but the structure of Crouching Tiger lent itself to this kind of criticism. At any rate, the film combines elements from many successful wuxia movies -- the desert setting, flashback use and theme of unreciprocated love of Ashes of Time, the high-flying fights of Swordsman II, and so on. This of itself is not really a bad thing -- when was the last time you saw a wholly original movie? -- but, again, as I've watched a spate of these films of late, I found myself saying "well, that was done better in another movie...".

However, the movie gels together well, mostly through the performances of Michelle Yeoh (who didn't even know basic Mandarin before this film) and especially newcomer Zhang Ziyi, who is Crouching Tiger's real star. I wish the film had concentrated more on their pseudo-sister relationship, rather than using a good portion of the movie to Zhang and Chang's relationship. Even though Chang gets a good amount of screen time, his character is underwritten for his prominence in the story, and he seems more of a MacGuffin (plot device) than anything else. In fact, upon looking at this movie, it seems the opposite of many others in the genre. The male characters seem more superfluous, while it is the women who dominate. Again, this is not a bad thing, but when love and relationships figure so highly into a story, it seems kind of silly to only develop one side of a particular relationship.

Action-wise, Crouching Tiger does a good job. There isn't as much as some other movies, but what's in there is done well. Yuen Woo-Ping's touch is present in the sequences (people climbing walls, jumping across rooftops, etc.), but it's subdued enough so people who don't like wire-fu won't be too off-put by it. My only real complaint with the action is that the computer-fu stuff (people flying about) looks pretty fake in parts, though it's not as bad as some recent HK movies like A Man Called Hero.

In a nutshell, Crouching Tiger doesn't quite live up to the hype, but is still a damn fine movie and well worth watching. Despite its' problems, it does deliver a good story, performances and action, and provides solid entertainment for both HK film novices and veterans alike. One great thing has come from this movie already -- it has gotten some people who previously thought kung fu/martial arts films were "stupid" or "silly" to take the genre seriously."

China O'Brien (1990)

Bad '80's B-movie" all the way

[7/10 · 25 January 2007]

"After her role in Yes! Madam (aka In the Line of Duty), Cynthia Rothrock became the first female gweilo (foreigner) to become a star in Hong Kong. The success of the movie inspired a series of knockoffs, with women like Sophia Crawford, Karen Shepard and many others heading to Hong Kong to follow in her footsteps. The influx of "talent" (a term sometimes loosely used, since some of the women were picked more for their looks and willingness to do nudity, rather than their acting skills or martial arts ability) coming into Hong Kong -- who were often willing to work for much less money than Rothrock -- caused Cynthia's own roles to dwindle in visibility. While she continued to be involved in notable movies like Millionaire's Express (where she fought Sammo Hung, the producer who originally signed her on to Yes! Madam), her roles were becoming more of glorified cameos than anything else.

With this situation in mind, Rothrock decided to head back to America, where martial arts films were gaining popularity after the success of films by stars such as Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal. Golden Harvest president Raymond Chow was (and still is) always looking for a way to break into the lucrative American market, and so he gave the greenlight for this project. For a director, he chose Robert Clouse, who was most famous for directing Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon and Game of Death, but had accomplished little afterwards. After Clouse's collaboration with Jackie Chan (the horrible The Big Brawl) failed, Clouse found himself directing B-movie action junk like the kung fu/gymnastics combo Gymkata. Could this movie revive both Rothrock and Clouse's careers? Well, as you might imagine, the answer is no. For starters, the plot is pretty unoriginal. Cynthia plays a big-city cop named China O'Brien who leaves the force after shooting a teenager during a fight. She heads back to her hometown, where she finds that a corrupt businessman is running the show. Her father is the sheriff of the town, and after he is killed, China decides to run for sheriff to save the day. Along the way, she meets up with her old boyfriend (Richard Norton) and a mysterious Native American named Dakota (groan -- anyway, he's played by Keith Cooke), who, even though he goes around wearing a really bad-looking Evil Dead 2-type fake stump hand, manages to kick a lot of ass on the local rednecks. Of course, everyone teams up during the finale to bring "Mr. Big" down.

From the bad haircuts (even the cops in this movie sport mullets) to garish clothing to the mandatory hard rock score, China O'Brien just screams "bad '80's B-movie" all the way. Worse yet, the production values are lower than your average music video. For instance, Dakota like to ride a dirtbike around, and there are several times where you can see that his stump has magically changed into a hand (it's not like the electrical tape wrapped around his hand was convincing anyway), and apparently, this town's police station consists of one room, which also happens to be one of the bad guy's offices, after some "creative" re-arrangment of the props.

Despite it's inherent problems, China O'Brien is still a pretty fun movie to watch -- it falls into that "so bad it's good category." If you enjoy nitpicking or ripping on movies, you will have a field day with this one; it's most definitely "Mystery Science Theatre" material. Besides that, the action is surprisingly good for a US B-movie. It's a bit too undercranked (sped up) in parts, but overall it's choreographed well, with some inventive use of props and weapons. Both Rothrock and Norton, if not the greatest actors in the world, are excellent martial artists and this movie showcases their talents in a good light. Of particular note is a fight where the two take on a gang of thugs in a gym, where seemingly every piece of equipment that isn't nailed down is used as a weapon in some fashion.

Some notes about the fate of the principal people involved on the film: Cynthia Rothrock never became a star in the States (US audiences weren't as receptive to female action stars as their Asian counterparts), but continued to work steadily in low-budget action movies (as well as TV shows like the Hong Kong film-inspired Hercules) and has earned the title of "the queen of B-grade action movies" from her fans. She never returned to Hong Kong, though footage from some of her films, through cut-and-paste director Godfrey Ho has been put into a few Hong Kong movies (the most blatant case being the horrid Angel the Kickboxer, which is a "remix" of Rothrock's Honor and Glory) and some of her western direct-to-video releases have been put into theatres in Asia.

Keith Cooke, who was heavily promoted as one of the "hot" new action stars (there is a sizable segment in the documentary The Deadliest Art -- perhaps not coincidentally produced by Fred Weintraub -- dedicated to him) never found much success in films, though he still finds work from time to time. His most notable roles have been in films involving Hong Kong B-movie actor Robin Shou, such as playing some of the ninjas in the movies based on the popular "Mortal Kombat" video game.

Richard Norton has had a bit more success than the rest. He found work with his old friend Chuck Norris' TV show Walker, Texas Ranger, where he worked as a fight/stunt coordinator. Norton, like Rothrock, also became a staple of cheap US B-movies, as well as sometimes working in Hong Kong, with major roles in Jackie Chan's City Hunter and Mr. Nice Guy. He also served on producer for a few movies, and is currently working in Australia and Europe on various movies and TV shows."

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Bizarre low-budget affair

[7/10 · 25 January 2007]

"Before it was cool to have guys in trenchcoats shooting dual guns at each other or flying around as they do kung fu, John Carpenter crafted this bizarre low-budget affair that still remains one of the most true combonations of US and HK cinema -- if only because Carpenter seems to use Wong Jing's "kitchen sink" approach to film-making, with both an appreciation of the past, but a total disregard for the rules.

The fairly silly story is about a truck driver named Jack (Kurt Russell) who gets sucked into the strange underworld of Chinatown while trying to help his buddy rescue his girlfriend from an evil sorceror. But don't worry too much about the plot. The film has its' tongue planted firmly in cheek at all times, spurred on by Russell's wonderfully dry, yet hammy, delivery of the dialogue. Actionwise, Big Trouble also does a good job. Granted, it's no Crouching Tiger or anything like that, but Carpenter did the best (I think) with what he had to work with, and like most low-budget directors, he substitutes creativity for pyrotechnics, such as a group of three elemental warriors, one of whom (played by Cater Wong) would become the basis for Raiden in the Mortal Kombat games and movies.

Big Trouble in Little China is one of those great "midnight movies" that you catch on TV at 3 am, and stay up all night watching. It's not really good, but it's not really bad, either -- it's one of those rare movies that are so over the top that you can't help being sucked in, unless you're some kind of film snob. I won't try to defend the plot or the script or the acting -- this is just a fun no-brainer popcorn movie, plain and simple, and a damn good one at that. Sure, there's a lot of cheese in here, but you occasionally have to have a cheeseburger to appreciate filet mignon."

Heart of Dragon (1985)

No slam-bang action movie

[6/10 · 25 January 2007]

"Jackie Chan plays a cop torn between taking his dream job aboard a ship and staying to take care of his semi-retarded brother (Hung). Things get a bit more complicated when Hung inadvertently steals some Triads' loot and the gang (led by Dick Wei) seeks revenge.

If you're expecting a slam-bang action movie in the vein of Chan and Hung's other movies where they teamed up (like Dragons Forever), you may be disappointed. The majority of the movie is a serious drama as Chan tries to help out his brother -- there's even a part where Chan breaks down into tears. However, both Chan and Hung do a good job and it makes the story believable. The supporting cast also does well: Emily Chu plays Chan's long-suffering girlfriend, Lam Ching-Ying is Chan's captain and Yuen Biao has a small role as one of Chan's cop buddies.

Action and martial arts fans don't need to fret too much, though. The last half-hour of the movie is jam-packed with action. It almost seems a bit out of place, but hey, I'll take a Sammo Hung-directed Jackie Chan action sequence any day of the week. Heart of Dragon's only big misstep is its ending -- it's done with a musical montage which seems to be so popular in HK films. It really wraps up nothing and feels more tacked-on rather than a proper ending."

Game of Death (1978)

Might test your patience

[6/10 · 25 January 2007]

"Even though this is sometimes called Bruce Lee's last movie, he is in it for really only twenty minutes. While he was working on this film, he was called by Warner Bros. to start on Enter the Dragon. Lee, of course, died shortly before ETD's premiere, and so the rest of Game of Death was finished using Lee lookalikes and released some five years after "the dragon's" death. The result is actually pretty good, perhaps not surprisingly because the bits in which Lee appears are excellent. It's too bad the rest of the movie is such junk.

Lee (and his lookalikes) play Billy Tang, an actor who the Mafia for some reason want to control. When Billy refuses, the mob puts the squeeze on his girlfriend (some okay-looking gweilo with a horrible singing voice). Of course, Billy won't take that kind of crap and sets out to dish out some street justice. Really, the first two-thirds of this movie is pretty bad -- all of the actors (mostly gweilos) are pretty sorry, and the lookalike scam never really works. It doesn't help that the doubles aren't nearly as talented fighters as Lee himself. However, the final bit in the movie, where Lee has to climb up a building, fighting a different type of enemy on each floor, is outstanding and a true classic, right down to Lee's swank yellow jumpsuit. While the rest of Game of Death might test your patience, the ending provides a satisfying payoff."

Five Deadly Venoms (1978)

To see where modern movies got their inspiration from

[8/10 · 25 January 2007]

"In the world of old-school kung fu movies, where revenge pictures came a dime a dozen, it took a lot for a film to stand out -- and even more to make it a fan favorite after all these years. What is arguably Chang Cheh's finest movie continues to hold influence over the Hong Kong movie industry, from the themes of loyalty, brotherhood and revenge as explored by John Woo (who got his start in the HK movie industry working for Chang) during the heyday of heroic bloodshed during the late 1980's, to more modern movies like A Man Called Hero, which sports a character in a costume inspired by this film. The influence has also carried into other areas as well, from music such as the Wu-Tang Clan, TV commercials for Sprite and video games such as "Mortal Kombat." So what makes this movie so special? The plot -- on the surface -- is pretty simple. It deals with members of a rogue group known as the "Poison Clan" who are searching for a treasure hidden by their sifu. All of the members of the clan have extraordinary kung fu abilities, denoted by their animal styles, or "venoms" (the lizard can climb walls, the scorpion has a deadly strike, etc.). The twist is that since the clan always wears masks, not all of them known who the others are. Thus a simple plot becomes almost a suspense thriller. We're not talking The Usual Suspects here, but it's far above many other kung fu movies of the time. Supposedly, Golden Harvest was not too happy with Chang's script -- like most of his movies, they felt it was too dark and violent -- and they actually wanted him to add broad comic relief to it. Thankfully, Chang stuck to his guns and stayed with his original script, which has since has become revered as one of the best for the films of its time, if not ever, completing an almost perfect dramatic arc and providing the perfect backbone for the extraordinary action sequences.

But what really solidifies the movie are the venoms themselves. Chang Cheh hit upon a magical formula with the cast -- not only did he gain talented martial artists (whose moves, competed without the aid of wires or other special effects, put most modern martial artists to shame) but great actors as well. The formula proved so popular that Chang usually had one or more of the venoms in his later movies. Getting back to matters at hand, in most old-school movies, the actors seem to playing out cardboard cutouts, but here the actors actually create characters. It seems that everyone has a favorite venom (mine is Philip Kwok -- best known to many as Mad Dog from Hard-Boiled -- as Lizard) and it is this personal connection to the characters that The Five Deadly Venoms generates which makes it a true classic of the genre. Even if you're normally not a fan of old-school movies, you need to check The Five Deadly Venoms out, if for nothing else to see where modern movies got their inspiration from."

Double Impact (1991)

What a classic of B-movie cheese this is

[6/10 · 25 January 2007]

"What a classic of B-movie cheese this is. In the first of Van Damme's trilogy of twin movies (at least until he decides to use the idea yet again), our boy Jean-Claude plays brothers who are separated when a Triad hit team takes out their parents. Twenty years later, the "bad" brother is a smuggler in HK, while the "good" one is an aerobics instructor in Los Angeles, and they team up to take revenge on the boss (Philip Chan) who took out their parents.

There's nothing really great about Double Impact, other than the immortal tagline of "double the Van Damme, double the Van Damage", but it is a solid low-budget actioner. The script and acting are average to say the least, and the movie looks like it was made for fifty cents and a case of returnable bottles, but when it comes to action, Double Impact delivers the goods. The fights are among some of Van Damme's best, with good choreography and tight filming and editing. Also of note are the gunfights; I might be wrong, but I believe that this was the first Western movie to have John Woo-style dual 9mms (complete with slow motion). If you have a high tolerance for cheeseball antics (or just like to make fun of them), there's some good times to be had with Double Impact. I'm kind of sorry to say this, but given the current anemic state of action films, even middling stuff like this is much better than the crap that has been getting cranked out lately."

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)

Haven't really learned anything about the "real" Bruce Lee

[5/10 · 25 January 2007]

"As you might guess, this is a film about the life of Bruce Lee (based on a book written by his widow, Linda). Like most Hollywood "biopics," Dragon tends to over-glamorize its' subject. There's very little mention of Lee's dark side, such as his sometimes violent temper or his alleged affairs and hashish use. Which is a shame, really, because Lee's real story is a whole lot more interesting than your typical Hollywood romance movie -- which is what this ultimately boils down to. Both leads do a fair job, and Jason Scott Lee (no relation to Bruce) looks pretty good in the action sequences. However, after watching Dragon, one gets the sense that they haven't really learned anything about the "real" Bruce Lee."

Drunken Master II (1994)

Do yourself a favor and hunt this down -- you won't be disappointed

[8/10 · 25 January 2007]

"Jackie Chan returns as Wong Fei-Hung, the folk hero he took to stardom in the first Drunken Master movie. While helping his dad bring back some medicine, Fei-Hung accidentally switches packages with a mysterious old kung fu master (Lau) and obtains a rare Chinese artifact. Eventually, Fei-Hung finds out about a smuggling ring taking some of China's most precious treasures and decides to try and stop them.

This was Chan's first "traditional" martial arts movie in about 10 years (after making cop pictures like Police Story), but Chan clearly hadn't lost a step. Not only is Drunken Master II his best traditional film, it's his best movie period. Watching this movie for the first time is a thing of pure enjoyment. The plot develops at a breezy pace; you never can really dwell on facts such as Fei-Hung's mother (Mui) looks younger than him. Speaking of Mui, she's a refreshing change of pace from the airheaded females featured in recent Chan films. She steals the show in every scene she's in as Fei-Hong's wise-cracking mah jongg-addicted mother. Ti Lung also gives a believably stern performance as Fei-Hong's exasperated dad.

But what's a Jackie Chan movie without action? Believe me, once you see the fight scenes in Drunken Master II, most others (even Chan's) pale in comparison. Words cannot do these masterpieces justice. If the climatic fight between Fei-Hung and two thugs (played by Ken Lo, Chan's real-life bodyguard and Ho Sung Pak, the model for many of the characters in the popular "Mortal Kombat" video game) doesn't get your pulse going, you must be dead or severely intoxicated. Supposedly, the fight took months to film and it shows. Chan has never looked better.

Do yourself a favor and hunt this down -- you won't be disappointed."

Eastern Condors (1987)

Definitely one of Sammo's best films

[8/10 · 25 January 2007]

"This movie is kind of an amalgamation of The Dirty Dozen and Rambo, with Lam Ching-Ying bringing a group of convicts (Sammo being the leader amongst them) into Vietnam to complete a dangerous mission. Even though there are some attempts at emotion and symbolism sprinkled throughout the movie, the emphasis here is on action. There is just enough exposition to get the the next action sequence, then a bit more story, some more action, and so on. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. I would much rather watch an action movie just be a straight-forward adrenalin fest than yet another Killer wannabe. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy the non-action bits. I found the characters quite engaging and enjoyed getting to know more about them, especially Max Mok as the resident wise ass, Wu Ma as the crusty old-timer, and Joyce Godenzi (Sammo's wife) as a Cambodian mercenary. There are also some genuinely moving dramatic parts as well, most notably a Deer Hunter-style game of Russian roulette that involves children.

But, as I said before, the emphasis in Eastern Condors is on the action, and it delivers it in spades. This is one of those rare movies where it's hard to pick out your favorite sequence because they're all so good. Sammo and Yuen Biao do the majority of the fighting (as well as doing some amazing stunts), but most of the cast gets in a few licks during the movie. It was really cool seeing guys like Corey Yuen and Yuen Woo-Ping showing their stuff on screen, versus the behind-the-scenes work they do now. Of course, most of the guys get killed off until a final confrontation between the remainder of the force and the Vietnamese bosses, which is a stunning fight, and like the rest of this movie, should not be missed by any martial arts/action fan. Eastern Condors is definitely one of Sammo's best films and comes highly recommended."

Encounter of the Spooky Kind (1980)

One of the first successful attempts at combining martial arts with horror

[7/10 · 25 January 2007]

"Hung plays Chang, a town bumpkin who unwittingly is drawn into the realm of the supernatural after a trick by his buddies goes awry and conjures up a zombie. His cheating wife takes note and, with her lover, attempts to kill Chang by duping him into repeatedly staying the night in a haunted cemetery, where he must face a powerful zombie. Eventually, he enlists the help of a friendly white (good) wizard to try and help him get rid of the zombies once and for all.

One of the first successful attempts at combining martial arts with horror, Encounters of the Spooky Kind is a classic in the genre that helped pave the way for such popular movies as the Mr. Vampire series. It should be noted though that the HK definition of horror is a bit different than here in the West. The zombies (or vampires, depending on the interpretation) look and act (at least to Western standards) weird, hopping about in a kind of dead man's dance. As such, the horror aspects of the movie probably aren't as strong to me as they may be to others. But the film does succeed in creating some excellent action pieces. The finale, which has Hung and the wizard teaming up to defeat a dark wizard and his demon is a textbook example of the genre and quite exciting to watch."

Enter the Dragon (1973)

The final film Bruce Lee worked on before his death in 1973

[8/10 · 25 January 2007]

"A kung-fu master (Lee) is asked by the Hong Kong government to infiltrate a martial arts tournament, which is actually a front for drug smuggling. He agrees after he finds out that the gang members killed his sister. During the tournament, he meets up with a gambler down on his luck (Saxon) and a black karate master (Kelly), who reluctantly end up aiding Lee.

A lot of people call this one of the best (if not the best) martial arts film of all time. I like the movie, but I wouldn't go that far. While it does stand above many other films, Enter the Dragon is just lacking that certain something. The movie loses itself in subplots with the Saxon and Kelly characters -- does anyone actually believe John Saxon could kick Bolo Yeung's ass? I suspect the only reason so much emphasis was put on these characters was to give the movie more "crossover" appeal (just think of the pairing of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour). There's also a lot of unnecessary nudity; I have nothing against nudity, it's just that the scenes that involve it here grind the movie to a halt. Finally, the "revenge for a family member" plot was tired even back in the '70's. This wouldn't be such a bad thing, but the script is so horrible and Clouse seems to be sleepwalking as director, it comes off as really no better than those countless "Kung-Fu Theatre" movies (at least in the storytelling department).

However, in the action department, Enter the Dragon certainly delivers. Warner Bros. wisely decided to let Lee direct all the fight sequences, and they're outstanding. Every time I start to bitch about the things stated above, once I see Lee beating the hell out of everyone, I remember why I like the movie. The final brawl is a true classic which very few films have matched since then. On the acting side, Lee is also great; his stern, dignified performance stands out, especially when compared with other martial arts "actors" like Van Damme. He really did have a lot of talent in both realms of fighting and acting, and Enter the Dragon showcases them. So, while it's not a perfect movie, Enter the Dragon is a fitting testament to Lee's legacy.

RATING: 8

A couple of side notes...

For its' 25th anniversary, Enter the Dragon was reissued. If you haven't seen this version yet, I highly recommend you do so. The picture is much clearer, and the soundtrack is finally in stereo (gotta love that funky theme). This "special edition" also includes the original trailer, a behind-the-scenes documentary and interviews with Lee and his widow, Linda. There are also a couple of added scenes cut from the US version. This was the first major US/HK co-production ever and it paved the way for trade between the two countries (both in films and personnel). If you look fast, you can see a young Jackie Chan in the ending fight sequence in the drug lab. Sammo Hung is the guy Lee fights at the beginning of the film. The film was banned in several countries including Finland and Sweden upon its release, and is still heavily censored in England (which prohibits the showing of nunchakus). Yang Sze changed his stage name to "Bolo Yeung" after his character became popular. He still uses the name to this day. This was the final film Bruce Lee worked on before his death in 1973. He died before the movie's US premiere and would never see how popular the movie (and he) would become."

Enter the Fat Dragon (1978)

One of Hung's better early efforts

[7/10 · 25 January 2007]

"One of Hung's better early efforts. The humor is dead-on in parts as Hung tries to imitate Lee's moves and facial expressions, and also in a bit where Hung pokes fun at Jackie Chan's Drunken Master. The action is also pretty good, especially when Hung takes on a trio on martial arts experts at the end. It's not the greatest film, but pretty good for '70's kung fu, especially if you're a fan of Hung and/or Lee. Be warned, though: most video versions of the movie have pretty shoddy quality. There is also a character in blackface which some people might find offensive.

Sammo Hung is a rural swine-herder who moves to Hong Kong to fight off some bad guys. Sammo turns on his dead-on Bruce Lee impersonation when fighting!

This film is often billed as a parody of Bruce Lee's "Enter The Dragon", but it's not exactly that... Sammo is a rural swine herder--obsessed with Bruce Lee--who moves to Hong Kong to help his relatives run a small open-air restaurant. Once situated at the new job, he is forced to defend the eatery from local gangsters looking for protection money. When Sammo switches into fighting mode, he switches on his Bruce Lee impersonation, which must be seen to be believed! This film is pretty sloppy, in many of the fight scenes Sammo battles against people who are obviously actors rather than martial artists, and there's one character who's supposed to be black who is played by an Asian man in heavy (and preposterous) makeup. But what this film lacks in budget and accuracy, it more than makes up for in atmosphere and energy. Highly recommended for a good mood."

Chungking Express (1994)

Warrants a viewing from anyone who considers themselves a serious movie fan

[9/10 · 25 January 2007]

"Despite on how much has been written about this movie, the basic plot is pretty simple. It's the story of two cops dealing with love and relationships in the fast-paced world of Hong Kong. The first part concentrates on Takeshi Kaneshiro as he pines for the girlfriend who dumped him. Every night, he goes through a series of strange rituals hoping to get her back. When they seem to fail, he goes on a series of binges, first eating all the pineapple he can pick up and then heading to a local watering hole where he gets well and truly soused, after which he meets up with a mysterious smuggler played by Brigitte Lin (in her last film role and nearly unrecognizable in a blonde wig and big sunglasses). The second story focuses on Tony Leung, who also has gone through a break-up, as he develops a strange relationship with a girl who works at a local cafe (Faye Wong).

At first, I really did not know what to think about this movie. Like most of Wong Kar-Wai's works, it's at times obtuse and almost overly self-indulgent. However, there are so many scenes in Chungking Express which stick in your mind -- almost like fleeting images from a dream -- that by the end of the movie, or especially after repeated viewings, that it tends to grow on you, like the guy at the bar who you think is obnoxious at first but turns out to be a pretty good chap in the end. I will grant that there are some parts of the movie which seem totally silly and absurd. For instance, Faye has a habit of breaking into Tony's apartment and rearranging his furniture -- and Tony never seems to realize this. There are also parts which seem to translate into movie-making masturbation, such as the seemingly infinite repeating renditions of "California Dreaming." The song is Faye's favorite and it plays almost every time she is on screen at very high volume. I'm aware of what a musical motif is, but at times the repetition get ridiculous.

But, as I said before, there are a lot of scenes in Chungking Express which hold your attention and make the story more credible as a whole. Perhaps not coincidentally, these scenes are often those which feature the least gimmicks to them, the ones where the actors can simply work. The scenes where Takeshi tries to pick up Brigitte by asking her if she likes pineapple in five different languages, Tony berating his dishrag for not having enough absorbency, or especially the small scenes of Tony and Faye meeting up in a local market and awkwardly flirting, are both funny and powerful in a quiet way. It is in these scenes that Chungking Express transcends typical romantic movie territory because the characters become something more than cookie-cutter caricatures as present in most other movies of the type. Even though their actions seem "unreal/unbelivable" (in terms of the romantic movie canon) at first, the more we learn and see about them, the more you feel connected to them -- and more importantly, the more you care about where the movie will lead to.

Chungking Express is so well-done that it warrants a viewing from anyone who considers themselves a serious movie fan. If you want to expand your Hong Kong movie horizons to something other than cops and robbers or kung fu, this is an excellent place to start.

Chungking Express was actually done during the editing of Wong Kar-Wai's Ashes of Time, as Wong was having "editor's block" and needed something to cleanse his palette.

As I mentioned before, this was Brigitte Lin's final film role, even though technically, Ashes of Time (which Lin also starred in) came out later. Wong wanted her to wear the blonde wig in order to both poke fun at and take advantage of the Greta Garbo vibe Brigitte carried with her. At this point in Hong Kong film history, Brigitte was a huge star in Asia after the popular Swordsman trilogy, but shied away from the limelight, just as Garbo had. After Chungking Express, Lin (like many HK actresses) married "out" of the movie industry with a relationship with a businessman, in this case one of the founders of the "Espirit" clothing company -- perhaps, not coincidentally, one of the major corporate sponsors of the movie. In a bit of history repeating itself, Lin in retirement has become like Garbo in her later years -- at least according to various press reports and internet rumors -- staying away from the movie industry and formal interviews, but remaining a very nice person. She can still be seen walking along the streets of Hong Kong (her sister owns a shop there).

On the other side of the coin, this was Faye Wong's first role in a movie (though she had worked on a few soap operas before). Even though Chungking Express was a success with both critics and fans, Faye decided to keep concentrating on her musical career and did not make another movie until 2000's Okinowa Rendezvous. On closer inspection though, Faye seems to have a lot in common with Brigitte, which makes a nice parallel with their contrasting characters in the movie -- Faye bring the wide-eyed dreamer and Brigitte being the world-weary veteran. After attaining some success in her musical career, Faye broke with tradition by singing in Mandarin rather than Cantonese, while at the same time bringing more of a western influence to her work (she sings the Chinese cover of the Cranberries' "Dreams" featured on the soundtrack). Like Brigitte, she has a pretty icy relationship with the formal press (especially after their reaction to her and young HK teen heart-throb Nicholas Tse's relationship after Faye had broke up with her husband), but is considered to be extremely friendly to her fans."

Cheetah on Fire (1992)

A bit disappointing

[6/10 · 25 January 2007]

"At first, I was a bit surprised at the cast list of this movie. But, of course, Cheetah on Fire was made during the early '90s, where there seemed to be an overabundance of talent, but not enough quality producers, directors or scriptwriters to work with them. Granted, none of the cast (with perhaps the exception of Gordon Liu) are really "A-list" stars, but if you were looking to make an action movie, you could do much worse than the actors assembled here.

Which makes the results of Cheetah on Fire a bit disappointing. There is a good deal of action, but it lacks that certain something -- that extra punch -- to set it above other similar films. The action is staged and shot well, and there could have been some classic stuff (such as when Donnie Yen takes on Ken Lo, and then later when he fights Gordon Liu) but it all falls a bit flat. What makes matters worse is that the exposition in Cheetah on Fire is fairly poor.

The direction is workman-like at best, and that make the plodding script seem all the worse. When we're supposed to develop sympathy for the characters and care when they are hurt, but all that happens is boredom or laughter, something fell apart in the execution -- much like Cheetah on Fire as a whole. It's not a bad movie. In fact, I had a pretty good time with it because of the abundance of action. It's just that I had fairly high expectations and they were not met. Cheetah on Fire does a good job for a low-budget action movie, but don't expect much more than some decent action sequences."

Bulletproof Monk (2003)

A surprisingly fast and funny movie

[7/10 · 25 January 2007]

"From the trailers for this movie, I thought it was going to be stupid. Not Kangaroo Jack level stupid, but Chow Yun-Fat and Stifler? I certainly had my doubts, but Bulletproof Monk is actually a pretty entertaining picture -- it's better than the much-ballyhooed Rush Hour movies, at least.

The film has Chow as a Tibetan monk who is in charge of protecting a mystical scroll that contains the secret to eternal life. Each monk who keeps the scroll must hold on to it for sixty years, but in return they do not age and are nearly invincible. The movie kicks off in the late 1930's, when a group of Nazis led by Karel Roden come to Chow's temple looking for the scroll. Chow gets away, and then we fast-forward to modern-day New York (once again, it's actually Toronto) where a decrepit Roden is still after the scroll and it's time for Chow to hand it to the next protector, who turns out to be a pickpocket played by Seann William Scott.

Okay, I'm sure that Bulletproof Monk still sounds stupid -- Chow Yun-Fat versus Nazis while he's training Stifler doesn't exactly sound like Casablanca. But for some reason it works. I guess it boils down to the work put in by the two leads. Unlike some recent buddy movies with martial artists (or just Asians, because, as we all know, every Asian guy knows kung fu) paired with comedians or rappers, the performances don't seem forced. It looks like Scott and Chow had a good time working together, and that feeling transfers on to the viewer. The comedy here is nothing side-splitting, but it's not anything that will be making you grab for the Excedrin either.

I do have a few complaints, though. As is the case with too many other so-called "action" films nowadays, the script tries too hard and ends up clogging the proceedings in the process. In particular, Jamie King's character seems superfluous. Even when a backstory is given for her character, it's so unbelievable that it doesn't even matter. The action is pretty good for the most part, but it's not really all that original (the final fight is very "inspired" by the one from China Strike Force) and some of the computer effects look too obvious.

I also have a couple of other quibbles. There are a few things in here that so many action movies are doing nowadays, and I'm just tired of them. The first is the "flip off the wall" move. It looked cool in The Matrix, now let's move on already. And why does EVERYONE in these movies have to know kung fu? Even some of the Nazis here use it. It's damn ridiculous.

At any rate, despite its flaws, Bulletproof Monk is a surprisingly fast and funny movie that might slip under a lot of people's radars, but is worth a viewing for the action junkies out there."

Battle Creek Brawl (1980)

Jackie Chan in a dilemma

[6/10 · 25 January 2007]

"After the enormous success in Hong Kong of Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master, Jackie Chan found himself in a dilemma. He was still under contract to the inept director Lo Wei, who was trying to make Chan into the next Bruce Lee. Chan had long resented trying to be molded into Lee, and with his recent success, he thought he had proved that other forms of martial arts films could do well. However, Lo thought the same formula he had used with Lee on Fist of Fury would work for Chan, and didn't hesitate to keep using it over and over, even though the dismal box office returns told him otherwise. Eventually, Chan walked out on Lo in disgust during the filming of Fearless Hyena 2 and signed with the Golden Harvest studio. Chan thought Golden Harvest's success would free him from Lo's clutches, but Lo had some tricks up his sleeve. He was connected with the Triads (Hong Kong gangsters) and sent thugs to the set to threaten Chan. Eventually, things got so bad that Chan's manager Willie Chan suggested that he travel to America for his first starring role in the States.

On the surface, things looked good. The movie was being backed by the Warner Bros. studio and would have a budget bigger than any of Chan's Hong Kong movies, and was going to be directed by Robert Clouse, who had helmed the most popular kung fu film of all time, Enter the Dragon. Thematically, it was to have contained many elements from the Hollywood Golden Age (films from the 1930's and 40's) that Chan admired so much. In fact, the film was pitched to Chan as an "Eastern Western" -- something that was a dream idea of Chan's. However, one thing lurked beneath the surface -- something that would make Chan miserable and turn this film into the horrible mish-mash that it is. Everyone involved -- the producers, the director, the studio -- wanted Chan to become the thing he had run away from in Hong Kong. They wanted him to become the next Bruce Lee.

The film's shadow of a plot revolves around Chan inadvertently putting the proverbial monkey wrench into gangster Jose Ferrer's plans. Eventually, Ferrer puts the squeeze on Chan's family and Chan finds himself competing in a bare-knuckle fighting tournament to save the family business (which is, of course, a laundry). Really, the particulars don't matter. This movie's horrible from beginning to end. The script, the cinematography, the acting -- they're all bad. Probably the biggest disappointment are the fight sequences. No one on the set allowed Chan any input at all, and as such, well, they're just pathetic. One of the movie's major sequences has Chan battling the gangsters during a roller-skating race. Now, this could actually be good; anyone who's seen Rollerball could attest to that. But in this movie, it comes off as what it is -- a bunch of people who can barely skate attempting to create a fight scene under the supervison of a director who has no idea of what his star can do.

This may (and I stress may) be worth a look for major Chan fans who want to see his US debut. But, honestly, this kind of movie is better left forgotten.

And to wrap up the long-winded story I've set up in this review, Chan was able to go back to Hong Kong via some help from old-school star Jimmy Wang Yu, who had his own Triad connections. He was eventually able to make his Eastern Western (albeit twenty years later) with Shanghai Noon. After the dismal failure of the film, Robert Clouse found himself regulated to doing B-list martial arts movies... and, in perhaps one of the most pathetic attempts to cover ones' tracks, later stated in the documentary The Deadliest Art that Chan was "one of the best people he had ever worked with."

Bloodsport (1988)

Based on the real-life story of Frank Dux

[9/10 · 25 January 2007]

"One of Van Damme's first starring roles (he got the lead after meeting producer Menham Globus on the street and kicking near his head), based on the real-life story of Frank Dux, the first Westerner to win the Kumite, an underground full-contact fighting tournament in Hong Kong. The story is pretty clichéd (Dux wants to win the Kumite to impress his master), but this is still one of Van Damme's best movies, mostly because he doesn't talk a whole lot (though he does show his ass, which I think he is obligated to do in every film). His kickboxing skills are put to good use in the various fights, and the minor characters in the film are also quite good martial artists. Bolo virtually sleepwalks through his role as Chong Li, the current Kumite champion, but does look suitably menacing as a villain."

Fainaru faito - Saigo no ichigeki (1989)

Smack yourself in the head!

[5/10 · 25 January 2007]

To say that this movie is a bit of a rip off of Bloodsport is an understatement -- Bolo Yeung's character even has the same name. The story has down-and-out fighter Kurata Yasuaki training Simon Yam for a "world martial arts tournament" (which of course takes place in some dingy basement), where he is beaten to a pulp by Bolo (who sports the worst-looking fake tattoos ever). Kurata starts boozing it up for a while, but then sees the light and begins training for the next tournament.

If you can't guess how this movie ends, then please promptly smack yourself in the head. Really, the only reason to even consider watching this dreck is to see how Simon Yam fares with acting in English and doing kung fu. Sadly, as good of an actor as Simon is, his work here makes some of Steven Segal's look Shakespearenan by comparison. The final fight between Kurata and Bolo is admittedly pretty decent, but it's too little, too late. Don't waste your time with this stinker.

Bruce Lee in New Guinea (1978)

It is truly so bad that it's actually good !

[7/10 · 18 January 2007]

"Boy, this is just one of the worst movies I have ever seen. But it is truly so bad that it's actually good. As is you couldn't tell just from the title itself, Bruce Li in New Guinea is just a damn silly film from beginning to end that is so unintentionally hilarious, it warrants a viewing. So what do we have here? Well, Bruce plays an archaeologist who travels to "Serpent Island" to find some mystical pearl (which looks more like a metal ball to me) and finds the natives persecuted by some cult. Of course, Bruce manages to save the day and gets the girl, all the while aided by a friendly ape. Yes, an ape. However, since Bruce Li in New Guinea has a budget of fifty cents and a case of returnable bottles, it's actually a guy in one of those cheap monkey suits you rent for Halloween. This kind of stuff makes Hercules in New York look like Apocalypse Now. But then again, you probably didn't expect a movie called Bruce Li in New Guinea to be an Oscar winner, did you? Just turn your brain off and get ready for some kung fu shenanigans, cheesy '70's style, and you should get some kicks from this."