5 comments about The Postman Fights Back.

1. A very interesting film (1982). I admit, it was odd to think of Beardy (Leung Kar-Yan) and
   Chow Yun Fat working on screen together in co-starring roles, yet its an enticing
   proposition nonetheless. I'm hardly a CYF completist, but I always enjoy a flick
   with him up front and center. PSB is really Beardy's flick, but Chow's easy
   charisma is never overshadowed - if anything, that `grin and a toothpick' charmer is well forshadowed
   here - and as we see him do a few martial moves, even an early Mu Bai of sorts is glimpsed (he not only fights but uses darts that shoot from his wrist!!!).

   Yuen Woo Ping's touch is also evident here and so the choreography is decent and fairly
   fast, though the movie is more on 'conspiracy' and 'plot' than 'action' per se. The characters are low-key
   and a bit somber, but this, I feel, is a reflection of the movie's intended mood. Having said that,
   Beardy et al deliever some tight moves, when we get them. I noted while watching this, that

   many of the characters smoke: Chow is constantly smoking and Beardy smokes a lot. The
   excellent outdoor scerey further removes this from anything resembling a standard chop-socky flick, and yet, its
   not yet hong kong's `modern era' - this movie seems to exist in its own somber (not depressing!) place and time. I can't say it feels "original," yet it wasn't ever boring, imo.

   "During the Republican era, an evil warlord instructs his right hand man to find four suitable
   candidates to transport his valuable gifts across dangerous grounds. He recruits four men; a
   postman (Leung Kar Yan), a thief (Yuen Yat Chor), a dynamiter and a conman (Chow Yun
   Fat). The only instructions they are given are to never open the cargo and to deliver it within
   seven days. After numerous ambush attempts the group begin to become suspicious but they
   have no idea of the horror that awaits them and the consequences of completing the mission
   successfully." (Dragon'sDenUk)

   I'm not sure who the villain is (an arms-selling ninja believe it or not - it works), but
   I've seen him in several films. This movie sets a tone of uncertainty and the lead players

   feel as cold and distant as the beautiful and still snow-covered lands that often serve as a
   backdrop. Theres a little love, a little betrayal a little rvenge and some bitter-sweet, like
   most hong-kong dishes and that will leave you satisfied if you love the genre. The film is
   at least a three star, but wants that extra half star too, so at 3.5 stars you should check it out.




2. This movie left quite a bit to be desired. The plot had potential, however, for me, it never seemed to get off the ground and get moving. The fight scenes were well done and fast, moving along very well. I enjoyed the fight scenes much more than the rest of the movies, these scenes stood out as well done. Chow Yun Fat stole the show with his easy going mood and quick reactions when attacked. I glimpse of what was to come in his future movie making.
   
   Overall, I was disappointed with the movie and feel I must rank it below average.



3. During a time when Ronny Yu was just starting out, he made not just a kung fu movie, but a real movie that involves kung fu. Set in China during the time when soon to become Emperor Yuan Shikai was trying to gain that royal spot, Chow Yun Fat, Leung Kar Yan, Fan Mei Sheng, and Yuen Chat-Yor(one of Woo Ping's many brothers)are hired to make a delivery to one of Yuan's Generals. They find out why they were meant to deliver this and it is not for a good reason. Constantly being atacked on the road leads to lots of bloodshed. While it is an exciting movie, it is still a kung fu drama. It gets pretty dark but don't worry, this turns into a pure revenge flick.
   
   The story is well done, but there are some things involved that are just pure nonsense. Don't expect Sho Kosugi type of action but I wasn't really expecting this to be a ninja flick. Eddy Ko was great in 'Duel to the Death', but that was meant to be cheesy. This is a serious movie and the gimmicks just didn't fit in even though they were well done. Eddy Ko is great as always as the villian though. Also on the positive side, Ronny Yu does show some great cinematography with beautiful locations and it is directed well enough.
   
   There are no long extended action sequences but Leung Kar Yan gets to show off quite a bit. An unusally high amount of kicks from him. Chow Yun Fat also looks great even though he can only do a limited number of moves in each take. He still holds his own and looks outstanding. Fan Mei was awesome too. It seems like the fighting is meant to be more realistic but I could have used at least 1 good 1-on-1 extended fight sequence. There is 1 fight with Chow that is about 2 minutes long but that is not really what I was looking for. Still, good action. The choreography is done by the Yuen Clan with Yuen Shun Yi and Yuen Chung Yeung doing most of the work. 3.5/5
   
   The DVD from Fox/Fortune Star is very good. It is presented in a letterboxed widescreen format. Picture quality is acceptable and it has the original Cantonese language track! It also has a bad mix job on both the English and Cantoneses 5.1 tracks but it is always nice to have an English dub. No special features but I consider the original language track to be a big bonus. The way it was meant to be heard is what I always prefer.



4. Many of Hong Kong films have a backdrop of historical intrigue in the Qing Dynasty (circa 1644 to 1911). Golden Harvest's The Postman Fights Back takes place a few years after this period in 1913 just after the establishment of the Republic of China with Yuan Shikai and the Northern Warlords fighting Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. The historical aspects behind this is quite fascinating (though only mentioned a little in this film) because Sun was originally elected the first Provincial president after the Qing Dynasty and then helped get Yuan elected as First President of the China Republic, was most likely coerced into doing this and later would rebel against this (Sun would go to Japan shortly after the failed coup and Yuan would die a few years later in 1916.) Back to the story: bandit Zhao Long holds the northern mountain pass named Laoma that is of great use to Yuan militarily and sends envoy Hu (Eddy Ko Hung) to persuade Zhao to side with Yuan.
   
   Hu enlists the help of a courier named Ma (Leung Kar-Yan from Drunken Dragon) a stoic no-nonsense man whose own job is fraught with little money, unappreciative little sods who do not appreciate the melted chocolate he has brought them and the fact that he knows his living is in jeopardy as transportation like the railroads become more commonplace. Even then he was reluctant to help Hu until his troublemaker friend Yao Jie (Yuen Yat-Choh) decided (or was it another reason ...) to employee himself under Hu. Now there is a little confusion on why he eventually took this job. Ma was confronted earlier by his sister Guihwa (Cherie Chung Cho-Hung) who had told him that father sold her 15-year old sister to Shanghai and needed money to get her back. Unfortunately this plot angle did not go anywhere (several story lines are mentioned in the film without resolution or sometimes without even being alluded to again like this one and Ma's career demise).
   
   For 300 taels of gold per person, four cases of an unknown matter need to be delivered to Zhao Long before his birthday of December 20th. If anything gets compromised they are ordered to blow up the contents and to not look at them. Hu hired Fu Jun to join the group -- a cigarette smoking, scarf wearing gambler (reminds me a little of Tatsuya Nakadai in Yojimbo) who has baggage of his own -- played by a skinny Chow Yun-Fat in an early movie role. Joining Ma are friend Bu (played by great character actor Fan Mei-Sheng) a man who is an expert with explosives, Ma's sister Guihwa, and Southern rebel Li Fu whom they save later in the trip and possibly has eyes for Fu Jun (another dissipated angle). They all band together to deliver the goods or perish trying. Several of them would choose the latter.
   
   Several negative aspects hurt an otherwise interesting film. There are too many loose ends, disappearing characters and conflicting storylines with the narrative. This could have been because of the use of four writers including the director Ronny Yu for the script. There is also too much exposition that slows the middle of the story without any progressing of the story. Sometimes Leung Kar-Yan would be too wooden in his acting approach though sometimes his austere nature was appropriate. The only problem I had with the filming was with the night scenes because they are appear murky probably because they are filmed on location and at night.
   
   However, I think there are enough positives to make this an enjoyable movie. The cinematography is excellent and the use of the camera was ingenious in many scenes of a very cold Korean landscape (of course if you notice this then maybe the adventure was stagnant). Ronny Yu's (Fearless, The Bride With White Hair, Freddy vs. Jason) direction is quite good and consistently chooses interesting shooting techniques with hand-held cameras in many exterior shots. Eddy Ko Hung's is excellent as the villain. Ideas were impressive from the ice-skating bandits to Fu Jun's wrist bow to exploding rats. The fight scenes are interesting if a bit short with Chow fighting two bandits at once with one standing on a platform attached to the back of his partner and an excellent finale with the unmasked ninja fighting the protagonist Ma. The penultimate action sequence with Fan Mei-Sheng is probably the best scene in the film with a Ramboesque and Wild Bunch feeling to it. Ultimately though, the cohesion of all the elements is lacking and a tighter script and faster pacing could have made this a splendorous film. Though the movie may not be sublime at least you get to see an exploding ninja and Chow Yun Fat in a non-starring role attempt Kung Fu with his aggressive scarf-style. You may also learn that a compass can save your life against underground enemies.
   
   The DVD copy I have is the Fortune Star/Fox release. It has a good transfer and unlike the earlier releases from this label it does not have dubtitles. There are really no extras except trailers which is normal for the bare-bone releases of Fortune Star/Fox. Of an interesting note here is what Bey Logan of Dragon Dynasty has to say about this film and its Fox release: "I hope one day we can do Postman Strikes Back justice on a future DVD re-issue. ... The Fox US edition, though technically decent, didn't have much in the way of extras." Of course, extras would be nice though I do not see Dragon Dynasty doing a better job of a transfer.



5. Chow Yun Fat plays a minimal role; maybee because its one of his early movies; cheapie moive with some nice Run Run Shaw type fights which does not measure up to the newer ones. If you are looking for satisfcation, forget this one.

1 comments about A Better Tomorrow/A Better Tomorrow 2 (2 Pack).

1. This 2-disc set has an attractive price. The films are presented in a widescreen format, and the print quality appears to have been the best available. ABT has the original soundtrack, which has a more organic feel than on the dubbed versions. There are a couple of moments on ABT where the print goes darker suddenly, which I haven't seen on an American studio release of this movie before. As for ABT 2, it has never looked better. ABT is essential viewing for anyone interested in the genesis of Hong Kong gangster films. ABT 2 is a flawed, if thoroughly enjoyable sequel that, while not nearly as emotionally compelling as the original(despite several scenes of quintessetially overwrought Cantonese melodrama)certainly outdoes its predecessor in the mayhem department! The shootouts are totally over the top. Without giving anything away, I'll tell you that "Hard Boiled" wasn't Chow's first trip down a staircase! Definitely see these if you love John Woo, Chow Yun Fat, or Hong Kong film in general.

5 comments about God of Gamblers.

1. Too bad the folks who produced this didn't take some care with it. The picture is passable and the sound is OK but if you're interested in following the plot from reading the English subtitles be prepared for a lot of guessing and frustration as they are mostly unreadable at the bottom edge of the screen. I don't know how the subtitles are for the other languages, never tried them since I don't read them. But with no English language track the lack of useful English subtitles makes this DVD worthwhile only for the hard-core Chow Yun-Fat fan in America.



2. Underappreciated as an actor in the west, Chow Yun Fat shows his versatility in this Hong Kong Comedy/drama. Chow stars as Ko Chun a gifted gambler with an almost supernatural gift for gaming, hence his exalted title.

   Ko Chun is suave and sophisticated, master of his gaming, monetarily successful and comfortable in his abilities. This makes him enemies among not only opponents, but as it turns out, supposed friends.

   Having narrowly escaped an assasination attempt, Chow unwittingly walks into a trap set by Knife, a young gambler wannabe who has little success in his endeavors. Knife meant to teach someone else a lesson by sabotaging a trail below his home, instead, Ko Chun is the victim. Finding the head injured gambler, Knife and his family take him in and nurse him back to health, not knowing who has fallen into their laps.

   Ko Chun awakens from his trauma with no memory and regressed to a childlike demeanor with an insatiable hunger for a particular brand of chocolate (one carry over from his former life), and as Knife and Co. find out, a talent for gambling. Knife and his crew make good use of their new friend's abilities--becoming upwardly mobile thanks to "Chocolate"--the nickname they bestow upon him.

   Chow Yun Fat has never been more endearing and charming as the brain injured "Chocolate". Where other actors might come off as goofy, pitiable or even laughable attempting this shift, Chow makes it believeable and incredibly touching. The viewer wishes to protect Chocolate from a world he no longer understands and which is by turns baffling and inhospitable--just as Knife and his crew come to love and protect their friend.

   Their sudden success brings unwanted attention, which leads to pursuit, kidnapping, ransom and gunplay, and further trauma to poor Chocolate, leading to a showdown that highlights the God of Gamblers uncanny ability to win, even when opponents cheat and "friends" betray.

   While Chow Yun Fat's ability and charisma are at the heart and soul of this film, the supporting players are excellent, especially Andy Lau and Joey Wong.

   A must see and a must own for any Chow Yun Fat fan! Getting increasingly hard to find--get your copy now! (Review of the VCD unedited version. The DVD is edited and several scenes of the group becoming upwardly mobile have been deleted).




3. If you like Chow Yun-Fat, you will like this movie! I bought this movie first on vhs. The vhs is wide screen with chinese subtitle, and english under it. When they put it to DVD, they made it fit to television (ie not widescreen). In doing so they
   cut off the english subtitles. IF YOU DON'T KNOW CHINESE DON'T BOTHER BUYING THIS, UNTIL THEY COME OUT WITH A BETTER VERSION!!



4. i accidentally found copies of both 'god of gamblers' and 'god of gamblers' return' on DVD at my local record store. they are both distributed thru a company called mei ah entertainment, which put out 2 of jet li's films (hitman & my father is a hero). i took both DVD's home and put them in the player, and i was totally blown away. the transfers for both films are excellent, widescreen and the subtitles are a digitized white on the screen. you have the option of reading them in english and traditional or simplified chinese. the sound is also satisfactory. the DTS logo is on the packaging, so you have a choice between digital dolby 5.1 or digital dolby 2.0. there are 2 language tracks: chinese and mandarin. the best part, however, is that these DVD's can play in all region DVD players!
   
   as for the films themselves...the popularity of the original 'god of gamblers' (1989) ignited a new genre in hong kong cinema of gambling films. suave gamblers of all ages and genders have been the protagonists of many films since the original, getting maximum mileage out of the exciting prospect of 'god-like' gambling abilities. even some not specifically 'gambling genre' films began including gambling scenes that echoed the cinematic exhilaration and tension inspired by 'god of gamblers'. the original's director, wong jing, did some success-surfing of his own with his 'god of gamblers II' and 'god of gamblers III back to shanghai' starring parody king stephen chiao...although either 'god of gamblers' or 'god of gamblers' return' may not break any new cinematic ground, it certainly does succeed in reaffirming chow yun fat's unparalleled appeal and success in the genre's terrain (HKFM).
   
   if you could find the mei ah edition of these films, snatch them if you can. i must add they are a bit pricey ($25 each), but they are both worth it!



5. Leave your fingers of this version. A very good movie, Chow-Yun Fat at its best. But you will only understand, if you know to talk chinese! The english subtitles have been cut of!

2 comments about Triads: The Inside Story.

1. Being a CYF fan, I borrowed this DVD hoping to find a masterpiece like HARD BOILED or THE KILLER. Despite being a ganster film, much like a poor man's GODFATHER, TRIADS is entertaining, and, if you're into heavy action, well, this is it.
   It drops at the end, but that's OK, for the movie is entertaining and very watchable.



2. Actor, Chow Yun Fat, plays a character named, Li Man-Ho and comes Hong Kong to join the Triad Mafia after his uncle is killed (the previouse leader). Coming from a regular life, living with his wife and kid, Li Man-Ho sees the dangerous side of crime; exposing himself to violence and betrayal and greed.
   He is scared at first, but rises to power quickly and takes territories controlled by rival gangs.
   
   The other reviewer was very accurate about this movie in stating that it is the "poor man's Godfather". The story seems very similar in the aspect about how a civilian becomes a crimelord after the passing of a family member. The problem with this is that it pales in comparison to the Godfather saga. Triads, is also not depicted realistically, you can tell it is a low budget film and everything about it is B.S. The triads all live in run-down houses (instead of nice homes), they wear clothing like poor people (instead of suits), they fight street battles with knives and metal pipes (instead of guns). It's more like a homeless war instead of a mafia war, which makes me laugh and angers me at the unrealistic portrayal of China's Triad mafia which in fact is the most powerful and influential mafia. Not even Chow Yun Fat's, charasmatic acting can save this pathetic movie. The DVD contains trailers and previews of other low budget asian action films. Another thing that surprised me about this one is that at the beginning of the film you will see the Dolby Digital logo, which means that the sound was supposedly cleaned-up and digitally re-mastered. This is absolutely false; you will hear poor sound quality through out your viewing experience...but does it really matter since the movie sucks anyway? If you want to see a different mafia movie, watch an american movie called "King of New York" with Christopher Walken.

5 comments about Project A.

1. If you are like me, you may find it difficult to explore some earlier creations of martial arts films, simply because the newest ones look poor enough sometimes with their low budgets. I was very hesitant to watch Project A for the longest time, thinking its going to be such poor quality, with cheesy old kung fu fights accompanied by bad sound effects, and lousy dubbing. I was surpirsed to find out that Project A creates action scenes that you just can't find with today's films, and that includes many of today's Jackie Chan films.
   
   The quality wasn't as bad as I expected, even though the poor dubbing might make it seem that way at first. It definetly has a classic look to the film with picture quality and sound effects, but its really not bad and is forgotten quickly, for action scenes begin almost immediately and consume the film, as well as a plot that just keeps going. Overall, pacing is great and the viewer should never feel bored. Whether its introduction to new characters, something comedic, a new unfolding in plot, or a terrific action scene, there is always something happening.
   
   Perhaps the best thing about Project A are some of the main characters. In addition to Jackie Chan, there are other martial art greats such as Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, and Dick Wai. All get to show off their skills impressively in the film. A final fight lasting a good 4 minutes is just awesome in this film, pitting Chan, Hung, and Biao against the pirate leader - played by Dick Wai.
   
   As previoulsy mentioned, there is more than enough action to please in this film. Every scene is intense and offers something exciting and new. Stunts galore and bodies fly, as editing is used to a minimum to really show off the real work that is being created by these guys. The best stunt in the film was actually repeated during the movie, showing Chan falling from a multi-story clock tower through some cloth overhangs and down to the ground. Another great scene, is the bicycle chase, which is much more clever than your typical car chase that is seen in hollywood all the time.
   
   This will no doubt please anyone who loves good classic martial arts action and stunts. Expect to see some stuff that you can't find in today's movies, and you'll be saying "they just don't make em like they used to"



2. Dear Ragini !
   
   Thank's for your email UNFORTUNATELY the DVD that I received yesterday is
   not the same that I bought from you.
   This is A JET LI movie with a BAD QUALITY ....I'm sure this product is
   PIRACY.
   What can we do now? I'm very dissaponited with AMAZON.....
   
   Best,
   
   Roberto



3. Where to begin? This is a terrific movie, and one of Jackie Chan's very best. Full of imaginative fights and stunts, Jackie's athleticism will amaze even those already familiar with him. It also features fantastic moments from Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, and a couple of Shaw Brother's alumni in Dick Wei and Lee Hoi San.
   
   Jackie is Dragon Ma, a naval officer in early 20th century Hong Kong. His navy is taking crap from the police for losing ships and not capturing the pirate, Lo Sam Pau (Wei) and his henchmen. After they lose two more ships, the navy is forced to merge with Yuen Biao and the police department to fight local corruption, and THEN go after the pirates.
   
   Those in the know say that the uncut, remastered version from Fortune Star is the way to go. That being said, this version from Dimension does have a very good, widescreen picture with some bad English dubbing and no subtitle options. For Dimension, the dubbing is actually pretty good. If you want bad, check out any of the many Jet Li films that they've released. This one does have Danny Trejo as the voice of Lo Sam Pau. So if you're into pirates but have a hard time getting through those long, narcolepsy-inducing Johnny Depp films, give "Project A" a shot. This one has good fights AND pays homage to Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd. 4.5/5 and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
   
   1983



4. I asked for and paid for Project A. What I recieved was a dvd cover of project A with a dvd labled Project A. In fact the dvd contained a copy of Project A 2 - the sequel. This is not acceptable. Another point I would raise was that I checked the box to wait until all the dvd's in my order where all ready to be shipped together, they were shipped in two packages over two different periods. Please explain.



5. INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT A:
   
   Jackie Chan is an underestimated genious outside his own reputation, the historical importance of his legacy trascends his best known image as a comedian and daredevil acrobat: There's a talented Director and visionary, a man who changed the Action film industry in Honk Kong forever with his personal touch and style in the early 80's, by creating the perfect fusion of goofy physical comedy and incredible restless action with some of the most impressive and dangerous stunts ever displayed on film. This 1982 period film about sailors, police and pirates, was the consolidation of Chan as a star in Asia after his major breakthrought with Yuen Woo Ping's kung fu classic "Drunken Master", and a movie that started an influence to follow from there on in the industry.
   
   This is a true milestone, considered by critics not only as the first important Honk Kong action comedy , but one of the best productions of the genre next to Chan's second best directed film, the timeless classic "Police Story". Besides being one of his most entertaining and funny movies, the film contains some of Jackie's best stunts ever. We've all seen the reckless and almost imprudent asian stuntmen falling on their heads and backs from the roof to the solid floor in many occasions in 80's HK action movies, but no one can get used to watch Jackie climbing handcuffed to a flag pole, jumping to the top of a clock tower, and then falling to the ground with no protection but a couple of cloth roof tops. And he did it at least three times, two of them registered in this film. Even the MTV idiots getting their private parts bitten by baby alligators, thinks that its totally insane. Outstanding comedy and action, great period scenarios, enjoyable classic soundtrack: This movie defines an era.
   
   So Jackie became a hughe international star and the world embraced this delightful character and action hero that he is, and then came the re-releases of his early and most important work to satisfy the needs of us fans. Among those DVD releases, unfortunately we can find editions like this one. Check this out:
   
   THE PROBLEMS:
   
   - Incomplete, cutted version with english dubbing, and the worst of all, the original amusing and perfectly synchronized music score was replaced by a new, awful synthesized random score, killing the comedy and sucking the joy out of the movie by trying to turn it into the current action flick. I mean, the "updated" new cover of the DVD speaks for itself.
   
   - The Classic Golden Harvest presentation and original opening sequence with credits, was replaced by a computer generated pirate flag : Jackie Chan's Project A, the new title, makes clear that this release is a mere vehicle to show Jackie to new audiences, with no respect for anything else.
   
   - The bar fight sequence is incomplete: The whole "spaghetti" incident was excluded, along with precious seconds of the brawl. Nice.
   
   - The scene in the gambling house in wich the Sammo Hung's character is introduced to the movie, was completely excluded. Now, he just happens to know everyone. Awesome.
   
   - From the Police training sequence, the "shower" scene is missing.
   
   - The intro of Sammo, Jackie and Yuen Biao in the arrest sequence at the club house is missing. The fight sequences are chopped off too.
   
   - The intro of the rifle robbery on a boat at night perpetrated by Sammo and Jackie, conceived as a Pekin Opera satire, is chopped off and ruined by the lack of score, waysting the rhymes and the joke intended.
   
   - The pirate assault to the english ship sequence, chopped off.
   
   - From then, everything is in place, till the new ending credits. By this time, only sadness for the lost original music score and impotence for the waysted money remains.
   
   Honestly, the picture and sound are decent. But that's it. The intention of this DVD edition is to introduce new audiences to Jackie's glorious past, and in that part only, it delivers. But this is not the final choice for any collector or faithful fan, not for a moment.
   
   THE SOLUTION:
   
   A couple years ago, FORTUNE STAR released a flawless remastered ALL-REGION DVD Edition, including the complete version in Cantonese DTS, 5.1, and original 2.0 mono soundtrack (Hurra!) with original character voices and music score, all the deleted scenes and outtakes, original HK trailer, and photo galleries. More than any fan could ask for, i tell you.
   
   Dear Customer: Look for this edition in Asian DVD stores online, and forget about this Edition. Don't be afraid, they're just as safe and efficient as here, i guarantee.

1 comments about Fractured Follies.

1. I'm a big fan of both Chow Yun-Fat and Joey Wang so buying this DVD was a no brainer for me. For those who are looking for a Hong Kong action movie, look elsewhere. You won't see much in the way of martial arts action in this film. But if you're open to other types of movies, keep reading.

   To give you a quick plot synopsis: Joey Wang plays May, a woman who was born with one leg longer than the other. Chow Yun-Fat is Joe, a taxi driver who accidentally hits May and thinks he's crippled her for life. Joe comes to work for May's family partly because he blames himself for her condition and partly because his insurance ran out 2 days before the accident and he has to pay them back somehow. Once the two are together romance blossoms but there are complications along the way, ranging from a talking Buddha that dispenses romantic advice to May's overly amorous cousin, Scarlet, a wealthy widow who has already worn out 3 husbands with her affections and has her sights set on making Joe number 4.

   This movie will probably never win any awards but as a light hearted romantic comedy, it's about as good as they get. The cast is good and the story engaging. It's good to see Chow Yun-Fat playing something other than the ultra-cool characters that Americans are so familiar with him as, if only to be reminded what a versatile actor he is. He's absolutely wonderful as the slightly nerdy Joe. At one point he dresses up in drag to catch the secret admirer who's been stalking Scarlet. At another point he gets decked out in a pineapple costume to do a song and dance number in front of the store in order to attract customers. If you enjoyed his comic bits in "God of Gamblers", you'll love him in "Fractured Follies". Joey Wang is her usual radiantly beautiful self and even a pair of nerdy glasses with thick black plastic rims can't disguise her wonderfully expressive face. And Nina Li Chi proves once again that she's a fine comic actress in her role as Scarlet.

   This is a fun movie which I highly recommend. If your SO doesn't mind reading subtitles this would probably make a good date movie as it has enough romance to make the women happy and enough slapstick/bufoonery to keep the men involved.

3 comments about Asian Cinema 4-pack (Curse of the Golden Flower / Memoirs of a Geisha / Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon / House of Flying Daggers).

1. My family liked the Flying Daggers and Crouching Dragon movies the best of the four pack. More action in the aforementioned - Memoirs of a Geisha was a good story but I like the other movies much better.



2. I was sitting actually watching "Daggers" when I received an email notification from Amazon to leave a review on this 4-pack. The irony!
   
   I immediately hopped on this purchase when I saw it was available through a Gold Box offer for $28. I already owned "Geisha", but still felt it was worth the value.
   
   Daggers has excellent cinematic scenes and an easy to follow plot. The DVDs have English, Chinese, and French languages for your listening pleasure, although you can also read the subtitles. The DVD also has some excellent bonus features including commentaries.
   
   Again, I'd already seen Geisha (and read the book). I thought it was an excellent movie loosely based on the author's version.
   
   I'd also seen Crouching Tiger long ago when it was first released on DVD , but I've never owned it.
   
   Ziyi Zhang, Gong Li, and Chow Yun Fat are the main stars in these four movies. I've always been a fan, so ordering these was a no-brainer.
   
   What I mean to say is for the price, no one skimped on this 4-pack. They're all shown in widescreen with excellent DVD quality. Now my main television is not flat screen, HDTV 1080i/p/g/r/c (or whatever), it's just a good movie with no graininess or film skipping. That's my amateur opinion! :-)
   
   Bottom line, add this to your collection asap!
   
   What I wouldn't do, is pay the $60 premium some of these folks are trying to sell them. Wait for another Gold Box or buy them used to add to your library. You'll come out on top and have an excellent collection in your hands.



3. Only Crouching Tiger is worth it. The rest is very average with a bad plot and just a pain to watch.

5 comments about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Special Edition) DVD / Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon UMD.

1. I had the opportunity to see this film when it first came out in the movie theater in 2000 and it immediately became my favorite movie since I love martial arts, philosophy and visual arts.. and this movie combines them all. It had the best choreography I had ever seen back then, reflected on eastern martial arts philosopy, nature, buddism wisdom as well as western metaphysical thoughts..



2. Crouching Tiger is not really a Kung Fu movie. The fight sequences are stylized and interjected with gravity-defying feats, flying, fantastical jumping, and flips. The fight scenes become almost a 3D ballet. I liked it, but don't come into this movie expecting Bruce Lee action sequences. The fight scenes are more of a dance. The fights are mainly sword fights, although there are a few hand-to-hand battles as well. The acting is superb. The story line is more of a fairy tale than straight fiction, but the movie works superbly well. Michelle Yeoh's physical acting are displayed as well as her emotional range. Chow is great as the swordsman and Zhang Ziyi is very good as well.
   
   The movie tells the story of several stories of love, of revenge, of loyalties, and of duty. It concerns duty to one's family, to society and to one's self. A fairy tale is used to tie the plot lines together. The movie has a great medieval setting. The scenery switches from deserts, to Peking, to bamboo forests, and to mountains. In every case, the views are breathtaking. The bamboo forest fight is very strange, but it works.
   
   My wife didn't like the movie because if its fantastical elements, but it is one of the best movies I have seen for a long time. I don't know much about the superbit technology, but my DVD looks great and the sound is good too.



3. How do you sum up Crouching?
   Brilliant, touching, amazing!!!
   Incredible acrobatics, incredible scenery, an awesome script and great actors and martial artists.
   What's not to like about this movie?
   Not my favorite, I liked Hero and Curse of the Golden Flower better but for different reasons.
   Still, a must see if your new to the recent wave of martial arts flicks.
   A word of advice, watch it with the subtitles on and not the English voiceovers as they are terribly done.



4. This movie was good until the ending which made no sense and sucked. Also all the people just "flying" around seemed kinda silly... And I like kung fun movies, but this one was a little over the top unbelievable...



5. I was expecting so much out of this movie because of all the hype following it. I am an avid reader and do not normally mind subtitled movies (ie.. Pan's Labyrinth and Kung-Fu Hustle.. BTW, Kung-Fu Hustle is LOTS OF FUN!) but there were PARAGRAPH AFTER PARAGRAPH, NOT SENTENCES, OF DIALOG.. FAR TOO MANY SUBTITLES GOING ON AND ON FOREVER, AND GOING BY QUICKLY, that I could not figure out who was who or what was what in this movie. I lost the plot in the first half hour. I was so busy trying to read that my contacts kept drying out and I could not enjoy anything else going on in the film. If you're a martial arts purist, maybe you would enjoy it more than myself. Also, maybe I could have enjoyed it more dubbed in English.

No comments about The Killer (Digitially Remasted Edition) DVD.

1 comments about Prison on Fire 2.

1. It's more of the same from the first movie, but it is worthy. This one does have some comic relief though.