5 comments about The Octagon.

1. I sent the item to a friend, he received and I assume he watched it.



2. ...at least as far as the fighting is concerned. If you want a Chuck Norris movie with a good story/plot I'd go for Missing in Action I or II. Or maybe Forced Vengence. But as far as fight scenes, I have to give this one the edge. He displays a much better range of techniques in this movie as well as use of weapons than in any other movie I can remember.
   
   The acting is so-so. Better than usual I would say. the plot really isn't that compicated. And watching him fight opposite Tadeshi Yamashida is one of those rare moments of capturing two martial arts legends on film. Admittedly the movie has a slow build up, but overall it's a good movie if you like martial arts movies of that genre and era.



3. Believe it or not boys and girls, Chuck Norris wasn't always the cartoonish Walker Texas Ranger.
   He wasn't always a "wear it on your sleeves, republican pawn".
   No boys and girls, Chuch Norris used to be AN AMERICAN BAD A$$!!!!!!!
   America's answer to Bruce Lee.
   The Octagon was a movie that I still watch and still enjoy.
   Beautiful choreography, decent acting, decent script, decent direction.
   It's no Crouching Tiger, it doesn't try to be.
   There are no high wire stunts where people run across the water of a lake.
   There is some pretty cool martial arts stuff though.
   The story is just kind of ............ meh.
   Still, if you're even curious to know what Chuck Norris was like before he became a caricature, look no further.
   A fun way to kill an evening.
   Recommended.



4. An excellent movie overall. Norris is smooth and professional, his female suitors came across as immature and lost with his guidance. The movie dates itself to the late 70s early 80s on this count. If you're a Norris fan like myself it was a excellent movie to watch especially the last 30 minutes.



5. I am conflicted and truly felt cognitive dissonance when I reviewed this movie. Anyone who knows me is aware that I am huge Chuck Norris fan. However, this movie is so totally ludicrous and for the most part moot. So this review was hard for me to write. Nevertheless, I still love Chuck Norris and this movie is entertaining but perhaps for all the wrong reasons.
   
   This movie released in 1980 (more than likely shot in 1979) has this total retro feel to it, which as far as I am concerned is a good thing. However, this movie had so many loop holes in it the Millennium Falcon would have no problem flying through them in order to jump into hyper-drive.
   
   I would try to explain the story of this film, yet I didn't understand it myself. What I will say is that Chuck Norris is tormented by flashbacks of his childhood and of ninjas (evil). He discovers that his adopted brother (can we say Lego hair) is the leader of an underground ninja crime movement. These ninjas are training in an octagon, hence the title of the movie. The former is really the best description of the movie I can provide. The movie should have been dubbed in French it might have made more sense to me despite the fact I cannot speak French. As for the fighting, it wasn't bad, usually Chuck Norris fair.
   
   Another strange thing in this movie was Chuck Norris' intern-monologue; it has this whispering echo thing going on. For the most part, I didn't understand any of Chuck's thoughts. Then there was the character of A.J.: was he Chuck's friend, business partner, brother, an X-File, I don't know. Then there was this older man played by Lee Van Cleef. He was always accompanied by two other men and they always were able to aid Chuck. Again, I don't know who he was, why he was there and how he knew Chuck. All I knew is that he hated ninjas. I have never met a ninja so I can share this aversion. Oh you will also see a very young Ernie Hudson in this movie.
   
   Chuck also has three different "encounters" or "relationships" with women in this movie. The first woman is sort of ditzy and is accosted by ninjas. The second woman Chuck calls a whore. Finally, the third looks like a girl I use to date. I am not sure if any of this information means anything.
   
   In retrospect I look at "The Octagon" in two perspectives. The first perspective is a movie that is so bad it makes one wonder why it was made and what events in one's life resulted in viewing this film. The second perspective is a movie that is just random scenes and the only continuity being the characters and location. Under the assumption the viewer surrenders to the latter, they might really enjoy this movie. Sadly this movie seems very thrown together and didn't know what it wanted to do with itself.
   
   The only reason I gave this movie two stars is because after about forty minutes I just started laughing. Once this transpired, I started to lose the oxygen going to my brain and began enjoying the nonsense that is "The Octagon". This behavior continued up forty-eight hours after the movie ended. I will never look at a "stop sign" the same way again.

5 comments about The Quest.

1. I think this is JCVD's best movie. He directed it too. The story is set on Thailand (nice settings, nice photography) and for some reason, our hero is forced to play in a tournament in the foothills of the Himalayas with a number of fighters from other regions of the world. The first part of the movie is a classic adventure yarn, with the Van Damme character traveling to the tournament in the Himalayas. The second part is the tournament itself. I'm not saying the film doesn't have silly moments (like the presentation of the fighters from the different countries in the tournament), but the silliness is part of the fun this movie is.



2. The Quest was one of the movies that began the descent of Jean-Claude Van Damme from a major motion picture star into a straight-to-video movie star, which still is better than most actors accomplish, but far from the level that Van Damme achieved at the height of his success.
   
   The Quest is a poor ripoff of Bloodsport and Kickboxer about a martial arts tournament with Roger Moore thrown in for comic relief. While there are some good fight scenes, they don't make this film worth watching or buying. Fortunately, Jean-Claude made many more that are worth watching.



3. I have seen this film so many times, and every time I think I love it more and more. Sure its a Van Damme movie which means its not up to par with most of Hollywood and it may be cheesy with its title and story, but I find it to be an original Van Damme story, with a very involved and entertaining martial arts tournament, even more enjoyable than that in Bloodsport.
   
   The Quest is about a young man named Christopher Devoir (Van Damme), living homeless in NYC with a group of homeless kids. He gets caught stealing, and leaves the country sneaking onto a ship, promising the kids he will return. He then escapes the ship onto another, a last ship of the Buccaneers led by Lord Edgar Dobbs (Roger Moore, from the James Bond films). Immediately, he is sold secretly to the Thai on an island to be trained as a Muy Thai fighter. Months later, he runs into Dobbs again, and requires Dobbs to repay him for his dishonesty towards him. The Quest therefore begins, to find the golden dragon, awarded to the greatest fighter in a martial arts tournament held at the Lost City. The plot still unfolds with some more twists, right until the very end.
   
   The best part of this movie is the tournament, which takes up about the last half of the film. It consists of the greatest fighters from around the world (oddly enough, quite similar to that of Bloodsport). I actually found this tournament to be more enjoyable than Bloodsport, with a lot more unique fighting styles. The arena is also much larger than the Kumite arena in Bloodsport, and sets the tone well for the fights. The camera work and sound effects make the punches and kicks seem quite hard. There are many fighters in the tournament that are from many other martial arts movies including Bloodsport 2, Bloodmoon, Shootfighter 2, and Lionheart.
   
   As with most tournaments, there is always a big, bad villainous fighter. Chong Li was the charcater in Bloodsport. In the Quest, it is an unnamed Mongolian fighter, who is the same guy Van Damme fought at the end of Lionheart. They fight a huge 8 minute final fight, that is kinda like a no holds barred fight. It begins on the arena platform, but eventually extends beyond the gates and outside at night time.
   
   Made in 1996, this is probably one of the last of the great Van Damme films, and one of the last times he performs his famous high split kicks, also seen much of in Bloodsport. A different but original storyline for Van Damme. Its quite interesting, but can be slow at times. The tournament is the real fun and excitement, and keeps the last half of the movie moving along nicely. Any fan of great martial arts tournament style movies should definetly check this out.



4. The Quest is Van Damme's atempt at a comeback going back to the films where he was staright into fighting and not playing a cop or any like that. The film has okay fight sequnces but the storyline is a little murky and the fianl does drag a little. But still better than the two previous Van Damme films which were Sudden Death and Maximum Risk.



5. When watching "The Quest", you can tell that Jean-Claude Van Damme's career was on a descent: directed by himself, it's basically a retelling of "Bloodsport" lacking any and all cult intrigue, and co-stars a way-past-his-prime Roger Moore.
   Though I've never been a fan of Van Damme, I'm always ready for a good action film: "Quest", disappointingly, is merely a bad film with good action scenes, and therefore remains miles behind the likes of "Universal Soldier", "Hard Target", or "Timecop".
   
   Van Damme is Christopher Dubois - a 1920s pickpocket whose frequent run-ins with the law see him shanghaied on a smuggling ship, from which he is "rescued" by a mercenary Englishman (Moore) who sells him into a Thai fighting circuit. The two inexplicably reunite and agree to aid eachother as they enter a Tibetan tournament pitting fighters from all over the world for the prize of a valuable golden statue.
   
   Let's get right to the good stuff, the fighting. In short, it's good. The choreography of the encounters in the tournament regularly surpasses that of "Bloodsport": the action is faster but just as hard-edged, and just about all of the diverse fighting styles - from Muay Thai to Capoeira - are represented faithfully. Very good stuff.
   Slightly disappointing is the length of most of the fights: with the exception of Van Damme's, each encounter is lucky to last more than 20 seconds, even when the complete fight is filmed (in contrast to opening halfway into the fight).
   
   Sadly, the tournament only begins about halfway into the movie, and just about everything leading up to it is a lacklustre storytelling-attempt that most action films are known for, with minimal fights to be seen. To his credit, Van Damme is a step ahead of most other action heroes when it comes acting, and Roger Moore is known for his work...but neither they nor the rest of the cast (including James Remar of "48 Hours") are anything out of the ordinary in this movie; and the fact that nothing out of the ordinary dominates this film is what makes it an eventual disappointment.
   
   The repetitive use of slow motion might irk some others than me, but that's not going to bring down the film. While I enjoy the film more than some of Van Damme's more universally-acclaimed features, "Quest" will give viewers plenty of time to use the bathroom or make popcorn. Though fans will surely scoop this one right up, newcomers to Van Damme should save this film for later in their experience.

5 comments about The Transporter (Special Delivery Edition).

1. Ay Caramba! Where to start with this fast paced "Ronin" meets stock Jet Li movie. I'd say it was a movie about cars, but that's really only true for the first 1/3rd of it. I'd say it was also about cool kung fu, but that's only for the middle 1/3rd of it. And I'd say it was about waaaaay over the top fight sequences and physics defying stunts, but that was the last 1/3rd of it. So I guess I'll start with the first 1/3rd of the movie and work my way through it in sequence, so that we all know how well this movie started, and why it developed 4 flat wheels, blew its head gasket, and subsequently ran off of a cliff. By the way, "SPOILERS AHEAD!". Consider yourself warned!
   
   Jason Stratham is a "transporter", that is a professional wheelman, or for those of you not in the know, a getaway car driver. Clients, typically those with criminal tendencies who need someone with a good set of wheels and the skills to use them, contact Stratham's character, Frank Martin, and contract him to serve as their getaway driver. And the man plies his trade with unbelievable skill, without so much as a dent or scratch. Frank lives a life of seclusion along the beaches of France after retiring from the military. At least that's his cover to local police investigator Tarconi (played well by really likable Francois Berleand) who is ever suspicious of our main character.
   
   Frank is very careful in his job. He lives by 3 rules; 1 - Never change the deal, 2 - No names mentioned, and 3 - Never open the package. When Frank takes a light job transporting such a package in his trunk, he breaks one of his own rules and looks inside the package to discover a Chinese girl inside. Still trying to maintain his business "ethics" Frank pretends he didn't see anything and delivers the package to the intended client, a smarmy playboy/crime lord type played by Matthew Schulze...who I'm pretty sure was hitting on our hero there for a moment. I think. At any rate Schulze's character knows that Frank's looked inside the package, and attempts to kill him via the use of an exploding suitcase he's asked Frank to transport to another client.
   
   Now, up until this point in the movie everything was working hunkey-dory, which is when the director decided to pour about 2 lbs. of sugar into the gas tank. Stratham, having narrowly avoided being killed, goes on a kung-fu rampage against the goons at Schulze's house, and once finished there steals his Mercedes, one that has a certain Chinese woman hiding in the back seat. This is where the movie starts to ask you to suspend your disbelief. It will be asking this a lot of you in the remaining hour of the film, and in ever-increasing levels.
   
   From here we know that the Chinese woman, played by rather cute Shu Qi, is named "Lai" and was being used as some kind of bartering chip, or as a hostage, or something. The movie is never really clear on why she was being transported, although I guess it might be because she's nosy and put her cute nose somewhere it didn't belong. At any rate Frank cuts Lai loose in his seaside villa and the two ponder their next move. The next morning, Frank's house is attacked by a bunch of goons armed with enough ordinance to make 3 sequels.
   
   After the predictable escape and a totally out of left field sex scene, the plot tells us that this whole mess is about 400 Chinese people trapped in some shipping containers that are about to enter port. Lai wants Frank to help her rescue those people from Schulze and her father, some sort of demented Chinese business man/crime lord with no sideburns. The plot kind of goes in several different directions at this point, and at no time follows anything remotely resembling the word "linear", although "predictable" somehow becomes the mantra of the entire film. There's more kung-fu in this movie than you can shake a chopstick at, and enough over the top antics to keep you paying attention long after the plot has ceased to matter. And it will cease to matter, trust me. And the stuff that just totally disregards physics...it's mind boggling. Here's an impromptu list of absurdities that would keep Einstein busy with formulas long after he'd conquered the Theory of Relativity.
   
   - How exactly did Lai manage to open the door on the car while taped into an office chair, let alone climb into the thing?
   - Bullets ricocheting off of oil soaked concrete don't make sparks, but will blow up an oil can floating in the ocean
   - One can throw a tire iron, while off balance and clinging to the underside of a truck moving at 60+ mph, with only one hand and successfully smack a driver in a car 10 feet away through an open window. And right in his temple. Ow.
   - 200 Chinese people will easily fit in a truck trailer, with lots of room to spare. Also they don't go to the bathroom or eat for a week at a time. When Lai opened the back doors it should have smelled like a poop factory in overdrive. Instead one slightly disheveled child meanders out and the trailer isn't even half packed.
   - The piece de la resistance. The infamous parachute scene. Are we supposed to believe that after an impromptu drop (never mind that he dropped from the plane in front of the convoy and then magically appears behind it, in mid-air) from 500 feet that his expensive steerable parachute (which all crop dusters are equipped with) travels at least 70mph? I'm not even going to touch the probability of his actually even being able to *land* on top of the truck, let alone getting into physical contact with it. I don't think there are Navy SEALS alive that could duplicate this one.
   
   Other things I learned from this film:
   
   - All hired goons are masters of the martial arts, in one form or another.
   - Said goons are pretty courteous, always taking the time to attack people one at a time, even when outnumbering them 10 to 1.
   - Chinese women on the lam can cook local cuisine on their first try and not only make it edible, but make one overly sentimental about it. I wanna see Lai try doing pit-cooked pork shoulder barbecue in one try. Then I'll be a believer.
   - European truck cabs are big enough to be apartments
   - European buses have lots of foot long metal bars laying around on the floor. If you ever find yourself in one and wonder why watch this movie and you'll understand.
   - A stethoscope and a submachine gun are standard ship container searching equipment
   - French gendarmes apparently drive in subcompact police cars. This may be fact, but if the local police here start using Honda Civics I *will* be moving.
   
   So after all this, why give the movie 3 stars? Well, to a certain degree there were some things the movie got right. The first 1/3rd of the movie is fantastic. I really, really enjoyed it and wish that the director could have kept it going. The soundtrack is surprisingly good. The music used fits the different scenarios nicely and adds just the right amount of feeling for the scenes.
   
   This is a movie that caters to a particular kind of viewer. If you enjoyed "Ronin" or "Heat" this is *not* going to be your cup of tea. If you loved either of the "Matrix" sequels (unlike the original, which was pretty solid), "The Fast and the Furious", or "xXx" this is gonna be a wonderful experience for you, one you'll want to hastily add to your collection of style over substance collection. And you know who you are. :)



2. Jason Statham stars in this action packed American directorial debut of action director Cory Yuen as Frank Martin. Frank is an ex soldier of fortune who now dedicates his life to transport packages (and I don't mean UPS) he transports whatever it is, usually illegal things. He goes by the rules, and never breaks them. First rule never change the deal, 2nd rule no names, 3rd rule never open the package. But one day on his daily route to transport a package, he gets a flat tire. He opens the trunk, to retrieve his spare tire, and finds that the package is moving, breaking one of his own rules he opens the package. Inside he finds a girl. This girl seems to be involved in smuggling of people for slave labor, along with her there are 400 other individuals being smuggled in containers. Afterwards a whole bunch of action, explosions and hi adrenalized fighting scenes take place. And everything happens for opening the package. It may seem a little silly, but this movie is awesome, definitely buy this, ignore the sequel it's not that great.
   
   MY PERSONAL RATING: 4 OUT OF 5



3. Transporter DVD
   
   Transporter is a high action movies involving an ex-Special forces soldier who earns his living transporting "packages" for various clients, mostly shady. In this movie, the transporter ( Jason Stratham )violates his own rules ( he's real big on rules ) and looks inside the package, doesn't like what he sees and doesn't complete the delivery. Bad idea, now the client is after him, along with the police. The movie is set in the French countryside so if you don't enjoy the thrill-a-minute action, just enjoy the view.
   
   Highly recommended for fans of Jason Stratham , James Bond movies, and high action movies, especially car chases.
   
   Gunner March, 2008



4. Not much to say here. It is a great movie on UMD for the PSP.
   
   I am gradually buying as many good movies on UMD as I can. If you own a PSP and look for great movies on UMD, you know they are rare. (There is a LOT of crap available on UMD though. That might explain why I always see large quantities of Ali G and Viva La Bam on UMD.)
   
   I have about 40 movies on UMD so far. This is one of them.
   
   I bought my PSP to watch movies, play The Simpsons game, and play Tomb Raider. That's it. I love my PSP.



5. The Transporter began a series of over-the-top action movies starring Jason Statham. If you are like me, this has been a positive development. While I feel that Statham is a fine actor who could do more serious work (and did in The Bank Job), he is able to elevate these implausible action movies to a level they may not deserve. The Transporter is a straightforward action movie and features some creative fights.
   
   The Blu-Ray is a mixed bag. The transfer isn't bad and it sounded great on my system, but there are little extras. There is a commentary featuring Statham - I haven't listened to that yet, but will probably give it a shot. Other than that, the only special features are trailers.
   
   Given that they are coming out with a third Transporter, it may be worth holding off on these films as I would guess a double-dip is on the way.

5 comments about Master of the Flying Guillotine.

1. What can you say about this flick that hasn't already been said? Maybe, "hmmm.....so he has knives after all.....very clever!" If you love bad english overdubbing & impossible physics, this is the one for you. A must have for any fan of kung-fu foley editing. The fight tournament sequence is great fun. Bet amongst yourselves on the outcome!



2. This movie was ahead of its time as many Kung Fu films were. A lot of the fight correography in these 70s Kung Fu film far surpassed what was made in the west and to this day, I don't think western cinema can match the fight correography (with a few exceptions).
   
   I can tell that the main character who plays the one-armed bandit never had any formal training in the martial arts or his training was very limited. Perhaps this is why he always plays one-armed characters. It's easier to hide a lack of skills if you pretend to have one arm.
   
   I liked the film commentary on the DVD but it's interesting that they didn't talk about how the character who played the Indian yogi was not really an Indian but a chinese made up to look that way. He looked very caricatured. I can see how something like that could easily be taken as very offensive to Indians. The character who played the Jappanese fighter however was not caricatured like many Chinese films have done during this time period. Another interesting thing about the expert commentators is that they erroneously said that the only fighter from a style different from Kung Fu was the Thai Boxer. This is not true because there was a Mongolian wrestler and Mongolian wrestling is a very ancient original martial art. I don't know much about Mongolian wrestling, but could tell that the fighter was not doing Kung Fu and his atire was a lot different from the Chinese.



3. Great film for its generation!!! A remake today, with all the new, state-of-the-art visual effects would do this movie some justice. The villain is on point, while the hero is crafty. Good film to have in your collection.



4. There are alot of great fighters in this movie, but the main reason I bought this movie is because " The Master of the Flying Guillotine " is my favorite villain.
   
   He's a blind man, that has his own music everytime he appears, and some of the coolest quotes. I love how relentless he is in catching " The 1 Armed Boxer "



5. I think any one who is interested in Kung Fu/ Martial Arts movies really MUST see this movie! It's got it all...the blind master of the flying guillotine (what a title!) out for revenge, the one armed martial arts teacher, who is the subject of said revenge and a fantastic martial arts tournament that feels like a precursor to Final Combat.
   A friend turned me on to this movie years ago, and we watched via a crappy vhs tape copy, so I was real happy to see it come out on DVD. The production value is on the cheap, and the dialogue dubbing certainly veers towards ridiculous (making it all the more fun!), but I bet you any thing that you are gonna wanna watch it over and over again! Highly recomended.

5 comments about Timecop [HD DVD].

1. A time cop races through time to right the meddlings of a corrupt politician in the past. Van Damme is a cop whose wife has died and becomes a time cop. A corrupt politician is messing with the past to get enough money for his political campaign. The movie has pretty good fight scenes which are basically showing off Van Damme and his body. It has an interesting premise for the time it was done (1994) although the special effects were not that good, even for the time. The acting is better than other Van Damme movies though.



2. All in all, Timecop held up pretty good. There are a few FX shots that don't look as good as they should but for the most part the film looks real good on HD-DVD. The only real bad part is that, like the first dvd's that came out, there are no extras. Also, it was delivered to Canada in about 4 days(with 2 of those being the week-end) and I am not in a major city!!! Gotta love that.



3. If you were a Van Damme buff like me when you were younger, then you swear by and worship films such as Bloodsport, Kickboxer, and Lionheart. Timeless late 80's early 90's films that were immensely popular at the time and quite enjoyable as action movies during that era. However, Van Damme's reputation quickly faded because he was type-cast as the brute karate guy who was hell-bent on just kicking you in the face at an 120 degree angle.
   
   Timecop is Van Damme's glory film in his acting career. A wonderful and entirely believable futuristic story of time travel that with a little better directing and production could have been a darn good action flick. Van Damme plays a futuristic cop who witnesses his wife's murder and is determined to do something about it. Coincidentally, he's the top time travel cop for the time travel program that the government currently has implemented for national security reasons. Of course he's going to use that to his advantage. What ensues is a mixture of other time travel movies all brought into one but with that Van Damme flair. While the overlying message is that the past is a terrible thing to alter, Van Damme's life has never been the same since the loss of his wife. The only way to survive his mundane existence and to save the country in the process is to go back in time, alter it, and kill a few bad guys in the process. Van Damme is not over the top here, however. He plays a darker character who displays believable emotion as a result of his surroundings. If you're a fan of time travel movies ala Back to the Future, The Butterfly Effect, The Time Machine, then Timecop should be right up your alley.
   
   Time travel will always be an interesting topic of conversation or subject of a major motion picture.



4. I'm not going to bore you with a plot synopsis you can get off the back of a box. If you like Van Damme you'll like this movie. It's not filled with mindless action, and the plot is strong enough to carry the the film. It comes off slightly goofy, but only because of the 1990's take on what the future would be like.
   
   If you are looking for some decent/classic Van Damme action check it out. For under $10 how disappointed could you really be?



5. In my opinion, this is Jean Claude Van Damme's best movie that he ever made. The plot is good and his acting is actually very good and somewhat believable. He also looks really great in this movie.

5 comments about Ultimate Flexibility: Stretching for Martial Arts.

1. To give you an idea of my ability, I have been doing yoga for over 5 years & a full knees & nose on the floor straight back butterfly stretch is 90% of the time too easy for me, most times can touch my nose to my knees in standing or seated fwd bend & on a good day can do a full Russian split but not a fwd split.
   The menu options are intro, easy workout, moderate & intense. The bonus has 10 min on kicking, an old video of him for advanced exercises & 1 min trailers of 6 other martial arts dvds. The production values are good, his speaking sound & lighting are nice. The camera work was very good (I wish all workouts had this cameraman & director). The camera stayed back to see his whole body almost at all times. Only occasionally to see where to put emphasis, such as seeing that he is standing on tip toes, or how to move into that stretch, etc. does the camera zoom in for just long enough to see, then stays back. There is NO MUSIC except for the menu & at the end of each workout.
   Sang H. Kim is alone on floor with natural beige tie-dye curtain behind him, black mat on the floor & 2 simple black/red/white Asian painting next to him on either side. He gives little instruction, though his English is clear & no problem understanding & tells you & shows you quick first, then has you do everything as he counts to 8 for each side. He moves in a good pace so you just keep up, not get bored, but w/o music & everything counted it still bored me a little.
   Intro is 8 min about how stretching is good & about how the dvd works.
   Easy Workout: 20 min, basic necks, shoulder, arm, wrist circles, hip circles, leg stretches, yoga sitting fwd stretch, wide leg stretch normal & stretching to each foot, butterfly, bridge, child's pose, spine rocking, etc. All the stretches are done laying down, seated, kneeling or on knees. The same stretches almost any workout dvd has, maybe 1 or 2 different & some basic yoga ones for the everyday person. I didn't feel much, a little stretched out, but this was below my ability. There was a couple stretches at angles most dvds don't do but so far wasn't impressed.
   Moderate Workout: 20 min, neck stretches w/hand pushing, wrist twists & pulling with other hand & each individual finger. Nothing you can't figure out on your own. Basic stretches like above, some little deeper, not really different then most workout dvds, more butterfly, sitting forward bend, wide angle, half attempt at split, lunges, ends in shoulder stand. Only a few moves were different the most basic stretch or yoga dvds. Most of the stretches are done laying down, seated, kneeling, on knees except shoulder stand. Most people who exercise at least semi-regularly should be able to handle this with no problem. I felt more stretched out, but still didn't feel that much.
   Intense Workout: 16 min. Ok, this one was harder after doing the other 2 with only short breaks in between. This one was done much faster, like cardio speed for a few stretches & it did feel real good. It then slow down to some of the regular stretches. This one had more lunges with torso twisting, modified side angle pose, sitting wide angle stretch to each side, deeper side lunges to the ground, camel, bridge but only feet & skull on ground, wheel, etc.
   By this time, my legs got rubbery. This one was more my speed & about now 1/3 of the moves were different & felt good. After doing all 3, the next day I only felt a tiny bit sore & a little stretched out, about what was to be expected after any 56 min of normal mainstream stretching.
   Bonus Kicking: 10 min, is 2 general stretches, practicing slowly w/a chair & regular speed front kicks, side, back, roundhouse, spinning kick. The roundhouse he only shows one leg. His kicking is still very flexible & with great control.
   Bonus Advanced Kicking Exercises: 7 min of him in 1988 with blue mat & looks like a gym. Lunges, wide angle fwd bend, lateral touching of the legs in wide angle, splits & he even touches his head to toes in that position, split & rolling back/forth.
   
   Not sure if it was him or maybe they had to film it many times & was at the end of the night, but his energy seemed a bit low, careful. On the easy, moderate, intense workouts, 80% time I had more flexibility then him. I was expecting more body awareness & more fluid feel to the workout & how the body is stretched/released considering he's a martial artist. Some of the stretches that weren't mainstream did flow & felt right, but there wasn't enough of them to make me really reach for this. Those were done like stepping forward & swing back the arms, or swing arms to the side to open up the torso in a fast motion.
   
   Most of all the stretches you'd get from any regular gym class or beginner's yoga dvds & the couple ones I'd never seen before are probably done in any dojo. I'd suggest this dvd for anyone who's flexibility isn't on the same level as mine and/or doesn't like yoga and/or rather have a male martial artist lead rather then a woman or aerobics instructor.
   
   There's a trailer at the distributer site turtlepress.



2. I recently viewed this DVD in order to learn some good stretching techniques for martial arts and I was not dissapointed. All three of the routines are excellent and stretch the entire body. No matter what the athletic endeavor, I think this DVD provides the perfect stretching routine.



3. Since beginning my martial arts journey a few months ago, I wanted to find some ways to increase my flexibility outside the dojo. I found a great video called Ultimate Flexibility by Sang H. Kim. Sang provides 3 different workouts that are less than 30 minutes each, so it's easy for anyone to fit into their busy schedule. Simple exercises to keep you flexible from head to toe! There's also a great bonus section on stretches to improve your kicks and splits.



4. While this video is titled "Stretching for Martial Arts" it is so fundamental in approach that it will be equally useful to anyone. It is not an overly strenuous or violent type of stretching. Each user is advised to proceed at their own pace and given a method for doing so.
   
   After using this video daily for about a month I have found it to be extremely effective. Mr Kim is very organized and through in his method, systematically going from joint to joint providing graded exercises for
   each. He provides three levels of workouts, each increasing in intensity. The first level can be used by anyone without prior experience or training.
   Anyone consistently using this video will benefit almost immediately.
   Each session in about 20 minutes and provides a good workout as Mr. Kim goes rather quickly. I recommend this video to anyone begining a stretching program.



5. There are 3 wonderful, full body stretching routines on this DVD. Sang H. Kim's energy is magnificent!!!
   
   There are 3 levels of routines each one is approx. 20 minutes. Sang moves thru the routine fairly quickly and counts 1 thru 8 keeping a good rhythm. It is a very nice alternative to typical yoga sun salutations and your whole body will feel alive and open after the exercises.
   
   You can do each one individually or together for a full hour of fun! I would probably not recommend for beginners as he doesn't give a lot of explanation on form, but if you know a bit about stretching and possibly yoga already this is a "must have".
   
   The intense workout is quite invigorating. The moderate workout is done completely on the floor. The easy routine is a nice practice for easy days. Each one is quite different and allows you a variety choice depending on how you feel.
   
   I love the music which comes on intermittently throughout the practices. The staging is quite simple and no fancy stuff. You can just concentrate on stretching, moving, and breathing.
   
   Please see my other yoga and stretching dvds on amazon and check my web site to view my very favorites (including this one) at worldturning dot com.

5 comments about The Guyver.

1. My 1st review so spelling errors aside keep with it.
   Seeing some of the other reviews I thought I'd put in my useless words as well.
   
   I've always been a fan of the Guyver anime, it was the first anime I've ever picked up (Seeing how he sort of had a Spider-man look to him when I was younger, I instantly picked it up) So of course I have to try out the movies no matter, to see if they could've made the Guyver cooler in the big screen than he was in a anime. This was probaly years ago but now when I look back at them. It adds to my collection.
   
   I didn't mind the movie, its old, those old movies tend to be corny as time goes on. I sadly made the mistake of watching Guyver 2 on the SciFi channel years ago before I watched the 1st movie so I held my standards higher back then. I can imagine more and more movies will come along and blow our "Movie of this year" yadda yadda. What I'm trying to say is pretty soon the Matrix or Star Wars will be looked back at and criticized just as much, as this flick.
   
   Overall opinion:
   Acting was ... decent they could've chosen a better cast of actors
   
   Special Effects were decent
   
   Costumes were decent (reminded me of a violent power rangers back then so I instantly loved it)
   
   The movie was a attempt to bring Guyver to the big screen, I really wish Guyver 2: Dark Hero was what they did. They could've easily have made that into the first Guyver movie. I still gladly have both in my collection, and watch them time to time. Maybe they'll re-make this one
   like they've done with other movies seeing how we can't produce anything original anymore.
   
   The second movie blows this one away, and it didn't require them to grab any big names to fetch them some Mark Hamill fans.



2. There's cult schlock that I appreciate and then there's just schlock. As soon as I saw JJ Walker appear, I knew the deal was sunk. As the potential enjoyment of the film lay bleeding profusely at my feet, Mark Hamill arrived on scene and kicked it in its head. I gave it 2 stars because it had its moments and Jeffrey Combs was in it. He had a bit part but he just cheers me with his presence.



3. It is and he turns into an alien. Pretty bad movie adaptation from the manga series. but most are. its very dark, not much light, but if you like the series then you may like the movie.



4. I am a fan of the Guyver anime series and this movie does to The Guyver, what Adam West did to Batman: Makes it look freakin' ridiculous!
   
   That being said it's still a fun B-movie and worth a watch.
   
   The Good:
   
   -The costumes and creatures are very well done.
   
   -The main villain, Balcus, actually resembles the anime character.
   
   -Like the anime, the Guyver dies and is then regenerated.
   
   -The scene where Sean becomes the Guyver is hilarious due to the fact that the street gang is such an 80's stereotype, with lines like "Hey, cool, chilly man, I'm just trying to help you out".
   
   -The movie doesn't take itself seriously, so you don't get too mad that it's not faithful to the original source material.
   
   The Bad:
   
   -The acting is terrible, especially Jack Armstrong & Vivian Wu and then you have Mark Hamill who is so over the top its embarassing.
   
   -The fat german thug Ramsey, who they dress up like a foreign exchange student with a Mr. T obsession and Hitler mustache.
   
   If you are a fan of The Guyver you'll either accept it as camp or burn it in disgust, either way check it out so you can have an opinion.
   
   If you just like cheesy Cinemax-style action movies, this is for you.
   
   If none of the above then you obviously have too much class.



5. I can't even give it a single star, but since I have to give it, I give it 1.
   This is so far away from the brilliant original comic and animation series that you wonder how these filmmakers got a hold of the rights to mess it up to this end.
   I was thoroughly disappointed that the filmmakers decided to monkey around with the monsters and make them into the Stooges - why do they always make things pedantic like that?

5 comments about Enter the Dragon (Two-Disc Special Edition).

1. Enter the Dragon is one of the classic Bruce Lee films. Having been filmed way before high definition was invented clearly comes out in the lack of sharpness and vividness of the colors. Newer movies filmed in HD come out much better such as Planet Earth from BBC. Overall average in terms of HD. Movie itself I would rate a 5.



2. Muy buena idea, traer un clasico a la nueva generacion. Se ve muy bien y el sonido es muy bueno. Tiene muchos extras



3. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2K1ACA4QC37PU



4. If there's one thing I personally hate with every ounce of my body, it's a mediocre film that gets propped up on an undeserving pedestal for nostalgic reasons. Why? Because frequently the film's proponents will mask their nostalgia by magically transforming mediocrity into greatness with their rose-colored glasses. Meanwhile, these fanatics will demean other movies that are objectively better than their beloved film for no valid reason. Yes, I know that the enjoyability of a movie is subjective to each viewer, but the most superlative claims made by these fanatics venture dangerously into assertions of objective fact.
   
   Bruce Lee fans are a perfect example. While reading comments for "Enter the Dragon", I hear endless put downs for every martial arts movie that doesn't star Bruce Lee. Considering the fact that none of his movies ever succeeded to crack the ceiling of mediocrity, a non-nostalgic observer (absent of brainwashing) can only conclude that these are certifiable lunatics trying to convince themselves that "Enter the Dragon" is a great movie, either due to nostalgic reasons or coersive pressuring from media (and fanboys) to jump on a bandwagon with square wheels.
   
   As a fan of martial arts cinema, I can ignore a mediocre script, wooden acting, and an inept storyline if the film gives me what I want in terms of action. "Enter the Dragon" fails to provide what it so desperately attempts to accomplish: well-choreographed, entertaining fight scenes.
   
   Some Bruce Lee lunatics start their reviews by saying that the opening fight is a "brilliant sequence of moves." I can only respond to this as I would someone who says that the sun is black - shake my head in disbelief and slowly walk away in fear of being assaulted. When one watches this scene (as with most of Bruce's fights), there is a noticeable lack of two things: combinations and countermoves. Bruce will typically engage in a series of one-hit exchanges with his opponents while mixing in a few three-move combos. Meanwhile, his opponents act like sparring dummies to be owned as necessary. While this has the potential to work in a one-vs-many scene, it simply doesn't work in a one-on-one scene. If you think that the beginning fight in "Enter the Dragon" is "brilliant", then you need to watch the Wu Jing/Andy On exchange in "Fatal Contact" (2006) for an example of a truly scintillating martial arts fight with combinations and countermoves executed with great speed and precision. If you still think the Bruce Lee/Sammo Hung fight is better, please seek psychological counseling immediately.
   
   Afterward the viewer is treated to some lame fights with John Saxon, Jim Kelly, and a Chinese lady, none of which look convincing on screen. After some incredibly bloated and overly long shots of boats on water (as well as some partying) we finally get to see Bruce do something again. This time, he goes stealth and takes out a few guards using nothing more than a few incredibly basic punches and chops. Mediocrity at its finest.
   
   Later on, Bruce goes stealth again but must now deal with a few dozen baddies in what many lunatics claim to be a spectacular one-against-many scene. In all honesty, I thought it was good and entertaining, with a bit of welcomed variety in terms of weaponry and moves. However, at least 70% of the baddies were dispatched with a simple fist to the face, which undermines this scene from being anything more than "good." If you think this one-against-many fight was "spectacular", then you need to watch the Tony Jaa finale in "Tom Yum Goong" (2005), where he dispatches over 40 guys using over 30 different strikes, holds, and take-downs. The sheer variety of that scene easily overpowers anything Bruce Lee ever did. If you still think the Bruce Lee scene was better, please look under "Psychiatrist" in your Yellow Pages.
   
   We finally come to an overrated finale where Bruce takes out 90% of his opponents using the same exact kick and punch. Virtually no effort was put into the fight choreography, and it's obvious to anyone without a platinum membership to Rose Colored Glasses, Inc. It gets a little better when Bruce spars with the main villain, but the all-too-common shortcomings of Bruce Lee fights - the lack of combos and counterattacks - rears its ugly head even here. Sure, there are a few good exchanges, but for the most part it's incredibly bland (Bruce's slow-mo jump kick being a case in point) and the actor playing the villain is just too slow and unconvincing. Unlike Bruce's other films (e.g., "Way of the Dragon"), they had other credible stuntmen and martial artists in this movie. Why not choose a more athletic lead antagonist (Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, etc.) to provide for some sparks? As is, it's a decent but disappointing scene that's very drawn out with lots of unnecessary slow motion.
   
   Now, I'm familiar with the dangers of expressing an unpopular viewpoint in the realm of movies, and I am convinced that Bruce Lee fanatics have unknowingly established an organized religion of sorts that will stop at nothing to insult and demean anyone who doesn't like Bruce's movies - one may as well call it the "Cinematic Inquisition." Don't misunderstand me though. I have a great deal of respect for Bruce Lee as an intelligent person and an exceptional martial artist, but whether or not his movies are entertaining is a completely different issue altogether. The fact still remains that we have an incredible martial artist in middling action films.



5. Bruce lee's creative and outstanding performance is highlighted in this extraordinary movie. This is his finest quality performance exhibiting his Legendary skills which were ahead of his time and even to this day still inspiring and engaging. The beginning of the film where he spars Sammo Hung is an awesome setting for what is to come in the movie. What sets Bruce a part from all of the rest is his character energy and his extraordinary power and speed from such a small framed man. Now that Enter the Dragon is in Blueray, it is sheer pleasure and excitement as on the big screen! What a legendary Martial Artist, actor and human being!!!

5 comments about The Warrior.

1. I liked this movie and the mongol/ancient chinese/korean costume and ambiance. Decent plot carries the viewer through several well staged if small battles.



2. I'm a huge fan of such movies as crouching tiger, iron monkey, house of daggars, hero, fearless, etc. However, this movie is not on that level. In general it was a waste of my time and money.



3. I love this movie. Korea has a great sense of dramatic action. They can be serious with beautiful style in their action sequences. This is a fictional story inspired by a historical setting. If you were moved by LOTR: The Two Towers with the story of warriors leading people away from the enemy to a place of safety where the stand for all you believe in will take place...then this is a good story for you. If you are not familiar with Cowboy/Western flms or Eastern Warrior stories then this may feel unfamiliar or slow.
   
   The cover is angering me because it is very missleading because they want someone passing by the "Martial Arts" DVD section to pick it up. Miss Ziyi is not a warrior in this film. Her being the popular Chinese actress for American audiences associated her with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Rush Hour 2 or House Of Flying Daggers expect her to be fighting always. NOPE. So her holding a sword so bravely on a DVD cover is false to her character. (especially with the movie being called The Warrior) She plays a bratty yet beautiful princess who has never stepped out into the real world in her life. Woo-Sung Jung's character does not use a sword. He fights with a spear throughout the film. If anything else he uses against an enemy was a horse whip. The importance of swords I guess comes from a history of cool characters of fantasy or period films using swords. Bad guys or second characters use the axe and that is rare. Everything else would suck I guess. Now the picture of these two actors are from posters & photos used in promotion for the film...but those hands were photoshoped poorly into the cover. Woo-Sung looks like he is leaning over a sink ready to brush his teeth with that thing.
   
   In conclusion, type in Musa for a dvd search of this film and you may be lucky to find on sale the Tai Seng release of this film titled Musa (translates to Warrior). The quality is equal to this release. I was lucky to get the Tai Seng release but then this one came out and for some reason the Tai Seng release is hard to find. I guess its not in print. So if you can't find the tai Seng release then buy this one because the movie is good even though the DVD cover is lame. Its just a lame cover like the domestic release of infernal affairs with some random Chinese woman dressed up like a Bond chick with a gun...whaaat? One day we wont need lame DVD covers for our domestic releases of great films.



4. I had no expectations going into this film. My wife, who teaches Ancient History, got it and I wasn't enthusiastic about watching it. However, I was in for a surprise from the opening shot. The cinematography is excellent, the locations exotic, and the storyline is realistic and believable. All of the sub-plots detailing personal conflicts were true to character and followed logically, and sustained what was essentially a very traditional tale of mistaken identity followed by a very long chase.
   
   I apprecated the fact that no effort is made to explain the extraordinary martial skills of Yeo-sol, he remains a mystery, although his character is fascinating. Also the Mongol General: Rambulwha was a very interesting figure, as was Jin-lip the archer, and even Ji-san the monk--interesting to see what it took to bring this quiet man of dignity to a homicidal rage. Even the lesser characters are carefully defined. This attention to detail was impressive and unusual in an action film. The final predicament reminded me so much of the Alamo, and when the Princess confesses her reasons for causing the whole imbroglio, and it's effervescent insignificance in the face of the blood, sweat and tears of those attempting to defend her, it's a devastating irony. The climax has a truly lyrical, haunting quality about it.
   
   This is a deeply romantic, and very graphic, war story--yet it is appealing for the reasons I listed previously, as an interesting collection of character studies. Yeo-sol, the slave, who was the most liberated man of the bunch, is a phenomenon to watch. He moves with such, grace, style, and elan it is hard not to be wowed. One extra kudo for keeping the story realistic. Far too often in Chinese martial films the tendency to drift off in to Magic Realism is irresistable--but, to this viewer, is very annoying. The Warrior stayed ultra realistic--and I appreciated that--it is one of the aspects that I have always loved about most Japanese Sword films(well not Lone Wolf and Cub). One final note: when I first heard the title of the film as Musa--I asked, what does a historical drama have to do with Bananas? I thought they meant one of three genera in the family Musaceae; it includes bananas and plantains...



5. If you've read any of my reviews of other recent martial arts films, you know that I enjoyed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but generally found myself unimpressed by Warriors of Heaven and Earth. I was downright confused by the plot of Zu Warriors, though it had a few relatively cool moments and special effects.
   
   The Warrior (I think "Musa the Warrior" is an alternate version of the film with different audio tracks?) falls somewhere between the extremes.
   
   The film is shot with a lot of emphasis on sepia tone (earth tones). So, in that regard it's a bit unlike Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Curse of the Golden Flower, and other movies of what I'd call Asian "art house" cinema.
   
   But, whereas Warriors of Heaven and Earth seemed singularly unimpressive in its fight scenes and a bit depressing in its sepia tone desert scenes, The Warrior seemed to keep things more lively. It had a lot of pretty good, interesting fights (if overly violent / bloody in a few cases). I actually found myself empathizing with the characters, and caring what happened to them. [WARNING: Slight spoiler ahead] The movie was a period martial arts / drama piece about a Korean diplomatic envoy to China that was captured, escaped, and ended up trying to save a princess intended for the Ming emperor, in order to restore relations between China and Korea. It's too bad that all or most of the characters inevitably died off in the course of the movie.
   
   I thought the movie came off quite well, despite not being as colorful or artsy as other movies in the genre. The fight scenes were good, the plot was a bit above marginally interesting (it kept my attention more than Warriors of Heaven and Earth). The grittiness was interesting, though sometimes a bit overwhelming with all the various killing going on in the process of trying to get the princess safely to the Ming emperor...
   
   The titular character was actually rather interesting insofar as he was a bit dark and mysterious. In some ways, the character was extremely feral. It reminded me a lot of Jet Li's performance in Unleashed. Essentially, both were slaves, trained to be extremely fierce fighters, but inevitably found their freedom (though in many respects didn't know what to do with it, once they had it).
   
   If you're expecting Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Iron Monkey, Fearless or Hero type art direction and costuming, don't. It's quite muted in terms of the color schemes, often opting for sepia; there's not much by the way of colorful artistry. But it also suits the mood of the movie, which is quite grim and gritty.
   
   In all, I rather enjoyed the movie. Certainly more than Warriors of Heaven and Earth or Butterfly Sword, neither of which I cared for; nor would I especially recommend them (unless you've seen EVERYthing else and are bored, or need to cure insomnia).
   
   Curse of the Golden Flower, The Myth, House of Flying Daggers are all pretty good flicks. The Legend of the Black Scorpion is quite good too, though a rather bloody retelling of Macbeth.
   
   So, if you're into really artsy colorful flicks, try the above. If you're into a pretty gritty movie with lots of interesting fight sequences (if a bit bloody), The Warrior is pretty good martial arts fare.

5 comments about Crime Story.

1. Jackie Chan takes up his usual cop role in this crime thriller and is hired to protect a very wealthy business man. The business man fears that he is going to be kidnapped, and that is exactly what happens. The kidnappers are holding him for ransom and demand 60 million dollars for his safe return. They order his wife to get the money. The cops do a great job of surveillance on the wife and do everything they need to do to catch the criminals, but they don't know that one of their top detectives is one of the kidnappers. Kent Cheng (Butcher Wing AKA "fatso" from Once Upon a Time in China #1) stars as the dirty cop and Jackie gets assigned to work with him. It gets very inense when Jackie suspects that Cheng is helping the kidnappers.
   
   Jackie Chan has had many good acting performances in his career, but this tops them all. His usual slapstick comedy is completely absent, but he still does a few of the other things you have come to expect from him. In one scene he is in a car chase and his car gets tipped onto its side. Well, Jackie just pushes the car back on its wheels and keeps on driving. Jet Li was supposed to play this role which seems like it would have been a good choice, but Jet's acting wasn't as good back then as it is now. Jackie plays this role to perfection, and in my opinion, there is no way that Jet Li could have pulled this role off as well as Jackie. If you have ever doubted Jackie as an actor, then check this movie out to see what he can really do. I would actually recommend this movie more to non Jackie Chan fans, but Jackie's die hard fans will also enjoy it.
   
   I have always known Kent Cheng as somewhat of a bumbling idiot on screen, so this movie was a real eye opener for me. He shows that he is a great actor when given the oppurtunity. He couldn't have played his role any better.
   
   The movie also stars Chung Fa and Ken Lo who are involved in a group fight with Jackie, and Blacky Ko has a nice cameo as a captain of the Taiwan police force.
   
   There is not as much fighting as most Jackie Chan movies, and they keep it more real. The stunt work is top notch and will have you saying ouch, but it is actually the car chases and huge explosions that give the most excitement.
   
   This is almost a perfect movie. Rating- 4.5/5
   
   The picture quality is very good. Subtitles are well written. The original Cantonese mono and Cantonese 5.1 tracks sound good. There is also an English dub that I didn't mind too much.
   
   Dragon Dynasty gives the best special edition possible by having a commentary with the director Kirk Wong. Bey Logan joins in to provide information and ask questions to the director. One thing they talk about is how this movie is based on a true story, and they actually filmed on some of the real locations where real events happened. This is my favorite Dragon Dynasty commentary I have heard. Unlike the movie, there are many laugh out loud moments in the commentary. I just wish the movie was longer than 107 minutes so that they could have talked longer. Lucky for me Kirk Wong has a great 29 minute interview where he gives his thoughts on the cuts that Jackie made to the final cut of the movie.
   
   The 12 minute interview with Teddy Chen (one of the writers) is very informative. He talks about the script itself and gives his thoughts on the actors.
   
   3 deleted scenes are included.
   
   The last special feature is interesting. Dragon Dynasty always includes the original trailer, which is nice, but this one is different than most. Since it was based on a true story, they actually show news footage and interviews at the start of the trailer.
   
   The only problem I have with this DVD release is the cover art. Jackie looks like he is posing for a rap album.



2. a great action flick. a good jackie chan movie.a must for your collection.



3. Supposedly based on true events, Crime Story puts Jackie Chan in his usual hero cop role against a group of criminals and their kidnapping scheme. Unlike his Police Story movies, this film plays it straight with an emphasis on realism and drama over martial arts and stunts. Missing here are any of Jackies usual over the top antics and absolutely none of his humor or charm. It's interesting to see Jackie play this stiff of a role and he does a fine job but I'm not sure why you would ever cast him to be this bland. I guess they wanted to differentiate this from the Police Story films (he goes by Eddie Chan here rather than his real name like in Police Story 1 & 2)but I for one yearned for those pictures while watching this (in fact it forced me to rethink my original rating on Police Story 2 to 4 stars instead of 3). This is still worth catching once at least... and who knows, maybe I'm missing something that the other reviewers are seeing? If you always wanted to see what Chan's career would have been like if he wasn't one of the greatest martial artists ever this is for you... for those who watch Chan movies for unique fights and exhilerating stunts you'll have to go elsewhere. No matter your feelings on the film Dragon Dynasty has released it in usual top notch form here.



4. An excellent well put together package. The special collector's edition of Jackie Chan's classic 1993 Crime Story. With added special features including Deleted Scenes (3), Feature Commentary with Director Kirk Wong and Hong Kong Cinema Expert Bey Logan, A Journey to the Underworld: An Exclusive Interview with Director Kirk Wong, From The Page to the Silver Screen: An Interview with Writer Teddy Chen and Trailer Gallery.
   
   If you already have the first edition of this great movie. I would still invest the collectors edition as it brings more action, suspense and intrigue. Jackie Chan plays a cop that is witness to a kidnapping of a prominient businessman and his wife. The wife is forced into giving the kidnappers almost 60 million dollars. As the movie progresses Jackie runs into all kinds of people out to kill him for what he knows and a secret or two buried right in his own office. The movie is fast paced and full of classic Jackie battles. Crime Story won't be one of those movies that disappoint either as it still holds up despite all the time that has passed.



5. It's Jackie's most rare movie, it is very graphic, realistic feel to it about a hard life of honest cops. This is not a martial arts flick, although it has that, it is much more, a real detraction from Jacky Chan's usual funny style. It's not a comedy. It is a suspense detective. Enjoy one of Jacky's rarest, but wonderfully made movies.