2 comments about Sword Masters: Two Champions Of Shaolin *Shaw Bothers*.

1. I can finally get rid of my pan & scan bootleg quality DVD, and I have Sword Masters to thank. First, it's directed by the Godfather of HK movies, Chang Cheh; second, it's got the Venoms in it. 'Nuff said. Despite missing Philip Kwok (Kuo Chui), he is listed as the head choreographer. Kuo was having "ego" issues with Lu Feng, and he got so angry he refused to appear in it. In spite of his absence, it's still a great film; I feel it's superior to "Showdown at the Cotton Mill" ("Two Champions..." is sort of modeled after that). Lo Mang got to show his leading man talent, and Chin Siu-Hou (Fist of Legend) got his big break. The 15 minute end fight is not to be missed. I don't know too much about "Sword Masters" (they're doing Chang's 1970 classic "Heroic Ones" as well), but they did a decent job here. Remastered, widescreen, uncut and your choice of Mandarin or English. I'd go with the Mandarin because not only are the subtitles well done, but the English track sounded a bit muffled. I think it's fabulous that these classic Shaw Brothers movies are being re-issued like this.



2. Lo Mang is up against the entirely deceitful Lu Feng who does a tremendous job with his role here as the Monkey King of his three masked, monkey hitmen. When he first meets Lo Mang at the grave of someone he'd just murdered he delivers a truly excellent performance. Although laying out silken rugs and exquisite dishes before the unaware guests Lo Mang and co. the esquisitely deceitful Lu Feng then goes on to explain that, "me? I'm a nobody, just a traveling scholar, certaintly not as important as you famous fighters." we're talking spot on delivery with his lines here. This is the english dubbed version I'm citing here. He thoroughly deceives Lo Mang and co. while they're visiting the grave of comrades he (Lu Feng) and his monkey style henchmen just murdered. Great film. A must have for any venoms fan.

5 comments about The Last Sentinel [Blu-ray].

1. Bought it as a cheap bluray but it looks more like a mediocre DVD than a Bluray dick.
   
   
   And the story isnt great either.



2. The ONLY and I mean ONLY reason to watch this movie would be for Katee Sackhoff; who is not even the star of the movie as the movie cover would have you to believe. I believe the producers are attempting to play on her popularity in Battlestar Galactica. The story line is absolutely terrible unbelievable and laughable (especially when they try to pass off a 1980's IBM computer as the latest in high tech electronic equipment, yes they still have the old green and black screens). DO NOT waist your money on this. I'm sure at some point the Sci-fi channel will re-run this movie and if you must watch it (again for Katee Sackhoff) then do so. I have no idea why this was put to blue ray before even BSG was.



3. This movie is like sp many others about a world where robots have taken over the world and a few brave freedomfigthers are left to try to fend them of, yadda yadda ya. We have seen it all before. But the movie is fun, the concept of talking, intelligent weapons is interesting especially for pepole that like this AI. The acting is ok. In short it is a ok sifi movie that will entertain for the time it runs, but that are completely forgettable and fail to stand out among the rest.



4. I got this movie because of the description on the back. Thought that if I could watch a Dolph Lungren movie, I can watch this. I was wrong on many levels. Firstly, the acting was even worse than Dolph has ever been. Second, the storyline didn't make any sense, like they cut out parts of the movie that were real important for understanding. The picture quality was of an old vhs quality. The fight scenes were the worst I have ever seen (and I have watched some bad movies). I would rather have watched grass grow or paint dry than go through this movie again. The only reasons I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 is because it is a cheap blu-ray movie and someone will hopefully like it.



5. This DVD was defective. I returned and asked for a replacement. When the replacement was received it was ALSO defective. I gave up and returned for a refund.

5 comments about Billy Blanks' Tae-Bo Flex.

1. This is the first review I've ever written, but I can't stay silent about this workout. Reading the other reviews before my purchase I didn't really know what to expect other than it would be a different kind of Tae Bo workout. I needed some more toning and strength training workouts so I took a chance. When I started the workout, I thought to myself, "At this pace, I'm not going to be sweating much." Imagine my surprise when I found myself covered in sweat! My tummy was even sweating and the only other workout to make that happen is Cardio Kickbox by Jillian Michaels! I enjoy this video because it add variety to my Tae Bo collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!



2. I thought it was big waste of time---did it once and will probably never do it again--his eralier tape swere much better



3. Since I got into computers for work, I have gone from 180-203 over 5 years and decided enough is enough. I opted for DVD because I am impatient and would rather keep moving. My bowflex and treadmill bore me to tears. This video is fun and motivating. There is a mixture of cardio and holding or balancing for 8 seconds while holding positions to tighten muscles. These are fairly simple to do and if your worried about balance, Billy reminds you to only go as far as you can and to use a chair for balance if needed. The team excercising in the video is great. From moms to middle aged guy to a blonde woman who is so lean and tone I spend time staring at her abs and conditioning wanting to look even close to that good. Its nice to see normal people handling the excercise routine.
   
   Ok, now the bad, which cost a point in this review. It is horribly produced. Mistakes are made by Billy and rather then edit them out to make it look clean, it was left in. Excercise cardio videos are not the place to confuse people. At a couple points in the video, he appears to be looking at a board to see what is next, even pausing at one point, seeming unsure of what is next. His assistant reminds him one time. Another point he is explaining how to do one excercise with less strain, but the camera is not on him, it focuses on him when he explains a second way to do the excercise easier, but we still missed one. Aside from that, there are a few points he is talking to the wrong camera, not a big deal really, but since he is the motivator, why would they not use the camera focused on him while he is talking to you? I doubt this would stop me from buying this DVD again, but for the first couple weeks it has some confusing moments. After a couple of weeks, you know the drill, so it is a bit more laughable.
   
   One other weak spot is in a few excercises, they come out of a stretch back into the excercise and by the time you realize it, you missed a beat. One excercise, using jumping jacks and a side kick, I still can not keep up with.
   
   How am I doing from this video? After 2+ weeks of doing this video along with diet, I have lost 13 pounds and can see definition starting to appear on side and upper abs. My wife says I am more squeezable. I sweated less then ever today, so I guess I need to warm the room up. I am still sore though, it will push you. I have purchased complete 7 DVD sets plus accessories so I can swap in different workouts. Loving it.



4. Just as background info - the only tae-bo I've done is the original and the Tae-Bo Live. Tae-bo Flex pretty much uses the same moves but adds the flex factor - on the 8 count, you hold the pose (i.e., roundhouse kick, punch, etc). It is also a little slower, but he adds cardio bursts throughout. I like it - its not too different but it is a change from the regular routine. If you want something to add a bit of change to your workout, check this one out.



5. After getting a desk job right after college, I decided to try Tae bo. I had done it before in a dance class and loved it. I was looking for a beginner to intermediate level video, and this one was perfect. Very fun and upbeat. It does work up quite a sweat! Some of the one-footed positions are a little difficult in the beginning, but after doing them several times, you get the hang of it. Positions are probably easier for women too--as a lot of them involve extending and flexing legs. Video is about 45 minutes with about 5 minutes each of warm up and cool down. Highly recommend it! After using it about three times a week for a month, I have noticed both weight loss and stronger legs.

5 comments about Operation Condor.

1. Why American production make HK movies look so cheap? First of all, they cut off so much scene, second of all ruin it by making look acting so dumb by English Dubb. For ANY of HK movies, ALWAYS stick with ORIGINAL LICENSED HK RELEASE. Be careful with cheap imports, boots though.



2. I think it is unfair for the anti-dubbing purists to give this dvd a low ratings simply because it is a dubbed version. If you don't like dubbing, nobody is forcing you to buy this. IMHO, there is good dubbing and bad dubbing, and the dubbing on this movie is actually quite good.
   
   Unfortunately, this dvd doesn't have any special features. However, it is a nice true widescreen presentation.
   
   The movie has lots of humor, action, great stunts, fantastic fights, pretty girls, interesting locations. It also has one of the best chase scenes I've ever seen.
   
   This is supposed to be a sequel to Armour of God, but it stands on it's own, and I'd have to say I thought it was the better of the two. One I'll definitely enjoy watching again.



3. This movie is on my list of BEST ACTION COMEDIES of ALL TIMES. The fighting scenes are excellent. It also has a lot of humour. It makes me laugh again and again.
   
   If you want to enjoy it, please suspens your logic while watching it.
   
   I own it.



4. Jackie Chan's hugely enjoyable romp Operation Condor - Armour of God 2 sees him on the trail of Nazi gold in the desert in a plot that's no more than an excuse for several spectacular stunts - and this contains some of Chan's most impressive stuntwork. His most expensive HK picture, it's also one of his most enjoyable in its uncut version, but sadly this Miramax/Dimension version has typically cut 14 minutes from the Hong Kong version (the US theatrical version actually cut 26 minutes!). It ain't art, but it is fun, and some of the stunts in the massive underground set have to be seen to be disbelieved.
   
   Unfortunately, this a disappointing DVD all round. It's not just that UK label Hong Kong Legends' excellent Hong Kong DVDs have raised the bar in terms of extras and picture quality, this Dimension release is the dubbed and heavily edited US cut. The UK PAL release is uncut, but sadly dubbed and not the best of transfers. A budget title in every sense of the word, you're much better off sticking to the Hong Kong releases.



5. I watched this movie as a child, loved it, and today it stands as one of Chan's finest. I love Chinese humor, it's really hilarious! Jackie is full of portraying a humorous, yet serious role. He is a great lead role here, with two or three excellent sidekicks. Embarking on hunt for treasure was never this fun!

5 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship Classics, Vol. 8.

1. This DVD features an 8 man tournament as well as the SuperFight between Ken Shamrock and Kimo. It is dubbed David vs. Goliath because of the huge difference in size between the competitors in the tournament. This features the first UFC appearance of both "The Predator" as well as "Big Daddy."
   
   Quarterfinals: Don Frye vs. Thomas Ramirez- Frye makes short work of Ramirez in ten seconds, knocking him out.
   Paul Varelans vs. Joe Moreira- This fight goes the distance and is a stand-up fight only. It does not go to the ground at all. Varelans wins all three judges' decisions because he was the aggressor throughout most of the fight. Moreira did get some solid hits in, but he was backing away while Varelans was moving forward.
   Jerry Bohlander vs. Scott Ferrozzo- Very interesting fight here, Ferrozzo uses his size to his advantage with a lot of grappling, a couple of nice suplexes are landed and the fight goes to the ground. A lot of stalemates though as he gets Bohlander up against the fence. Bohlander comes up with the win with a tapout.
   Paul Herrera vs. Gary Goodridge- Another short fight, Herrera shoots immediately but gets caught in a bad spot, and Goodridge nails him repeatedly with some nasty elbows and gets the KO.
   
   Semi-Finals: Frye vs. Adkins*- *Varelans is replaced because of an injury and Adkins gets his spot in the tournament. Here we have a boxer vs. wrestler fight and we all know how these usually end up. Frye with an early takedown and starts throwing down punches, and Big John McCarthy stops it.
   Bohlander vs. Goodridge- Nice ground fighting by both men until Goodridge nails two solid punches and McCarthy stops it.
   
   The Superfight: Ken Shamrock vs. Kimo- This fight goes to the ground immediately. Kimo nails some solid punches but got caught in an ankle lock and taps out.
   
   Final: Frye vs. Goodridge- Goodridge was looking good in the early portions of the fight, but made a mistake and Frye rolled him over and got control and gets a couple of short punches in. At first I thought Big John stopped it, then we see a towel thrown in the Octagon so I assume that was the reason. Either way a win for "The Predator" but a very nice showing by "Big Daddy" as well. Don Frye is the UFC 8 champion.



2. i just want to know why they skipped the ultimate ultimate 95' in this line of releases.



3. Though this follows UFC Classics 7 Buffalo, they skipped over the Ultimate Ultimate which you will hear mentioned in the broadcast. This was billed as the David vs Goliath card. Basically it featured guys around 200 lbs facing off against men 300 lbs or larger. It was an interesting card, with a few knockouts that you still see today in highlight clips. It features the superfight between Shamrock and Kimo, which was not a let down like the previous superfight. The card also is the introduction of Don Frye and Gary Goodridge to the MMA world. 2 guys still competing today. All in all, this is a good buy for someone looking for the genesis of the sport.



4. U.F.C 8
   A very interesting and enjoyable disc that reminds us why the early years of the Ultimate Fighting Championship are examples pure Martial Arts Gold.
   
   Featuring the return of Ken Shamrock to Superfight action in a match against KIMO (the man credited of making Royce Gracie look human), the event was set to promise an exciting card. In the traditional Ultimate Challenge Tournement, the unstoppable Don Frye makes his memorable U.F.C debut with a hard hitting punch and the eqaully famous Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge makes his own U.F.C debut in the same fashion. Sporting a black Gi Goodridge produced a remarkable performance, proving both his strength and character as Frye showed off his grappling skill and strong heart.
   
   In a strange yet appealing sense, the U.F.C introduced it's first "Themed" event that promoted the small "David" versus the giant "Goliath" story. This was carried throughout the event but the initial tournement match up's were actually deliberatley styled to reflect the big man versus the small man. An interesting concept that eventually reflected this cards action and suprising outcomes.
   
   The disc's special features include a recent interview with Don Frye and a retrospective look at U.F.C 8 by Mixed Martial Arts expert Scott Peterson. The event is a welcome addition to any U.F.C Collection and represents the best days of the organization.



5. UFC Classics, Vol. 8 features the debuts of two mixed martial arts legends... Don Frye and Gary Goodridge...
   
   As per future superstars, they make a big splash in their opening bouts of this tournament... Frye's KO is scientific, while Goodridges is viciously brutal...
   
   Another fantastic addition to any library of MMA history...

5 comments about Samurai Jack - The Premiere Movie.

1. Cartoon Network shows tend to be very, very cool -- at the very least, fascinatingly weird. But their most "righteous" show has to be "Samurai Jack," a dryly hilarious show with a righteous hero, his magic sword, and a truly loathsome villain.
   
   "Samurai Jack: the Movie" is nothing new, merely the first few episodes of the series. Nevertheless, it's a good introduction to anyone who is just checking out this clever little series.
   
   The evil Aku (Japanese for... "evil") has risen again, and lays waste to Japan. But the empress manages to smuggle away the young prince, and over the years he becomes a brave warrior. He returns, frees the enslaved people, and goes off to kill Aku with a magic sword forged by the gods.
   
   But during the battle with Aku, the young samurai is flung thousands of years into the future (think a grimier "Jetsons"). Aku rules the future with an iron fist, and the world is full of volatile aliens, speeding aircars, and talking dogs. Now the samurai -- known as "Jack" -- must free the enslaved dogs from Aku's rule, and find a way back to his own time so this future will never happen.
   
   Of course, he won't find it right away, because otherwise there wouldn't be a story. There's a bonus episode in the extras menu: Jack walks over a miles-long bridge, and encounters a psychotic Scotsman who ends up getting handcuffed to him. Will they escape backwater bounty hunters together, or strangle each other first?
   
   Certainly "Samurai Jack" isn't like anything you've seen before, with its simplistic drawing style and clever scripting. The animation style is reminiscent of classical Japanese artwork, and their movies get a nod in the quiet, relatively slow pacing of the episodes.
   
   And as it entertains you with evil robots and shapeshifting demons, it also throws in a subtle message about honor, kindness, and "righteousness." For a series with no character development, its hero is a pretty lovable guy. He's morally upright, righteous and kind, but somehow it isn't annoying.
   
   And it's fairly cool to see him training with Vikings, Olympic wrestlers, Cossacks, Zen monks, and even with Robin Hood. And when he gets to the future, we get to see him deal with all sorts of bizarro things. (Robot alligators with machine guns?) And surprisingly, Jack adjusts very quickly to his surreal new surroundings.
   
   Though it has nothing that people with the other "Samurai Jack" DVDs won't have, "Samurai Jack: the Premiere Movie" is a good intro for people who are just getting introduced to this clever series.



2. My son and I both love Samuarai Jack. I bought him the complete first three seasons for Christmas, but I also bought the premier movie. Now, I realize I should have caught on with the title, "Premier" Movie, but I thought it was just the first full length movie of Jack, not what it actually is - the premier episode that was an hour long. There could be worse things than having two copies of the same episode, right?



3. I recently had the urge to watch this again. It was in heavy rotation for me a few years ago, and now I think it's high time it returned! Seeing how the series progressed, and remembering the first few episodes struck me, it's no mystery why SJ impressed me!
   
   The art style is unlike anything else I've ever seen in animation from any country. Amazing backgrounds, fun dialogue, and action-action-action!
   
   The DVD's inclusion of a bonus episode from the show is odd, in light of having the complete sets of seasons, but welcome. The sketches and interviews are good.
   
   My favorite part of the movie would be the rush through his youth, a tour of the world, and kind of a preview of his entire life, as he tours the world again during the seasons to fight Aku. Watch it again!



4. An entertaining and different style of animation. If you have a few dollars to spare, go nuts.



5. Was not properly advertised, therefore I bought Season 1 twice. The movie is also Season 1.

5 comments about Warriors of Heaven & Earth [Blu-ray].

1. Warriors of Heaven & Earth [Blu-ray]
   "Warriors of Heaven and Earth" will excite audiences interested in Asian cinema. This is the story of Japanese soldiers in China during the Warlord period of history when the two cultures (Chinese and Japanese) clash. Japanese soldiers go AWOL (Absent Without Leave) in China and are hunted down by other Japanese soldiers sent to "bring them in" for the Japanese government officials. This film is a cinematic delight filled with action, adventure and superb fight scenes.



2. I ran across the DVD of Warriors of Heaven and Earth and as the price was right I decided to give it a shot. Having already fallen in love with Japanese films I though I could give a Chinese film a try - and I am definitely glad that I did.
   
   Warriors of Heaven and Earth is NOT just a swordfighting action movie, nor is it a martial arts, "Wire-Fu," movie. What Warriors IS is a dramatic story with well rounded characters that has some fantastic action/fight sequences. Actually, I'd say that this movie, in some respects, reminded me of a more dramatic Indiana Jones movie. All the visual splendor is there, all the adventure and excitement and peril is there as in an Indiana Jones movie, and there's even a bit of the supernatural like an Indiana Jones movie. Where it departs from Indiana Jones is in the drama department.
   
   The script for Warriors of Heavan and Earth is very, very good. Many characters are fleshed out and well rounded, the plot makes sense, and the pacing is excellent throughout. This is a touching movie, as the two main characters who are supposed to fight to the death learn to respect and even like each other - but it's not done in a forced or unnatural way. It's done slowly, with their actions providing the foundation for the respect and admiration they develop for each other.
   
   The Amazon.com review mentions Warriors being a bit of a Western, showing more than a little John Ford (particularly The Searchers), and that is absolutely true. Director He Ping (or Ping, He, if you prefer) definitely channeled both John Ford and Akira Kurosawa while he was making this movie. Sure, there are bits of Spielberg and Yimou Zhang (or Crouching Tiger era Ang Lee), but those bits are kept to a minimum, and work to great effect WITH the John Ford and Akira Kurosawa elements.
   
   Now, maybe comparing ANY director to John Ford and/or Akira Kurosawa is unfair. I don't think any director is going to live up to those comparisons, but in this case you can see the clear inspiration for He Ping's work on Warriors of Heaven and Earth.
   
   The DVD itself is very good, with excellent picture and sound quality, multiple language audio tracks, a nice, "Making Of," documentary, and several trailers for this and other films of interest.
   
   If you haven't seen an Asian movie, but like Westerns or historical epics, this would be a great film to start with. If you are already a fan of Asian Cinema, then I think from reading my review and the others already here you've got a good idea of what this movie is like.
   
   Definitely RECOMMENDED.



3. I very much enjoyed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Hero was pretty darn good, in my opinion. Slightly less enjoyed House of Flying Daggers though it was still quite good. Jet Li's Fearless was okay.
   
   Read several reviews of recent (post-1990) martial arts movies. The description of Warriors of Heaven and Earth sounded appealing.
   
   Unfortunately, I was sadly disappointed. Far from the epic fantasy that I was expecting and hoping for (a la Crouching Tiger or Hero), this movie felt more like a Martial Arts version of a Spaghetti Western.
   
   There wasn't much "heaven" or "magic" portrayed in the movie (barely toward the end) and what little of "Earth" was showed was mainly a few forest shots and then lots of drab Desert (pretty depressing).
   
   In all, not the worst movie I've ever seen, some may like it. The fights, though few and far between, have their moments. Thus far, I'm enjoying Curse of the Golden Flower more (I also like the set design and costuming more). I'm also looking forward to watching The Legend of the Black Scorpion. I might pick up "Legend of the Shadowless Sword" once released too. Will let you guys know how those go.
   
   For now, I'd label this one a "rental" unless you're a hardcore fan and have seen everything else. Crouching Tiger and Hero is is not (in terms of artistry, costuming, etc.).



4. For those who like Chinese period films like Hero etc you will enjoy this.
   Well shot with good action scenes by a cast of largely unkown actors in the West it is well worth a look.



5. I bought this movie after reading some of the reviews on this site, & now I wish I hadn't. The movie is OK but if you really want to see this movie just buy the DVD. First of all the picture quality is not worth to get on Bluray. You don't get the awesome cinematography that you do in other Chinese epic films like 'Crouching Tiger', 'Hero' or 'Flying Daggers'. Second, the story is a little bit contrived and the characters not all that interesting. The scale of this movie & the way in which it was shot gives off the feeling that it's a B-rated flick in fact. If you really want to get this I will gladly sell you the one I bought for cheap.

5 comments about Vampire Effect.

1. I saw this movie on tv and thought it was awesome! I've been looking for it everywhere and I'm so glad that Amazon has it!!! If you like Kung Fu Hustle, you'll like this too! It has awesome fight scenes and some humor thrown in there too!
   Yeah...I wouldn't say it's the best movie ever, but it sure was entertaining.



2. This vampire action comedy is one of my favorites for the very fact that I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire movie. First of all, the characters are memorable, contributing a myriad of classic scenes. Charlene and Gillian are naturally cute, charismatic, and humorous. This movie was my first exposure to them, and all I wanted to do was reach through my television screen and give them a REALLY BIG HUG. The remaining cast did well in their supporting roles, including Jackie Chan, Karen Mok, "The Duke", Josie Ho, Edison Chen, Anthony Wong, and the vampire bad guys (one of which looks eerily familiar to Will Ferrell). Even the abominably horrible Ekin Cheng was good in this one. Good characters are important, of course, because they avoid the feeling of boredom by keeping things interesting between action sequences.
   
   And speaking of action, this film has plenty of it. More importantly, there is an emphasis of quality in the fight choreography. One aspect that helped in this regard is the featured weapon of the protagonists - a sword with a retractable spear-ended rope. This weapon, in and of itself, opened up a variety of moves that would have been otherwise impossible. Josie Ho and Gillian Chung, in particular, perform some wicked aerial maneuvers using these devices.
   
   In addition, the swordplay is superb, and is highlighted by two great sword fights - one taking place during the opening train station sequence and the other occurring in the church finale. In fact, the blade-wielding maneuvers showcased in this film put some other highly overrated fan favorites to great shame, and I truly feel sorry for those who would cite the horribly choreographed garbage seen in Ashes of Time, Storm Riders, or A Man Called Hero with the well-planned, precisely executed sequences seen in The Twins Effect. It's not even close.
   
   This film was so good that it actually set me up for being disappointed at other Chinese movies with the same actors and actresses. This especially applies to Ekin Cheng, whose other films almost always suck - and yes, this includes the obscenely overrated and exploitative wuxia crap mentioned in the previous paragraph. Even The Twins have never been able to match the value of this movie when both were lead actresses in a film, although they have managed to hit some good films when either one or the other takes the leading role (e.g., Beyond Our Ken, Good Times Bed Times, House of Fury) or when one or both are in supporting roles (e.g., Colour of the Truth, New Police Story, Just One Look). The Twins Effect 2 should have been a direct sequel, instead of a family fantasy. I am still yearning to see Charlene and Gillian team up and kick some butt in another movie, but the fact remains that The Twins Effect hits on all cylinders, optimizing their charisma while avoiding a descent into annoyance (as in Protégé de la Rose Noire).
   
   All in all, this film has everything one needs to be entertained. And may I remind the reader that it is precisely this - ENTERTAINMENT - that judges the greatness of a movie, more so than artsy dramatic elements or meaningless awards from established academies of critics who usually have no idea what they are talking about.
   
   In the end, the Twins Effect is a CLASSIC not to be missed.
   
   Rating = 5/5 stars
   
   P.S. - The Hollywood execs decided to slaughter this film when it was released in the U.S. by renaming it The Vampire Effect and cutting out 20 minutes of footage, which includes parts of the action scenes. However, the final fight of the U.S. version does have a better soundtrack than the original version. Therefore, I purchased both versions, which allows me to first watch the original until about the 1:20 mark, and then swap discs to watch the final fight on the U.S. version.



3. The Twins and Ekin Cheng team up to take on vampires. Now first of all the story is the only thing I had a problem with in this movie. They don't explain a whole lot but they really don't need to. It is not a long movie and they mainly just focus on one plot point and the rest of the movie is fighting vampires. Ekin Cheng is a vampire hunter and when his partner dies he gets a new one. She is a little wild and does not like Ekin's sister. They have a fight on the rooftop with poles and while you can tell they don't know martial arts, this scene is a lot better than it should be with Donnie Yen's choreography. Ekin Chen though just surprises me more and more everytime I see him. He has a great one on one grappling type of fight and just looks outstanding in the opening scene. His acting is of course excellent as well. So Ekin's sister actually falls in love with a vamire who is being hunted by the like super vampire. I don't know what video game they took the story from but it makes for a great final fight. And I mean AWESOME!!!! The vampire grappling was great. NONE of the fights are going to blow your mind but there is just something about those twins getting down and dirty. Also look out for a great cameo from Jackie Chan and Karen Mok.



4. this move was so nice, a comedy and action film. jacky (kong sang) chan has a small part, put that does not really matter.



5. This movie is pretty entertaining. Although Jackie Chan is on the cover, his appearance in the movie is minimal. I got a good laugh from the goofieness of it all. I would recommend this movie if you like goofy movies.

5 comments about A Force of One.

1. This is one of Chuck's best! He plays a champion karate instructor who's been asked to help teach self-defense classes to a class of police officers on the trail of a cop-killer they believe is a skilled martial artist. There's fun dialogue (listen to that offscreen cop muse about baseball mit prices while he and his partner search for clues at a sporting goods store!), good fight scenes (Wallace's kicks and Norris's spinning back fist look very sharp during the tournament matches), involving scenes of suspense (run, Charlie, run!), and Chuck dialogue at its best ("Whoever did this, is as good as dead.") It's got a low budget feel (because it WAS a low budget pic) with some extended long shots (not a lot of different camera angles and fancy framing), but that adds a little realistic touch and some extra charm to the film as well. Highly recommended for fans of Chuck! (Other top-notch Chuck Norris films would be CODE OF SILENCE and WAY OF THE DRAGON-also known as RETURN OF THE DRAGON. And I also recommend SLAUGHTER IN SAN FRANSISCO which is a REALLY low budget Hong Kong movie starring Don Wong-also known as Wong Dao-where mouths don't match the words and Chuck plays a really good bad guy!)



2. `He hears the silence. He sees the darkness. He's the only one who can stop the killing.' That's the tagline for the drama action thriller A Force of One (1979), starring Chuck Norris. I have no idea what it means to `hear the silence', or `see the darkness', but I suppose it has something to do with being a karate man (martial artists in the late 70's apparently had yet to earn the distinction of being known as `martial artists', often referred to as `karate men', as illustrated within this film) ...or maybe some promotional person just thought it sounded cool. While this wasn't Chuck Norris' first starring feature (most accept 1979's Good Guys Wear Black to have that distinction), it was the first, decent film he starred in, and, along with his ever growing fan base, helped turn this 6-time World Karate champion an internationally known film star. Based on a story by Ernest Tidyman (Shaft, The French Connection), A Force of one was directed by Paul Aaron, whose previous credits at the time included A Different Story (1978) and the made for television version of The Miracle Worker (1979), starring Patty Duke. The film stars Chuck Norris (Lone Wolf McQuade, Missing in Action 2: The Beginning) and the always-lovely Jennifer O'Neill (Summer of '42, Scanners) with one of the most unattractive, butch haircuts I've ever seen on a female. Also appearing is Clu Gulager (The Last Picture Show), Ron O'Neal (Superfly, Red Dawn), and martial artist Bill `Superfoot' Wallace in his silver screen debut.
   
   The film takes place in a relatively small California community, which is being overrun by the drug trade. As the film begins, we witness the death of two undercover detectives at the lethal hands of a mysterious, masked karate man. The detectives were investigating a lead, and met their fate while searching a local business (without a search warrant, I might add...which happens a number of times throughout the film, leading me to believe California has some of the most lax search and seizure laws in the nation). Anyway, the police are baffled by the deaths of two of their own, and soon come to the conclusion it must have been a karate man. This prompts them to seek out local karate expert and trainer Matt Logan (Norris) not only for possible leads, but also for training. Logan's hesitant to get involved, as he's busy training to defend his karate man title, but his conscience compels him, and he ends up helping out (which is good because everyone knows if you want to beat a karate man, you need a karate man). This ends up leading to one of the more cliché plot devices in films, where the bad guys harm one of Logan's kin, so now it's personal, forcing Logan to issue the declaration I used for the title of my review.
   
   This wasn't a bad little independent action flick, certainly formulaic, aided marginally by some decent performances by O'Neill (the scene where she reacts to the deaths of a couple of colleagues was pretty strong) and even Norris himself (whom, incidentally got his training as an actor from Jonathan Harris, better known as Dr. Smith, from TV's Lost in Space). Director Paul Aaron seemed like an odd choice, given his non-action film work, but he did reasonably well on all counts. The supporting cast did well, but their characters weren't given a whole lot to work with, and it shows. This is especially true of Gulager's character of Chief Dunne, who seemed to know very little about what his detectives were investigating, and so when they turned up dead, there were virtually no leads to follow...great job keeping track of your people...I guess keeping you informed, reporting in, calling for back up and such, wasn't a priority (neither was the appropriation of search warrants, but I already mentioned that). I really liked the scenes where Norris' character is training the detectives in karate, as they provided a nice bit of levity in an otherwise a serious film. I also enjoyed the interaction between Norris' character and that of his adopted son as it felt natural, despite the character of the son turning into an obvious plot device later in the film (he was also in danger of becoming a comic relief character, but thankfully it never crossed that threshold). The real treat here is the fight scenes, choreographed by Norris himself and his younger brother Aaron. There's a feel of realism that's sometimes lacking in other action films. Director Aaron made a wise choice avoiding a lot of quick cuts and close-ups during these scenes, rather letting the scenes play out in lengthy wide shots. And is it me, or does the head bad guy Melrose, played by actor Clint Ritchie, look a heck of a lot like Gil Gerard, from TV's Buck Rogers in the 25th Century? And Melrose...if you're going to commit a crime, don't wear a t-shirt emblazoned with the logo of the store you work at while doing it (yeah, I know, he was wearing a blazer over it, but it was still visible)...
   
   The film on this DVD is presented in full screen, and the picture is sharp and clear. I would have preferred the inclusion of a wide screen version, but what are you gonna do? The audio came through clearly, and gives the option of 5.1 Dolby Digital, along with 2.0 Mono in English, Spanish, or French. Special features include two featurettes titled `The Making of A Force of One' (16 min), and `How American Cinema Changed Hollywood Forever' (28 min) which details the rise and fall of American Cinema Group (the independent production company that originally released this film), and how their unique, innovative ideas and methods for making and marketing films eventually got co-opted by the larger studios, along with the company itself. Also included are cast and crew bios, along with a trailer and television commercial for the film.
   
   Cookieman108



3. Brillant Movie. I loved watching Bill Wallace Fight Chuck Norris I saw this movie many years ago and still love the film. This is not like other Hollywood Martial Arts Movies full of crappy stunts. The Action is brillant.



4. The police have seen a rise in drug crimes, and they suspect that a killer trained in karate is killing their narcotics officers. Karate expert Chuck Norris is called in to catch the killer and also to train the officers in karate. Chuck Norris plays a kickboxer in the movie, and he finds out that his toughest oppenent in the ring is the karate killer the cops are looking for. This leads to a showdown between Chuck Norris and the villain. It starts in the ring, and ends out of the ring.
   
   Th final fight is extremely short and so are all the other fights. I may be able to excuse the bad fight scenes if the story was good, but it isn't even close to good. There isn't any development put into ANY of the characters and this is where the movie really fails. The most enjoyment I got out of this movie was when it finally ended.
   
   1.5/5
   
   The DVD from Trinity Home Entertainment is full screen, but doesn't block out any of the action. Sound is good.
   
   There is a great 15 minute making of featurette that includes interviews with the president of American Cinema, the director of the movie, the composer, and many others. One thing the director talks about is the casting. Unfortunately he doesn't talk about casting Bill "Superfoot" Wallace as the villain.
   
   The other special feature is a 28 minute documentary on "How American Cinema changed Hollywood forever". This talks about how Chuck Norris was the film company's main star and how their company got started. It is the same documentary that is on Trinity's release of The Octagon



5. I am a huge fan of Chuck Norris' movies before his Walker TV show. A Force of One was a title that was hard to find, either on DVD or VHS, and in the last 10 years, has only been shown on cable TV where I live once.
   This is a film about a karate master (Norris) enlisted by the local PD to teach some narcotics cops karate, because a "karate killer" is killing off cops that get too close to a drug ring.
   It's great to see a pre-mustache and beard Norris. I think this was movie geared more toward exposing the public to who Norris was, and what karate was all about. There's really no story or thick plot, or even interesting characters, but -- this is a Chuck Norris movie! Good movie to kill a Saturday afternoon on.

1 comments about An Empress and the Warriors.

1. 1: It's not a "G" rated. It should be rated "R"
   2: Excellent movie but it ended with "to be continued!" you will run around the livingroom like a madman and scream "No!!!!!!!!!!!"