5 comments about Pride Fighting Championship: Final Conflict 2004.

1. Final Conflict 2004 was the finals of the PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix and was overall a tremendous event.
   
   This event showcases the best fighters in the world. Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Nogueira, Yuki Kondo, Mirko Cro Cop, and Wanderlei Silva are among the mega-stars you will see on this event.
   
   Despite the controversial ending the main event, this event is packed with great fights. And of course, the MMA legend himself, Kazushi Sakuraba is on the card and puts on a great performance.



2. This is a pretty good fight video but it is disappointing. You may as well know up front that the "final conflict" does not happen. You don't get to see it.
   
   The "final conflict" is the championship fight of the heavyweight tournament. The final four square off on this video, and there are two winners who are supposed to fight for the championship. However the fight does not happen. Instead, one of the fighters, the better one as a matter of fact, gets a nasty head cut from an accidental head collision, and the fight is ruled a "no contest".
   
   For the faint of heart (like me) be warned that you see some very graphic shots of fingers prying apart the skin on the man's forehead, showing a really bad and deep cut wide open to inspection. The skin is separated a good bit.
   
   There are some good fights on the card. It is still worth watching, even though there is no conclusion.



3. The introduction of this event still blows my mind everytime I see it. The fights on this are pretty good... above average in terms of Pride events IMO. Really, the intro is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of this event. You really should buy this... it is an excellent event that you will enjoy seeing.



4. yes, the very last fight does end in disappointing fashion, but the entire card before that is filled with extremely exciting fights. the Cro Cop/Aleks fight is one of the best ever, as is the Sergei/Nog and Kondo/Silva fights. Watching Fedor take on Ogawa is also a pleasant treat.



5. Very good Pride DVD. Nice matchups with plenty of action. A couple of fights were human highlight reels. A great DVD for the true MMA fans who will miss Saitama Super Arena. Japanese fans were amazing. Disciplined, appreciative and respectful. US fans have a long way to go to match Japanese appreciation of MMA. With that said...very good DVD.

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 Game of Death.

1. As a long time Bruce Lee fan I found "Game of Death" to be a disgrace. Bruce Lee died tragically during the production of the film and for some reason the film company decided to finish it and release it with out him. A very bad decision, because the finished product is one of the most broken and comically bad kung Fu films ever made. It's not that I'm angry that they decided to finish the film with out Bruce, but if you're going to finish a film make sure that your star is in at least half of the footage. Instead Bruce Lee is in about 10% and the rest is his body double with a Bruce Lee head pasted on his shoulder. He'll be fighting and the head will remain motionless and expresstionless, it's like a gag video from youtube. On the other hand, the 10% that Bruce is in(Not his evil pasted head clone)is classic. No one can forget his fight with Kareem and it's truly one of the most memorable fights in Kung Fu film history. The rest of the film is a painful bore. I find out fast that this wasn't really a Bruce Lee film at all. Just a poorly fabricated movie built around 15 minutes of Lee footage that only comes in at the end.I felt really cheated after watching it. For Bruce Lee fanatics only. If you're looking for a good Kung Fu flick or just a good flick in general then "Game of Death" is not for you.



2. 
   If you like Bruce Lee, then you should buy this movie. I consider it a nice collectible.



3. This is my favorite Bruce Lee movie. It arrived in a fast and timely manner. I would order again.



4. This film is great to me due to the fight scenes of course which i thought were well done. The actual tape recieved from this seller was in a nonworking condition however.



5. The Game of Death is the biggest disappointment you can watch as a Bruce Lee fan. It is not even a Bruce Lee film. It is a film with a terrible story, a stunt double, Bruce Lee's face pasted on the shoulders of the stunt double (yes it is actually like a photo on someone's shoulders), sequences taken from other Bruce Lee films you have seen before and the two fight scenes filmed with Bruce Lee before he died.
   
   So most people want to watch it for the 11 minutes of Bruce Lee where he appears right at the end. There is the nunchaku fight scene and the Kareem Abdul Jabbar fight.
   
   The bottom line is that there is a much better way to do this than watching this train wreck. The film is absolutely chronically bad and the production should have been shelved and the fight sequences released in a documentary. That is the way this should have been done... in fact it has been done! It's called "Bruce Lee - A Warrior's Journey" (2000). If you have any sense you would get that if you want to watch this for the Bruce Lee fight sequence. It contains all of this sequence and more (outtakes).
   
   The fight scene is a classic though, although it is debatable if it's his best. It is Lee with more experience and his styles are even wider than before. He also wears a legendary yellow jumpsuit with black stripes and cute matching shoes. The outfit appears in the Tekkan games with the character Marshal Law.
   
   This terrible film should never have been remastered for release in the Martial Arts section of Contender Entertainment Group's `Hong Kong Legends'. It should have been omitted from the Bruce Lee box set and replaced with A Warrior's Journey.
   
   Anyway, A Warrior's Journey is where it is at. Bruce Lee would have personally smashed this production to splinters.

5 comments about Pride Fighting Championships: Championship Chaos II.

1. If you want another great event check out the first Championship Chaos show. It features some of the greatest and historic fights in the history of Pride. Including two of Pride's first ever championship fights. The heavyweight championship fight between Heath Herring and "Minotauro" Nogueira is among the greatest fights of all time, and definately in my top 10 list.
   
   On this card however, there are also some very good fights. If you know about the Brazilian Top Team vs Chute Boxe rivalry, this card features a fight between two young guns from both teams in Ricardo Arona and Murilo Rua, with a lot of rivalry happening between them. This being only the second fight between both teams on the big stage of Pride, it foreshadows an intense competitiveness between the teams. Not only are both teams from different cities in Brazil, they also take Pride in their own styles of fighting. Brazilian Top Team being mainly Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Chute Boxe being primarily Muay Thai.
   
   If you buy this DVD you'll also get a very historic retirement fight you wouldn't have seen on ppv in America. Kiyoshi Tamura vs Nobuhiko Takada. Takada is one of the most famous faces in Japan and is the most popular pro-wrestler over there. This marks his retirement from pro-wrestling and fighting.
   
   A couple of other very intense and aggressive fights include Fedor Emelianenko vs Heath Herring, and Wanderlei Silva vs Hiromitsu Kanehara. Fedor is the current heavyweight champion of Pride, and you can see why in this fight as he puts on a nonstop ground and pound clinic.
   
   The famous judoka Hidehiko Yoshida also makes his debut under MMA rules in this event as he faces the most famous American fighter, Don Frye. If you're a fan of MMA you shouldn't hesitate to get this, and if you're not this would be a decent introduction to the sport.



2. Another quality event by Pride. Fedor arrives on the scene with his destruction of Heath Herring.



3. This is one bad dude! Fantastic event that is well worth the time to watch.



4. November 24, 2002
   Tokyo, Japan
   
   Hirotaka Yokoi vs. Jerrell Venitiaan:
   Yokoi is a submission fighter, while Venitiaan is a striker. It is obvious that Yokoi wants to take the fight to the ground and Venitiaan wants to keep it standing. Venitiaan is taken down immediately, so things don't look good for him from the outset. Yokoi controls him and continually passes his guard with ease. Yokoi even mounts Venitiaan a number of times in the first round. Venitiaan does not fight a smart fight.
   
   Kevin "The Monster" Randleman vs. Kenichi Yamamoto:
   Randleman makes the pre-fight statement that he was sick in his last fight, which he obviously lost, hence the excuse. For this fight, however, he claims to be 100%. Randleman controls the fight on the ground, even making submission attempts throughout the round. Bas Rutten makes the observation that this looks like a new Kevin Randleman. He has dropped some weight and he indeed looks to be a different fighter. The fight briefly goes to the feet and Randleman drops Yamamoto. It appears that Yamamoto is outclassed on the ground and standing... there's not much left for him to attempt.
   
   Murilo "Ninja" Rua vs. Ricardo Arona:
   These two want at each other badly. They both speak of the lack of respect the other has and how they are going to teach the other a lesson. By the time they are staring across the ring at each other, the air is electric. Rua opens with a high-flying knee. Arona almost catches him in mid-air... The action is frenzied in his high-energy fight. Arona gets a few takedowns, yet Rua appears to be the busier fighter. It is a very close fight. It ultimately goes to a decision and the winner will obviously have his sights set on Wanderlei Silva.
   
   Heath "Texas Crazy Horse" Herring vs. Emelianenko Fedor:
   I don't think anyone expected to see what they saw in this fight. Let me just say that in this fight, we witness a dominating force that changes the Pride heavyweight division... Amazing! This is a must-see. The winner gets to face Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the title.
   
   Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Semmy Schilt:
   Nogueira again has his work cut out for him, facing a much larger opponent. He makes many attempts and after much struggle, finally gets Schilt down on the ground. After this, we all know what happens next.
   
   Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva vs. Hirokitsu Kanehara:
   Silva flurries early, landing good shots on Kanehara. Kanehara goes down under the pressure of the assault. He gets up, they exchange again with the same result - he goes down again. This one ends in a mercy stoppage.
   
   Don "The Predator" Frye vs. Hidehiko Yoshida:
   This is a decent fight, but you probably won't care for the outcome. I miss the young Don Frye.
   
   Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Gilles Arsene:
   Sakuraba controls the flow of the fight, although it's not all that exciting. It drags on until the 3rd round, when we finally see a submission applied to end it.
   
   This is what I like about Pride Fighting: you get to see all of the stars each time out. One of the only criticisms I have of the UFC is that on most fight cards, you get one really good matchup (maybe 2, occassionally) and a bunch of up-and-comers fighting for recognition. In Pride, I see nearly all of the big names on every fight card. Championship Chaos 2 is another amazing and exciting event. I highly recommend it.



5. PRIDE
   CHAMPIONSHIP CHAOS 2
   
   
   This was nice little event that Pride held a while back, the intro was funny. The bit with Don Frye and Bas Rutten was pretty funny. Any way the fights were as follows
   
   1.HIROTAKA YOKOI VS JERREL VENETIAAN-this is the classic striker vs. ground guy fight. I didn't think Yokoi would have such an easy fight to start out with; he easily took Jerrel down and gave him some knees. Yokoi basically controlled this fight in the first round he even mounted Jerrel multiple times and threw some nice punches. If not for the bell Yokoi would have won with the arm bar. Basically the same thing happened in round two until Yokoi locked in the arm bar and won the match.4/5
   
   2.KEVIN RANDLEMAN VS KENICHI YAMAMOTO-Randleman came out real aggressive on this fight and took control early on. It stayed on the ground for a while until Kenichi got out only to be knocked back down with a sick left from Kevin. The second round went about the same, and in the third round Kevin gave him a sick knee to the head that knocked Kenichi out.4.5/5
   
   3.MURILO RUA VS RICARDO ARONA-this was a rematch from an earlier fight between the two, apparently they have a grudge to settle. This fight started out crazy with an amazing flying knee, this fight was going back and forth for a while. This fight was great it went from the ground to standing and back again, these two really disliked each other. There were nice moves and counters to each move from the fighters, true meaning of none stop action. The ending of round one was great and leaves you wanting more for the second round. Round two starts with a couple of punches and a hard take down, and then the round looks like the first. Round three starts with a nice kick from Arona and then they clinch up, then the action is just as good as the previous rounds. Arona ends up winning the this fight barely due to judges decistion.5/5
   
   4.HEATH HERRING VS FEDOR EMELIANENKO-fight started with Heath being slammed, and from there we have a match that has the two fighters trading moves on each other. Heath takes some really hard punches that cause him to bleed real bad from under his eye. Heath gets slammed again and controlled by Fedor as soon as they go back at it. Fedor dominates the round until the last minute when Heath gets on top. The fight is stopped after the first round and Fedor is awarded the fight.5/5
   
   5.ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA VS SEMMY SCHILT-this was a pretty good fight that only lasted the first round, about seven minutes to be exact. It went back and forth for a while until Antonio locked in a triangle choke hold for the submission victory.4.5/5
   
   6.WANDERLEI SILVA VS HIROMITSU KANEHARA-this was the championship match of the night, and one of the fights I was looking forward to. This fight started out with a slugfest that led to a kick to the head of H.K., man did it look hard. Every time this fight stood up it looked like the opening seconds all over again until they stopped the fight and Silva retained his title.5/5
   
   7.DON FRYE VS HIDEHIKO YOSHIDA- one of the main events of the evening, and the fight I was looking forward to. At the beginning of the fight it looked as if H.Y. was going to pull off a quick victory until Frye made his way on to the top. But while still in the first Don Frye lost to a killer arm bar, good but short fight.4.5/5
   
   8.KAZUSHI SAKURABA VS GILLES ARSENE-the last fight of the evening that featured everybody's favorite little guy, Sakuraba. Sakuraba pretty much controls this fight threw out the first round, it seems as if this was an easy fight for him. The first round was pretty dull compared to other fights that took place earlier during the evening. The second round was just as uneventful, nothing really happened here that much either, until Sakuraba started punching the guy. The third round ended pretty quickly when Gilles tapped to an arm bar.4/5
   
   9.BONUS FIGHT-KIYOSHI TAMURA VS NOBUHIKO TAKADA-this fight starts out slow with both standing and eventually going into some striking from both. Eventually Takada gets put on his back but is allowed to get back up. Both continue to exchange blows on the feet until Takada gets hit with a low blow, he was down for a while. Eventually when he recovers the fight continues, and Takada takes some nasty leg kicks, then takes Tamura down. The round would end with both standing. The fight ends in the beginning of the second when Takada gets knocked out with a well placed right from Tamura. Takada loses his retirement fight.
   
   Over all a good event, I recommend it to everyone.

5 comments about The Legend.

1. ... ruined by bad dubbing. Unfortunately there is there is nothing in the Amazon listing or even on the DVD case indicating that this is dubbed. A nasty trick to play on buyers who prefer the original language.



2. I recently viewed this with friends who are not versed in martial arts movies...and had a distaste for them as phony. The really enjoyed this movie...the main comment being that they had never seen anything like it. They were not expecting the humor, and the Lego Set fight scene that spills into the crowd really impresssed them. Special effects help the stunts but one has to be incredibly strong and nimble to be able to pull off the effects. I have watched Fung Sai Yuk a few times and will undoubtedly watch this movie again and again.



3. I just watched (actually by fast forwarding) "The Legend 2" and another Jet Li starrer called "Red Dragon" (not to be confused with the Hannibal/Anthony Hopkins movie of the same name) and I implore you to not waste a second of your precious time or a dime of your money on this so called martial arts crap, chinese style. First and foremost dubbing of any of these movies takes out the authentic flavor out of the original making the comedy, villiany, romance and any other kind of human emotion sound, look and feel pathetically lame. That's the big and only difference between these 'B'grade action movies from Honkong and a slicker production like "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" (slicker only, read my review of CTHD for details on that fiasco). This is no serious martial art and the comedy like those innumerable chinese martial art movies, SUCKS. I can only give some credit for the flexible acrobatics. If you wish to watch sensible Jet Li action check out his Holywood movies.



4. If you want UNCUT ORIGINAL version, ALWAYS look for ORIGINAL LICENSED Production. NOT US Release. Its a foreign film, it should not be US version to begin with~! HELLO!!!?? Why settle for LESS with US Version where they edit and cut so many excellent scenes especially with Jackie's Fighting Scenes. And US Release ruins the speed and sound as well. I have been collecting JET Li movies both HK and US Release Version for quite some time now. I found HK Version to be MUCH MORE in enjoyable, and HIGHER in Quality. American Market always like to "Americanize" and "Control". Regional Code Regulation thing is one of the example to CONTROL the Market. Why not let everyone enjoy the same HK Original Release move the same way REST OF THE WORLD enjoys it ?? No one makes Hollywood American movies to "French version" or "Chinese Version" ~! This what Americans are doing~! Well, enjoy the cheap "American version" then~! LOL



5. This movie definitely wasn't for me, I like dark movies the most, but like the occasional comedy too. This one wasn't funny enough too keep my interest. The dubbing really ruins this, but it's not quite on the badness level of Twin Warriors. The movie itself is a pretty lighthearted adventure.
   
   If you wanna see Jet in a Jackie Chan role, than this is for you.
   
   Also----------------------my pick for Fong Sai Yuk is Ho Hsoua(Md Monkey Kung fu) His performance in disciples of master Killer really stole the show for me, also it's a much better overall movie, so I would suggest disciples for anyone who like this.

5 comments about Capoeira Basic Techniques.

1. If at all possible find a good teacher of capoeira to learn from, be it a mestre, contra-mestre, professor, imstructor, etc. But if you can't make it to class regularly, then DVD is great to learn some basic and a few intermediate level moves in regional capoeira. The instruction comes in multiple languages (English was not the default language on my DVD so I had to change it). Also, you need an older or cheaper DVD player to play the DVD if you are in the US. I tried to play my DVD on my newer DVD player (3 yrs old) and it would not play at all, but I tried it on a DVD player that was about [...] and played just fine. Otherwise, this DVD was great and the bonus feature of the capoiera games was phenominal. You will see somethings you may not ever be able to do, but is really cool to look at.



2. Paulinho Sabia really did a great job on demonstrating step-by-step instructions! A really inspirational dvd and complete with short clips of regional style rodas in Brasil. There is the option of having a voice-over lady translate the portugues into english, but i would recommend just learning basic portugues and you will understand what Mestre is trying to say!
   I love this dvd and give major props for it!



3. It's hard to learn Capoeira from DVD, and there is no good substitution to a teacher watching you and giving you personal feedback. Moreover, it's hard to take notice of the details when watching this DVD, things like where the leg lands, how the hand moves etc. If you take a class, you'd probably learn most of the movements within weeks anyway - and with the details according to your school (I've noticed there are slight variations). But I did learn few things, so maybe you would too.



4. I have studied martial arts all of my life. The instructions on the DVD are thorough and helpful for beginners who are interested in this art. Capoeira is an excellent martial arts that I use for strength, flexibility, cardio, and keeping great shape. In addition to being fun and compelling, this DVD also presents techniques, that once mastered, can be extremely lethal moves. This video is worth the cost; it also has great extras that make it interesting to watch. Enjoy!



5. This will not play on my DVD player. It is a toss up if you order it. It may play it may not.

5 comments about The Promise.

1. "The Promise" is one of the 3 best movies that I have ever seen, the other two being "Bichunmoo" and "The Restless." It has an excellent story-line and plot structure one of the best that I have seen. Unlike the other two movies that I just mentioned it has a happy ending, which makes it very good in my opinion. The cinemetography is also very well put together making the move both visually and mentally appealing.
   
   This is also one of the few movies that I have ever seen which seems to portray longevity as a positive feature. Most movies condemn it as evil or something to that effect which always struck me as insane and stupid and turned me off from lots of movies like "Aeon Flux" among others.
   
   More than one of the other reviewers on here has said they disliked it or couldn't follow it, but weren't reading the subtitles. That is entirely understandable. In most movies, in order to understand the plot, you must listen to what the actors are saying. There really is no other way. That being said, the plot is complex, which is one of the reasons that I like it so much. Most movies of the past few years are very simplistic and, therefore, in my opinion boring and unsophisticated. This one is not, which makes it much superior to them.



2. the story, is a fable/fairy tale that has been around for ages, "watch out what you wish for because you may just get it". This was a visually beautiful film, which, I think, with maybe a few "adult scenes" deleted, could be suitable for children. I also thought it was a little too long. Like a lot of Asian movies of late, it's all about overblown set design, and wispy storylines. I liked it but wouldn't buy it.



3. I just purchased and watched this movie for the first time and I have to say, having watched many films from this genre, this ranks up there with the best of them!
   
   The ONLY unfortunate think about this movie is the fact that the filmmakers decided it was BEST to leave most of the deleted scenes out. After watching them, I felt they should've stayed in the film, they were GREAT scenes, and they added A LOT of explanation to the story line.
   
   Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed the film!



4. The visuals are neither "breathtaking" nor is the action "heart-stopping," as the cover would have you believe. In fact, most of the props look like they were made with with sheet tin and spray paint, and *I* could have done better martial arts choreography. =/
   
   This is not a bad movie. It's simply not a *good* one. I tolerate it because I have a weakness for Asian fantasy armor, and honestly that and an interestingly done romantic triangle are only reasons to buy this movie.
   
   Unlike previous films coming out of China, showcasing their wealth of raw human talent with spectacular martial artists, acrobats and set designers; The Promise plays like a B-movie by making the mistake of attempting epic scope with a shoestring budget. Very sad. =/
   
   In many respects this movie plays very similarly to a previous Korean film called Musa: The Warrior. Both feature a similar love triangle (slave, general, princess); the armor of the major characters attempts similar grandiosity; in both we are given the weak *suggestion* of a cast of thousands (in Musa by representing the entire Mongol hoard with a dozen or so badguys who change costumes; in The Promise by using bad CG), and in both the viewer gets the distinct impression that there's a great deal left to be desired.
   
   UNLIKE Musa, some of the actors in The Promise can actually act -and Dong-Kun Jang and Cecilia Cheung deliver excelent and emotive performances as the slave and the princess. Previous commentors have noted that while most of the acting in this movie seems wooden or trite, there are indeed several moving scenes, and they're all when these two are put together on screen.
   
   If you have watched The Warrior and enjoyed it -I did, despite its obvious lackings- you will enjoy this. This isn't a deep, resonant morality play like Curse of the Golden Flower, and it isn't a luxurious spectacle like House of Flying Daggers. It CERTAINLY isn't anything like the masterpieces that Hero and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon were.
   It's an okay movie. Enjoy it or avoid it for what it is.



5. The Promise is an exquisite film full of lush colors and unique characters all wrapped up in a great fantasy setting. There is some initial silliness during the time the main character is introduced; however, it is disposed of rather quickly and the remainder of the film is a wonder to behold. If you enjoy Asian films or anime (Japanese Animation) you will enjoy the characters in this film and the unique world they inhabit. If you enjoyed Hero or House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon you'll like this.

5 comments about Universal Soldier - The Return.

1. Universal Soldier DVD
   
   It all began in the jungles of Vietnam. Two dead soldiers were rescued from death in a secret governmental program. Unfortunately some memories still linger. This movie pits Jean-Claude Van Dame against Dolph Lundgren. Who do you think will win?
   
   Recommended for fans of Jean-Claude Van Dame and Dolph Lundgren.
   
   Gunner April, 2008



2. Looking at it now, the film was pretty corny but it still is a scary thought! Not to get political but don't think someone in Washington, DC hasn't thought about doing what they did in this film!
   
   Back to the movie, it stars Jean Claude Van Damne and Dolph Lungren. For me, Dolph made this movie more than Van Damne! I actually found his character funny as well as sinister. Van Damne's character was definitely a straight shooter here.
   
   Overall, it has good action, a few cheesy moments but also a few memorable catch phrases (some of which I can't repeat here). It isn't the best movie for either action actor but its okay overall.



3. I said it then and I say it now, boys just want to have fun. Okay since when are guys not allowed to enjoy macho soldier movies? And ladies keep in mind when our toys are taken away yours will follow shortly thereafter. Sure this movie may not have any great acting, but actually the directing, costumes, sets, effects, and music aren't bad. Van Damme and Lundgren play soldiers that died in Viet Nam while fighting each other over killing a prisoner. The next thing you know it is thirty years later and they wake up in a special refrigeration truck with the latest in war toys and they are part of special unit designed to go in and perform miraculous fetes of physical endurance and prowess. You know, run down dams and things so they can rescue hostages. Probably why most guys enjoy this still. This is actually probably at the top of the heap of movies made by Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. Although I must admit I love "Timecop" and "I Come in Peace". I actually cracked up when they commented on Van Damme's accent in the movie and asked if he was French. So it goes to show they even had a sense of humor. If you like action packed without alot of redeeming societal morality and political correctness then welcome to fun time with macho men fighting, shooting lots of bullets, and blowing things up. Great quality DVD with some special extras, decent replayability.



4. My husband loves this movie so for his birthday I got it for him. The DVD arrived quickly and was in great condition!



5. The Jean Claude Van Damme Review Matrix (JCVD-RM)
   
   1. Who is he? Luc Deveraux, former US soldier in Vietnam who, when killed by friendly fire, becomes part of a military medical equivalent to Frankenstein, the Universal Soldier (UniSol).
   2. Which family member/friend must be avenged? As a humanitarian soldier, Deveraux considered friendly Vietnamese his friends. It's just too bad his Sergeant didn't.
   3. Does he take his shirt off? It's probably because he's dead, but JCVD is shirtless in a faux cryogenic, stasis in bubbling water scenes stolen straight from comic books, as well as whenever the UniSols are back in the mobile lab or in a vat of ice. I'm sure the ice thing was written in specifically so he could take his shirt off.
   4. Does he have sex with a C-List actress? Thankfully he didn't...otherwise this movie would have involved necrophilia.
   5. Is there a tournament? There is no sanctioned tournament, just UniSols going about their mission.
   6. Is training needed for this tournament? Quoting the awesomeness of Stripes, "Aaaaarmy training, sir!" (Which is odd considering both movies are about ridiculous military situations)
   7. Does he do the splits in training or in the tournament? Even though it's not explicitly part of the plot, he nonetheless manages to form an upside-down "T" during a fight scene.
   8. Does he punch someone in the balls? Although it's slightly off camera, it appears JCVD delivers three solid punches to the jewels of Sergeant Scott (Lundgren). Given JCVD's propensity for nut-shots, it's safe to assume knuckle met scrotum.
   9. Does he do a series of flying or 360 kicks? Not only does he fulfill his normal helping of spin kicks, but he adds a few new versions into the mix.
   10. Is his enemy unbeatable? It sure seems that his enemy is unbeatable. In the final battle, Deveraux kicks Scott in the face five times in a row, and the only thing Scott does is laugh.
   11. Does he overcome an injury or other hindrance? Well, technically he's dead, and there's some sort of combination of UniSol injection and ice water bath requirement for keeping a soldier recharged, but otherwise he's good to go.
   12. Does he win? With the help of a wood chipper - and a final line of, "You're discharged, Sarge" - Deveraux literally tears Scott apart.
   
   With some great wire work in some fight scenes, and tons of head shot gun play, the action is top notch for this JCVD iteration. The plot is interesting enough to have spawned more than one sequel. And Dolph Lundren makes a solid appearance in the meeting B-action superstars. What's great is that both main characters are supposed to be resurrected cyborgs, and each of their respective robotic acting ability just happens to be perfect for the role. Nothing new here; just JCVD being awesome yet again.

5 comments about Jet Li's The Enforcer.

1. This movie was ok, but da dubbing ..., and thanx alot to "Dimension Home Video" they re did da sound effects of da movie and it was capital B "BAD". Trust me, if u wanna get dis movie on VHS or DVD, get da orginal one "My Father Is A Hero", itz in itz original language (since I never saw da original, I think da original language is Cantonese, either dat or Mandarin) and da sound effects have gotta be better. I saw da dubbed version of "Once Apon A Time In China" and compared to da original version (Cantonese) I saw da original is WAY better



2. does anyone know if this dvd is in chinese with english subtitles, or is it dubbed in english?



3. This is a terrible release of a terrible movie!

   For those fans who have watched Jet's movie career go from the sensational Shaolin Temple and Once Upon a Time in China series, it was this movie (along with the Defender) that marked the beginning in Jet's dramatic decline.

   This movie is actually called My Father is a Hero, it has been dubbed and cut for American audiences. It is no wonder that many martial arts films are considered plotless and characterless when the US distributors cut them so only action is left!!

   The martial arts action is way below par, the kid is more annoying than Macauley Kulkin, and the bad guy's include Ngai Sing, Ken Lo and Yu Rong Guang! These are some great martial artists and the encounter with Jet should have been breath-taking, but there are too many wires and it's a limp finale overall.

   buy the asian import of My Father is a Hero, rather than support these butchered US releases. Or even better buy Jet's classic movies (most things pre-1994) + and the Hong kong edition of Fist of Legend




4. I remember when the dubbed voices were somewhat enjoyable, now video game companies do a better job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   
   With that being said, this movie is really bad, very little fight scenes early on, and too many stupid things that happen in what should be life and death situations. Still you can't go wrong with iron monkey vs. jet li. The whole coat fighting with jet just blew me away. I didn't like thwe little kids fight scenes, but it wasn't his fault, the wire work was just way overdone. So overall a pretty stupid movie with outstanding fightscenes, even if they are limited. This movie definitely needs to be viewed in the chinese version though.



5. The original title of this film "My Father is a Hero" describes it best. The movie is about Jet Li playing a father, who is sent undercover on a top secret mission to infiltrate a mob boss - who is one very cold & cynical guy. The mission is so secret, not even his wife and son are informed, and it breaks the heart of his son (who is obviously very close to his father in this film). His wife dies of illness while away, and he fears his son is in just as much danger, when he comes to H.K. looking for his father and also becomes entangled with the mob boss. There are plenty of touching scenes in the film, mostly about family and loss, but leave it to poor English dubbing to ruin the moments.
   
   As with most Jet Li films, you can expect a good deal of action with this one. And unlike his American films, you can expect even more action and longer fights. The only scene that really amazed me was the finale, lasting 7 minutes where Jet Li takes on the boss and his men on the inside of a large boat. The action kind of gets ruined once his son comes in and father uses him as a yo-yo on a rope to take out the guys. Its quite funny looking and obviously totally unrealistic.
   
   The movie didn't flow too well for me, as it proceeds from action to tender moments, back and forth. Just didn't feel right in this film. I might have enjoyed it a little more if the dubbing wasn't so poor. Not a very exciting movie oveall except for some decent action from Li.

5 comments about TOP FIGHTER 2.

1. I have been trying to find this DVD for sale for years. Glad to get it in good condition. Took a while for it to be even sent, But I waited for years. The DVD has cool takes that has lead me to looking for a lot of cool movies.



2. This perports to be a view of some of the women in martial arts movies over the past thirty or so years. While some are interesting, most are not. The interview with Michelle Yeoh is a brief light in an otherwise dark space.



3. well done on how they became the best,the training they had,their determination they have what love they have for the martial arts,see them in action,some of the movies they played in.their ranks,the number of styles they know.



4. Great Movie - Great Price!! Thank YOU for making a Great Friend of Mine Very, Very Happy!!



5. This no more than a documentary of women in karate movies. I want to see more of a plot and a cut up piece of 1960 and 1970's karate movies. I have this movie in the most important part of my desk. In the back of my second drawer of my desk.