5 comments about The New Legend of Shaolin.

1. offers enough novel action and cute humor to satisfy. For us guys, the female thief is cute, sexy, funny. Standout scene for me is when Jet, as a bodyguard, is courted by her when she tries to measure him up for some badly needed new clothing. The kid also deserves mention: evidently this kid is the real deal and his fight with other kids is a somewhat rare sight. Fight scenes are more stylised than actual but they are choreographed with style. Toward the end there is a big surprise when the vile baddie shows up. He is really different and nasty as hell. You won't believe what he has and Jet has a real challenge to beat him. Overall, should please anyone who likes the feudal period.



2. This is not a bad flick and there are 2 or 3 fight scenes worth watching again - but Jet Li's stoic performance is overshadowed by unrealistic wire stunts and silly gimics. Surprisingly, I was not annoyed by the young kung fu kid in this one (I'm almost always annoyed by these "cutsey" kid kung fu interludes)... it was actually rather amusing - but (yes another but), the villian just wasn't good enough, and that's always a downer. The villian rides around in some metalic shiney future mobile that is so dumb it surpasses absurd insanity and falls into the "what the hell was this movie about anyways."? Still can't figure out what the director was thinking.



3. The only collaberation between Jing Wong and Jet Li that I thought was great was 'Claws of Steel' AKA 'Last Hero In China'. The other 3 movies were not a complete waste though. The only 3 reasons I can think of why he would ever work with Jing is Woo Ping, Corey Yuen, and Sammo Hung. And Corey Yuen really goes over the top with this one but there are a few fights worth seeing. Jet Li plays a stone-faced character and he does it so well. He looks as serious as he can be and it definately goes hand in hand with the way that he can do such a quick action movement and then just be so still afterwords. His awesome performance is so out of place in a Jing Wong movie it is sad to see but still worth a watch.
   
   Now when watching a Jing Wong movie expect a lot of things to not make sense, expect not to see any action for a couple of long periods of time, but expect it to have energy and that drive it needs to keep going. Right away comes a scene played out from 'Lone Wolf and Cub' with Jet being serious like Ogami Ito and Jet's infant son decides to pick the sword and live on the run rather than pick the ball and go to heaven. Even in a scene like this that should be great he has to change it from LW&C and make it so Jet guides the boy to the ball. The first action sequence of the movie is by far the best. In a Jing Wong movie you know that you will have a super low budget and filming will last 2 weeks max(seriously), so that means Corey Yuen has to do as much as he can with limited everything. Luckily he has Jet and his son in the movie Xie Mao who you can also see with Jet in 'My Father Is a Hero'. Xie Mao has AWESOME skills, or at least did and since there are not a lot of great kid screen fighters, he gives the film a bit of a unique feeling.
   
   So the movie starts out with Jet's Shaolin brother(Gai Chun-wa) betraying him and the best fight of the movie comes first sadly. Gai Chun-wa from Jet Li's Shaolin Temple movies and 'Fong Sai Yuk 2' is as good of a villian you will ever find. His Wolverine claws are freaking sweet and even when Jing Wong puts a bunch of stupid makeup on him and makes him a monster, you still can't cover up his intensity. Now again, since this is a Jing Wong movie and you get a bunch of mindless plots that come and go. The mother and daughter as thieves work best only because Chingmy Yau is good in her role and Deannie Yip is such a wonderful actress. I wouldn't recommend this if you are not a Jing Wong fan but if you are then you will love all butt in the face jokes and such.
   
   There is actually a recent commentary on this disc so Tai Seng must have re-released it again since I just recently bought this movie. I hadn't seen it in a long time and last time I saw it was the Sony Pictures version which is cut and English dubbed. Tai Seng has the original audio on here though they didn't put on an English track and it is in it's original 16:9 screen format. The commentary is from Ric Myers, Frank Jane, and some guy who I think they said is the presodent of Marvel Comic movies. The commentary is not bad but they should have at least talked more about what is going on with martial arts movies today. I haven't heard many Tai Seng commentaries in the past few years and it just could have been much better. Frank Jane of course gives you the most info just like all the commentaries but he only says a few words here and there as Ric rambles on throughout. I don't like to rate commentaries but this was slightly above average.



4. This is a fun film and one of the few from the period where Jet just seems to have some fun and go off. But this is a pretty sorry release for it. So Tai Seng is releasing widescreen laser disc masters again? Niiicccee. Wait for a better release. At least that one might not have a Ric Meyers commentary on there. If there's a sure sign of a lack of care from a company releasing kung fu films, it's Meyers' name anywhere on the product.



5. The customer review currently featured first here urges us to buy the New Legend of Shaolin DVD, but many will actually prefer the Legend of the Red Dragon DVD. (For those not aware, these are different releases of the same movie, and the reviews are mixed together here. The Shaolin release is from Tai Seng, a company with a mixed reputation for importing Hong Kong movies; the Red Dragon release is from Sony/Columbia Tristar. What appears to be essentially the same Tai Seng DVD is also here.)
   
   There are two main differences between the two versions.
   
   1. The Red Dragon version is edited so that it's 12 minutes shorter than the Tai Seng Shaolin version. I don't think that necessarily makes it worse. This isn't Citizen Kane, or Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. After the misleadingly grave beginning, this is mainly a low-budget, wacky martial-arts comedy, with over-the-top fights and characters, humorous throughout. Judging from comparisons at Hong Kong movie websites, the cuts don't change anything of great importance.
   
   And the 95-minute Tai Seng Shaolin release isn't really the fullest version anyway. Amazon also lists a 100-minute version. I'd happily watch a longer version, but I didn't feel any great gaps that interfered with anything all that important in Legend of the Red Dragon, or find myself wishing it was longer.
   
   2. The other main difference is that Red Dragon offers the English dub only, while Shaolin offers Chinese with optional English subtitles only, with no option for an English dub.
   
   As it happens, the English dubbing on the Red Dragon version is hilarious; it's hard to imagine that the original Chinese is any funnier, especially to those who don't speak Cantonese, or that the subtitles bring out some subtle humor missed in the dub.
   
   So, if you're taking this movie the way it appears to be intended, that is, not so seriously, and you don't speak Chinese, you might prefer the Red Dragon version with the English dubbing. It's currently very cheap used.
   
   If you're not familiar with Jet Li, he's a great martial artist with a long career in Hong Kong and some American movies, capped by the recent Fearless (which is the kind of film that's better in its longer version). If you like Jackie Chan's cheaper outings, or want to see some impressively choreographed martial arts action in a mainly comedic setting, try out whichever version of this movie and you'll have a good time.
   
   Both versions are in non-anamorphic widescreen. The image quality is good.
   
   ("Red Dragon" is a key place name in the move, by the way, so perhaps not entirely gratuitously chosen for the title. Not that it really matters. A final note: don't confuse this with the movie called simply Red Dragon--that's a completely different animal, and not half as much fun, in my view.)

5 comments about The Princess Blade (Special Edition).

1. 500 years have passed. That is what is says at the start. Now maybe these movies are like really common, but I need a story that is at least explainable. But the good news is that the drama is great. The comedy is really funny even though sparingly used. The action is done in a very hong kong type of style. Not what I swas expecting, cuause that is like what I always watch, but good none the less. I could have used a lttle more action, btu man was it spectacular. The wire work is noticeable, but not to make that actors look better, rather to show what happens when you get REAL athletes on wires. The fighting is VERY real throughout the whole film, and even though I like really bloody stuff, I thought this just hit the spot, but went a tad too extreme midway through. Not complaining, just warnign people it is rated R for a reason. But seriosly this movie is a 5/5. The story just needed to be A LOT better. Great acting, just no story. But I remember one scene in particular where the princess is taking on like 7 people all by herself, and the action is just seriously second to none. Add in like 5 other scenes that almost, just almost match that one. Wow what a violently spectacular film. WHEW, now that I got that point across, I can discuss the actual movie. OH BTW, I did see AT LEAST one of donnie's kicks in here, so look closely:)
   
   So the story is about a japanese girl who is part of a team of assasins. I guess that assasins rule the world by killing people who are uprising or something in this. But anyway, the girl in this movie is like the last of her blood line and once she rebels, the other assasins want to kill her. It talks briefly how she is descended form like LONG ago and this is of great importance. But the part that captured me was the dark mood of the movie. the story is not good, but the huuman conflict going on is a very good movie watchign experience for anyone. There is a subplot which turn even darker at teh end. But overall, a wonderful movie. Also the music is great and really helps to capture the mood.
   
   Now I have the adv films dvd and have to disagree with the pervious reviewer and say that the english dub sucks. The japanese track is AWESOME and is full of all types of emotion. If he would haev said it was better than most, I would have agreed, cause it certainly was! Sound is wonderful when the music is playing but the volume is a bit slow when it is not. The picture quality is perfecto and is widescreened. Special features-nothing. Just some anime trailers.



2. I didn't the story to be quite the way Amazon tells it. To me it seems the monarchy has been long overthrown, something about 500 years (even though the cars, clothing and so on are unchanged- you don't really see much of that world)and Japan is an isolated country with a repressive government that sounds to me something like what Cuba has these days. The assassins are out after the rebels (who seem to use a lot of violence although you won't see it)who oppose the government.
   
   I found the movie to be very depressing, a couple of characters even saying, "Let's leave this country and find someplace to be happy". The action/violence comes in spurts- most of it suprisingly not very bloody. Yumiko Shaku (who in her interview says she had no experience and only a week or so of practice before filming to get it) seems to be the best of the actors and have the best scenes in my opinion, without her work I don't know that I'd even want to see this movie again.
   
   When I played my copy I noticed that it seems to be set for English (the dubbing is very well done) but can be set for Japanese with English subtitles, there's no closed captioning but you can use the subtitle function with the English dubbing if you need it as a substitute. The extras include some bloopers and behind the scenes things and some cast/ crew interviews. Most of these are in Japanese with English subtitling although Donnie Yen (the action choreographer) does his bit in English with Japanese subtitling.



3. I was all geeked to watch this but was disapponted...I don't feel lke they picked the right person to direct this movie. It seemed very empty to me! The fighting scenes were blah and that was what really blew it for me...maybe if it was longer it would have been better? I don't know...and then there was a mini plot with a brother and sister that SEEMED OUT OF PLACE!! sigh...Azumi was a much better martial arts sword movie.



4. The plot was a little lacking , but made up for it with alot of sword playing action. After on a rollercoster of action the plot came into play now. At first , not much.. but towards the end..you'll never guess. If you like cute girl with sword and knows how to use it..get it. The action scenes are great.



5. THE PRINCESS BLADE (a.k.a. Shirayuki Hime) is based on the manga by Kazou Koike with the same name. The film is not a remake of the Japanese classic; "Lady Snowblood" (Lady Snowblood greatly influenced Tarantino's Kill Bill) but rather a tribute film to that classic. The film is a post-apocalyptic vision of the future; however, it does successfully preserve the essence and motif of Japanese samurai films. Director Shinsuke Sato's vision on the manga is very interesting as his execution deals with typical samurai films in a futuristic vision of an industrialized Japan.
   
   The House of Takemikazuchi is a clan of assassins. Due to modernization and the majority of people with undesirable lives, these once noble warriors are now assassins for hire who will kill anyone for the right price. There is no way one may relinquish ties to the clan. Yuki (Yumiko Shaku, SKY HIGH), an orphan who was raised by the clan is among the best killers among them. Unbeknownst to her, she is the true heir to the Takemikazuchi bloodline. One day, she was told by a stranger that her mother; Princess Azora was killed by Byakurai, the current clan leader. She tries to kill him but fails. Forced to flee, and to fight for her survival against her brethren; Yuki comes across Takashi, a young activist leader and finds comfort in his company. Meanwhile, her past threatens to catch up to her as Byakurai plots to hunt her and down and kill her.
   
   At first impression, one may think that "Princess Blade" is a Jidai Geki swordplay spectacle but in truth, this film is a bit slower paced than most Japanese action flicks such as Versus. There is a hint of existentialism in its plot; this film carries more of the "samurai" essence in past films and focuses more in its humanity. "Hime" does give a hint of the samurai philosophy and characteristics; such as nobility, loyalty, allegiance and honor. When watching "Hime", please consider a modern feudal Japan with characters seeking isolation. Samurai usually are willing to die for his beliefs/ideals with honor as the road to glory, Yuki, upon her discovery of the truth and her betrayal finds something more worthwhile to live for; she discovers something more to her life than her past killing ways. Her meeting with Takashi (Hideaki Ito) after an attack, allows Yuki to appreciate a peaceful existence as they discover each other's lives. Takashi serves as a conscience for Yuki as he once performed some assassinations in the form of terrorism against the state; he questions her moral beliefs when he finds out her links to the House of Takemikazuchi. I believe this approach is a nice touch since it takes the film from a simple revenge premise to a warmer one of one's desire to escape their past choices to happier and warmer pastures.
   
   The action/swordplay choreography by Donnie Yen raises the expectations of the action fanatic. His choreography is quite inventive as he mixes in almost anime-like posturing with the usual chaotic swordplay. The Donnie Yen touch is omnipresent in each duel with each ascending and sliding sword strokes; grappling is even used in close quarters with superb execution that shows ferocity. However, even with the sheer intensity of the action footages, one may notice and give comparison to previous samurai films; the KATANA sword is NOT a one-handed sword. Yen choreographs the scenes with the usual wire-fu at times and the mentioned Katana swords are sometimes wielded like a one-handed flat TAI-CHI sword whose concept is to wound an opponent before a kill. This presents a little inaccuracy in the sequences. However exciting the swordplay sequences may be, they aren't without fault and I've definitely seen better ones executed in other modern chambara films such as AZUMI and ARAGAMI.
   
   "Princess Blade" may not be a perfect film but it does offer interesting concepts of redemption and gives homage to past samurai period films. The director may have become a bit over-ambiguous with his views of way too many topics and philosophical issues that the proceedings seem to lose their intensity and the film almost stops to a crawl around the middle. With its darker setting and the post-apocalyptic atmospheric feel, the themes of samurai films by Kurosawa and Inagaki are still the main ingredients. Fans expecting a non-stop action spectacle may be a bit disappointed; as with most Japanese films it leans more towards its humanity and focuses on its philosophy. Still, the gorgeous visuals with the action choreography do create a unique experience for samurai aficionados.
   
   RECOMMENDED! [3 ½ stars]
   
   I have the region-3 release from IVL with Anamorphically Enhanced picture transfer. The U.S. release is Letterboxed and carries a Japanese Language track as well as an English Dubbed track. Use the Japanese track with the subtitles. The U.S. region 1 release does have a lot of extras I've heard.

5 comments about Pride Fighting Championships - Bushido - The Tournament (Vol. 9).

1. This is one of the best busido's ive ever bought, and it was deffinetly worth the money , every fight was fast paced, everyfight had a good ending, there was no BORING fights, and its a tournament which makes it that much better! This is a must buy if u are a pride fan and u like the smaller fighters Yves Edwards puts on a great showing, so does Jenz Pulver and Phil Baroni, now with Chuck lidell losing his title to Quinton Jackson in UFC and he has to Fight the New Pride Middleweight and Welterweight Champ thats right he beat Wanderlia Silvia, Dan henderson! So the fight world is now gonna be insane, pride fighters will be fighting ufc fighters and there will be some of the best dream matches we have waited for! Anyway this bushido is the bomb deffiently buy it if u a MMA fan of fast paced fights not slow bs!



2. It features Gomi v Kawajiri, which was named Pride's fight of the year for 2005; Gomi v Alzeredo in a rematch of their earlier war; Minowa v Baroni in a classic rematch (layin' and prayin' [yeah, right] with an armlock most of the first round); Pulver v Mach Sakurai in another jeez this is great match; Joachim Hansen v Yves Edwards, ditto; Mach v Hellboy Hansen - wow; Henderson v Chonan where Dan shows his power; Bustamante twice shows us why he's a ju-jitsu legend; Damn, even the reserve matches are great! It is the best overall MMA card I've ever seen. My understanding is that the promoter for Deep was the matchmaker for Bushido, and as such, perhaps Deep can rise to take the place of Pride, 'cause I can't imagine the UFC boys can put on a show like this. BTW: Renallo and Baz are the announcers.



3. This product features a few of the greatest MMA fights of all time. And it is all on the same DVD. This is honestly the second best if not the best MMA event I have ever seen. Even the fights that go to a decision are exciting as hell. If you are an MMA fan. This is an absolute must have. Beats any UFC out there and I am a big UFC fan. The only comparable MMA event is Pride 33 which hasn't yet come out.



4. Unbelievable DVD. Of every Pride FC Bushido event, this one is easily the best yet. At first, the fact that there are no heavy-weights or even light-heavyweights on the card may deter some, but the fighting and quality of fighters on this card is top-notch. Dan Henderson has great matches, in fact, the entire welterweights tournament is great, but the light-weights are even better. Hyato "Mach" Sakurai and Takanori Gomi's matches are simply spectacular. This is definately a must-have, or must-see, for any true MMA fan.



5. I saw the reviews stating how good this event was and I decided to order a copy. Im not usually too interested in watching the lighter weight classes but pretty much this whole DVD is filled with great fights. Gomi, Hendo, Baroni, Sakurai help make this a must see event! I recamend this one.

5 comments about The Master.

1. I own a 50" tv and with the tv's zoom this appears to be anamorphic. It might hurt pic quality alittle but thats okay by me. If you own letterboxed dvd's and your tv's zoom makes it look okay then buy it. This movie is a kung fu fan's dream. Awesome action and characters. One of my fav kung fu movies.



2. Chen Kuan Tai plays a kung fu master on the run from a gang called the 3 Evils. Johnny Wang Lung Wei is their leader and these 3 are super tough. After getting injured, Kuan Tai looks for shelter at a young man's house. Yuen Tak plays the young man and stays at a kung fu school. He was taken in as an orphan and has lived there for about 3 years. He gladly takes Kuan Tai in and they begin a very friendly teacher and student relationship. Yuen Tak is not an actor and would never fit in at playing a serious role, but this is a comedy and he does a great job as the lead actor. Lau Hok Nin plays the school's master and he is not exactly a fan of Kuan Tai because of their troubles in the past. The story is well done and more than enjoyable all the way through. It's not surprising since it is directed by Lu Chun Ku who has done many good movies including 'The Master Strikes Back' with Ti Lung and 'Holy Fame of the Martial World'. He has worked together with Lau Hok Nin and action director Hsu Hsia before. Lau Hok Nin is even better in this than he was in 'Hell'z Widstaff' and 'Tiger Over Wall', both being directed by Lu Chun Ku. Not only is he a wonderful character actor, but he is no slouch in the kung fu department either. The action is absolutely superb and the entire movie is fight filled. Not a single scene looks rushed, and I always love it when they save the best for last.
   
   While the story is well done, it also has a lot of unique touches to it. One of the 3 evil masters is a ladies man and his scene in a brothel is not one you will soon forget. The nudity does get a bit excessive, but Yuen Tak steals the show by dressing up as a woman. I was amazed to see all the jiggling, but I had no idea the scene would turn out to be so funny.
   
   To go along with the amazing action scenes and great acting and directing job, there is also a very fun soundtrack and beautiful cinematography. It is always nice to see the Shaw Brothers outdoor sets. I could have used a little more comedy out of Chan Lau, but other than that, I can only think of one other fault. Wang Lung Wei uses a hair braid very effectively as a weapon, but it only seems to cut up clothes rather than cut up the body or face. It's a minor gripe, but there are some good blood effects for death scenes, and Wang Lung Wei is an absolute madman with a spear in his hands. There is a lot to be happy about. If you are not a fan of the genre, it may get boring at times, but all hardcore kung fu fans will be delighted with this classic.
   
   4.5/5
   
   
   Special features aren't quite as plentiful as Heroes Two. There's another great interview with Chen Kuan Tai. 7 minutes long. This movie may have the best opening credits scene of alltime, and as a special feature you can watch this scene without the credits blocking your view. Picture quality is perfect as can be. It's not anamorphic, and Media Blasters has said that this will be a one time thing, but it didn't bother me since I have a 24 or so inch TV. English dub sounds great, as do the Cantonese and Mandarin tracks. Subtitles are very well written.



3. I remember first seeing this in the mid-80s as a kid on Channel 5's now-defunct "Drive-In Movie" under the title "3 Evil Masters". Under any title, this is a classic from the latter-days of the Shaw Brothers. This is arguably the best movie director Lu Chun-Ku has done. Hsu "King of Sticks" Hsia's choreography, along with his "Five Superfighters", is absolutely amazing. Not only are Chen Kuan-Tai & Wang Lung-Wei in top form (their fight near the end of the movie is a definite highlight for me), but Yuan Tak (a.k.a. Chiang Lin) is amazing. He ought to be though, he was one of the "Seven Little Fortunes" along with Jackie Chan, Samo Hung & Yuan Biao. His climatic end fights with each of the "3 Evils" are incredible.
   
   Great supporting performances by Candy Wen Hsueh-Erh, Lin Hui-Huang, Liu Hok-Nien, Wang Ching-Ho & Ching "knife-thrower" Chu; look for him in a crazy, "jiggly" brothel scene (cut from TV prints, 'natch). There's also great music here; I know it's stock music, but Eddie H. Wang (as usual) picked out the best tracks. Great story, awesome old-school fu, incredible acting & impressive directing.
   
   Tokyo Shock/Media Blasters did a fantastic job with the transfer, some people are complaining that it's not enhanced for 16:9 televisions. Look, before this version came out I had to settle for a bootleg, pan & scan, edited VHS copy of this classic. Now, there's this remastered, widescreen, uncut DVD complete with subtitles or a decent English dub, so stop complaining and buy this. I read that Media Blasters has three more Shaw classics in the works; Chang Cheh's "Deadly Duo" & Lau Kar-Leung's "Challenge of the Masters" & "Martial Club", can't wait. It was great to see my old friend, Tom Fardy, in the "special thanks" list at the end. It was touching to see the dedication to the late Linn Haynes, who unfortunately couldn't grace this DVD with the same excellent commentary he did with "Heroes Two" due to his untimely passing from this world. Rest in peace.



4. It's a shame Chen Kuan Tai wasn't the main star of this film, but what scenes he does grace are superb. As morgoth alludes to in regards to the opening scene fighting, he's dead on. Simply outstanding choreographing in the beginning of this film. Chen Kuan Tai (Iron Monkey 77 The Killer Constable and Shaolin King Boxer)was in reality King Boxer of South East Asia (monkey style and deflecting elbow were his specialties) when he was discovered by Shaws Brothers and this film showcases some of his abilities. Great film. A must own for any Chen Kuan Tai fan.



5. The great Chen Kuan Tai ("Heroes Two", "Executioners From Shaolin") plays Chin Tien Yun, the title character in this nifty little Shaw Brothers classic. After he is injured by 3 nefarious fighters, he comes into the care of young kung fu student Kao Chien (Yuen Tak). After he feels better, he realizes that the boy's master (Lau Hok Nin) isn't doing a very good job at martial instruction and teaches the lad a thing or two. Meanwhile, the bad guys are searching the nearby town for clues to his whereabouts.
   
   Though some of the fights are a little slow, most of them are excellent. I don't know that Chen Kuan Tai's kung fu has ever looked this solid. Johnny Wang Lung Wei ("Return of the Master Killer", "Instructors of Death") is great as the main bad guy who sports the obligatory white wig. I didn't recognize his two cohorts, but they both do a great job. Yuen Tak is also more than capable of handling his role, even when it requires a little cross-dressing. Which reminds me that this movie has some nudity and a fair amount of blood. Not for the kiddies.
   
   Now for the drawbacks: A lame sense of humor (standard issue); a couple of annoying and sycophantic characters; a musical score that ranges from excellent to completely absurd; and Yuen Tak's immense improvement in fighting techniques just by punching ceramic tiles in a bucket of water. If you can get past these things, you're in for a treat. Those of us who love old school kung fu movies have learned to deal with, and eventually even appreciate, the genre's less desirable proclivities.
   
   I love owning legitimate Shaw Brothers' releases, this one courtesy of Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock. Celestial's beautiful remastering job (as per usual) and widescreen presentation is more than adequate for my modest television set. The English dub is pretty good, and the sound can also be heard in Mandarin and Cantonese. Special features are limited to a couple of trailers (including one for "Heroes Two") and a brief, informative interview with Chen Kuan Tai. RECOMMENDED.
   
   1980. aka: 3 Evil Masters

5 comments about Warriors of Heaven and Earth.

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.

1 comments about UFC: Ultimate Comebacks [Blu-ray].

1. UFC's first blu ray release will be a "best of comeback" fights in which one fighter is getting beat and ends up winning in the end. 240 minutes total makes for 4 hrs worth of fights. I posted the match list below but im not really sure why fights like Jardine vs Alexander are on this because that was a generally one sided fight except for one punch. 5 of them were also released on the "Best of 2007" dvd set and only 2 of them are unavailable anywhere due to Ultimate Fight Night events not being released. I recommend this if you dont have any of these fights and are just looking for a "best of" compilation because theres really nothing new here besides that. All are great fights though and the quality will be perfect so I gave it 5 stars.
   
   Pete Sell Vs Scott Smith(UFF)
   Alessio Sakara Vs Drew McFedries(UFC 65)
   Martin Kampmann Vs Drew McFedries(UFC 68)
   Renato Sobral Vs Jason Lambert(UFC 68)
   Keith Jardine Vs Houston Alexander(UFC 71)
   Jon Fitch Vs Roan Carneiro(UFN)
   Colin Robinson Vs Eddie Sanchez(UFC 72)
   Paul Taylor Vs Marcus Davis (UFC 75)
   Chris Leben Vs Terry Martin (UFN)
   Jon Koppenhaver Vs Jared Rollins (UFF)
   Roger Herta Vs Clay Guida(UFF)

1 comments about Vengeance.

1. Vengeance isn't a terrible movie but it isn't a great movie either. It contains an interesting plot witin a plot within a plot that somewhat works. A team of police officers is sent after a group of ruthless criminals who try to get away by heading into a cursed Jungle filled with bees that eat human flesh, alligator like creatures that hunt in herds and a giant snake. Once inside the jungle, police officers and criminals are all treated alike by the inhabitants except for a girl from an unusual tribe who befriends and falls in love with the head police officer. Vampire/cannibalism insues with only a time medallion that can set things straight, or begin it all over again. The special effects are subpar, but better than what you see on the SC-FI Channel. There is an interesting making of feature as well.

5 comments about Goyokin.

1. To those who care: Nakamura Kinnosuke is the shogunate spy and Tetsuro Tamba is the brother-in-law. Hope it's in widescreen, even though not stated. One of my favs. Just adding my $0.02.



2. BY ALL MEANS, RENT THIS FILM!! But -- for the truly discriminating viewer of genuinely sophisticated "jidaigeki" films -- I strongly suggest you hope for a different DVD release to purchase, one with superior translation compared to this DVD by MEDIA-BLASTERS/TOKYO SHOCK.
   
   "Goyokin" is a vastly subtle, yet utterly compelling, work. Superb direction, acting, writing, and cinematography do ample justice to this deceptively straightforward, yet culturally and thematically complex, drama. However, this version is under-served by translative butchery.
   
   Devotees of this remarkable, yet sadly obscure, film have waited decades for a quality video print, and for years a DVD version. What a disheartening disappointment, then, this version. Its only saving grace is the print, which does retain the film's impressive cinematography.
   
   But translator Julia Rose is grossly incompetent, her translation risibly juvenile and glib for such a mature work as "Goyokin." Her failure here desecrates the supremely sensitive achievement that is director Hideo Gosha's film.
   
   Ms. Rose fails to grasp the most suggestive nuances of the Japanese people, their language, history, and culture. This film demands not only a command of all these elements, but a mastery of English prose to adeptly convey Japanese refinement to an English-speaking audience -- a depth of sophistication worthy of the film's artistry. (Accountability should also rest with the DVD's Translation Manager, Anna Yamamoto.)
   
   Hopefully, fans of "Goyokin" will one day be rewarded with an alternative DVD version, one with a finesse of translation that is equal to the level of this classic work.
   
   Fine and noteworthy films merit long life in a loyal and dedicated audience, who deserve to see films exactly as their creators envisioned in the final cut -- not as works butchered by the hands of post-production incompetents.



3. I first saw this great film in the early 1970s, at the now defunct Fox Theatre in Venice, California. I remembered that the film was somewhat butchered in its theatrical release, therefore, I am willing to take any translation transfer until a better one is released. I can understand the spotlight reviewers complaints, it bothers me too. The film centers around the character Wakizaka Magobei (Tatsuya Nakadai) as a samurai who returns to his clan which he has left for many years. And (Tatsuya Nakadai) portrays his character exceptionally well in this film. Wakizaka Magobei is guilt ridden from an incident [no spoilers] which occurred years before. He has returned to prevent a massacre from happening again.
   
   Furthermore, Wakizaka Magobei is intent on preventing his clan from repeating this intended massacre which he feels great remorse for. This film is an excellent morality and loyalty tale involving the films main protagonist, (Tatsuya Nakadai). And the films psychological nuances are intelligently woven into this film. The cinematography is outstanding, with many beautifully captured and stunning visuals. Moreover, the films concluding duel is terrific. The film has an entertaining plot, great visuals and beautiful cinematography which makes this one of the better samurai films out there. This film is not to be missed, it belongs in your cinema collection, and is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. [Stars: 5+]



4. This is an underappreciated classic - while the editing is disjointed, the visuals are stunning. My quess is that the director was influenced by Hitchcock - the beginning scene where the bride returns to her village has a very Hitchcock feel. I saw the film maybe a dozen times before I could look at that scene all the way with my eyes open. There are several memorable scenes in this movie, including the one with the hero in front of a wall of fire and the final battle in the snow.



5. "Standing By and Turning a Blind Eye to Evil is akin to committing the Sin Itself.."
   GOYOKIN (1969) is the second film by Hideo Gosha, the director also responsible for the Criterion released "Sword of the Beast" and "Three Outlaw Samurai". I'm rather surprised as to why Criterion hasn't picked this film up, but nonetheless, Media Blasters did manage to release this film in re-mastered form. Toshiro Mifune was supposedly picked to play the character of Samon, but dropped out at the last minute due to sickness. "Goyokin", while a lesser known film compared to "Hara-Kiri" and "Sword of Doom" is an excellent chambara film which also stars Tatsuya Nakadai as the main character. It is still an awesome tale of conflicting emotions about loyalty or the interpretations of, the guilt and atonement of the past's sins and feudal political greed.
   
   Synopsis partly derived from the dvd back cover:
   The film is a tale of a haunted samurai named Magobei Wakizaka (Tatsuya Nakadai), who returns home to the site of the past massacre to seek atonement and redemption for his soul. The clan he abandoned intends to instigate another heartless massacre akin to an earlier reign of terror that caused Magobei to resign his position and leave the clan. The original massacre has become a legend that is attributed to an evil spirit. Protecting the last survivor of the massacre, a beautiful woman named Oriha (Ruriko Asaoka), Magobei absorbs a phenomenal amount of punishment as a way of atoning for the sins of his clan.
   
   Gosha's film is a awesome spectacle of blood and swordplay that uses the Tohoku Locales as a backdrop of the film. The films exudes an atmospheric feeling as the crushing waters impact against the shoreline, the white snow stained with blood, with black crows looking to feed on the carcasses of the dead. The film looks very authentic and accurate to its timeline. The film's main premise is the blind loyalty to one's clan, and the hope for redemption by atoning for an indifference to an injustice. Goyokin has the same style and feel to the chambara classics by Kobayashi, and far superior to the works of Suzuki, because his films have better characterizations and better content with superior performers.
   
   "GOYOKIN" has definitely hit a bull's-eye in casting Tatsuya Nakadai as the lead character. The film revolves around a tortured soul that is haunted by his past, and Nakadai is impressive as Magobei. His gestures, action and mannerisms have that intense feel that emphasizes a man looking inward to the depths of his own soul. It is also a fantastic move for director Gosha to cast Yoko Tsukasa as Shino, this actress has impressed me with her performance in "Samurai Rebellion" and although she did have limited screen time, she nonetheless grabs the audience as Magobei's wife. It was quite ironic as a retainer named Kunai ordered Magobei assassinated, because Kunai is lusting after his wife; this event is what triggered Magobei's resolve to atone for his mistake. Kinnosuke Nakamura plays a role originally intended for Toshiro Mifune, and the man does add a certain charisma to the film's proceedings.
   
   The film also has a satisfying share of swordfights that will attract action lovers. The swordplay displayed are reminiscent of the "Shogun Assassin" films that are nicely choreographed and staged with a realistic feel. The film also has a climactic duel between Magobei and Tatewaki (Tetsuro Tamba), his main nemesis, with a maneuver that rivals the "quick draw" in Kurosawa's "Sanjuro" for sheer intensity that makes you say "that's cool". Blood splattered onto white snow adds a lot of visceral punch.
   
   GOYOKIN is a film very worthy of anyone's time and while it may be inferior to the chambara films of Kurosawa and Kobayashi, the film is very satisfying in its own right. The film's meticulous execution in historical accuracy gives the film a very "real" feel that gives its audience an "authentic" experience. The film is very clever in staging its action sequences that will remind us the subtleties of the execution of swordplay, much like an Akira Kurosawa film would. The exciting execution of the film enhances the story and the characters enhance its content. Hideo Gosha "Goyokin" is a true part of great Japanese classics.
   
   Highly Recommended! [4 Stars]
   
   Note: The film is great but the subtitles in this dvd needs to be translated better. The translations carry the occasional American "slang" that annoyed me at times. Example: "Matte" in Japanese means "wait" but was translated to "hang on". "Angry" and "understand" has been translated to "pissed off" and "got it' respectively. "Kane no tamenara nanndemo suru" ("I'll do anything for gold") is translated to "I'll do anything for a buck." There is no "buck" during this period.
   
   The mistranslations doesn't really ruin the dialogue but it does serve occasional annoyances.

3 comments about The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies.

1. Presented by Samuel L. Jackson, THE ART OF ACTION is an enjoyable and entertaining look at the history of matial arts films from its origins in Peking Opera in China, which was performed by men in women's clothing. Strangely, the first kung fu features were made with the WOMEN doing all the fighting as film was then considered a lower medium in China, and it was "dishonorable" for men to stoop to that level!
   Of course, no film about martial arts could be made without Bruce Lee, "The James Bond Of Martial Arts". Here viewers are treated to footage from RETURN OF THE DRAGON where Lee beats the bejesus out of a young Chuck Norris, as well as hearing Lee's philosophies on kung fu, which remain intriguing and inspiring no matter how many times you hear them.
   THE ART OF ACTION also features appearances from Jackie Chan, recounting his experiences as part of a Peking Opera troupe at age 7, as well as ruminations by John Woo, Ang Lee and Steven Seagal. There's plenty here to educate and entertain viewers, though stranglely Hammer's martial arts/ horror film LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES is overlooked here... but Cynthia Rothrock's cruddy movies get some attention! I just don't get it! That remains my only quibble. Also features clips from more recent films like RUSH HOUR 2 and CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON.
   If you like this, you may want to check out the similar documentary CINEMA OF VENGEANCE which is about the history of martial arts and Hong Kong action films, though personally I found THE ART OF ACTION to be more entertaining. Both movies are highly recommended.



2. This in-depth documentary gives a behind-the-scenes look at the history of the martial arts films. It shows what the early pioneers of martial arts had to do to pass on the skills when the then rulers wanted to forbid the practice. The journey is one of rebellious beginnings to high flying stunts in movies today. It also features the work of Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Jackie Chan,Sammo Hung and others. This is a great documentary to watch if you want to learn more about the world of martial arts in films.



3. This movie does not show like many great clips but is a pretty good documentary. It starts out talking about the the first shaw movies and lau kar-leung, and also the origins of kung fu(briefly), women in the 20's making these movies, and of course kwan tak-hing. The only thing that I really had a problem with is that they just passed over the jimmy wang yu, lo lieh, chen kwan tai, hwang jang lee, etc. I don;t think it even mentions the venoms!! They show some good clips from one armed swordsman, but even though they show their dramatic scene, they don't even mention jimmy or lie's name. So it goes way to quickly into the new school stuff like crouching tiger but does not capitilize on the golden age of kung fu.

5 comments about Bulletproof Monk [Blu-ray].

1. Tibetan Buddhism is a pure betrayal of Buddhism, of Buddha himself. It dares go beyond Buddha's teaching and reinvent a divinity of some kind where Buddha had taught there could not be any God anywhere. The great force that leads the universe in the eternal cycle from birth to rebirth via decay and death is transmuted into some kind of prophecy about some kind of truth to keep against human greed in order to save the world, and that truth is entrusted to one person who remains beyond aging, will not decay in other words, for as long as he will carry this trust and responsibility. When the time has come he will have to transmit his responsibility to the newly elected person who fulfills the three prophecies and the guardian will finally age and take a vacation leaving the burden to the new warden. Buddha would be ashamed of such primitive beliefs if he could witness such naïve sagas. And the film goes slightly beyond by deciding that the new warden will be double and will be a man and a woman, a heterosexual couple in one word, Hollywood trying to save Tibetan Buddhism from the righteous accusation of being deeply and profoundly and exclusively sexist, that is to say anti-women, or at least closed to women. It also takes advantage of the film to move Tibet to New York, to add a little bit of Nazism in all that, and to entrust the serious mission to two Caucasian non-Tibetan "goyim" instead of one good old Asian, Tibetan if possible, Buddhist monk. But that is only a film. True. But what a laughable fable. Luckily there are the spectacular fights and contortions and acrobatics to save the whole fairy tale from too much shallowness.
   
   Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines



2. Okay... this is a bad movie. I'm fully aware of this. The story line is cheesy, its historical accuracy is grossly questionable, and a good portion of the acting is overdone. So why in the world did it get three stars from me? I have to come clean, this is a guilty pleasure. I'm fully aware it's not a good movie, in fact I'm probably out of my mind for enjoying it this much, but I thought it was fun!
   
   Basically the movie premise is about this ancient Tibetan scroll that supposedly gives its reader power over the entire world. The movie starts off in the past, around 1943, where a Nazi general comes to find it. Yes, like everyone else, I was wondering why the Nazis were in Tibet in 1943. Chow Yun-Fat is introduced and becomes the protector of the scroll, then the movie fast forwards into more modern times where he ends up running into Seann William Scott's character, Kar. This is where the film takes more of its comedic twist, sometimes Scott's character can get annoying, but I think the movie gets a lot better when Jaime King's character enters the picture. For some reason her character tempers Scott's over abrasive presence on the screen, because he's playing the guy that always has something to prove and she has nothing to prove. It just blended well. Anyway there are people after the scroll and it essentially falls to these three people to protect it. That's basically how the action is generated throughout the film.
   
   I'm not a connoisseur of martial arts films by any means, so I won't even pretend to be. The martial arts and action throughout the film, I found, to be pretty good and entertaining. Though I wish King's character had fought the German guy's granddaughter for a lot longer. There was definitely enough action to keep the film moving. For me I just found the movie fun to watch. Watching Chow Yun-Fat trying to deal with Scott's character definitely had its amusing moments.
   
   Anyway, there really isn't much else to be said for this film. Ultimately it's not a good movie, but I had fun with it, which I think is what was intended. It's clearly not meant to be a very serious movie so if you can get beyond that, you might be able to find some merit in it. Granted I don't see how this could ever become someone's favorite movie of all time, but I certainly wouldn't say this is the worst by any measure.



3. Bulletproof Monk simply makes the mark. Chow Yun Fat is the perfect pickfor the humble monk who packs a punch. Along with Seann William Scott,the duo make for a light-hearted yet action packed adventure fightinga Nazi cult and a gang of street thugs while trying to protect an ancient secret.A must see movie that I think you will enjoy.



4. I say "spoof" because this movie isn't to be taken seriously. It's a fun movie to watch Yun-Fat Chow; the Monk with no name, and Seann William Scott (Kar) interact. The old story of the teacher and the student of martial arts; only Kar learns his martial arts from the movies, at the movie theater in which he works. Mako makes a cameo appearance as his boss Mister Kojima, at the theater. This movie kind of reminds of Indiana Jones' "The Last Crusade," in which the Nazi (in this case - Karel Roden) tries to gain immortality. Karel Roden, cast as the aging Nazi Strucker, is mis-cast; as anyone can tell, his accent isn't even close to being German. Sounds too Russian. Despite that, he does okay as villian in this movie. Jaime King, plays Jade/Bad Girl is Kar's love interest, but kind of superfluous, even though she was the co-recipient of the scroll powers in the end. This was really more Seann William Scott's movie, than Chow Yun-Fat's.



5. This movie does not rank among cinema masterpieces such as Gladiator or Titanic, but the film serves up solid, fun, and funny entertainment. An excellent movie for families, teens, and adults alike, it provides a great escape into the land of make believe. It's light fare for an evening of relaxing enjoyment.