5 comments about House of Flying Daggers [UMD for PSP].

1. This movie is must have for anyone who enjoys great storyline and magnificent special effects and gorgeous background sceneries. IMO, this movie is up to par with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero!
   
   This is must have for Kung Fu movie fanatics like me!



2. Um........BORING!!!
   I loved Crouching Tiger, and I loved Hero even more.
   I was expecting a brilliant picture like the other two I mentioned but...........BORING!!!
   I think I fell asleep twice during the movie. I forced myself to watch it again.
   I didn't fall asleep the second time, but I still found the story to be boring, unmemorable and criminally uninteresting.
   Thank the gods Curse of the Golden Flower came out, that movie totally smokes this one.
   Granted, it may not have as much of the high wire acrobatics of Flying Daggers but the story is so much better than this um......romance.
   So what's good about House of Flying Daggers?
   It's pretty to look at, and has some great high wire martial effects.
   But if you've seen Crouching, or Hero, you've seen it done better with much better stories.
   I can't recommend this one except for die hard swords and romance fans.
   Not recommended.



3. This movie makes the matrix look like a chick flick. The effects and use of bold colors in this film are amazing. Once you get past having to read subtitles, the movie is pure excitement and magic.



4. i watch this all the time, it runs great everytime, great quality, nice box. no damages.



5. This was one of the Blu-Ray discs that I bought at the same time I bought my player, as I was guessing that the vibrant colors of this film would look great in HD. Unfortunately, there is so much film grain that I had to drastically reduce the backlight and the color saturation on my LCD in order to make it less distracting. But this eliminated the primary artistic virtue of the film: its colorful palette. If this had been what Blu-Ray had to offer, I would have returned the player immediately, as I had seen better picture quality from upscaled DVDs and from HD downloads in 720p. Thankfully, I was guided towards "I, Robot" and "Ratatouille" and saw what Blu-Ray really has to offer, and it is worth the price of admission. But the shoddy presentation of "House of Flying Daggers" nearly soured me on the whole experience before I really got started.
   
   I rather enjoyed this film on standard-definition cable TV when I first saw it. The colors are marvelous, the fight scenes are fluid, and the plot is simple but effective. The main character, Wind, is kind of a jerk at first, but he grows on you a little by the end. I would describe the acting as competent, even a bit above-average for what you'd expect. For a foreign language film, we English-speaking viewers need decent acting through facial expressions and body language, and there's enough here to adequately serve the story.
   
   I don't know what equipment was used to shoot this film, but I hope that a great transfer could be done one day when Blu-Ray has settled into its place as the dominant disc format. This is the type of film that has great potential as an HD viewing experience, but it hasn't come close to realizing that quite yet. If you have and enjoy the DVD of this movie, I would recommend against buying the Blu-Ray at this time.

5 comments about Steel Dawn.

1. Yes, this is another rehash of the Shane/Road Warrior story of the lonely wanderer who defends the intrepid farmers against the evil baron/barbarian horde/wealthy landowner. Yes, it is another post-apocalyptic wasteland action movie. Yes, the dialogue is predictably lame ................... What gives this movie a slight edge over some others of this ilk is the sturdy performance of under-appreciated Brion James as a tired old soldier, the hammy intensity of Christopher Neame as the hero's rival, and the ........... swordfights.

   Patrick Swayze plays a member of a knights-of-the-round-table type outfit who's days of glory and effectiveness has passed. He travels incognito through the wastelands, finding a farming community under threat from the local rich & powerful bad guy. He winds up fighting against one of his former fellow defenders of justice, now working for the bad guy.

   The Brian May music and desert scenery gives the obligatory road-warrior flavor. The costumes and set dressing give the impression of the return of some culture and industry while still picking over the remains of the old world. The existence of these "guards" implies that there was a "world order" that emerged from the catastrophe, but that there has since been a descent to lawlessness.

   The weapons combat was very skillful and, as movies go, convincing. The comatants move with efficiency, speed, and convincingness, fighting with the equivalent of quarterstaffs, bastard swords, and two-swords. It is the strongest feature of the movie and pretty much the only reason to watch it over any other genre movie. This, and the fact that the film achieves at least the minimum big-studio stardards of technical proficiency (cinematography, sound, edtiting, etc) and has a story without any big holes in it gives it the extra star. END




2. Have you ever watched a film that you know isn't very good, yet you ended up secretly liking it, but wouldn't tell a soul (at least those you know personally) that you do? Well, for me, this is one of those films.

   I've always been a sucker for post-apocalyptic films/novels and the loner hero, and maybe that's why I ended up enjoying it. Hey, I liked Costner's "The Postman" and "Waterworld", and Yul Brenners "The Ultimate Warrior", and at least one of Gibson's "Mad Max" vehicles (so you know where I'm coming from).

   Patrick Swayze and his wife are just fine in this standard yarn, and the fight scenes were done very well. Alas, there is nothing new to find here, but if you are attracted to the cast you might sneak this video in one night (very late, while everyone else is asleep).

   Between 1 and 10, I rate "Steel Dawn" a very marginal 6, but in reality, I know it's not much above a 4;-).




3. Not top notch? -- Ah well, It can be thoroughly enjoyed without picking it apart.
   But how many different ways can the same kind of stories be portrayed? Actually it is the writers fault for not giving a different twist to life's story. [Underground pure water?]
   I enjoyed the acting - the characters - the desert? but the hairdo's were awful.
   This is another one that I like to watch again - what can I say? I like the futuristic SiFi - even the outlandish ones.
   The villian's got what they deserved. [grin]



4. No one watches Steel Dawn for the smart dialogue, the existential motifs, or the brilliant cinematography. This isn't Beckett here. If you like movies where a renegade with a sword gets the bad guys and protects small-town interests, this is for you. It's like the "Road Warrior" without the cars meets the "Beastmaster" without religious cults, and add a touch of Jimmy Stewart's western "Destry Rides Again." This is escapist cinema, and the best kind.

   A note on the DVD: this is a full-screen edition that looks pretty cheap--no great remastering job here. There are no special features, no sound options, no languages. But if you want to see a movie featuring a guy with a sword, you don't need Dolby Digital and a pristine print: you need "Steel Dawn."




5. Watched it on TV A Couple of times. Loved It. The Ground Enemies. The Fight for Water. The Sword Fights. The Part where Patrick Gets Caught In a Bath Tub by the Villian. Cool Movie, Definately a Gem. Wish More People Saw It. If You Liked Road Warrior, Fortress, Screamers, or Lord of The Rings This is a Must for You. You Won't Be Dissapointed.

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.

5 comments about Last Hero in China.

1. I'm not sure what movie Amazon thinks this is, but it's actually a Wong Fei Hong pic starring Jet Li. And it's not his best, either. Yuen Woo-Ping did do the action choreography so it does have great fight scenes. Story was lacking though. Please, Amazon, try to get the titles and stars on these Chinese movies correct for once.



2. Not widely regarded as an extension of the "Once Upon A Time In China" series, "Last Hero In China" tends to go unmentioned as far as guilty-pleasure entertainments go. I believe that the film's quality (though the Wong Jing humor is debatable) is right on par with the series, as once again Jet Li braids his hair to assume the identity of Wong Fei-Hung and rip some naughty miscreants a new one. Yes, Jet Li is in the role NOT Jackie Chan, as Amazon's blurb mistakenly implies. Though both actors have personified the role, it is in this film's final fight that I finally got to see Jet Li's bout at Drunken Boxing for my first time ever (thus the review's title). If he does it in older movies, I haven't seen it yet. But he demonstrates the stance with all the effortless acrobatic ability his legions of fans have grown accustomed to. Plus, Yuen "you only wish you could choreograph action like me" Woo-Ping offers us a shot at Fei-Hung delving into Chicken Style against a ten-man centipede, plus numerous other wire-fu goodies that'll put a stoned grin onto any viewers face.
   No real special features on the disc to even mention save the inherent but ever-necessary widescreen, but then again I own the HK version. The only drawback...? Where's Auntie 13 (Rosamund Kwan)? She writes Fei-Hung a letter in the movie, but that's all we get. Sigh... But enjoy -- this is as ridiculously fun a movie as you could want from Sir Jet.



3. This was such an awesome movie.
   
   Remove everything you ever knew about the Once upon a time in china series from your head, except for Jet Li playing the serious Wong fei-hung. Then make this movie one of the craziest and funniest movies ever and stick Wong fei-hung in the middle of it. What you have is a very enjoyable movie. And as much as I did like it, the music was the best part for me. For those of you that know the OUATIC series, you know Tsui Hark was the first ones to put lyrics in a movie to the Wong fei-hung theme song. Well then Jing Wong was the second. Great Soundtrack.
   
   All you people trying to stick through it all the way, please wait until the end fight.



4. But if you are a HUGE HUGE HUGE fan of Jet Li playign wong fei-hung, like I am, then this will be a VERY funny movie for you.
   
   The story starts out with a some outlaws being chased by the government, and these guys are pretty tough. One of the guys took a guard by the head and threw his body onto like a shelf or something and the guys body cripples in half like he was holding a pillow.
   
   You are going to get a lot of that type of action. I am a HUGE fan of the old school peking style that Lau Kar Leung used, I love the hand to hand. And while you don't get too much of that, you get enough and the stunt are really cool.
   
   Now my favorite part of this movie are the ones where he has this CRAZY general talking to Wong, I can't even explain the way the guy was acting, it was sow eird and it was also kinda cool. So Jet is sitting in a chair and the general is asking to see his kung fu skills and the general is so close to the face(on purpose of course) to Jet's face you can just see how great of an actor for making it this whole scene without busting out laughing. CAUSE THE GENERAL WAS THE MAN, HE IS THE ONE WHO MAKES THIS MOVIE FUNNY, JUST TRY TO TELL ME THAT THIS IS NOT THE GREATEST VOICE ACTING JOB IN THE HISTORY OF DUBBING, but I will get back to this when I tell you the dvd that you should seek out.
   
   So I don't want to give the story away cause it's not that great but very very funny.
   
   So like I said in another review of this, remove everything you knew about the OUATIC series except leave wong as a serious guy. Then make everything that happens around him just a strait up slap stick comedy and see how wong react, it is absolutely hilarious.
   
   Now I wanna go over some of the reasons you should see this movie.
   
   WONG FEI-HUNG VS. MASTER KILLER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   
   Beardy and bucktooth reunited, to know about this you have to go 11 years before this film was made and watch legend of a fighter. It is my favorite MA movie EVER, and I have a review on this on the vhs side under secret master. The chemistry was absolutely beautiful in that movie.
   
   IF YOU ARE A FAN OF JET LI, THEN I SHOULD GO AHEAD AND TELL YOU THIS IS MY 2ND FAV JET LI AS WONG MOVIE EVER. so in other words I rate it #2 out of the 5 he was in.
   
   BUT I ALSO RATE THIS MOVIE ABOVE LEGEND 1 AND 2, ENFORCER, EVIL CULT, KISS OF THE DRAGON, OK I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE LISTED THE ONES I LIKE MORE INSTEAD CAUSE THIS IS LIKE A TOP 3 JET MOVIE FOR ME.
   
   I'm not a fan of most of of Jing Wong's stuff, but this one I feel is one of his better efforts, ALSO JET'S ACTING PERFORMANCE IN THIS RIVALS THE 1ST OUATIC MOVIE. SO DEFINITELY ONE OF HIS BEST ACTING JOBS.
   
   
   Now the dvd that I have is 105 MINUTES LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   i mean it wass almost too freaking long for me, now how often does that happen in kung fu. How many people said in secret rivals like oh I wish they would have cut out some of the training sequences or that funny part could have gone or the final fight could have been a bit shorter? The version that I have is from Red Sun. It is full screened but the movie has a very good picture and the full screened seriously does not even affect anything!
   
   SO OVERALL A VERY WEIRD MOVIE AND YEAH JUST VERY WEIRD. BUT DEFINITELY FOR ANY JET LI FAN, SO PLEASE TAKE YOUR TIME TO SEEK THIS OUT AND DO NOT BUY THIS VERSION, CAUSE IT SI NOTHING BUT BAD REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   
   
   Also the sountrack to this is the freaking shiznit.



5. I am writing this review without having even seen the movie itself, for the shock I got as I received this product was enough. I got the dvd, and the first thing that hit me was that the cover did not fit on the box well.. why? because it was printed on a home printer, and when I opened it, the product itself apparently was burned at home as well. Basically, I paid for an original movie and got a bootleg.

5 comments about Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 49 - Unfinished Business.

1. I saw this on paper view, it was awesome. There was no unfinished business after these fights. All kinds of knock outs and chokes, it was awesome on paper view so its gotta be awesome on DVD.



2. This is my favorite UFC event to date. Only one fights goes to decision, one fight ends in submission, and the rest end with someone being hurt. :)



3. Man oh man was this a fun event to watch! The main event was great to see... and the fights leading up to it were extremely entertaining as well. The one thing that I really miss in the UFC is lightweight fighters. Thompson vs. Edwards is a perfect example of why the UFC needs to bring back this amazing weight class... there are just so many killer fighters at that size. Buy this DVD, it rocks!



4. This is another solid UFC event - a night packed with great fights.
   
   The night begins with Yves Edwards turning the tables on (or "lucking out" against) Josh Thompson, who had been overpowering and outperforming him until that point. The night then gets better with the next fight between Nick Diaz and Karo Parisyan. Diaz is a far better striker and Parisyan is better at takedowns and throws. This turns out to be quite an impressive battle, with wonderful moments of intricate technique being employed by both fighters. These two are a great matchup and I would actually like to see them fight again in the future. As they are both extremely young, this may be likely to happen.
   
   Chris Lytle continues looking good against Ron Jhun - and Justin Eilers treats Mike Kyle how I feel he needs to be treated. There is just something so very irritating about Mike Kyle... Great punch by Eilers. Thank you.
   
   The bout between Matt Lindland and David Terrell is over in the blink of an eye... Do we have a new force in the UFC?
   
   Next up, Chuck Liddell v. Vernon White. "Tiger" White does far better than I expected in this fight, but ultimately he falls, as so many do before Liddell. Joe Doerksen and Joe Riggs are both good fighters and they have a decent fight where Riggs displays good strength and strikes, but either are serious contenders for the championship, in my opinion.
   
   The main event is controlled throughout by Randy Couture. There is a cut caused by a headbutt, which makes it a bloody battle. Very entertaining and almost frustrating to watch.
   
   As always, there are good bonus features made up of behind-the-scenes footage.



5. I'm not going to beat around the bush and explain each and every fight in great detail. You only need a short sharp opinionated description.MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!!
   This is my rating system from worst to best:
   Poor - Ok - Average - Great - Excellant
   
   Yves Edwards v Josh Thomson (KO rnd 1-Excellant)
   Nick Diaz v Karo Parisyan (Split Decision-Average)
   Chris Lytle v Ron Jhun (Tapout-Ok)
   Mike Kyle v Justin Eilers (KO rnd 1-Excellant)
   Matt Lindland v David Terrell (KO rnd 1-Excellant)
   Chuck Liddell v Vernon White (KO rnd 1-Excellant)
   Joe Doerksen v Joe Riggs (KO rnd 2-Great)
   Vitor Belfort v Randy Couture (Ref Stoppage rnd 3-Average)
   
   All in all, a great addition to your collection with some fantastic moments.

No comments about Romeo Must Die / Cradle 2 the Grave.

5 comments about Universal Soldier.

1. Don't you hate it when the person you're trying to choose a movie with, insists you watch a movie because they haven't seen it for x amount of years, and you simply must watch it? Mind you, I have that idea most of the time myself, only to realise the film wasn't as good as I remembered it.
   
   Universal Soldier was chosen mainly because I've only seen two Jean-Claude Van Damme movies - Sudden Death, and Streetfighter when I was going through my Kylie Minogue phase. (I was very young, give me a break, and I remember nothing about it.)
   
   Two soldiers are serving in Vietnam. Van Damme plays Luc Deveraux, under the command of Sergeant Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren). When Scott completely loses it, and starts chopping off ears and wearing them as necklaces (bleurgh), Deveraux has an attack of conscience, and the two soldiers kill each other. After being listed as MIA, the soldiers are complicatedly regenerated, into lean, mean, killing machines, who's memories have been wiped. Now known as GR-44 (Van Damme) and GR-13 (Lundgren), everything is kept top secret.
   
   That is until reporter Veronica Roberts (Ally Walker), with a nose for trouble, stumbles upon the top secretness, when her cameraman (?) is killed. Deveraux has flashbacks, and rescues her before she's killed.
   
   Enter the cross country chase, with both soldiers stripping off, and lying in baths of ice (cold!), but gives the female viewers some nice shots of some very fit men. Did I just drool? It did feel a bit Terminator-esque at points, but thankfully, it managed to get past that, and turn into an actually alright movie. (I say alright, and I've given it four stars. Duh.)
   
   For me, the great thing about this movie was Ally Walker, she was absolutely amazing, and she had lots of great lines. I was bugged continuously throughout the movie that I knew her from somewhere, but the only thing I recognised was a very small role in While You Were Sleeping. There was a great rapport between her and Deveraux, and although the plot is a bit iffy at points (not all the way through), it was made all the better by some great leading characters.
   
   Universal Soldier is completely entertaining, a little gem of a movie, and yes, it does have an iffy plot, but what the hell? It's brilliant.



2. 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



3. 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.



4. 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.



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

5 comments about The Bodyguard from Beijing.

1. Jet Li portrays John Chang, a mainland Chinese bodyguard trained by the military to be the best and latest word in protection. After using a controversial technique in a training exercise, he is diverted from taking a coveted assignment with his comrades. Instead he is sent to Hong Kong to protect a young woman, Michelle, who is the only surviving witness to a murder. Michelle is the mistress of a wealthy man, who spares no expense at protecting her life after two other witnesses are murdered by the triad leader suspect's gang.

   Li's John Chang is all business, a repressed, grim faced young man who has one objective: to protect his client, even at the cost of his own life. His vibrant charge soon finds his protective restrictions stifling and she sets about making life as difficult as possible for the man charged to protect her. It is not until an attempt is made upon her life in a shopping mall she has stubbornly insisted on visiting, that she begins to appreciate her no nonsense guardian.

   Soon, appreciation leads to infatuation, and Michelle turns the full force of her romantic charms on the unsuspecting and emotionally ill-equipped Chang. She buys him fancy clothes, an expensive watch, finding herself increasingly dissatisfied and impatient with her rich but milquetoast boyfriend. The romantic tension is almost too much for Chang, who finds himself uncharacteristically unable to concentrate on his work as her protector.

   The gang charged with her annihilation is now led by the brother of one of the gang killed at the shopping mall shootout. He is intent on revenging his brother by killing John. Taking advantage of Chang's distraction, he and his crew launch an attack on Michelles seemingly impregnable home which initiates the film's final showdown.

   Jet Li's martial arts skills take a back seat to gunplay and suspense until the climax of the film. Li's wushu talents are on full display as he engages in hand to hand combat with his foe. Intent on not repeating his mistake from the opening training exercise, Chang must now show a willingness to die for his client.

   Highly entertaining and ultimately more satisfying than Hollywood's The Bodyguard, Jet uses his screen appeal to good advantage in the film. The supporting players are excellent, especially Kent Cheng as one of two policemen that aid John in protecting Michelle. An excellent viewing choice for those who may not be fans of Li's period wushu pieces, the film will probably disappoint those who crave fight-laden martial arts films.




2. that's not all, the story is really, really bad in this one. My god, who thought butcher wing from OUATIC could be a worse actor than Andrew Dice Clay. The dubbing is of course the exact same from swordsman 2, twin warriors, etc., so that certainly didn't help this out.



3. 
   This movie was made in Hong Kong, starring Jet Li, directed by Corey Yuen. Although it is not Jet Li's best, it is nevertheless worth watching.
   
   The bodyguard (Jet Li) is assigned to protect the rich Christy Cheung, the only remaining witness to a murder case (the other two witnesses were killed weeks before the trial). At first, they don't get along, largely due to the stiff bodyguard violating her privacy, installing security cameras not only throughout the house but also her bedroom. However, a romantic relationship develops after she violates security procedures and goes shopping, only to be saved from being narrowly killed by several assassins, due to the first rate fighting skills of the bodyguard.
   
   The movie starts slowly but it builds up to excellent martial arts towards the end. The major disappointment is that the producers forgot that this was supposed to be a martial arts movie and introduced guns unnecessarily, which spoils the action. The action is not as much as I would have wished. However, the fight, towards the end is first rate, particularly when Jet Li fights Ken Lo (Jackie Chan).
   
   However, for those who like guns and also like martial arts, then this movie will excite you.



4. I saw this movie when I was little and liked it, and I have always been a Jet Li fan. When I received the dvd I was looking forward to watching it. The quality is horrible!! It was just dubbed from vhs and it is kind of blurry. Wish i did not purchase this.



5. I returned this item because when I went to watch it, it turned out it was a terrible home-made copy of the movie-AND IT WAS IN THE WRONG LANGUAGE. It was in Cantanese, and the English subtitles were un-readable. NEVER BUY THIS PRODUCT!

2 comments about Brave Archer 2.

1. This movie continues the Brave Archer Movie series of which there are 5. This second one serves mostly to continue the story and there are not as many well choreographed fights as in parts 1 and 3 and 4. As a collector of venom movies or Fu Sheng movies its a must have but don't expect too much. The saddest part for me is all the lost footage that is apparent from the flashbacks in the story. Priceless film left on some cutting room floor in Hong Kong lost to us collectors forever. Oh, this is one of the few films that Wei Pai appears in with the other venoms but if you blink you'll miss his appearance. It's in a flashback of a subplot. This movie's english title "Kung Fu Warlords" is so much more appropriate for this classic tale adapted from a famous novel. The first 2 parts are best enjoyed as a marathon.



2. For those reading this review, this info might be unnecessary but anyhoo; director Chang Cheh, the godfather of HK cinema & screenwriting guru, I Kuang, decided to translate Chin Hung's epic Brave Archer novel to the screen in 1977. Can't say that I've read the novel, but I did hear it's a sprawling, multi-character, multi-plotted epic so I guess they did the correct thing and break it up into four parts. I haven't seen the last two, but I did see (and own) the first two installments. Being a huge Shaw Brothers fan and Chang Cheh completist, even I'll admit that both movies are confusing, it's as if Chang & Kuang were high when they wrote the script. Characters appear, then disappear; sub-plots are brought up, then forgotten about. Personally, I don't really care, but I do recommend this series to die-hard genre fans (like myself) only.
   
   Part 2 was given to us by Red Sun (Morgoth has written a lot about them), and they did a fabulous job remastering the picture; blemish free print and 2:35:1 widescreen. I believe it's uncut at 110 minutes, and this version offers a Mandarin & English soundtrack. Don't bother with the English channel, it's incomplete & is accompanied by a loud hissing sound that makes it barely audible, flush it. Stick with the Mandarin version, the subs aren't that bad. They're in the black bar on the bottom, but sometimes they flash on a bit too fast.
   
   As far as the movie goes, despite some confusion and a slow middle (except Sun Chien's cameo), there is some good fu on display choreographed by Liang Ting, Lu Feng & Robert Tai. Most of the actors from part 1 are back in character, but I did notice some changes. The actress who played Fu Sheng's intended (Tien Niu) was replaced. Also, Kuo Chui & Danny Lee weren't given to do much, and Simon Li hardly had any fighting scenes. Some of the martial arts was strange magical stuff, like Johnny Wang's "frog style". For me, the meat of the movie comes at the end when Fu Sheng & his girl get captured by the Beggar Clan. Look for Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng(R.I.P.) & Tu Lung, all playing different roles since they're characters in part 1 died. The end fight between Fu Sheng & Lo Mang (who's character in the Weird Six was replaced by Tan Chun-Tu) was awesome. I must have rewound that fight like three times in a row, I just wish it was longer.
   
   Like I said, for the completist and hardcore fan. If you like and enjoy old-school, Shaw Brothers, Chang Cheh, the late Fu Sheng & the Venoms (especially Lo Mang), then you have to own this, case closed.

No comments about The Green Hornet 2 DVD set.