3 comments about Hero.

1. The average Hong Kong action movie is packed with fast-paced action, rehashed plots and poor dialogue. This movie escaped that stereotype by incorporating another dimension. In addition to the lightening fast fight scenes and well done stunts, the movie boasted a well developed, fairly fresh plot. I haven't seen another Hong Kong mafia movie that can compare with this one. I recommend this movie to those who are tired of the antiquated you-killed-my-teacher genre and are looking for something with a little more substance.



2. this was a great film to watch, moments of humor, lots of action including good but not great kung fu, guns, swords, horses... epic story of friendship, love, betrayal, redemption. takeshi kaneshiro is a good lead in an action movie but doesn't rank with jet, jackie, sammo, or yuen in terms of actual fighting. his charm and looks make up for it though.

   the one awful thing about this movie is the last fight scene. they simply don't show a very important part of it, a crucial scene for every action movie. i don't know how it could have been cut because of violence or blood because there was plenty of both throughout the film. it was almost as if they wanted to deny the viewer the satisfaction, and i heard from other online sources that this is the only english version of the film. it really makes you mad cuz you sit through the entire film and they cheat you at the end.

   see it if you want, and just make up your own ending.




3. Watching this film was an exercise in frustration. So much of it works, and then so much of it doesn't, but would have if it weren't for the other parts.

   Set sometime at the turn of the century when Britain still had control over parts of China, the story follows a young man's rise to prominence in gangland. One interesting early scene takes place in a dance club and features a pure retro swing band. The hero is the embodiment of a handsome youth as they might have looked before 1930, as he plays drums on a dance number. A rival gang tries to break things up, and the film goes downhill soon after the ensuing fight.

   I got the feeling that the movie wanted to be all things to all people; martial arts film, light comedy, light drama, romance, violent gangster flick. The film has elements of all, in what can only be described as a jarring jump through all of these afore-mentioned genres and back again.

   Initially, I was really hooked. The film came off as a "Once Upon a Time in China" type of film. Broad, epic, fun. There's even a great duel over a pocketwatch that takes place on an open horse-drawn carriage racing down a road. Throughout the film, there are other equally brilliant fights, though they lean towards violent gore rather than the fun, skill-testing combat of the first fight sequence.

   Frankly, I felt cheated. The first two fights or so had such great promise, along with a OUATIC-type of storytelling style; light, fun, but serious. Then there are seriously gory fights, shootouts, graphic swordplay, and even a brief rape scene, that make the film appear to be a gangster film with "beautiful" film violence. Then it goes back to light comedy, then romance, graphic violence, light drama, comedy, romance, graphic violence, comedy, then more violence. These styles do not usually flow together very well, and I don't think they do in this case, either. All are marvelously handled, which made things even more frustrating despite the skills on display all around. As a graphic, violent mob movie, it works. As a light, fun drama, it also works. As a romantic comedy, it works. As a romantic drama, it works. As all four, it fails.

   Cinematography throughout is excellent. Visually, the direction is brilliant. Story-wise, the film is a choppy mish-mosh, and that's the real tragedy. If only the director could have settled on one storytelling style, this could have been a classic Hong Kong film right alongside the OUATIC series, classic crime saga, or classic romance. As it is, there are three or four different storytelling styles mashed together, creating disappointment instead of joy.

   If only the director could have kept his hand on the tiller and steered the film in one direction or the other, I'd have been a lot happier with this purchase.

   As previously mentioned, the climactic fight is indeed cut for no apparent reason. Probably a transfer error rather than editing done on purpose.

5 comments about Tower of Death.

1. Whoever thinks the choreography of this film is bad is highly mistaken, it's some of the best stuff ever. Also, Tong Lung's kicks show he's no hack, in fact he probably kicks in this movie more than all of Bruce's films in total.
   
   Just like other Ng See-yuen and Yuen Woo-ping collaborations, this movie is all about TKD practitioners. Essentially, this film is Bruceploitation combined with a typical bootmaster filled Seasonal Films movie.
   
   While bruceploitation is no doubt disrespectful stuff, Yuen Woo-ping's choreography and Yuen Biao's stunts saves this one.
   
   Listen to Eric Jacobus, he knows what he's talking about (just search him up and you'll find out why).



2. except karate tiger 4--ha ha, i know you probly like that.
   
   This is also called game of death 2 and officially is called the last bruce lee movie, even though he's not really in it, that's ok, cause like 5 guys that can rival bruce( hwang lee is the only guy i think would really stand a chance against bruce) are in this.
   
   So I advise you to get the GM 2 version, it has english dub that certainly can't rival the jet li collection in badness, but it does havesome altime classic dubbed lines, also look for the song that tarantino ripped for kill bill, which he improved drastically, but it he went with the same singer
   
   Eevry action scene in this is so freaking sweet(except the ones with the white guy).
   
   The main topic that I want to bring up of this movie is the scene where bruce's brother(in the movie)gives in to a yellow toothed nice bodied woman, and she tries to kill him, he prevents her from doing so but then this guy in a lion costume storms in.
   
   Now I have seen this movie about 5 times, and it seriously gets better every time you see it. The first time I saw it the first fight in the greenhouse REALLY caught my eye, but I didn't really like it. Well I need to start watching all movies sober at least the first time but it's really hard when watching a movie called game of death 2 and i didn't even like the first one.
   
   Anyway back to the lion scene----
   I still can't figure out whether or not this lion was supposed to be a real lion or a man dressed up in a lion costume. i would love other opinions on this because it is truly mystafying. And I don't know how to spell that word but I can't think of another one to describe this truly unique movie experience that this lion gave me.
   
   So please check this movie out if you get a chance.
   You are not going to find this in any 50 pack or something because it is a good, so just go buy it at bestbuy for 7.99 like I did, and I guarantee you will rate this as one of the the best Hwang Lee action films, and it is also my favorite cassanova wong performance ever so enjoy.
   
   Oh yeah, it has aYuen Bioa scene, I think he was fighing with a pole, but that ranked like #14 for fight scenes in this.



3. useing 3 min. worth of bruce lee footage(and not the best of that) doesn't mean bruce lee stars in or would even put his name on this junk. this is just a case of tring to make more money of his name without any care for what he wanted or what he stood for.shame on them for making this mess,and shame on me for buying it.



4. Game of Death II (aka Tower of Death) is a dichotomy of a film. It is a Bruceploitation film (though it is one of the better ones) and it is an exiting revenge flick. Raymond Chow had apparently not made enough money off of the insipid Game of Death and was slowly leaking "newly found" footage of Bruce so it was bound that he would create another film with spliced in footage, redubbed dialog and, of course, Bruce's namesake. A lot of people were using Lee's name to promote their own productions, but Golden Harvest (who Bruce worked for; though technically this was a Seasonal production) was the worst of these offenders.
   
   The first act of the movie is the least interesting and worst part of the film. Bruce Lee stars (posthumously edited in) as Billy Lo (Bruce Lee) who visits his friend Chin Ku (Hwang Jang Lee) who is currently beating up an under-classed challenger. After an reestablishment of friendship between the two (never a good sign in a Kung Fu film), he visits an abbot (Roy Chiao revisiting his role from Enter the Dragon so they can reuse and redub footage) to discuss about his contumacious brother Bobby Lo (Tong Lung who also starred in Game of Death).
   
   Of course, the scenes that compromise the first act are not only exploitative of Bruce Lee they are also poorly done. The most obvious is that the backgrounds do not match between Bruce's footage and the new footage. Also check out the sculpted back muscles of Bruce and compare them to his double. It is not even close. The fight scenes with Bruce (and his double) do not flow well. However, anytime you see a fight scene and that Bruce (or his double) does a difficult move such as a flip you will notice that it is the incomparable Yuen Biao (he even has a small role toward the beginning.)
   Bruce later visits the funeral of his friend Chin Ku and he is prevented from examining the body (this must mean something to the plot.) When the ceremony takes place a helicopter comes by and snags the coffin. For some strange reason, well to dispose of the fake Bruce character, he jumps on the coffin as it is flying away and is hit with a dart and falls to his death. This is absolutely absurd. Though this is not as bad as the 70s clothes at the funeral or the tacky real funeral footage of Bruce Lee that would come next.
   
   Now the movie gets more interesting and less exploitative. Bobby learns of his brother's death from his father who tells him to meet Sherman Lan. Sherman tells him to go to the Palace of Death. Now this is an interesting place. It is owned by Lewis, played by Roy Horan who has been an executive at Seasonal, an actor who also acted in Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, a student of Hwang Jang Lee and currently a lecturer at HK Polytechnic University; obviously his life is more interesting than this film. Bobby suspects Lewis as the culprit behind his brother's death. Lewis likes to eat raw meat, is surrounded by lions (who are fed the fighters that he defeats), Killer Peacocks and a one-armed valet (oh my). The one-armed assistant, a monk from the Fan Yu temple) does not seem that he could be of great use to Lewis, but Lewis says that he is faithful and he has known him for a long time (do not dwell on this fact because the absurdity of what happens later is quite hilarious). I really do not trust one-armed people in Hong Kong films unless they are played by Jimmy Wang Yu.
   
   Lewis tells Bobby of a tower built by abbot Hung Kuang. However, it cannot be found above ground. The abbot had it built underground (this is a nice twist until you see how much they spent on the set design and how many levels there actually are). Obviously there is going to be a show down there with Bobby fighting however is behind all of this madness. I will not give it away (or tell what happens at the Palace of Death) but it is fairly obvious who it will be.
   
   The final act of the film leads to some good fighting scenes, obviously with the help of action director Yuen Wo-Ping, as Bobby makes his way down the tower (try to see how many times Yuen Biao is used as a stunt double; hint check every other move Bobby makes). Most of the film is entertaining (not counting the irritating and unnecessary flashbacks). There is always going to be tackiness involved anytime you invoke Bruce Lee's inimitable name; but once the movie gets past that it is fun to watch. In fact it is the best Bruceploitation film out there -- though that does not necessarily mean that much.



5. For a B movie forgetting the Kung FU fans, but writing it as a B movie comedy.
   You have some left over footage from another movie and a dead star, well the chinese production company decided let us make another movie, so how do you make the plot, so it goes like this:
   
   Bruce Lee's best friend gets killed, so Bruce Lee goes to avenge his death, then Bruce Lee gets killed and then very tacky use of real funeral footage of course being resourceful, so then Bruce Lee's little brother goes out to avenge the death of Bruce Lee who was out avenging the death of Bruce Lee's best friend.
   Now no exploitation movie should be without a 100 Chinese Elvis posers that wear Elvis style Gi and have Elvis style square sun glasses on, this is classic. So in the end and I am giving away the plot here is that Bruce Lee's best friend was not dead, but fights Bruce Lee's little brother to the death, who was trying to avenge Bruce Lee's murder who was out to avenge the death of Bruce Lee's best friend when he died, but who didn't really die.
   So if you like exploitation comedies and are a beer drinker, this was alot of fun for me if you like this type of thing. If you think this is a serious action kung fu movie, then I suggest you drink more beer

4 comments about Silver Fox Rivals.

1. Not bad, both Hwang Jang Lee and John Liu were excellent, especially Liu's kicking style. The fighting is fast paced and more fluid than many kung fu films from the seventies. Some illogical scenes however, which are clearly present just as an excuse for a fight.



2. This movie is originally titled Secret Rivals, good movie mainly due to the presence of Hwang Jang Lee, the two good guys Wong Tao and John Liu I don't like that well, which is why it didn't get a five, they could have picked two better heroes, this movie would have been great. Not much of a plot except good guys teaming up to whip the bad guy.



3. This is without a doubt an all time classic my friends. featuring some of the best kicking to ever grace the screen. a non stop barrage of fight scenes every so often interrupted with some of the worst dialougue i've ever heard. If you want a good movie, go away, if you want great picture quality, leave right now, but if you are looking for a chinese T.J kirsch kicking (...) and his monkey boy friend taking names, then this is the flick for you! Forbidden treasures is right, this movie is so good it should be against the law... Hot Hands Hiyati better look out! not even "blackbelt" Joe Inzero can handle this guy,
   to sum it up: Malinky to the EXTREME! mama



4. I finally found this movie & boy was it worth the wait. If you enjoy your kung fu movies fast paced & full of action this one is a must buy. I rate this movie in my top ten of all time. Up there with Warriors 2 & Shaolin Intruders. Its stars the two best leg fighters of all time in John Lui & Hwang Jang lee. This is a hardcore Martial Arts extravaganda. Good revenge storyline & plenty of fights. I highly recommend it

5 comments about The New Game of Death [Region 2].

1. Whoever thinks the choreography of this film is bad is highly mistaken, it's some of the best stuff ever. Also, Tong Lung's kicks show he's no hack, in fact he probably kicks in this movie more than all of Bruce's films in total.
   
   Just like other Ng See-yuen and Yuen Woo-ping collaborations, this movie is all about TKD practitioners. Essentially, this film is Bruceploitation combined with a typical bootmaster filled Seasonal Films movie.
   
   While bruceploitation is no doubt disrespectful stuff, Yuen Woo-ping's choreography and Yuen Biao's stunts saves this one.
   
   Listen to Eric Jacobus, he knows what he's talking about (just search him up and you'll find out why).



2. except karate tiger 4--ha ha, i know you probly like that.
   
   This is also called game of death 2 and officially is called the last bruce lee movie, even though he's not really in it, that's ok, cause like 5 guys that can rival bruce( hwang lee is the only guy i think would really stand a chance against bruce) are in this.
   
   So I advise you to get the GM 2 version, it has english dub that certainly can't rival the jet li collection in badness, but it does havesome altime classic dubbed lines, also look for the song that tarantino ripped for kill bill, which he improved drastically, but it he went with the same singer
   
   Eevry action scene in this is so freaking sweet(except the ones with the white guy).
   
   The main topic that I want to bring up of this movie is the scene where bruce's brother(in the movie)gives in to a yellow toothed nice bodied woman, and she tries to kill him, he prevents her from doing so but then this guy in a lion costume storms in.
   
   Now I have seen this movie about 5 times, and it seriously gets better every time you see it. The first time I saw it the first fight in the greenhouse REALLY caught my eye, but I didn't really like it. Well I need to start watching all movies sober at least the first time but it's really hard when watching a movie called game of death 2 and i didn't even like the first one.
   
   Anyway back to the lion scene----
   I still can't figure out whether or not this lion was supposed to be a real lion or a man dressed up in a lion costume. i would love other opinions on this because it is truly mystafying. And I don't know how to spell that word but I can't think of another one to describe this truly unique movie experience that this lion gave me.
   
   So please check this movie out if you get a chance.
   You are not going to find this in any 50 pack or something because it is a good, so just go buy it at bestbuy for 7.99 like I did, and I guarantee you will rate this as one of the the best Hwang Lee action films, and it is also my favorite cassanova wong performance ever so enjoy.
   
   Oh yeah, it has aYuen Bioa scene, I think he was fighing with a pole, but that ranked like #14 for fight scenes in this.



3. useing 3 min. worth of bruce lee footage(and not the best of that) doesn't mean bruce lee stars in or would even put his name on this junk. this is just a case of tring to make more money of his name without any care for what he wanted or what he stood for.shame on them for making this mess,and shame on me for buying it.



4. Game of Death II (aka Tower of Death) is a dichotomy of a film. It is a Bruceploitation film (though it is one of the better ones) and it is an exiting revenge flick. Raymond Chow had apparently not made enough money off of the insipid Game of Death and was slowly leaking "newly found" footage of Bruce so it was bound that he would create another film with spliced in footage, redubbed dialog and, of course, Bruce's namesake. A lot of people were using Lee's name to promote their own productions, but Golden Harvest (who Bruce worked for; though technically this was a Seasonal production) was the worst of these offenders.
   
   The first act of the movie is the least interesting and worst part of the film. Bruce Lee stars (posthumously edited in) as Billy Lo (Bruce Lee) who visits his friend Chin Ku (Hwang Jang Lee) who is currently beating up an under-classed challenger. After an reestablishment of friendship between the two (never a good sign in a Kung Fu film), he visits an abbot (Roy Chiao revisiting his role from Enter the Dragon so they can reuse and redub footage) to discuss about his contumacious brother Bobby Lo (Tong Lung who also starred in Game of Death).
   
   Of course, the scenes that compromise the first act are not only exploitative of Bruce Lee they are also poorly done. The most obvious is that the backgrounds do not match between Bruce's footage and the new footage. Also check out the sculpted back muscles of Bruce and compare them to his double. It is not even close. The fight scenes with Bruce (and his double) do not flow well. However, anytime you see a fight scene and that Bruce (or his double) does a difficult move such as a flip you will notice that it is the incomparable Yuen Biao (he even has a small role toward the beginning.)
   Bruce later visits the funeral of his friend Chin Ku and he is prevented from examining the body (this must mean something to the plot.) When the ceremony takes place a helicopter comes by and snags the coffin. For some strange reason, well to dispose of the fake Bruce character, he jumps on the coffin as it is flying away and is hit with a dart and falls to his death. This is absolutely absurd. Though this is not as bad as the 70s clothes at the funeral or the tacky real funeral footage of Bruce Lee that would come next.
   
   Now the movie gets more interesting and less exploitative. Bobby learns of his brother's death from his father who tells him to meet Sherman Lan. Sherman tells him to go to the Palace of Death. Now this is an interesting place. It is owned by Lewis, played by Roy Horan who has been an executive at Seasonal, an actor who also acted in Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, a student of Hwang Jang Lee and currently a lecturer at HK Polytechnic University; obviously his life is more interesting than this film. Bobby suspects Lewis as the culprit behind his brother's death. Lewis likes to eat raw meat, is surrounded by lions (who are fed the fighters that he defeats), Killer Peacocks and a one-armed valet (oh my). The one-armed assistant, a monk from the Fan Yu temple) does not seem that he could be of great use to Lewis, but Lewis says that he is faithful and he has known him for a long time (do not dwell on this fact because the absurdity of what happens later is quite hilarious). I really do not trust one-armed people in Hong Kong films unless they are played by Jimmy Wang Yu.
   
   Lewis tells Bobby of a tower built by abbot Hung Kuang. However, it cannot be found above ground. The abbot had it built underground (this is a nice twist until you see how much they spent on the set design and how many levels there actually are). Obviously there is going to be a show down there with Bobby fighting however is behind all of this madness. I will not give it away (or tell what happens at the Palace of Death) but it is fairly obvious who it will be.
   
   The final act of the film leads to some good fighting scenes, obviously with the help of action director Yuen Wo-Ping, as Bobby makes his way down the tower (try to see how many times Yuen Biao is used as a stunt double; hint check every other move Bobby makes). Most of the film is entertaining (not counting the irritating and unnecessary flashbacks). There is always going to be tackiness involved anytime you invoke Bruce Lee's inimitable name; but once the movie gets past that it is fun to watch. In fact it is the best Bruceploitation film out there -- though that does not necessarily mean that much.



5. For a B movie forgetting the Kung FU fans, but writing it as a B movie comedy.
   You have some left over footage from another movie and a dead star, well the chinese production company decided let us make another movie, so how do you make the plot, so it goes like this:
   
   Bruce Lee's best friend gets killed, so Bruce Lee goes to avenge his death, then Bruce Lee gets killed and then very tacky use of real funeral footage of course being resourceful, so then Bruce Lee's little brother goes out to avenge the death of Bruce Lee who was out avenging the death of Bruce Lee's best friend.
   Now no exploitation movie should be without a 100 Chinese Elvis posers that wear Elvis style Gi and have Elvis style square sun glasses on, this is classic. So in the end and I am giving away the plot here is that Bruce Lee's best friend was not dead, but fights Bruce Lee's little brother to the death, who was trying to avenge Bruce Lee's murder who was out to avenge the death of Bruce Lee's best friend when he died, but who didn't really die.
   So if you like exploitation comedies and are a beer drinker, this was alot of fun for me if you like this type of thing. If you think this is a serious action kung fu movie, then I suggest you drink more beer

No comments about THE PRODIGAL SON [ WIDESCREEN EDITION - In CHINESE with ENGLISH subtitles ].

5 comments about Jackie Chan's Project A.

1. Dear Ragini !
   
   Thank's for your email UNFORTUNATELY the DVD that I received yesterday is
   not the same that I bought from you.
   This is A JET LI movie with a BAD QUALITY ....I'm sure this product is
   PIRACY.
   What can we do now? I'm very dissaponited with AMAZON.....
   
   Best,
   
   Roberto



2. Where to begin? This is a terrific movie, and one of Jackie Chan's very best. Full of imaginative fights and stunts, Jackie's athleticism will amaze even those already familiar with him. It also features fantastic moments from Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, and a couple of Shaw Brother's alumni in Dick Wei and Lee Hoi San.
   
   Jackie is Dragon Ma, a naval officer in early 20th century Hong Kong. His navy is taking crap from the police for losing ships and not capturing the pirate, Lo Sam Pau (Wei) and his henchmen. After they lose two more ships, the navy is forced to merge with Yuen Biao and the police department to fight local corruption, and THEN go after the pirates.
   
   Those in the know say that the uncut, remastered version from Fortune Star is the way to go. That being said, this version from Dimension does have a very good, widescreen picture with some bad English dubbing and no subtitle options. For Dimension, the dubbing is actually pretty good. If you want bad, check out any of the many Jet Li films that they've released. This one does have Danny Trejo as the voice of Lo Sam Pau. So if you're into pirates but have a hard time getting through those long, narcolepsy-inducing Johnny Depp films, give "Project A" a shot. This one has good fights AND pays homage to Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd. 4.5/5 and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
   
   1983



3. I asked for and paid for Project A. What I recieved was a dvd cover of project A with a dvd labled Project A. In fact the dvd contained a copy of Project A 2 - the sequel. This is not acceptable. Another point I would raise was that I checked the box to wait until all the dvd's in my order where all ready to be shipped together, they were shipped in two packages over two different periods. Please explain.



4. INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT A:
   
   Jackie Chan is an underestimated genious outside his own reputation, the historical importance of his legacy trascends his best known image as a comedian and daredevil acrobat: There's a talented Director and visionary, a man who changed the Action film industry in Honk Kong forever with his personal touch and style in the early 80's, by creating the perfect fusion of goofy physical comedy and incredible restless action with some of the most impressive and dangerous stunts ever displayed on film. This 1982 period film about sailors, police and pirates, was the consolidation of Chan as a star in Asia after his major breakthrought with Yuen Woo Ping's kung fu classic "Drunken Master", and a movie that started an influence to follow from there on in the industry.
   
   This is a true milestone, considered by critics not only as the first important Honk Kong action comedy , but one of the best productions of the genre next to Chan's second best directed film, the timeless classic "Police Story". Besides being one of his most entertaining and funny movies, the film contains some of Jackie's best stunts ever. We've all seen the reckless and almost imprudent asian stuntmen falling on their heads and backs from the roof to the solid floor in many occasions in 80's HK action movies, but no one can get used to watch Jackie climbing handcuffed to a flag pole, jumping to the top of a clock tower, and then falling to the ground with no protection but a couple of cloth roof tops. And he did it at least three times, two of them registered in this film. Even the MTV idiots getting their private parts bitten by baby alligators, thinks that its totally insane. Outstanding comedy and action, great period scenarios, enjoyable classic soundtrack: This movie defines an era.
   
   So Jackie became a hughe international star and the world embraced this delightful character and action hero that he is, and then came the re-releases of his early and most important work to satisfy the needs of us fans. Among those DVD releases, unfortunately we can find editions like this one. Check this out:
   
   THE PROBLEMS:
   
   - Incomplete, cutted version with english dubbing, and the worst of all, the original amusing and perfectly synchronized music score was replaced by a new, awful synthesized random score, killing the comedy and sucking the joy out of the movie by trying to turn it into the current action flick. I mean, the "updated" new cover of the DVD speaks for itself.
   
   - The Classic Golden Harvest presentation and original opening sequence with credits, was replaced by a computer generated pirate flag : Jackie Chan's Project A, the new title, makes clear that this release is a mere vehicle to show Jackie to new audiences, with no respect for anything else.
   
   - The bar fight sequence is incomplete: The whole "spaghetti" incident was excluded, along with precious seconds of the brawl. Nice.
   
   - The scene in the gambling house in wich the Sammo Hung's character is introduced to the movie, was completely excluded. Now, he just happens to know everyone. Awesome.
   
   - From the Police training sequence, the "shower" scene is missing.
   
   - The intro of Sammo, Jackie and Yuen Biao in the arrest sequence at the club house is missing. The fight sequences are chopped off too.
   
   - The intro of the rifle robbery on a boat at night perpetrated by Sammo and Jackie, conceived as a Pekin Opera satire, is chopped off and ruined by the lack of score, waysting the rhymes and the joke intended.
   
   - The pirate assault to the english ship sequence, chopped off.
   
   - From then, everything is in place, till the new ending credits. By this time, only sadness for the lost original music score and impotence for the waysted money remains.
   
   Honestly, the picture and sound are decent. But that's it. The intention of this DVD edition is to introduce new audiences to Jackie's glorious past, and in that part only, it delivers. But this is not the final choice for any collector or faithful fan, not for a moment.
   
   THE SOLUTION:
   
   A couple years ago, FORTUNE STAR released a flawless remastered ALL-REGION DVD Edition, including the complete version in Cantonese DTS, 5.1, and original 2.0 mono soundtrack (Hurra!) with original character voices and music score, all the deleted scenes and outtakes, original HK trailer, and photo galleries. More than any fan could ask for, i tell you.
   
   Dear Customer: Look for this edition in Asian DVD stores online, and forget about this Edition. Don't be afraid, they're just as safe and efficient as here, i guarantee.



5. The worst of Jackie Chan's movies. The fight scenes are good, as expected. But the movie has a poor, or non existent, storyline. It just drifts along propelled by poor acting all around. What a disappointment.

5 comments about Secret Rivals II.

1. Maybe I was expecting too much, but this was just a touch above average. It starts out incredibly with two Kung Fu experts composing a poem. The dialogue is humorous yet profound... then in walks a man with a metal hand who spars with another student, followed by an excellent fight between a Shaolin Monk and a random henchman (at this point I'm thinking "THIS IS GREAT"). Unfortunately neither the storyline nor the excellent gong fu of Golden Fox was enough to carry this movie to the classic level. The fighting receives a 5 star rating and IS a must have for any serious collection- BUT there is nothing else outstanding about this film. It actually reminds me of a toned down version of a much better film, Invincible Armour (a true classic).
   
   PS- the audio is horrid!!! I had to turn my TV up all the way to hear the words only to have to turn it way down in other parts because of wild fluctuation in the sounds... it was good exercise though.



2. As in the first Secret Rivals, John Liu's kicks are outstanding, however in this entry, the fight choreography is much better making for a much more exciting film.



3. You never know what you are gonna get with this guy. He only directed my favorite movie ever---legend of a fighter. He also choreographed one of the worst movies---from china with death. I liked the 1st secret rivals much better and the guy who replaced don wong tao really ruined it for me. There is just too many stupid things that happened in this movie. I seriously wonder if Godfrey Ho took part in the writing of this movie.



4. DEFINATELY TOO AMAZING,,,,THEN AGAIN I'M A JOHN LIU FAN SO NO MATTER WHAT HE DOES,,,,HIS PERFORMACE TO ME IS USUALLY GOLD!!
   
   Definately a classic,,,I thing this one is equally as good as part 1. Be assured there will be no dissapoinment!!



5. story better on the part 1
   the person who recorded part shud be taken out and shot
   
   the picture quality very gud but the sound killed the movie

1 comments about Cinema of Vengeance.

1. UK born Toby Russel is considered an expert on HK cinema even in HK itself and his knowledge is put to great use in the documentaries he produces like this one and the "Top Fighter" series (recommended). Although fairly cheaply produced this doc contains many interesting clips and interviews with the stars from the famous to the not so famous. If yoy're interested in learning more about HK cinema then this is recommended and be sure to also check out the "Top Fighter" tapes as well.

5 comments about Knockabout.

1. This flick is definately amount the top best performance,,Sammo Hung,,,the most impressive monkey style kung fu ever!! The comedy was greatly choreographed,,,,,and interestingly enough it really was funny!! The training alone was enough to give this flick a 4 star. This is the first flick where Leung Kar Yan is really funny,,,I always see him as a serious actor. The final fight scene was amazing,,,there is nothing like the monkey kung fu, only sammo and Yuen Biao could have pulled this one off!! The monkey kung fu is the most impressive, since crazy horse!!



2. I finally got to see what everybody was talking about with this. A true kung fu classic and one of the best ever for sure.
   
   Made around the same time as 'Drunken Master', this movie has that type of feel. It really feels like Yuen Woo-Ping made this movie with all the comedy and Sammo playing the old beggar who has outstanding kung fu skills, even the outdoor backround shots look the same. Then you have the average fights at the beginning and the way it steadily gets better and better. That is totally Woo-Ping! What sets this movie apart as a Sammo film is the storytelling. Funny and overall a good movie even without the kung fu. There are at least a couple of laugh out loud moments and the movie is just hilarious from beginning to end.
   
   Yuen Biao has his first ever starring role and gets to show off his kung fu skills to the max. Leung Kar-Yan plays his brother and they are con-men who decided to try and con the wrong man. Meet Lau Kar Wing, Lau Kar Leung's brother. Lau Wing beats up the 2 and after they are beaten, they beg him to become his students. He agrees and this is where the movie starts. The action in the first 30 minutes of the movie is good but it really heats up when Lau Wing trains Biao and his brother. Of course after the 2 learn a little they go and show off their skills by getting in fights. I don't want to give away the plot because like I said, the story is very well done. The main plot point is not original(revenge) but Sammo shows up for the final fight and makes it very interesting. The best thing about this movie is that you have probably seen many movies with a bunch of great kung fu stars and then the movie just turns out to be average. This is not one of those. Lau Wing, Yuen Baio, Lee Hoi-San('36th Chamber of Shaolin'), and Sammo Hung are all in top form. Lau Wing uses a long smoking pipe to fight with and combined with the the snake fist this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen in a kung fu movie. Check out 'Deadly Mantis'(aka Shaolin Mantis) if you want to see more of the incedible Hung Gar master Lau Kar Wing in another great fighting performance. Leung Kar-Yan is one of my favorite stars of all time but he just doesn't compare to the other guys in this movie.
   
   I also have to give special mention to Mars who was a co-star in Jackie Chan's 'Dragonlord' and was Jackie's top stuntman who also has a small role in a ton of Golden Harvest and other movies. I have never known Mars as an actual fighter but he has a great one-on-one fight in this.
   
   Overall I can't give this movie enough praise. If you are a kung fu fan then this is one of those movies that you absolutely can't miss. 4.5/5 stars and if I have to choose I EASILY pick the 5 stars.
   
   Also, I know a lot of people are huge fans of animal styles n movies and this does not dissapoint. Yuen Biao's monkey kung fu is right up there with Hsiao Hou in 'Mad Monkey Kung Fu' though it was actually the finale that involved juming rope that did it for me. Brilliant.
   
   The Deltamac version has very good picture quality and is perfectly widescreened but the subtitles have major issues. Around 30% of the subtitles are left out and the movie will not make a while lot of sense if you have the Deltamac version though you will probably still enjoy the movie. I recommend the Fox/Fortune Star version since I have never had a problem with their subtitles. There is also a Hong Kong Legends release of this which has a few good special features.



3. Not his first movie but his first starring role, there is no better film to witness Yuen Biao's incredible talent then right here in 1979's Knockabout. Yuen and Leung Kar Yan star as a couple swindleing brothers known as Little John and Big John. When they meet their match at the hands of the Silver Fox (played by Lau Kar Wing, Lau Kar Leung's lesser known brother) they decide to seek his tutlege and learn his Kung Fu skills. During all this you get glimpses of Sammo Hung's character, a pauper who appears to live in the same scheming fashion as the aforementioned brothers. I don't want to say much more beyond that because there are several solid twists and turns along the way that make things a little more interesting. This is your basic Kung Fu comedy (a la Magnificient Butcher and The Drunken Master)so the dramatic scenes (scene really) are only there to help motivate the characters and are quickly swept under the carpet for another slapstick comedy routine or fight (or a mix of both). What this movie really acts as is a showcase for Yuen Biao and his incredible acrobatic feats... wait until you see the jump rope training sequence WOW! A great cast help round everything out and make this one of Sammo Hung's best directorial efforts filld with his usual top notch choreography. Oh and keep an ear out for the ridiculously funny monkey sound effects that they filter in whenever someone uses that style of Kung Fu... priceless!



4. Yuen Biao never got the acclaim that his Peking Opera brothers Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan obtained (all part of the Seven Little Fortunes), but for martial art movie fans he is still widely appreciated. His breakout in the Hong Kong film industry was his first starring role in Knockabout in 1979. Of course, it helped that the director was Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, but Yuen's reputation was solid for his years of stunt work, being an extra and doubling actors for dangerous or acrobatic scenes (he would continue to do that after this film). This film is full of underappreciated martial artists and performers though.
   
   Knockabout is the fourth film directed by Sammo Hung and is one of the many hybrid Kung Fu comedies (Mo Lai Tau style) produced by Golden Harvest that were popular in the late 70's Hong Kong like Drunken Master (1978) and Hung's earlier film Enter the Fat Dragon (1978). While it was not the resounding success that Drunken Master was, it has had a resurgence in popularity the past few years.
   
   Biao stars as Hei Yu (also called Little John in the subtitles) as a congenial con-artist with his brother Big John (Leung Kar-Yan: Warriors Two, The Postman Strikes Back) who have to cheat or steal to stay fed. After a successful scam on a cheating gold exchange cashier (working off the old adage that the best people to con are the ones who think they are conning you), they decide to gamble their profit at the local casino. They are quite unsuccessful at it and get beat up when unbeknownst to them they try to fool a gambling house with fake money. But like the consummate con-men they are, if they fail once, they will look for another mark. The new rube is an elderly man (the not-so-elderly and underrated Lau Kar-Wing who is mostly known for being the brother of Lau Kar-Leung, though he is an excellent martial artist who has appeared in many supporting roles) who is eating at the local teahouse. Their set-up fails miserably and so they set to take revenge on Jia Wu-Dao by ambushing him. Of course, he just happens to be a Kung Fu master. After they get beat up they ask him to be their sifu. He eventually acquiesces, but there seems to be something mysterious and sinister about him.
   
   There are a few problems with the film. Karl Maka's role as the bald inspector reminds me too much of a clone of Dean Shek. The composition of the film is unbalanced. It starts mostly with comedy for the first 50 minutes and then ends heavily with action. I liked both elements, but the cohesion of the two did not quite work as a whole. The plot's biggest weakness is the inevitable turn of Jia Wu-Dao against his pupils. You knew it was going to happen, but it felt forced. And the prolific use of lifting copyrighted material for music continues with the cue for the Fat Beggar lifted from Ennio Morricone's score in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966).
   
   Luckily, there is so much to like with this movie. Biao and Leung work well together as brothers and would continue to work with Hung on later films. The portrayal of Jia Wu-Dao by Lau Kar-Wing is interesting because he is not a one-dimensional character. He cares for his adopted pupils and trains them well in martial arts (every good teacher always hides something from his students though). This makes the character change more shocking, but also makes it feel less real. I enjoyed the comedic touches like the overly flexible Yuen Biao (that is not his leg) and the ordinary men they look to beat up.
   
   However, the best parts of the film are the training and martial art sequences in the last half of the movie. These segments are so strong that you tend to forget the somewhat meandering and mostly comedic nature of the previous scenes. The training involves some of the more masochistic devices to help, and I will not spoil them here. I will state that you get to see Biao show off his abilities with his excellent forms and most awesome somersaulting ability. The fighting scenes include an excellent team match between Seven Dwarfs (Lee Hoi-Sang: bald as usual), Snow White (Wang Kuang-Yu: The Water Margin (1972)) versus Little John and Big John. Also, I think you might enjoy the "finishing move" of Jia Wu-Dao. I am not sure I've seen much use of this professional wrestling move in Hong Kong cinema, but I have seen The Rock use it many times. Also, in the tradition of saving the best for last, you get a 12 minute fight sequence at the end that is sublime in its intestinal fortitude.
   
   Sammo Hung was not only the director and a supporting actor in this film; he is also the action director (fans of the auteur theory should take note). His knowledge and presence help make this one of the underrated classics in martial art cinema. The competition between him and Jackie Chan during this time period helped create more intricate and daring martial art scenes for there movies. With Knockabout there is one of the best martial art movie sequences of the 70s. Knockabout is a must watch for devotees of this genre and should be a good case study for future action directors on how to choreograph. Knockabout also shows you the skill of Yuen Biao and why he should be regarded as one of the best martial art actors of the 1970s/80s.
   
   The Fox/Fortune Star R1 release is a very good basic release. There are no dubtitles and the film is uncut. There is an English dub, a genuine Cantonese mono track and it is presented in a beautifully looking widescreen transfer. Unfortunately, like most of the Fox/Fortune Star releases you only get trailers as extras. Here is another example where the best release is the R2 Hong Kong Legends version (like so many of the Hong Kong martial art films on the Fox/Fortune releases).



5. Yuen Biao gets his first starring role in this well-directed and even better choreographed Sammo Hung film. Biao and Leung Kar Yan play Little and Big John, con men who aren't really very good at their craft. Strapped for cash, they end up getting the crap kicked out of them by Koo Wu Tai (Lau Kar Wing) who eventually takes them both as students. Their kung fu improves, just in time to take on some enemies of their master. With the new students' help, the foes are all defeated. All is well until Little John witnesses his master in some morally objectionable activities. After a brawl with their master that leaves Big John in a compost heap, Little John comes to train with the Fat Beggar (Sammo) to take revenge.
   
   The plot is by the numbers and the humor silly and rarely funny yet this movie still rocks. All 4 leads are excellent athletes, though Biao steps up nicely as numero uno. The fights start pretty well, and get better and better as the film goes on. By the time Biao starts training with Sammo the movie is in full-on overdrive. The training scenes are UNBELIEVABLE. Throw in Garbage Boxing and some of the best Monkey Style ever put to film and this is a no-brainer.
   
   This is another of the Sammo classics released by 20th Century Fox. All of which are remastered, widescreened, and have multiple language and subtitle options. Now if only they'd tackle "The Victim". Yuen Biao is said to be the most underrated martial arts talent out there. I would have to lean a little more toward Hsiao Hou, only because Biao has had a lot more starring roles. Both of their versions of Monkey Style are amazing and for different reasons. Though if there was a visual debate, the jump rope scene in this one may sway the undecided in Biao's favor. Many a critic has mentioned it and for good reason. Eat your popcorn early because you can't chew with your lower jaw repeatedly smashing to the floor. This flick is definitely RECOMMENDED. If you have no problems with the lame humor and plot, then highly so.
   
   1979

1 comments about Cinema of Vengeance [Region 2].

1. UK born Toby Russel is considered an expert on HK cinema even in HK itself and his knowledge is put to great use in the documentaries he produces like this one and the "Top Fighter" series (recommended). Although fairly cheaply produced this doc contains many interesting clips and interviews with the stars from the famous to the not so famous. If yoy're interested in learning more about HK cinema then this is recommended and be sure to also check out the "Top Fighter" tapes as well.