kwhuneycutt Reviews

The Hand of Death (1976)

Underrated Woo Film

[7/10 · 11 January 2007]

The Hand of Death aka Countdown in Kung Fu (1976) is a vastly underrated early work by director John Woo. The film stars Dorian Tan (Tan Tao-liang) and features Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and James Tien in significant supporting roles. Many people believe, or have been lead to believe by deceptive advertising, that this is a Jackie Chan film. This is not a Jackie Chan film, Dorian Tan is the star but Jackie gives one of his best (most serious) early performances.

The Hand of Death is about a Shaolin disciple named Yunfei (Tan) who is sent on a mission to assassinate a Shaolin traitor named Shih Xiaofeng (Tien) and protect a revolutionary named Zhang Yi (Woo). Along his journey Yunfei meets up with a young woodcutter named Tan (Chan) and a disgraced sword fighter (Chang Chung) known as "the wanderer." Both men have suffered at the hands of Shih and want to take revenge. The three team up to defeat Shih and his eight bodyguards and escort the revolutionary to safety.

The martial arts action is above average under the direction of Sammo Hung. Dorian Tan uses his trademark high kicks very effectively as the "Northern eighteen styles kicks" along with some "Southern five styles boxing." Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan provide excellent martial arts performances as well. James Tien is not the greatest martial artist on the Jade screen but does an acceptable job. Some of the early fights are a bit slow and seem over choreographed but the final showdowns featuring Chan, Tan and Hung are very good.

Director John Woo provides plenty of interesting character development in the film, which is refreshing. The cinematography by Leung Wing Kat is very stylish, unique and beautiful for a kung fu film of this era. Joseph Koo's music: a combination of soft flutes and 70's "Shaft" style orchestral pieces is kung fu cinema at its best. Hand of Death is not Jackie and Sammo's usual kung fu comedy. Hand of Death is a serious, straightforward revenge driven story.

Hand of Death aka Countdown in Kung Fu is an underrated classic in the old school kung fu genre. The film is one of the best artistically of its time and a preview of the great things to come from Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. Hung's great choreography is put on display here before his directorial debut and Chan's early charisma and talent can be clearly seen.

Hand of Death is a solid, stylish old school kung fu film and a brilliant early work of the legendary John Woo.

Kung Fu Genre Rating 7.5/10

Wanderer to Tan (referring to his new weapon): "The Little Eagle Wing God Lance."

Tan: "Just a knickknack."

Dead Calm (1989)

Great Suspense Film in the Tradition of Alien (1979)

[8/10 · 14 September 2006]

Dead Calm (1989) is one of the most underrated suspense films in recent history and one of the best films of the 1980's. It is one of those films like Deliverance (1972) that make you never want to go on a boating trip again.

Dead Calm works as a great suspense film in many of the same ways as Alien (1979) did, and many comparisons can be drawn. Dead Calm's tag-line is "In the middle of nowhere there is nowhere to hide." Alien's tag-line is "In space, no one can hear you scream." The feeling of isolation and helplessness in the vast open ocean, or outer space in Alien, adds to the terror of this film. Also like Alien, Dead Calm is a story about an uninvited guest that wreaks havoc on a cramped ship. On the boat there is a limited amount of space, so there is an element of claustrophobia. Dead Calm is also similar to Alien because the film is centered mainly around a strong and oppressed female character. Sigourney Weaver relied upon her wits and courage to survive, similar to Kidman's role in this film. Also like Alien, Dead Calm features a lot of silence which adds to the drama, reality and tension.

All things considered, Dead Calm is truly a well made and entertaining suspense film. The performances by the then unknown Sam Neill, Nichole Kidman and Billy Zane, are quite impressive. Billy Zane's performance as Hughie Warriner, the charming yet psychotic stowaway, is the best of his career. The direction by Phillip Noyce is quite impressive also. Dead Calm features perhaps some of the best photography on the high seas. The musical score featuring a primal, exhausted and guttural breathing sound is quite chilling and is used very effectively. Though I have made comparisons to Alien, Dead Calm is original and stands well on its own. There is nothing 'Calm' about Dead Calm, it is truly a great suspense film. The story never drags, there is plenty of mystery and heart pounding action.

Highly recommended.

Miami Vice (2006)

Mann's "Vice"

[6/10 · 29 July 2006]

Director Michael Mann (Collateral, Heat) brings his gritty, intense, documentary-style realism to the film version of the TV classic "Miami Vice." The film is not meant to be an exact remake of the popular '80s television series, it is a darker more contemporary version for the new millennium.

Mann's visual style is one of the best in the business and it is well displayed in this film. Like Collateral (2004), "Miami Vice" was filmed on location in HD with digital cameras. The shaky hand-held shots and high definition picture give the film a documentary like realism. Dion Beebe's cinematography was beautiful, artfully filling each frame yet still giving the film an amateurish documentary feel. Like Collateral (2004) Mann used natural light to light each scene and the street lights of Miami provided a subdued orange and blue glow. Collateral (2004) provided one of the most amazing and beautiful visual depictions of LA ever on film, but "Miami Vice" does not do the same for the city of Miami. At times the digital picture can become too grainy (especially when the theater is equipped with DLP) and the hand-held feel of the camera can get annoying. The sound engineering for the film was some of the best you'll hear, very realistic. Audioslave provided much of the film's musical score, which was really quite poor overall.

"Miami Vice" has Mann's great visual style but the rest of the film is disappointing. Colin Farrell and Jamie Fox certainly aren't your mom's Crockett and Tubbs. Both actors played their roles serious and super macho, and there was no real chemistry between them. At times it seemed both actors just spouted out their lines. Colin Farrell's attempt at a southern accent is laughable, I'd rather have him play the role with a full blown Irish accent. His hair and mustache also looked like he came right out of an episode of "My Name is Earl." Jamie Foxx did not have a lot of material to work with and I just don't think he is cut out for serious action films. I think Foxx is better at character work and supporting roles (think "Ray" and "Collateral"). The villains in the film were not scary and were certainly no match for Farrell and Foxx. The bad guy's henchmen and other extras were more realistic and intimidating.

The story unfolds in many different locations: Miami, Cuba and South America, providing many unintelligible accents. It was hard to understand many of the characters due to their accents (I would have liked subtitles for Colin Farrell). Mann's screenplay, sadly, is predictable and a bit thin. There was a lot of riding in boats, looking tough, and not a lot of quality dialog. You would think a movie with no dialog would have some action but this one does not. The action heats up only in the second hour! The film was also filled with 3 or 4 gratuitous sex scenes. The love story between Farrell and Li Gong was boring and brought the flow of the film to a halt.

Does the film have any cool cars at least? Yes: Ferraris, Bentleys, BMWs, Cadillac Escalades and an '06 Dodge Charger SRT-8. The film does have a few homages to the show including the classic scene of Crocket and Tubbs in profile, cruising down the freeway in a Ferrari convertible.

Michael Mann's film version of "Miami Vice" is certainly no campy remake like we see so much of today. The film has some of Mann's great style but I expected much more. If you are expecting pastel suits, '80s rock and lots of car chases beware: Mann's "Vice" is a dark, sluggish, gritty crime drama.

CIA Code Name: Alexa (1992)

La Femme Nikita Rip Off

[3/10 · 5 June 2006]

"CIA Codename:Alexa" is an absolute horrible rip off of Luc Besson's classic film "La Femme Nikita"(1990). The film is basically about a woman who is taken in and trained by the CIA and is forced to do a secret mission for them. (Pretty much the same story structure of La Femme Nikita) The acting combo of Lorenzo Lamas and O.J. Simpson is perhaps the worst in cinema history. Lamas' "acting" is simply a bad Steven Segal impersonation. Watching Orenthal act in this film is an excruciating experience.

The writing and acting is so poor in this film at times it is laughable. There are so many action movie "conventions" in the film it is ridiculous: unnecessary car explosions, people flying thru glass windows, terrorists, bad ponytails, etc. The musical score resembles David Michael Frank's score for "Hard to Kill" (1990), which furthers the Steven Segal theme of this movie. There is plenty of martial arts in the film, and it is pretty well done for a low budget American production. The mindless action and over the top acting never lets up, and I have to admit I was mildly entertained.

Lorenzo Lamas had the look of an action star back in the early 90's but he is certainly no action star, that is why he is doing soap operas and not action blockbusters. My recommendation is that you skip "CIA Codename:Alexa" and check out "La Femme Nikita" instead.

Sahyeongsaje (1982)

One of Lee's Better Independent Films

[6/10 · 29 March 2006]

Masters of Tiger Crane (1982) aka "Raging Masters' Tiger Crane" is one of Hwang Jang Lee's many cheap independent efforts. The film "borrows" heavily from Lee's most successful films "Snake in the Eagle's Shadow" and "Drunken Master." Some of the ripoffs include: playing keep away, cheating someone out of a free meal at a restaurant, an old man helping a young guy in a fight by moving his arms and legs and a guy filling buckets of water while hanging upside down.

The film is about a young monk who finds the high priest murdered and his brother kidnapped. The murderer (Lee) accidentally left a necklace at the scene of the crime. The young man goes on a quest to find his kidnapped brother while the murderer looks for the person with his incriminating necklace.

Hwang Jang Lee' physical performance in the film is impressive as always. He puts on another brilliant kicking exhibition and proves he is the best screen kicker of all time. Billy Chan is quite a talented martial artist also. He gives a really excellent physical performance in the last act of the film. The fight choreography in Masters of Tiger Crane is above average for an independent film made in the 80's. There is no dance like fighting, it is all very tight, fast and aggressive. There is also an awesome amount of flying triple kicks in this movie, which is a big plus.

There is a lot silliness and humor in the movie that falls flat. I think they tried to make Billy Chan into Jackie Chan but he certainly is no Jackie Chan. There is some wire work in the film and heavy use of camera tricks. The film also showed some of the same scenes several times, they just showed different takes of the same thing. Also, a scene where Lee fights with a monk was thrown in for no reason. It belonged in a totally different movie! It was just one of the many continuity problems that plagues this film.

Masters of Tiger Crane is one of Hwang Jang Lee's lesser works. He was still a great performer but the rest of the film does not equal him. The movie is fairly entertaining with a standard plot, some humor and a few nice fight sequences. The final fight is impressive and satisfyingly violent. For a classic Hwang Jang Lee film check out "Drunken Master" or "the Secret Rivals." Masters of Tiger Crane is not a great film but I recommend it for huge fans of the martial arts genre and for fans of Hwang Jang Lee.

Martial Arts Action: 6.5/10

Martial Arts Genre Rating: 6/10

• "The gods will not allow you to get away with something like this! You're making them very angry!"

• "We don't care about your gods!"

Iron Fisted Monk (1977)

Hung's 'Iron' Solid Directorial Debut

[8/10 · 27 March 2006]

The Iron-Fisted Monk (1977) is Sammo Hung's brilliant directorial debut. Though the revenge plot is average for kung fu films of the time, the martial arts action and choreography are extraordinary. Iron-Fisted Monk marked the beginning of Hung's movie making prime. In the late 70's and early 80's Hung stared in and directed some of his best films including: Warriors Two, The Magnificent Butcher, The Prodigal Son, Knockabout and The Victim. The Iron-Fisted Monk was the film that got his directorial career rolling.

In the Iron-Fisted Monk, Sammo Hung plays "Husker," a young civilian who is taken in and trained by Shaolin monks after his uncle was killed by the Manchus. Seeking vengeance he eventually leaves the temple. After a group of Manchu officials make trouble in a small town, Husker teams up with a local man named Liang and the "iron fisted monk" Brother Tak (Chan Sing) to finally bring justice to the evil Manchu officials.

The martial arts action and choreography in this film are unbelievable. The film features some of the "hardest" kung fu you will ever see in a Sammo Hung film. Sammo does a great job playing to his strengths, providing a good mixture of martial arts and acrobatics. When this film was made Sammo was young and very near his physical prime. He is very fast and powerful and gives one of his better physical performances. Chan Sing also gives one of the most inspired physical performances of his career. Along with kung fu, the film features a lot of weapon fighting including: swords, spears, knifes and staffs.

The film was made by Golden Harvest studios, which means high production values and a talented stable of actors to work with. Notable appearances in the film include: James Tien as a Shaolin instructor, Casanova Wong as a young monk and Lam Ching-ying as an extra. Fung Hak-on (Warriors Two, Magnificent Butcher) plays the villain yet again and does a very convincing job.

Unlike many of Hung's films, Iron-Fisted Monk has a very serious tone. There are some comedic touches but they are overpowered by the intense drama. The Iron-Fisted Monk is one of Hung's more violent films, featuring very aggressive fight sequences and lots of bloodshed. The movie also includes a few brutal rape scenes. The rape scenes are very graphic and intense and, in my opinion, should have been toned down or left out completely. There is also a ridiculous nude scene in a brothel featuring Wu Ma. The scene was meant for comic relief but should have been left out also. The rape and nude scenes are the only detractions to this otherwise brilliant martial arts film.

The Iron-Fisted Monk was Sammo Hung's first effort as a filmmaker, but it is hard to tell. The martial arts action in the film is superb and outshines most other films made at the time. There are a few weak spots but overall it is a top notch genre film. The Iron-Fisted Monk is one of Sammo Hung's best works and is definitely in the top 30 best martial arts films of all time. The film is definitely not a family friendly Sammo movie but it is highly recommended for hard core kung fu genre buffs.

Martial Arts Genre Rating: 8/10

• "You're a Shaolin monk. How dare you kill indiscriminately!"

• "We're here to rid this world of a rapist and a murderer!"

The Art of Action: Martial Arts in Motion Picture (2002 TV Movie)

Nice But No Knockout

[7/10 · 8 March 2006]

The Art of Action (2002) is one of the better documentaries on martial arts movies but is certainly not as good as it could be. It features many interesting interviews from legends of the genre including Sammo Hung, John Woo, Lau-kar Lung, David Carradine and even producer Raymond Chow. One of the best aspects of this documentary is that it includes numerous film clips and other rare footage, all nicely remastered and shown in the original widescreen format. Samuel L. Jackson was perhaps not the best choice for narrating the film but does a solid job.

The Art of Action is a nice introduction to the martial arts genre but is vastly incomplete. A nice history of the origins of martial arts film is given, from the Peking Opera influence through the Wong Fei Hung years. The film unbelievably glances over the genre's glory days of the 1970's and 1980's. Rather than exploring many of the legendary and popular films of the kung fu era, the documentary focus on a few (2 maybe) select films and actors. A chapter is given to Bruce Lee which provides some insight into his films and his impact on the genre. In a rare and interesting TV interview, a charismatic Bruce Lee explains his fighting philosophy. A chapter is also dedicated to Jackie Chan which discusses his career from his beginnings in the Peking Opera school to some of his more recent successes in the U.S. Not much time is given to the great Sammo Hung. Jet Li and legendary choreographer Yuen Wo Ping are also briefly mentioned. Some analysis was given to the career of director John Woo but was a little disappointing. They mentioned only in passing his classic Hong Kong bullet ballets and only showed clips from "Face Off" and "Mission Impossible 2." Much of the remainder of the film focused on modern movies, especially "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon." The film dwells on it for over 6 minutes! The documentary wastes a lot of time by mentioning contemporary films influenced by the martial arts genre like "Charlie's Angels," "the Matrix" and even "Shrek". Inexplicably there is no mention of Steven Segal, Jean-Claude Van Damme or Chuck Norris and their real martial arts influenced Hollywood films.

The Art of Action covers a lot of ground in only 90 minutes and does not get to go into much detail. Many classic films and legendary performers are not even mentioned in this documentary. There is no mention of actors like Hwang Jang Lee, Sonny Chiba, Dorian Tan, Alexander Fu Sheng or John Liu. There is also no mention of the independent film companies like Seasonal Films. The film was co-written by Keith Clarke and Christopher Sliney. The writing was not real strong and probably could have been done better by Richard Meyers or Bey Logan.

As a huge fan of the martial arts genre I was a little disappointed in the Art of Action. I felt it was incomplete and deficient in telling the whole story of the martial arts genre. It gives a nice history and background to the genre but does not focus on the all the great films that made it a worldwide phenomena. The Art of Action is a nice introduction to the genre for novice fans but may be disappointing for die hard fans seeking more in-depth analysis.

Film clips/Rare footage: 8/10

Depth/Analysis: 6/10

Overall: 7/10

The Tattoo Connection (1978)

Dorian Tan meets Blaxsplotation

[7/10 · 30 January 2006]

Tattoo Connection is a cheap exploitation film featuring several veterans of kung fu cinema's glory days. Overall the film is horrible, filled with gratuitous nudity and bad acting, but there are a few nice fight sequences from the veteran cast.

The bright spot of the film is Dorian Tan (Tao-liang Tan). Tan stared in such films as "The Hot, the Cool and the Vicious" and John Woo's "Hand of Death," and also tutored kung fu star John Liu (Secret Rivals, Incredible Kung Fu Mission)in the martial arts. Tan gives an excellent physical performance in the film, featuring his trademark Taekwondo high kicks.Tan plays a very unbelievable villain because there is something about him that always looks honorable and righteous. Jim Kelly (Enter the Dragon, Black Belt Jones) the international middleweight karate champ, proves again that he is a terrible actor but a decent martial artist. He gives perhaps one of the strongest martial arts performances of his career in this film.

Sing Chen veteran of such films as Sammo Hung's "Iron Fisted Monk" and "New Fist of Fury" plays the villain. Sing Chen is famous for his muscular build and impressive martial arts skills. At the film's climax he faces down with both Dorian Tan and Jim Kelly in a nicely choreographed fight sequence before he meets his demise. Bolo Yeung plays a henchman and has a few funny scenes. Also making appearances in the film are Lee Hoi Sang (Magnificent Butcher, Shaolin Master Killer), Sham Chin-bo (Master of the Flying Guillotine, Secret Rivals 2), and a young Wong Yat-fei (Shaolin Soccer).

Dorian Tan would go on to make more films with director Lee Tso Nam including "Challenge of Death" and "The Leg Fighters." Kelly would go on to pursue a career in pro tennis. This film features many veterans of the kung fu movie world but unfortunately they put together a film that is average at best. The weak plot, ridiculous nude scenes and politically incorrect statements weaken this film quite a bit but the above average fight scenes (especially the ones featuring Tan) make Tattoo Connection one of the best of the blaxsploitation/martial arts films.

Martial Arts Rating: 7/10

Over All Rating: 5/10

Secret Rivals (1976)

"Right, The Feet!"

[10/10 · 9 January 2006]

The Secret Rivals (1976) is a fantastic independent kung fu film by the legendary Ng See Yuen and is perhaps one of the 10 best films of the martial arts genre. It is said that Ng See Yuen wanted to cast talented unknown martial artists in this film and in the process he helped to launch the careers of John Liu, Hwang Jang Lee and Wang Tao. The Secret Rivals is a story about two strangers who come to town with different motives, one is out for justice the other for revenge. While in town they display their kung fu on the locals and vie for the affection of the same woman. Eventually they have to work together to accomplish their secret shared goal.

Filmed in Korea among beautiful pagodas and ancient temples, the Secret Rivals features plenty of the local martial art- Taekwondo. This movie is perhaps the greatest kicking movie of all time. Real life Taekwondo masters and screen kicking legends John Liu and Hwang Jang Lee put on an absolute kicking exhibition with flying kicks, jump spinning kicks and nearly vertical side kicks. John Liu puts on an awesome display of flexibility and kicking ability in this film and proves that he is perhaps one of the most flexible actors in the history of kung fu cinema. Liu also gives a solid acting performance as the "northern leg" Shao Yi-Fei, a man who is a "loner by nature." Wang Tao gives a charismatic performance as "southern fist" Sheng Ying Wei. Wang Tao is in tremendous shape in this film and gives a terrific physical performance, perhaps the best of his career. There are shades of Bruce Lee in his performance, especially with the nunchucks. Secret Rivals was also a breakthrough film for Hwang Jang Lee. Lee brings a powerful presence to the screen as the evil "Silver Fox", one of the greatest villains in the genre's history. As a real life 7th degree black belt of Taekwondo, Lee convincingly holds his own against the talented Liu and Tao. He would go on to star as a villain for much of the rest of his career appearing in such films as "Drunken Master" and "Snake in Eagle's Shadow" with Jackie Chan. Lee and Liu would team up for a few more films including "The Secret Rivals 2," "Invincible Armor" and "the Snuff Bottle Connection."

The Secret Rivals is a bit slow starting as a lot of plot and backstory are introduced but the action heats up big time when the Silver Fox (Lee) drops in. Secret Rivals features a unique "spaghetti western" sound track (The Big Gundown by Ennio Morricone) with pounding drums, twanging electric guitar, blaring brass section and angelic choral singers. The film is really helped out by great supporting performances featuring many talented martial artists in smaller roles. The Secret Rivals does have its old school kung fu movie quirks: some overacting, bad dubbing, theatrical deaths, contrived fights and lots of evil laughing. Li Ming Wen (Tommy Lee) and Chang Chuan do a fantastic job at fight choreography. Many kung fu films around the same time had dance-like, over choreographed fight sequences. The Secret Rivals features a faster, more brutal, and realistic style of fight choreography. (Some of the best you'll ever see)

The Secret Rivals is a fantastic first effort for Seasonal Films and is one of the best independent martial arts films ever made. Solid writing and direction by Ng See Yuen, great physical performances by John Liu, Hwang Jang Lee and Wang Tao plus some nice stunt work by Yuen Baio make the Secret Rivals one of the very best films of the kung fu genre.

Martial Arts Genre Rating: 10/10 (classic)

-"I think you're looking for trouble. I might just oblige. That'll shut you up."

-"I'd be glad to accept."

The Wraith (1986)

Cool "Vehicle" for Sheen

[6/10 · 8 January 2006]

The Wraith is one if the coolest "car movies" ever and is bound to be a cult classic. Featuring 'Cudas, Corvettes, Dodge Daytonas, Triumphs and a supercharged Pontiac Trans Am, the Wraith has a classic collection of cool cars. A young Charile Sheen stars as the wraith who rides into town in his mysterious "Turbo Interceptor" and takes revenge on a gang of no good road pirates. The Turbo Interceptor was way ahead of its time when the movie was filmed but now seems a bit cheap. The car racing sequences were pretty well shot and still stand up today.

The Wraith features a rockin' 80s soundtrack with music performed by Bily Idol, Robert Palmer, Motley Crue and even Ozzy Osbuorne. Randy Quaid, Clint Howard and Nick Cassavetes round out a cast of strange supporting actors. A very young Brooke Burke makes an appearance as a car-hop at Big Kay Burgers and Steven Eckholdt also has a small part as the "Daytona Boy." Though the Wraith is filled with terrible acting and the special effects are dated, it is still a fun ride. The Turbo Interceptor's "special feature" is still unbelievable and a lot of fun even after all these years.

If you're a big fan of the Mad Max/Road Warrior films or of street racing movies like The Fast and the Furious, I think you'll really like this movie. You may have to be a big car enthusiast or a big Charlie Sheen fan to really love this film. The Wraith is rated PG-13 though it does contain some mild violence and partial nudity/sexuality. Bad acting makes this film a bit cheesy but the fast cars and racing sequences are a lot of fun. The Wraith is a way cool "vehicle" for Charlie Sheen.

Cool Car Rating: 8/10

Overall Movie Rating 6/10

-"A what man?"

-"A Wraith man! A ghost, an evil spirit and it ain't cool."

Bullitt (1968)

Snooze Fest '68

[6/10 · 7 January 2006]

Bullitt is a somewhat stylish vehicle for Steve McQueen about a San Fransciso cop. Unfourtunatley the film is boring. Bullitt will forever be a part of film history for its ground breaking car chase scene. Seven hundred horsepower of classic American muscle roaring down the streets of San Fransciso-INCREDIBLE!

Sadly, the car chase scene is one of the few redeeming qualities of the film. In a documentary about the making of Bullit, it was said that McQueen's goal for the film was reality. The film achieved "reality" through shooting documentary style and limiting use of Lalo Schifrin's musical score. The result was a long, quiet and boring movie.

The film could have used some tighter editing. Most of the film is silent with the characters not really doing anything at all. I can't believe Bullitt won an Oscar for best editing!

The limited use of musical score was bothersome also. During crucial climactic scenes (chase scenes)at the end of the film there was no music at all. It was just McQueen running around on a tarmac. The quietness of the film makes it sleep inducing at times.

There are a few positives in the film. The opening credit sequence is quite stylish and impressive and holds up very well today. Robert Yates does a solid job at direction and McQueen, Vaughn and Bissett turn in good performances. The famous car chase scene is indeed a classic but the rest of the film is forgettable and quite boring.

They said the goal of this film was reality...the reality is I got real bored with Bullitt.

Car Chase: 9/10 (classic)

McQueen Rating: 7/10 (cool as always)

Overall Rating: 6/10

Gwangdongwan So Hwa-jin (1983)

Duel...Good but not Great

[6/10 · 2 March 2005]

Duel of Ultimate Weapons is a good martial arts film but not a great one. The film contains many of the standard plot elements of kung fu movies of the time. There is a reckless young hero, an invincible bad guy, a drunken old master, the young man's resistance to training, the young hero's initial defeat, the young man's acceptance of training, the mastery of skill and the revenge. If you are a fan of kung fu movies, you have seen this plot before. In this film an undisciplined young man is trained by an old swindler to defeat an evil martial arts master (Lee).

The best feature of this film is Hwang Jang Lee a.k.a. the "master of the leg." You may remember him from other great films such as, Drunken Master, the Secret Rivals and The Invincible Armour. Lee stars as the evil Dong Wong. Don't laugh, he's "the greatest martial arts fighter in the land." Hwang Jang Lee is of the greatest villains of the kung fu genre. Even though Lee is the villin of this film, he is still the star. The real life Teakwondo master puts on a kicking exhibition in this film. There is plenty of nice kung fu action scattered through out the film. There are a few silly moments in the movie too. The terrible English dubbing also provides many hilarious moments.

Several region 1 DVD versions of Duel of Ultimate Weapons come from a very dark print and as a result the picture quality is a bit poor.(That has been my experience anyway) All things considered, Duel of Ultimate Weapons is an entertaining old school martial arts film but not a truly great one. If you are a dedicated fan of Kung Fu movies or Hwang Jang Lee I think you'll enjoy the "Duel."

"Listen my old student, You've done much evil! It is only fitting that my only son defeat you!"

Martial Arts Genre Rating: 6/10

First Strike (1996)

Big on Action.....Small on Kung Fu

[6/10 · 2 March 2005]

First Strike is not a bad movie, its just not Jackie Chan's best. The plot of this film is sometimes hard to follow because it really doesn't make much sense. However, what this film lacks in plot it more than makes up for in action.

When it comes to action Chan does it better than anyone else in the world. Jackie Chan made classic pure martial arts films in his youth and moved on to action films as he got older. First Strike, like Super Cop or Operation Condor is more of an "action" movie than a pure martial arts movie. First Strike is heavy on stunts and shootouts and explosions and light on martial arts. There are only a few scenes with real Jackie Chan fight sequences, which are outstanding. In First Strike you see Jackie ski, swim with sharks, climb walls, walk on stilts, ramp cars... It is all well done and fun to watch and puts American "action stars" to shame. There are plenty of comical moments in the movie which Jackie always does well.

If you're looking for a great Jackie Chan pure martial arts film, this is not one of them, though it does serve as a good introduction to the world of Chan. If you are a big fan of action and adventure films or you are a die hard Jackie fan, you will enjoy First Strike. If your looking for a classic Chan film, check out Drunken Master, The Legend of Drunken Master, Project A, Police Story or Snake in the Eagle's Shadow. First Strike is a fun and entertaining action film but is light on the ground breaking fight scenes that made Chan a superstar.

Action Rating 9/10

Martial Arts Rating 5/10

Over All Movie Rating 6.5/10

Shao Lin tong zi gong (1981)

Children's Movie...Old School Kung Fu Style!

[6/10 · 2 March 2005]

Shaolin Chastity Kung Fu (1981) is an interesting, entertaining and very cheap film. It is about a group of 30 or so kids (5 to 18 years old) who train in the art of kung fu and take revenge on an evil gang. After a village is burned and all of the adults are killed, the town children are left orphaned. Two Shaolin monks discover the children and give them refuge at the temple. While in their care the monks decide to teach the children the art of Shaolin Kung Fu so they can protect themselves. The kids do more than protect themselves!

There is surprisingly plenty of bloody martial arts action in this film, yet it has its child friendly moments as well. The martial arts action in this movie is surprisingly good. Not only is there Kung Fu (and Karate), there is plenty of amazing acrobatics as well. The kids are very well trained and do some unbelievable physical stunts.

At the end of the film the group of kids, after being brutally trained in Shaolin Kung Fu, work together to fight the 9 Devils gang. The fight sequences with the kids are not fake like children's movies today, they are truly impressive. The kids really did all the stunts. It is really pretty harsh (and comical) the way the bandits beat on the kids. You won't see anything like this made in America! Alexander Lou (Incredible Kung Fu Mission) turns in a good performance as the eldest brother. Lou is the star of the film though there are plenty of other talented kids who give great physical performances. The last 20 minutes or so of this movie is packed with martial art showdowns between bandits, kids, monks and teens. The movie has some light moments and tries to preach a positive message about toleration of other cultures (Japanese). My only complaints with this film is some over the top wire work and a lot of really bad acting.

I was very surprised by how entertaining this movie was and how well done the action sequences were featuring the kids. There are a lot of silly (stupid) gags along the way that are kind of funny, sometimes unintentionally. Shaolin Chastity Kung Fu is fun and silly and not to be taken too seriously. It is definitely one of the most unique kung fu movies and is certainly the most hardcore children's movie ever made. If you are looking for a truly unique movie and a few laughs too, check out Shaolin Chastisy Kung Fu.

Martial Arts Genre Rating: 6/10

Overall Movie Rating: 4.5/10

Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976)

Most Unique Old School Kung Fu Film Ever!

[10/10 · 1 March 2005]

Master of the Flying Guillotine aka One Armed Boxer 2 is one of the greatest old school kung fu movies ever made, it is an absolute classic of the genre. Jimmy Wang Yu's sequel to "The One Armed Boxer" aka "The Chineese Professionals" is perhaps better than the original and is a strong enough film to stand on its own.

A blind assassin, a one armed martial arts master and a Yoga instructor with stretching limbs are just a few of the elements that make this film one of the most creative and memorable martial arts films ever! One of the most interesting aspects of this movie is all of the many different martial arts styles that are displayed. There is a great tournament sequence were martial arts experts from all over the world compete in a fight to the death. You see various styles of Kung Fu, Muy Thi kick boxing, Karate and more. There are also many different weapons used in the film, from the three section staff to the outrageous flying guillotine.

The fights in the film are a bit slower and "looser" than some big studio movies (Shaw Bros, Golden Harvest) but they are still well choreographed and executed. The special effects and fight sequences still hold up well after 30+ years. This movie has been called Quentin Tarantino's favorite kung fu film, and when you see it you'll know why. You are no movie buff until you have seen this true cult masterpiece!

One Armed Boxer 2 aka "Master of the Flying Gullitine" is one of the most unique stories ever told on film. The characters and visuals are truly unbelievable. Jimmy Wang Yu's "One Armed Boxer 2" is perhaps his finest work and one of the greatest independently produced films in the martial arts genre. With great action and characters, Master of the Flying Gullitine is definitely a top 10 film of the kung fu genre and is a definite must see (or buy) for any martial arts junkie.

Martial Arts Genre Rating: 10/10 (classic)

Overall Movie Rating: 7/10