luckystars wrote:The Underdog Knight (4.5/5)
Although not without flaws, TUK is one of the best HK movies I've seen in the last couple of years. It's really hard to critique a film that simply excels in telling a simple story really very well, but The Underdog Knight simply does that. I did feel the final act of the film was somewhat muddled and would not be at all surprised if it suffered from slight studio cuts to speed things up. However don't let that put you off - this one needs to be in your collection
I tried not to expect a movie in the spirits of the original (this is one of two official sequels to PTU) considering the production team (Law Wing Cheong directing, Johnnie To producing) and it actually ended up being very good. Unlike PTU, this one dwells more on the rules within the force and the emotional state of officers which I thought gave THE CODE a whole new dimension of humanity among the characters and overall realistic approach to movies about crime enforcement. However, because of that, most of the "hitting" touches one would easily recognize in a Johnnie To movie are lost and instead you get an almost ordinary type of crime movie with less distinction to the performances (Lam Suet plays the same character as in the original but he seems to be play another role which made no sense... I don't know, maybe I need to catch up with the DTV sequels) and to the execution/direction than otherwise. So in the end, a very good movie (yet another worthy addition to the ever growing Milkyway filmography) but PTU is miles better. Rating: 3.5/5
The Enigmatic Case (1980)
Really uninteresting and uneven for a period movie. Featuring some interesting use of cinematography (already showing enough grip Johnnie To had at the time when came to lighting), locations, and music scoring and the directorial style has traces of trademarks (one event by a character followed by a similar event by a contrary character) that To later developed and turned clearer and stylistically but overall, more work was def needed here which I don't blame him for being his first movie and all (and still lacked skills in directing). It's also extremely similar to John Woo's Last Hurrah for Chivalry having Damian Lau and Lau Kong in similar roles, but their (and everyone elses') performances remain mostly shallow and unspectacular and so does their action scenes which was shot boringly. Rating: 1.5/5
The Heroic Trio (1993)
Couldn't believe it was this good and enjoyable actually opposed to all the wirework stuff made during the same time that drove every filmmaker insane. Wirework weren't perfect though and there's some spots of cheesy-looking choreography but most of the time, it serves the creativity purpose and context so well that it's worth praising for. As a movie, it's was good enough as an action/fantasy/horror/drama combo movie featuring everything from those genres, good actors (very nice to see Mui, Yeoh and Cheung act in non-synonymous roles), acting that kinda goes everywhere that hits, confuses and amuses altogether. Just needed more polishing direction-wise and better production (looks and feels a bit cheap). Rating: 3.5/5
Burning Paradise (1994)
Very nice for a genre move (for Ringo Lam at least who moved away from crime dramas to make this movie)! Featuring very nice use of paintings, colors, cinematography, and other attribute setups (Tsui Hark style) along with a style (gritty, brutal, hard) only Ringo Lam can perfect so good. Really good use of actors as well; ranging from some familiar faces to the unknown lead star (whoever he is, he's too tops and delivered a fresh fight performance!). On top of that, the action choreography (from Chris Lee) breaks most rules of the 90s wirework choreography and goes berserk on acrobatics, brutality and flashiness which I think is on pair with the best pieces (OUATIC 1-2, Iron Monkey) of that period. Well done! Rating: 4/5
Hapkido (1972)
Story was ok, it was obviously made to cash in on the success of Fist of Fury having similar themes and cast, but the action is really good and original in its own way bringing something different to the table opposed to whatever was popular back in that time. And as a MA movie, the cast of screenfighters is no wonder and get to show what they are made of: Angela Mao (really enjoyed watching her duke it out and look pretty and serious at the same time), Sammo, Bruce Liang, Hsu Hsia, the dude from Dragon From Russia (can't remember his name), and especially Whang In Sik (looks so much different and original than everyone in the movie, respect!) Rating: 3/5
Daddy, Father and Papa (1991)
Really fun, creative (although I heard it's a remake of a movie) and highly enjoyable comedy about a kid who gets involved in a kidnapping case and in the process also involves two of the kid's mom's (played by the actress from Hard Boiled) exes, played Raymond Wong and Sammo Hung who believe the kid is theirs respectively. The movie is mostly dependent on situational gags and smooth comedy timing and I think the director, Clifton Ko (who I now regard a great comedy director after watching few movies of his), really did a great job on outplaying these scenes in between the drama stuff and maintaining the enjoyment without causing too much over-the-topness and overbearing humor. The casting choices were good and considering that Sammo's in this, I expected very little action from him (which was exactly what I thought) but he was still very enjoyable to watch and he pulled his role off so great and flawlessly. Actually, everyone; from Raymond Wong, the dude from Nobody's Hero to the Hard Boiled actress, James Tien and Tommy Wong, was a joy to watch and it really made the movie-watching experience much more worth the time. Rating: 4/5
Explosive City (2004)
Quite over-the-top and clichéd as far as a character-driven plot goes (a criminal mastermind kidnapping children to brainwash them and turn them into pro assassins, double crossing cops... Come on now!) but I dug the intensity, dark atmosphere, and well gripped excitement the movie had. Also featuring a varied cast of veterans (Simon Yam, Sonny Chiba, Alex Fong) and new faces that was refreshing and with well done action set pieces. Just as long as you can bear the silly moments in the story, you're in for a treat. Rating: 3.5/5
Ghidorah – The Three Headed Monster (Japan, 1964) – 2,5/5
Gojira, Mothra and Rodan face King Ghidorah in a humoristic moster film that suffers a bit from an uninteresting storyline. No match for Mothra vs. Godzilla, made earlier the same year.
King Boxer (Hong Kong, 1972) – 3/5
Enjoyable martial arts, but the film’s slight ambition on the storytelling front works against it; the supporting character’s don’t add anything, they only slow the film. Thankfully Quincy Jones gives enough wakeup calls to keep you from losing interest.
Iron King (26 episodes) (1972) – 2/5
Gentaro (Shoji Ishibashi) and Goro (Mitsuo Hamada) aka Iron King fight martians and giant monsters in a TBS tokusatsu series that doesn’t hold till the end. The first 10 episodes are quite enjoyable, partly thanks to Chieko Morikawa and the main villain Shinzo Hotta (whom most probably remember as Fumio Watanabe’s right hand man in Female Prisoner Scorpion). Shunsuke Kikuchi’s score works alright, too. Later the show unfortunately stars repeating itself too much and also makes a couple of unwelcome plot turns. Almost every episode follows the exact same patterns; Iron Kingu loses the first fight, but comes back during the second half and finishes the giant monster with the help of Gentaro who doesn’t know that Iron King and Goro are the one and same person.
The Executioner (Japan, 1974) – 3,5/5
Teruo Ishii’s feel good karate actioner; Makoto Satô going sadistic on people’s eyes, Shinichi Chiba ripping off bodyparts, and pervert Eiji Go peeking at Yutaka Nakajima’s pantsu. The heroic trio is hired by yakuza film veteran Ryo Ikebe to annihilate a drug ring. It’s an ugly film full of ugly people, crude humour and graphic violence. From a technical point of view The Executioner falls behind Ishii’s better works. However, the filth storm on offer here is sure to cheer up anyone’s day. Also, young Hiroyuki Sanada appears in the beginning of the film in a flashback scene as a Koga ninja.
The Executioner II: Karate Inferno (Japan, 1974) – 3,5/5
Much to Teruo Ishii’s horror the original film – which he was never too interested in directing - turned out box office success. Toei demanded sequel, Ishii answered with Karate Inferno. This manical action comedy features less blood than The Executioner, but the entertainment level is even higher. The main cast is largely the same as before – even with many dead villains returning in different roles – except that Yasuaki Kurata has been replaced with Etsuko Shohomi and Tetsuro Tamba. The ending also makes a nice little reference to Ishii’s own classics from the 1960’s.
Sister Street Fighter – Hanging by a Thread (Japan, 1974) – 4/5
The first Sister Street Fighter sequel is almost on par with the original film. The storyline is even weaker than before, but it doesn’t hurt the film because watching miss Shihomi smash people’s faces every five minutes alone counts for high quality entertainment. The fights are well done and there’s plenty of nunchuku action. The sadistic main villain is excellently played by Hideo Murora, backed up by Yasuaki Kurata and Toei’s most trusted karate bad guy Masashi Ishibashi. This kind of films give movie violence a good name.
Having sort of lost touch with asian movies and movies in general recently i don't know what the reviews have been like on this, i personally found it disappointing. An in name only sequel, it gets an extra half a star for some decent action towards the end. Tony gets his beloved elephants in the movie again
Ong-Bak 2 is part 1 of a 2-part movie I believe. Ong-Bak 3 should be the 2nd part.
I've downloaded it with subs yeterday, but haven't watched it yet. Early word is quite positive.
I was there, the big BNB blackout of november, 2008. We lost many that day...
Godzilla Raids Again (Japan, 1955) – 2/5
After the end of the first film, another big G appears, and this time he’s not alone but fighting a monster called Angilusaurus. Godzilla Raids Again doesn’t have an especially good reputation – partly due to the heavily reworked and incomprehensible US cut – but it’s not a complete failure either. The special effects work is surprisingly good for a quick production – often even surpassing the original film. Unfortunately neither the destruction scenes nor the storytelling are very interesting. Nevertheless, it’s a passable monster film with enough interest value to deserve a viewing.
Fatal Vacation (Hong Kong, 1989) – 4/5
Comedian Eric Tsang directed a rough action drama that scored a Cat III rating. Tsang himself plays a tourist guide whose group is kidnapped by rebels in the Philippines. The film begins as an easy going comedy, but soon starts getting icreasingly dark and brutal. A small gem.
A little disappointed with this. Good performances overall from the cast but none of the characters in the film are likeable. The twist at the end where ‘fatty’ finds that his gun wasn’t stolen after all was quite amusing. The gunfight at the same time was handled well with the 4 unlucky villains being caught in the cross fire.
I really like his older films like Fulltime Killer and Running Out Of Time, but with this and Election I’m not so sure I’d like Sparrow or Mad Detective. I did previously want to see Mad Detective but I think the characters in that will be as unlikable as the characters in this.
L: Change the World (Japan, 2008) – 3,5/5
L returns in this Death Note spin off that doesn’t attempt to be as cleaver, but aims at maximum fanservice. And with the irresistable cute Ken'ichi Matsuyama in the lead it works quite brilliantly most of the time. You have Matsuyama speaking English and French, eating sweets, walking head down, and outwitting his opponent (a scientist whose cure to over-population is a deadly virus) - little more is needed. Humor works well, too, especially in the hilarious Akihabara sequence. The more problematic parts are the ending – which features lazy writing – and parts that overlap with Death Note and push the boundaries of fantasy a bit too far beyond credibility.
Kai (Japan, 1985) – 3,5/5
Comments and caps in the Gosha thread when I get them done.
Yoshiwara enjo (Japan, 1987) – 2/5
Comments and caps in the Gosha thread when I get them done.
End Of The Road 2/5
Grade is based on the viciously shortened Hong Kong version of the film. As with Chu Yen-ping movies such as Island Of Fire and A Home Too Far (End of The Road is a sequel to it), you had seriously longer ORIGINAL Taiwan versions with dramatic intentions and skill equaling that of solid. We have alternatives for mentioned movies but not for End Of The Road so all that is left are glimpses. Seriously, this is such a disaster that only gets a 2 because I know Chu Yen-ping well enough that I can say this was a much longer and better movie before. Glimpses of it indeed.
HungFist wrote:L: Change the World (Japan, 2008) – 3,5/5
L returns in this Death Note spin off that doesn’t attempt to be as cleaver, but aims at maximum fanservice. And with the irresistable cute Ken'ichi Matsuyama in the lead it works quite brilliantly most of the time. You have Matsuyama speaking English and French, eating sweets, walking head down, and outwitting his opponent (a scientist whose cure to over-population is a deadly virus) - little more is needed. Humor works well, too, especially in the hilarious Akihabara sequence. The more problematic parts are the ending – which features lazy writing – and parts that overlap with Death Note and push the boundaries of fantasy a bit too far beyond credibility.
Getting a little unfatihful towards Jo Odagiri here, are you?
Have to see this, too. And I so need to rewatch the "Death Note"-Movies, because last time I sat all tired-out in a the cinema and therefore fell asleep for several occasions. It was late at night, almost morning, and I've been watching about 5 other movies before. So I just remember Apples, Sweets, a gaudily clad Pop-Idol and Cute Japanese Boys talking about Cute and Dangerous things.
HungFist wrote:L: Change the World (Japan, 2008) – 3,5/5
L returns in this Death Note spin off that doesn’t attempt to be as cleaver, but aims at maximum fanservice. And with the irresistable cute Ken'ichi Matsuyama in the lead it works quite brilliantly most of the time. You have Matsuyama speaking English and French, eating sweets, walking head down, and outwitting his opponent (a scientist whose cure to over-population is a deadly virus) - little more is needed. Humor works well, too, especially in the hilarious Akihabara sequence. The more problematic parts are the ending – which features lazy writing – and parts that overlap with Death Note and push the boundaries of fantasy a bit too far beyond credibility.
Getting a little unfatihful towards Jo Odagiri here, are you?
One of the funniest comedies I have ever seen. An actor is hired to impersonate an assassin but isn’t told as much. He thinks it is a film so he plays the part as badass as he can. One of the funniest parts is when he first meets the gang boss and the first thing he does is take his knife and lick it. The expressions on the gangsters’ faces are priceless. He then does the same thing twice more thinking it is the second and third takes. The ending spoils it a bit as it gets all a bit too silly.
The Japanese DVD has English subtitles, which was a bonus, so it was a lot easier to understand the jokes.
Cheapjack Wang Yu basher,a sequel to Furious Slaughter. Jimmy actually plays a fairly peripheral role in this as the focus switches to his sister and her search for revenge against the axe gang. Pretty shoddy but entertaining enough and at 78 minutes short enough to keep you watching.
Hazy Life (Japan, 1999) - 4/5
Nobuhiro Yamashita's excellent debut film. Most of the director's Osaka film trademarks - including the terrific Hiroshi Yamamoto in the lead role as a man who never does anything - are visible.
Cream Lemon (Japan, 2004) - 4/5
The same year Nobuhiro Yamashita made Linda Linda Linda he adapted a hentai manga about incest into a live action film. And made a rather brilliant movie.
It's a small world (Japan, 2008) - 2/5
Yamashita's style is not very clearly or successfully visible in this collaboration with novelist Kotaro Isaka.
Yes, I will start a Yamashita thread with caps and more detailed comments later (in a few weeks).
Invasion of Astro Monster (Japan, 1965) – 3/5
The 6th Godzilla film features an unexpectedly good storyline that remains interesting for more than 2/3 of the film, which is far above Gojira standards. From a logical point of view the story doesn’t make any sense but that’s beside the point. There isn't that much monster action but the film is heavy scifi elements. The human cast stars Akira Takarada (cool), Keiko Sawai (pretty), Nick Adams (American!) and Kumi Mizuno (hot in the next Gojira film).
Godzilla vs Ebirah (Japan, 1966) – 3/5
No Ishiro Honda or Akira Ifukube but Big G first timer Jun Fukuda and Masaru Sato. The storyline follows four ordinary guys who end up to a monter island my accident. Fukuda’s film has good characters, exotic locations, a hot native girl (Kumi Mizuno), and above all real sense of adventure. The monsters are kept hidden for a long time which is also a good thing. The special effects are impressive as well. Easily one of the better films in the Godzilla series.
Destroy All Monsters (Japan, 1968) – 3/5
Originally planned as the final Godzilla film, this movie gathers together a total of 11 monsters. The scifi heavy storyline – with plenty of spacecraft action – just about works, and the action is terrific, especially the jaw dropping kaiju daisenso in Tokyo.
Terror of Mechagodzilla (Japan, 1975) – 2,5/5
Showa era Gojira comes to an end with this monster spectacle that was also Ishiro Honda last Godzilla movie. Composer Akira Ifukube is also back after a 7 year break. The storyline and characters are uninteresting, but the action scenes are full of great miniature model work and big explosions. The film is also more serious in tone than many of the other 70's Godzilla films.
