Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)

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Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016)

In a bid to add emotional depth to Tom Cruise’s dour Jack Reacher, a domestic conceit is set-up for the sequel in which Reacher and an army major (Cobie Smulders) must protect a moody teenager (Danika Yarosh) who is being targeted by hoods for allegedly being Jack’s daughter. For Reacher – an ex-military tough guy who lives in the shadows, jumping out occasionally to duff up the bad guys – the extra responsibility really cramps his style, and many of the sequel’s best moments show him having to develop the art of compromise. The story – a US military conspiracy …

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KFMG Podcast S05 Episode 55: Tara Macken

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KFMG Podcast S05 Episode 55: Tara Macken

“Some people like to sleep in, and some people like to wake up and do things. I like to wake up and do things.”

The key to success in the stunt world, says Hollywood action star Tara Macken, is to be an all-rounder. Tara’s resume is testament to that philosophy. Raised in the jungles of Borneo, Tara’s adventurous spirit started at a young age. It has remained with her throughout her professional career, where she has found work as a dancer, gymnast, model, actor and stunt performer with over 100 films and TV credits to her name. She is a leading …

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The Promise (2005)

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The Promise (2005)

An action fantasy from Palme d’Or winner Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine) who follows auteur director Zhang Yimou’s transition from melodrama to ‘martial arthouse’ with a story based on a Tang dynasty wuxia novel. Like Hero, this film was picked up for international distribution by The Weinstein Company, given a new title (Master of the Crimson Armor), and reduced by around 25 minutes, only for it to be shelved and released theatrically a year later by a different studio, Warner Independent Pictures. Those expecting Hero may be distracted by the dreamy fantasy elements, shonky visual effects, wacky action scenes and …

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Ninja Apocalypse (2014)

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Ninja Apocalypse (2014)

Low-budget DTV slice ’em up from visual effects whiz Lloyd Lee Barnett, shot in only 12 days. Barnett does a neat job injecting blood splashes, fireballs, glowing swords, and electric charges over a lot of the action sequences. These fantasy elements sit alongside summersaulting ninja, martial arts sequences, vampires, zombies and an attack of deadly sirens in corsets. Pretty much every cult genre trope is thrown into the mix, packaged and delivered in less than 80 minutes. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, the human race now appear to be living in a world somewhat similar to feudal Japan, with warring, …

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Revenger (2018)

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Revenger (2018)

Martial arts instructor Bruce Khan makes his starring role debut with this barnstorming, slightly bonkers effort. Bruce follows the ‘less is more’ approach to film acting and provides short shrift in terms of character or dialogue, instead letting his fists and feet do the talking. At 51, you might think he has left it too late to star in his own martial arts film, but it quickly becomes apparent that couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s electric in this; from his very first scenes, in which he washes ashore an island prison looking like Hannibal Lector in a hockey …

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KFMG Podcast S05 Episode 54: Richard Norton

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KFMG Podcast S05 Episode 54: Richard Norton

“If a skinny little asthmatic kid from Croydon (Australia) can end up working with Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Chuck Norris, then just about anybody can.”

In the late 1970s, Richard Norton – martial artist and bodyguard to the stars – faced a crossroads in his life. He could either stay in Melbourne, Australia, and continue with his nine-to-five job, teaching martial arts in the evenings – a life he very much enjoyed – or follow the advice of singer Linda Ronstadt and move with her to California. It was a decision which would prove life-changing. Once in America, Richard started to …

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Tiger Cage 2 (1990)

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Tiger Cage 2 (1990)

One of the all-time great Donnie Yen beat-’em-ups, this concludes a trilogy of contemporary crime films by the Yuen clan for Dickson Poon’s D&B Films, grand purveyors of all-out crazy stunt-filled fight fests with off-colour humour and ‘girls with guns’. Their previous titles together include Tiger Cage (1988) and In the Line of Duty 4 (1989). Despite the title, this has nothing to do with the first Tiger Cage film, although there’s a distinct through-line in tone and style across all three movies, not to mention many of the same cast and crew. This sees a retired cop (Donnie Yen) …

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Tiger Cage (1988)

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Tiger Cage (1988)

Great Hong Kong cop film from the Yuen clan which follows the John Woo-inspired trend for ballistic gun fighting, suited foreign drug gangs, and corruption in the police force. The film is driven by a young and vibrant cast (Simon Yam, Carol Cheng, Jacky Cheung, Donnie Yen) with dependable support from old kung fu favourites (Leung Kar-yan, Fung Hark-on, Wang Lung-wei). The film starts with bullets flying over Hong Kong when a drug bust goes wrong and the dealer, Wang Lung-wei, escapes, exposing undercover cop Leung Kar-yan in the process. He is getting married to Carol Cheng, has a weak heart …

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Azumi (2003)

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Azumi (2003)

A spirited jidaigeki from Versus director Ryûhei Kitamura, adapted from a popular manga series. The story of a skilled female assassin slaying warlords during Japan’s turbulent Sengoku period may not be particularly original, but the film possesses a pulpy, acerbic, and sometimes strange style – complete with colourful superhuman characters, whizzing camera angles, and a contemporary soundtrack – which makes well-worn genre tropes feel quite different. Teenage pop singer, Aya Ueto – making her feature film debut – stars as the titular Azumi, an orphan trained from birth to be a badass killer by a twisted old master along with …

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KFMG Podcast S05 Episode 53: Vincent Wang

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KFMG Podcast S05 Episode 53: Vincent Wang

“To get to that level, to become a super movie star, it’s not easy… but at least the stars set a great example to the rest of the world and young kids to try their best and fulfil their dreams.”

When a stunt performer couldn’t get the right shot needed during a 70ft fall on the set of Vietnamese superhero movie, Lôi Báo (2017), the film’s action director, Vincent Wang, made a quick decision. With time running out, Vincent relieved the stunt performer of their duties, strapped himself to a harness and performed the stunt himself – much to the shock …

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