Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022)

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Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022)

Set in an anthropomorphic version of feudal Japan in which all its inhabitants are cats, an unscrupulous official for the Shogun vows to destroy the small village of ‘Kakamucho’ in order to extend his palace. Without a samurai to protect them, the poor feline folk are doomed. Enter Hank – a dog in a cat’s world, wearing a Game of Death dressing gown with a longing to be a warrior despite any obvious sword skills. He is hired by the official to protect the village, assuming that Hank will fail and the town will be his for the taking. Hank’s …

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The Gray Man (2022)

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The Gray Man (2022)

An adaption of Mark Greaney’s The Gray Man novel series about a former assassin for the CIA, this is one of Netflix’s most expensive films with a production budget of around $200m. It’s the sort of bloated, globe-trotting, star-studded action movie that might make many executives at Netflix question its long-term economic strategy, particularly at a time when the streaming platform is struggling with declining subscriber numbers. The Russo Brothers – responsible for the excellent Captain America and Avengers movies at Marvel Studios – bring their slick Hollywood operation to a new project (or ‘IP’, to use the appropriate studio …

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Shadow Master (2022)

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Shadow Master (2022)

Low-budget horror flick with an effective, devilish, gruesome streak and great action – sort of Clive Barker meets Albert Pyun. Director Peaary Teo leans into the film’s twisted mix of neo-noir, ghost story and devil worship, leaving room for gifted martial artist D.Y. Sao (a USA national wushu team member and Simu Liu’s fight trainer for Shang-Chi) to show his stuff. Set in a vaguely apocalyptic Blade Runner-esque dystopian future, Sao plays a nightwatchman at a creepy hospital where kids are being snatched as they sleep. Their spirits are used by the ‘four horsemen of the apocalypse’ in some ritualistic …

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Baby Assassins (2021)

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Baby Assassins (2021)

Highschool grads Mahiro (Saori Izawa) and Chisato (Akari Takaishi) are at that awkward transitional phase between adolescence and adulthood, negotiating the roles expected of them as two young girls in Japanese society. Both work as coldblooded killers for an unspecified organisation, seemingly hired to kill wrongdoers like Yakuza members and the like. They are made to live together and assume a semblance of normality to act as cover for their day jobs. As the two adapt to being roomies, the film becomes less of an action movie and more a coming-of-age teen comedy about their blossoming, unlikely friendship. Mahiro is …

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Bring Him Back Dead (2022)

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Bring Him Back Dead (2022)

Cliché-ridden DTV drudgery which starts as an almost carbon-copy remake of Reservoir Dogs before moving into Rambo territory. The first act sees a bunch of criminals decamp at a cabin in the woods after a botched bank heist, with one of the group bleeding out, coupled with lots of shouting, swearing, and overacting. The ‘one man army’ second act is actually a lot more sure-footed, with Gary Daniels going rogue and heading into the forest on horseback after drugging the crew and stealing the stash. At almost 60, Daniels can still kick people in the head with great style, even if …

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The Woman King (2022)

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The Woman King (2022)

This film about the Agojie – an all-fighting, all-woman military regiment of the West African Kingdom of Dahomey – is based on some semblance of fact. Although its coming-of-age story about a young underdog hero might carry the faint whiff of Hollywood contrivance, there is great passion in the film’s postmodern storytelling and scenes of violent retribution, which see the Agojie laying waste to European slave traders with wild, gut-busting relish. Although it may lean on a number of predictable plot devices, the screen is littered with landmark moments, and scenes of great power and resonance. The world-building from director Gina Prince-Bythewood (The …

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Violent Night (2022)

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Violent Night (2022)

87North take their winning formula from films like Nobody and Bullet Train – depressed middle-aged man finds new meaning and purpose in life through violence – and apply it to the Santa Claus story, reimagining a drunk, overweight – and divorced? – Kris Kringle in a mad mix of Home Alone meets Die Hard, with added hammer blows to the face. John Wick fight choreographer Jonathan Eusebio delivers the punishing pugilism, with jolly old Saint Nick played by a boozy, cranky, overweight David Harbour (excellent). Santa is recast as an immortal Viking warrior – an origin story we really need to …

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KFMG Podcast S07 Episode 86: End of Year Show 2022 with Mike Fury – Part Two

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KFMG Podcast S07 Episode 86: End of Year Show 2022 with Mike Fury – Part Two

The wait is over! We can now finally reveal our favourite fight films of 2022 in Part Two of our annual End of Year Show, featuring the action movie expert and author of Life of Action Vol. I-II, Mike Fury. As is tradition with this show, neither Ben or Mike are aware of what the other person has selected for inclusion in their personal top five list; will there be consensus, or will it end in a bloody fight to the death? Top picks for 2022 include a strong roster of big-budget superhero carnage from the Marvel and D.C. cinematic …

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KFMG Podcast S07 Episode 85: End of Year Show 2022 with Mike Fury – Part One

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KFMG Podcast S07 Episode 85: End of Year Show 2022 with Mike Fury – Part One

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… that’s right, the time when we release our special annual two-part End of Year Show, in which we look back over the best and worst that martial arts movies had to offer in 2022. Podcast host Ben Johnson is joined once again by Mike Fury, film expert and author of Life of Action Vol. I-II. In Part One, Ben and Mike discuss the big stories that grabbed the martial arts movie headlines in 2022, play Christmas messages recorded especially for the show by some of the biggest names in martial arts movies – …

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KFMG Podcast S07 Episode 84: Robert Samuels

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KFMG Podcast S07 Episode 84: Robert Samuels

“It’s a young man’s game, and it’s my job to usher in a new generation of talent. I think that’s where I can give back most.”

It was a screening of 1972’s Five Fingers of Death (aka King Boxer) that would transform the life of Robert “Bobby” Samuels. At that time, he could not have foreseen that he would go on to become the first African American member of the Hong Kong Stuntman Association, a star of martial arts action cinema, a Hung Gar expert training under kung fu master and actor, Chiu Chi-ling, and a close personal friend of Sammo Hung …

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