The Martial Arts Kid (2015)

Posted in Reviews
1 Comment
The Martial Arts Kid (2015)

A warm and welcome return to the screen for B-movie action heroes Cynthia Rothrock and Don “The Dragon” Wilson, who seem to be having a blast in this gentle, domestic entertainment. They play a sweet married couple living retired lives among the safari shirts and palm trees of a suburban Florida beach town. They also act as producers, and as a result, the film feels deeply personal, almost autobiographical in places. The story centres around renegade orphan kid Robbie (Jansen Panettiere) whose Ohio granny gets so sick of his troublemaking that she sends him off to live with Aunt Cindy …

Read More

Bruce Lee Against Supermen (1975)

Posted in Reviews
No Comments
Bruce Lee Against Supermen (1975)

Cheap, nonsensical Bruceploitation from Alpha Films – synonymous for their crass Bruce Li output – which attempts to replicate the superhero campiness of an episode of The Green Hornet, only without any of the competency required of telling a structured, coherent story. The film obviously has an excellent title, and for the most part it lives up to its bonkers reputation. An elderly Chinese scientist has discovered a secret formula to make food from petroleum – just go with it – so some foreign-backed HK gangsters kidnap the old man in a bid for world domination. It looks like another …

Read More

District 13 (2004)

Posted in Reviews
No Comments
District 13 (2004)

A futuristic action film sold primarily on its stunts; more specifically, the French free-running art form known as Parkour, co-created by the film’s star, David Belle. He leaps majestically over iconic landmarks, buildings and street scenes in sequences of high-octane, gymnastic self-expression. The chase scenes are channelled through a crime story centred around gang culture among the urban decay of Paris’ B13 region, noted for its lawlessness and poverty. Belle plays a tattooed thug escaping from prison to protect his kidnapped sister, teaming up with Cyril Raffaelli’s hard-bitten undercover cop to help take out the baddies. Nuclear detonators are strapped …

Read More

The Disciples (2000)

Posted in Reviews
No Comments
The Disciples (2000)

Made-for-TV fare which follows the Hollywood trend for hyper-stylised Asian-inspired action, although this is quite obviously at the cheaper end of the market. The story centres on a group of Cuban communist enforcers who are sent on a mission to remove the arm of the country’s top baseball star, who is looking to make a move to America. In their wake are the Disciples: a group of young, Miami-based kung fu fighters who are sent by their sensei to protect the sports star. The leader is played by the rapper Ice-T, who claims to have played Monopoly with Bruce Lee. …

Read More

Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog (1978)

Posted in Reviews
No Comments
Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog (1978)

One of those titles which probably makes more sense in Chinese, this was the first film from the Gar Bo Motion Picture Company – a subsidiary of Golden Harvest consisting of Karl Maka, Sammo Hung and Lau Kar-wing (brother of Lau Kar-leung). Sammo’s coveted ‘invincible armour’ is stolen by a sexy seductress with detachable arms. A body vest of indestructible chain mail, the armour is soon pounced upon by every insecure kung fu heavy in town, and ‘Crazy Frog’ Sammo hops into action to demand it back, teaming up with the cunning ‘Dirty Tiger’ (Lau Kar-wing). Dean Shek plays a …

Read More

Death Duel of Kung Fu (1979)

Posted in Reviews
No Comments
Death Duel of Kung Fu (1979)

Highly spirited kung fu romp with the stars of The Secret Rivals which delivers practically non-stop action based around a broiling historical premise. Don Wong and John Liu play plucky patriots masterminding the downfall of a Manchu warlord (Han Ying) whose army is planning to cross the Formosa Strait and surround the remaining Ming dynasty forces stationed in Taiwan. With a majestic score lifted (probably illegally) from Hang ‘em High – and with a brilliant two-on-one finale featuring ‘Northern Leg’ Liu and ‘Southern Fist’ Wong doubling up on ‘Shallow Head’ Han Ying – this relentless film makes for fun, head-kicking entertainment. Best …

Read More

Crying Freeman (1995)

Posted in Reviews
No Comments
Crying Freeman (1995)

Canadian action yarn based on a popular Japanese manga. Yo (Dacascos) is an art enthusiast who is captured by a secretive Chinese crime cult named the Bond of Dragons who hypnotise him and turn him into the next ‘Freeman’; an assassin trained to annihilate Yakuza clans. Yo retains his humanity by crying after every kill and attaching himself to Emu (Condra), one of his targets, which gets him into a whole heap of trouble with his creepy boss and clinical associates. Christophe Gans is honing his talents here before his more singular achievement, Brotherhood of the Wolf, in 2001 (which …

Read More

Charlie’s Angels (2000)

Posted in Reviews
No Comments
Charlie’s Angels (2000)

The cult TV show from the 1970s is given an ironic, comedic twist by producer Drew Barrymore, attempting to draw in new audiences with a popular cast, abrasive soundtrack and outrageous, glossy action. The film is packed with Matrix-style kung fu scenes – orchestrated by Yuen Woo-ping‘s brother, Yuen Cheung-yan – featuring a central trio of femme fatales fighting in wire-assisted glory. Meet, then, Charlie’s high-kicking angels: there’s Natalie (Diaz), Dylan (Barrymore) and Alex (Liu). When they’re not in make-up or changing costumes, they’re secretly fighting crime. A sly villain with an entourage of cronies has stolen a voice duplication device …

Read More

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Posted in Reviews
No Comments
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

This fantastic Star Wars spin-off is narratively positioned just before Episode IV in the series, and charts the plucky exploits of a group of Rebel Alliance fighters who invade an Imperial stronghold with the intention of stealing the plans for Darth Vader’s Death Star. Of course, like the Skywalker series, it is also about familial conflict, revenge and retribution. The central hero of the film is Jyn (Felicity Jones), daughter of eminent Imperial research scientist Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), who designs the Death Star, albeit under some duress, suggesting slight comparisons to J. Robert Oppenheimer’s plans for atomic power during …

Read More

Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (2013)

Posted in Reviews
No Comments
Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (2013)

In terms of non-stop, free-flowing fight choreography which is high on energy and not wholly stitched together in the editing booth, this is one of Scott Adkins‘ best action roles. He is inventive and electrifying throughout – most notably in his exemplary routine with the film’s fight coordinator, Tim Man, who plays a supporting villain, and a weapons duel with Kane Kosugi. This being Adkins’ sixth film with director Isaac Florentine, it shows how well the two work together having arrived at their own distinctive shorthand, with Florentine’s handheld camera positioning as much a star of the action as the …

Read More
« Previous Page
Next Page »