Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009)

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Universal Soldier: Regeneration (2009)

Finally, a decent Universal Soldier sequel. After a number of false starts, John Hyams (son of long-time Van Damme collaborator Peter Hyams) has managed to revive this stunted sci-fi franchise as a bleak, industrial, pseudo-scientific action yarn for the modern age, or something resembling The Bourne Identity‘s idiotic cousin. A rebel militia kidnap the Russian President’s kids and haul up at Chernobyl (it’s actually Bulgaria) strapping bombs to the nuclear reactor and demanding the release of political prisoners. Their secret weapon: a supercharged, indestructible, genetically modified UniSol (played by UFC fighter Andrei “The Pit Bull” Arlovski). Actually, they have two …

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SPL II: A Time for Consequences (2015)

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SPL II: A Time for Consequences (2015)

Enjoyable if over-baked Hong Kong action film, which is essentially a drawn-out contrivance to have Tony Jaa and Jacky Wu fighting together in the same film. It takes its sweet time to get there, although we are spoiled early on with a completely inconceivable bust-up between the two action heroes in an interrogation room. Jaa’s ‘no wires’ motif seems to have been omitted from his contract (again) as the occasional wire fu moment brings the film out of its moody, contemporary crime setting and into the realms of uncanny valley. Much of the action is played out over a huge …

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KFMG Podcast S01 Episode 08: Cengiz Dervis

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KFMG Podcast S01 Episode 08: Cengiz Dervis

“Every time you go through those ropes, you may never be the same again. And I knew that every time.”

British actor and former world kickboxing champion Cengiz Dervis is my guest on this episode of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast. This interview took place in the same week Cengiz discovered that he had landed a large role in a new 10-part TV series produced by Marvel’s Avengers star Jeremy Renner and The History Channel called Knightfall. The series, based around the Knights Templar, is validation for over 10 years of hard work in trying to make it as a …

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KFMG Podcast S01 Episode 07: Don Niam

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KFMG Podcast S01 Episode 07: Don Niam

“I always liked different things. I was never one to go with the norm.”

We have one of action cinema’s most beloved baddies on the show today: it’s the one and only Stingray from the low budget 1994 Godfrey Ho head-kicker Undefeatable, played by all-round super nice guy Don Niam. As he explains in this extended chat, Don landed the role because of the intensity in his eyes and his long hair. He talks about his experiences making the film which has now become a cult classic, not to mention a viral YouTube sensation. The final fight scene between Don Niam …

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X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

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X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Perhaps the most underwhelming of the rebooted X-Men prequels so far, this one does little to push the franchise forward apart from providing another weightless apocalyptic showdown for our mutant heroes to don the spandex. Oscar Isaac plays an ancient, all-powerful, god-like mutant called Apocalypse who is cryogenically frozen in ancient Egypt only to resurface in 1983 to form a new army and destroy the world. He plucks out young newbies like Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Angel (Ben Hardy) and Storm (Alexandra Shipp) – so we get to see their troublesome origin stories – and also Magneto (Michael Fassbender), who has …

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Extraction (2015)

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Extraction (2015)

This secret agent romp is pretty forgettable, although Simon Rhee and his stunt team do their best to provide an edge to the combat scenes. Gina Carano, who was so thrilling in 2011’s Haywire, is unfortunately sidelined in favour of Twilight hunk Kellan Lutz. He plays a CIA wannabe haunted by the murder of his mother and desperate to impress his stoic meat-headed dad, played by Bruce Willis. Lutz goes rogue with former lover Carano when Willis is kidnapped by Russian criminals eager to get their hands on a super computer which could spark a global technological meltdown. There is a glimmer …

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The Transporter Refueled (2015)

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The Transporter Refueled (2015)

Despite its rather scant premise, Luc Besson‘s Transporter franchise charges on regardless; this time in a rebooted format without its original star, Jason Statham. The Stath’s balletic pugilism and winning presence was probably the most palatable thing about this unremarkable franchise, which essentially centres around a glorified taxi driver resembling James Bond’s thuggish two-dimensional cousin. Ed Skrien adopts an unwavering monotone to take the reigns as the dull ex-mercenary Frank Martin, the chauffeur of choice for Monaco’s most glamorous crooks. Frank and his smart-ass sales rep’ father become embroiled in a plot by a trio of prostitutes to rob and …

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The Bodyguard (2016)

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The Bodyguard (2016)

Gran Torino, Sammo Hung style. The legendary kung fu star returns to direct his first film in almost 20 years. He also takes the lead with an authentic, understated performance in an otherwise confused action comedy. There is a gentleness to the film which is quite becoming, albeit disturbed by moments of brutality. Sammo relishes the opportunity to linger on every bone-breaking take-down in x-ray detail, and there are some quite grisly knife attacks. But it’s the knockabout comedy moments which jar the most, coupled with a redundant narration which adds nothing. Sammo is brilliant as the pitied, aged figure …

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KFMG Podcast S01 Episode 06: Richard Geddes

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KFMG Podcast S01 Episode 06: Richard Geddes

“Sometimes I get frustrated with people’s reluctance to try something they don’t understand, because they might grow because of it.”

We are discussing Asian cinema with film expert Richard Geddes on this episode of the Kung Fu Movie Guide Podcast. Richard works for the independent UK DVD label Terracotta Distribution, which was borne out of the Terracotta Far East Film Festival, launched by the company’s founder, Joey Leung, in 2008. Through the film festival and its associated on-demand and DVD service, Terracotta aims to promote and distribute the latest titles from the various territories across the Far East, including countries like …

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The Nine Demons (1984)

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The Nine Demons (1984)

Delirious kung fu take on the Faust story from Chang Cheh, reuniting with his Venoms crew for one of his most bonkers productions. Ricky Cheng plays the avenging Zou Qi who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for superior powers. He vows to take revenge for the death of his father and see the house of Gan Yun back in power, therefore averting an all-out war between rival families in the martial world. Zou is positioned as a somewhat sympathetic vessel for a sect of nine blood-thirsty demonic children in blue hula skirts who are summoned at will …

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