My Many MiniReviews

[ShaOW!linDude]

HERO (1997) Running time: 97 mins.

Stars: Kaneshiro Takeshi, Yuen Biao, Hsuen Jessica Hester, Valerie Chow, Yuen Tak, Yuen Wah

Dir.: Corey Yuen

Action Choreographers: Yuen Tak, Yuen Wah

In 1898, a drought in Shantung forces people to flee for refuge to Shanghai, a prosperous but corrupt city due to trade with foreigners. Triads fight for control, especially the ones runs run by Tam See (YB), backed by the British, and Yang Shuang (YT), backed by the police. Two brothers, Ma Wing Jing (KT) and Ma Tai Cheung (YW), are among those coming from Shantung. First finding work as coolies, they meet Tam See who is also from Shantung and seeks to mentor them. Eventually, Ma Wing Jing makes a name for himself and begins to steal territory from Yang who wants total control of all criminal enterprises in Shanghai and will harbor no competition.

Fight #1 --- Ma (KT) vs Tam (YB)

Takes place at the pier. More of a sparring match really, on a moving horse and carriage no less. Not very realistic as there's a good bit of wire-assisted stunts but there's some good legwork, especially from YB.

Fight #2 --- Ma vs Axe Gang members

At Club Spring (Tam's club). Ma thwarts a bunch of Yang's goons trying to make trouble. There's some good action here. TK throws some really nice kicks. Good fight!

Fight #3 --- Tam vs Axe Gang assassins

Happens after a meet with Yang. Good stuff from YB. He does some nice bootwork here. There's some cheesy wire-assisted stunts but the action's kind of cool.

Fight #4 --- Ma vs a bunch of crooked cops & Axe Gang members

Not much to this really. TK uses a sword and whacks everybody's arms off. It's a bunch of hack-n-slash, no finesse to speak of.

Fight #5 --- Ma vs Yang's thugs

Ambush! TK again uses some nice kicks! More wire-assisted stunts but good action.

***SPOILERS!!!***

Fight #6 --- Tam vs Yang

After a finale comprised of suicide bombers and full-scale gun battles, YB and YT have at each other. This has some good choreography in places and it's really bloody. What mars it is the editing. Something is really wrong here in 2 regards:

1) Though Yang (YT) is wounded and on the verge of a big death scene, the film jumps to...

2) Tam (YB) suddenly on a precarious piece of scaffolding about to die.

How Tam got in that predicament and how Yang dies are totally missing.

(The dvd version I have is by Universe Laser & Video Company, Ltd.)

I like this movie. Though set in the late 19th/early 20th century, the action has than Modern 80's feel to it. I liked the story and the sets are great.

The cast is good. I especially enjoyed Yuen Biao in this. Yuen Wah is wasted here as he has no action on film at all in this. Kaneshiro's action scenes are good and he's a decent screen fighter in this. Yuen Tak's fight at the end was great. Wish he'd done more.

One reason I enjoy this is that though it is primarily a dramatic film, comedic instances are inserted and they actually work. And you get to see Wah dressed as a Scotsman...in a kilt. But it's the subtitles that really cracked me up:

Wah's character's nickname is MacDonal (McDonald's).

As both Tam (YB) and Ma (KT) are from Shantung, at one point he says, "From your tongue, I can tell you are my homeboy." (Didn't know that term was used back then.)

Another time Tam says, "I want to mash (smash) all of Yang's territories."

Another character states, "I'll writhe (write) to your mother."

Love this stuff. This film also opens with the Shaw Brothers logo.

The action isn't as good as some of Biao's other films but preferable to a wuxia film (for me, anyway). It might not appeal to everyone, but it's definitely one for completionists of his films. It's your call.

[KUNG FU BOB]

***SPOILERS!!!***

Fight #6 --- Tam vs Yang

After a finale comprised of suicide bombers and full-scale gun battles, YB and YT have at each other. This has some good choreography in places and it's really bloody. What mars it is the editing. Something is really wrong here in 2 regards:

1) Though Yang (YT) is wounded and on the verge of a big death scene, the film jumps to...

2) Tam (YB) suddenly on a precarious piece of scaffolding about to die.

How Tam got in that predicament and how Yang dies are totally missing.

(The dvd version I have is by Universe Laser & Video Company, Ltd.)

Sadly, the version you watched is cut to shit for censorship of violence. I remember watching this and enjoying it, but feeling that there was some choppy editing, and at the end I was like "What the hell just happened?"

Then when I saw the uncut version, it played much, much better. Plus, it's always nice seeing what is actually happening during a film's climax. I think this one is a hidden gem that doesn't get it's just dues because most people have only seen the butchered print.

[ShaOW!linDude]

Thanks, KFB. I figured there was some goofy cuts made or someone used a really bogus copy for the dvd transfer. Reckon I'll have to track down the uncut version some day just to satisfy my curiosity.

At least this way folks might be a wiser should they decide to search for it and avoid the version I have which is this one put out by Tai Seng.

http://www.amazon.com/Hero-Valerie-Chow/dp/B00004YS9D/ref=sr_1_8?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1358742366&sr=1-8&keywords=hero+yuen+biao

[One Armed Boxer]

Worth noting that this is also a re-make of another Shaw Brothers movie, the Chang Cheh flick 'Boxer from Shantung'.

At least this way folks might be a wiser should they decide to search for it and avoid the version I have which is this one put out by Tai Seng.

Interesting, I have the Celestial remaster of this movie, but it's been that long since I've seen it that I can't remember if it's cut or not.....can anyone confirm?

[blue_skies]

it's been over a decade since I saw Hero (1997)watching the UK DVD of this movie. I really don't remember a great deal about the movie other than being disappointed that it was more of a drama and didn't show Yuen Biao doing tons of great martial arts action like I had expected. However, I should think I would enjoy the movie more now than I did back then. Although it's unlikely I would bother to search it out.

[ShaOW!linDude]

MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY (2011) Running time: 104 mins.

Stars: Michael Jai White, Jeri Ryan, Darren Shahlavi, Tahmoh Penikett, Matt Mullins, Aleks Paunovic, Samatha Tjhia, Jolene Tran, Ryan Robbins, Ian Anthony Dale, Kevan Ohtsji, Shane Warren Jones, Peter Shinkoda

Dir.: Kevin Tancharden

Fight/Stunt Coordinators: Larnell Stovall, Ernest Jackson

Web-series of the Mortal Kombat game characters. These contain interesting back stories of some of the characters and begins to weave what seems to be threads to bring them together for a Mortal Kombat tournament.

Ep 1

Fight #1 --- Jax (MJW) vs Kano (DS) Pt. 1

This is okay. Was really expecting a bit more. It's very brief and the exchanges are good but it's just not that dynamic. No kicks. Bogus.

Ep 2

Fight #2 --- Jax vs Kano Pt.2

This is what I'm talking about! It's a good bit better. Some good choreography here! It's a little 1-sided though. Still, there's some nice bootwork by MJW. Wish the talents of DS had been utilized a bit more.

Ep 3

Fight #3 --- Johnny Cage (MM) vs Mike Hardy

Short but sweet. The premise is kind of funny. MM pulls off a sweet finishing kick.

Fight #4 --- Johnny Cage vs 5 thugs

A bit cheesy but again there are some great moves displayed by MM here. Good choreography.

Fight #5 --- Johnny Cage vs 3 security guards

This is really nothing more than a very intense and brutal beatdown.

Ep 4 & 5

Fight #6 --- Kitana (ST) vs Mileena (JT)

(This doesn't really take place until ep 5.) Good fight! The choreography here has these girls bringing it! Excellent finishing move, too!

Ep 6

Fight #7 --- Raiden (RR) vs orderlies

A mix of MA and mysticism in a mental institute. The MA is so-so but there are some cool power hits.

Ep 7 & 8

Fight #8 --- Scorpion (IAD) vs Sub-Zero (KD)

(Doesn't take place until ep 8.) Good fight! Nice choreography and some neat kicks! The f/x aren't too bad either.

Ep 9

Fight #9 --- Cyrax (SWJ) & Sektor (PS) vs 2 robotic humanoids

Some really good choreography here! It's smooth and has a nice flow. Lots of kicks. It's a good tag-team with seamless partner switches. (The robot guys are played by Andrew Chin and James Bamford.)

Fight #10 --- Cyrax & Sektor vs Hydro (SWJ and Tim Man)

This is fantastic! Killer fight among cyborgs! Great choreography and an awesome finishing move! This is some excellent CGI done with the performers wearing motion-capture suits. It comes across so well. I watched this fight over and over.

I found this to be an excellent effort with the use of these characters. The director got some great talent for this, especially his selection of Larnell Stovall as his fight choreographer. His casting of screen fighters is great. They each seem ideal for their roles.

The great thing about this is the eps work as stand alone installments for the most part. They are central to the characters and therefore each has a different feel to them. While some of the eps carry over into another, that is only relevant to the character story arc. None of the main characters overlap. I found this intriguing and it seems to me that the director is spinning his web to eventually bring them together.

There's lots of extras on the Blu-ray. My fave was the behind-the-scenes of the fight choreography. The one thing I wish this would've contained was the promo in which Matt Mullins and Lateef Crowder fought, which I thought would probably be incorporated into the series. Sadly....no.

I know work is presently commencing on the next set of eps for this. I'm psyched for it! If you haven't checked this out.....Get it!!!! (Scored it at Walmart for under $8 and that was Blu-ray.)

[One Armed Boxer]

I know work is presently commencing on the next set of eps for this. I'm psyched for it! If you haven't checked this out.....Get it!!!! (Scored it at Walmart for under $8 and that was Blu-ray.)

This sounds really good, and great to see them released as a set...but it seems it's only got a release on Blu-ray, no standard DVD version?

[Petie]

Thanks for reviewing this because I've been curious to know how this series would turn out. While Larnell Stovall has done some good choreography in the past he has never just outright impressed me with anything and so when I heard he was the fight choreographer for this series I must admit that I wasn't too excited about it. But it sounds like from this review that he did some solid work.

[ShaOW!linDude]

This sounds really good, and great to see them released as a set...but it seems it's only got a release on Blu-ray, no standard DVD version?

Blu-ray is the only format this seems to be available in. Not sure what the price range may be Down Under, mate, but surely it's comparable to the US price. Or do you not have a Blu-ray player? (And that's not meant to be a knock. If you don't, then I can understand your chagrin that there's no dvd format of this.)

Thanks for reviewing this because I've been curious to know how this series would turn out. While Larnell Stovall has done some good choreography in the past he has never just outright impressed me with anything and so when I heard he was the fight choreographer for this series I must admit that I wasn't too excited about it. But it sounds like from this review that he did some solid work.

Well, I may be a bit biased. I think he's one of the better choreographers out there right now. He puts together some good stuff for this but I actually think his work on Blood & Bone and Undisputed 3 and Bunraku is better. If you're wary of buying the BD, maybe you can still find the eps online and check a couple of them out first. I certainly don't want you to buying something you aren't going to enjoy. Still, the story lines are quite good.

[One Armed Boxer]

Or do you not have a Blu-ray player? (And that's not meant to be a knock. If you don't, then I can understand your chagrin that there's no dvd format of this.)

Yeah, you got it in one! I haven't made the switch to Blu-ray yet, and to be honest still find the quality of a standard DVD to be perfectly ok for my personal viewing experience, but I'm sure it'll happen some day!

[ShaOW!linDude]

I feel the same way, bro. The only reason we got one is that my wife is a techno-goob and she scored one really cheap off of QVC. I will say this though...when played on a Blu-ray player the picture quality of some standard dvds comes across much clearer. But for the most part, I can't tell a major difference. As long as it plays......

[Drunken Monk]

Here, here One Armed Boxer and ShaOW!lin Dude. I'm putting off getting a Blur-ray player for as long as I can. Nothing wrong with good ol' fashioned DVD's!

[ShaOW!linDude]

BLACK COBRA (2012) Running time: 89 mins.

Stars: T.J. Storm, Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa, Jeff Wolfe, Michael Chinyamurindi, Sebati Edward Mafate, Richard Dorton, Ursula Taherian, C. Traci Murase, Stephanie Cheeva, Floyd "Blue" Gilmore, J.T. Jackson

Action Director: Ken Ohara

Dir.: Scott Donovan

Based on the novel "When The Cobra Strikes" by Sebati Edward Mafate

Sizwe Biko (TJS) has a father who formerly fought against Apartheid and now languishes in a South African prison. The only way to free him is to take the family's blood diamonds to the US and sell them for cash to buy his father's freedom. A deal is struck with the Yakuza through a friend (JW) who double-crosses Sizwe. Now he must retrieve either the money or the diamonds to save his father.

Fight #1 --- Sizwe vs 3 racist goons

Meh. TJS uses a couple of elbow strikes to great effect and hits some neat stances but that's about it here. The choreography is a bit stilted and the editing could've been toned down.

Fight #2 --- Sizwe vs teacher

This is a sparring session flashback. The very brief choreography here is nice and smooth.

Fight #3 --- Sizwe vs Shihan Kris (SC)

Another sparring bout and this one has a definite HK feel to it. It's super short and wire heavy. Nothing special.

Fight #4 --- Sizwe vs Nicholas (JW)

Not bad, could've been better. And it's short. There are some nice exchanges and a couple of good kicks. JW really kind of surprised me. He seems to be a talented MA and this should've been a killer boss fight.

Fight #5 --- Sizwe vs 3 Yakuza goons

It's good but ruined with hyper-editing again. But TJS has some fast hands and it ends with a cool jump-spinning back kick.

Fight #6 --- Sizwe vs Kabuki-masked Yakuza chick twins (say that 3x's fast)

This...was...awful!!!! This should've been sweet. Instead, it's nothing but gymnastics with no fighting and all quick cuts and crazier hyper-editing. Wasted opportunity.

Fight #7 --- Sizwe vs 8 Kabuki-masked Yakuza goons

Good fight! The editing's better and the choreography is decent. TJS has fluid hands and good kicks here. Best fight...but that ain't saying much.

Fight #8 --- Sizwe vs Goro Tanaka (CH-T) w/katana

Meh, it's okay. It's short but finally TJS displays a little Snake style. The end is a bit anti-climatic.

Wow. Look, just don't even bother with this. I like T.J. Storm. He dazzled me with his MA talent in The Ultimate Game (on which he served as one of the fight choreographers). But this is just terrible. The plot was decent and serviceable. The acting...meh. But this should've been a solid B-action MA film and it fails miserably. I think it could've been salvaged in 2 ways: (a) take a chill pill on all the stupid over-editing during the fight scenes, and ( TJS should've choreographed this himself; he does not display his potential in this.

I'm truly disappointed in this because I just knew/felt this would be a neat little hidden gem of a flick for MA fans. TJS is a good MA. In his fights, he adds a certain amount of flourish and flair, which give it an "old school" kind of feel to it. I thought the fights would emphasize some Snake style kung fu but...psych! Next to nothing. Only one fight sequence really stands out but it doesn't even serve to justify keeping the dvd to view occasionally. Avoid this!!!

Save yourselves, and even though I've not done a mini-review on it yet, go seek out The Ultimate Game instead.

[ShaOW!linDude]

MUAY THAI WARRIOR (2010) Running time: 102 mins.

(aka Yamada: Samurai of Ayothaya or Yamada: Way of the Samurai)

Stars: Seigi Ozeki, Sorapong Chatree, Thammaros Jaichuen, Thanawut Kasro, Buakaw Por. Pramuk, Winai Kraibutr

Dir.: Nopporn Warting

Martial Choreographers: Yuttana Muenvaja, Thanawut Kasro, Ramai Moriphan

Yamada Nagamasa (SO) is a samurai in a Japanese army contingent assigned to aid the king of Ayothaya. He is tasked with finding the party responsible for raiding the local villages. Doing so, he discovers that it is other Japanese impersonating the opposing faction that are creating fear and unrest. Attacked and wounded, he is saved by Thai warriors and taken to their village. There he learns their martial of Muay Thai and then sets out to end the Japanese attacks and the subterfuge of his superior, Kuroda.

Fight #1 --- Kham (TK) vs series of opponents

This is the opening fight consisting of vicious sparring matches with some ice combo's. The choreography is good and contact looks real. It's a great showcase of TK.

Fight #2 --- Yamada (SO) vs devil-faced ninjas

Good swordplay here. SO seems comfortable in his fight scene, even sneaking in some kicks.

Fight #3 --- Sua (BPP) vs 3 Thai boxers

BPP gets to showcase very briefly but it's sweet with fluid combo's and hard-hitting strikes!

Fight #4 --- Ninja raid on village

Good fight! Yamada takes on the ninja single-handed with some nice kicks and chops. But it's the Thai warriors who show up that really deal with the ninja using swords and torches. Good choreography!

Fight #5 --- Yamada trains in Muay Thai

Compelled to learn their ways, Yamada seeks out Sua and challenges him. This is a bit comical as Sua thrashes him. Hard-hitting elbows and kicks ensue. Good stuff! Then there follows a training montage showcasing the versatility of Muay Thai boxing. In a rematch, Yamada shows he is developing into a bettter fighter. The choreography is fast and smooth but a bit short for my taste.

Fight #6 --- Fighting bouts

So cool! Vicious montages of contestants dueling. There are beautifully brutal segments of choreography here!

Fight #7 --- Yamada competes

Good stuff! SO demonstrates his Muay Thai skills. There's some good throws with elbow and knee strikes on display. Granted, SO doesn't look as good TK and BPP but it's not bad.

Fight #8 --- Tanai Luek vs Hongsa warriors

The Tanai Luek are the king's bodyguards comprised of Yamada, Sua, Kham, and 7 others. This battle is awesome! It's full of brutal fighting and fantastically choreographed. (Just forgive the awful CGI blood.)

Fight #9 --- Yamada & Kham vs Kuroda & ninja

Good fight! There are moments of fast and furious swordplay here. SO is good but it is TK who really stands out. His battle expressions are priceless. The fight between Yamada and Kuroda ends nicely but the choreography could've been a bit better. This should've been a tad longer, too.

This film is good on a number of levels. The story and cinematography are excellent. The acting's not too shabby. The appearance of the Thai warriors is cool, especially this pompadour/punk hair style they sport. And these are some of the coolest looking ninjas I've seen in ages.

The action/fights are really good, though I do wish they had been longer and really explored more of the style. Yamada is tasked to combine Muay Thai with his Japanese fighting skills. It really isn't explored sufficiently like it could've been. The end fight was a bit of a letdown, not that it wasn't good, but there should've been more to it. It would've worked better if it had been built up to in stages.

SO is good in the role of Yamada. BPP is astounding to watch in the few fight scenes he has. But it is TK, who is also one of the choreographers, who truly shines. This guy is unreal and sells his fights. Someone needs to develop another project with him as the lead. I'd love to see a staged fight between him and Tony Jaa. He could be the Thai equivalent of Yayan Ruhian ("Mad Dog" from The Raid).

The film is really good. It leaves you wanting more Muay Thai action even as you're watching it. I say...GET THIS!!!

[fatcat]

Yeah, you got it in one! I haven't made the switch to Blu-ray yet, and to be honest still find the quality of a standard DVD to be perfectly ok for my personal viewing experience, but I'm sure it'll happen some day!

Wow! I thought I was the last one with just a dvd player!! Will make switch to BluRay soon, hope there arent any problems playing my dvds.

[ShaOW!linDude]

BANGKOK REVENGE (2012) Running time: 82 mins.

Stars: Jon Foo, Caroline Ducey, Michael Cohen

Dir.: Jean Marc Mineo

Regleur Cascades (stunt coordinators): David Ismalone, Manop Patcha-Asa

Manit (JF) was ten when his parents were murdered and he was shot in the head and left to die. He is whisked away and placed in hiding in a village with a Muay Thai master who trains him. The head wound leaves him afflicted with ataraxia - brain trauma resulting in the loss of human emotion. 20 years later he learns the details of his parents' deaths and sets out to find those responsible as an emotionless killing machine.

Fight #1 --- Manit vs 4 bar patrons

It's short and shot from Manit's perspective. There's no real choreography here so you don't get to see JF in action. I get what the director was going for but it really doesn't work in this case. Too jumpy.

Fight #2 --- Manit vs 2 goons

In an alley. It's short, too, but there's some nice bits, especially Foo's roundhouse kick driving one guy's face into a door. The editing is a bit too quick in places.

Fight #3 --- Manit vs gang

Cool fight! Opens with a vicious kick that you just have to see. The rest of the fight is then depicted by shadows cast on a brick wall. It's kind of neat and the choreography looks good as it's all done in one take.

Fight #4 --- Manit vs corrupt cops

Good fight! This has some nice hits. The choreography has an easy pace to it with good flow. Again the editing is a bit quick in spots. Still, there are some sweet takedowns in this.

Fight #5 --- Manit vs Manit vs 2 cops

In elevator. This is pretty sweet and Foo gets off a couple of really nice kicks for being in such a confined space!

Fight #6 --- Manit vs more cops

Kind of neat. Foo takes a couple of firearms from 2 guys and then pistol-whips them with their own guns. Then he's surrounded by 5 Muay Thai dudes. He squats down as they rain blows on him which he deflects so that they hit one another while he also sneaks in a few punches. Then he uses a finishing move on each. Kind of interesting.

Fight #7 --- Manit vs girl gang

Meh. The best thing about this is Foo demonstrating more of his acrobatic ability than anything else. Way too many quick cuts here which ruin it.

Fight #8 --- Manit vs 4 thugs

In a car. Very brief and very brutal.

Fight #9 --- Manit vs 3 monks on a train

Best fight!!! There is some sweet choreography here with some combo's and exchanges worthy of rewinding to watch again. One in particular is Foo rising from a cross-legged posture to deliver a roundhouse kick. Love that! This whole fight scene is only marred by some too-quick editing in places but overall is just fantastic. Foo needs to do more of this kind of choreography in his films.

Fight #10 --- Manit & Simon vs 2 goons

Short. JF fights a guy who displays what looks to be a little Monkey style. A few good kicks can be found here.

Fight #11 --- Manit vs 5 hitmen

Wow! This is just brutal. JF goes berserk after taking a beating and delivers some serious "hate" on these dudes......and all while handcuffed. This whole fight segment has good and bad elements. Some of it is shot too close up; quick cuts run rampant; and it's just too fast. But some moves/strikes are depicted quite well showing execution and impact.

The premise is nothing new except maybe for the added element of Manit's ataraxia. Whoever edited the fights needs help. Some moves are just completed and then another is being executed without seeing how the fighter segued from one to the other. I hate that. I mean, the film's 8 mins. short of being a 90 minute movie. Come on. If the intent was to try to depict Foo as being really fast, that's what under-cranking is for.

Foo's acting chops still need work. But what I liked was that due to his character's lack of emotion, he couldn't really relate to people. Therefore, he would often act in such a way or say things that were completely inappropriate for certain occasions and not see anything wrong with what he'd done and seem amused by it all.

For the most part, I was pleased with the fight choreography. It's intricate in places and the impacts come across very well. There are even a couple of segments of Foo just working out which are kind of cool. Once the fights start, they are constant....just short in many cases. The train fight is so well staged I was even up on the edge of my seat in excitement.

The film had potential but didn't consistently meet it. Still, I wouldn't write it off as a completely wasted effort. I've seen waaaaaay worse. This was good experience for Foo. He just needs someone, like Adkins has Florentine and Jaa has Rittikrai, to showcase his talents and abilities properly. I think it'll happen and right now I just hope he keeps getting the opportunity to grow as a screen fighter.

At the least, you should rent it and check it out. Me? I say it's a keeper and that you should get it!

(@ OKFC: Dude, I don't know why you hate on this so much. I don't see how it's that bad. Not knocking your opinion, bro. I'm just trying to understand. Did we watch 2 different films?)

[Drunken Monk]

You're one of the best reviewers on here, mate. I love how you breakdown the fight scenes. I'll be buying "Muay Thai Warrior" and watching "Bangkok Revenge" due to your reviews. Keep up the good work!

[One Armed Boxer]

You're one of the best reviewers on here, mate.

Seconded, I know I sound like a broken record but I'll keep saying it until it happens - your reviews should be on the main site. No wishy-washy crap....instead we get a detailed break down of exactly what we'd be watching a martial arts movie for - the fights. But not only that, it's a break down which you can tell you've probably put at least an hour or two into writing. Sometimes just reading your descriptions of the fight scenes is enough to get me excited and warrant a purchase of the movie.

As for 'Bangkok Revenge', I'm also interested to hear the counter opinion of OKFC, while I think I'll still be giving it a miss (I just don't think John Foo has much screen presence to hold my attention for a whole movie - just my opinion), it now doesn't sound quite as bad as it first did!

[ShaOW!linDude]

THE KICK (2011) Running time: 94 mins.

Stars: Tae-Joo Na, Jeeja Yanin, Kyung-Suk Kim, Kwan-Hun Lee, Jae-Hyeon Jo, Petchai Wongkamlao, Yi-Roo Kim, Sintushet Babphasuay, Ji-Wan Ye

Dir.: Prachya Pinkaew

Action Supervisor: Panna Rittikrai

Action Choreographers: Chang-Bum An, Sumret Muengput, Weerapon Poomatfon

A Korean family of Tae Kwan Do experts spoils an attempt to steal a kris, a priceless Thai artifact. The criminal gang targets them and forces them to steal as ransom for a kidnapped family member. Martial arts action ensues.

Fight #1 --- Tae Yang (TJN) & Tae Mi (KSK) vs Seok Du (KHL) and his female (YRK) and male (SB) bodyguards

Not a bad opening teaser fight at a terminal. There is really no emphasis on hand techniques, it's all feet. There's a couple of nice flip kicks. KSK pulls off a sweet double kick: jumping front kick going into a spinning back kick. TJN does a nifty double jumping back kick w/alternating feet. It's a quick but cool little move, very Jackie Chan like.

Fight #2 --- Family vs Thugs

At their studio/home. There's a lot going on and it's good but the fights feel a little disjointed at times as they segue from one to another. Still, there's some nice moves on display. TJN performs a double front kick during a back flip that goes into a descending axe kick on landing. This is done in tight quarters and takes out 3 guys. Throughout the fights, the impacts are good. Toward the end he squares off against SB who uses a bit of Muay Thai.

Fight #3 --- Tae Yang & Tae Mi vs Wawa (JY)

Sparring match. Okay, this is lame. They could've done a lot with this and it's just really too short and feels phoned in.

Fight #4 --- Tae Yang, Taee Mi, & Wawa vs thugs led by male body guard (SB)

Wow, there's a lot here with some good choreography in places accentuated with hits and impacts. But neither KSK nor JY really stand out. The best part is when TJN shows up. Initially he gets his head handed to him, but then he goes all whirling-dervish-beatbox-boogie-boy on them. I like this 'cause the choreography is smooth, fast, and comes across as unpredictable. It has a Drunken Boxing sort of feel to me. Best Fight!!!

Fight #5 --- Tae Yang vs thugs

In an abandoned factory. This is more of the same tricking-n-kicking. Very short, not very good. Meh.

Fight #6 --- Big End Fight at the zoo

a) This is super busy. Lots of "comedy" and fighting going on. Most of JY's fights have been rather lackluster up to this point but these are her best in the film, especially when she and KSK tag-team the female bodyguard (YRK). I enjoyed this a lot and it has a good finishing move.

I found TJN's fights to be the best. There are a lot of good stunts and falls, especially in the stalls. The guy's an amazing kicker. There is one point where a bunch of thugs/stuntmen are gathered around and waiting their turn to get kicked, but they have the presence of mind to follow his movement so as to be in the right spot as he goes through the choreography. Love the outtakes during the end credits. When you're knocking folks out, those kicks just ain't for show.

c) Tae Yang vs Seok Du --- this is okay, could've been so much better. What really ruins it is the finishing move (of all things). It seems to me that Seok Du (KHL) is cgi'ed in for the final kick. Lame.

This film is good and bad on a lot of levels. The comedic elements are meh. Jeeja Yanin is underused, and when she's there, her fights are nothing compared to her previous movies. That's disappointing. The MA elements are good but overused and rehashed. I know the title is The Kick and I love seeing good bootwork but sheesh! Let's mix it up a little. This is film is full of trick kicks which is cool but it's like every single kick almost falls into that category. When that's the case, the viewer becomes dulled to it, which is a shame because these are really spectacular physical feats. (Oh! Pun! Kicks = Feats....'cause, you know, kicks are done with feets...I mean feet, and these kicks are feat...I mean feats....never mind.)

Tae-Joo Na is really a talented fellow. He's like a wind-up toy that does back flips until it runs down. Amazing. I just don't feel he ever faces a truly challenging opponent. Sure they try to make it seem that way but you know he's going to go all look-out-can't-stop-me-I'm-trick-kickin'! Still, I'd like to see him do another film or two but guided by someone who will know how to use his ability for the build-up to the big money moment maneuver. (I would've thought Panna had that covered.) For those who've seen this and didn't care for it: revisit the fight in the jungle where he goes into breakdance mode. I know we've seen this in other films, but I think this is the best. It's got a certain flair and rhythm to it that I think is similar to Drunken Style. Watch it again.

Me? I'll keep it. It's a solid B effort and I'll revisit just for the fights. I think it's at least worth a rental. Ultimately, it's your call.

[Drunken Monk]

Great review!

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

BANGKOK REVENGE (2012) Running time: 82 mins.

Stars: Jon Foo, Caroline Ducey, Michael Cohen

Dir.: Jean Marc Mineo

Regleur Cascades (stunt coordinators): David Ismalone, Manop Patcha-Asa

Manit (JF) was ten when his parents were murdered and he was shot in the head and left to die. He is whisked away and placed in hiding in a village with a Muay Thai master who trains him. The head wound leaves him afflicted with ataraxia - brain trauma resulting in the loss of human emotion. 20 years later he learns the details of his parents' deaths and sets out to find those responsible as an emotionless killing machine.

Fight #1 --- Manit vs 4 bar patrons

It's short and shot from Manit's perspective. There's no real choreography here so you don't get to see JF in action. I get what the director was going for but it really doesn't work in this case. Too jumpy.

Fight #2 --- Manit vs 2 goons

In an alley. It's short, too, but there's some nice bits, especially Foo's roundhouse kick driving one guy's face into a door. The editing is a bit too quick in places.

Fight #3 --- Manit vs gang

Cool fight! Opens with a vicious kick that you just have to see. The rest of the fight is then depicted by shadows cast on a brick wall. It's kind of neat and the choreography looks good as it's all done in one take.

Fight #4 --- Manit vs corrupt cops

Good fight! This has some nice hits. The choreography has an easy pace to it with good flow. Again the editing is a bit quick in spots. Still, there are some sweet takedowns in this.

Fight #5 --- Manit vs Manit vs 2 cops

In elevator. This is pretty sweet and Foo gets off a couple of really nice kicks for being in such a confined space!

Fight #6 --- Manit vs more cops

Kind of neat. Foo takes a couple of firearms from 2 guys and then pistol-whips them with their own guns. Then he's surrounded by 5 Muay Thai dudes. He squats down as they rain blows on him which he deflects so that they hit one another while he also sneaks in a few punches. Then he uses a finishing move on each. Kind of interesting.

Fight #7 --- Manit vs girl gang

Meh. The best thing about this is Foo demonstrating more of his acrobatic ability than anything else. Way too many quick cuts here which ruin it.

Fight #8 --- Manit vs 4 thugs

In a car. Very brief and very brutal.

Fight #9 --- Manit vs 3 monks on a train

Best fight!!! There is some sweet choreography here with some combo's and exchanges worthy of rewinding to watch again. One in particular is Foo rising from a cross-legged posture to deliver a roundhouse kick. Love that! This whole fight scene is only marred by some too-quick editing in places but overall is just fantastic. Foo needs to do more of this kind of choreography in his films.

Fight #10 --- Manit & Simon vs 2 goons

Short. JF fights a guy who displays what looks to be a little Monkey style. A few good kicks can be found here.

Fight #11 --- Manit vs 5 hitmen

Wow! This is just brutal. JF goes berserk after taking a beating and delivers some serious "hate" on these dudes......and all while handcuffed. This whole fight segment has good and bad elements. Some of it is shot too close up; quick cuts run rampant; and it's just too fast. But some moves/strikes are depicted quite well showing execution and impact.

The premise is nothing new except maybe for the added element of Manit's ataraxia. Whoever edited the fights needs help. Some moves are just completed and then another is being executed without seeing how the fighter segued from one to the other. I hate that. I mean, the film's 8 mins. short of being a 90 minute movie. Come on. If the intent was to try to depict Foo as being really fast, that's what under-cranking is for.

Foo's acting chops still need work. But what I liked was that due to his character's lack of emotion, he couldn't really relate to people. Therefore, he would often act in such a way or say things that were completely inappropriate for certain occasions and not see anything wrong with what he'd done and seem amused by it all.

For the most part, I was pleased with the fight choreography. It's intricate in places and the impacts come across very well. There are even a couple of segments of Foo just working out which are kind of cool. Once the fights start, they are constant....just short in many cases. The train fight is so well staged I was even up on the edge of my seat in excitement.

The film had potential but didn't consistently meet it. Still, I wouldn't write it off as a completely wasted effort. I've seen waaaaaay worse. This was good experience for Foo. He just needs someone, like Adkins has Florentine and Jaa has Rittikrai, to showcase his talents and abilities properly. I think it'll happen and right now I just hope he keeps getting the opportunity to grow as a screen fighter.

At the least, you should rent it and check it out. Me? I say it's a keeper and that you should get it!

(@ OKFC: Dude, I don't know why you hate on this so much. I don't see how it's that bad. Not knocking your opinion, bro. I'm just trying to understand. Did we watch 2 different films?)

I must've seen a different version in the theater. The fight scene that I saw looked edited and just bad.. I don't remember much from what I saw.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Is fight #2 the one where you only see his shadows doing the fighting? I thought that was cool.

[ShaOW!linDude]

Is fight #2 the one where you only see his shadows doing the fighting? I thought that was cool.

I must've seen a different version in the theater. The fight scene that I saw looked edited and just bad.. I don't remember much from what I saw.

That was fight #3. That was pretty neat.

Nah, dude, the editing in the film is just flat out awful in places but not everywhere, and there's still a lot of good choreography. Maybe a 2nd viewing might be in order. Might be you can rent it and check it out again.

[ShaOW!linDude]

GUARANTEED ON DELIVERY (aka G.O.D.) (2000) Running time: 91 mins.

Stars: Jalal Merhi, Olivier Gruner, David Carradine, Justine Priestley, Josh Barker, Lisa Crosato, Darren Shahlavi

Stunt Coordinator: John Sampson

Dir.: Dean Rusu

***SPOILERS*** (And you will thank me!)

Ray Stanton (JM) is a former cop working as a security guard at a bank. Armed robbers led by Adrian Kaminski (OG) kill his wife when she come to meet him on his lunch break. 5 years later, Ray is working independently as a delivery man who will deliver anything his clients pay him to, no questions asked. On a delivery for Adrian, who Ray fails to recognize, he learns that the crate he's transporting contains a young model named Lisa Belmont (JP) who has been kidnapped and sold so that her organs can be used for transplants. Seeking help from his former security agency boss, Norman Williams (DC), Ray now must not only keep Lisa from the greedy clutches of Adrian but avenge the death of his wife.

Fight #1 --- Ray vs 2 truckers

Meh. This is poorly edited and choreographed, and certainly doesn't show Merhi at his best. Fortunately...it's short.

Fight #2 --- Ray vs henchmen

This is toward the end and there's really only a couple of instances. They're weak and really short. He should've just shot them and been done with it.

Fight #3 --- Ray vs female assassin (Luraina Undershute)

This starts off like it might turn into something good!.....Aaaaand it's not happening. (Sigh.) She tags him with a few punches and kicks, misses him with even more punches and kicks (though it does allow her to display her skills a bit), and then he takes her down and knocks her out with 1 punch. Lame.

Fight #4 --- Ray vs Hitman #3 (DS)

Okay! Here we go! Finally!.........Well, horsefeathers! This started out pretty sweet. DS has a commando knife with a tether and JM has a heavy duty flashlight with a handle attached so he can use it like a tonfa. This fight might run about 2 mins or so. And it's terrible. The angles are bad and I think intentionally so to hide how awful the choreography is. DS gets to showcase a bit but is obviously held at bay so as not to make JM look bad. The fight ends weakly.

And that's it.....oh, wait! I forgot to include:

Fight #5 --- Ray vs Adrian

IT NEVER HAPPENS! That's right! A golden opportunity to pit 2 of MA's B-action stars of the 90's: JM & OG.....never takes place! Nope, Ray does to Adrian what he should've done to the stupid henchmen: shoots him. Aaaaargh!!!!

I picked this up (used) having never heard of it. Saw those names on the title and an action shot on the back, and thought "Hey! This here might be a long lost, forgotten nugget. I'll just scarf that up, thank you." (Oh, it's a nugget alright!)

What happened to the Jalal Merhi of Tiger Claws, Talons of the Eagle, TC 2000, and Expect No Mercy? That dude was pretty bad! In this he appears to have forgotten everything he ever knew about screen-fighting and MA. And Gruner and Shahlavi are completely wasted.

As an acronym G.O.D. should stand for GUARANTEES OUTRAGE & DISAPPOINTMENT. Do...not...ever...waste...your...time...and...money...on...this!!!!!!

[the moose]

I love reviews of bad movies. They're so much more entertaining interesting to read. You write good reviews - keep up the good work.