My Many MiniReviews

[KUNG FU BOB]

I found a post linking to this review from OAB elsewhere and it certainly sounds worth watching.

OAB, who did you get this from? I take it, it wasn't an official release? And also, I don't suppose there has been any news of an official release or fan restoration of "mirage" a.k.a. "mirage of martial arts." In recent months that I am unaware of?

This film IS as fun as these guys make it sound. Absolutely insane fun!

Ask Bigrogie about getting the film.

As for your question about a remastered MIRAGE release, doubtful. The best version I've seen is a rip from the laser disc that has custom English subtitles added. You can get it on ADC.

[One Armed Boxer]

OAB, who did you get this from? I take it, it wasn't an official release?

Hey blue_skies, I got the official Taiwanese release (it's a Taiwan movie) which has embedded English subs from ebay seller daniel_in_taiwan. You can pick it up from here -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/21-Red-List-21-HK-Taiwan-1994-DVD-TAIWAN-ENGLISH-SUBS-/321703717693?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae7092b3d

There was also a thread made about the seller which you can check out here -

http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23056

[blue_skies]

Hey blue_skies, I got the official Taiwanese release (it's a Taiwan movie) which has embedded English subs from ebay seller daniel_in_taiwan. You can pick it up from here -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/21-Red-List-21-HK-Taiwan-1994-DVD-TAIWAN-ENGLISH-SUBS-/321703717693?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae7092b3d

There was also a thread made about the seller which you can check out here -

http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23056

Thanks OAB ordered:tongue:

As for your question about a remastered MIRAGE release, doubtful. The best version I've seen is a rip from the laser disc that has custom English subtitles added. You can get it on ADC.

Thanks KFB, I'll ask Bigrogie if he has this version, since I'm not on ADC

[ShaOW!linDude]

FISTFUL OF TALONS (1983) Running time: 82 mins.

Stars: Billy Chong, Whang In-Shik, Hilda Liu Hao-Yi, Pai Ying, Tien Fong, Cheng Kang-Yeh, Chiang Tao, Ma Chin-Ku, Cheng Kei-Ying, Chen Shan

Action Directors: Tony Leung Siu-Hung & Robert Tai Chi-Hsien

Dir.: Sun Chung

Synopsis

Manchurian rebels are determined to reestablish the Ming Dynasty, but Ching supporters are actively seeking to stop them. Ching I Ming (BC) and a mysterious uncle, Ding Wei Chung (PY), stand against the Manchurian rebel leader Nai Sin (WI-S) and his Imperial Tiger Guard warriors. Joining Ming is Ms. Mao (HLH-Y), a young woman who has a flock of trained eagles. When the mortal enemies finally meet, it results in a fantastic finale of martial arts combat.

Fight #1 --- Ding Wei Chung (PY) vs Manchurian rebels

This is a fun fight!...though under-cranked a bit much. Still, it's some good choreography with a fair amount of swordplay. There are some nice impacts here.

Fight #2 --- Ming (BC) & friends vs Manchurian sympathizers

Fun fight here, too! There's a few crazy, wire-assisted stunts. BC shows some nice kicking skills while he and his friends are on a ponytail hunt.

Fight #3 --- Ming vs 3 bandits

This is short but sweet! I'm liking what I'm seeing of BC's skill set. A couple of really good kicks here and some hard falls.

Fight #4 --- Chung vs 2 rebels

Good fight! 1 rebel uses a short spear. The choreography is so-so, nothing really special to speak of, but it has a really good flow and is highly energetic.

Fight #5 --- Ming vs Ms. Mao's relatives

Another good fight! BC pulls some excellent kicks here in another sequence of high-energy choreography. He comes across with a mix of Jackie Chan's agility and Sonny Chiba's power.

*Awesome training sequence on a giant reclining Buddha.

Fight #6 --- Ming & Chung vs Nai Sin & 3 Imperial Tiger Guards

Best fight! Spectacular finale! This is spread out as BC dispatches the 3 Tiger Guards, but it is his and WI-S' fight that is just killer! High impact kicks with hard falls. Great choreography full of power and extension. Many of the fights throughout the film are rather short, but this one is long running. Even Ms. Mao gets in on the action by calling in a couple of her eagles. The exchanges are great, and WI-S' kicking ability is given a proper showcase. He and BC are a perfect match as opponents. (***SPOILER!!!*** The fight closes with a mind-blowing finishing move with a cinematic moment that will leave your jaw hanging in disbelief as WI-S rips an eagle apart, cementing this film as a kung fu classic!)

Story and acting wise, the movie is par for the course as martial arts films go. The hero is cocky. The villain is mean. The comedy (and thankfully there's not much) is burdensome. The young lady playing Ms. Mao is a looker. She even gets to demonstrate a little skill, but not much, and is typically reserved to being in the way for the most part. What saves this film is the amount of action. There's tons of it, and it's good stuff!!!

I must confess (and please don't think ill of me) that I hadn't heard of Billy Chong until a clip appeared not long ago of Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian (Merantau, The Raid, The Raid 2) meeting him on a Taiwanese or Indonesian talk show. I saw the clip, but didn't really get the significance as I was unaware of BC's contribution to the genre.

Well, that had completely changed. And this is only the 1st film of his I've seen. (Kung Fu Zombie is lined up, and if you've not heard of it, check out One Armed Boxer's review on the CityOnFire website: http://www.cityonfire.com/kung-fu-zombie-1981-review/.) To say he impressed me with his talent is an understatement. I will be seeking out more of his films.

Whang In-Sik is entertaining to watch. I almost didn't recognize him here, but there's no mistaking his abilities. The guy makes for a formidable villain. (Never understood why Bruce Lee didn't let him strut his stuff a little more in Way of the Dragon.) The guy has a lethal right leg. Everything's a roundhouse kick or a side kick, and they're hard-hitting.

The pairing of these two was genius. Any fan of the genre should diligently seek this out. It's old school, a piece of B movie nostalgia. It's what we fans crave nowadays. GO OUT AND GET THIS NOW!!!!!!

[One Armed Boxer]

Fight #6 --- Ming & Chung vs Nai Sin & 3 Imperial Tiger Guards

Best fight! Spectacular finale! This is spread out as BC dispatches the 3 Tiger Guards, but it is his and WI-S' fight that is just killer! High impact kicks with hard falls. Great choreography full of power and extension. Many of the fights throughout the film are rather short, but this one is long running. Even Ms. Mao gets in on the action by calling in a couple of her eagles. The exchanges are great, and WI-S' kicking ability is given a proper showcase. He and BC are a perfect match as opponents. (***SPOILER!!!*** The fight closes with a mind-blowing finishing move with a cinematic moment that will leave your jaw hanging in disbelief as WI-S rips an eagle apart, cementing this film as a kung fu classic!)

Agreed, this is one of my favorite old-school finales. Whang In-sik and Billy Chong are two performers that just exude intensity, and their showdown lives up to expectations. I checked this for the first time last year, and it was one of the few recently watched kung-fu movies that got my heart pumping like they did back when I first got into the genre 16 years ago.

Whang In-Sik is entertaining to watch. I almost didn't recognize him here, but there's no mistaking his abilities. The guy makes for a formidable villain. (Never understood why Bruce Lee didn't let him strut his stuff a little more in Way of the Dragon.)

Because it'd be obvious that In-sik would hand his ass to him on a plate?

(Kung Fu Zombie is lined up, and if you've not heard of it, check out One Armed Boxer's review on the CityOnFire website: http://www.cityonfire.com/kung-fu-zombie-1981-review/.) To say he impressed me with his talent is an understatement. I will be seeking out more of his films.

Thanks for the shout out dude, I hope we get a mini-review of 'Kung Fu Zombie' as well. It's cartoony in comparison to 'Fistful of Talons', but that's not a bad thing and it fits in with the tone. In place of In-sik we get another intense Korean boot master in the form of Kwan Yung Moon, so you're guaranteed some kung-fu goodness whichever way you look at it!

[ShaOW!linDude]

KWOON (2004) Running time: 90 mins.

Stars: Onassis Parungao, Todd Roy, Jimmy Lam, Nathan Decker, Chuck Becker

Choreographer: Onassis Parungao

Writ. & Dir.: Todd Roy

Synopsis

The adventures of 5 guys from a kung fu school in northern California. The dvd actually contains 3 episodes of the "Kwoon" web series.

Episode #2 --- "Death vs Kung Fu Carwash" (featuring Cung Le as Mort Ission)

Episode #3 --- Collection Agency

Episode #4 --- Mummy Dearest

The dvd is also loaded with deleted scenes, outtakes, and special features, which include a large number of videos.

This mini-review contains no fight descriptions...I'll explain.

I first came to know about Kwoon, as many of you might have, from the Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting compilation dvd. That also introduced me to the Stunt People. Now I'll be honest, I wasn't all that impressed with the Kwoon video. I mean, there was certainly some martial art talent on display, but it just didn't click with me, especially compared to many of the other videos on the disc. It was meant to be campy and funny with a good dose of fight action. To me, it was meh.

So while I diligent sought out things done by the Stunt People, I always shied away from this dvd whenever I came across it at used disc stores. That is until about 3 weeks ago, when I discovered it marked down to $0.48. Yes, that's 48 cents in US dollars...I mean cents. I consider myself a supporter of indie film makers, especially of the fu genre, and as leery as I had been about ever buying this, I thought, "Hey, it's only 48 cents. I have that much in pocket lint on me right now."

Dudes...this is absolutely torturous. I almost want my pocket lint back. The campy, cheesy comedy falls flatter than a ninja slipping on a banana peel. It is so juvenile, it's almost unbearable to get through. The sound drops in and out; the lighting isn't staged all that well unless it's set outside; and the acting and dialogue are wince-inducing. (I swear it's like I sat through all 3 eps with 1 eye squinted shut.) Todd Roy's character named...Todd (du'h)...gets a pair of bloody nipples in every episode. EVERY...EPISODE. It's a running gag...and gag it does. The majority of the fight scenes are poorly executed, which should be what salvages this entire effort and production. And man, it's quite a large scale production as you can tell by those listed in the credits, and seen in some of the behind-the-scenes bits.

Probably the best episode is the one with Cung Le, and it's awful. I'm sure he had fun doing it, and who knows how they managed to wrangle him for this? He is absolutely wasted. There is 1 scene where he takes on the 5 Kwoon fellas, and while there's a couple of nice moves, ultimately it's underwhelming.

Honestly the only standout thing or person in this is Onassis Parungao. The guy has a presence, and he's a good choreographer. His stuff has an old school flair that often includes some "shapes" work. He's fast and fluid, but no one else can really pull off his choreography, and give it the feel and power he does. But even he isn't always such a solid screen fighter, though the potential is there. (I'd love to see Eric Jacobus enlist him for a fight scene. That'd be a good match, I think.)

Oh, and some of the extras were kind of neat, but who's gonna watch those more than once? So, to sum up...

The dvd of Kwoon

Didn't make me swoon.

It would be a boon,

If it had ended soon.

Then I would croon,

To the full moon,

Like a happy baboon,

Rather than feeling like I'd stuck my head in a large, brass pot to lick from the crusty, dregs-filled bottom of a moldy, tobacco spit-saturated spittoon.

(Hmmm, that last line needs some work.)

AVOID!!!! AVOID!!!! AVOID!!!! (Seriously, I want my pocket lint back.)

[ShaOW!linDude]

I have meaning to post this for ages. I'm posting a list of the films I've reviewed so anyone browsing can run them down without skimming the whole thread. (Which is almost 50 pages long. Sheesh. May have to cut this one in half.) Similar lists can be found on Pages 6 & 13. (Sigh!) Here goes...

Pg 13

ARMOR OF GOD 2 (aka OPERATION CONDOR) --- Get it!!!!

Pg 14

NIGHT OF THE WARRIOR --- Get it!

SUPERFIGHTS --- Get it!

ULTIMATE FIGHT --- It's your call.

SKINNY TIGER & FATTY DRAGON --- Get it!!!!

Pg 15

CARRY ON PICKPOCKET --- Get it!!!!

THE IRON-FISTED MONK --- Get it!!!

RAGE --- It's your call, but recommended.

RECOIL --- Get it!

DEADLY BET --- Get it!

MANDRILL --- Get it!!!!

KING OF TRIADS --- Get it!

Pg 16

FIST 2 FIST (aka HAND 2 HAND) --- It's your call.

BEATDOWN --- AVOID!!!

TO BE THE BEST --- It's your call.

FINAL IMPACT --- Get it!

KICKBOXER 5: REDEMPTION --- Get it!

Pg 17

I AM OMEGA --- It's your call.

TRUE LEGEND --- AVOID!!!

Pg 18

THE LEGEND OF BRUCE LEE --- It's your call, but recommended.

BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF --- Get it!!!!

Pg 19

CRYING FREEMAN --- Get it!

THE MILLIONAIRE'S EXPRESS (aka THE SHANGHAI EXPRESS) --- Get it!!!!

Pg 20

SHANGHAI SHANGHAI --- Get it!

THE RAID --- Get it!!!!!!

DEATH GRIP --- Get it!

Pg 21

THUNDERBOLT --- Get it!

ROYAL WARRIORS --- Get it!

Pg 22

MAGNIFICENT WARRIORS --- Get it!

SILVER HAWK --- It's your call.

BROKEN PATH --- Get it!!!!!!!!!!!

Pg 23

BODYGUARDS & ASSASSINS --- It's your call.

HERO (1997) --- It's your call, but recommended.

Pg 24

MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY --- Get it!

BLACK COBRA --- AVOID!!!!!!

MUAY THAI WARRIOR (aka YAMADA: SAMURAI OF AYOTHAYA) --- Get it!!!

Pg 25

BANGKOK REVENGE --- Get it!!!

THE KICK --- It's your call, but recommended.

GUARANTEED ON DELIVERY --- AVOID!!!!

Pg 26

FORCED TO FIGHT --- It's your call.

THE KING OF THE STREETS --- It's your call.

TRIAD WARS --- Get it!

Pg 27

AMERICAN BRAWLER --- Get it!!!!

Pg 28

THE LAST SENTINEL --- AVOID!!!!

NINJA: SHADOW OF A TEAR --- Get it!!!!!

Pg 29

HAYWIRE --- Get it!

Pg 30

WU XIA --- It's your call.

CHINESE ZODIAC --- Get it!!!!

Pg 31

BUSHIDO MAN --- Get it!!!

Pg 32

GAMBLING GHOST --- Get it!!!!

Pg 35

THE BODYGUARD --- It's your call, more for Chiba completionists.

BODYGUARD 2: KIBA: APOCALYPSE OF CARNAGE --- It's your call.

Pg 37

TEKKEN 2: KAZUYA'S REVENGE --- Get it!!!

Pg 38

NINJA APOCALYPSE --- It's your call.

TOM YUM GOONG 2 (aka THE PROTECTOR 2) --- It's your call, more for Jaa completionists.

Pg 40

ERIC JACOBUS & THE STUNT PEOPLE SHORT FILM SERIES VOL.1 --- Get it!!!!!!!

Pg 41

MORTAL KOMBAT: LEGACY 2 --- It's your call.

Pg 42

BLACK MASK 2: CITY OF MASKS --- AVOID!!!!!

2000 A.D. --- It's your call.

Pg 43

WRONG SIDE OF TOWN --- AVOID!!!!

BANGKOK ASSASSINS --- AVOID!!!!

CHAMPIONS (2008) --- It's your call.

Pg 44

EXTREME CHALLENGE --- Get it!

EL GRINGO --- Get it!

21 RED LIST --- Get it!!!!

Pg 45

FALCON RISING --- Get it!!!!

MISFIRE --- AVOID!!!!!

Pg 46

FISTFUL OF TALONS --- Get it!!!

KWOON --- AVOID!!!!

(Wow! Hope this will post.)

[ShaOW!linDude]

KING SWINDLER aka RETURN OF THE FAT DRAGON (1993) Running time: 95 mins.

Stars: Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Sandra Ng Kwun-Yu, Tou Chung-Hua, Liu Chun, Hiu Hiu, Lau Kei, Choi Gaai-Wang, Yeung Hung, Choi Chung-Chau

Action Director: Lam Man-Cheung

Dir: Kevin Chu Yen-Ping

Synopsis

Sammo Hung plays a former fighter who's down on his luck, who has turned to gambling for a living. His wife left him, and he uses his son as a dupe to help him cheat and win card games. When he gets busted in a sting, the arresting female officer (Sandra Ng Kwun-Yu) takes his son to live with her and her little boy. The 2 kids become fast friends while Sammo is incarcerated. Once he's released, Sammo decides to try fighting again. When the boys are kidnapped, he's forced to take a dive or else.

Fight #1 --- Sammo vs Cops posing as gamblers

A short but powerful fight! There's a nice bit where Sammo jerks a guy's leg across a table in order to give him a roundhouse kick to the head.

Fight #2 --- Sammo vs Gamblers

Best fight!!! Sammo showcases a little Drunken style, not a lot but some. The choreography here doesn't appear to be under-cranked, and it would have helped the flow of things, but there are little moments of ingenuity throughout that are pretty cool. It wraps up with Sammo pulling off a short series of kicks that displays the Fat Dragon's agility.

Fight #3 --- Underground Fight #1

Nothing special to had here. It's just some give and take, and Sammo wins.

Fight #4 --- Underground Fight #2

This is super short, but really good, culminating in Sammo's patented side kick.

Fight #3 --- Underground Fight #3

This, unfortunately, is not what it could have been. The fight is interspersed with the kids' antics while trying to escape their kidnappers (think "Home Alone"). Meanwhile, Sammo's just taking a beating. Suddenly the kids are free, and show up with the cops. Sammo rallies and defeats his opponent with half a dozen blows and a double-footed flying kick.

This is a rather hard movie to sit through. It's more comedy than action, and the action isn't very lengthy. Much of the comedy is hammy and rather juvenile. I didn't laugh once. It borrows certain bits from other films, too. (There's the "Home Alone" bit I referenced, and a "Rocky" like segment of Sammo running through town.) There are 3 musical numbers, and one is a song set to young love between children that I find to be wholly out of place, to the point it makes me cringe.

I don't want to say it's bad, but it's not good. How "not good" is it? Apparently it's so "not good" that many of the characters don't even warrant names. You're left to sort that out for yourself. The kids are annoying. The characters of Sammo and his love interest/female cop aren't anyone you feel like rooting for. To top it all off, the fight choreography starts out strong, but then weakens throughout the film. Yikes! Yes, it is that "not good".

I'll tell you now, this is one for Sammo fans only because...well, it's Sammo. Completionists will want to see it. Anyone else? It's your call, but he has way better films than this.

[DrNgor]

Interesting review. Lam Man-Cheung has had an interesting career, working on Kevin Chu epics like Fantasy Mission Force; A Book of Heroes (right next to DRIVE as the best Jackie Chan movie to not star Jackie Chan); and The Prisoner. He also worked on The Three Ninjas Knuckle Up and Fan Siu-Wong's phenomenal The Death Games. To me, he's the unsung hero of Taiwanese fight choreography.

[massa_yoda]

KING SWINDLER aka RETURN OF THE FAT DRAGON (1993) Running time: 95 mins.

Fight #2 --- Sammo vs Gamblers

Best fight!!! Sammo showcases a little Drunken style, not a lot but some. The choreography here doesn't appear to be under-cranked, and it would have helped the flow of things, but there are little moments of ingenuity throughout that are pretty cool. It wraps up with Sammo pulling off a short series of kicks that displays the Fat Dragon's agility.

Yeah, that Drunken style fight was awesome. It really stands out and almost feels like it belongs in a different film. I hardly remember this one outside of that one fight.

[ShaOW!linDude]

BOUNTY TRACKER (1992) Running time: 87 mins.

Stars: Lorenzo Lamas, Matthias Hues, Cyndi Pass, Paul Regina, Brooks Gardner, Eugene Robert Glazer, Anthony Peck, Ken Ober, Eddie Frias, George Perez, Lawrence Lowe, Judd Omen, Whip Hubley

Fight Choreographer: Jeff Pruitt

Asst. F.C.: Koichi Sakamoto

Dir.: Kurt Anderson

Synopsis

Johnathan Damone (LL) works in Boston as a bounty hunter. He goes out to L.A. to visit his brother Paul, who works in an accounting firm. A coworker of Paul's had laundered money for a crooked businessman, and both of them are expected to testify. Even though jailed, the businessman has reached out to a team of ex-mercenaries turned hitmen led by Erik Gauss (MH). Damone arrives to visit his brother and pregnant wife, who are living under police protection until the trial. Gauss and his team hit the house, killing everyone except Damone. Even though Gauss has a reward on his head for $100,000, it's not about the money for the bounty tracker. It's about revenge.

Fight #1 --- Damone (LL) vs 2 thugs

It's not a bad opening fight. The editing isn't the greatest, which is probably what mars it. There are a few good elbows and a couple of nice flips. All in all, it's not very dynamic, but I've seen worse.

Fight #2 --- Gauss (MH) vs 2 policemen

Short but sweet fight!! MH unloads on the 2 cops with a nice display of his strength. His MA moves are crisp and sharp. There's a neat little hook kick to the groin and some vicious elbow strikes.

Fight #3 --- Damone vs Talton (BG)

Good fight! LL gets to unload a few kicks and later on a nice little combo that ends with a spinning back fist. It's a good exchange between the two with solid choreography.

Fight #4 --- Damone vs Indonesian MA students

BEST FIGHT!!!!! Awesome choreography here!!! Good flow; good exchanges; good combo's; great impacts! LL really showcases his kicking skills here, and even dabbles in some bo staff and swordplay. To me, this has got to be one of LL's best screen fights ever! (The other fighters are played by Leo Lee, Koichi Sakamoto, Tsuyoshi Abe, Burton Richardson, & Jeff Pruitt. They all get their own little moments to shine, but they really make LL's character look good.)

Fight #5 --- Damone vs Gauss

Good end fight!!! I wish it would've been a bit longer. MH really manhandles LL at the outset with some brutal throws. They have a few nice exchanges before LL rallies with a flurry of punches, a power strike, and a series of kicks to finish him off.

Plot-wise, this is your run-of-the-mill revenge flick. It's solid enough, though the acting of some of the supporting cast is a bit hammy. I like Lamas as an actor and a screen fighter. He sells his fights, isn't afraid to take a licking, and does his own falls. He has some pretty good lines in this, too. My favorite is when he enters the MA school and is eventually surrounded by the fighters. He rolls his eyes and says, "What is this? The advanced class?" Later, when the teacher Kuto (Leo Lee) enters in his traditional garb, Lamas says, "Nice jammies. Did we wake you?"

For a B actioner, this has some solid fighting, and it's augmented with some shootouts. The MA school fight is probably one of my favorite "1 vs multiple fighters" set pieces ever put to film. Hues and Lamas are a great contrast to each other. Wish they would've done another film pitting the two of them against each other.

Sadly, this has never gotten a proper US dvd release, and I'm loath to tell you what I paid for it. I hadn't seen it in almost twenty years, and it was worth it. (Oh, and at the time, it was the last available copy.)

I would encourage you to seek this one out! GET THIS!!!!! To me, it's one of the best American MA films made purely for the fight choreography. And If you haven't ever seen Lorenzo Lamas in Night of the Warrior, you need to hunt that one down, too. Luckily, it does have a US dvd release. (Here's a link to my mini-review for it.)

http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?p=181362#post181362

[AlbertV]

BOUNTY TRACKER (1992) Running time: 87 mins.

Stars: Lorenzo Lamas, Matthias Hues, Cyndi Pass, Paul Regina, Brooks Gardner, Eugene Robert Glazer, Anthony Peck, Ken Ober, Eddie Frias, George Perez, Lawrence Lowe, Judd Omen, Whip Hubley

Fight Choreographer: Jeff Pruitt

Asst. F.C.: Koichi Sakamoto

Dir.: Kurt Anderson

Synopsis

Johnathan Damone (LL) works in Boston as a bounty hunter. He goes out to L.A. to visit his brother Paul, who works in an accounting firm. A coworker of Paul's had laundered money for a crooked businessman, and both of them are expected to testify. Even though jailed, the businessman has reached out to a team of ex-mercenaries turned hitmen led by Erik Gauss (MH). Damone arrives to visit his brother and pregnant wife, who are living under police protection until the trial. Gauss and his team hit the house, killing everyone except Damone. Even though Gauss has a reward on his head for $100,000, it's not about the money for the bounty tracker. It's about revenge.

Fight #1 --- Damone (LL) vs 2 thugs

It's not a bad opening fight. The editing isn't the greatest, which is probably what mars it. There are a few good elbows and a couple of nice flips. All in all, it's not very dynamic, but I've seen worse.

Fight #2 --- Gauss (MH) vs 2 policemen

Short but sweet fight!! MH unloads on the 2 cops with a nice display of his strength. His MA moves are crisp and sharp. There's a neat little hook kick to the groin and some vicious elbow strikes.

Fight #3 --- Damone vs Talton (BG)

Good fight! LL gets to unload a few kicks and later on a nice little combo that ends with a spinning back fist. It's a good exchange between the two with solid choreography.

Fight #4 --- Damone vs Indonesian MA students

BEST FIGHT!!!!! Awesome choreography here!!! Good flow; good exchanges; good combo's; great impacts! LL really showcases his kicking skills here, and even dabbles in some bo staff and swordplay. To me, this has got to be one of LL's best screen fights ever! (The other fighters are played by Leo Lee, Koichi Sakamoto, Tsuyoshi Abe, Burton Richardson, & Jeff Pruitt. They all get their own little moments to shine, but they really make LL's character look good.)

Fight #5 --- Damone vs Gauss

Good end fight!!! I wish it would've been a bit longer. MH really manhandles LL at the outset with some brutal throws. They have a few nice exchanges before LL rallies with a flurry of punches, a power strike, and a series of kicks to finish him off.

Plot-wise, this is your run-of-the-mill revenge flick. It's solid enough, though the acting of some of the supporting cast is a bit hammy. I like Lamas as an actor and a screen fighter. He sells his fights, isn't afraid to take a licking, and does his own falls. He has some pretty good lines in this, too. My favorite is when he enters the MA school and is eventually surrounded by the fighters. He rolls his eyes and says, "What is this? The advanced class?" Later, when the teacher Kuto (Leo Lee) enters in his traditional garb, Lamas says, "Nice jammies. Did we wake you?"

For a B actioner, this has some solid fighting, and it's augmented with some shootouts. The MA school fight is probably one of my favorite "1 vs multiple fighters" set pieces ever put to film. Hues and Lamas are a great contrast to each other. Wish they would've done another film pitting the two of them against each other.

Sadly, this has never gotten a proper US dvd release, and I'm loath to tell you what I paid for it. I hadn't seen it in almost twenty years, and it was worth it. (Oh, and at the time, it was the last available copy.)

I would encourage you to seek this one out! GET THIS!!!!! To me, it's one of the best American MA films made purely for the fight choreography. And If you haven't ever seen Lorenzo Lamas in Night of the Warrior, you need to hunt that one down, too. Luckily, it does have a US dvd release. (Here's a link to my mini-review for it.)

http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?p=181362#post181362

Awesome review...I think this was only one of the two or three Lamas films I haven't gotten a chance to see, but I'm definitely going to look out for it. I totally agree with your thoughts on Night of the Warrior, that's one of his better films as well. I personally would also recommend for those wanting to check out Lamas' work, Final Impact, where he plays more of a mentor, a broken ex-champion who takes a young kickboxer under his wing. The film was the action debut of Michael Worth, who plays Lamas' protege.

[One Armed Boxer]

Great review ShaOW!linDude.

I like Lamas as an actor and a screen fighter. He sells his fights, isn't afraid to take a licking, and does his own falls.

Confession time, I've never heard of this guy, let alone his movies, so this has been an education for me.

Asst. F.C.: Koichi Sakamoto

Now there's a name I'm familiar with, as well as being one that always gets my attention. Early 90's Sakamoto choreography? Count me in! & it appears he also briefly gets in on the action -

Fight #4 --- Damone vs Indonesian MA students

BEST FIGHT!!!!! Awesome choreography here!!! Good flow; good exchanges; good combo's; great impacts! LL really showcases his kicking skills here, and even dabbles in some bo staff and swordplay. To me, this has got to be one of LL's best screen fights ever! (The other fighters are played by Leo Lee, Koichi Sakamoto, Tsuyoshi Abe, Burton Richardson, & Jeff Pruitt. They all get their own little moments to shine, but they really make LL's character look good.)

Sadly, this has never gotten a proper US dvd release, and I'm loath to tell you what I paid for it. I hadn't seen it in almost twenty years, and it was worth it. (Oh, and at the time, it was the last available copy.)

I feel like I shouldn't tell you this, but the movie has a DVD release here in Australia. I just picked it up new from an Australian online retailer for $5...looking forward to giving it a watch!

[ShaOW!linDude]

Confession time, I've never heard of this guy, let alone his movies, so this has been an education for me.

He was a TV star in the 80's, mostly in the nighttime drama vein, who moved into films in the 90's, mainly DTV stuff. He did a number of action films, and is an accomplished martial artist in karate, aikido, and judo (I think). He's a good actor compared to most B movie stars, but he's made some bad film choices. He had a real popular TV series in the late 90's titled Renegade. It wasn't bad, and had some decent MA action in it. I actually think that between it, the Highlander TV series, and Mark Dacascos in The Crow: Stairway to Heaven TV series, American audiences were getting a healthy dose of some good MA via cable shows. I believe those, along with Chuck Norris' Walker series, paved the way for Sammo's hitting the US airwaves with the Martial Law series, though it was short-lived.

I feel like I shouldn't tell you this, but the movie has a DVD release here in Australia. I just picked it up new from an Australian online retailer for $5...looking forward to giving it a watch!

What! Are you kidding me? Dadgummit, man! That's 20% of what I paid. Ah, well. Good score, dude! Lemme know if you pick up NOTW, too. It would be a good compliment to BT. Here's a link to the mini-review of Final Impact, too, in case you want to browse it.

http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?p=189648#post189648

[AlbertV]

He was a TV star in the 80's, mostly in the nighttime drama vein, who moved into films in the 90's, mainly DTV stuff. He did a number of action films, and is an accomplished martial artist in karate, aikido, and judo (I think). He's a good actor compared to most B movie stars, but he's made some bad film choices. He had a real popular TV series in the late 90's titled Renegade. It wasn't bad, and had some decent MA action in it. I actually think that between it, the Highlander TV series, and Mark Dacascos in The Crow: Stairway to Heaven TV series, American audiences were getting a healthy dose of some good MA via cable shows. I believe those, along with Chuck Norris' Walker series, paved the way for Sammo's hitting the US airwaves with the Martial Law series, though it was short-lived.

It should also be mentioned that Lamas also appeared in Grease, playing football playing goofball Tom Chisum, who had eyes for Olivia Newton John's Sandy. Lamas played a spoof of Antonio Banderas, named Antonio Bandana in James Lew's mockumentary 18 Fingers of Death! and he will appear in the upcoming Atomic Eden starring Fred Williamson and Mike Moeller.

[ShaOW!linDude]

It should also be mentioned that Lamas also appeared in Grease, playing football playing goofball Tom Chisum, who had eyes for Olivia Newton John's Sandy. Lamas played a spoof of Antonio Banderas, named Antonio Bandana in James Lew's mockumentary 18 Fingers of Death! and he will appear in the upcoming Atomic Eden starring Fred Williamson and Mike Moeller.

Thanks, AV. While the info is interesting, it's not exactly pertinent to the point I was making to OAB. Hope his role in Moeller film is a good one though.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

No Mad Max review?

[ShaOW!linDude]

No Mad Max review?

Sorry, OKFC. I haven't been to see that yet. Plus, it's kind of hard to rewind the fight scenes at the theater.

[ToryK]

You never got around to reviewing The Raid 2, did you? I'd love to read that one!

[ShaOW!linDude]

You never got around to reviewing The Raid 2, did you? I'd love to read that one!

Aw, man! I think you're right, ToryK. I think I put it off because so many people were reviewing it or commenting on it at the time, I figured a mini-review might be a little redundant. But it's been a year or so now. I could do that at some point this summer.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Sorry, OKFC. I haven't been to see that yet. Plus, it's kind of hard to rewind the fight scenes at the theater.

Not unless you bring your phone and bootleg it, hah!

[ToryK]

Aw, man! I think you're right, ToryK. I think I put it off because so many people were reviewing it or commenting on it at the time, I figured a mini-review might be a little redundant. But it's been a year or so now. I could do that at some point this summer.

Redundant? No, sir. I think we all look forward to reading your reviews more than just about anybody's. I think we'd ALL like to read that one.

[ShaOW!linDude]

Not unless you bring your phone and bootleg it, hah!

Aw, man! You're trying to get me in trouble.

Redundant? No, sir. I think we all look forward to reading your reviews more than just about anybody's. I think we'd ALL like to read that one.

Aw, man! Thanks for the compliment. I appreciate the encouragement.

Well, I promise I will definitely do a mini-review of The Raid 2 before long. I plan on posting another mini-review this afternoon. I ordered some stuff here recently and back a few months ago, so I've got plenty to watch and write about. I still owe another Billy Chong review to OAB.

[ShaOW!linDude]

DRAGON FIRE (1993) Running time: 90 mins.

Stars: Dominic LaBanca, Pamela Runo, Dennis Keiffer, Kisu, Harold Hazeldine, Michael Blanks, Randall Ideishi

Fight Coordination: Kisu & The Harmonious Fist

Dir.: Rick Jacobson

Synopsis

Set in the future, Laker Powers (DLB) travels from New World 2 back to Earth, now a slum planet, to visit his brother Johnny (DK) only to learn that he's dead. Johnny was a "junker", a fighter in the underground circuit. The only way to find his brother's killer is to let a streetwise hustler named Slick (Kisu) train Laker and get him into the fight scene.

***There are lots of fights, the majority very brief.***

Fight #1 --- Johnny (DK) vs Junker

Meh. It's okay; nothing special. Some rather 1-sided exchanges with multiple shots of the same blow (standard triple take). It does have a couple of nice kicks.

Fight #2 --- Masked killer (Kisu) vs Johnny

Wow!!! This will perk you up! Starts with a jumping front kick and segues into some Mantis style. It's a brutal, wholly 1-sided beatdown, but there's a few nice techniques.

Fight #3 --- Laker (DLB) vs hoodlums

Meh. DLB struts his stuff here. He's a kicker. It's not a bad fight, but some of the blows are obvious misses.

Fight #4 --- Laker vs 2 muggers

Meh again. Obviously this is supposed to mimic the Jackie Chan method of choreography of avoiding attacks while using the attackers against one another or striking them on the fly. You can tell it's practiced because there's a lot of stop-and-go in the flow. It doesn't work.

Fight #5 --- Chick Fight

Ugh! This is horrible! It's just a slow slugfest.

Fight #6 --- Laker vs Eddie (HH)

Fun little sparring match. It's got good flow and good exchanges, but it's short.

Fight #7 --- Eddie vs Morales

Good fight! HH uses some animal systems (I noted a Northern Snake Style strike) and Tai Chi. There's a really nice finishing move.

Fight #8 --- Ahmed (MB) vs Black Fighter

Not bad. MB is big and tall, but he has good flexibility. He doesn't showcase much here. It's mainly power hits.

Fight #9 --- Li (RI) vs Big Black Fighter

It's okay. There's a couple of good kicks.Unfortunately there's a lot of RI's power-posing, and it's annoying.

Fight #10 --- Black Ice vs Goth Football Fighter

Meh. The GFF guy has some nice footwork, but he's destined to lose to a power-hitter like BI.

Fight #11 --- Laker vs Hulk

Decent fight. The guy playing Hulk is big, dumpy dude who's supposed to be a brawler. Some of the choreography is iffy, but it wraps up with DLB delivering a nice double jump kick and a spinning hook kick.

Fight #12 --- Li vs Kemal

More power-posing from RI, but he does throw a couple of cool jumping roundhouse kicks.

Fight #13 --- Ahmed vs White Fighter

Nice! Lots of good bootwork from MB in this one. The big man can move!

Fight #14 --- Eddie vs Van Damme Reject Fighter

Sweet fight! HH displays lots of Tai Chi here and a jump-spinning reverse crescent kick.

Fight #15 --- Laker vs Li

More pre-fight power-posing, and then it starts...and it's over. Thank goodness.

Fight #16 --- Laker vs Black Ice

Good fight! DLB really unloads some beautiful kicks here!

Fight #17 --- Ahmed vs Eddie

Ugh! It's just a beatdown, which is bogus. There's nothing special about this except to make MB look intimidating.

Fight #18 --- Laker vs Ahmed

Good fight!!! Some nice exchanges and lots of bootwork! There's a scissor-leg takedown, a jump-spinning back kick, a jump-spinning roundhouse kick, with some good deflections and blocks thrown in. All in all, it's a pretty good mix-up!

Fight #19 --- Laker vs Slick

BEST FIGHT!!!!! There's some killer choreography here! The end fight starts with great, dynamic flow, and changes to vignettes of techniques and exchanges. It's flavored with bits of Mantis Style, Wing Chun, Tai Chi, Muay Thai, and Tae Kwon Do. It's superb stuff, and the saving grace of the movie!

Plot-wise, it's your typical revenge flick, and the acting is hit and miss, which is all typically of B-action films. Harold Hazeldine as Eddie is a really cool character. Sort of like a manic James Hetfield. He has a great line when he's watching Laker fight and he says, "Oh, you're blocking with your face again." Randall Ideishi is someone you will instantly recognize from films of this time and genre. He's a 5 foot tall Asian dude who acts all crazy and flexes his muscles like he's 10 feet tall. He's always a supporting player (fortunately) and never lasts more than 3 bouts, which is about all I can stand. (Actually, I can't even stand that much of him.)

All the action is interspersed with lots of ladies. I mean, you'll see a lot of the ladies. A lot of them. If you catch my drift.

The fights are solid enough, some standing out more than others, though they aren't always very consistent. Certain maneuvers are used often, but not enough to appear as crutches for the choreography. It's nice to see a dabbling of styles appear in places. Kisu (who plays Slick) had duties as choreographer, and he does a really good job. He's a decent actor, too. He's had small parts in a number of other films as a fighter, too. Dominic LaBanca is okay. He just really doesn't have a great screen presence, but is suitable for this, but has only ever had supporting roles other than this. However, both of these guys have never starred in another picture of this ilk. Considering Kisu's talents, I would have thought this might have propelled his film career further. His career bio is certainly better than DLB's.

I say Get This! It's a fun flick with some solid choreography that caps it off with a boss end fight! (Which is something that is often failed to be delivered.)

[ShaOW!linDude]

SWORN TO JUSTICE (1996) Running time: 97 mins.

Stars: Cynthia Rothrock, Tony Lo Bianco, Kurt McKinney, Brad Dourif, Mako, Walter Koenig, Kenn Scott, Katie Mitchell, Max Thayer, Mary-Margaret Humes, Stephen Quadros, Vince Murdocco

Fight Choreography: Douglas Kung, Eric Lee, Art Camacho

Dir: Paul Maslak

Synopsis

Janna Dane (CR), a psychologist and expert witness, returns home from vacation to find her sister and nephew murdered. The killers, still in her house, attack her. The resulting trauma leaves her with the ability to have premonitions. She becomes a vigilante determined to bring to justice those responsible. Nick Langford (KM) complicates her life as a new love interest, who would steer her from a path of vengeance...or will he be pulled along in her wake?

Fight #1 --- Janna (CR) vs 3 home invaders

Hmmm...this has some good stuff in it, but it's so poorly edited. It's a little too quick, like there's a little too much shaved off the moves. Thus, the flow isn't very good. Still, CR gets off a couple of nice kicks considering she's in a business suit.

Fight #2 --- Janna vs 3 robbers

Well, this is a little better, though it's given a comical flair...that just didn't work. Still, CR gets to show a range of kicks, and a couple of the falls were impressive. (According to CR in the BTS featurette, the guy who did those falls also worked as a clown fora certain well known circus. She also admits they went for a Jackie Chan style of fight.)

Fight #3 --- Janna vs mugger

Very short, but CR lets loose with some kicks, especially a sweet hook kick. It's really not much of a fight.

Fight #4 --- Eugene (KS) vs Pete the mechanic

Not bad! KS shows his chops, and he looks good, especially his back kick.

Fight #5 --- Janna vs 4 bank robbers

Meh. CR takes out one guy, but then this quickly devolves into a rather lame shootout.

Fight #6 --- Janna vs chop shop crew

This whole sequence could've been so much better. It's mainly a shootout, but there's one good fight pitting CR against an Asian guy (Douglas Kung) who has some good skills. Again the editing mars the flow, but there are some nice kicks and impacts thought.

Fight #7 --- End fight

Best fight!!!...in places. Starts off with Janna facing off against Eugene. For this CR uses a pair of escrima sticks, and KS uses nunchucks. This is pretty good, but is soon interrupted by the arrival of the main villain and KM. This leads to CR and KM taking on the gang. I don't understand what's going on in this film. Again CR's fights look good, but are poorly edited making her moves appeared clipped short. KM's fights look great. CR eventually chases after the main villain for a rather lame final confrontation. This leaves KM and KS to engage in the best fight of the film. The editing is spot on, the camera hangs back, and the exchanges are solid with plenty of good bootwork. KM still has talent and is an excellent screen fighter.

As far as the plot goes, it's reminiscent of many we've come across in this genre, with the protagonist being male. In this instance, it's a female. Here CR isn' a tough tomboy cop. She's become a victim to a certain degree, but one with the means to dish out a little justice. The acting is fairly good for the most part, and there's a good supporting cast. Honestly, the problem is the action.

I'm going to make a confession. I've only ever seen one Rothrock film (as far as where she was the front and center star), and that was Outside the Law, which I believe I found to be quite underwhelming. Oh, and Night Vision, which sucked!!!!! I love her in the HK films I've seen her in. I guess I'm just watching the wrong American made films she's done. Right now the impression I have is that no one knows how to choreograph and film her properly. Most of her fights in this I found to be rather lackluster. It seems to me the little bit that Kurt McKinney does in this surpasses much of hers. (Oh, and as far as the much hyped love scenes in this? You ain't gonna see a whole lot of anything.) This was left open for a sequel that's never been made, which I'm not sure is good or bad.

I don't know. I know she has a ton of fans, and rightfully so, but surely it can't be for this movie. Still, it has its moments. So I'll say it's your call seeing as it's your money. I'll be debating whether it goes in the trade pile of not.

(So tell me, folks. What Rothrock films do I need to see that properly depicts her talents? China O'Brien 1 & 2? Rage & Honor 1 & 2? Lady Dragon 1 & 2? I want to see Blonde Fury and Magic Crystal but those seem impossible to find at any affordable price.)