My Many MiniReviews

[ShaOW!linDude]

Here's another mini-review to be replaced.

SUPER POWER     (1980)     Run time: 86 mins.

Stars: Billy Chong, Hau Chiu Sing, Lau Tan, Liu An Li, Wong Chi Ming, Chiang Tao, Ho Ki Cheong, Mak Tien Yan, Lau Hok Nien, Li Tien Ying, Chiang Yam

Kung Fu Instructors: Tang Tak Cheung, Wong Chi Ming

Dir: Lin Chan Wai

Synopsis

Kang Si Man (HCS) and his 2 brothers (CT, HKC) are out to avenge the reputation of their father, a former Imperial Guard who was bested in a contest by 5 kung fu masters. Kang sets up a dinner to coax the descendants of these masters out in order to disgrace or kill them. The father of Chun Ming (BC) is one of those men. Kang begins to sow discord among the masters, even trying to frame Chun for blinding one of their sons. Eventually Master Ming calls in another master to train Chun to face the styles of Kang and his brothers.

Opening credit sequence shows BC doing various forms with rings; some 12 inches in diameter, one 24 inches in diameter.

Fight #1 --- Kang Si Man & 2 Bros. vs Master Wong (MTY) & his 2 sons

Good fight!!! This is loaded with a variety of styles on display: Southern Eagle, Crouching Tiger Fist, Screaming Eagle, 18 Monks, and High Monk to name a few. Everyone gets in on the act, and there is plenty of solid “shapes” work here with good exchanges and flow.

Fight #2 --- “Leopard Fist” Chang vs “8 Style” Lin

Cool fight! The actors are uncredited and don’t look familiar to me, but someone else might recognize them. Regardless, this short fight scene is intense with a cool display of the styles to set up for…

Fight #3 --- Bro. #1 (CT) vs “Leopard Fist” Chang

Vicious fight! Some killer Leopard style vs Eagle Claw here! The exchanges are fast and intricate, and these guys just hammer at each other.

Fight #4 --- Kang Si Man vs “8 Style” Lin

Good fight! Great flow and exchanges. There’s not a lot of bootwork here, but there’re plenty of nice techniques.

Fight #5 --- Chun Ming vs Yun Yu

It’s really just a friendly duel, but BC gets to showcase here. Fast, agile, some nice footwork; a preview of what’s to come.

Following this, Chun also demonstrates his trademark style known as “Nature Fist” to potential love interest Sau Yee. This gives BC an even greater showcase of his physical dexterity and is really fun to watch.

Fight #6 --- Chun Ming vs Master Chao Ming (WCM)

Excellent fight in 2 parts! First is the initial fight which is fun and energetic, but it’s the second part in a room full of antique vases that contains some extraordinary choreography as the 2 duel and strive not to break anything. I’m talking on the level of Jackie Chan here, and it’s not overly long or overplayed. It hits all the right comic beats, and the logistics of the choreography are mind-boggling.

Fight #7 --- Training & Sparring

This is really cool as Master Ming goes over the styles Chun will encounter fighting Kang and his brothers. The dexterity of the techniques is amazing to watch, and the sparring comes across as educational rather than a lesson in humiliation.

Fight #8 --- Chun Ming vs Bro. #2 (HKC)

Good fight! BC combines his dazzling bootwork with something akin to Shadowless Hand as well as incorporating the use of his surroundings. There are some sweet punching/kicking combos by BC in this.

Fight #9 --- Chun Ming vs Bro. #1 (CT)

Best fight! Some killer exchanges here! BC’s kicks are fantastic and at times he borders on some Drunken Style. There’s quite a bit of acrobatics used with Chong again making use of his surroundings. A flipping side kick is especially awesome, and the finishing move is quite painful.

Fight #10 --- Chun Ming vs Kang Si Man

Great fight! BC actually takes more than he dishes out here, but he uses a variety of Animal styles in the outset. There’re plenty of kicks and solid “shapes” work. When he finally rallies at the end, it’s very devastating and abrupt. I kind of wish that had been built up more, but it’s good nonetheless. Still, though the exchanges are great and the flow is spot on, the whole fight just never really seems to…I don’t know, really click with me, I guess. The fight with Bro. #1 built up from that with Bro. #2. I expected this one would build up even more. It’s still a great fight, but just on a par with the previous one. I guess it’s really not a bad thing, just didn’t quite meet my expectation.

Plot wise, the story is serviceable, so no problem there. An equal amount of time is spent building up both the villains and the hero, which is sort of nice. The comedy aspect isn’t grating and annoying. The romance aspect is started, but then seemingly forgotten, which was kind of disappointing. Liu An Li as Sau Yee is quite beautiful, and she is even shown on her initial appearance working out with a sword. But it’s only a move or two. I don’t know that she had any formal training. And there were a few other things alluded to, but apparently forgotten. For instance, when the father of Kang dies, he gives his son a book for the “Gold Flower Fist”, but nothing is ever done with it, just as Chun never once uses the rings he is shown working out with in the opening credits. So…bummer.

The choreography is solid throughout the film with lots of Animal styles on display. There are a few instances of undercranking that look like they were tweaked a tad too much, but nothing that’s distracting. You also get some of the reverse film-editing for certain jumps or flips. Probably my biggest gripe would be the casting of Hau Chiu Sing as the villain Kang Si Man. (Note to self: never have a character whose name is pronounced as semen. Sheesh.) He’s tall and has relatively good skills, but he just didn’t come across as comparable to Billy Chong. Actually, that would be Chiang Tao who played Bro. #1. In my opinion, he would have made for the better lead villain.

Billy Chong is fantastic in this film. While it’s no Talons of the Eagle (which had far better production values with a tad better fight choreography), it certainly skunks Kung Fu Zombie. The guy is charismatic, and his skill set is incredible. Again, he comes across to me as a good mix of Jackie Chan and Sonny Chiba in performance. Of course, he plays the dutifully, mischievous son who is more concerned with fighting than studying, so big acting stretch there. But he does comedy well, and doesn’t tend to overact or get hammy when being outraged. His are the most rewatchable moments of the film, and his fights without a doubt are the best in the movie.

Add this one to your list, people. It’s a solid, enjoyable, B action fu flick that you’ll want to have in your stockpile. GET THIS!!!!!!

 

Edited February 25, 2017 by ShaOW!linDude

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

It's good to be back reading the mini's I tell yah! Now do La La land next

[ShaOW!linDude]

I'm still trying to rundown some of the mini-reviews lost in the Blackout of 2016, but here's a brand-spanking new one.

THE DEATH GAMES (1997) Running time: 89 mins.

Stars: Fan Siu Wong (aka Louis Fan), Kim Maree Penn, Ngai Sing (aka Collin Chou), Leung Kar Yan, Billy Chow, Tong Chuen

Dir.: James Wu Kuo-Ren

Action Directors: Lam Man-Cheung, Allen Lan Hai-Han, Yam Pak-Wang

Synopsis

Kao Hwa (FSW) befriends Fu (LKY) after an attempted hit on him and his daughters. It turns out that one daughter is actually “adopted” so to speak. Her father is Tong, Fu’s best friend who is coming out of a 20 year stint in prison, but he murdered upon release by Tiger, a rich Caucasian businessman who wants revenge for Tong’s murder of his father, mother, and sister. Tiger actually wants to avenge each family with another, which means that Fu and his adopted daughter Min are now targets as well. Tiger even sends his girlfriend Shelly (KMP) to lead his thugs in carrying out his desires. But he hasn’t counted on Kao’s involvement and sense of indebtedness to Min’s true parent, for his own father was unjustly imprisoned, and was Tong’s cellmate. When his attempts for vengeance continue to fail, Tiger determines to kill Kao, too, and brings in 2 professional killers: David (BC), a master of Thai Fist, and Long (NS), an effeminate Japanese ninja.

Fight #1 --- Kao w/golden batons vs fighter with silver tonfas

This takes place before the opening credits at an outdoor palisade. It’s a terrific beginning sequence that incorporates some dazzling weapons work, and allows Wong to showcase his kung fu and gymnastic skills. I never realized that he was so agile, and he acquits himself quite well. This fight certainly serves as a harbinger of things to come.

During the opening credits there’s a nice sparring sequence featuring a mix of Kung Fu and Taekwondo.

Fight #2 --- Kao vs Shelly #1

It’s a decent enough exchange. There are really no spectacular movies to speak of, though FSW sneaks in a neat shoulder bump and at one point KMP uses a short hook kick to deflect his leg. However, the choreography has a smooth flow with good combos, and both screen fighters demonstrate they are adept MAs.

Fight #3 --- Kao vs 4 henchmen

This is short and really played more for comic relief, but it has its moments.

Fight #4 --- Kao vs Shelly #2

Good fight!!! This is actually a good-natured duel. Both show a greater depth of skill here. It begins with empty-handed sparring and moves to include weapons: KMP wielding first a chain whip and then a sword (dao), and FSW using a Chinese spear. The hand-to-hand exchanges are more involved than previously. The weapons work isn’t the most intricate I’ve ever seen, but it still makes you take notice.

Fight #5 --- Kao vs Shelly #3

It’s a sword fight by the pool, with KMP using an epee and FSW using a straight sword (jian). Oh, this is way too short! Still, again this is more of a duel, and FSW shows off some considerable skills, as does KMP, though it looks like she’s holding back. (She has studied fencing.)

Fight #6 --- Kao vs David

Dude! This fight is killer! And it should have run longer! There is some furious bootwork going on here, and FSE showcases some sweet Wushu moves. The exchanges are fun and it has great impacts. It is set in the forest and the way FSW tumbles about, he almost reminds me of Yuen Biao in Eastern Condors. BC’s David is a Muay Thai fighter though he doesn’t really use a lot of elbows or knees. It’s a kickfest though!

Fight #7 --- Shelly vs 3 henchmen

This is really short. It’s neat though, as KMP dispatches these guys with methodical precision.

Fight #8 --- Kao vs gang of henchmen

This is really good as FSW unloads some blistering moves on these guys in taking out the help.

Fight #9 --- Kao vs Long & 2 geishas

Best fight!!! The 2 women don’t really last. The battle between FSW and NS (aka CC) is a blast. The effeminate ninja (never really dressed as such or employing any assorted weapons and gimmickry) begins by using a pinching style of fighting. Kao quickly goes full blown Bruce Lee mode. This fight is just fun to watch, and the kicks are rampant throughout. NS is lithe and agile here, delivering kicks like a dancer. The exchanges are hard-hitting and brutal, with a good flow to the choreography. Again this could’ve run longer for me, but it’s solid, and I’ve got no complaints. It ends with the villain Tiger’s interference, and Kao unloads a bevy of kick to finish him off in a matter of seconds.

Fight #10 --- Kao vs Big Cat, Tiger’s brother

Meh. This is okay. The choreography seems slow or it’s not undercranked. The exchanges are decent enough. FSW displays his Taekwando skills, unleashing a never-ending series of side kicks. There’s a cool axe kick that sort of settles matters, but it really is kind of anticlimactic.

Plot-wise, the movie is a bit of a chore to watch. The vast amount of action saves it. Sadly, there are never any instances where Leung Kar Yan (aka Beardy) gets to do anything. That’s a waste. The 2 girls playing his daughters are annoying as all get out. The men playing the Caucasian villain and his brother are uncredited, and only the latter appears to have any martial training. But it’s always great to see Billy Chow or Collin Chou…I mean Ngai Sing show up in a film, especially if they’re fighting.

I’ve been encountering clips of this movie for the last couple of years, generally Fights 1 & 4. So it was very fortunate for me that I was able to snag this from forum member paimeifist at DrNgor’s behest. (Good looking out!) It’s on VCD. I don’t know that this exists on DVD. It might.

I’ve always felt that Fan Siu Wong has been underused and passed over as a screen fighter by the Chinese film industry. The guy’s an Asian version of Brad Pitt. He’s got the looks and the physique. And he’s got the moves. He sells his fights, and I don’t know that I noticed anywhere he was double for anything in this. (I really need to try to find similar films like this of his.) As much as I like The Story of Ricky, that’s mainly for its shock value. I want to see Wong breaking more heads with his feet, so I’m going to have to start hunting through his filmography.

Kim Maree Penn…what can I say? She’s gorgeous! You can’t stop looking at her. And she’s a talented screen fighter. (In Hong Kong, she was referred to as Gum Mar Lei which translates as “the Golden Leader”.) And she’s the real deal, people. Her martial arts pedigree is impressive. She’s also the founder of Signal 8 Security, which hires out personnel to protect celebrities and dignitaries. I don’t’ understand why she didn’t get showcased more in HK films. Usually she was relegated to popping up as a fighter for a few minutes, but she’s played across from some top names in Chinese cinema. As a costar in this, it is probably the most she was showcased in a movie. Shame, too. (I’m going to need to find more of her work also.)

This is a good B movie to have, and if you have the patience and wherewithal to track it down, GET THIS!!!!

 

 

Edited March 4, 2017 by ShaOW!linDude

[DrNgor]

1 hour ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

THE DEATH GAMES (1997) Running time: 89 mins.

Stars: Fan Siu Wong (aka Louis Fan), Kim Maree Penn, Ngai Sing (aka Collin Chou), Leung Kar Yan, Billy Chow, Tong Chuen

Dir.: James Wu Kuo-Ren

Action Directors: Lam Man-Cheung, Allen Lan Hai-Han, Yam Pak-Wang

Lam Man-Cheung is one of the most underrated and forgotten action directors out there. He did the choreography for Jackie Chan's Island of Fire and Fantasy Mission Force, plus The 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up. Moreover, he did the awesome fight action to Book of Heroes, one of the pinnacles of the Girls n' Guns genre and one of the best Jackie Chan movies to not star Jackie Chan.

Allen Lan did the action director for Sammo Hung and Fan Siu-Wong's Flying Dragon, Leaping Tiger, and then got an award alongside Yuen Bun for Flying Swords of Dragon Gate.

Wu Kuo-Ren did a lot of those Alexander Lo Rei ninja movies from the early 80s, like Super Ninjas and Wu Tang vs. Ninja.

Excellent review and I'm glad you liked it!

[ShaOW!linDude]

2 hours ago, DrNgor said:

Allen Lan did the action director for Sammo Hung and Fan Siu-Wong's Flying Dragon, Leaping Tiger...

That is nothing to boast about. The choreography in this is terribly lacking and horribly disappointing. 

[DrNgor]

30 minutes ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

That is nothing to boast about. The choreography in this is terribly lacking and horribly disappointing. 

Maybe Wuxia just wasn't his thing. His Little Heroes Lost in China looks like it might be okay. Allen Lan also assisted Sammo Hung on Ip Man 2 and Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame.

[ShaOW!linDude]

BOYKA: UNDISPUTED (2016)       Running time: 90 mins.

Stars: Scott Adkins, Teodora Duhovnikova, Alon Aboutboul, Julian Vergov, Brahim Achabbakhe, Emilien De Falco, Martyn Ford 

Dir.: Todor Chapkanov

Fight Choreographer: Tim Man 

Synopsis

Yuri Boyka (SA) is a free man now, and he’s pursuing his dream for a shot at a legitimate MMA bout. And he’s almost there until he accidentally kills an opponent in the ring. Learning the man has a wife, his conscience compels him to sneak across the border into Russia, where he’s still considered an escaped convict. There he finds Alma (TD), who has become forced to work off her and her husband’s debt to Zourab (AA), the local crime boss in Drovny. Boyka feels compelled to help Alma and square her debt, even though it could jeopardize his obligation to get to a tournament in Istanbul that could launch his fighting career. He agrees to 3 fights in Zourab’s club. But the crime lord knows who Boyka is, and he has plans of his own, namely pitting “the most complete fighter in the world” against a giant psychopath named Koshmar (MF). 

Fight #1 --- Opening fight

Boyka takes on a fighter in an underground fight arena. It’s short, showing you Boyka is still insanely brutal in the ring. The finishing move is a beautiful aerial that ends with a devastating roundhouse. Yeah, this movie literally starts with a kick to the gut. It’s on like a chicken bone!   

Fight #2 --- Koshmar (MF) vs sacrificial fighter

Takes place in a prison ring. It, too, is rather short. This is simply a matter of showing that Boyka’s eventual opponent is little more than a mountainous, mutilating machine of a man. 

Fight #3 --- Boyka vs Viktor (EDF)

Spectacular fight! The exchanges are fairly even and every impact is felt. Both men are dexterous kickers, and Boyka is even on the receiving end of a cart-wheeling side kick, one his signature moves. Still, Adkins displays stellar bootwork here. When Boyka hits you so hard your mouthpiece flies out, you stay down. When you don’t, and he does it again and tells you to stay down, you stay down. When you don’t and he does it a third time…well then, you’ll have eternity to wonder why you did that. 

Fight #4 --- Igor (BA) vs some fighter

Short fight in the ring at Zourab’s club. It’s a small taste of BA’s skills, thus establishing Igor as a showman and egomaniac. There are some nice combos here, and it’s easy to see why Achabbakhe has doubled Adkins in previous films. 

Fight #5 --- Boyka vs 5 of Zourab’s thugs

It’s a short skirmish. Boyka’s no one to mess with. Some nice hits in this. 

Fight #6 --- Boyka vs Boris (Trayan Milenov)

Sweet fight! Great flow and fairly even exchanges. Adkins pulls off some killer hits here, sneaking in an unexpected kick or two. He also performs a nice scissor-leg takedown, and tweaks an aerial move with a twist to finish off his opponent. 

Fight #7 --- Boyka vs the Ozerov Brothers (Tim Man & Andreas Nguyen aka Andy Long)

Best Fight 1!!! This is just phenomenal choreography! The logistics must have given Tim Man migraines in coordinating the bootwork of the 3 of them. Everyone is bringing their A Game here, and there are just too many terrific strikes and kicks to mention any one in particular as standing out. This is so rewatchable! I love the finishing move that succinctly downs the Ozerovs.

Fight #8 --- Boyka vs Igor

Best Fight 2!!! This is essentially Adkins fighting himself. Both he and BA are so comparable in skill. It’s another treat of blinding punches and devastating kicks with beautiful flow to the action. Again, there are so many cool moments, but Boyka’s finishing move is a jump-spinning roundhouse with an accompanying back kick. It’s a double whammy! 

Fight #9 --- Boyka vs Koshmar

Best fight 3!!! I’m not going to lie. Usually when the protagonist goes up against a giant opponent, I find it to be underwhelming, because the big guy is generally just a brawler whose only assets are size and strength. Typically, they’re immune to pain and tend to throw a lot of lazy haymakers because that’s all their arsenal consists of. The Koshmar character kind of falls into that category. Ford is truly a behemoth of a human being, all bulk and brawn. He lacks finesse, but he has power and a few decent moves. Adkins takes some pretty hard falls in this, putting his years of stunt training to good use. Still, his performance is a dazzling display, as he pulls of nearly half a dozen complex aerial kicks in the course of the fight. Tim Man’s choreography delivers exactly what martial art fans want: sheer spectacle! And Adkins performs it superbly!

This is a solid film. Granted, the plot is nothing new, but it serves its purpose.

The character of Yuri Boyka is maturing on a number of levels. He’s grown as a fighter, but also as a person. Look, this is not a film about him seeking redemption. I don’t care what anyone says. Boyka is a man who is facing the fact that he’s done things he regrets. And he’s gotten religion to a degree. He uses his winnings to buy Bibles to donate to the church. He also has a strange notion that it is God who has blessed him with the talent to beat the tar and fire out of everyone on earth, and that it would be wrong if he didn’t use this gift. (Um, okay.) I don’t think Boyka sees himself as seeking redemption, but rather as making atonement in some way. And that’s why he goes to find Viktor’s wife. He wants to atone in some fashion for killing Alma’s husband. He truly regrets accidentally killing Viktor. He needs her absolution, her forgiveness for his conscience’s sake, because he’s trying to move forward on a positive path. He’s not seeking redemption, but he wants to balance the scales. You know, put some good bank on the ol’ karma credit card. 

Adkins’ acting is really great in this. He plays Boyka as man of determination, stoicism, and restraint, who has developed a sense of personal responsibility. TD as Alma is of a staid demeanor. She’s dedicated to the life she and her husband built to help orphans, and hers is a tired beauty with a saintly essence. AA as the villain Zourab is immediately loathsome and wholly narcissistic, showing up to Viktor’s funeral to waste no time in putting his hooks into Alma. He also has no problem about reneging on his arrangement with Boyka.

From an action standpoint? This is 90 minutes of mind-boggling martial arts mayhem!!! There is not a bad, sub-par fight scene to be found. Even the short filler fight sequences make you go, “Dude!” I attribute this to Tim Man’s eye for choreography. He wisely knows his cast’s skill set, uses it, and even pushes it. He really upped the ante from when he last worked with Adkins on Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (the last movie I reviewed that rated 3 Best Fights.) I can’t get over how awesome the 2-on-1 fight is. I remember Adkins posting on his FB page during production that he went to visit Andy Long in the hospital because he had knocked him out on set. Yeah, people. Some of that contact is real when it’s not intended to be. 

I’m super-psyched for this film! Support this and purchase a copy! You won’t be disappointed. We need another Boyka movie! GET THIS!!!!!

***SPOILER***

Alright, I saved this for the last, so read it at your own peril if you’ve not seen the movie yet.

I hate the way the film ended. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! This is the only issue I have with the movie. I don’t want “the most complete fighter in the world” confined to squalid prison tournaments again. That’s redundant and a regression of the character. I was so pumped at the end, but then he did what he did, and I sat there going, “Wait…no, don’t do that!” And then he’s in prison again. I mean…come on! Grrrr! This really should have ended differently…like, with Boyka NOT going back to jail.

Edited August 9, 2017 by ShaOW!linDude

[One Armed Boxer]

21 minutes ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

BOYKA: UNDISPUTED (2016)       Running time: 90 mins.

Stars: Scott Adkins, Teodora Duhovnikova, Alon Aboutboul, Julian Vergov, Brahim Achabbakhe, Emilien De Falco, Martyn Ford 

Dir.: Todor Chapkanov

Fight Choreographer: Tim Man 

First mini-review in far too long, but it was definitely worth the wait.  A pleasure to read, and I'll for sure be picking this one up myself.  Without me scrolling through the previous pages, I can't remember if you reviewed the Adkins flick 'Eliminators' or not?  Would love to check out your thoughts on that one as well considering all the positive praise it received.

23 minutes ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

Look, this is not a film about him seeking redemption. I don’t care what anyone says. Boyka is a man who is facing the fact that he’s done things he regrets. And he’s gotten religion to a degree. He uses his winnings to buy Bibles to donate to the church. He also has a strange notion that it is God who has blessed him with the talent to beat the tar and fire out of everyone on earth, and that it would be wrong if he didn’t use this gift. (Um, okay.) I don’t think Boyka sees himself as seeking redemption, but rather as making atonement in some way.

That makes sense, and in a way the redemption theme has already been done with the character in, you guessed it, 'Undisputed III: Redemption'.

25 minutes ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

He really upped the ante from when he last worked with Adkins on Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (the last movie I reviewed that rated 3 Best Fights.)

This is the line that got me!  For me 'Ninja: Shadow of a Tear' and 'Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning' are my 2 top Adkins flicks, so to hear that this tops the action in SOAT is a big deal!

PS  On a completely dull note, I removed the formatting from the review, as the font was huge!  It's really easy to do this, so whenever you copy text from another source (Word document, another website etc.), it's always best to remove the formatting so the text matches the standard font used on the forum (@DrNgor this is good for you to know as well).  It can easily be done by highlighting the text and simply clicking the 'Remove Format' button in the tool bar (it's the fifth icon along, represented as an eraser), but even easier is when you first paste it, if you scroll to the bottom of the text, you'll actually see there's an automatic notification which will ask 'Do you wish to remove the formatting?', and you can just click yes at the same time.

[ShaOW!linDude]

2 hours ago, One Armed Boxer said:

PS  On a completely dull note, I removed the formatting from the review, as the font was huge!  It's really easy to do this, so whenever you copy text from another source (Word document, another website etc.), it's always best to remove the formatting so the text matches the standard font used on the forum (@DrNgor this is good for you to know as well).  It can easily be done by highlighting the text and simply clicking the 'Remove Format' button in the tool bar (it's the fifth icon along, represented as an eraser), but even easier is when you first paste it, if you scroll to the bottom of the text, you'll actually see there's an automatic notification which will ask 'Do you wish to remove the formatting?', and you can just click yes at the same time.

Ah. That's why it also removed my underlines and bold text. Cool beans, I guess, though I like the slightly larger text myself. Doesn't strain my eyes so much.

Oh, and I don't think I ever reviewed Eliminators and that was way better than I thought it would be. Need to do that.

Edited August 9, 2017 by ShaOW!linDude

[DrNgor]

19 hours ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

BOYKA: UNDISPUTED (2016)       Running time: 90 mins.

Stars: Scott Adkins, Teodora Duhovnikova, Alon Aboutboul, Julian Vergov, Brahim Achabbakhe, Emilien De Falco, Martyn Ford 

Dir.: Todor Chapkanov

Fight Choreographer: Tim Man 

Great review. I'm looking forward to this getting a release in Brazil at some point. I never saw the first UNDISPUTED, but I liked parts 2 and 3 a lot.

[ShaOW!linDude]

7 hours ago, DrNgor said:

Great review. I'm looking forward to this getting a release in Brazil at some point. I never saw the first UNDISPUTED, but I liked parts 2 and 3 a lot.

The first one is a boxing movie starring Wesley Snipes and Ving Rhames. So there's not MA, and honestly it's never looked that appealing to me. Don't think you're missing much. But yeah, you're gonna want to see Boyka.

[SamSeed]

I want to see this so badly, but as yet there is still no UK release on the horizon! Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga get's released but this doesn't?...

[DragonClaws]

2 hours ago, SamSeed said:

I want to see this so badly, but as yet there is still no UK release on the horizon! Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga get's released but this doesn't?...

Tell me about it, the movies hit NetFlix in the U.K, but I'm not interested in subscribing to that service.

When I do cavin in and order a foriegn release, then there's going to be a U.K BR/DVD release date announced.

[ShaOW!linDude]

4 hours ago, SamSeed said:

I want to see this so badly, but as yet there is still no UK release on the horizon! Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga get's released but this doesn't?...

 

2 hours ago, DragonClaws said:

Tell me about it, the movies hit NetFlix in the U.K, but I'm not interested in subscribing to that service.

When I do cavin in and order a foriegn release, then there's going to be a U.K BR/DVD release date announced.

And this is a shame because Adkins is one of you guys, so you'd think his film would be released there by now. 

Netflix might be worth the subscription. They're putting a lot of MA flix on there the last couple of years. That's how I watched some Shaws I'd never seen and didn't have to waste money on.

[DragonClaws]

On 12/08/2017 at 2:06 PM, ShaOW!linDude said:

Netflix might be worth the subscription. They're putting a lot of MA flix on there the last couple of years. That's how I watched some Shaws I'd never seen and didn't have to waste money on.

One day I might give it a try, for now I've enough with DVD/BR's and T.V screenings. If I did have a digital service, id taken even longer picking hwat to to watch next.

Netflix have been very clever, they use the data they gather fro users to help infleunce there own movie production. It's saved Andam Sandlers career, becuase his old movies have done so well on the format, they signed him up to make films with them. The service knows just what people watch, how much they watch of it, and when they watch it.

Must be very useful for peole living in parts of the world, where the DVD/BF releases are hard to get.

[ShaOW!linDude]

ACCIDENT MAN    (2016)    Running time: 105 mins.
Stars: Scott Adkins, Ray Stevenson, David Paymer, Amy Johnston, Ray Park, Nick Moran, Ross O’Hennessey, Stephen Donald, Perry Benson, Ashley Greene, Michael Jai White

Fight Director: Tim Man
Dir: Jesse V. Johnson

Synopsis
Mike Fallon (SA) is an assassin who typically masks his hits as accidents. He’s part of a stable of killers that hangs out at a pub called The Oasis, which is run by his former mentor and retired assassin Big Ray (RS). It’s a lively bunch killers with colorful names such as Carnage Cliff (RO’H); Poison Pete (SD); Finicky Fred (PB); Jane the Ripper (AJ); and Mick (MJW) & Mac (RP), the Murdering Mercenaries. Oh, and Milton (DP), who serves as the agent between the clients and the hitmen. Fallon is good at his job, and enjoys letting off a little steam due to what he terms PMT (Post Murder Tension), which he usually does by picking fights and absolutely devastating any unlucky chap who takes him up on it. The only thing that really has him on edge is the fact that he pines for his ex-girlfriend, who left him for another woman, something his fellow assassins take great pleasure in ribbing him about. So when he finds out she’s been murdered, he looks into the matter personally. Very quickly he determines that her death is not due to some lame house invasion story, but that she was killed because of her political activism. He knows one of his “mates” is responsible for her murder, but even more than that he wants to know the client who called in the hit, and this puts him at odds with his “peers”.

Fight #1 --- Fallon vs 6 pub patrons
Bar fight! Needing to divest himself of his PMT, Adkins starts a 1-man brawl. It’s short and vicious as he decimates his opponents, breaking one’s arm and another’s leg. Why, he even lights a dude’s cigarette and then suckerpunches him. It’s a fun ruckus to start the film.

Fight #2 --- Fallon vs biker hitman (TM)
Fun fight! Tim Man plays an amateur hitman who gets both scolded and schooled by Adkins. Both throw some beautiful kicks, though only Adkins’ connect, and they are sweet! And all the while Fallon dispenses a lecture on how this amateur is making his profession look bad. (Been a while since I’ve seen a protagonist talk smack while doling out a butt-kicking. Cool beans!) Adkins’ initial maneuver is a double-footed drop kick knocking the killer off his motorcycle in an homage to Jackie Chan’s same stunt in Wheels On Meals. Later he delivers a nasty roundhouse ala Bruce Lee to Han during the end fight in Enter the Dragon.

Fight #3 --- Fallon vs Mick (MJW) & Mac (RP)
Best fight #1! Fallon catches the Murdering Mercs sparring at their dojo. It’s a fun brawl. There’s lots of energy with good impacts, and choreography that is fast and fluid. SA performs a nice double takedown. He’s quick with uppercuts, elbows, and open-handed chops. There are plenty of nice kicking combos. RP and MJW work good together as a pair. However, Park seems to bring just a touch more heat to his moves. (It’s sad this man has not been properly utilized in the MA movie genre. He looks to be carrying a little weight, but his delivery is still fast and smooth. I kept waiting for him to bust out a butterfly twist, but sadly it never happened.) White seems to lag just a bit compared to his screen fighting performances seen in Blood & Bone and Falcon Rising. Still, he lets loose some cool combos and engages in some good exchanges with Adkins. Having watched the movie twice now, and especially rewinding parts of this fight to better catch things, I notice cool little bits in the choreography that stand out to me, making this a sweet 2-on-1 dust up between 3 fantastic screen fighters within the MA genre.

Fight #4 --- Fallon vs Carnage Cliff (JO’H)
This is a quick brutal brawl. Cliff is an axe-wielding madman. It has a couple neat moments and an ironic conclusion. That’s about it.

Fight #5 --- Fallon vs 2 Russian thugs
Takes place at a massage parlor. The beatdowns are a bit sporadic, but in the final one SA squares off against Martyn Ford, who played Koshmar, Adkins’ main opponent in Boyka: Undisputed. It’s short and sweet. Kind of wish this one would have run a good bit longer.

Fight #6 --- Fallon vs Mick & Mac, Poison Pete (SD), & Finicky Fred (PB)
This is kind of fun. Really the only threats are the Murdering Mercs, and it seems events might play out into a rematch between SA and MJW, but sadly they don’t. They all go down relatively quick, and it’s a nice comedic bit the way Fallon disposes of Pete and Fred.

Fight #7 --- Fallon vs Jane the Ripper (AJ)
Best fight #2! This is pretty hard-hitting. The pace seems a touch slower and initially it appears like Fallon is holding back. Still, it’s a nice row. Tim Man really utilizes AJ’s skill set in a way her 2 previous starring films (Lady Bloodfight and Female Fight Squad) failed to do, and her potential really shines here. Adkins seems to shift gears 2/3’s into the fight (might’ve been that punch to the groin). Soon he’s unloading some nice aerial kicks, and the fight culminates into a rippingly ironic end for Jane.

Well, let’s see…

Regarding Jesse V. Johnson’s directing, to me this is a vast improvement from some of his other films I’ve seen. The Last Sentinel (starring Don “the Dragon” Wilson) and The Fifth Commandment (starring Rick Yune) were colossal wastes of my time, not even ranking as mediocre but flat out boring on the action front. But this and Savage Dog (also starring Adkins) are way better in both story and action. And I would consider the latter effort a bit subpar compared to this one. Still, this leaves me with high hopes for Triple Threat with its smorgasbord of screen fighters coming in the near future.

Plot-wise, the story line is nothing new. We’ve all seen movies where a hitman winds up being pitted against those of his own trade for whatever reason. I still enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the narration, which can many times come across as a bit cheesy in a film. I felt it worked fairly well here. Adkins is credited as one of the screenwriters for this, and while there’s certainly room for improvement, I think it’s pretty decent for a first outing. Sure, some of the dialogue is a bit trite, but it’s an action film with a bit of a noir-ish sense, so I’m cool with that.

To me, this film also denotes a nice growth in Adkins’ acting. I like seeing the range, especially the humorous aspects, and he delivers his lines well. And I really enjoyed Ray Stevenson in his role, particularly the flashback scenes where Big Ray meets Fallon and agrees to mentor him. Often back stories can become overdrawn, but that wasn’t the case here. And the cast of supporting characters all their quirks, but they weren’t repeatedly over-emphasized so as to be annoying.

The action…oh, man! The action! Look, I dug it. Some of the fights were quite lengthy, a big bonus in my book. And it wasn’t just the quantity of time, but the quality of the fights. Now I know that some folks aren’t as impressed with the action as I am. And I admit that there were instances it could have been improved. The way I have the fights broken down, I really feel like #’s 4 & 5 could have been way better. Granted, as it stands, the film clocks in at 15 minutes shy of 2 hours, and things needed to be kept moving along. Still, those two sequences needed some oomph! to them. It also would have been nice to see Tim Man give Adkins the same run for his money that he did in Boyka: Undisputed and Ninja: Shadow of a Tear, but I really enjoyed their fight sequence with the added lecturing of a seasoned pro to a newbie. It makes sense to me, and further establishes the character of Fallon as someone not to be trifled with. And man, it had some great bootwork!

My only qualm with the Adkins/Johnston fight is that it could have stood to be a tad faster in execution or undercranked a smidge. (Can they do that digitally? Surely they can.) Other than that, there are some really nice segments of choreography there, and I hope that should Johnston ever star in another MA film (please!) that she’ll have someone comparable to Man’s talent on hand to do the honors, if not the man himself. (Oh, pun!)

Regarding the 2-on-1 of Adkins/White/Park, I wholly enjoyed it. Is it as good as the Adkins/Man/Long battle in Boyka: Undisputed? Nah, not quite, but it’s solid and enjoyable, and like I said, the more I watch it, the more I pick up on things in it. And as to White’s appearance, the dude has always been bulked with muscle, but I’m not sure why he looked so swollen in the face. It seemed like he was carrying a little girth in the mid-section, too. Hopefully it has nothing to do with his health. (I remember him answering a question about his diet once and what his cheat food was: PB & J. That’s right. Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. A man after my own heart. But as one gets older, those things can catch up to you real quick. Maybe that’s all it is.) But as I said, to see 3 screen fighters of this caliber duking it out…I am not disappointed.

I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed this endeavor. This was a passion project of Adkins’ and it shows. I believe he acquitted himself quite well on a number of levels, and I plan on watching this again for the audio commentary (something I rarely do). Personally, I’m hoping this performs well enough (and doesn’t get pirated as per usual) to garner a sequel. I think it warrants one. But that’s me, and I say SUPPORT THIS & GET THIS!!! It’s no accident that you’ll like it.

[DragonClaws]

15 hours ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

ACCIDENT MAN    (2016)    Running time: 105 mins.
Stars: Scott Adkins, Ray Stevenson, David Paymer, Amy Johnston, Ray Park, Nick Moran, Ross O’Hennessey, Stephen Donald, Perry Benson, Ashley Greene, Michael Jai White

Great to see another min-review dude, I'm going to skip the fight breakdowns, until I've watched the movie. I will be back, to comment on those later in the year.

[One Armed Boxer]

20 hours ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

My only qualm with the Adkins/Johnston fight is that it could have stood to be a tad faster in execution or undercranked a smidge. (Can they do that digitally? Surely they can.) Other than that, there are some really nice segments of choreography there, and I hope that should Johnston ever star in another MA film (please!) that she’ll have someone comparable to Man’s talent on hand to do the honors, if not the man himself. (Oh, pun!)

Great review @ShaOW!linDude!  6 months between mini-reviews and they're both Scott Adkins flicks, do I sense a man-crush?  Jokes aside, I'd also like to see Amy Johnston star in a movie under a choreographer like Tim Man, a decent director, and one that doesn't recycle the underground tournament trope.  That being said, considering all the rage now seems to be female led reboots of once male dominated franchises, it they decide to do the same thing with the 'Undisputed' series and make her the new Boyka (Brenda?), then count me in.

20 hours ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

Regarding the 2-on-1 of Adkins/White/Park, I wholly enjoyed it. Is it as good as the Adkins/Man/Long battle in Boyka: Undisputed? Nah, not quite, but it’s solid and enjoyable, and like I said, the more I watch it, the more I pick up on things in it. And as to White’s appearance, the dude has always been bulked with muscle, but I’m not sure why he looked so swollen in the face. It seemed like he was carrying a little girth in the mid-section, too. Hopefully it has nothing to do with his health. (I remember him answering a question about his diet once and what his cheat food was: PB & J. That’s right. Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. A man after my own heart. But as one gets older, those things can catch up to you real quick. Maybe that’s all it is.) But as I said, to see 3 screen fighters of this caliber duking it out…I am not disappointed.

That's a good assessment, not that any of us are into fat-shaming on here by any means, but Jai White does look visibly different from when he was last in a headlining action role a couple of years ago, with 'Never Back Down: No Surrender'.  I heard one theory that he'd gotten cheek filler implants, which would go some way to explaining his somewhat chipmunk like appearance, but that's purely speculation.

20 hours ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

Fight #5 --- Fallon vs 2 Russian thugs
Takes place at a massage parlor. The beatdowns are a bit sporadic, but in the final one SA squares off against Martyn Ford, who played Koshmar, Adkins’ main opponent in Boyka: Undisputed. It’s short and sweet. Kind of wish this one would have run a good bit longer.

I still need to see 'Boyka: Undisputed', but noticed when I was researching my own review of 'Accident Man' that Ford was the bad guy in it.  He definitely looks like he's more flexible and agile than the similar man-mountain Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who was the villain in 'Kickboxer: Retaliation'.  Shall need to remedy that soon.

20 hours ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

Regarding Jesse V. Johnson’s directing, to me this is a vast improvement from some of his other films I’ve seen. The Last Sentinel (starring Don “the Dragon” Wilson) and The Fifth Commandment (starring Rick Yune) were colossal wastes of my time, not even ranking as mediocre but flat out boring on the action front. But this and Savage Dog (also starring Adkins) are way better in both story and action. And I would consider the latter effort a bit subpar compared to this one. Still, this leaves me with high hopes for Triple Threat with its smorgasbord of screen fighters coming in the near future.

You gotta admire Johnson's strategy.  I mean, he set the bar so low with those movies you mention, that it was never going to be too difficult to be seen as an improvement.  Hopefully his work with Adkins continues to push him in the right direction, if 'Accident Man' was a step up from 'Savage Dog', then hopefully 'The Debt Collector' (coming in April) and 'Triple Threat' will follow the same trend.  Fingers crossed!

[DragonClaws]

3 minutes ago, One Armed Boxer said:

That's a good assessment, not that any of us are into fat-shaming on here by any means, but Jai White does look visibly different from when he was last in a headlining action role a couple of years ago, with 'Never Back Down: No Surrender'.  I heard one theory that he'd gotten cheek filler implants, which would go some way to explaining his somewhat chipmunk like appearance, but that's purely speculation.

Excuse me for butting in here, but Michael Jai White made a post online about needing to drop some weight. The older you get, the slower your metabolism becomes too, or he might have just fancied a break from training?. That dude has certainly put in a lot of hours, in terms of training.

[ShaOW!linDude]

1 hour ago, One Armed Boxer said:

6 months between mini-reviews and they're both Scott Adkins flicks, do I sense a man-crush?

Busted. 

1 hour ago, One Armed Boxer said:

I heard one theory that he'd gotten cheek filler implants, which would go some way to explaining his somewhat chipmunk like appearance, but that's purely speculation.

Gotta love the internet. And if that were true (which according to @DragonClaws is not, and I buy that), why would he do it? It's not like he's flat-faced. He's never struck me as being that vain anyhow.

1 hour ago, One Armed Boxer said:

I still need to see 'Boyka: Undisputed'

What? Oh, come on now! It's Boyka, the most complete fighter in the woyald!!!

[robbie]

On 09/08/2017 at 8:45 PM, ShaOW!linDude said:

 

From an action standpoint? This is 90 minutes of mind-boggling martial arts mayhem!!! There is not a bad, sub-par fight scene to be found. Even the short filler fight sequences make you go, “Dude!” I attribute this to Tim Man’s eye for choreography. He wisely knows his cast’s skill set, uses it, and even pushes it. He really upped the ante from when he last worked with Adkins on Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (the last movie I reviewed that rated 3 Best Fights.) I can’t get over how awesome the 2-on-1 fight is. I remember Adkins posting on his FB page during production that he went to visit Andy Long in the hospital because he had knocked him out on set. Yeah, people. Some of that contact is real when it’s not intended to be. 

 

i would not mind seeing your reviews on manhunt by john woo,  best of the best  2, kickboxer retaliation, beyond skyline, wolf warriors 2, the foreigner. 

Edited February 20, 2018 by robbie

[ShaOW!linDude]

(Okay, the format of this review is little different due to the way I'm addressing the film.)

The Last Eve      (2005)    Running time: 87 mins.
Stars: Bruce Khan, Kelly Hamilton, Jourdan Lee Khoo, Melanie Jean, Freddie Milligan, Seung Min Kim, Eung Jun Lee, Chul Jeong, Paula Labaredas, Tim Colceri

Dir.: Young Man Kang

Martial Arts Choreographers: Bruce Khan, Reuben Langdon, Cheol Hun Ham, Eung Jun Lee

Synopsis
This movie, an American/Korean coproduction, takes the Biblical stories of Adam & Eve and Cain & Abel and plays with the characters in a number of vignettes or short films. 

***WARNING: This review will be full of spoilers.*** 

Prologue
The film opens with a bunch of artistic renderings of Adam & Eve, which segues into time lapse segments of modern civilization. It ends with a quote from Rev.6:12 to then show a glowing meteor striking the earth, thus creating an apocalyptic world. 

Eve’s Secret
Only 3 people remain on Earth: Adam (BK), Eve (MJ), and a priest who is Adam’s mentor. They dwell in a desert wasteland. (Is there any other kind?) To prevent repopulation of the world, Satan sends 7 demons: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Belial, Asmodeus, Mammon, Leviathan, & Behemoth. Their mission is to destroy Eve. Adam has sworn to protect her when he finds her and then father another Cain & Abel in order to start mankind all over again. 

This story has no spoken dialogue and is totally narrated. Fights are interspersed along the way, mainly between the demons, who all want to be the one to kill Eve. One of the choreographers, Reuben Langdon, plays Behemoth as a blind swordsman, and battles a few of the other demons, castrating one and killing a couple of others. Beelzebub (Kerry Wong) and Belial (Stephanie Cheeva) have a rather extended fight scene that isn’t too bad.  

Finally, Adam finds Eve just as the 3 remaining demons do. Some of the choreography here isn’t too bad, having some nice combos. But the editing is a bit bizarre at times. And then suddenly the demons just vanish. Weird. (But not the weirdest.) Having fending off the demons, Eve offers herself to Adam, lying next to him and running his hand over her dress and body. But he wants no part of her when he sees a penis protruding through her skirt. That’s right. Eve’s a hermaphrodite. (Go ahead. Read those last few sentences again. See? Nothing wrong with your eyes. You read that correctly.) 

Adam wanders off, leaving Eve to her lonesome fate. Eventually he comes to a field of wildflowers where he hears crying. He discovers the infant Jesus, and the story concludes with a quote of Jn.3:16. 

Cain & Abel
Adam (BK) and Eve (SMK) reside in Korea in a modern setting. Adam is the older brother of Abel (CJ). Eve is the younger sister of Cain (EJL). Cain is worldly and strives to gain recognition and wealth by facing Mr. Hwang’s top fighter Anthony (Panuvat Anthony Nanakompanom) who is schooled in Muay Thai. Unfortunately for him, he takes a severe beating. He approaches Adam, who is a grave digger, about fighting for him, even offering his sister Eve as a reward for doing so. But Adam wants no part of it. So Cain entices Abel to do so and puts up Eve as collateral. Abel is no match, and Anthony kills him. And Eve is now Mr. Hwang’s property. Cain goes to Adam repentant (sort of) and convinces him to face Anthony for vengeance and to save Eve.

The best fighting of the film takes place in this story. EJL gets a really nice sword fight scene against a number of Mr. Hwang’s henchmen. There is some interesting swordplay here. But the best fight is the one between Adam and Anthony. Elements of Karate and Hapkido are on display here. Bruce Khan is a superb kicker, lightning fast with his feet in a way that is reminiscent of Bruce Lee, and he uses some killer kicking combos. The fight runs a good length, and there’s plenty of give and take between the combatants.  

Adam avenges Abel’s death and wins Eve. But now he can’t stop fighting, and 4 years later he’s dead in a tournament, leaving Eve with a toddler named Cain and pregnant with Abel. 

Snake’s Temptation
Adam (JLK) and Eve (KH) are childhood sweethearts in Los Angeles pre-meteorite strike. They have an official betrothal ceremony performed by an American Buddhist priest (TC, an actor we’ve all seen in tons of films and shows, looks like a poor man’s Tony Curtis). But they are spied upon by Snake (FM) aka Satan, who wants Eve for himself, even though he has a bevy or brothel of women already, all sporting Biblical names: Jezebel, Delilah, Salome, Rahab, Mary Magdalene).  

Catching Eve alone while meditating, Snake uses logic to entice her to experience life before tying the knot with Adam, and he then seduces her to join his bevy. Meanwhile, Adam is in a bar where he learns of an impending meteorite set to strike the world. He is approached by a beautiful blonde vixen (PL) named Lilith (who according to Jewish mythology was actually the first woman created along with Adam). She tries to tempt him, but he refuses her advances.  

Eve is feeling guilty for sleeping with Snake, and he convinces her that she should also sleep with Adam. She goes and seduces her future husband. Afterwards he feels guilty for giving in to her and learns she has cheated on him. He rejects her, and because of that Eve runs back to Snake. Suffering a crisis of faith, Adam goes to the priest and renounces God. With only an hour left to the meteor strike, he decides to take Lilith up on her offer. He calls her and then goes to a seedy LA motel. Entering the room, he finds Eve, who Snake is now pimping out. Adam forgives her, and they kiss and make up as civilization is destroyed, again with a citation of Rev.6:12. 

As you can plainly see, there are no martial arts contained in the third story. Bummer. 

This was a used dvd I stumbled across and picked up based solely on the backcover synopsis, and the intrigue its strange premise incited.

The special f/x are not so special, being comparable to what you might have seen in the late 80’s/early 90’s. The acting is fairly standard for an indie film. And it won a number of awards for its action on the festival circuit (NYIIFF & B Movies Film Festival). In the first story, the director seeks to use a lot of visual imagery and film technique. Sometimes it’s interesting to look at, other times not so much. But I kind of liked it. It was shot in Death Valley National Park, California. The second story is filmed quite well, and seeks to create a sort of industrial feeling with its settings, though there are also some nice landscapes and Korean architecture. It was shot in Kwangju, South Korea. The third story has a real cheap “porno straight to video” feel to the way it is shot. It features a lot of LA scenics, both posh and skanky (Band name!), which is apt seeing as it is set in Los Angeles. 

I am duly impressed with Bruce Khan, who has film credits as a stuntman and/or actor in barely a handful of recognizable film titles: The Medallion (2003), Daredevil (2003), Gen-X Cops (1999), and Gen-X Cops 2: Metal Mayhem (2000). He cofounded Action Cinema Training in LA, which eventually merged with ZeroGravity, which produces short self-made films. It’s a shame this guy didn’t bank more screen time because he has some serious chops and knows how to choreograph himself. 

As far as the thematic premise of the film’s 3 stories…meh. As a Christian, I’m just not real big on taking liberties with characters and stories from the Bible. And there are other citations throughout the film than what I mentioned, but I’m not keen about misrepresentations of Scripture either. Anyway, in this case my curiosity got the better of me because, hey, a Biblical themed Kung Fu movie? Yeah, I had to watch that. And no, I didn’t expect any sort of accuracy to be depicted, and no, I’m not all in a dither about it. It could have been way worse, and really the only part I had to really slog through was the final story ‘cause, you know, there was no Fu.  

I will certainly hang onto it for the time being though. That second story has some fight scenes worthy of revisiting. Otherwise, if you happen to come across this like I did, it’s your call.

Edited July 1, 2018 by ShaOW!linDude

[ShaOW!linDude]

The Debt Collector   (2018)   Running time: 96 mins.
Stars: Scott Adkins, Louis Mandylor, Vladimir Kulich, Michael Paré, Rachel Brann, Selina Lo, Tony Todd 

Fight Choreographer: Luke Lafontaine
Dir.: Jesse V. Johnson 

Synopsis
French (SA) is a Brit living in Los Angeles where he runs an MMA dojo. Unfortunately, it’s a money pit, leaving him way behind on his bills. To avoid losing it, he agrees to go to work for a man named Tommy (VK), who runs an operation collecting debts. French is paired with Sue (LM), a veteran debt collector/alcoholic/former boxer/ former B movie action star. Sue spends the weekend showing French the ropes of the business and letting him tackle the majority of problematic people they encounter. A heavy hitter by the name of Barbosa (TT) engages Tommy to use French and Sue to track down a man he says stole money from him. But the closer the debt collectors get to finding this man, the more they learn they may not have been told the truth, and it’s not a debt Barbosa is looking to collect, but a life. 

Fight #1 --- French vs 3 thugs
Opening fight in the dojo.  Good fight! It’s a nice start. The choreography is swift and smooth. Adkins pulls off some nice throws/flips. He favors his left front kick, but does throw in a sweet jump-spinning back kick. The editing is good, keeping the camera back for the most part so as to see the action.

Fight #2 --- French vs 2 debtors
Nothing major here; just some rough and tumble action. It’s short and a bit humorous. 

Fight #3 --- French vs 2 bodyguards
Good fight! And very brutal! Adkins takes on 2 big, tall black dudes that can take punches like they were feather tickles. He gets slammed around a good bit, but he throws some nice shots and finishes it with a beautifully classic side kick. 

Fight #4 --- French vs Manno
Very short and brutal. Adkins takes on yet another big brute and gets off a sweet shot to the throat. There are some nice combos, but no special moves to speak of. 

Fight #5 --- French & Sue vs Manno & 3 buddies
Good fight! Suburban street fight in the middle of a neighborhood road. LM has at the big guy this time with a pair of brass knuckles. SA takes on the trio. It’s a good, solid beatdown. Adkins gets off a couple of kicks and elbows here and there, but mainly it’s all fisticuffs. 

Fight #6 --- French vs Joey
This is really just a fun slugfest against another big dude with Adkins getting tossed around a bar for the most part. He throws in a cheap shot at the end. 

Fight #7 --- French & Sue vs Barbosa & his henchmen
Sadly, no fighting here; just a big shootout. 

The premise of the story is both interesting and entertaining. I enjoyed it. You get a little bit of back story of the characters French and Sue via their conversations over the course of 3 days as they ride around to collect debts. I would have liked more of that, especially regarding Sue and his film career. 

Acting-wise, everyone turns in solid performances. Adkins gets to keep his accent and use a number of British slang terms and colloquialisms, which was great. I actually had more difficulty understanding Mandylor sometimes when he was speaking, as he was always hacking and coughing and spoke with a soft, thick voice. The 2 of them have good chemistry together, though I believe I enjoyed Adkins’ performance more. Tony Todd is aces as Barbosa, and Vladimir Kulich as Tommy makes me think he could be Kelsey Grammer’s long lost cousin.  

From an action standpoint, it’s fairly solid. There is none of Adkins’ trademark phenomenal bootwork on display, which would have really helped many of the fight scenes (though I know the movie wasn’t intended to be a straight out MA film). Still, the choreography is good, but seems uneven. One fight seems to have more effort put into it while the following seems more “let’s do this, this, and this, and it’s over.” And it sort of becomes a pattern. The finale is a bit hokey. Not the best shootout I’ve ever seen, and I would say it’s almost on par with the apartment shootout in Donnie Yen’s Ballistic Kiss. I can’t say I really enjoyed the finale. It was almost cliché. It had a moment I expected, but then one followed that I didn’t. Honestly, it left me feeling a bit miffed. 

So, if you’re a fan of Scott Adkins, you won’t be entirely disappointed. It’s a solid entry into his filmography, but certainly not the best thing he’s done. It’s a fun movie to watch, but I don’t think you’d really be missing much if you decide to take a pass. It’s your call. It did make me want to watch Accident Man again, and if you’ve yet to see that, I’d encourage you to run that one down.

[robbie]

Its very difficuly to take your reviews seriously as you  base them on action yet when you see  silly things that totally spoil the action like  over the top sped up action in legend of wolf and  over the top wirefu  in 21 red list were they jump about like jack rabbits you say get this!!!.

 

Edited June 26, 2018 by robbie

[DrNgor]

You gotta be [flippin'] kidding me.