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A Kid From Tibet (1992)


Guest Tamboo

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Guest ekisha

I just saw A KID FROM TIBET (Japan Version) DVD Region 2 at yesasia.May i aks?Is this a remastered version or it's the same quality as Panorama release?

Also there is The Champions (Japan Version) DVD Region 2,is it really remastered or just small difference of picture?

Any help would be appreciated.Thanks.

________

COACH PURSES

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Correct me if I am wrong, but is that really Peacock King?

When did Yuen Biao wear a blue "wife beater" aka tank top in Peacock King? I thought he was in a pseudo monk garb(Red & Khaki colored, with a white undergarment). I thought he only shot fireballs/whatevers from his hand and maybe used a staff in some of the fight scenes.

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Yep its "Kid From Tibet'...Yuen Biao's sole directorial outing, featuring a cast that includes Biao hismelf, Yuen Wah, Nina Li, Michele Reis, a cameo by Jackie Chan and some really good action...a Japanese company shot a feature length documentary to accompany its release, they were on set for the majority of shoot..would love to know what happened to the footage

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TibetanWhiteCrane
Yep its "Kid From Tibet'...Yuen Biao's sole directorial outing, featuring a cast that includes Biao hismelf, Yuen Wah, Nina Li, Michele Reis, a cameo by Jackie Chan and some really good action...a Japanese company shot a feature length documentary to accompany its release, they were on set for the majority of shoot..would love to know what happened to the footage

Me too! Heard that about several HK productions, mainly Jackie and Biao movies. Where some japanese film crew, or whatever, shot behind the scenes stuff, or took pictures for a picture book. Most of that stuff, will probably never see the light of day again:(

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One Armed Boxer

This is tonight's viewing, so before I weigh in with my thoughts, figured it makes sense to update the thread with a couple of forum members reviews from the past - 

@ShaOW!linDude - 

@DiP - 

 

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ShaOW!linDude
2 hours ago, One Armed Boxer said:

This is tonight's viewing, so before I weigh in with my thoughts, figured it makes sense to update the thread with a couple of forum members reviews from the past - 

@ShaOW!linDude - 

@DiP - 

 

Can't wait to read your review of this!!!!

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One Armed Boxer
On 29/04/2017 at 5:37 AM, ShaOW!linDude said:

Can't wait to read your review of this!!!!

Having been misled about the extent of his role in 'Once Upon a Time in China' in 1991 (thanks to @DragonClaws for this info!), Yuen Biao decided to set up his own production company, and in the following year the first title under the banner of Yuen Biao Productions was ready to go.  'A Kid from Tibet' is also unique though for being Biao's directorial debut.  Unlike his opera school brothers Jackie and Sammo, who had been directing since the late 70's, Biao always seemed content (and arguably seemed most suited) to let others direct him, so I was pretty excited to see what he had up his sleeve from the standpoint of sitting in the directors chair.

Wanting to have a crack at directing is an itch most action stars tend to experience at some point in their careers.  For guys like Jackie and Sammo, it was a natural fit, with some of their best efforts in-front of camera seeing them also directing themselves behind it.  For others, such as Jet Li ('Born to Defense') and Steven Seagal ('On Deadly Ground') for example, directing would be a one-time gig, for whatever reason choosing to remain in-front of the camera, but happy to let the mechanics of being behind it to those more experienced.

For Biao 'A Kid from Tibet' would also be the one and only time he'd direct, and onscreen it's unfortunately very easy to see why.  His fish out-of-water story of a Tibetan monk (complete with mystical powers) who's sent to Hong Kong to retrieve a magical treasure, along with Michelle Reis (who I'll admit, despite the promise of a Biao vs. Yuen Wah finale, remains the only reason I watched through to the end) who plays a modern HK business woman, is a surprisingly uninspired affair.  You can guess the drill, Biao is the 'kid from Tibet' of the title, a naive monk studying under Wu Ma, and the cultural clashes with a modern city girl naturally lead to plenty of comedy.

What I was surprised by is, not only how much of the run time is dedicated to the comedy (we're talking looooong stretches), but also how completely unfunny it was.  We all know Canto-comedy can get pretty broad, but I usually find myself laughing along during most Sammo and Jackie flicks, even at the stupider stuff.  Considering Biao's physical dexterity, very little of the humor found here is of the physical variety (at least not in the sense of the physicality we're used to from a Biao movie), instead relying on situational comedy like falling over in a pool of mud, or Reis and Biao's constant bickering etc.

The villains come in the form of Yuen Wah (who else right?) and Nina Li Chi, rocking a black leather outfit and whip, who also want to find the magical treasure to use for the usual world domination antics.  Action is pretty sparse throughout, but Biao does get to square off against Li Chi mid-way through proceedings, in a confrontation which is mostly reliant on wire enhanced moves and falls than choreography, and then we have the traditional Biao vs Wah finale.  Surprisingly even this face-off comes out flat, and as much as I hate to say it (although this certainly isn't the first time I've spoken this opinion), I believe that one of the main reasons is that when Biao is choreographing himself, he doesn't push his physical limits the same way that someone like say, Sammo, does.

While here he's assisted on choreography duties by Ka Lee (stuttering Keung from 'Eastern Condors'), there simply isn't that much to see.  There's no memorable moves, no standout stuntwork, and even when the pair begin dueling with over-sized swords, there's just no wow factor to it.  Thankfully everyone on board would put out much better work in the subsequent years, with Biao himself putting out 2 of my favorite flicks from his 90's era in the year following with 'Kick Boxer' and 'Sword Stained with Royal Blood'.

Give me Biao the stunt double, Biao the kung fu star, Biao the acrobat extrordonaire....but Biao the director?  I'll pass.

 

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ShaOW!linDude
On 5/1/2017 at 8:48 AM, One Armed Boxer said:

...(although this certainly isn't the first time I've spoken this opinion), I believe that one of the main reasons is that when Biao is choreographing himself, he doesn't push his physical limits the same way that someone like say, Sammo, does.

I concur with that assessment.

Yeah, the comedy doesn't work a lot of the time, but I did find a few moments that had me chuckle. The action is indeed sparse, but I like that it was fairly grounded, particularly Biao's fight with Wah's lackeys. I thought that had some really good choreography. And I think I enjoy this end fight between them more than the one in Kickboxer (which is marred with bad lighting), where...

Spoiler

Wah dies by plunging to his death on a giant chandelier

. This one was has the sense of the protagonist serving the antagonist a fitting end.

Well, I hate that you didn't enjoy this more. Maybe if you do like I did and wait 20 years before rewatching it, you'll enjoy it a little better. :tongueout

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One Armed Boxer
On 5/1/2017 at 11:14 AM, ShaOW!linDude said:

And I think I enjoy this end fight between more than the one in Kickboxer (which is marred with bad lighting), where

Spoiler

Wah dies by plunging to his death on a giant chandelier

I have to go with 'Kickboxer', not only was it more substantial (you have Biao facing off against both Chen Shan and Yuen Wah in various rooms), but it also has the crucial ingredients that I felt were missing from the finale of 'A Kid from Tibet', which are speed and flow.  It also feels more earned, you really want Biao to win in 'Kickboxer', whereas with 'A Kid from Tibet' I honestly didn't really care.  You mention the part with Biao going against Wah's lackeys, and it may be only 2 days ago (or possibly age), but that part has already left my memory.  I watched 'Kickboxer' a couple of years ago, and remember all the fights from that one, as well as the movie as a whole.

On 5/1/2017 at 11:14 AM, ShaOW!linDude said:

Well, I hate that you didn't enjoy this more. Maybe if you do like I did and wait 20 years before rewatching it, you'll enjoy it a little better. :tongueout

Let's agree to touch base again in 2037, when I'll re-watch it via the 6K holographic 4D remaster.:tongueout

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