Day 90 continued - Fist of Legend (Hong Kong)

 

" In 1937, a Chinese martial artist returns to Shanghai to find his teacher dead and his school harassed by the Japanese."

Wow, seeing Jet Li like I have never seen him before. He is a little younger but virtually he hasn't changed in appearance all that much. His martial art abilities stand out in this film and I even like the addition of boxing footwork.  This film is a very good blend, I loved the interracial relationship between Jet Li and Shinobu Nakayama. That forbidden love made Jet Li's character more human in a way, in better words it made him more realistic. It really impressed me that they would allow that kind of relationship in the script. A good director was present during this film but where was he at during the action scenes? Don't get me wrong, the action scenes were pretty good but some of the effects were a bit too weak. I quite enjoyed this film a lot, so if you are a fan of Jet Li then watch this film and enjoy seeing this legend as a younger man. 

3.8/5

Side note 

The final fight scene was the inspiration for the dojo fighting scene in The Matrix

Jet Li played Chao Zen and he would later play his master, Huo Yuanjia, in the film Fearless

Bruce Lee also played Chao Zen

Day 87- The Enforcer (Hong Kong)

" An undercover cop struggling to provide for his son and ailing wife, must infiltrate a ruthless gang. But things turn sour when another cop blows his cover and he quickly finds himself battling for his life and the lives of his family."

This is the first time I have seen Jet Li in a Chinese movie. It wasn't as bad as I thought, I was thinking it might have a poor sound quality. It wasn't that bad to be honest, Jet Li had all the right moves. It was a little different to see Jet Li handle guns in a film as in American movies he usually just fights hand to hand. I did not like the direction of the film or the rushed romance present in the film. Nor did I like the kid's acting ability but he did an okay job. I would suggest you watch this if you are a Jet Li fan.

2/5

Little info

 Jet Li (Kung Wei) and Mo Tse (Johnny Kung) previously portrayed father and son in the 1994 film, "Legend of the Red Dragon

Day 76 continued - Bangkok Assassins (Thai)

 Four kidnapped/stolen kids who were forced to beg for money on the streets until they are saved by a monk. The monk took them and trained them in martial arts. Each one of the four has a special technique and each one has a handicap. One is blind, one is deaf, one is mute, and the other is mentally disabled. Their master is killed and now its up to these four to get revenge.

Another bad Thai film that could have been much better with a different director and screenwriter. The story was predictable, some of the acting was horrible and the special effects were over the top. The story was very tame, it had the typical cliches you can see from a mile away. There is not a lot I can really say about this film but to skip it no matter what.

0/5

Day 76 - The Man With the Iron Fists 2 (American)

RZA is back with a sequel to his directorial debut but this time he hands it off to another director which appears to have been a big mistake.

The Blacksmith has found his way to Tsai Fu village, a mining town under the control of a heartless man. The blacksmith bonds with these people and eventually decides to craft tools for them but he will not give them weapons. Though the tools he craft for them are for whatever purposes the villagers would need them for.

I honestly didn't like this movie, though it did have some good actors in it. A new edition to the series is Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa who surprised me with his acting abilities in the film as well as the predictable twist towards the end of the film. RZA did a good job on his part but I felt besides those two no one offered a lot. I have to say that Pim Bubear who played Innocence was quite nice to look it but that's about it.

The action scenes were not that bad but I would say they need some improvement. The ending was weak as well as it seemed so rushed and the story was so shaky. I honestly hope there is a third movie so I can see a better American martial arts movie.

1.5/5

Day 75 continued - Fireball (Thai)

Tai discovers that his twin brother, Tan, was beat badly to the point he is in a coma after playing a good game of basketball. Though this is not basketball like you have see it before, the players are allowed to use martial arts and weapons as long as they leave everything they have on the court.

I enjoyed the concept but everything else could have been thrown away. The action sequences were poor as was the story development. It was predictable at every turn and wasn't all that good to watch. The script was very weak though I was surprised that the concept and the music were the best parts of the movie.
The main character falls in love with his twin brothers girlfriend. Its a stupid part of the story that doesn't really work, I'm guessing it was the directors attempt to add a bit more drama to the film. The final scene was weak as well, it was predictable and not that enjoyable. Sure there was a lot of blood but there was no substance. I was left disappointed and sought to find a better film. I suggest you skip this film and watch something a bit better.

1/5

Little Info

This film won the Guru Prize for Most Energetic Film at the Fant-Asia Film Festival, it was tied with Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl.

Day 26 continued - Iceman (Chinese/Hong Kong)

"An imperial guard and his three traitorous childhood friends ordered to hunt him down get accidentally buried and kept frozen in time. 400 years later passes and they are defrosted continuing the battle they left behind"

The worst Donnie Yen movie I have ever seen, the whole thing was ridiculous. There is way too much forced comedy and not a very good plot. The special effects are so bad you have to try not to see it in order to see Donnie Yen perform. Even though this film has a lot of big talent in it, it fails horribly. It could be because of the director Law Wing-cheung who will not be considered a good director anytime soon. The ending will get you mad since it sets up like there is going to be a sequel which will probably be released later this year. I swear if you are not a Donnie Yen fan do not watch this movie.

1/5

Day 3 - shaolin Soccer (Hong Kong)

 

" A former Shaolin monk reunites his five brothers, years after their master's death, to apply their superhuman martial arts skills to play soccer and bring Shaolin kung fu to the masses."

 

I'm really not a big fan of martial art comedy films but this wasn't as bad as I thought. The first half of the movie is quite over the top but it gets better toward the end. I did like how they used martial arts to play soccer and how each member had their own style. I even like the slight romance present in the film as it was different from normal films. It felt like the film was too short which caused the last match to feel slightly rushed. The special effects were not that good but I don think that really matters as it is the technique that you end up watching. I would suggest this film to those that like martial art comedies and fans of Stephen Chow.

 

2.5/5

 

 

 

Little Info

The film was inspired by the Japanese anime Captain Tsubasa

 

Chow decided to cast mainly people who had no prior experience with acting for example he casted a screenwriter and even one of his production managers in the film.

Day 2 continued- Kung Fu Jungle (Hong Kong/Chinese)

"A martial arts instructor from the police force gets imprisoned after killing a man by accident. But when a vicious killer starts targeting martial arts masters, the instructor offers to help the police in return for his freedom."

 

Another good Donnie Yen movie that could have been better but still manages to be entertaining. Sadly one of the bad things about this film is its special effects because they weren't that well done. There usually is some kind of light surrounding the actor or actress when they perform a action stunt. There are a few good actors in this film like Donnie Yen is always interesting to see but Wang Baoqiang is good as well. Wang often plays different kinds of characters which is quite impressive and interesting. The script and story needed some work as both of them could have been a lot better. The action scenes (besides the effects) were well done and quite interesting especially the final one. I enjoyed the symbolism at the end of the film, but I wont reveal why because it will ruin the end.

 

3/5

 

 

Little Info

Donnie Yen

An action star who has appeared in American movies like Highlander: End Game, Blade II and Shanghai Knights. His best known for his performance in the IP Man series. He also is an action Choreographer, director, martial artist and producer.