easternkicks.com » Sammo Hung

Out today: Goemon and more

Andrew Heskins — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:00:32 +0000

Yep, Kazuaki Kiriya’s (Casshern) latest and arguably far more enjoyable Goemon is released today, along with Tokyo Gore School and 14 Blades.

Something of a bumper day then!

14 Blades

Andrew Heskins — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:00:24 +0000

Director Daniel Lee is back, this time with Donnie Yen and Vicky Zhao in tow – thank god this is an improvement on Three Kingdoms then…

The 14 Blades in question are a special weapon only bestowed on the leader of the Jinyiwei, a select group of secret guards to the Emperor honed from childhood into deadly martial art experts, subservient to his every merciless whim. Their current leader Qinglong (Donnie Yen, Ip Man, S.P.L.: Kill Zone, Bodyguards And Assassins) becomes aware of a power play by the leader of the Imperial Court eunuch Jia, abusing his monarch’s disinterest, but is bound by the Jinyiwei laws to follow the Emperor’s orders – even if in reality they come from Jia – only to find himself betrayed by one of his own men.

On the run from his own deadly Jinyiwei, Qinglong fins sanctuary with wine merchant Jiao Zhong (Wu Ma, A Chinese Ghost Story, Swordsman, Deadful Melody) and his daughter Qiao Hua (Zhao Wei, Mulan, Red Cliff, So Close) – until they realise just how dangerous a man Qinglong is to be around. In order to create a diversion and uncover eunuch Jia’s plan, he kidnaps Jiao.

He soon finds out that Jia plots with the exiled Prince Qing (Sammo Hung, Ip Man 2, Three Kingdoms, S.P.L.: Kill Zone) to take control of the kingdom, qnd has sent his deadly daughter Tuo Tuo (Kate Tsui, 72 Tenants of Prosperity, Contract Lover) to do his bidding. Qinglong must stop this alliance from happening, but finds unlikely allies in the Sky Bandits led by Judge (Chun Wu, Butterfly Lovers), but can he truly start to feel beyond his duty?

After the abysmal and frankly embarrassingly condescending Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, Daniel Lee goes a long way to redeeming himself with this better paced, more fun action thriller. Sure, there are many common themes: Kate Tsui’s fem fatale is the spit of Maggie Q; there’s all that stupid, stupid dreadlock hair; hell, even most of the costumes look like they were left over. The film makes more of that spin on spaghetti westerns, and not just on the soundtrack this time.

Yet this time the characters get more of a chance to breathe. Wei Zhao is always a welcome presence (though my previously aired thoughts on Zhao in period dramas still stand – what, cast as another doting daughter?), and actually Yen is not at all bad. I rather like the way the film turns into a wuxia It Happened One Night for a while after Qinglong takes Jiao hostage. It’s all fairly predictable, but well played out.

And the action is particularly well choreographed by action director and Yuen Woo-ping collaborator Ku Huen Chiu (The Warlords, Fearless, Kung Fu Hustle, The Forbidden Kingd0m) – who even got a Best Action Choreography award at this years Hong Kong Film Awards for his troubles. After seeing Donnie Yen in so many more ‘grounded’ fight scenes, it’s actually rather fun to see him in a more ‘wire-fu’ based movie for a change. With such a long career in Hong Kong movies it is, of course, something he excels at.

The fights themselves are a delicious take on old school martial art movies, combining wire-fu with modern techniques they don’t overstep the use of CGI, a regular complaint of ours. (Though those hoping for a pre-emptive clash from Yen and Hung will still have to wait for Ip Man 2.)

Indeed, the whole film rather pays tribute to the martial art films of the 70s and 80s, updating them to a true 21st century look. The 14 Blades weapon itself recalls the increasingly inventive designs by Tong Kai for the Shaw Brothers for films like The Magic Blade and Deadly Breaking Sword, whilst the clandestine plan evokes Killer Clans. The pale eunuch a recurring figure during 80s/90s wuxia films, but most notably the villain of the original King Hu version of Dragon Inn. And just like then, it seems Hong Kong filmmakers hardly make films in Cantonese anymore, this is just in Mandarin.

Not perfect, but a lot of fun – this has enough going for it to appeal to Eastern and Western audiences alike.

14 Blades is released on DVD and Blu-ray (£17.99) by Icon Home Entertainment from Monday 16 August 2010.

Robin-B-Hood

Andrew Heskins — Mon, 17 May 2010 09:00:51 +0000

Surprisingly likable, if very silly, comedy from Jackie Chan that harks back to his 80s classics…

Thongs (Jackie Chan) and Octopus (Louis Koo) maybe two great acrobatic cat burglars, but neither have any idea on holding onto the money they make. Thongs gambles his away, while Octopus spends all his entertaining girlfriends, despite being married. When their boss Landlord (Michael Hui, The Cannonball Run, The Magic Touch) entices them with the promise of $7 million, they jump – but he doesn’t tell them it involves stealing a baby to return to his estranged grandfather, a triad boss.

Thongs wants to return the baby immediately, but when the handover goes wrong, he and his friend are left literally holding the baby without the faintest idea of what they’re doing. Unfortunately the triad gang are closing in on them.

Hardly original – it’s mostly Three Men And A Baby meets Raising Arizona with martial arts – director Benny Chan’s (Divergence, Invisible Target) third collaboration with Jackie, after Who Am I? and New Police Story follows the later film in attempt to relive Jackie’s 80s career. But despite the obvious broad humour and no lack of baby poo jokes, Robin-B-Hood is oddly a lot more successful than it’s predecessor.

As you might expect, it’s far less like Police Story and Project A in tone than it is his collaborations with his fellow Peking Opera students, such as My Lucky Stars and Wheels On Meals. Yuen Biao even co-stars as a police detective who happens to be an old friend of Thongs. (It’s a shame Sammo wasn’t invited?)

Benny and Jackie worked on the script together from a story by regular Benny Chan collaborator Alan Yuen, and what it manages to capture – as well as the daft innocence of those earlier films – is a real return to the almost balletic grace of the action choreography displayed by Jackie and Louis Koo. (Though Koo had to rely on a double for the trickier moves.)

It’s slick, well rehearsed and in it’s own way beautiful to look at, following that Yuen Woo-ping style of intricate trickiness Jackie has studied since they first worked together on Drunken Master and Snake In The Eagle’s Shadow. There’s also some fantastic stunt work, which might not equal the self-conscious elaborateness of New Police Story, but in many ways seem more impressive.

Almost always miscast in younger roles nowadays, here Jackie gets away with being an older thief who has never faced up to his responsibilities. His co-stars from New Police Story, Nicholas Tse and Daniel Wu, appear in a cameo as security guards, with Wu confessing his affection for Tse (with a very stupid Brokeback Mountain joke).

And yes, there’s even an end title sequence – just like the old days – with Jackie getting hurt. Does he ever learn? (Though the funniest sequence shows Yuen fluffing his line after a one-take stunt sequence from Jackie, who then complains he’ll have to do it all again!)

Sure, it’s very silly, but quite enjoyable too.

This predates Shinjuku Incident by three years, hinting that though Jackie may be only too happy to revive his familiar, 80s persona for Western audiences, he’s changed tactics in Asia towards far more interesting, if not entirely successful, character roles. The Spy Next Door, for instance, seems to be little more than a US adaption of Jackie in the role of babysitter.

As fun as this is, it’s probably time to move on…

Robin-B-Hood is released as a two-disc DVD and single-disc Blu-ray by Cine Asia on Monday, 24th May.

On DVD and Blu-Ray today: Kill Zone

Andrew Heskins — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:30:50 +0000

Finally out in the UK on DVD and Blu-Ray, S.P.L.: Kill Zone, starring Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung and Simon Yen. Here’s the UK promo to give you a taster…

Read our full review here »

S.P.L.: Kill Zone

Andrew Heskins — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:00:50 +0000

Finally released in the UK – thanks to a tie-up between Cine Asia and Weinstein’s US-based Dragon Dynasty label – one of the best martial arts films of the last decade…!

When Inspector Wa Kwun (Donnie Yen) joins an established crime unit, soon to replace retiring Detective Chan Kwok Chung (Simon Yam, Election, Exiled, Full Contact), he finds a team that have spent too long crossing the line between right and wrong. Chung has become obsessed on bringing down ruthless crime lord and keen golfer Wong Po (Sammo Hung, Fatal Move, The Prodigal Son) at any cost since Po organised an assassination of a witness and his family, leaving only his daughter alive and in Chung’s care.

Ma finds himself at odds with both the criminals he’s sworn to apprehend and the unit he’s meant to be leading when the team augment a piece of evidence to pin a murder on Po. But when Po hires a deadly assassin Jack (Jacky Wu, Fatal Contact, Invisible Target), Ma’s ethics must take second place to keeping both himself and his colleagues alive.

It’s no surprise S.P.L.: Kill Zone made one hell of an impact on it’s original release and that’s namely down to the extended showdown between Yen and Wu, then Hung. Tightly choreographed by Donnie Yen, there’s a ferocity rarely seen before in Hong Kong action and martial art films – it helped bring a new realism away from the incredible wire-fu for which it’s become best known.

There’s no dispute that the pairing of Hung and Yen was one that long overdue for martial arts fans (and so nearly happened several times before), but the preceding dual with Wu also helped put back this star back on the map – having been originally heralded back in 1996 for films like Tai Chi Boxer. And it all leads to a shocking and unforgettable ending.

The film itself is notably lacking in martial arts for much of it’s running time. Director and writer Wilson Yip expends a lot of time building up the characters of Chung and his team, ably played by Liu Kai Chi (The Detective, The Beast Stalker), Danny Summer and Ken Chang (Tsui Hark’s Vampire Hunters), showing them for all faults and merits.

The theme of police detectives crossing the line to get results is by no means new, but here Yip is more judgemental than his peers and predecessors have been. Yip leaves you in no doubt that they have stepped too far over the line, there can be no redemption. Occasionally it’s a little heavy-handed, but overall superbly shot and tightly paced. The setting of the film in the 90s even allows for some playful shots of old technology like video and dv tapes – ah, remember the good old days?

It’s obvious from some of the commentary on the DVD that Yen pushed Yip to include more fight scenes, revealing that he arranged additional funding for reshoots. It’s hard to imagine the film having the same impact without them.

This was, of course, the first collaboration between Yip and Yen. Since then we’ve had Dragon Tiger Gate, Flash Point and the exceedingly likable biopic Ip Man, and what better time to revisit this film with Ip Man 2 soon to be released and that much awaited rematch between Hung and Yip.

Bring it on!

S.P.L.: Kill Zone is released on DVD and Blu-ray on 8 March by Cine Asia.

Coming soon: Jackie Chan gets serious (and more from Cine Asia!)

Andrew Heskins — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:00:34 +0000

Sill causing a stir with it’s Asian release, Jackie Chan’s dark, dramatic The Shinjuku Incident (banned in China!) is released on Blu-ray and two-disc DVD on 22 February by Cine Asia. Provocative, compelling and underscored with hard-hitting action, the pulse-pounding thriller, The Shinjuku Incident explodes with tension and delivers a career-defining performance from international action-superstar, Jackie Chan.

Further ahead, Cine Asia will also be releasing – through their new distribution deal with Weinstein’s US Dragon Dynasty (move over Momentum, that lasted long!) – the Jet Li classic Fist Of Legend, at last! The holy gail of Jet Li’s movies, previously unavailable in the UK outside of the (dreadful!) English dubbed release by Dimension, debuts on Blu-ray and Two-disc DVD on 22 March. Yay!!!

The new tie-up with Dragon Dynasty will also FINALLY see the release of S.P.L. aka Kill Zone – the first and undoubtedly best of the collaborations between director Wilson Yip and star/action choreographer Donnie Yen. This debuts on UK Blu-ray and two-disc DVD on 8 March.

DVD/Blu-ray: Kill Zone

Andrew Heskins — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:37:53 +0000

Winner of the Best Action Choreography Award at the 2006 Hong Kong Film Awards and hailed by Variety as “a must see” for martial arts and action movie fans, the action-thriller Kill Zone comes to Blu-ray and DVD (as a two-disc Ultimate Edition) in March packed with special features that include behind the scenes featurettes, plus exclusive interviews with the stars and filmmakers.

Directed by Wilson Yip and featuring the work of many of the creative talents who helped him in bringing ‘Ip Man’, ‘Flashpoint’ and ‘Dragon Tiger Gate’ to the screen, Kill Zone stars Donnie Yen (Ip Man; An Empress And The Warriors), Simon Yam (Ip Man; Triangle), Sammo Hung (Three Kingdoms; Kung Fu Hustle; The Medallion) and Jacky Wu (Invisible Target; Fatal Contact) and combines hard-hitting martial arts action with gritty police thriller conventions.

Finally apprehended by veteran detective Chan Kwok Chung (Yam) after years of ruling the Hong Kong underworld, brutal gangster Wong Po (Hung) manages to escape justice by arranging the execution of the prosecuting attorney and the witnesses who could have sealed his fate and kept him behind bars. As Po walks free, the soon-to-retire Chan is diagnosed with terminal cancer and, with nothing left to lose, persuades his team of detectives to bring down their nemesis no matter what the cost.

However, their plans to operate outside the law are uncovered by Chan’s future replacement, Ma Kwun (Yen), a cop with a fearsome reputation who suddenly finds himself at odds with both the criminals he is trying to catch and the men he needs to trust. But Ma’s ethics are brought into question when Po hires a deadly assassin (Wu) to kill Chan’s men with ruthless efficiency and he is forced to join forces with his predecessor in order to wage bloody war on Po and his henchmen.

Climaxing in a long-awaited, extended screen showdown between martial arts legends Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen and featuring a breathtaking mano-a-mano face-off between Yen and Jacky Wu, Kill Zone is an electrifying and suspenseful thriller guaranteed to keep action fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Kill Zone (cert. tbc) will be released on DVD (£17.99) and Blu-ray (£24.99) by Cine Asia on 8th March 2010.

DVD/Blu-ray: Fist Of Legend

Andrew Heskins — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:36:00 +0000

Directed by Gordon Chan (The Medallion; Beast Cops) and starring martial arts superstar Jet Li (The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor; The Forbidden Kingdom; Fearless; Hero), Fist Of Legend gets the Ultimate Edition treatment courtesy of Cine Asia with an extra features-packed Blu-ray and two-disc DVD release on 22nd March 2010.

A stunning reinvention of Bruce Lee’s timeless 1972 classic, ‘Fist of Fury’, Fist Of Legend delivers scene upon scene of intense and magnificently composed martial arts action for what is now considered by many to be the greatest kung fu movie of all time.

In the most electrifying performance of his celebrated career, international superstar Jet Li plays Chen Zhen, the matchless number-one student of China’s preeminent kung fu master, Fok Yun-gap. Upon returning home to Shanghai after a period of study abroad, he discovers that his homeland has been devastated by a brutal Japanese occupation and that his once proud martial arts academy has fallen into disarray following the untimely demise of his beloved Master, allegedly in a challenge match with a member of the Japanese Black Dragon Clan.

Disgusted by the official verdict on his teacher’s death, Chen embarks on a heroic and uncompromising one-man quest to uncover the true killer and restore dignity to his fallen people – a journey that will bring him into deadly confrontation with Japan’s most formidable fighters.

Showcasing exceptional action-choreography from ace martial arts director, Yuen Woo-ping (The Matrix Trilogy and Kill Bill), Fist Of Legend is a brilliant martial arts masterpiece that justifiably has been awarded iconic status by fans and critics worldwide.

Fist Of Legend (cert. tbc) will be released on DVD (£17.99) and Blu-ray (£24.99) by Cine Asia on 22nd March 2010.

Special Features include: audio commentary by Hong Kong Cinema expert Bey Logan; ‘The Man Behind The Legend’ – an exclusive interview with director Gordon Chan; ‘Brothers In Arms’ – an exclusive interview with kung fu impresario Chin Siu-ho; ‘The Way Of The Warrior’ – an exclusive interview with Japanese action legend Kurata Yasuaki; ‘The School Of Hard Knocks’ – a screen fighting seminar at the celebrated Kurata Action School; a look at ‘Fist Of Legend’ with director Brett Ratner and critic Elvis Mitchell; deleted scenes gallery; trailer gallery; DTS HD MA English 5.1 audio (Blu-ray); Dolby Digital Cantonese 2.0 Stereo, Mandarin 2.0 Stereo and English 5.1 audio options (DVD); optional English subtitles.

DVD/Blu-ray: The Shinjuku Incident

Andrew Heskins — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:35:20 +0000

Heartbroken, his life descends into darkness and petty crime quickly escalates to murder. With blood on his hands, he will risk everything to secure a future for his people, as they face an increasingly brutal onslaught from a criminal empire protected by a secret code. However, ancient traditions will not be broken and his defiance will lead to all-out war as both factions fight for control of the infamous Shinjuku district in the heart of Japan’s greatest city.

Ultimately pursued by forces on both sides of the law, Steelhead must fight for redemption and the survival of those he loves in the darkest night he has ever known…

Provocative, compelling and underscored with hard-hitting action, the pulse-pounding thriller, The Shinjuku Incident explodes with tension and delivers a career-defining performance from international action-superstar, Jackie Chan.  Coming to Blu-ray and to DVD as a two-disc Ultimate Edition featuring a host of extras, including behind the scenes featurettes, cast interviews and deleted scenes, this is a must-have for Jackie Chan fans and lovers of action cinema.

Special Features include: Making of; behind the scenes featurettes; extended and deleted scenes; trailer gallery; interview gallery (Jackie Chan, Daniel Wu, Xu Jinglei, Masaya Kato, Naoto Takenata, Chin Kar Lok, Pater Kam Pau-Tat); Dolby Digital original language 2.0 and 5.1, plus English 5.1 audio tracks (DVD); DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 original language and 5.1 English, plus Dolby Digital original language 2.0 audio tracks (Blu-ray).

THE SHINJUKU INCIDENT (18) is radical, uncompromising cinema with the most unforgettable finale of any Jackie Chan film to date! Released on two-disc DVD (£17.99) and single disc Blu-ray (£24.99) by Cine Asia on February 22.

Released on DVD & Blu-ray today: Ip Man

Andrew Heskins — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:00:53 +0000

The highly enjoyable Ip Man – based on the life story of the man who taught Bruce Lee kung fu – is released on Blu-ray and DVD today courtesy of Cine Asia/Showbox Entertainment. We spoke to star Donnie Yen, director Wilson Yip and action choreographer Sammo Hung last week about martial art films, Bruce Lee, Wing Chun and much more besides…

Also out today…

Palisades Tartan continue to reissue their back catalogue with gusto. Today sees two box sets released: Asian Horror – Essential Collection, featuring Takashi Miike’s Audition, ‘Ring‘ Director Hideo Nakata’s Dark Water And The Pang Brothers’ The Eye. A second box set, Korean Horror – Essential Collection, collects Kim Sung-Ho’s Into The Mirror, Park Ki-Hyung’s Acacia And Won Shin-Yeon’s The Wig. They also release Blood Rain today, an inventive thriller set in the 19th century starring Cha Seung-won (Eye For An Eye, Kick The Moon).

4Digital release Cyborg She, lighthearted sci-fi love story about a lonely young man and his female cyborg from the future starring Haruka Ayase (Ichi).

easternkicks.com » Sammo Hung

Out today: Goemon and more

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14 Blades

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THE SHINJUKU INCIDENT (18) is radical, uncompromising cinema with the most unforgettable finale of any Jackie Chan film to date! Released on two-disc DVD (£17.99) and single disc Blu-ray (£24.99) by Cine Asia on February 22.

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